1Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are the products of my (the author's) imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons or supernatural creatures, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. No princesses or monkeys were harmed in the making of this story.
Author's Notes:
After watching the first movie of Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003 I felt so inspired by all the Pirate-speak and just everything about the movie that I went straight home and wrote this little story. Bear in mind, English is not my first language and what's worse, I tried my hand at high complicated English. But I had fun. I hope you had fun reading this silly story too. I would love to hear your thoughts - good or bad - all constructive criticism welcome. Thanks for stopping by
THE PIRATE PRINCE'S FIRST MATE
Once upon a time on a very wealthy island called the Isle of Isle, lived a beautiful young princess with her father, a Count and her aunt, who was actually a witch. They were both afraid that one day, some man would snatch the princess away and she would be lost to them forever, so they locked her away in the highest tower of the castle and only allowed her freedom to walk around the castle during the night time, so long as she stayed clearly away from windows. But secretly, without her father or the princess' knowledge, the witch put a spell on the young princess that should any man from outside the castle look upon her, she would be transformed into a monkey and he would be blinded forever. Her aunt had her own agenda and dreamed about becoming the Countess of the Isle of Isle and so she even planned the death of her brother, the Count.
During the night times, Princess Rose would roam around the kitchen, talking to the servants, learning of the outside world, since the spell had no effect on people inside the boundaries of the castle. In her room she had many books and maps of faraway places she knew she would never see. She had been a prisoner ever since she could remember and longed for the freedom she could hear outside her tiny window. The birds that flew so high in the sky, the wind that brought the rain and above all, the people of the ships that arrived so often in the harbour she had never seen before, but only heard kitchen tales of. She longed to feel the sea sand under her toes and see the waves crashing down on the shore..
Her father had monks come from Spain, sworn to secrecy to never mention her beauty, to teach her to read and write. Since they were in the castle, the spell had no effect on them. The princess was a very eager and brilliant student, always seeking for more knowledge and understanding of the things she has never seen. One night, as she walked around the castle, lost in thought, she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. The servants were whispering their magical tales to one another. Cautiously not to make a sound, she tip-toed until she was just outside the kitchen door. She could peek inside, but afraid of being caught, she held her breath, listening to the wonderful stories they told. Her father was always very strict about letting her hear of these myths, but she couldn't resist as she found them to be fascinating.
This night was one of those wild nights where the cook was a little drunk and he told them again about the Pirate ship he used to work on. It was horrible and terrifying, but also well rewarding. She held her breath at every mention of the blood spilled, raids, and plunder. She got so caught up in the story that she drew her breath in very sharply at one stage and the kitchen grew silent. All faces turned towards the door and with a deep, dark voice the cook said: "Show ye self or die!"
Frightened the young princess peeked around the corner; fear gripped her heart as she forced a little smile. The cook narrowed his eyes, glared at her and said: "Be ye eavesdropping young lass or hast thou lost thy way to thy quarters?"
"Indeed no sir Cook, I have but passed by when I heard voices and came to enquire about the disturbance." She swallowed hard and gripped her dress to not show them how she was shivering. It was well past midnight and it has been a long day since new ships came into the harbour that day. The cook stared at her, waving with the whiskey in hand, "Pirate stories are not for the faint at heart. They are vigorous and violent. I have but escaped with my life to tell the tale. Off to bed you shall be now. Goodnight young lass, goodnight!" And with that he turned around and passed out on the kitchen floor. The whiskey bottle fell from his hand and landed by her feet. She quickly took a hold of it, concealed it under her sleeve and took it upstairs as the clock struck one hour after midnight.
Back in her tower, safely locked away from the world, she hid the bottle under her bed covers, for to her demise will it be should her father or aunt ever discover it. This was her first treasure from the outside world and she would do everything in her power to keep it.
Weeks passed, dry and without adventure, until she heard her father and aunt were to leave on a very important trip to England to negotiate alliances with the Queen and a possible arranged marriage. She was terrified. Escape was not an option since her tower was well high up and rocks and ocean would be her death, but oh the torture of being locked away with the only thoughts on a man she never met, to be her husband. Something had to be done! She started writing her wishes down on parchment, her tears staining the words. She wrote until the words dried up and the parchment was finished. In one desperate act, she rolled up her sanity and sealed it in the bottle. With one last look at the rest of her life, she tossed it through her window and heard it splash into the ocean. Then she threw herself on the bed and remained there till nightfall.
