Page 45 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"If what Iris wrote was true, it was my foremost duty to help the fairies."
"Your foremost duty is to me, damn it!" Chris raised his saber. Anna was ready to throw herself in front of the bound pirate, but Chris simply sheathed the weapon before standing threateningly in front of Freddy again. "How am I supposed to hold the crew together if you don't trust me? If you aren't convinced of my strength and the validity of my deeds? Have I ever done anything to make you doubt me or my methods?"
Freddy pressed his lips together again and the captain crumpled the paper, tossing it on the ground. Anna quickly picked it up, smoothed it out, and scanned the lines again. Meanwhile, the captain continued his interrogation.
"Have I? Answer me!"
"No."
"Have I ever harmed an innocent person?"
"No."
"What about Ani? Have I ever treated her badly?"
"No."
"Then why do you believe this fairy instead of your captain's words and actions?"
Freddy closed his eyes and his shoulders sagged. Anna was sure he wasn't going to say anything in reply when suddenly he started to speak. "Our land is in decline. People are starving and so are we. There are only a few merchant ships sailing that pay us duty. I wanted to work with you to change these conditions, but for years, you have only searched for Ani, banishing everything else from your mind, the concerns of the people and those of your own people. I'd given up hope that things would get better. When this letter came, I thought that was the reason. You didn't want to change anything."
"Why do you believe a stranger more than me?"
"Have you ever received a letter from a fairy? They are pure, innocent beings. Why would Iris lie?"
"Wait a minute." Anna scanned the lines again. "When did you say you discovered the letter?"
"About two weeks ago."
Two weeks ago? She hadn't even returned yet.
Chris frowned. "What's wrong, Ani?"
"When I met Iris, she didn't know my memory was gone." Anna looked up into Chris's eyes. "Either she lied…"
The captain stroked his stubble. "…or the letter isn't from her."
Anna nodded. That's what she thought too. The fairy had been so angry and outraged that Anna had forgotten what had happened. It hadn't been an act. Of course, she couldn't be sure — she didn't know Iris, after all, but her gut told her that the letter was from someone else.
"What?" Freddy opened his eyes in disbelief. "Someone played me for a fool?"
The captain glared at him. "That's how it appears. How they managed it and how they knew that you doubted me — those are the questions."
Now Freddy grew angry. "Maybe because you haven't talked to us much since Anemone left. You stopped discussing your plans with us and mindlessly advanced into the giants' realm, risking all of our lives. Okay, I made a mistake, but so did you. Countless ones. Before that. Now, release me from this damned mast! The ropes have cut off my circulation. I can't feel my arms anymore and my throat burns — I could drink the entire ocean dry."
The captain hesitated, then drew his saber and raised it. With a whoosh, he cut the bonds, which immediately fell to the ground. "If you doubt me again, you'll walk the plank."
"And if you act so recklessly again, I'll find another captain."
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
Chris looked at him like a predator eyeing its prey. "What do you say?"
"Aye aye, Captain!" Cursing, he rubbed his arms until the blood started flowing again. Then he trudged over to a bucket of water, downed several ladles full, washed his face and neck, and, cursing, went to help the others with the ship.
Indecisive, they watched him until Anna's attention returned to the piece of paper in her hands. "Who could have sent this letter?"
