A Promise

Answers

Lorenzo walked into his cabin, knowing there are two lovely women inside. One was a servant and the other was a noble. Comparing the one to the other, they looked like they were related if not for the different shapes of their features and slight differences in color of eyes and hair. He glanced over at his bed, knowing that was where they would be. Alice was sprawled across it, taking up nearly every inch. Not finding Grace there, he looked around the room only to pause at the chair. Grace was curled up in the arm chair that was bolted to the floor. She looked uncomfortable in it, but there was almost nothing he could do. Besides Grace didn't seem like she wanted him to touch her at all unlike Alice.

Shaking his head, he smirked as he leaned against the wall, watching both of them sleep. Grace shifted and started to wake, sitting up in the chair. She stretched her arms above her head. Alice showed her where to at least wash out her hair and gave her new clothes. Instead of the drab plain grey gown she wore as a maid with a white apron, Grace now had breeches and a loose white shirt, tucked into the pants. Lorenzo knew those were his clothes, not that he really minded her wearing them.

Rubbing the sand from her eyes, she started to twist and turn, getting everything moving as she stood up. Grace massaged away any kinks in her limbs, working them out. She then turned to glance at Alice, seeing she was still asleep. Dawn hadn't peeked over the horizon yet, but it was close. The sky was inky blue and gaining more colors as time went on. “Sleep well?” Lorenzo asked, making his presence known. Turning her head, Grace's gaze landed on the pirate, not knowing what to do or say to him. She knew this was a pirate ship, and she had no idea how to act on it, but one thing was certain, she needed to be strong. She needed to pull her own weight and do her part. Possibly even do Alice's since she knew next to nothing about anything to do with surviving.

“What are you doing here?” she found herself asking before realizing this was his cabin. “I apologize. Do you need something?” Grace searched his eyes, looking for some answer within the aphotic depths. Finding nothing, she looked down, waiting for him to answer. Instead, he pushed away from the wall, heading towards her.

“I need some answers.” Tilting her head slightly, she looked up at him, wondering what he wanted to know. It was not something you demanded of a servant. They said nothing, not unless ordered to. “I left you on a beach, unconscious. How in the world did you convince mermaids to help you?” he asked, blunt and straight to the point, ish. Grace found there was more to his question, something he was not saying, but she didn't ask, figuring if she needed to know, she will know.

“I woke up and they were there. They helped me and that is it.” A crease formed between his eyebrows, getting deeper and deeper as he found it strange a human could, would have mermaids help them. Mostly mermaids were dark omens. They brought with them trouble that no man wished to face. A death enthralled to a creature of the sea. Mermaids professed they were harmless unlike their cousins, sirens. Lorenzo knew better. Mermaids didn't eat humans, but suffocate them under the waves, wanting the men to love them. Mermaids were all female. The males were either human or mermen that stay in the lost kingdom that most call Atlantis on the surface. “I don't know what you want me to say,” Grace stated softly. Her voice broke his train of thought.

Looking at her and not staring through her, he saw curiosity within her sparkling eyes. The dawn spread across the sky as the sun peeked over the far edge of the sea. Alice groaned before turning over. “They helped you? Nothing in return? No token they have taken?” Tilting her head, he noticed her thinking about something. Something that might change everything.

She didn't know if she should tell him about the kiss, well two of them. It's not something that important. She found herself thinking, shaking away the thought. “No. At least not that I know of.” He started backing her up into the chair, making her sit and placing his hands on either side of her. Lowering his head to a hairsbreadth, Lorenzo watched as she just turned her gaze away, not even bothered by how close he was. That was until her cheeks started turning pink, getting darker by the second.

Smirking, he leaned in close to her ear. “Are you sure,” his words fanned over her sensitive skin, “there was nothing?” Chills rolled down her spine, horripilating her skin. Bumps rose like gooseflesh, her hair stood on end; all from Lorenzo whispering in her ear.

Swallowing softly, she turned back to him, showing a blank face even though her cheeks glowed softly with a blush. “They took nothing from me.” She leaned up, placing her hands against his chest. “She gave me something instead.” Her stomach rolled; fear played within it. Grace didn't know how he would react. He was a pirate and a man. Every one was different.

“What did they give you?” he questioned, watching as her full lips. The pink shade of them didn't go unnoticed as she parted them softly. He pictured a mermaid giving Grace a necklace or a shell.

