Justin ambled along the grungy streets of the port. He was not looking forward to the upcoming meeting with the Bow Street detective as he had nothing new to report. But go he must, for it was his duty to the English government.

Justin Timberlake, while feared by many as the evil pirate captain of the Christina, was in actuality, a royal duke. As Duke of Schellden and owner of a vast majority of properties, Justin had a great interest in the government. Which is what led him to playing the part of a pirate.

Somebody was selling the English government’s secrets to the French. And of course, with the kind of information the spy had managed to get his hands on, the French were in a great position to declare war on the isle of Britain. That was the last thing Justin, British parliament, and King Henry wanted.

So Justin and his crew of “rowdy” men, all of whom were government spies or officials, constantly put out to sea to lay siege to incoming and outgoing vessels. Blueprints had gone missing as well as had some costly relics that could aide the French in their quest for domination over their English neighbors, so Justin’s superior had come up with the ingenious plan of Capt. Justin Timberlake, the pirate. That way, the crew could board any vessel without anybody questioning their intent.

Of course, they never actually really took anything of value; just enough to make the occupants of the besieged ship think that real pirates had attacked them. Unfortunately, they hadn’t turned up anything as of yet, which was starting to frustrate Justin.

At twenty-eight, he wasn’t getting any younger and of course, his mother, the Dowager, was constantly on his case whenever he managed to stop by at home. Oh, he wanted to have children, in fact, they were one of his weaknesses if truth be told, but he wasn’t going to marry some young heiress who had no backbone. He was a rake, a hellion if need be, so he needed a female who could match his wit and temper step for step.

Unfortunately, a lady of those qualities was non-existent. Ladies of noble birth these days were brought up to be meek, undemanding and soft-spoken, all the qualities he despised. Therefore, he was utterly convinced that he would never marry.

But that was not what he needed to worry about right now. The government was his first priority at the moment, so that’s what he would focus his attention on. The problem of a wife could be solved after England was once again safe from the French.

Justin sighed as he opened up the door of the unsavory pub, suddenly wishing for the quiet solitude of his study at Schellden Manor. He’d had enough of the smells of the port, the unsavory men, the prostitutes, and the sleazy pubs. But endure these he must, for there was no way he was going to give up his quest before it was completed.

The captain quickly spotted Benton Lancaster, the Bow Street detective that he had been working closely with the moment he had started aiding the government about a year ago. The elder man was seated at a table in a secluded corner where they were sure to have some privacy and Justin crossed the room and took a seat across from him. Benton looked up expectantly.

“Nothing new to report,” Justin practically snapped, annoyed at their lack of progress in the past few months, “We have yet to find anything, but we’re pushing out of port again in about an hour.”

“Very good,” Benton stated as he sipped on his tankard of ale, “I haven’t got much for you either, except the fact that we believe that Richard Davenport is indeed mixed up in all of this.”

“What’s new,” Justin mumbled as he waved away the big-breasted barmaid who was attempting to flirt with him, “The man is a complete nuisance to society even if he turns out not to be a traitor.”

“I know. Now he’s trying to marry his daughter off to the richest man he can find. Only problem seems to be is that the chit ran off earlier this morning,” Benton revealed, taking another swig of his drink after he spoke. Something flickered in the back of Justin’s mind, but after not being able to grasp it, he pushed it away.

“Well, I better get going,” Justin said as he stood up.

“What’s this I hear that you got yourself a new cabin boy?” Benton suddenly demanded; Justin immediately dropped back into the chair he had just vacated, “I thought we discussed that you weren’t to bring any new faces aboard the ship?”

“The lad is only fourteen, hardly a threat,” Justin snapped, his anger barely restrained, “The kid has no family to speak of and is quite resourceful with a sword. I thought he could come in handy.”

“You better be right,” Benton warned.

“You just worry about your duties and I’ll worry about mine,” Justin retorted before he stood up and stalked out of the pub.

He always hated meeting with Benton due mainly to the fact that the man was so cocky and thought himself above Justin just because of his age. As if three years was such a vast difference. Besides, Justin was a Duke; Benton was merely a detective and nothing more.