Her father returned within a fort-night, bringing with him the glad tidings of an arranged wedding that would take place in 3 months.
In the meantime, Spider the Pirate, captain of his ship, The White Pearl, anchored near the isles of the Isle of Isle. Lying in his hammock, pondering his current circumstances which included no adventure or crew, he heard a strange noise knocking against the porthole of his cabin. Curiously he looked outside and saw a strange object floating in the waters. Filled with boredom, he rescued the object, freed it from seaweed and laid his dirty treasure on the table. Just another old bottle he thought and very disappointed by his misfortune, he decided to toss it back into the ocean which has brought him nothing good so far. Being a pirate, one would think that treasure and a crew would be the footstool of his success as a raider of the open seas, but mutiny and scurvy have left him alone and wandering nowhere.
He walked out onto the deck, breathed in the cool, fresh sea air, stared into the horizon and drew his arm back to toss the bottle as far as he could, but his attention was drawn to a ship on the horizon, approaching the Isle of Isle. His concentration was so intense, trying to make out the flag of the ship, that he accidentally dropped the bottle. It was a royal vessel from England and for a moment he longed to raid them of all they possessed. Caught back by the rude noise of the falling bottle, he bent down to pick it up and noticed something rather peculiar. There was a message inside.
He uncorked the bottle and carefully removed the parchment that was so neatly rolled up that he almost thought it was a complete thing altogether. He took his knife and carefully unrolled it. It read:
For all the times I've stared at the ocean
Locked away in this tower of mine
I've dreamed of faraway places
And the world outside
Having nothing to lose
But a life of entrapment
I wish for adventure and
A life with far more excitement
Blessed the man who knows of mine dreams
Come rescue me in my hour of need
Than to be given to a man I've never met
Arranged by a father who won't heed my plea
Forced from this prison into the next
My fate is sealed in a few months' best
Maybe I will be brave enough
To find the courage to die and rest
My soul to heaven
My body to dust
Alone is my future
In Thine hands I trust
Overwhelmed by the beautiful, yet tragic words, the young pirate's heart leaped with faith. Maybe yet there will be a rescue of a damsel in distress. He raised a white flag and set sail for the Isle of Isle.
Preparations for the wedding started immediately, leaving poor Princess Rose gripped with fear and uncertainty over her fate. She refused to eat or even leave her room at night, but all her efforts could not convince her father otherwise. In secret her aunt made a potion for the prince to drink the night before the wedding. The potion would seal his eyes to her beauty, yet let him fall in love with her and so protect him from the spell.
Finally the day before the wedding arrived. The whole Isle was in anticipation for the following days' events. No-one has ever seen the princess save for the servants of the Count, and it would be a great day to finally lay eyes upon her beauty that had inspired many songs, poems and stories, unaware of the terrible spell that will befall them all. New ships lay in the harbour, one of them carrying the Queen of England and her only son. They came to sign the Union and to celebrate the wedding. The princess still refused to leave her room and this worried her father, the Count, since she was pale from lack of food and sleep. He silently wondered if he acted wisely in the interest of his only heir, but he knew he needed this alliance to continue his Kingdom in the hard years to come.
Another ship sailed into the harbour. A lonely figure stood on the deck, searching for that tower. He knew this had to be the place the message spoke about. He would be the one to rescue her and take her on the adventures she so often dreamed about. He couldn't wait. Docking, he called out to the harbour crew: "Ahoy there! What is all the commotion about? So many ships in the harbour, must be something great happening?"
"Aye, the wedding of the year, sire! Our dearly beloved princess is to be wed to the prince of England. Our ships will then freely pass in their waters! Nice trade, don't you think?"
"Indeed sir, indeed!" The pirate stepped ashore. Dressed in his finest clothes, which he stole from his second-in-command after killing him for betraying him over a treasure. He looked like a fine young gentleman. "Where is the princess, sir?" he inquired, looking around the busy docks.
