.:After the Battle:. (1x1) (Locked, DON'T DELETE)

[Cloudsong]

(LOL omg I was going to do the same thing w/ Enigma, but she left so I cant =P)

Marcel felt a rush of relief as they sat down at the table, as then everyone turned back to each other, appearing to be engaged in conversation again. At least then, there would be no rude, open stares and people whispering to each other as they noticed their princess with a man that was strange to them. Not really caring what they thought, he reminded himself that he was here because of Allegra; he had promised to stay, and this was only taking the next step to bringing her with him when they went to sea. They still needed to ask Alexander for permission. "I wish that there were no people," he whispered back, his eyes glittering with affection for her as he lightly elbowed her arm, trying to make her cheer up.

His eyes trailed over to Daelen, and he saw that the boy was hanging his head, eyeing the bottle of alcohol in front of him. Hesitating, he wondered if he should snatch it out of his reach, then remembered that he was within his age to be able to drink. And it isn't my business, he thought, returning his attention to Allegra. Seeing her, and how beautiful she looked, made him all but forget Daelen and his girl trouble. All he could think about was what lay ahead of them, and how glad he was that she had come looking for him at the bookshop. That would have been a mistake that he would have regretted his whole life.

--

Enigma let herself continue, her mind not really there as she stared at the ground in front of her. All she could think about was how hurt she felt, and how bad she felt for leaving. Her guilt bothered her, and irritated her. She shouldn't feel guilty. He was the one - Daelen... He should feel bad for what he had done. Silently she reached the edge of the city, staring down at the cliff that was close by, seeing how there was the sudden drop that led to the fields beyond. Closing her eyes, she took a step forward, her arms held out, palms facing upward as she enjoyed the piercing drops of water that hit her like ice against her skin.

"Heeeeeeey, girly," someone slurred from behind. Enigma's eyes narrowed to slits, and she turned around sharply to see five fat, ugly men standing there. They were obviously completely drunk, and a few of them hiccuped, belching loudly. Her lip curled in disgust, and she raised her head slightly higher.

"What you doin' out here alone?" one chimed in, his eyes glinting as he stared openly at her, eyes trailing down.

The leader - a fat man with a stained shirt, took a step forward. He looked and smelled like a pig, and she sniffed, eyes flashing. As he advanced towards her, little by little, she took a step back, aware of the cliff that she was so close to. Another step, and she could be right off...

"Why don't you come with us?" he asked, voice slurry and full of lust. "You can have a good time..."

"Don't talk to me as if I'm a whore," Enigma spat, her temper snapping as she clenched her hands into fists at her sides. It took all of her efforts not to advance and punch him. "I would rather die than sleep with any of you; you filthy worm." Her glare swept upon all of them, and obviously she seemed unafraid. On the outside.

Suddenly his goofy grin faded, and was replaced with a scowl. She had touched a nerve.

[Cloudsong]

(Lol, this is sooo dead. XD Should we lock it?)

[Captain Kaycee]

Allegra trotted up on Kratos to the port town that her uncle had established a few years ago. It was around mid-day, however the fog that had rolled in was making it difficult to sea. The air was heavy with the smell of salt, but it only brought excitement for Allegra. She had been able to convince her uncle to leave with Marcel for almost a year, giving them plenty of time to travel around and see the world. Of course it would take time to get to places with a ship, but at least she could live life without having to wear a dress.

Allegra did bring a few dresses with her for "fancy" occassions, although it wasn't her personal enjoyment. Instead she wore a long dark red pirate coat, brown pants with boots that went over them, and a black hat that had a few pheasant feathers lying off to the side. She looked much more like a pirate instead of the princess that she was, especially in the fact that she was at both a port and next to Marcel.

After a few minutes of simply listening to the waves against the shoreline and the smell of the sea, Allegra climbed off of Kratos and guided him to the outdoor stables. She led him into the small corral and took off his reins, allowing the horse to eat the bale of hay on the ground. "Uncle said that some soldiers were coming here later to take the horses back to the castle," she mumbled, petting the black horse's mane lightly.

The princess then turned around back to Marcel, a small smile on her lips. "I'm going to run inside the tavern real quick to pay for the horse's stay," Allegra informed him. After all, if they were going to let the horses stay there until the soldiers came and picked them up, they would have to pay for their boarding.

