A Pirate Princess (16 page)

Cori’s heart thumped loudly in her chest as she contemplated the situation. Tears formed in her eyes as she thought about her father and his fate. She loved Marin, despite his cruel treatment of her. The thought of helping him crossed her mind but she knew that it was impossible. Sharlene deserved imprisonment for the crimes committed long before becoming a pirate, not to mention her illegal lifestyle the
past thirteen years. Cori wondered if losing her son at birth was what caused Sharlene to turn so hateful and malicious.

Falco deserved to be incarcerated as well. He was a danger to society. Cori was not sure what his life had been like as a child. She knew he was raised in The Netherlands and claimed to have no living relatives
besides his mother who apparently abandoned him as a young boy. He rarely spoke of his mother and seemed extremely uncomfortable when anyone questioned him about her. It made Cori sad but she felt no pity for him.

The sun was no longer visible in the sky when Burke approached Cori and interrupted her nervous thoughts. “Cori, we are getting close to Puerto Plata, are we not?” He asked.

Cori nodded solemnly, “Yes, we should be there within an hour.”

“It’
s going to be dangerous arriving during the night,” he stated as he sat down next to her on the bench.

“I have been thinking about that Burke. I think we should construct a plan. Just sailing up to them expectedly will not work in our favor,” she whispered.

Burke smiled at her, “You are probably right, Cori. I had not thought of that. What should we do?”

“
Well, I have a few ideas. Maybe we should call a meeting?” Cori suggested.

He contemplated her idea for a moment, “Why would we do that?”

Cori gave him her opinions openly, accepting his answer regardless, “So we could get your crew’s opinions. They all seem smart and capable. You must trust them or else you would not have them working for you, correct?”

“Yes, you are exactly right Cori. I agree that we should call a meeting. You have great leadership abilities, did you know that?” He questioned, trusting her outlook.

“No, I have never led anything in my life! Would you like us to meet at the helm?” Cori asked.

Burke nodde
d enthusiastically, “Yes, that’s perfect. Who should we involve?”

“Everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“Yes.
Everyone.”

“Do you not think that might
cause the ladies to fret?”

“Oh, Burke! We are not normal ladies if we sail around in ships facing men like you and my father every
day, are we?”

“No, certainly not.
You
can handle anything, I am sure. Leala and Miette probably can as well. Odelia is a different story entirely,” Burke sighed.

“Yes, she may not be up for the challenge of helping. However, if we call a meeting to include ev
eryone on the ship but her it shall hurt her feelings. I certainly would not want to do that. Burke,” Cori said with true consideration, “I know you are not crazy about Odelia. I know you do not necessarily want to marry her. But you need to understand that she has a heart and I am sure she gets her feelings hurt. She must love you dearly to want a relationship so badly and I’m sure your words earlier crushed her. Please give her a chance. She may prove you wrong, and your life may be amazing with her by your side. Will you invite her to the meeting?”

Burke felt his eyes moisten
a little. His emotions were not for Odelia or his harsh words earlier in the day, but for Cori and how kind, loving, and honest she was. He worried that Odelia would only hurt Cori worse as the mission continued, but he did not have the heart to deny any request she made. “If you want me to invite her, I shall do it.”

“T
hank you, Burke. I’m sure she shall like that. I will gather up Quain, Karoly, Davet, Leala, Miette, Garner, the Naval Gunners, and Acel!” Cori said decisively as she raced away to do her part.

             
“LEALA! I TOLD YOU I DID NOT WANT TO BE DISTRUBED!” Odelia screamed hatefully as she swung open the door. Finding Burke instead of Leala changed her attitude entirely, “Burke! My darling, come in and let’s talk. I know you want to apologize for the hateful things you said to me earlier. You don’t even have to tell me you were wrong, I know you were. And I know you are extremely sorry, so I shall try to forgive you. Just do not talk to her again! As a matter of fact, we should probably tie her up in a storage room with her father. That would be proper punishment for her misplaced adoration of you, right?”