"In the tower, sire, there upon the hill of our Count. Built with his own two hands they say. He came here when he was but a lad of 12. Settled with his uncle and his only sister from Spain who had the royal blood running thick in his veins. He inherited everything after the old Count died. Rumour has it that his wife, who was one of our very own maidens, died after giving birth to his only daughter and he decided to lock her away, since her beauty was a curse for all men who laid eyes upon her." The old man got a dreamy look in his eyes as he stared towards a hill that should lay inland.
"So he locked her away? What curse would befall all men who laid eyes upon her?"
"Blindness, sir! They would go blind as a bat the moment they look upon her features and then they would hear the terrible roar of a beast!"
"A beast," the pirate looked at him suspiciously.
"Aye, a beast of some sort, sir. Old Jake at Blacksmith's place saw it happen to one of the brave princes from afar once that came to enquire for the hand of the princess. He forced himself into the palace, whilst old Jake passed by the castle on his way home. He lives on a hill and could see through the windows. He could see the prince looking upon the princess, since it was already evening and she had her freedom. Fortunately for old Jake, he only saw the back of the princess and was fortunately not cursed, but the poor prince was cursed to blindness and the next moment a terrible beast jumped on him and devoured him. He could not defend himself. Strong guards had to drag the thing off of him. Jake got so frightened he never took that road home ever again."
"Interesting" the pirate thought and asked: "When is she to be wed?"
"In the morrow, sire. I've seen the locks of her hair but once when I had to drop off some wood at the castle. She peeked through a forbidden window but was pulled back by someone before I could see her face and be cursed myself forever. But I heard from the butler that her beauty is as radiant as the sunset over the ocean and as brilliant as a sunrise over the mountains. Her skin is white as snow and her eyes are blue as the ocean. It happened during night time since they never allow strangers around during the day, unless you're royalty. But then she's locked away in any case. Only let out to wander the halls during the night."
"Interesting," the young pirate answers. "Perhaps you know of any good place to eat around here, I can use some fresh fruit too."
"Just down the road. Keep to the left, you'll find the Isle Inn. It's the only one in town, famous for their beer. You can't miss it!"
"I thank thee, and shall be on my way then." And off he went.
He reached the Inn and after a well dressed meal, he enquired about the exact location of the castle. With directions in mind and many warnings he set off in that direction. He took the road along the seashore, as it was out of sight and he wanted to avoid unnecessary questioning. It took a while to get there because the road was over rocks and in some places he had to swim, but that didn't seem to bother him. He was determined to rescue her. The bottle was tied around his waist with a strong rope and contained a new message. He was excited about the new adventure and the attempt to break the curse, somehow, and rescue the princess.
It was almost mid-morning when he saw the tower at last. Huge waves broke against the tower walls and he strained his neck as he looked up to see the tiny window at the very top. Luckily he brought more rope and so he started measuring the height of the wall. There was absolutely no way he could climb with bare hands since the wall was very smooth. He tied the bottle to the one end of the rope and threw it upwards with all his might. First time lucky, it got stuck in the window and he tested the rope to see if it would hold. It was perfect. He started to ascend until he reached the window and could pull himself into the room. It was empty.
Meanwhile the princess was taken to another room in the castle where she was attended to by servants who washed her hair and bathed her for the following day. They treated her red swollen eyes with special herbs since she hasn't stopped crying since the day her father had returned from England. Her gown was beautiful and ready, hanging in her room. She hasn't spoken to anyone yet, not even her own attendants. She had sworn herself to silence and vowed to kill herself as soon as she has a chance after the wedding. Because of her previous suicide attempts, her father ordered that all sharp objects be taken away from her.
The pirate snooped around her room, trying to find an idea of the best way to escape should she return that very day still. Suddenly he heard voices outside the door and quickly hid under her bed, just in time as two servants came into her room to fetch her wedding gown to make adjustments one last time. He heard them talk about the wedding that will take place in the courtyard just after noon the following day and how excited they all are. He waited until the servants left, crawled out from under the bed and placed the bottle on her pillow. Then he hid himself in her closet and waited for her return.
