The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 96: Master Of The Seven Seas

Chapter 96: Master Of The Seven Seas

Anna’s heart was racing as she crouched under the bed. Her breaths came in short, nervous gasps as she waited. She could hear the loud banging and clashing of metal from a distance as the men engaged in a fierce battle with the pirates.

The frantic knocking and thumping of feet colliding with the wooden floors echoed through the ship, accompanied by the occasional shout or cry of pain.

Anna knew that Kyren, the knights, and the rest of the crews were locked in a life-and-death struggle, and her fear for their lives and safety was almost overpowering.

The minutes ticked by like hours. But all she could do was now wait, her hand gripping the dirk given to her by Kyren with shivers as her eyes darted around the dark room, wide and awake.

Anna could feel the cold metal of the dirk digging into her palm as tension rose from the danger that lay outside. Her mind raced with various thoughts of what would happen next.

Then, out of all awkwardness, the noises of battle suddenly halted, leaving an eerie silence almost more unnerving than the sounds of clashing swords and shouting. She held her breath, listening intently for any sign of what had happened.

She waited for what felt like an eternity, her heart racing with fear and anticipation. Had the battle ended? Had the knights and the crews emerged victorious, or had they fallen to the pirates’ hands?

The stillness was almost suffocating, and Anna found herself straining to hear any sounds of movement outside. But all she could listen to was the sound of her own heartbeat, pounding in her ears like a drum.

The silence was almost too much to bear, and she wondered if she was the only one left alive. But then, she heard it.

’Thump! Thump!’

Rugged, heavy stomps dropped on the floor, and the sound became more apparent by the second. The cabin door creaked open, revealing two big dirty boots approaching. A scream almost escaped her lips, but she covered her mouth with her hand just in time.

Anna’s hand trembled as she clutched the dirk tightly, her tears falling in silent streams as she crouched under the bed. She crept backwards as far as possible until her back pressed against the cabin walls, desperate to hide from the approaching danger.

She could hear the sound of hard and heavy breathing with an occasional growl as the man searched the room. Her heart raced with terror, wondering if she would be discovered and taken captive.

The boots stopped right in front of the bed, freezing there momentarily. Her throat felt like it was closing up as she held her breath, while her spine tingled with fear and her hair stood on end.

’Please turn back! Please turn back!’ She could only pray in her heart.

Anna had no idea who the boots belonged to, but she was sure they did not belong to any of the men on board the ship.

The princess closed her eyes tightly for a moment, hoping that what was happening was just a nightmare. But when she opened them, a gruesome face of a pirate filled her sight with a shrill smile, his eyes glittering with menace as he bent down and peered under the bed.

"Got ye!" the man shouted as his large hand stretched to catch her.

"Aaaa!"

Anna screamed as she thrashed wildly, swinging the dirk in a futile attempt to evade the pirate’s grasp. But his grip was firm, and she felt herself being dragged out roughly from under the bed, her heart pounding with a mixture of terror and rage.

She struggled with all her might, lashing out with the dirk, but the pirate was too strong. He grinned down at her, his breath hot and fetid, as he pulled her tiny arm. The dirk on her hand faltered to the ground when the pirate shook her hand.

"Let go of me! Let... ummmphh!" her shouts muffled when the palm of the pirate covered her mouth promptly amidst her struggle.

"I hate noisy women!" the pirate growled. "Keep yer mouth shut, or I’ll be forced to shut it for ye!" he gave her a sharp warning.

Nevertheless, Anna twisted and writhed, determined to break free from the pirate’s grasp, but his grip was unyielding. Just then, their eyes locked, and for a moment, the princess stared intently at the pirate with her emerald irises.

Suddenly, a look of shock crossed the pirate’s face, and he released his grasp on Anna, causing her to fall to the floor in bewilderment.

"Green... green eyes!" the pirate exclaimed, his expression contorted with panic as if he had just encountered a deadly plague. He stumbled backwards, tripping over his feet, and fell to the floor.

The pirate didn’t wait a second longer, fear driving him to act. With howls of terror, his once cold, fierce face turned as pale as a corpse as he struggled to get up and turned back, fleeing from the room as fast as he could.

Anna watched in disbelief as the pirate scurried away, his footsteps echoing off the walls as he ran.

"My... my eyes... Why?" She touched beneath her eyes, surprised and confused about why it caused such fear in a hardened pirate.

A sudden thought ran through Anna’s mind as she recalled the story told by Seadog Grimm.

"The legend of the emerald eyes!" she breathed out in realisation. "He believes it! He truly believes the legend!"

Anna’s eyes darted around the room, searching for the fallen dirk. As she saw it lying on the floor, glinting in the dim light, she snatched it up in her delicate hand with a quick movement.

The princess stood up hastily, a moment of fierce determination gripping her as her mind raced for a solution. She knew that Kyren and his men were outnumbered against the horde of pirates, and she couldn’t just sit idly by while they fought for their lives.

It didn’t take long for Anna to devise a plan, her mind working quickly despite the danger surrounding her. She knew this was a considerable risk, but the men were already betting their lives against the ruthless pirates.

With a deep breath, the princess gathered her courage and set forth her motion, leaving the safety of the cabin and entering the deck area.

