Chapter 126: THIRD POV.
At least the young guard wasn’t glaring at him all the time now.
And he definitely stopped reaching for his hip every time Jacob walked past, and he even managed to say a few brief words during their coincidental encounters in the last days.
Even if he still seemed a bit guarded and careful around the first mate, it was a massive improvement from before.
Jacob, of course, had absolutely no problem with this slow change, since progress was progress, no matter how small it might seem at the start.
He knew that breaking down years of royal training and deep trauma would take a long time, and he was perfectly content to let him move at his own pace.
As long as Flounder wasn’t trying to actively sabotage his plans with the little princess, Jacob was more than happy to play the role of the patient, wise companion.
******
The morning of the fourth day arrived with a clear sky and a strong, steady wind.
"And where exactly are you going?" Flounder couldn’t help but ask loudly when he saw Jacob following closely behind Priscilla, who had just leaped down with an incredible, cat-like grace onto the wooden deck of the First Hornet.
Flounder was standing by the main deck railing, holding a bucket of water and a piece of cloth.
He had been helping Rudwig clean up the seating area for the princess, but his eyes had immediately locked onto the weapons and supplies being loaded into the smaller craft.
"The captain and I are going on a bit of an excursion," Jacob said with a light, easy smile, stopping at the edge of the railing and looking down into the boat.
"An excursion," Flounder repeated flatly, his voice full of a deep look that said he wasn’t buying a single word of the explanation.
His eyes narrowed as he looked between Jacob and the heavily armed captain. "In the middle of unknown waters? With just the two of you?"
It was strange that only the two of them were leaving when they supposedly had a large crew on their side.
Jacob felt incredibly awkward inside his own head, not knowing how he should properly explain the massive wool he’d pulled over Priscilla’s eyes over the last week.
He couldn’t exactly tell the proud royal guard that he had tricked the feline captain into wanting to become a legendary pirate who saved innocent people from the shadows, just so he could use her strength to secure his own future safety.
It was a highly complicated lie, and explaining it would only bring back all of Flounder’s deep suspicions.
"Jacob! Stop standing around up there and get down here right now!"
But just then, Priscilla’s loud, calling voice cut through the air and drew him right out of his awkward thoughts.
She was standing near the front mast of the First Hornet, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword as she looked up at him with an impatient frown.
"Coming, Captain!" he shouted down to her, letting out a short breath of relief.
He turned his head back to glance at Flounder one last time, giving the young man a reassuring nod.
"Well, duty calls. If you or her highness need anything while we’re gone, feel free to go and ask Mister Dinklehimer. He’s running the main deck for the day, and he’s sure to help you with absolutely anything you might need."
He stepped up onto the ledge, gripping the thick ropes with his hands. "The both of us shouldn’t be gone for very long at all, so you don’t have to worry about a single thing while we’re away."
"And who exactly says I’ll be worried about you?" Flounder scoffed loudly, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his face away with a sharp hmph.
"If anything, you should be the one worried about whether we’ll take advantage of your absence, overpower your crew, and take your entire ship to flee back to the mainland." He smirked at the end.
"And why on earth would I worry about something silly like that?" Jacob replied back with a small chuckle, his voice completely light and unbothered.
He leaned against the rope, looking at the guard with a knowing grin. "I don’t think her highness is the type of person to steal from her savior, and her loyal servants as well wouldn’t do anything so underhanded to completely hinder her beautiful royal image, would you now?"
"Tsk," Flounder clicked his tongue loudly, his face flushing slightly as Jacob’s words hit the mark perfectly.
He knew he could never do anything that would make the princess look like a common thief, and Jacob knew it too.
"Just hurry up and get going already. The captain’s about to leave you behind anyway," he said roughly, before turning his back completely around and walking off toward the upper cabins.
Jacob merely smiled warmly seeing him go, appreciating the boy’s predictable nature, before he then bent his knees and leaped down cleanly onto the wooden deck of the First Hornet.
"And what took you so long?" Priscilla stared at him with a frown, her golden eyes narrowing as Jacob stepped onto the deck of the First Hornet.
She was already standing near the center of the smaller scout boat, her white tail swishing back and forth with a mix of excitement and impatience.
She had her hands resting firmly on her hips, her large cat-like ears twitching.
"Just saying goodbye to a friend, Captain," Jacob answered with a calm, easy grin.
"Whatever you say. Now hurry up and draw the sails, I’m itching for some action," Priscilla muttered, turning her back to him to look out over the open ocean.
She didn’t care much for his small talk with the human guard; her mind was completely focused on the horizon and the promise of a good challenge.
"As you wish, Captain," Jacob offered a humorous, light bow before doing exactly as she said.
He walked over to the thick ropes at the base of the mast, pulling them with steady, strong movements.