The Stolen Prince

By K.L. Crino

Marin had thought she’d heard a baby’s cooing last night. She realized now she shouldn’t have ignored the sound– she should’ve listened to her gut as a good captain would. But so far, her gut had only led her team to become the worst pirate crew in all of Porto Sama. In fact, her gut was the reason she’d pursued this defyingly stupid heist for the Pirate King’s jewel-encrusted chest in the first place.

She should’ve just heeded her father’s warning and quit. But it was easy for him to dismiss piracy; he’d already had one of the most prolific pirate careers in Porto Sama History. He didn’t grow up with the burden of a legacy like that to live up to. 

“Uh, Marin,” Bomas said hesitantly, his single golden eye wide with worry. “You’re about to break your quill.”

Marin’s gaze shot down to the thin wooden quill in her hands, bent in almost a perfect half moon shape between her fingers. She took a deep breath and set it down, shooting her First Mate a grateful glance. She was lucky to have Bomas. He was far superior to the rest of them in experience, intelligence, and skill. But his loyalty to her father had pushed him to join her crew after serving as his First Mate and practically raising her.

She studied the baby sitting in Bomas’s lap– a plump, wobbly little thing with a small string of red hair and abnormally large blue eyes. She didn’t understand why Fan had the desire to take the baby in the first place. To her, the thing was hardly cute– more of a tiny alien than a human.

Still, Fan’s motives for doing anything were impossible to decipher, and now was not the time to question them. Now was the time to figure out how to get the stupid Pirate King’s heir back before the whole bloody crew was executed. 

“We could kill it,” their surgeon, Ghander, suggested earnestly. For all the bloodlust the man contained, she always wondered why he’d chosen a field like medicine.

Marin sighed, forcing a smile. “I don’t think that’s going to work, Ghander. But I appreciate the participation.”

“Why not?” he asked. “We throw it overboard, lower the masts, and sail out of here before they even realize he’s gone.”

Fan made a tiny whimpering noise from the corner, his wide eyes peeking out from the long onyx hair that covered his sharp-angled face. The man couldn’t be much younger than Marin herself, and yet he was as useful as a toddler– constantly knocking over equipment, ruining missions, and failing at almost every task she gave him. The only talent he had was making a mess of things. He only remained on the crew because no one else had volunteered to be their cabin boy.

“Because the boy is the Pirate King’s only son,” Marin said in exasperation. “He’s not going to just brush it off. He’ll likely rip apart every island on the Maroub Sea to find him.” She patted the wall of her stateroom. “And let’s face it, we’re not outrunning an entire fleet of schooners on this creaky old thing.”

“We could let him loose,” said their Gunner, Coop, who sat lackadaisically in his chair, spinning a compass around in his fingers. She gritted her teeth at the sarcasm. She really had no idea why the talented Gunner had bothered joining her crew; he seemed to hate them all. Maybe he just enjoyed watching people struggle.

Marin shook her head. “It’s too dangerous. Someone might recognize him and steal him for themselves, then let us take the fall.” She took a deep breath.

“We have to return him,” she said finally. “It’s the only way to fix this mess.”

She studied her four crew members, gauging the level of fear in their gazes. Surprisingly, no one appeared too shaken by the order. Instead, their eyes held more of a prideful disdain for the job. Good. She could work with disdain.

Marin launched into the plan, which held most of the same structure as yesterday’s with a bit more prowess, learned from their past mistakes.

But despite their history of failure, Marin knew this time they’d pull it off. Because if they didn’t, they’d find themselves six feet underwater.

#

Marin tried not to flinch at the warning bells that’d been blaring all day. Instead, she focused on the dark towering manor in front of her. The five crew members squatted behind a thick row of shrubbery tucked into the corner of the Pirate King’s gardens. Luckily for them, the Pirate King was so worried about finding his son that he’d left his house barely guarded. Instead, he’d spent the day mobilizing his fleets and scouring the small port city. 