***

"Stop!!" The pirate’s voice shook, causing his comrades to turn their heads towards him. "Run! Run now!" he shouted again, his fear evident in his voice.

Just as the captain was about to demand an explanation, a petite, delicate woman stepped out from the cabin, holding a dirk in her hand behind the pirate. The other pirates laughed, thinking their comrade had chickened out over a mere woman.

The view on the deck was grim.

Anna’s heart almost dropped as she took in the scene before her. Ayden was fully covered in blood, his long black hair gripped by a burly pirate, and he was getting weaker. The other knights and crews were halted, the pirates’ swords pointed towards them.

But the sight that brought the most significant fear to her was her husband, Kyren, kneeling with three swords aimed right at his neck.

"Blimey! We’re doomed! We’re as good as shark bait!" the pirate who snatched the princess previously cried out, his voice filled with panic. "She’s the descendant of the blasted emperor!"

He ran to his men and hid behind the quartermaster.

Anna dashed onto the deck, feeling her heart race with fear and adrenaline. She held her dirk tightly in her right hand and charged towards the group of pirates, her delicate frame belying the fierce determination within.

"Let them go!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

All eyes turned towards her, and the pirates were struck dumb with fear as they met her piercing emerald gaze.

"Anna!" Kyren’s voice rang out across the deck, surprised when he saw her.

The shout of the pirate and his wife’s sudden appearance disrupted his plans. Though he wanted to save her, he knew that rash action could result in her getting hurt by the pirates. Annoyed by the unexpected situation, the commander swallowed his curses.

"Ro... Ro’an Emperor!" the other pirate shouted out, his voice trembling with fear as he caught sight of Anna’s striking green eyes. A discordant sound emerged from the crowd of pirates.

The legend of the emperor with eyes of the same colour came flooding back into the pirates’ minds. The tale had been passed down for generations, a story of a fearsome and formidable seafarer whose descendants were said to possess the same striking eyes and inherited his power.

For nearly a hundred years, the legend had been woven into the fabric of pirate lore, a superstitious belief that any pirate who dared to face a green-eyed person would surely meet their doom.

The pirates had always been superstitious, believing that none among them could defeat a green-eyed person, no matter how strong or famous. And now, with Anna standing before them, they were filled with a sense of dread and foreboding.

Their hands began to shake, their swords wavering in the air as they shuddered at the appearance of the ’descendant’.

"Blimey! Me eyes must be playin’ tricks on me!" exclaimed the pirate captain as he set his gaze upon her.

Kyren’s voice rang across the deck, his eyes fixed on the pirate captain. "I’ll give you anything you want, just don’t harm her!"

He then urged Anna to stand back to ensure her safety.

"I know what I’m doing! Trust me on this, Kyren!" the princess replied to him.

The knights and the healer looked on in surprise, unsure what to make of Anna’s words. They knew she was determined but also feared for her safety in the face of such danger.

They all deeply desired to help her and do whatever it took to save her and Ayden from the enemies’ grasp. However, the situation was not favourable for them.

Anna’s eyes caught the sight of Seadog Grimm kneeling on the deck and trembling in fear. She gulped her saliva as she made up her mind for her plan. The princess had no brawn to fight against the ferocious enemies, but she had a brain that was smart enough to pull out a trickery.

Anna held the dirk firmly and looked straight at the pirates wielding their swords to her husband’s neck.

With a show of strength, she straightened her back and held her head high, demanding, "As a descendant of the Ro’an Emperor, I summon you to release all of my men!"

"Yer gotta be pullin’ me leg! Ye ain’t no descendant of the emperor with them green eyes!" the captain shouted, "Ye be nuthin’ but a scurvy liar!" he bellowed, his face contorted with anger.

Although a fear crept into his heart, his pride prevented him from wanting to believe.

"Take heed of my words. Touch a single hair of my people and me, or take even a single grain from this ship, then you’ll face my wrath!" Anna declared, her voice ringing out with conviction.

Her bold warning to the pirate captain left the commander and the knights taken aback. The woman before them was not acting like the Lady Raychard they knew.

She locked eyes with the pirate, her gaze unflinching. "Look into my green eyes. Do you really want this to be your last day alive?" she challenged him.

The commander and the knights were bewildered by her bold threat. Was she using the legend to fool the pirates?

"Cap’n, we should make like the wind and retreat!" pleaded the quartermaster, his voice filled with fear and uncertainty.

The other pirates nodded in agreement, their faces filled with apprehension. They knew better than to defy the taboo, for even the greatest pirates before them had feared the wrath of the green-eyed.

"Nay, I won’t be surrenderin’ to some worthless threat!" the captain hollered. "If any of ye bilge rats dare to even think o’ retreatin’, I’ll keelhaul ye meself!"

He stood tall and unwavering, determined to stand his ground with pride despite the odds stacked against him.

Anna took a deep breath. Seeing no movement of retreat from the pirates, she declared, "So, be it! I will summon the storm!"

She closed her eyes and enchanted a rhyme from her lips,

"The darkness swaps the light,

the day sky turns to night,

tempest and gale come to me,

I summoned thee as the master of the seven seas!"