The Princess and the Pirate

By Felicity Banks

Princess Ana is trapped in her own home, unable to leave the castle walls to avoid a fever that is plaguing Ratu Island. Her mother, devastated after the death of Ana's father, has hardened, resolving to keep her crown rather than acquiesce the kingdom to her son. The only person who might be able to change the queen's mind is Ana's grandmother, Sol - who just happens to be a murderous pirate. Ana's beloved Auntie Livina hatches a plan to send Ana to seek out Sol, while also keeping her out of reach of the deadly fever. Ana is thrilled for her newfound freedom, but terrified about meeting her grandmother. What if she's beyond reform? What if she tries to kill Ana?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odyssey Books
• Release date: Jun 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781925652697

Book preview

Prologue

Ulandin brought his captain a mug of salty breakfast stew. He held it at her elbow until she took it from him. She didn’t so much as glance at him in acknowledgment. Captain Sol believed manners were a sign of weakness.

She stayed at the ship’s railing to drink it, staring up at the darkening sky. The clouds gathered, making grey towers against the defeated light of the heavens. As the sun rose higher, the sky grew darker.

‘Is there anything,’ Captain Sol said with studied carelessness, ‘a first mate might want to tell his captain right about now? As in, before that storm tears my ship to splinters?’

‘Ah,’ said Ulandin, taking an unconscious step backward. ‘So you’ve noticed me sight’s a bit duller than usual.’

‘I have,’ said Sol. Her voice was strained. ‘It would have been handy to know a mite sooner.’

Ulandin lowered his golden eyes. He could barely make out the outline of his own brown feet; one whole and one twisted. Sol knew how to break a leg so it never healed.

‘Guess where you’ve told our men to steer us,’ she said.

Ulandin glanced up at her, though he could only just see the shape of her narrow face. ‘Oh no,’ he said, realising the answer as he spoke. Some of Sol’s family still lived: a family that loved her. That was more than Sol could bear. ‘All we needed was shelter …’

‘Still do need it. But we ain’t gonna take it at Ratu Island.’ She picked at her tarred hair for a long moment. ‘What’ll you tell the men when they ask why we’re turning away from that pretty little harbour right in the teeth of a storm?’

Ulandin bit his lip. ‘The truth?’

Sol threw back her head and laughed. ‘Just admit to our men their almighty captain’s afraid of a measly island? Have you lost your wits along with your sight?’

‘No, Captain,’ he said with respect. Respect was permitted; love was not. Ulandin understood that better than anyone. ‘I meant the other truth. The truth that if they object, they can make their own way. And not on this ship, either.’

Sol considered, and finally nodded. ‘That’s a start. I’ll personally take care none actually make it ashore. I don’t want anyone telling tales of me. Not on Ratu. Not yet.’

‘Yes, Captain.’ Ulandin took her empty breakfast mug. He limped to the bridge as the ship muttered and bucked beneath him. The first fat drops of rain fell, thudding against the ancient sails stretched above his head.

At least she hadn’t killed him. That was worth plenty in Sol’s vicious world. For Ulandin, it was enough.

Captain Sol drew her cutlass and sawed through the first of the ropes securing the lifeboat to her ship’s flank. She’d always despised lifeboats. Safety made you weak.

The rope broke with a snap and the lifeboat shrieked against the ship’s side as it lurched forward to dangle half in and half out of the black sea. She glanced over her shoulder and saw men swarming up the masts to furl the sails before the storm exploded over their heads. Ulandin hadn’t wasted any time.

She shook her head over him—since nobody was paying enough attention to see, she did so with affection. The best man on board, and now he was going blind. Still, in a storm like this, who wouldn’t be blind by the end?

One man stopped and stared at her. ‘What do you think you’re doing with that—’ He gulped as he recognised her. ‘Captain?’

‘Shouldn’t you be following the mate’s orders?’ she asked.

He controlled himself and took two steps away. Then he turned back. ‘But—the lifeboat. If the storm goes ill—’

Sol lifted her cutlass and fingered the dull edge. Her hand was black in the darkness, like a spider crawling down the blade. She wished he’d throw himself overboard and save her a lot of mess. Then she smiled. ‘There’s land behind us, as you know. Ratu Island. You can have the boat, if that’s what you want.’