“Coop,” Marin ordered. “Hand me the spyglass.”

Coop sighed behind her as he dug through his satchel. A squeal rose from the Pirate King’s son, and Marin’s heart faltered.

Her gaze whipped around to where Fan sat, rocking the infant with the gentleness of a mother. 

“Keep that thing silent, Fan,” Marin snapped. “I won’t ask you again.”

“I think you should hold him,” Fan said, extending the wriggling neonate. “I think you just need to bond with him. You’ll like him more, I promise.”

“I don’t need to-” Fan shoved the baby into Marin’s arms before she could stop him. She tried to hand him back, but a sharp whine came from his mouth. 

“Fan!” Marin yelped. 

Fan shook his head, refusing to take the angry thing back.  “Rock him, Marin! He wants you! Not me!”

Marin grumbled, then pulled the baby close. Soft skin pressed against her chest. She didn’t have time for this, but if he started crying, they’d all be dead. Soon, the baby calmed, a smile returning to his face as he reached for Marin’s golden curls.

For a quick moment, she had the odd sensation of laying down her life for the infant. He was so fragile, so little, full of wonder and-

Marin cut her traitorous thoughts short. “Where’s the spyglass, Coop?!”

Coop shrugged. “I don’t know, I don’t have it! Maybe I gave it to Bomas?”

Bomas shook his head. 

“Fan?”

“No,” Fan whispered. “I just have the baby.”

All eyes turned to Ghander. 

“Don’t look at me!” he said. “I don’t have the blasted thing.”

Marin released a heavy sigh. They really were the worst pirate crew in history.

“Fine, we’re just going to have to trust the guards’ schedule will be the same as last night.”

#

The guards’ schedule was not the same as last night, and Marin stopped so abruptly when she spotted the two guards lounging against the back door that both Bomas and Fan crashed into her. 

“What-“

“Quiet,” Marin cut off Fan’s rising question. “Oh gods, they didn’t switch yet. They’re too close to the door to sneak past.”

“Welp, guess we should just go hang ourselves then,” Coop said flatly. She shot him a glare. Not helpful.

“Hold on,” Marin said. “Just let me think.”

The guards weren’t switching command, and Marin didn’t know when they would. That meant that they needed a different distraction. But what could be significant enough to pull the Pirate King’s only two guards away from his house?

She glanced down at the child tucked quietly in her arms. He met her stare, his light eyes the size of saucers.

“Ghander,” she said, “we need you to distract them.”

Ghander’s brows shot to his forehead. “Distract them? Distract them how?! Let me just go in there and kill them.”

“Tell them you spotted the Pirate King’s son.”

“Where?” Ghander asked. 

“Anywhere,” Marin sighed. “Just make something up. Lead them somewhere far away.”

She didn’t really trust Ghander with jobs that required thinking on your feet, but she couldn’t dispose of anyone else. 

He nodded, then snuck behind them and approached the group of guards from the other side.

The guards immediately straightened at the sound of footsteps, unsheathing their weapons as Ghander appeared. The surgeon raised his hands in a peace offering.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” a guard demanded.

“The name’s Zander. And I’m just a poor old spice seller who works down in the market,” Ghander said. Marin slapped her forehead. “I heard something about a missing prince, a baby, and thought I could offer some valuable information.”

The guards’ eyes widened. “Have you seen him? He was mercilessly kidnapped last night!”

Marin glanced side-long at Fan. The man paled.

“That depends,” Ghander started. “How much are you willing to pay for the information?”

Marin stiffened. For heaven’s sake. The man was a meathead, a sellout!

“How about we don’t kill you?” the guard suggested with a toothy grin. They surrounded Ghander, swords raised, giving her crew an opening to the door.

Ghander shrugged. “Works for me. I saw a baby in the market a few hours ago. Just wandering alone among the stalls. A blue-eyed…” Ghander studied the baby in Marin’s arms as they crept past the guards. 