It was a good two hours later that the princess finally returned to her quarters and exhausted from the day's events, she fell down on her bed, sending the bottle flying through the air. Landing on the floor, it smashed to pieces. She jumped to her feet, frightened by the sudden sound of glass breaking and looked bewildered to the place where the bottle came to rest. In her desperation to escape fate's destiny, she sprung forward to grab a piece of glass and take her life, but instead of grasping glass, her fingers enfolded parchment. Bewildered by a memory of the past, she dropped the parchment and stared at it like it was some kind of poison. Slowly coming to her senses, she reached out, picked it up, carefully unfolding it and read the concealed words.
My Beloved
Have no fear, thy dreams and wishes are yet to be revealed
I have come from afar, driven by thine message to save thee from thine torment and tears
Should thou wish to accept mine offer, I'll be waiting close by; just speak my name
Waiting expectantly for thy sweet soft voice
Forever thine own
Spider the Pirate
"Spider the Pirate", she whispered with holding breath, the parchment fell from her fingers. He stepped from the closet behind her, slowly covering his eyes with his bandanna, and then reached out forward to touch her shoulder. Aware of the sudden movement, she turns around into his arms. Gripped by fear she tries to go free, but her struggle causes him to hold her tighter. She pushed him away, screaming and in the process grabbing a medallion around his neck. He let her go because of the sudden rush of pain the breaking chain caused and just stood there, unable to see anything because of the covering, listening to her breathing. Never in her life has she ever seen such a hideous sight. Shoulder length, dirty bushy hair tied in a single ponytail in his neck, a black filthy bandanna covering his eyes, stacks of jewellery, pointy hat and long sharp sword. This thing in front of her was scaring the life out of her. Softly he started quoting her message, turning his head towards where he presumed she stood. Never before has he not laid eyes upon such a treasure, he was totally caught off guard and kept the image of her hair in his mind. She slowly sat down on her bed, afraid of taking her eyes off him. He also spoke about his ship and the sea, telling her about the unknown world that is so far away from her. Everything felt hazy and she feared fainting.
In the meantime, the guards heard her scream and burst through her bedroom door. In a moment they took him captive. The excitement was too much for her and she fell in a faint, still grasping the medallion in her hand.
She's woken by the sharp acidity of smelling salts. Her father's concerned face looks down on her where she's lying on the bed. "Art thou alright, dear daughter of mine? What a terrible ordeal it must have been for thee – being harassed by some maniac! But do not fear, he's locked away in a safe place for a very long time. Rest now; there is a big day ahead of thee tomorrow." And with that, he kissed her hand and left. Making sure the door is securely locked behind him.
Being left alone once more, the princess inspects the medallion she ripped from the pirate's neck. Made from solid gold with a rather peculiar family crest on the front and the words 'Heir to the throne' crafted at the back in Latin. She discovered a small pin and upon pushing it, it sprung open, revealing two tiny portraits of a man and woman, dressed as if they were royalty. Not knowing who they are, she quickly got hold of her ancient historical books on royal families to look up the meaning of the crest. Not finding it, she turns to the section on lost and forgotten monarchies. There it was, standing out from the page. The family crest of the house of England. This particular medallion was a symbol, signifying who the true heir to the throne was and would be passed on to his first born son. It was only bestowed on men. But according to the historians, it was stolen when the King's only son was kidnapped by pirates and presumed dead after England refused an alliance with these buccaneers that they may dock in the English Harbours unharmed. Torn with grief over the loss of his son, the King died from heart failure and his wife succeeded the throne and was inaugurated Queen of England. This happened almost 25 years ago. A year after the death of her husband and son, she remarried a wealthy Duke and bore him a son.
Shocked, the princess stared at the words as their true meaning sank in. The Queen's second son was her husband to be.
Down below in the dungeon, situated under the castle where the ocean met the muffed walls, the pirate sat ankle deep in the water, chasing away snoopy rats and thought about the mess he has gotten himself into again. What was he thinking? That she would run into his arms, overwhelmed with joy that he came to save her? He must have been mad! She must have been terrified, seeing him for the first time, even a man that isn't struck blind, for she has never seen the outside walls of the castle. Time to plan an escape but before he could think any further, he heard footsteps. Not that of the guard, more slowly and uncertain. He waited in silence.
She waited until it was far past midnight and started her quest to find the dungeon. She has never been there before and remembered the times as a little girl when she came pretty close to that place but her father made sure the guards wouldn't let her any closer. After what felt like hours she finally reached a staircase, spiraling downward to a deep, dark crater. With her little candle burning smaller, she descended.