He eyed her warily. ‘Just me?’

‘Just you.’

Thunder shook the skies, deafening them. For a moment, they faced one another in perfect silence, sweating in the thick air as the storm held its breath.

The man looked past Sol at the flickering flame of Ratu’s royal lighthouse. He made up his mind and Sol saw it. She made no move to stop him as he rushed past her and vaulted the rail to grab onto the inside edge of the dangling lifeboat. The water churned beneath him, caught in the boat’s hollow. He held on with one hand, and scrabbled for purchase with his feet. The wood was slick with spray.

Sol watched as the water swelled, tugging at his naked feet. His eyes widened in fear as he looked up at her, waiting for her to cut the other rope and set him free. He couldn’t hold on much longer.

Sol took her time checking nobody was watching. Men tended to get hysterical when she killed their friends. She didn’t understand why, when there were plenty of others ready to jump at a chance to be a sailor. It was so easy to find more.

Everyone else was hard at work: neatly distracted. She walked to the other rope and touched it. It thrummed with tension, singing with the crewman’s last chance at life.

She leaned over the rail and watched his face as it drained of hope. He slipped and fell down the slope of the boat, still staring up at her. His back hit the first row of seats and tossed him head over heels. The last thing Sol saw was the white underside of his feet vanishing beneath the churning water.

She cut the last rope and the boat fell, breaking to bits instantly in the angry waves.

‘No,’ she whispered, knowing no human could hear her above the rising wind. She spoke to the man-shaped thing that still waited for her beside Ratu Castle’s great fire. ‘No, Ransom. I’ll not come home today.’

Chapter One

10 Years Later

Ismiled prettily at my usual pack of guards and eyed the outermost wall of Ratu Castle one last time. It hadn’t been easy to get so close to the open air on the other side. They’d all seen me walk through walls before.

It’s the challenge that makes it fun, I thought. Escaping Mum’s clutches.

As a quickensmith, I could touch any solid substance and change its shape, but only the outside wall was thick enough for me to magic my way inside without everyone seeing exactly where I was. It was made up of thousands of enormous tree trunks spliced together side by side in a giant ring supporting wide glass windows all around. There was plenty of room inside the wall for a princess with the right kind of magic.

Five seconds. Just give me five seconds.

One of the guards was smart, and stood directly between me and the outside wall. When he squinted with an oncoming sneeze, my muscles tensed. I was careful not to smirk and ruin my chance of escape.

The guard’s sneeze burst out of him. I sprinted across the polished floor to the round brown safety of the wall. Old Sneezy looked up in mournful dismay, still holding his nose. The rest yelped and ran after me.

I stretched out my hand as I ran, focusing my will. The wall opened up as soon as my fingers brushed the bark.

As I stepped inside I tossed back my hair. That left me just enough time to spin around and stand neatly framed in the doorway I’d made. I fluttered my eyelashes at the oncoming guards and made the wall close itself in their faces.

Oh, that was brilliant!

Castle

My magical tunnel was just as hot as everywhere else in the castle, but without the sea breeze to give me some relief. Still, I was used to that. It was completely dark, and my breath was loud in the small space. The only other sound was the muffled yelling of the guards.

When Mum finds out about this, I’ll make sure she knows it wasn’t their fault. They don’t deserve to be punished. Besides, I haven’t actually left the castle.

The yells stopped, and I knew the guards would head outside to search the castle grounds. But I wouldn’t be there.

I walked north through a girl-sized passage in the wall, ordering the trees to curve smoothly out of my way and creak back into place afterward. The familiar dusty smell made me smile as I pushed my fringe out of my eyes. I trailed my fingers along the grainy insides of the ancient trees and silently thanked them for still being there for me. It was easy to hold the passage open with one hand, nowadays. I’d been practising.

There’s not much else to do now everyone’s dying.

Dad was one of the first. I’d cried on my birthday, because the healsmiths wouldn’t let him wake up for my party. They said sleep was his