Still, the scowl would not leave Justin’s face as he quickly made his way back to his ship. He was now very eager to set sail and get as far away from Benton Lancaster as possible. After all, if they stayed but ten minutes longer, Justin wasn’t sure if he could be responsible for his own actions towards the man.

“And this is the kitchen. Of course, when you’re onboard a ship, it’s called a galley,” Jackson explained as he led Kalinna through the large room that housed a number of different utensils and a portly man who immediately looked up and smiled.

“Ye must be the new cabin boy, which means tha rumors are true then,” the jolly man stated as he stood up and ambled over, “Trenton Sheridan at yer service sir, I’m tha cook.”

The man was a portly fellow, with a rounded belly that bespoke years of enjoying good food. He was rather short, though still taller than she, and had a jolly face with twinkling blue eyes. His hair was the color of fire, and though thinning near the back of his head, still shown with a healthy glow. Kalinna took an immediate liking to the man.

“Kip Davenport, and it’s nice to meet you,” Kalinna responded, grinning as the man attempted a bow at the waist.

“Ah, and he speaks well too. An educated lad, eh?” Trenton questioned.

“Yessir,” Kalinna confirmed, “My mother and my father taught me before they passed on.”

“Sorry ta ‘ear that,” Trenton stated, giving Kalinna’s shoulder a slight pat, “But ye can call me Trenton. None ‘o that sir stuff ‘round ‘ear, mind ye.”

“Alright, Trenton it is then,” Kalinna agreed as she turned towards Jackson for instructions.

“This way kid, I’ll show you where you sleep,” Jackson said as he began to walk out of the kitchen; Kalinna shot Trenton one more friendly smile before trudging after the beefy first mate, “Your cabin connects directly to the Captain’s in case he needs you for something; nothin’ big, mind you, but enough for the next six months time.” Kalinna didn’t say anything to that.

How was she supposed to help the pirate captain? She hoped it didn’t have anything to do with helping him in and out of his clothing because she would die from embarrassment. No, she just hoped that he would give her small tasks that she could do with confidence. Of course, she was on a pirate ship, so she didn’t know how much of her confidence was actually left.

Jackson quickly opened a door to a small cabin on his left, located near the very rear of the ship. The Captain’s cabin, she learned, was at the very rear, and was quite large as that was where Justin spent most of his private time. She was curious and hoped that she would eventually get to see it.

For now, she walked into the small room after Jackson and almost laughed. She and the big man took up most of the room in the small cabin, and with a grumble, Jackson immediately stepped back into the hallway to wait for her. She glanced around. The cabin was tiny, with a small bed anchored to the wall, a small cabinet for clothing and a table that would barely fit two small people.

Overall, she thought it was cozy and was excited that it was all her’s. It wasn’t much, but it also didn’t belong to her father, which was the best part. She quickly placed her sack on the bed, intent on putting things away later and stepped back out into the hallway where her guide stood waiting.

“Well, that’s about all there is to the ship, now we best be headin’ topside so you can meet the rest of the crew and prepare for leavin’ port,” Jackson said as Kalinna closed the door and began to follow him up, “The captain should be back by now, and knowing him, will want to leave as soon as possible.”

Silently, Kalinna followed after the large man, thankful when they were once again in the open air. She breathed deeply, unaware of the curious stares she was receiving from the other crew members. She came to with a start, however, when Justin stalked up the gangplank, a scowl marring his handsome features. She wondered what could have upset him so, but she dared not ask.

“Prepare the ship and get us out of here as fast as you can,” Justin snapped before walking down the stairs that led belowdeck.

“You ‘eard the captain, make ready to sail,” Jackson barked, repeating the command, “And this ‘ear is Kip Davenport, the new cabin boy. Be nice to the lad or I’ll skin your hide, got that?” The only reply was some grumbling and nodding of heads before the crew began to go about their business.

“What am I supposed to do?” Kalinna questioned, suddenly unsure of herself in these unorthodox surroundings.