Burke wanted to yell but he took a deep breath instead, cooling his temper. “No, Odelia. I am not here to apologize to you. I meant every word I said.” Odelia’s mouth dropped open and she was beginning to protest but Burke held one hand up to silence her, “Cori is an angel, as
far as I’m concerned and you are nothing more than a thorn in my side. However, I’m doing what’s right by you until I figure out a way to prove your lies. What I came down here to tell you is that we are about to attack
The Beloved Loss
. It’s extremely dangerous and we need everyone’s input on a strategy. I voted to leave you out of it completely, but Cori wanted you to feel included. Now, are you going to come help or not?”

Odelia sniffed with her nose high in
the air, “I do not know if I shall come or not, Burke. You have hurt me to the core!”

“Oh well, I invited you…” He said with a nonchalant shrug as he started to walk away.

“Wait!” She hissed, “I shall be there. Just let me powder my nose!”

Burke rolled his eyes, feeling sick to his stomach at the sight of her. He returned to the deck and made his way
toward the helm where everyone stood waiting. “Is Odie coming?” Ace asked with a mischievous grin.

Burke snorted, “She says she is.
I truly hope she gets lost.”

“Boys!
You should be ashamed,” Cori scolded playfully.

The laughter was cut short as Odelia stormed across the deck, ready to make her grand appearance. When she reached the helm, Bur
ke cleared his throat and began. “Before embarking on this mission I knew a few things with certainty. One of these things was that Marin St. Aubin was one of the most feared pirates on the ocean. I also knew that this task would be a dangerous one. Meeting Cori was a surprise, but it helped me realize just how fearsome Marin truly is.” He paused for a moment, glancing at Cori. Hoping he had not embarrassed her.

With her smile, he continued
. “Now, we could not have chosen a more hazardous setting than the one we are in right now. Do not make light of the situation, this is not going to be an easy battle. We will be arriving in the middle of the night, and as you can see it’s as dark as coal out here. We cannot see what’s looming around us or what’s ahead. Second, we’re all in a land we barely know, with the exception of Cori. Marin, on the other hand, knows this land like the back of his hand. We are definitely at a disadvantage.”

He nodded to Cori, hoping she would b
egin where he left off. “Burke’s right; my father has the upper hand right now. He didn’t choose to sail here by coincidence. This is where he knew he would have the best chance to defeat us. However, I have several ideas and I’m sure you all do as well. I think we can use our disadvantages to our favor. Would you like to hear what I think?”

Everyone nodded, except Odelia, so Cori began. “
As Burke mentioned, it’s so dark we cannot see around us. However, neither can the enemy. If we darken the ship by snuffing out all candles and oil lamps, no one should be able to see us coming until we are directly on top of them.”

Burke was smiling proudly, Acel and Quain were nodding enthusiastically, and the rest of the crewmembers were listening as if Cori was a genius. Odelia sat with her nose in the air, “Next…” Cori began.

Odelia stopped her abruptly with a huff, “Am I really needed here? This is a man’s business and I am a
Lady
. Keep in mind that I am the only
Lady
aboard this ship! Can I return to my quarters? I would like another bath.”

“Go, Odelia. That’
s just fine! Your assistance is not needed. I’m quite sure you have no valuable thoughts, especially not about anything important. Enjoy your bath,” Burke dismissed coldly.

She stomped across the deck and almost to the stairs leading to the unde
r deck quarters when she called over her shoulder, at Leala. “Are you not coming to prepare my bath?”

Leala sighed in exasperation and started toward Odelia when Burke reached out one arm to stop her,
“No, she’s not coming, Odelia. Leala’s insight is needed, she may have good ideas. Help yourself to a bath if you want one.”

Odelia stormed down the stairs to her private quarters in a rage, slamming the door behind her. “Please continue, Cori. I apologize
for Odelia’s evil heart,” Burke expressed.

“That’s fine, she is only tired. It’
s been a long day for her as well as everyone else. Anyway, if we snuff out all the lights they shall not be able to see us coming. If we sail extremely slow and quiet, they should not hear us coming either. Next, if we sail a distance from the island, angling in toward it, we should accomplish two things. First, the islanders will not see us coming up the shoreline and warn my father. Second, we would be blocking my father between us and the island, so he should not get passed us and make haste into the sea. That would give us the advantage of a surprise attack. They shall never know we’re coming until we are right on top of them firing our cannons.”

“That’
s an amazing idea, Cori! It’s exactly what we needed to succeed. Does anyone else have anything to add?” Acel whooped with glee.