Allegra walked past Marcel and headed inside, noticing the mass amount of people around the tables and bar. They were all sailors from what she could see, some of them looking more fashionable than others. There was, however, one man that stood out in particular. He was sitting with his back turned towards Allegra, not even noticing that she was the only woman that was inside of the tavern. Allegra walked up next to the man, not sitting down and instead looking at the bartender.

"How much is it to board horses here, mister?" Allegra asked politely, however the man didn't appear to be pleased by her sudden presence.

"It's two shillin' a horse," the man growled, looking at her with irritated eyes. Allegra bit her lip, pulling out four pieces of silver. She set it down in front of him, waiting for the man to take them. Instead, however, the bartender snickered and grabbed Allegra by the collar, nearly shoving her over the bar.

"Since yer a lass, I demand somethin'... more," he growled, a lust look on his face. Allegra felt her heart begin to quicken, and she began to fumble and began to try and grab her sword that was on her belt. The man was beginning to scare her, and without Marcel in the tavern she thought that something would go very, very wrong.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a gunshot whizzed past the bartender's head, causing the man to freeze and glance down to the shooter. The man that was sitting next to Allegra had a pistol in his hand, with an empty bottle of rum sitting next to his gun. His face was hidden by his large black hat with a rather big white feather on it. His clothing were a fashionable red coat, with gold embroidery on various locations of it. He looked more like a gentleman than a pirate... like a man in the navy of some country.

"Let her go," the man growled, an accent that Allegra couldn't recognise clearly in his voice. The bartender immediately let go of Allegra, placing his hands up as he noticed that the man who had shot had suddenly stood up with his gun still pointed towards him.

"Oye, 'ets not go killin' any'ne 'ere..." the bartender studdered, backing up against the rum barrels. Allegra glanced over to the man who had saved her life, and for a moment she thought that she could see a deadly smirk on his face.

"If you decide to hurt the girl in any way, then I will kill you," Allegra's saviour almost yelled at the man. He lifted his head to reveal deep, emerald-coloured eyes that would make any girl melt. To Allegra, she felt herself become entranced by them. His looks were stunning, with his blonde, messy hair poking from underneath his black hat.

"Get out of my bar, then! I will not have any bloodshed here if you continue to threaten me!" the bartender suddenly yelled, waving his hand as if to shoo the man away.

"Fair deal then, you bloody wanker," he sighed, turning around and beginning to walk away. He stopped suddenly, turning to look at Allegra. "Hey, come on. I'm not leaving unless you come too. I don't trust this place," he muttered, motioning with his head for Allegra to follow.

Allegra stood there with a shocked look on her face, then finally ran up next to him. He guided her out of the place like a gentleman, closing the door to the tavern hard behind him. He walked down the steps and ended up at the base of the dock, turning around and looking at Allegra.

For some reason, she had followed him. Her instincts told her to go back to Marcel, but something about him made her want to follow him. He had saved her... and that had to count for something.

"So what's your name, madam?" he asked, his accent making Allegra feel like she was talking to a rich man.

"A-Allegra Starr, princess of Fortuna, Italy," she studdered, looking at him with her light-coloured eyes.

"Oh, so I am in the presence of royalty..." he mumbled, as he took off his hat and bowed in front of her. Allegra couldn't help but blush as he leaned back up and kissed her hand gently, looking up at her with his emerald eyes.

"I am Captain Arthur Angelo of Great Britain. Pleased to meet you, Princess Starr," he greeted, standing back up and placing his hat on top of his head. Allegra smiled slightly, then turned around for a moment as if to look for Marcel. She had completely forgot about him, and it was only now that she had remembered he was there with her.

After a moment of looking for Marcel, she turned back to Arthur. "Well, I am glad to have met you as well, Captain. Thank you for saving me again," she murmered, feeling at a loss for words. So that was the reason for his accent. He was from Britain, hence the fact that he sounded like a gentleman everytime he spoke. She had to admit that he was handsome, looking like the captain of the British Navy.

"It was nothing, princess. Now tell me, what are you doing here in a place like this? Shouldn't you be in a castle or something?" he asked, his weight shifting from one foot to the next.

"I've come with a friend to travel on the seas. We're looking for a ship to sail on right now," Allegra mentioned, looking out at the ships that were in the bay.