“I’ll take you to see the captain, and if he don’t need anything, you’ll be helping Trenton in the kitchen. Think ye can manage that, kid?” Jackson questioned.

“Sure,” Kalinna readily agreed, silently breathing a sigh of relief to herself. She wouldn’t be expected to dangle from the trappings or wash the deck, so she would probably be able to survive.

Besides, she would learn as the days passed. She was quick at picking things up, and she was convinced that becoming a full-fledged pirate was no exception. She only hoped her mother was rolling in her grave too much.

“Let’s go,” Jackson stated after he had called out a few more orders to the men, “You can meet the rest of the crew later, but for now, yer going to be doin’ the Captain’s biddin’.”

“Is he angry?” Kalinna hesitantly questioned as the two of them made their way towards the captain’s quarters.

“Annoyed is the word I would use,” Jackson gruffly stated, unsure of how much he was supposed to reveal to this youngster, “I be guessing his meetin’ didn’t go all that well.”

“Oh,” was all Kalinna could muster. Meeting for what? What did pirates have meetings for? And for that matter, who did they have them with? She thought pirates only plundered other ships and looted villages, but maybe she was wrong.

Then again, maybe there was something about Captain Justin Timberlake that she didn’t know about and that Jackson wasn’t letting onto. Either way, it wasn’t her place to be asking these sorts of questions. After all, she was now a lad of fourteen, not a gently-bred lady of twenty-two.

All too soon, they stood before the door to Justin’s cabin and Jackson quickly knocked. A muffled “enter” came and Jackson opened the door for Kalinna before he took off to go man the wheel.

“Ah, Kip, good, I could really use your help,” Justin stated as soon as he spotted the new cabin boy. Kalinna blushed to the root of her hair as she took in the site of the half-naked man, who had discarded his shirt for some reason unbeknownst to her.

“How can I be of service?” Kalinna questioned, trying not to stare as he walked toward her, the muscles on his chest rippling in the dim light of the cabin.

“You said you were educated and my French is quite rusty, so I was wondering if you would translate something for me,” the captain said as he shrugged into a clean shirt, much to Kalinna’s relief, “Take a seat.”

She quickly sat down and began to look over the aforementioned document, her curiosity getting the better of her. What was a pirate doing with a French letter that didn’t seem to have anything to do with the plundering and robbing that pirates were known for? Of course, she had only glanced briefly at the first sentence, so she was most likely coming to wild conclusions.

“Can you translate it?” Justin asked as he looked over her shoulder.

“Yes,” Kalinna confirmed, “Do you want me to read it or write it down for you?”

“Write it down if you don’t mind. Let me grab you some parchment and ink,” he replied. He disappeared into another room of the cabin for a few moments, but soon returned with the items in hand, which he quickly set on the table for her.

“Is there anything else you need from me sir?” Kalinna questioned as she dipped the quill in ink and prepared for the task.

“That’s all for now,” Justin concluded as he walked across the room and picked up some more papers that Kalinna itched to have a look at, “And it’s Justin. No more sir, Kip. Not on this ship.”

“Okay,” she said, barely catching the sir from slipping out. At least she hadn’t called him “your lordship” or “your highness”. That definitely would have given her away.

Silence descended over the cabin as they sat, Kalinna at the table translating the French letter, and Justin sitting in a comfortable leather chair behind a desk. Occasionally, Kalinna would look up to steal a glance at her new “employer”, and would immediately blush. She had seen many a men since her father had practically thrown her at them, but none compared with this man’s fine features.

He was like the pirate prince of any young girl’s dreams. The dark and brooding type that would steal the maiden from her bed and whisk her away to faraway lands on his beautiful ship. Of course, that was child’s play.

She was a grown, mature woman who was not prone to such fantasies. And now, she was posing as a fourteen-year old boy, a far cry from the gentle lady she was brought up to be, so daydreams about her captain were definitely off-limits. Besides, she was not going to break that second promise that she had made to herself.

About twenty minutes later, Kalinna felt the boat began to shift underneath her, and sat up with a start. Justin gave her a strange look, and then grinned as he set his papers down and walked over to her.

