A Princess's Piracy

The garden was most beautiful at night, under the light of the moon. I sat at my favorite bench, letting my thoughts overwhelm me. I know I’d embarrassed my father, but I’d meant every word. Thinking of anyone but my family ruling over Oceane was not an option. For generations, we’d helped our people prosper and ruled with elegant grace. That’s what I told myself my reasoning was, anyways. The truth was much more selfish. For generations, The Royals of Ocean had given birth to men. Those men had always chosen Oceane as their place of residence, never allowing their birthright to go to waste. My mother had been the first woman to be first born in our bloodline. She was an only child. For years, her parents feared a prince would take her to his kingdom and Oceane’s fate would fall to another ruler. My father had saved them from their worry. He had gracefully chosen Oceane, because he loved my mother with everything he had. I wanted to live in Oceane, because I wanted to be surrounded

That night I met the crew I’d be sailing with for the next month. They were rowdy from the moment I stepped into the house, eager to meet the Princess that dared to sail alongside them through danger. My brother fit right into this crowd, I realized. He wasn’t like my father at all. My father was a devoted ruler to Oceane and always had been. He’d come from Prune, where they believed strongly in honor. Armelle believed in living in the moment, taking life as it comes. He believed in being in the heat of the battle, not giving the orders from a safe distance. He believed honor came from inclusion, and his people respected him for it. Here, they didn’t call him Prince, they called him Melle. He was their friend. He was living the life I’d always wanted. I watched my brother drink with the sailors. While I didn’t participate, I enjoyed the ambiance. As a Princess, the only parties I’d ever been to were balls, and they were not nearly as fun. In fact, compared to the cheerful singing an