The Rightful Queen 7 The Pirates and their Royal Target Mee

The pub brimmed with activity. Countless men wagered on an arm wrestling game stationed at the center. Both arms bulged with strength but neither had the advantage. The participants grunted, flexing their tattooed muscles more.

"Today will be your end, sailor" one of them grunted, a cigar hanging off the corner of his mouth.

"Keep up the dream, punk" his opponent spat his spit on the floor. Then, sneered, "I can't wait to watch it die."

The crowd around them erupted in cheers.

At a corner booth, the pirates stayed away from the commotion. Cleon took a jug and drowned a beer in one go. Maia watched as some of the liquid dripped over his chin.

"Disgusting" she gagged, "Why aren't you a bit more masculine and sophisticated like the Rash of the Sea?"

Raz grunted. Maia turned her head and smiled cheekily, "You are my standard for men."

"Terrible choice."
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She chuckled at Raz's reply. For the most part, their leader was a quiet fellow but the good men around her were too few. Maia looked over at the competition and wondered what were Raz' chances at winning.

The group no longer wore their masks and their hoods. With the job over and a success, Cleon dragged them to the pub. Maia kept the reward money safe with her bags of herbs and medicinal tools. As an apprentice healer, their missions allowed her to practice.

Her star patient was Cleon who always suffered from at least one injury per job. The bump on his forehead was the souvenir of the day. Maia did her best to suppress the swelling but it would take some time before it disappeared.

Done with his beer, Cleon wiped his mouth with back of his hand. He raised the empty jug and waved it at a passing waitress.

Raz kicked him in the shin.

"Ow!"

"Go get it yourself."

Cleon rubbed the sore spot and got up, pouting all the way to the barrel filled with beer.

On his way back, an uproar resounded from the center of the pub. A winner had been declared and not everyone took it lightly. Someone threw the first punch and the place became chaotic.

Heavy men trashed everything they touched. Tables and stools flipped from the brawl. Beers spilled on the floor. Glasses fell and broke.

A waitress screamed and ran to the back.

Maia sipped her beer and ate her fries. Her eyes were on the fight that broke out. With each blow, she assessed the injury and the appropriate remedies.

Somehow the sight of Cleon scrambling to get back to their table slipped her gaze.

At the front door, two figures walked inside the pub.

Tylen pulled Hayden to a duck when a chair flew at their direction. It broke into pieces when it fell on the street. Hayden stared over his shoulder at the debris, trembling from the near death experience.

Was this really the right place? Hayden wondered. He stood up and moved his attention to where the flying chair came from.

The brawl escalated before his eyes. Broken furniture were used as makeshift weapons. Each person gave no mercy until their opponent was drop dead on the floor.

Hayden gulped.

Tylen surveyed the area. The ruckus made it difficult to see the faces of the people. The uncivilized behavior irked him as much as the Rin Family who cooperated once he and Hayden promised not to harm the pirates.

Such loyalty… to a group of criminals… irritated him.

How could citizens be in favor of criminal activity? Even his best friend was bewitched by their actions.

The Prince found a man leering at him. His posture suggested that he had been doing it for some time now. Tylen could recognize those eyes anywhere.

What he didn't expect was that the fierce black eyes from earlier belonged to somewhat soft facial features—surely not as sharp as his or Hayden's. Without the mask, the pirate seemed harmless.

What a good projection, he couldn't help but salute in his mind.

Tylen grabbed Hayden by the neck and walked over to the pirates.

Maia and Cleon turned at the sound of footsteps approaching their table. Cleon immediately held the handle of his sword, ready to strike if they made a move. Maia reached for a sack of grounded black pepper on her belt. The cloth was thin and easy to break.

Only Raz sat lazily.

Tylen grabbed two stools and sat down while Hayden remained on his feet, gaping at the glares directed at him. Tylen pulled him down by the arm.

"So…" Cleon broke the silence, "What is the Crown Prince doing in a place like this?"

Tylen watched the scrunch of Hayden's eyebrows deepen. His friend opened and closed his hands, wiping his palms on his clothes. A bead of sweat appeared on Hayden's temple. He quickly wiped it off with the back of his hand.

Seeing Hayden unsure boosted the Prince's confidence to stop this arrangement and to resume their original plan.

"We have a proposal for you" Tylen filled in for Hayden. He placed his elbows on the table and looped his fingers together, "In exchange, what would you like?"

The blue-haired pirate held up his hands. The silvery tone of the Prince did not sit well with him, "Wo-woah, hold your horses there, chief. We don't even know what you're asking from us yet." Then, he crossed his arms, "How sure are you we'd accept?"

"I agree. We may be pirates, Your Highness, but we still have our morals" the female pirate added. Her hand lingered on the pepper sack. If these people intended them to do underhanded tricks against any members of the court, she'd throw a bag on each of their faces without hesitation. Those offers came more often than most people thought. The number of people on Maia's hate list mostly came from that kind of transaction.

"Yes, I can see that when you attacked my men and stole my possession" Tylen snorted.

"None of you had heavy injuries, correct?" She pointed out. Tylen frowned. The girl's amber eyes lit with jest.

Beside him, Hayden stopped fidgeting. Now that they mentioned it, he recalled the injuries. Everyone only had scratches that would heal in no time.

Hayden slammed his hands on the table, his confidence renewed. The pirates immediately turned their attention to him.

"We are looking for someone. When I heard you were able to track down an heirloom that has been missing for over seventy years, I realized I want you to accompany me on this job" Hayden said tremulously.

"Who?" The pirates' third companion replied.

Rash.

The name echoed in Hayden's mind. In front of him sat the man who attacked him earlier. After Tylen told him about the infamous Rash of the Sea, Hayden only felt relieved that he hadn't been injured by him.

"Uh…" The knight stiffened under Rash's piercing black eyes. Knowing Rash's reputation didn't prepare Hayden enough for this moment. He gulped, "C-can we move to somewhere more private?"

The other two pirates looked to Rash for instructions.

Hayden felt the blood drain from his face. He hoped that there would be at least one pirate to speak up for him but it seemed the matter rested on Rash's shoulders.

The black-haired pirate didn't remove his gaze from Hayden, not even to acknowledge his companions. As seconds went by, Hayden swore Rash's eyes narrowed more.

Rash recalled what their informants had told them.

The pair should be on their way to Aurae for the Princess' banquet. A reputable source also hinted that an engagement was to be settled between the two heirs and to unite the two kingdoms.

The previous rulers had just mended centuries of dispute. Any sign of objection could tip the scale of a relationship that hanged on a balance.

One jewel was unlikely to hinder their journey… so what kept the Crown Prince and his knight in Teralyn?

After a long pause, Rash sighed, "Let's go outside then."

Chapter end