Gods almighty, had the man already forgotten what the prince looked like?

The guards began to shift towards his gaze, and Marin froze.

“Chubby!” Ghander blurted, turning their attention back to him. “Uhhh… little whisps of red hair!” 

Marin loosened a breath and continued to approach the back door. 

“That’s him!” the guard said excitedly. “It’s gotta be! Take us to where you saw him!”

Surprise fell across Ghander’s face as if he hadn’t expected the plan to actually work. “Right! He’s this way!”

Ghander led the guards away, shooting us one last excited thumbs up before vanishing into the city.

The crew ran for the door, then Bomas pulled out a lock pick and opened it with a loud click. Marin handed the chubby baby back to Fan, and quietly turned the handle to the door.

#

After several minutes of navigating the maze of rooms, they finally found the nursery. Marin pressed open the door gently and stepped inside. The room was quiet without the prince. No guards stood outside, and no nursemaids slept within. It was just empty. 

Marin’s chest loosened. Against all odds, they’d done it! They had returned the prince. Marin turned to give Fan the order to put the baby back in its crib, but the words caught in her throat. 

Only Bomas and Coop glanced back at her. 

She blinked. “Where’s Fan?”

The two looked around, then paled. 

“He was just here,” Bomas said. Coop nodded, for once looking a bit worried.

“Where in the world could he have gone?!” 

Marin hated the answer to her question. Anywhere. The manor was a labyrinth. The stupid cabin boy could be anywhere.

“Spread out and search for him,” Marin ordered. 

They burst back into the hallway, Bamos heading left and Coop right. Marin ran straight. The hallway fanned out into a large sitting room full of books, knick-knacks, and-

Marin whimpered as her eyes beheld the infamous Pirate King’s chest. The chest glittered in the dim candlelight, blood-red rubies and milk-colored pearls lining the golden chest. She could take it. Run away with it and buy a new life for herself. Buy a new crew. She could almost imagine the diamond necklaces heavy around her neck, the coins weighing down her satchel.

But then she shook away the thought. No. She might not have had the best crew in the Maroub Sea, but she wouldn’t abandon them. She glanced around the room for Fan, then headed back into the hallway, leaving the glittering chest behind.

Her feet carried her from room to room, but she couldn’t find Fan anywhere. She’d checked at least ten rooms by the time she hit a dead end. Crestfallen, she turned around, ready to head downstairs to look some more, when a mountain of a man stepped into her path. He bared his teeth at her, his sword raised.

“Going somewhere?”

The Pirate King. 

Marin blanched. Her fingers fumbled for her knife as she backed towards the wall. 

Great. He’d caught her. At least her crew seemed to be safe. If she could just warn them, maybe they could get out. She ripped out the warning whistle in her pocket and raised it to her lips.

“No need,” the Pirate King sneered. “We have the rest of your crew right here.”

Three more men stepped into the hallway, holding Bomas and Coop between them, their hands tied and mouths gagged.

But no Fan. He was now their only hope. Wonderful.

“I figured someone might take advantage of my missing son,” the Pirate King growled. “Plunder my chest and jewels while I searched.”

For the first time, Marin realized how distraught the man looked. Red rimmed the Pirate King’s light eyes, and his long red hair laid a tangled, unbraided mess across his back. 

“Kill them,” he ordered.

“Wait!” Marin yelped as one of the men shot toward her. Her knife met his blade with a loud clang, then shoved it aside. “You don’t understand! Just let me explain!”

But the Pirate King only watched.

The guard continued to strike. Marin was a quick fighter, but in such close quarters, she could barely avoid each swing. Finally, she spotted an opening, ducking under his blow and running for Bomas. The second guard attacked before she could reach her First Mate, but she parried his sword and slammed the hilt of hers into the back of the man’s skull. He crumpled. 