"Well... it just so happens that I have a ship, and it's in need of work," Arthur mumbled, turning to look at the ships like Allegra was doing. He leaned down next to her and pointed to a large ship in the harbor. "She's a beauty, the Queen Victoria. And I tell you, if you wish to travel then you are more than welcome to come with me."

Allegra's eyes widened as she glanced next to him, seeing his face merely inches away from hers. She rolled her eyes and took a step away, shaking her head. "Thanks, but no thanks. My friend is a sailor as well, and we wanted to buy a ship. Unless you are sailing to the new world, then no thanks. I don't want to be a mere sailor on the ship, but more like a first mate," she remarked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Listen, Princess Allegra..." Arthur started, turning to look at her. "To get a ship takes months to build. You would have to wait months to merely buy a ship, unless you want to be a pirate and plunder one. So your only chance to sail would be to board a ship that's already owned. You can be my guest... at no cost."

"I'm sorry... but I am going to be with somebody on the seas. So unless you invite him as well, I'll find myself a ship," she growled, turnined away from him. He was beginning to be a stuck-up man, seeming to get what he wanted.

"Depends on who this... man is," Arthur muttered, folding his arms across his chest like Allegra had. He didn't seem to be pleased by her sudden rudeness. This woman is a bit of a brat, he thought to himself. He had to admit that she was attractive, but if she wanted to go on the seas he would be more than willing to help. He would not, however, tell her that he was actually a pirate. It was a miracle that she didn't know who he was, either. Most people who figured out his name would call the guards to arrest him so that they could get a reward back in England for his capture.

[Cloudsong]

After leaving his own horse, Nuria, in the stables along with Kratos, Marcel nodded vaguely as Allegra mentioned going to pay for the stable fare. He ran his fingers through the dappled horses' mane, reaching down to murmur a farewell into her soft ear. They wouldn't see each other for much time, and he realized with a slight twinge of regret that he would miss the elegant horse. Though she couldn't understand what he said to her, or talk back when he felt most alone, she had always been there for him, and he had told her many of his secrets. It was especially in those years when he had been without seeing Allegra and Daelen that he had been most grateful to her company, for Nuria had been the only one that wouldn't turn their back on him because he looked different, or because he spoke with a heavy Spanish accent.

When Marcel had finished saying his farewell to his horse, he departed from the covered stables, glad to get out into the open again. His eyes were bright with the reflection of the shining ocean waters that were in front of him, and he approached to the dock, his boots making very small sound as they made contact with the wood. He silently looked around at all of the huge ships docked there, reminiscing about his past; when he had once been part of this world. There had been so many wonderful things that he had given up. He remembered all of those mornings waking up onboard the pirate ship, seeing nothing but open seas around him, and remembered the tangy taste the crisp air would always have out there.

Standing there, his arm around a post that anchored the dock into the ground, he wondered why he had given it all up. Why exactly had he wished for a 'better life'? Perhaps it was because he was around people always that cared little about him; people that would stab someone they saw as a threat in the back the first chance they got. He had wanted to find someone that cared about him. But as he looked around, feeling the cool sea breeze ruffling his blonde hair, he wondered if the trade-off had been worth it. He still was a pirate at heart, and always had he known that the inevitable would be for him to return to this place. Because his heart still belonged to the ocean, and he was sure that it always would.

As he finally tore himself away from his memories, he looked back towards the shore, locating Allegra standing in front of the bar instantly. She looked wonderful in her new clothing; they made her look much like a pirate, though complimented her beauty even more, if that was possible. Marcel couldn't help but smile as she saw her. Even at a distance, he could see her brown hair flowing behind her back, and her light blue eyes. He was delighted that she had decided to come with him, for he knew that traveling with her would be more rewarding than being alone.

His eyes strayed to the man that stood next to her, and he frowned slightly, seeing how close he was to her. He hesitated, wondering if she was in danger - around here, you couldn't trust many. It wasn't only that; any man in their right mind would know that Allegra was beautiful. And what if she decided that she didn't like him best? Marcel bit his lip, the thought bothering him. Eventually he decided to go and see who exactly the man was, so he approached her, swiftly but quietly, his face slightly shadowed by his pirate hat, which he had reclaimed from Antonia.

