Ceremus, who was calmly reading, glanced up at the guard, and without even looking up from his book, said, "Leave it to them. If they can't even handle a bunch of pirates, then they aren't worthy of being part of the Royal Navy." He said.
Hael looked at him, his eyes mixed with worry and uncertainty, but he eventually let it go. At least until he heard a movement above them. It sounded like someone was running in their direction. He immediately stood up and made his way towards the stairs that led to the main deck.
Ceremus and Loki locked eyes with each other before the king let out a sigh. He really didn't feel like dealing with a bunch of miscreants right now, but he knew Hael wouldn't let it go, not when his "safety" was on the line.
"I don't know if I picked the worst or best man to be my guard." He muttered to himself.
Loki heard this and shook his head, choosing to sequester himself in a room and leave the battling to the men.
The minute Hael and Ceremus got above deck, all they could see was chaos. Men punching each other, swords swinging, people being thrown overboard and one sneaky little rat trying to make his way towards one of the specialized vaults near the quarterdeck that were built into the ship which contained some of their most valuable possessions—including the sword and shield.
Ceremus narrowed his eyes as he watched what looked to be the captain inching closer and closer towards the vault as discreetly as possible.
Ceremus let out a long sigh as he grabbed a spear from a nearby crew member whose jaw dropped when they saw him. He lifted the spear and aimed it at the man, throwing it with skilled precision. The spear ended up piercing his back, making the man let out a sharp grunt from the sudden pain.
This sudden attack caused all the men on board to stop in their tracks. Silence invaded the area. Eyes bulging, mouths agape, it was quite the sight to witness.
The first one to move was Marcus, who was already on the captain's tail. He stood upright and cleared his throat as he bowed his head in shame. He couldn't bring himself to look at his king.
"So this is all you lot amount to huh?" He said after a while. His tone was devoid of any emotion, and the crew couldn't help but flinch. There was nothing worse than when Ceremus spoke with no emotion. It meant that they weren't even worth getting angry at, which stung and hurt their pride.
Hael frowned as he secured a few rogue pirates trying to escape, noticing the expressionless look on Ceremus' face. He couldn't help but worry about Ceremus' state of mind.
The remaining pirates watched with both reverence and fear as Ceremus walked towards the captain's body, the wood floors creaking with each step he took. While not dead, his wound was critical, as it had pierced through his spine. If left untreated, he could use his ability to walk, rendering him paralyzed, which was a fate worse than death for a man in his profession. He didn't even bother questioning the pirate or letting him speak up for himself. He lifted the man, who weighed more than 200 pounds with the tip of his fingers, holding him up as if he was a dirty rag, glanced at his subordinates before tossing the pirate overboard.
Ceremus then looked around the ship and was glad to see there was only minimal damage to the vessel. During that process, Marcus, as well as the rest of the crew, were already rounding up some of the defeated pirates, tying them up. Trojasian law dictates that any thief or enemy caught attacking another fleet faces Trojasian justice. Their captors would hold them prisoner until trial.
Because they acted fast, they avoided trouble. Ceremus gave Marcus a pointed look. "Clean this up." Is all he said before going below deck.
It was only when Ceremus was out of sight that they all let out a collective sigh.
Euphorion approached Marcus and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I seriously thought you were going to die—actually, I thought we were all going to die."
The captain let out a shaky laugh. "So did I. It's strange how we're all standing in one piece…I guess it's true that King Ceremus has mellowed out." He said.
They all nodded and got to work cleaning the mess up. They tied up the rest of the pirates that were still on board. Hael, who had been watching the scene from the sidelines, couldn't help raising his brows in curiosity. "What's this about still being alive?" He couldn't help asking.
A nearby crew member stopped his work to look at Hael, his eyes bulging with surprise. "Are you still unaware of His Majesty's," he lowered his voice, "nasty temper?!"
Hael's puzzled expression changed to a knowing expression. "I see. Well, all things considering," he said as he glanced at them, "you did a good job. Keep up the good work." He said before following Ceremus below deck.
The rest of the men were stunned. "Do you think the rumours are actually true?" Euphorion suddenly asked.
"What rumours?" Marcus asked.
"The ones about Sir Hael being the reason behind His Majesty's change?"
Marcus had a pensive look on his face. "Perhaps…Sir Hael is kind; his kindness might've rubbed off on him."
Euphorion nodded. "Well, we ought to be thankful because he's around because we really would've lost our lives if it weren't for him."
The captain agreed.
~*~
It had now been ten days since their encounter with the pirates, and the crew had since reinforced the security on the ship in order to make sure something like the incident from a few days ago wouldn't occur again.
Things had been relatively peaceful, but they had been travelling for a long time with no rest and without stopping thanks to Ceremus' insistence.
Loki couldn't take being confined in the ship any longer, and spread his wings—choosing to take flight for a few hours as he was growing weary. Hael watched as his friend took off, and he couldn't help casting Ceremus a pointed look.
"What?" the king asked, bored out of his mind.
"I think we ought to anchor somewhere and rest for a couple of days. The crewmen are tired, and captain Marcus has been driving the boat for ten straight days without rest. Morale has gone down Ceremus." He said.
"There isn't an island in sight where we could drop anchor," Ceremus pointed out. "They'll have to tough it out until we find one in sight."
"Alright, I'll go let them know." Hael said as he made his way above deck. The king watched his guard leave and put his book down.
He too had grown weary of being stuck in the middle of nowhere, on a ship that left little room to do much of anything. His body was begging him for some action, for some release, but he had nowhere to put out this pent up frustration he was feeling. He could feel himself slipping, unable to control his bodily urges. So all he could do was get up and cool himself off with a bath to calm his racing mind.
With the bath now filled with tepid water, Ceremus submerged his tense body into the basin, running his hands through his now wet locks as he tilted his head back. He felt the soothing effects of the water relaxing his body and let out a satisfied breath as his eyes fluttered shut. The water lulled him to sleep.
A sickeningly sweet smell invaded his senses as he felt his loins burn with fervent pleasure. The image of Hael's strong and taut body pressed up against his own made him his heart race and his body shake with anticipation.
Hael's eyes roamed across his physique, sizing him up as if he were the most precious of jewels, whispering adorations into his ears. He would gently hold him close, inhaling his warm and floral scent. His warm fingers ran down the outline of his body, his soft lips kissing every inch of his skin. Laying in soft and clean linen, bathing in each other's embrace. Hael placed a soft kiss on his lips, before deepening their embrace with his tongue.
Losing all sense of reason, filled only with passion and desire, never wanting to part.
Heat spread across Ceremus' face as he pictured Hael's sweet face contorted in unbridled pleasure. He pursed his lips as he wished to imagine more when he suddenly heard the knock on the door. His eyes flew open, and he realized he was still in the bath; the water had since gotten cold.
"Ceremus?" Hael called.
It took a while for the king to answer as he found himself in quite the predicament. A certain part of his body was on the verge of being awakened, and he couldn't let his guard see something so unsightly. Clearing his throat, he answered. "Yes, I'm still bathing."
There was silence on the other side of the door before Hael spoke up again. "Alright, let me know if you require some assistance."
"I will." Most certainly not.
It was only when he heard the guard's retreating footsteps that he could relax once more. He looked down at his growing appendage and sighed. "Just what are you doing?" He muttered to himself.
Meanwhile Hael on the other side of the door couldn't hide the worry on his face.
He let out a deep sigh as he walked off.