“Jessan.” Alissa says, walking up to another person who looks like royalty. They’re a boy about my age, with dark brown hair and caramel eyes, and olive skin. He’s tall, and stares out at the ocean as he leans against the canal-boat’s deck. 

“Alissa.” The boy says with a smile to the queen, nodding his head, and glancing over at me. I stand there awkwardly. 

“Jessan, this is Lara Austin, she’s the child from Turbrook.” Alissa says cheerfully. “Lara, this is Jessan Tanfuji, he’s not part of the group, but he’s annoying so I let him tag along.” Alissa teases, and Jessan rolls his eyes.

“You practically begged me to be here.” He tells her, then smiles at me. “It’s nice to meet you, Lara.” 

“Nice to meet you too.” I say quietly. Alissa smiles at us and walks off towards her cabin, mumbling something about having work to do. “So where are you from?” I ask. Maybe this trip can help me be more comfortable around new people. I think. 

“Dreonny.” Jessan answers with a smile. 

“Wow, a different country.” I say with a chuckle. 

“Yeah, we’re so much better than you Estwa peasants.” He teases, and I laugh. 

“I’ll bet we have better stories.” I tell him. 

“Yeah, I’m going to agree with that. Any story is better than a witch frying and eating children if they don’t tie their shoes.” He says, and I laugh. 

“Witches aren’t cannibals.” I tell him, folding my arms. 

“Well, what’s an Estwese story?” He asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“The Sugar Shark and the Purple Lake.” I answer, and Jessan looks intrigued. 

“Sounds like it’s going to make me hungry.” He says, walking around the deck. I walk next to him. “Well, Lara, tell me this story.” He says with a grin, and I start to tell the tale that Dad told me forever ago when I wouldn’t go to bed back when our family was smaller, but happier. 

“Pirates!” One of the sailors yells, and I pause my telling of The Turbrook Mountain Giant. Jessan looks around. Behind our boat in the canal, a smaller, faster one speeds towards us. A black flag is attached to its mast. I hear yelling coming from it, and shrink back, my spine chilling. 

“Get into the hold. I’ll find Alissa and warn her.” Jessan says, watching the pirate ship get closer and closer. 

“Which way?” I ask. Jessan points to a set of stairs leading down, and I nod, picking up the hem of my silver dress, running down into the darkness. A ship’s horn blows, and I pick up speed, flicking on a light as I do so. Alissa and Jessan arrive moments later, and Jessan closes us inside the room, locking the door. “Is everything going to be okay?” I ask sitting on a crate. 

“We’ve got a good crew, they’ll be able to hold them off.” Alissa says, but her usually calm voice is quivering. Jessan taps his foot anxiously, and all three of us jump as something rams against the heavy wooden door. 

“Hide.” Jessan whispers to Alissa and I, and I start to climb over the crates to a little hidden spot behind them. The door gets hit again, and this time the whole ship shakes, sending me down to the floor. My hands find my amulet around my neck, and I pull it out of my dress, clasping it tightly with my hand. The crates fall over, caving in on my hopeful hiding place. The boat tips again, and the deadbolt on the door springs open like if it were never locked at all. Several burly men with beards and masks to cover their faces come in, holding guns and knives. 

“Come with us.” One of them, one with a black beard, booms. Alissa nods to me, and I walk up the stairs, my hands shaking as they grip the railing. Jessan comes after me, and Alissa third. 

“Who are these ones?” The obvious leader of the pirates says, once we’re standing on deck. The pirate ship is pulled up alongside us, and our crew stands on the other side of the luxurious shiny deck, looking defeated. 

“I don’t know, we didn’t ask them.” One of the burly men says, shoving me forward. Alissa clears her throat, and steps forward. The pirate captain eyes the sash she is wearing over her dress, and the official seal on the sash’s silk. 

“You idiots.” The captain groans, putting his face in his hands. “Out of all the boats in the entire Canal, you had to pick the queen’s boat?” He asks. The burly men shrug. 

“Well, we only saw the two noble children, we thought this was just a nobility thing, nothing to do with royalty.” One of them nudges my shoulder, and I step closer to Jessan, glaring at them. 

“Just get back to our boat.” The captain hisses, and turns to Alissa, bowing. “My apologies, Your Majesty.” 

“You really shouldn’t be turning to piracy if you’re in need of money.” Alissa says, calm and motherly as always. “Malbergh has-”

“Well, I can’t exactly get a job in Malbergh, my mum was a witch.” The captain hisses at Alissa. “Maybe if you passed a law allowing for witches to exist, you’d find less criminals about.” The captain spits on the ground and swings back over to his side of the canal, landing on the boat deck. It speeds ahead of us and disappears. 

“Are you two hurt?” Alissa asks, coming up to Jessan and I, and putting her hands on our cheeks. 

“We’re fine.” Jessan assures her. She nods, and walks over to the crew, talking to each of them in turn to check in on them.

“Is that Malbergh?” I ask, pointing towards a big city in the distance. Jessan leans over the side of the boat, squinting, and nods. 

“Yeah, the palace is right in the middle.” He answers, turning my head to look at the center of the city, where a cathedral-like building stands, made of glittering white stone. 

“We’re gonna live there?” I ask, my jaw dropping. 

“No, we’re gonna just camp outside in the streets because they don’t like us.” Jessan tells me. I stare at him for a while, and he bursts out laughing. “No, actually we’ll be in the nicest rooms they have. You’ll have to share with three other girls, though. There are a lot of kids.” I shrug. 

“I already share a room with my three younger sisters, so it will be no different.” I say with a laugh, as the beautiful shiny city gets closer. Jessan smiles, and the canal gets shallower, wider. Soon we’re in a wonderful open area with lots of docks, places for boats to come. Wonder how many people have fallen off and gotten eaten by sharks here because they had a popsicle stick in their pocket. I think, and go to pack up my suitcase. 

I pack the little pencil box with Jack’s popsicle stick into my case among the beautiful dresses and gowns. This case is huge. I think, shutting it with some help from the maid. 

“Oh, we’ll take it for you.” She says, as I try to pull the case down from the heavy bed. I nod, and leave the room, tucking my hands at my sides again. Jessan waits out on the railing with me as our boat pulls up to the largest pier. 

“You’re going to love Malbergh, it’s very beautiful.” Jessan says. 

“It’s so dry in Turbrook.” I say, feeling the cold air surround me. There’s wet snow falling, so I go to grab my coat from my cabin. 

“Come on.” Jessan says, taking my hand, and leading me down onto solid ground. After two days on a ship that is prone to rocking, it feels amazing. I lift up the hem of my skirt, and Jessan holds my hand as we walk up the well-kept dock to a carriage. Alissa follows us, and our luggage is strapped to the back of the carriage. 

“Oooh, comfy.” I say, as I sit down on the plush seats inside the carriage. Jessan chuckles and smiles at me as the carriage starts rolling.