Nothing could prepare him for what she said. “A kiss.” It sent him reeling back. Lorenzo stared at her, not believing his ears. A mermaids kiss was nearly as precious as their tears.

“What?” he found himself asking, making sure he heard correctly. When she didn't reply, he continues on. “A kiss? The mermaid,”

“Salome.”

Lorenzo left his mouth open, finding this more and more weird than before. He paused before shaking his head. “Right. Salome, kissed you. Do you know what that means?” Grace stood up slowly, shaking her head, knowing next to nothing about mermaids besides the stories and legends. This wasn't in one of them. “It means you're under their protection.”

Grace shook her head, trying to grasp what that means. It made no sense to her at all. Instead of dwelling on it, she started to get Alice up. Lorenzo stepped back, watching, thinking. He knew now that both women were not all they appeared to be.

“Alice,” Grace whispered, shaking her mistress' shoulders, trying to get her to wake. Alice groaned, mumbling something before turning over. Again, Grace shook her shoulders. “Come on, time to get up.”

“Ten minutes. Give me ten more minutes.”

“Breakfast will be gone by then,” Lorenzo stated, surprising Alice awake. Alice snapped up, fingering down her hair as a blush crossed her cheeks. He raised a brow at that. Her eyes flickered over to Grace as she searched for some suitable clothes, taking out a pair of his pants and shirt. She even got a sash. Handing them off to Alice, she turned to Lorenzo, giving him a look. He just smirked, seeing what she would do if he stays. Grace sighed heavily before walking up to him.

“You need to step out. Now.” His smirk didn't leave as she brushed her fingers across his arm, covered by just his shirt this time. His jacket laid on his desk, holding all manner of things from maps to books. Her grasp on his arm, surprised him. Grace tugged gently, making him move towards the door. She pushed him through the doorway and shut the door in his face. His crew started laughing, knowing he just got kicked out of his own room.

“Got kicked out? That be fast,” Hobson chuckled, carrying a barrel across the deck and down into the hold. He popped his head back up. “That one's feisty. Don't let 'er go too soon. I like 'er.” Lorenzo snapped from his daze, turning to his crew with a scowl.

“Back to work! No jabberin'!” Almost all of them scurried about, climbing the shrouds and going below deck. Only Butcher stayed where he was. He walked towards the fuming man, his captain and friend. Lorenzo looked at Butcher, silently telling him not to ask even though he knew it was hopeless. It was only a matter of time before Butcher did ask. Lorenzo marched up towards the helm, waving the man that was there away. The scrawny man scampered back and down the stairs before disappearing. Lorenzo grasped the wheel, taking a deep breath. He loved the feeling of being in control, being the one to steer a large ship as this, but always having the wind to fight against or work with him. It was a feeling of freedom that he never achieved on land.

The two women meandered out of his cabin, but he payed very little attention to them. Grace didn't mind, but he was about the only man she knew. Some of their names she did know, but that was about it. Faces walked pass them. Alice grinned brightly at a few of them, noticing some are young, about her age, wondering the deck and making sure everything was in order. When Alice spotted Lorenzo, she skipped off to him, leaving Grace behind. Sighing heavily, Grace decided to do something useful, whatever that may be.

She wandered the deck, watching a few of the men secure lines to pegs sticking out of the railing and the masts. They do it so quickly that she wondered how they do it. When several of the crew members shoved passed her, she moved out of the way, leaning over the railing. “I be ca'eful the'e, Miss.” Turning her head, she looked towards the man that scared her last night, Butcher. He had his arms crossed, staring her down. Stepping away from the side, Grace placed her hands on her hips, staring right back.

“I know how to swim, Master Butcher.”

“Butcher, no maste'. The'e be no maste' on this ship. Only the cap'n.” Grace glanced up where Lorenzo stood, talking with Alice with a smirk on his lips. She turned back to Butcher, noticing he was darker than he appeared last night. He had skin like the aboriginals that she had met; dark, russet brown. A few worked as laborers in the Marquis' mansion even. Butcher had one golden medallion earring in his right ear. It wasn't as big as she had seen before especially on women, but it was decent sized.

“There is always a master,” she stated, turning away. “Always one for me,” Grace whispered, looking back out at the ocean, longing for the familiar embrace of the blue waters.