Burke added his approval, “All of that sounds perfect to me. What we need to worry about is if Marin is not aboard
The Beloved Loss
. We cannot take any chance of fighting on the island. They’ll get away and we shall not be able to find them. Plus, the islanders will be helping them if they are on the land. What can we do to ensure that they shall be on
The Beloved Loss
instead of on the land?”

“I have an idea for that too,” Cori said with a sound of
resignation in her voice. “It’s not something I adore doing, but I think it will work. Let’s sneak up on them, as planned. Once we are there, fire a shot into the sea for warning. We should be positioned close enough to
The Beloved Loss
to reach it with cannon fire, yet far enough away not to alert them that we’re there before we’re ready. Just leave that part of the plan up to me. If they are in their quarters they shall race onto the deck, prepared to battle with us or follow us away. If they are on the island, they will board quickly with the same thing in mind. Then you shall surprise them by open firing.”

“Are you sure your idea is that irresistible to them, Cori? It will make them risk everything and board the boat?” Burke asked doubtfully.

She sighed sadly, shaking her head from side to side. “Unfortunately, yes. I know it is absolutely that
irresistible
. I shall be in your quarters, Burke. Please send Leala or Miette to fetch me when we find my father’s ship, become perfectly positioned, and come to a halt.”

Burke nodded wonderingly, “Alright,
Cori. I’ll trust you.”

Several hours later
The Heart of Calais
crept to a stop a short distance from
The Beloved Loss
. The pirate ship sat half in the water and half onto the beach for repairs. It was deathly silent and still. No one seemed to be aboard, and if they were, they slept. “Call for Cori,” Burke whispered to Miette.

The young girl tip toed qu
ietly across the deck of Burke’s elegant ship, down the stairs to the narrow corridor leading to all the rooms, then raced to the large captain’s cabin at the end. She knocked so quietly that Cori barely heard it from inside. “Is it time?” Cori asked as she cracked open the door.

“Yes, Mademoiselle Corisanda. Burke has called for you,” Miette whispered in a panicked voice.

“Tell him to get all the men to their stations and ready. I shall be out immediately,” Cori confidently ordered.

Miette rushed away to do the lovely woman’s bidding.
Everything on the ship was pitch black. Cori had to feel her way across the ship trying not to bump into anything until she reached the mahogany bench. Minutes later, Cori lit one small candle from her seat. The tiny light on the deck was Garner’s signal from Cori that she was ready for him to fire one round into the sea with the hefty cannon. The cannon sounded and a deafening BOOM shook the silent night.

With the aid of the darkness they had successfully snuck up on
The Beloved Loss
but now light was needed and silence was no possibility. At the sound of the canon, Miette, Leala, Davet, and Karoly began lighting kerosene lamps and candles to provide the crew with luminosity for the battle at hand.

From Burke’s position at the helm, he saw Cori standing on the bench. He realized immediately what her plan was and why it would be so irresistible to the members of
The Beloved Loss,
especially Falco. The Quartermaster of the vessel would doubtlessly risk everything he had to chase
The Heart of Calais
into the sea, the depths of hell, or anywhere in between. Cori was wearing nothing but the tight fitting, black, lacey, transparent night gown that she had been forced to wear so many times before. Cori knew her plan was irresistible to Falco. He would race after her at any cost.

“No,” Burke whispered in fear as he realized that Cori was in danger. He was about to forget his position at the helm and race onto the deck to prevent any harm
befalling Cori when the members of
The Beloved Loss
raced across the sandy beach.

Falco’s scream could be heard from miles around as he saw his
Mevrouw
and
The Heart of Calais
. He raced frantically aboard
The Beloved Loss
, barking orders at everyone, including Marin. The ship was rolling off of the beach and into the sea toward his fiance before the pirate crew could get to their positions. The plan was going exactly as Cori had hoped it would.

When
The Beloved Loss
was a few yards from the shoreline, Garner began blazing his cannon. Yvet returned fire and both ships were jumping with life. Garner shot another cannon at the smaller vessel, blowing part of one side away. The crew of
The Beloved Loss
had been lured, so Cori’s job was done. She raced to Burke’s side at the helm, “What can I do to help?”