Rats ran past her and she smothered a yell. She had to be brave for she needed to know the truth. She reached the end of the stairs and saw him sitting in the water, his back to her. A big, black gate stopped her from getting any closer. The key hung just out of reach for him next to the gate.
"Pirate!" she says. "I have to know, what are the words thou hast spoken in mine room?"
"Thine very own, my princess," he said without turning to face her. "The very words thou wrote on the parchment and sealed in the bottle. I was destined to find it and come rescue thee, so fair a princess."
"Who said that I needed a champion? I am betrothed to be wed tomorrow!"
"Yes, to a man thou hast never met. But then again, princess, hast thee ever met anyone in thy life without condemning them?" He stood up, slid the bandanna over his eyes, turned around and stumbled until he could grasp the bars with his hands, breathing close to her face. She stepped back. Should the gate have not been there, she would have smacked him.
"How dare thee speak like that?"
"I'm a pirate, is there anything I do not dare?"
She didn't answer, but looked away, feeling his stare through the covering. She felt the medallion under her dress and slowly reached for it. She looked at him, slowly letting it hang by the chain. He turned his head to the sound of the metal and reached for his neck,feeling the emptiness the medallion left. It has been the one thing that has been the most precious to him thus far - his pendant. "May I have that back please, it belongs to me!" he said, trying to grasp it through the bars.
"Thine very own thou sayest?" she frowned then smiled. "It belonged to the firstborn heir to the throne of England, whom thou hast killed, I assume. This was stolen and has been lost for 25 years. I don't think it is fit for a savage such as thee!" She shook her head and stepped out of his reach.
He sat down in the water again, deep concern across his face. "Ever since I could remember I have been amongst pirates and even became one myself at the age of 10. I've killed many and seen many cities burn. I've had that pendant all my life. My parents' portraits are inside. I don't know much about them or the throne of England for what it's worth. I know it is a country pirates ignore since they refused to make an agreement about letting us dock in their harbours. I don't think I have ever been to England. My pirate father told me that I was the son of wealthy parents. He rescued me after they had been killed by robbers. So he took me under his care and taught me everything I know."
For some reason she started to like him and his appearance wasn't such a horrific site anymore, she just wished she could see his eyes. His story touched her deeply and she felt as if she had known him her whole life. Tears formed in her eyes, blurring her vision. She stood up from the rock she was sitting on and came closer to the gate until she could reach with her hand through the bars and touch him. He looked up and took her hand. "I am so sorry," she says. "Please forgive mine ignorance, I did not know." He gently kissed her hand, and explored it with his lips, while taking the medallion from her and slipped it into his pocket. The moment was real, it was true and noble – everything she ever wished for yet could not identify.
"If thou canst get me out of here, princess, I will take thee to see a world thou hast but dreamed of. I can rescue thee from yet another life of entrapment!" Her eyes filled with tears and she looked away. All she ever wanted he just mentioned, but she was so frightened of the outside world that she didn't know what to say.
She removed the key from its place and just as she was about to open the gate, she heard footsteps coming closer. "Hide, princess, hide. It must be the guard! Quick, be on thine way!" He turned around and removed the bandanna from his eyes as she quickly hid behind a couple of rocks and too late she realised her candle was still at the rock she sat on.
Luckily the guards didn't notice it. "Get up ye filthy rat! Here's yer last meal. Ye shall die at noon tomorrow, at the same time as the wedding. Cursed ye are for seeing our princess!" He threw his head back and snorted, left the food by the gate and disappeared up the staircase.
Within seconds the plate was crawling with rats. She chased them away and tried to save whatever was left of the food. She has never loved before and what her father has been to her the past 22 years, she didn't know if that was love. But looking at this man, this son of the sea, she suddenly experienced a warm delight that filled her whole being and upon looking at him, she knew that this had to be destiny.