[Captain Kaycee]

Allegra turned around slightly and noticed that Marcel was walking up to him. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, since she and Arthur had been arguing whether or not to go on his ship. She wanted to take his request, but she wondered if Marcel would accept it as well. Besides, he was a Spaniard, while Arthur was an Englishman. The two didn't mix together. She had heard from travelling merchants that pirates were attacking Spanish treasure ships coming from the New World, and some people were skeptical that it was English pirates paid by the British crown.

Allegra walked up to Allegra and hugged him tightly, much to the dismay of Arthur. He seemed to roll his eyes and turn around slightly, his white ostrich feathers on his hat bouncing lightly on his black hat. "Marcel," Allegra whispered, letting go of him and stepping back to allow him to look at Arthur. By that time Arthur had turned around, his hands across his chest. He had a somewhat irritated look on his face, especially from the look of displeasure as he watched Marcel with his emerald eyes.

"This is Captain Arthur. We met inside of the bar when the bartender practically attacked me. It's... a long story and don't worry, I'm fine. If he hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened," Allegra explained to him, feeling like a bug between the two men. Marcel was still several inches taller than Arthur, but it was still intimidating to stand where she was and look at the two practically looming over her.

"Anyway..." Allegra mumbled, scratching the back of her head like she was nervous. "Arthur invited us to sail on his ship to the New World, since he was headed that way. By that time we could get ourselves a ship in one of the ports there. It would take us another six months to get one built," she finished explaining, biting her lip as her head turned to the two men. She prayed that both of them would get along, but by the look on Arthur's face while he practically glared at the Spaniard was not a good sight at all.

[Cloudsong]

Marcel couldn't help but smile as Allegra's eyes lit up at the sight of him, and he put an arm around her as she hugged him tightly. He felt slightly reassured, and although it was immature, a tiny bit smug as he saw how irritated the man looked. Obviously he had been trying to sweet-talk Allegra, and by the way he was glaring at him, Marcel didn't really expect to become bestfriends with him. In fact, he didn't expect any friendship at all from the man. He seemed quite sour and angry, and the thought of going on a long journey with him as a captain wasn't an appealing one. Almost certain was Marcel of the fact that this Arthur wouldn't stop trying to get Allegra to come over to him, and he inwardly scowled. The idea certainly wasn't very enticing.

But seeing that Allegra was in favor of the idea, he sighed, adjusting his hat as he crossed his arms, meeting the man's angry gaze. He was taller than him, and probably stronger; the man was no threat in that sense. But what if he did succeed in winning Allegra's heart?

"A crew of how many do you sail with?" he said finally, his question brisk as he tried to get a feel for what the boat was to be like. "And what is your reason for going to the new world?"

[Captain Kaycee]

Arthur turned his head back towards Marcel, his hands clenching into fists at the mere sound of the Spaniard talking. He didn't fancy talking to the man, but if he held connections to Allegra, then he may still be to some use to him.

"A crew of 64 men, but including you two as well as myself, then it would be 67," he muttered to him, taking off his hat to run a hand through his blonde hair. "As for my destination... the New World has certain... riches, that I wish to acquire. I am sure that you, Spaniard, know that much about the New World. Your armada did, after all, get destroyed by my country's naval fleet," he teased, his lips curling into a smirk. Even if he was a ruthless pirate now, he was quite pleased with England in destroying Spain's armada of ships. It did, however, make less and less treasure ships sail on the seas.

Allegra looked up at Marcel for a moment before turning back to Arthur. "If you are an Englishman, then you will be willing to give us safe passage to the Caribbean?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. She would not travel with him if he decided to kill her first thing when they got onto his ship. It would be a disaster.

"I give you my word, love," Arthur responded to her, bowing gracefully like he had just finished a play. He began to walk onto the dock, heading over towards a small rowboat that could travel from the dock to his ship out in the bay. It was a rather large ship, with its sails tied up on the masts. The entire hull, bow, and stern of the ship was painted in a black colour, but there were a few places where it was visible that it had been a true English ship at one point.

Still, Allegra didn't pay any attention that it was in fact a pirate ship, and not an English ship. She had never gone out to sea or even seen a ship up close, which kept her from truly knowing what the difference between a pirate and an English ship. Anyone who had sailed the seas for a long time would know that it was indeed a pirate ship, but Arthur didn't seem to want to tell Allegra that he was in fact a pirate.

Allegra glanced back towards Marcel, taking his hand and playing with his fingers. She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "We can just go with him until we reach the New World. Then we can get ourselves a ship, and travel together, just like we wanted," she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek.