“Go to our quarters
and lock the door. Do not open it for anyone but me. Will you go?” He asked.

Cori shook her head, “Yes, Burke, but…”

“No! Just go, Cori! Listen to me; I do not want you harmed. Will you go?” He repeated.

“Yes, Burke. If that’
s what you want.”

“It is,” he
sternly barked. She immediately turned around to obey Burke’s order but he reached out and grabbed her arm. He pulled her to him and hugged her forcefully. Shocked at his display of affection, she met his eyes with her own. “Go Cori, just be careful… and for the love of everything holy, please put some clothes on before this whole ship loses their mind. I love you.”

Her eyes widened and her heart felt like it fell through her chest, landing at her feet. Cannons were exploding around them but she could not
move. The emotion in his eyes, his deep voice, warm arms, and tender words made Cori feel something she could not describe. It was as if, in that moment, her heart and his attached themselves together, unable to ever part.

Another
cannon exploded from
The Beloved Loss
, nipping the side of
The Heart of Calais
. Burke and Cori stared at the deck in shock. The bench Cori was standing on only a couple minutes before was nothing but dust and splinters. “GO!” Burke shouted at Cori with extreme emotion in his voice.

She ran from the deck as fast as she could go and did not stop until she was safely in Burke’s room with the door bolted behind her. Cori slumped to the bed, trying to catch her breath. Ther
e was a war going on around her involving every single person she knew, but all she could think about was Burke’s words.
He loves me. Burke Belcourt loves me. Do I return his love?
She knew the answer to her question without any doubt.
With all of my heart, I love him too.

Cori
could not sit still; she paced from side to side in the spacious quarters. She quickly realized that pacing seemed to be better therapy than merely sitting. Thoughts flew through her mind and her hands shook uncontrollably. Her heart throbbed loudly in her chest and her breathing was short and sporadic. Hours went by with Cori completely unaware of her surroundings. She thought of Burke Belcourt and his beautiful blue eyes. His shaggy dark hair, the small scar on his cheek and his perfect smile made Cori’s heart beat even faster.

A million scenarios played through her mind.
What shall happen if my father wins? What will happen if Burke wins? Will the King put my father to death? Worse, shall Falco have Burke fed to the sharks? What if both ships sink? What if Burke, my father, and Falco all die? They could all be dead already! Why has no one come to tell me what is happening?

Cori constantly heard
people running across the deck over her head. Men yelled every now and then, sometimes she could hear Acel or Quain but nothing from Burke in hours. Burke had two large storage rooms on the ship. Both had locks on the outside of the door that could only be opened with a key. Burke kept one of the keys with him constantly, and the only spare key was kept a secret, hidden at the helm for Acel and Karoly. She knew the storage rooms were where he planned to keep her father’s crew on the trip to France. The thought crossed her mind that Falco might escape and kill her during the night.
That is, if they ever catch him!
Cori mused.

Oh Burke, Burke, be careful!
She silently begged him as she slumped back to the bed.
I doubt I ever see you after we return to France. I know you shall marry someone far better than me, like Odelia, who accepts your criminal lifestyle. I cannot imagine life without you, although it will soon be a reality. If you die because of me I shall never, ever forgive myself. Please, please, be careful.

The door swung open without warning and Burke came flying in. He
did not greet Cori, he just began digging through a large armoire. “What’s going on?” Cori questioned in confusion.

“We have won.
The Beloved Loss
is sinking and we have drifted to far from the island for them to swim back before we catch them. I’m going to cross to their ship and arrest them. I need to find ropes to tie them with. I know I have some in this armoire somewhere! When they are tied well I’m bringing them back with me. Stay here until they are securely locked in the storage room, alright? I don’t want to take any chances on you getting hurt,” he explained quickly, shoving the ropes in his pockets.

“Alright, Burke. Please be careful, I… I just
cannot… I do not want anything to happen to you…” She choked, fighting tears.

Burke was at her side, making her his number o
ne priority in an instant, “I’ll be fine, Cori. This is part of my job, remember? Knowing you care means the world to me. Just don’t worry, I won’t be gone long.”

Just as quickly as he had entered, he exited.
Cori sprawled across Burke’s bed, trying to calm her nerves. It did not work.