Slowly she got up and unlocked the gate, leaving it wide open for him. Hesitant at first, he stood up from the water, kept his eyes to the ground, slowly coming forward. She drew her breath in and stared at him with wide eyes. "I will never hurt thee, princess. I've loved thee since the moment I've rescued thy bottle! But because of the curse, I can never look upon thee, for I've heard what will happen." He held out his hand, staring at her feet. She felt herself move forward and gently lay her hand in his. His hand was soft, yet strong from much hard work. Suddenly he held her close, lifted his head, eyes closed and started kissing her soft, untouched lips. First she tried to push him away, but she knew it was futile. His tongue found hers and that sent shock waves down her spine. Everything tingled. After what felt like eternity, he let her go, out of breath and out of mind it must have been.
"Please be on thy way," she said, catching her breath. "It will be morning soon and they can't find thee here. Hast thee not heard? Thee shall be hanged at noon! Please, for mine sake, be off!" He nodded his head and she took him by the hand and led him up the stairs, his eyes turned to the steps in front of him. Her candle burned very low by now and they could hear all the servants getting ready for the day ahead. She had to be found in her room soon, for there will be great concern should they find the room to be deserted. They reached the top of the stairs and when she had made sure that all was safe, she led him to the nearest window from whence he escaped and made his way back to the White Pearl.
The sun broke through the ghastly mist that had come to rest upon the ocean during the night. All thoughts of escaping this terrible fate that was bestowed on her had been in vain. She has decided to accept the inevitable, but she knew her heart belonged to the pirate.
At last there was a sliver of hope of seeing him again one day when she had already given herself unwillingly to this forced marriage. She closed the door behind her and walked over to the tiny little window. The very same window her rescuer had entered. Maybe she could have escaped with him, but her nightgown would have made running extremely difficult since it was still dark outside and she had never been in the moonlight.
The tone in his voice and the warmth of his hand promised he'd return to save her but her heart feared that he would not succeed. As she stood on her toes, she could only see the blue deep stretching out over the horizon and she waited with a heavy heart for the maidens to come and get her ready for that eternal hour.
There was a soft knock on the door and her father entered. It had been a long time since she saw him by day. In his hands was a small container. "My darling, Rose, long have I waited for this day to give thee away to a man I know will truly love thee. Only such a man of good stature would be good enough for thee. Mine heart is glad for thee today. A bride thou hast become, blooming like the flowers in spring, radiant beauty as the world has yet to see. My darling daughter, it is with great pleasure that I present to thee a necklace that belonged to thy mother. For she was beautiful such as thee and this necklace made her complete in all quality. I trust that it shall fulfil thee too, for today shall be a euphoric day in the history of our kingdom!"
She looked at him with dry eyes for there were no more tears to cry. It was the first time ever that he mentioned her mother and she was astonished by his words of praise of a woman she never knew. She looked at the container in his hands, then turned around and stared out the window again. She couldn't care less if he stood there and offered her the entire world since he was more like a prison guard than a father to her for 22 years. His wedding gift meant nothing to her.
She heard the door close behind her. The box rested on her study table. She walked over and carefully opened the lid but before she could peak inside, there was another knock on the door and her aunt entered. Her aunt was a beautiful woman with a strong personality and she ruled her brother with an iron hand. Making all the decisions in and around the castle. "Here child, I brought thee something to drink to calm thee down for the big excitement." The princess accepted it with a smile, though she's always been suspicious of her aunt, since it never looked like the woman ever really liked her. She took the drink and drank it all at once, whilst her aunt watched her very closely. Without her knowing it, she actually drank another potion that the old witch cooked up. It would make her immediately fall in love with the prince and then the witch can start planning on killing the Count so that she could rule and reign.
After her aunt left, she opened the box. The necklace was made of diamonds and finished off with a rather large ruby in the middle. It was beautiful and heavy. She held it high so the shaft of light coming from the window could dance upon the sparkling gems. It reminded her of the freedom she will never have. Such a beautiful treasure, yet locked away to keep safe from harm. Her heart was heavy with grief.
Her train of thought was brutally interrupted by the young maidens who came to attend to her. She set herself to be a puppet in their hands, allowing them to make her presentable for her husband whom she already hated.
It was close to noon when she started to descend the stairs. All the servants were lined up on the one side while her father waited for her at the bottom of the stairway to walk her down the pathway. For the first time ever she saw the big brown wooden front door open, and beyond that a sea of faces and very sharp daylight. Even through the thick veil that covered her face, the sunlight hurt her eyes. She was wearing a Lavender satin bodice with pearled detail, complemented with a ball gown skirt made from tulle, lavender, and duchess slipper satin and a matching veil piped in the same lavender satin.