[Cloudsong]

Marcel clenched his teeth as Arthur sneered about his country destroying the Spanish armada that had discovered the New World. He was beginning to dislike the man more and more with every word that he uttered; his smugness grated on his nerves, and the fact that he was trying to get Allegra to like him was the last straw. "Yes, that would be correct," he agreed, his tone obviously irritated as he swallowed, playing along with the taunting. "But perhaps you are forgetting that it was thanks to my country that the land was discovered in the first place." He crossed his arms across his chest, in order to stop himself from punching him, an idea that would normally never go through his mind. "Britain may have 'crushed' Spain then, but they were only there because of our findings." His temper was rising with each word the man said, and he inwardly sighed, wishing that they could turn away and catch the next ship; the long trip to the new world would only seem longer with such an ass to have to tolerate.

As the man bowed to her, and began to strut off towards the dock, he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, instead reaching up to replace his hat upon his head. He glanced over at Allegra again, almost dreading to see how she may have reacted to the man's courting. She didn't seem phased, however, or flattered, and Marcel couldn't help but inwardly smirk. The man hadn't won her over. Not yet, at least. It bothered him that there was a chance that he could lose her, as she was the most important thing to him at that moment, and had been for the last few years.

His gaze rested on the ship that was anchored out in the bay, barely rocking with the calm waves that lapped against the wood. He narrowed his eyes, instantly recognizing it as a pirate ship; he had been on pirate ships his whole life. An English ship? he thought, raising an eyebrow. What lies. He decided, however, not to mention it to Allegra; after all, it could just worry her, and he didn't want to discourage her. She did seem very excited about going to the New World.

A smile lit his face as she kissed him on the cheek, taking his hand in his. Even with all of the doubt that was churning in his mind, she never failed to lift his mood, just by a few actions. He loosely put an arm around her shoulders, looking over at the ship again. "I have no reason to oppose," he murmured, not mentioning anything about Arthur, though he half-wished that he could.

[Captain Kaycee]

Arthur glanced over as he noticed the two of them in their sweet embrace on the dock. He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of the situation, especially when he had never once in his life actually loved someone. All of the other girls in England were nowhere near appealing to him. They were all too... noble for him. They always wore dresses, looked down upon others, and rarely took notice to lower class citizens.

Allegra, however, was incredibly the opposite. She didn't wear dresses, but rather a pirate attire that seemed to match her figure perfectly. Her hair, strewn in a waved looked that brought out the colour of her bright blue-grey eyes. It was something he wanted so badly, to love a woman that did not act like one of the other girls. She was somebody completely different.

Arthur, after battling with himself whether or not to actually allow Marcel on the ship, finally got down in the boat and waited for thw teo to step in. He faked a cough, folding his arms across his chest as he promptly waited for the two. Hw would have to be the one rowing them out to the ship, but after they got on then it would be out to open ocean.

--

Allegra smiled brightly as Marcel accepted her request, then looked out towards the sea before glanced down at the small dingy. She was thankful that it wasn't a small boat that they would be sailing in, but rather a large ship that could sail the seas. She had butterflies in her stomach from the upcoming adventure, but it wouldn't stop her from ultimately leaving her homeland and out into the New World.

She turned back to the boat that Arthur was now sitting in, and looked back over at Marcel for a moment. "Thanks, Marcel," she whispered, before turning back to the boat and stepping into it and taking the seat across from Arthur.

[Cloudsong]

Marcel couldn't help but sigh as Allegra pulled away from him and got into the small boat that would take them to the ship. He knew that Arthur was glaring at him, even without glancing over to see him. The man obviously didn't want him to come, and he knew that this wasn't going to be a pleasant journey, especially with him being the captain. It wouldn't surprise him in the least if he gave him the worst jobs on the boat, such as mopping floors, just to keep him and Allegra apart. And once they were on the ship, there would be no turning back; any sailor on a pirate ship that disobeyed the captain would be forced to walk the plank. That was one thing that Marcel wouldn't put past Arthur.

He glanced over at the port one last time, realizing that this was the first time he was stepping onto a boat to get off of land in a long set of years. Always had he known that he would eventually go back to his pirate life, but he never would have imagined that he would be going with the girl that he loved. Goodbye Italy, he thought as he climbed into the boat as well, looking back at the land, wondering if they were making a mistake.