“The'e be no maste's he'e. E'ery man for himself.” Butcher sidled up to her, standing there, watching the ocean as well. “It be a good day,” he said, smiling. Grace stared at him, not thinking he could smile. Pirates were suppose to be hardy, rum loving, robbers of the seas. They were not suppose to smile. She berated herself for buying into those stereotypes. Pirates were humans, people, just like her.

“A good day?” she asked, pushing her thoughts away and just wanting to find out more about the ocean. Grace felt almost at peace on this ship, but she had only been here a day at most. “As in the weather will be good or...” she left it there, knowing Butcher knew what she was talking about.

“Maybe a bit of both.” He grinned, turning to her. “Ne'er unde'estimate the sea, da'ling.”

“I moved up to darling?” Grace found herself teasing, but Butcher didn't seem to mind. He laughed; a loud, emphatic laugh, scaring her out of her wits. She didn't expect him to laugh nor do so loudly. Her hands fiddled with the hem of the pants, nervous. He looked at her and patted her on the back, nearly knocking her over with his strength. Bracing herself against the bulwark, she glanced at Butcher, watching as mirth etched itself in his facial expression, giving her some semblance of joy as well. Joy and happiness that she was connecting with someone on this ship. Someone besides Alice.

Light, almost faint footsteps sounded behind them. “Butche', it's yur tu'n to take ta helm.” Victor, the man from last night said, bowing his head slightly as if embarrassed by Grace's presence. Butcher nodded before walking off, leaving Grace standing alone, befuddled by what to do. She stayed put, turning to survey the crew at work once again. Victor had run off, leaving her to her own devices.

Heaving a long, drawn out breath, she wandered around the ship, getting to know where she would be staying for a while. Avoiding people wherever she went, Grace strolled through the multiple decks before resting against the railing, watching the sea once more. Staring off into space, not even really paying attention, Grace startled when something popped up from the calm waters. It's dark. Something that didn't fit with the blue, light blue sea. It dipped beneath the surface only to come back up closer this time. It suddenly appeared just below her. She stared down at the familiar face, not believing her eyes. There before her was Salome.

The mermaid grinned, showing sharpened teeth, but sized like human's teeth. Grace turned away, looking over her shoulder, seeing if anyone was watching her. Finding no one was, she leaned farther over the wooden barrier. “You have been calling.” Grace furrowed her brow in confusion. She didn't remember calling anyone. “You have been calling for me. May have been in dreams, but you were calling.”

“No. I am sorry. I didn't mean to call,” the word felt weird saying it, knowing what the implications were, “you nor any other mermaid.”

“Why? Why did you feel the need to call? Scared?” Salome asked, resting her hands on the ladder carved into the side, making sure to keep with the ship. Grace looked up at the sky, thinking back on last night. She turned back to Salome and nodded.

“I was scared, but everything is fine now. No need to worry about me.” Salome nodded before diving back into the water, swimming away. The water seemed to glide over her, covering her from head to toe or rather fin. Now she knew something new, but what did this mean for her. She could call mermaids. Is it because of the kiss? Or something else? Grace sighed, resting her head in her hands, finding a headache forming.

“What be troublin' ya so early?” This voice wasn't familiar to her, but she turned around anyways. The man that stood before her was the lanky one from last night. The one holding the lantern. He was young, younger than her, but most definitely taller. He stood almost a head taller than her. “Thomas, but e'eryone calls me Tom.” She smiled softly, nodding. “So Grace, what troubles you this fine mornin'?” Tom asked. His smile reached his blue eyes.

She didn't know if she should tell him, seeing as it involved a mermaid. “Nothing that will be resolved easily.” He shrugged, before stepping up on the railing and the rigging and onto the shroud that reached the crow's nest atop the second mast, main mast.

He paused before turning to her. “Want ta come up?” Swiftly, she shook her head, not wanting to be a distraction. Grace figured she will be if she went up with him. It would be just her and him; no one else. “Alright, yur loss.” Tom climbed quickly, reaching the crow's nest, a circular landing, in about a minute.

“Sometimes I wonder...” she whispered, not even knowing she did, thinking of how many things from myths were true. How many things from her nightmares were out there, waiting to sink their claws into her? It excited her and frightened her at the prospect that these things were real. And it all started because she met a mermaid.