As she reached the very last step, her father extended his arm and she took it as was the proper way to do. Only a single fiddler played a sad, lonely tune in the background as people started to get uneasy with the long waiting to see her. They reached the inside court. Guards were standing on the walls, holding up large reflectors to try and keep the sun from blinding her. They were so occupied with the princess that they didn't notice a rather peculiar figure sneaking past them, down the side stairway, until he could peek over the flower girls with their baskets full of rose petals that stood nearby the platform where the priest and groom were waiting.
Finally they reached the front. Her father handed her over to the young gentleman waiting to take her hand. His hand was warm and comforting, but not enough to ease her pain. The service started and even though the priest asked absolute silence, she could hear the people in the back admiring her, though she knew they hadn't seen her face yet and perhaps never will. Finally the priest reached the part where he had to ask if anyone had any objections against the wedding and it was at this moment that the pirate decided to show himself. He jumped up from behind the flower girls and shouted: "Wait! I object! This impostor cannot wed such a lovely princess for I am the only one she loves!" Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance of this man from nowhere. The queen only had to look upon him to realise who he was because he was the exact image of his father, the former king of England.
The guards came forward to seize him, but were held back with fear because they have heard many stories of this pirate. For the first time that day, there was silence in the courtyard, no one dared to breathe as the Count came forward and demanded an explanation. "What is the meaning of this interruption?! Are thee not locked away in the castle's dungeon? Explain thyself!"
He looked at the count, the witch, the queen and then his half brother. "I am the future king of England, proven by the medallion I've had with me since I could remember. Kidnapped by pirates at a very young age, it took a princess to discover my true identity!"
"You could have stolen the medallion," the groom snaps at him. "How do we know thine are what thy say, since I am my mother's only son?!"
"That's not true unfortunately," the queen replied. "If he be truly who he says, let him show us his birthmark on his left shoulder." The pirate ripped his shirt off, revealing a rather eccentric birthmark on his left shoulder, shaped like an eagle. Everybody stood in awe as the queen wiped the tears from her eyes. "My son!" she whispered and came forward, but was stopped abruptly by the groom who drew his sword and challenged the pirate to a duel. But the pirate refused and turned his back on the prince, knowing very well that he was able to kill his half brother, but for the sake of his mother and the princess he would not take the challenge.
The queen realises the intentions of her second son and leaped forward to protect the pirate just as the prince drew back his arm and threw his dagger towards the pirate. The princess saw it and screamed and just in time the pirate bent down, having the queen fall upon him to the ground and the dagger went flying over their heads, piercing the witch's heart. The princess' aunt fell into the Count's arms, blood started to stain her dress and she stared with wide stricken eyes at the princess. Whilst gasping for air she whispered how sorry she was and something about a curse, but before anyone else could figure out the meaning of her words, she died.
The crowds are out of their wits with the developments and the princess is being hauled back into the castle and her tower. Within minutes the prince is arrested and the queen reconciles with her lost son. The queen acknowledged the pirate as her first born son and heir to the throne and asked that he be restored to his rightful place. She also asked that her second son not be put to death but rather be shipped to the Americas then where he will be doing hard labour.
All eyes turned to the pirate and everyone bowed a knee and acknowledged him as king. He turned to the Count and asked: "May I ask thy daughter's hand in marriage if it would please thee to still sign the treaty?"
"But off course! I could not be happier!" The Count called for the princess and the ceremony started all over again. Everyone stood in awe as the prince lifted the veil and stared upon the princess. At once everyone was blinded by a bright light whilst the princess turned into a cute little monkey. The pirate, count and queen however, was not blinded and the pirate alone understood the full implications of what just happened.
He extended his arm and the monkey jumped onto his shoulder, looking at the world as if they've gone mad. The Count and queen didn't understand, but the pirate looked at them and said: "Have no fear, I will look after her forever and maybe one day return to the throne." The count & queen just stared at the pirate as he turned around and ascended over the wall, back to his ship.
Turned out that the moment the witch died, the spell of blindness was broken, but not of the beast. The pirate prince and his monkey princess sailed off into the sunset as she would be a monkey forever and what is a pirate without his first mate?!