A Pirate Princess Read online

  “I have been trying to find a way out of my wedding since it was brought up, Cori. Even before I met you I was searching for proof that I am not to blame for Odelia’s loss of virtue,” he explained as they walked across the deck. The Beloved Loss was nowhere in sight but a large group of villagers were standing on the sandy beach watching The Heart of Calias pass. No one seemed ready to run into the water to try to take down the massive ship or anything ridiculous but they certainly didn’t look happy and they loudly grumbled amongst themselves.

  “Let’s just take things one step at a time, alright?” She continued, hoping to put an end to the uncomfortable conversation. Then, hoping she didn’t sound awkward or overly serious, she explained further. “We will find my father, attack his ship, take him and his crew as prisoners, return to France, turn them over to the King, establish my freedom, get you out of your marriage, then you can return to sailing and we shall remain friends when you are in town, alright?”

  They were arriving at Acel’s side so there was no room for Burke’s rebuttal. He swallowed his response along with his pride. “Any sign of them?” She asked Acel.

  “No,” the younger Belcourt cousin answered. “Mademoiselle Corisanda, do you know Spanish?”

  “Yes, my uncle and aunt taught me. Why?”

  “Listen to them. Do you understand what they’re saying?”

  Although the residents of Saint Marc grumbled fervently their words were barely recognizable across the distance from the beach to the ship. “The only thing I can really discern are a few phrases. I know I heard someone say ‘La Perdida de Amado’ and ‘El Corazon de Calais,’ so that could be a good sign that my father’s ship has passed through.”

  With both men raising their eyebrows at her questioningly, Cori took a breath and continued with her clarification. “La Perdida de Amado is The Beloved Loss. My mother’s name was Amada, meaning Beloved. That is how my father’s ship earned its name. El Corazon de Calais is The Heart of Calais. The strange thing is, however, that the people of Hispaniola only speak Spanish and none of them can read in English.”

  Both men seemed to silently question her, not understanding what the significance of the islanders’ language was. When she noticed they were still befuddled, she explained further. “The name, The Heart of Calais, is written in English across the vessel. The Hispaniola natives cannot read in English. Therefore, my father must have been here and told them that The Heart of Calais is chasing him. You see?”

  Realization dawned on the handsome cousins as they understood what Cori meant. The revelation renewed their excitement to catch The Beloved Loss and gave them confidence that they were on the right track. Burke took the giant wooden wheel, Acel rushed to update Quain, who in return informed the rest of the crew. Cori revisited her ornate mahogany bench on the deck to stare at the sea until further needed.

  It was hard for her to understand the emotions she was experiencing. How did this happen? She wondered. These feelings snuck up on me out of nowhere and now I feel so entranced by them that they cannot be shaken away. I cannot imagine never seeing Burke again, standing by his side, or talking to him. If he marries Odelia she will truly never let him speak to me again. To be fair, I understand why she would not.

  If he does not marry her then he shall be sailing for months at a time, possibly even years before returning. Then, he will be in France for a few short days and if I see him at all it shall be momentarily. The only way I could go with him is if I married him! I cannot marry a pirate, even one as amazing and kind as Burke. I absolutely cannot allow myself to live like a criminal anymore. I want children one day, a real family, and a pirate ship is no place for that! Besides, I’m assuming Burke means much more than he does. He does not want to marry anyone, especially Odelia or me. He just wants us to continue being friends.

  Thoughts raced through her head for hours. She wondered why Burke planned to take Marin and his crew back to France for King Louis. It seemed risky for a pirate captain to be anywhere near a King. Cori first assumed that Burke was taking Marin prisoner to make a point to the other pirates to leave him alone, but he mentioned turning them over to King Louis when he spoke to Odelia minutes before.

  The notion confused her, but she assumed he knew what he was doing. Cori remembered first meeting Burke, when he climbed from The Heart of Calais and onto The Beloved Loss the evening her father threw him into her room. He mentioned then that the King of France had sent him in search of Marin, but until then it had never really dawned on her.

  The sun was setting in the sky, casting a warm orange glow on the crew of The Heart of Calais. Davet called the sailors for dinner but most ate quickly and returned to their positions. Cori knew that they would reach their destination, Puerto Plata, late into the night. It would be a very dangerous situation. The islanders living in the village of Puerto Plata were extremely violent, irrational, and fierce. Not to mention that The Heart of Calais would be arriving in the middle of the night when the darkness could hide unknown perils.

  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 nodded 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 everyone 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 yo
u 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.”

  “Thank 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, Burke 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 begin 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 under 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.”

  ELEVEN

  Several hours later The Heart of Calais crept to a stop a short distance from The Beloved Loss. The p
irate 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 quietly 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.