Burke didn’t even need to use a ladder to cross from
The Heart of Calais
to
The Beloved Loss
. The two ships were close enough that they were almost touching. He jumped across with Quain, Karoly, and Garner following suit. Acel watched from
The Heart of Calais
, prepared to take action if anything went wrong. The jobs aboard
The Heart of Calais
were equally as important, with every person knowing what duties were theirs to perform. Davet, Leala, and Miette boiled water, cut clothes for bandages, and began cooking a celebration breakfast.

The sun was beginning to rise in the dark sky. Quain, Karoly, Garner, and Burke stood on one side of the deck, advancing toward Falco, Yvet, Zeeman, Klaas, and
Laron.
The Beloved Loss
was sinking fast and the fate of its crew was to surrender and hope for mercy or sink with the ship. Swords were drawn, pistols were pointed, and the ship rocked uneasily. “Surrender!” Burke yelled.

Guillermo, Novia, and the children from Argentina crossed to Burke’s ship with ease and Acel he
lped them all aboard gently. “I am warning you now, Falco! You better surrender,” Burke bellowed.

“Never!”
Falco cried back. Two small clanking thumps were heard as Yvet and Laron dropped their weapons to the deck behind him, holding their hands in the air. Falco barked, “You cowards!” but it did not matter.

Quain quickly helped them cross to
The Heart of Calais
, turning them over to Acel’s custody. Falco and Klaas held strong, shaking their weapons at the four men advancing toward them. Zeeman still stood but he was obviously afraid, tip-toeing slowly backward trying to get away. “Surrender now, Zeeman!” Burke offered loudly, “You shall be treated fine on
The Heart of Calais
. Although a prisoner, you will be fed and bathed. The King shall treat you mercifully if I tell him you caused no problems. But if you give me trouble…”

The threat was not needed.
Zeeman threw his sword down and raced toward Burke with his hands held high. “Please do not feed me to the sharks,” the large man wailed. Quain dutifully tied his arms and transferred him into Acel’s custody as well. When he finished, the four men advanced slowly toward the remaining two men.

“Where is Marin?” Burke barked at Falco.

Falco screamed several words in Dutch, and followed by yelling, “He is no coward! You will not get him to surrender. He will go down with the ship!”

Burke picked up the pace, “This is your last chance to surrender!”

“No,” Falco screamed, turning to jump off the boat. Klaas stood in place, not knowing what to do and was quickly grabbed by Karoly and Garner. Burke caught Falco by the shoulder and spun him around to fight. Both men were tall, muscled, and young. Falco, two years Burke’s junior, had blood and dirt streaked through his yellow hair. It was a struggle but between Burke and Quain, Falco finally gave up his fight.

“Take these fellows to
The Heart of Calais
and make sure they are tied tight, hands and feet, and locked securely in the storage room.” Burke ordered.

“What are you doing, S
ir?” Garner asked in concern.

“I still have to find Marin and Sharlene,” Burke said with a sigh.

Quain shook his head, “Not alone, we shall go to!”

“Burke, do no
t be stubborn. We will help,” Garner agreed.

“I just need you to handle the prisoners. When you have them properly incarcerated yo
u can come back to help me. I shall be fine until then,” Burke compromised, walking with his head held high to the helm of
The Beloved Loss
.

“Captain St. Aubin,” he addressed as he met eyes with Cori’s father standing behind the wheel of the sinking ship.

“Yes, Captain Belcourt?” Marin asked wearily.

“Surrender, S
ir. You shall be shown much mercy, maybe more than you deserve,” Burke stated solemnly.

“I will go down with this ship, boy.” Marin replied with a heartfelt smile. “My one and only love, Amada,
awaits me and I want to go to her. This ship is all I have, I shall go down with it.”

“What about your daughter? What about your wife?” Burke asked.

“I have never loved Sharlene. The only reason I remarried was out of hope that it would make me forget my beloved Amada, but nothing ever will. Cori reminds me of her daily, Burke. She is identical to her only lighter skinned,” Marin said with a tired chuckle.

“Why do you hate her so, then?” Burke questioned defensively. “I know Cori reminds you of her, but it was not her fault your wife died. You are blessed that Cori survived. You should have worshiped Cori for the reminder.”