She danced around the other two guards, kicking one hard in the stomach and slamming her elbow into the head of the other. 

Silence settled as the guards sprawled out on the floor. The Pirate King eyed her from the end of the hallway, his sword drawn. Marin braced herself for the attack, then paused. Instead of approaching, she tossed her knife behind her and met the Pirate King’s eyes. 

“I can explain,” she said. “I know where your son is.”

The man’s eyes widened.

“I can get him for you. I just need-“

The Pirate King’s face hardened again. “Liar!” he yelled, then launched himself at her. She barely had time to duck under his blade and bolt behind him. But he gained on her quickly, tripping her with his foot. She stumbled into a roll, then dove out of the way as his sword impaled the floorboards. Behind her, Bomas and Coop struggled with their restraints. 

She scrambled back to her feet just as the Pirate King wrenched his sword loose. He swung again and again, and each time, she narrowly escaped. She had no weapon. He was going to kill her. 

Finally, his rough hands caught her by the scruff, lifting her off her feet and slamming her against the wall. He shoved the sword against her neck.

“You die now,” he said. 

She closed her eyes, bracing for the pain when the sound of a baby’s coo stopped her heart.

Her eyes peered open to find the Pirate Lord staring open-mouthed at her long-lost cabin boy and the small, wriggling baby in his arms. 

“My son.” The man’s voice cracked. 

Fan met the Pirate King’s eyes. “He’s safe. We are only here to return him.”

The Pirate King dropped Miran to the ground, running to his son. He scooped the baby into his arms and pressed the child’s forehead to his. “Oh, my boy!”

The baby giggled loudly, then twisted around again to face Fan. He reached for the cabin boy, and Fan let the infant wrap a chubby hand around his finger.

Miran let out a breath, rubbing her neck where the sword had been, then went to help Coop and Bomas with their restraints.

“How did you find him?” the Pirate King asked.

Fan smiled. “We spotted a small crew of men smuggling the infant into a rowboat this morning. We fought them off, then went to deliver the baby, but your guards were missing.”

Marin hadn’t expected Fan to be so well-spoken. The Pirate King might just believe him, especially with how fond the young prince seemed to be of Fan.

The Pirate King ran a hand through his tangled hair. “I can’t thank you all enough. How can I ever repay you?”

The crew glanced among themselves, then Marin stepped forward. “I think gold might suffice.”

“You’re about to be the richest crew in all of Porto Sama,” the Pirate King said. He motioned for one of his guards. “Grab my chest and give it to these people. It’s only fair.”

A grin crept across Marin’s face as the guard scurried off, rubbing the knot that’d formed on the back of his head.

After a moment, the guard returned, placing the heavy chest in Marin’s arms. 

Coop huffed a laugh. “We actually did it. We aren’t the worst pirate crew this continent’s ever seen, after all.”

“Hardly so,” the Pirate King said with a grin.

Marin’s heart swelled as she beheld her strange, scrappy crew. They’d done what pirate crews had been trying to do for decades. They’d obtained the Pirate King’s chest. 

Fan put an arm around her shoulder, his expression smug. “See, Marin? Aren’t you glad I took the prince?”

Everyone froze at once. 

“What did you just say?” the Pirate King growled. 

Marin sighed, handing the chest back to the guard. “It was nice while it lasted.”

The crew scattered at once, each man heading for a different exit. And as Marin leapt from the nursery window, the guard’s hand inches from her neck, she knew without a doubt: they were, in fact, the worst pirate crew this continent had ever seen.

But when she finally returned to the run-down ship and glimpsed her crew waving her along, smiles plastered across their faces, she realized she didn’t quite care. 

K.L. Crino is a novelist, animal-activist, and product marketing manager currently living in New York City. She’s currently querying her debut YA romantasy novel and editing her next project. In her free time, you can find K.L. Crino volunteering at Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers (or any animal-related organization), brainstorming with her writing group, or training in Krav Maga and other martial arts.