“Is this the first time you’ve ever been away from England?” he questioned, surprising Kalinna with his gentle tone.

“Yes,” she quietly breathed, ashamed at the fear that was coursing through her veins. She was strong, she shouldn’t be afraid of leaving her previous life behind.

But of course, England was the only place she knew, the only place she had ever called home. If truth be told, she wouldn’t miss her father or the life she had been forced to lead, but she would miss the great land and it’s wonderful, colorful people that she called her own. Six months was a long time to be away, especially for a first-time voyage.

But there was no turning back now. She couldn’t very well reveal her identity and make it off the ship alive. She had lied to the captain and his men from the beginning, and she knew that they would not take that lightly. No, she was going to go through with this. And she would be even stronger when she set foot on her homeland’s shores in six months time.

“Come, let’s go topside,” Justin suddenly stated, breaking into her racing thoughts, “It’s your first voyage away from home, and I know what it means to get that last glimpse of the place.”

He did? Well then again, maybe he called England home. She didn’t know. Mutely, she followed after him after carefully setting aside the parchment she had been working on. He was definitely right; she wanted to set her sights on the shores for one last time before they disappeared.

The two of them quickly made their way down the hall and up the stairs to the deck. Kalinna felt her breath catch in her throat as she felt the ship shift beneath her feet, a very unfamiliar sensation.

“You’re not going to be sick, are you kid?” Jackson suddenly called, much to Kalinna’s embarrassment. She had hoped her queasiness would go unnoticed, but apparently that was not to be.

“Not unless it’s over your head,” she finally shot back with a grin, causing a roar of laughter to emanate from the men onboard.

“I knew you were a keeper,” Justin announced, grinning, “Anybody who can keep old Jackson in line is a winner in my book.” More laughter.

“Who you callin’ old, grandpa?” Jackson taunted, a challenge in his voice.

“Hmm, last time I checked, you were the one with the gray hairs, not me,” Justin retorted, much to Kalinna’s amusement. This crew really seemed like a family to her; a family that she could hopefully come apart of.

“If you weren’t the captain and we weren’t on a ship sailing out of port, I’d be callin’ you out for a duel at dawn,” Jackson responded, laughter glinting in his eyes, “Guess I’ll have to settle for a little swordplay.”

“Now, now, I wouldn’t want to tire you out and cause you to take to your bed early,” Justin retorted back.

“Hmm, well maybe that new cabin boy will take a swipe at you instead,” Jackson announced, and Kalinna felt the blood drain from her face; there was no way she was going to duel with the captain. “I hear he’s got a good arm, ain’t that right kid.”

“I think you’re just trying to save yourself from losing in front of the crew,” Kalinna stated, grinning as she hear more laughter from the rest of the men listening and watching the lively conversation between the three of them.

“I see where your loyalties lie,” Jackson grumbled.

“Hey, I’m the captain, of course he’s going to be loyal to me. I’m the one that could always make him walk the plank after all,” Justin retorted.

“Whatever you say captain,” the beefy first mate stated before turning his attention back to the ship’s wheel.

Kalinna stood beside Justin, who was still grinning, glad that the conversation was over. It was exciting to finally have stimulating conversation after being told all her life to hold her tongue, but she still wasn’t sure how she fit in with this group of men. She didn’t want to make enemies on the first day; well, she didn’t want to make any enemies period.

“Better take a look, England’s almost out of sight,” Justin suddenly said.

Startled out of her thoughts, Kalinna quickly turned her attention to the rapidly disappearing shoreline. Her heart jumped to her throat as she finally realized the magnitude of all that she had done. Her father would be furious. Her suitor would probably retract his offer of marriage, which would only make matters worse.

But she was free. She was finally able to get out of the prison her father had created for her all those years ago and live for nobody but herself. It felt good. No, it felt wonderful.

And as she watched England’s shores finally disappear from sight, she felt a sense of peace invade her heart. It would be six months before she saw her homeland again, but lying ahead of her was six months of adventure. She couldn’t wait.