Page 35 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"Well, the cities have lost their trading power. The goods produced in surplus in this land and traded are now lacking due to the fairies dying out."
"What are those?"
"Honey, flowers, grains, tea, oils, tinctures, clothing…"
"The fairies made clothes?"
He pointed to the meadows that wrapped around the town and up the great hill. "The grass used to glow a delicate blue. The fairies made the flax bloom so that people could use it to make linen. And they wove clothing and sailcloth from the linen, which is why the pirates like to capture their ships."
"So you think a person from this kingdom is out of the question since the disappearance of the fairies also caused the land's prosperity to collapse?"
The giant beamed. "My Anemone, clever as ever."
That sounded logical. Nevertheless, they couldn't exclude all people from the Kingdom of Flowers, since they couldn't be certain, after all. "Do humans live in all four kingdoms?"
"No longer in the Kingdom of Rocks. My ancestors chased away most of those who tried to settle there. The last ones were driven away after the captain flew his ship into the sky, threatening the power of the giants. Then again, it's also pretty barren there since the goats eat everything and there are rocks and mountains everywhere."
"And in the other kingdoms?"
"The people who live in the Kingdom of the Sea are all pirates and there aren't that many of them."
"Are there any other pirates besides the captain and his crew?"
"Sure, but he's the worst of them. We shouldn't talk about him again. You have other things to concentrate on, Anemone, promise me that."
She didn't reply. She wasn't going to let Anton influence her decision about whether she could trust the captain or not — even though she was interested in discovering what the two of them had against each other.
"Humans live in the land of the Snow Queen too," Anton continued. "However, by far, most of them reside in the Kingdom of Flowers."
"Interesting." She was excited to meet people who weren't pirates, so she wanted to take her time looking around the medieval-looking city. "Please set me down, I would like to explore Linnenberg on foot."
Anton had long since reached the city with his long strides. He gently lowered her onto the street and remained in front of the city gates. His feet were so big he could have trampled several buildings with one step.
Excitedly, Anna watched the guards playing dice in the shadows of the gates and a little boy skipping through the gate whistling. They appeared normal, their clothes simple but clean.
"I'll make a round and come back here."
"All right, Anemone. In the meantime, I'll take a nap. You know where to find me."
Anna was about to laugh — it was probably a joke — when Anton calmly laid down on the meadow in front of the city, lying so still that he looked like a huge stone. Good thing he remindedher. Who knew how long she would have searched for him? She didn't want to think about it. Now it was time to go into town.
14
As she entered Linnenberg through the wooden double gate, there was a smile playing on her lips. Not a single guard glanced up from their game of dice as she entered the city limits. Either times were peaceful despite the fact that there were fairies dying or there was nothing left in the city, as Anton had suggested.
Curious, she looked in all directions. Behind the city wall was an open stable where horses were tied up. A boy barely old enough to go to school was rubbing the animals with straw and giving them water. The street was lined with one shop after the next, their displays almost empty. Only the signs, which were due for new coats of paint, revealed they were a garden nursery, a tailor, and an herbal shop. There was hardly anyone in the shops. Most people were leaning against the building walls, in groups or individually, talking to each other. The mood was somber, but at least the streets were fairly busy so that Anna wouldn't be noticed.
She followed the cobbled main street until she reached the market square. A few merchants had set up stands there, and the wares struck Anna as pretty meager. Times really didn't seemgood. It was unbelievable how the disappearance of the fairies affected all of their lives and prosperity.
Loud voices drifted into the street from a tavern. Curious, Anna approached and peered in through the open window. Some guests were having a loud discussion at a round table as a waiter trotted between the tables and a woman played a piano. The bar was full even though it wasn't even midday yet. That didn't speak for an economically thriving city where everyone had a good job.
Should she go in and ask around? Maybe she could strike up a conversation with the man sitting alone at the bar and ask him about the land. Just as she decided to put this idea into action, someone grabbed her by the shoulder. She spun around "Hey!" Her hands raised, she braced herself for an attack. But before her was standing a woman her age, her brown eyes wide in disbelief. The woman's hands flew to her red cheeks.
"Anemone?"
Anna frowned. She knew her? Darn. She hadn't considered that possibility. What should she say? Tell her about the gaps in her memory or act as if she knew her?
The woman noticed her hesitation. "Don't you remember me?"
