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(Y/N) sat soaking in her tub; the warmth swallowed up her form. Her (s/c) knees poked out the water, along with her shoulders up.

Her wet hair dripped bathwater onto the floor as she stared at the ceiling of her room.

She could hear the footsteps of the rest of the crew and low shouting from the deck.

Kazumi had given the girl the day off, and frankly, she felt useless.

What good is being a prisoner and maid if I am not being treated as either?

She knew it was a strange thing to be upset by, but when she first arrived, she belonged- she had a job and a duty to fulfill.

Now, Kazumi is going easy on her, and she is left feeling in the way of everyone who is actually working. She felt she was like a walking decoration on the pirate ship.

"Let's just put a frame around my face and call it a day." She pouted quietly, sinking further into the water until her chin grazed the surface.

Nothing exciting has happened since the foreign ship asked for directions, and that was two weeks ago. They had been at the open sea for two weeks! (Y/N) missed land, she missed the solid steady ground.

It was so boring on the ship at times like these.

The four men talked to her every day, Ivo and Leopoldo teased her every day rather. But it was not enough, she wanted to see more lands, more towns up close.

She hated, detested, admitting it, but she had more to do as a princess than what she was being allowed to do now.

Right about now, I would be leaving culture studies with Mr. Grumpy-pants.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes and gripped her shoulders at the thought of that man and his damned switch.

Then Silas would walk with me to my room where he always sat quietly and listen to me rant and mock the tutor.

She huffed out a small chuckle, but it faded soon.

Silas... I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?

She tried to keep her mind off her childhood friend these past few weeks with the chores she did and conversing with her new friends, but in downtimes, her thoughts would linger to him.

I wonder how he is doing; I hope he did not take my departure too hard.

(Y/N) had never seen Silas get upset except for one time, so she was sure he would be handling this well.

(Y/N) thought back to that incident with her childhood friends, it was like it was yesterday, yet things were so much simpler way back then.

Fourteen Years ago

"(Y/N)! You go hide! Silas, you too!" An eight-year-old fox boy ordered about.

His red hair was much shorter, and his ears were bare from earrings, he was full of youth.

"Call her princess, you stupid fox." An eleven-year-old Silas grumbled.

"Whatever," The young Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Hide really good or it won't be fun. I'm going to show you the power of the fox!" Little Mamoru pointed to his nose with great pride.

"Okay, Momo!" A five-year-old (Y/N) cheered running to go hide.

Silas rolled his eyes, adjusted his glasses, and followed after her.

At the time Silas hated the fact he was tethered to a five-year-old girl, and how her birth changed his entire life.

Because of his bloodline, he was the natural choice to be her guard.

Since she could walk Silas was by her side, at first not understanding why he was meant to spend so much time with her. Silas was forced to be her friend, in theory, it would mean when they were adults, he would protect her until his last breath, having formed a bond with her from such at a young age.

At that point that is all he could do, when he was not training, he was following her around and hating every second of it. He thought her a spoiled, little brat who took away his choice his own future.

"I'm counting to fifty!" Mamoru warned. "You better hide fast!"

"Do you even know how?" Silas said under his breath as he followed the princess's long hair into the garden.

"Si! Come on!" The little girl whispered, turning a corner heading into the maze that would lead into the middle of the garden.

Silas rolled his eyes, "I am coming, princess." He said politely.

In the middle was a tree, it had low branches, but they were too still high for the princess to reach. Yet, she was still trying her best to reach them.

Silas sighed heavily, picking the little girl up from under her arms and raising her into the tree, and he climbed up behind her.

They both made their way to the top branch shrouded by leaves. The shade was dim and welcoming in the summer's heat.

As they sat perched on the branch Silas leaned against the trunk of the tree, and (Y/N) held on tight to the branch with her hands.

He hated such childish things, but where the princess went, he had to go too.

Usually, princesses were not allowed to play outside like this, but (Y/N) was a sick child, and her parents didn't have much hope for her to grow up to be useful, so she was allowed to do as she pleased with caution.

Her nanny dressed her in regular clothes and granted her an hour and a half outside with friends.

It was the girl's favorite time of day, and they usually did silly things like this.

She was trying to conceal her giggling as they hid.

"Si, Momo won't find us, will he?" The little girl asked him.

"If you keep talking, he will." He said monotone-like.

She gasped and clasped a small over her mouth, she spoke a muffled sorry.

Silas cut his eyes at her and watched below the tree, hoping for Mamoru to find them already. (Y/N) took his serious and aggravated expression as one of worry and fear. She leaned in close to whisper to him.

"Don't worry, Si, I'll protect you." She smiled, and Silas for the first time felt his heart go against him.

As soon as the princess leaned back, Mamoru had jumped into the tree with his agile abilities and landed on the branch across from the two.

"Found you!" Mamoru shouted, he startled (Y/N) so much she accidentally let go of the branch.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion to all three children.

As (Y/N) fell from the tree branch Silas was too shocked to react, he watched her long (H/C) hair flying in front of her widened eyes and did not attempt to grab ahold of her outstretched hand.

"Si." Escaped her lips as she plummeted to the ground below.

Mamoru launched himself off his branch in an effort to catch his friend, but he had hesitated a moment too long.

The sound her small body made upon impact sent shivers up both boys' spine.

She was laying so still on the ground her friends assumed she was dead.

"Mamoru..." Silas whispered in a shaky breath, still in the tree, but Mamoru heard him.

The fox boy took slow steps towards her body.

Silas steadily made his way down the tree, coming to stand a few feet away from the princess. He was shaking, horrified.

Silas's thoughts were consuming him as Mamoru took another step forward.

"(Y/N)?" Mamoru called out gently, he was using all his might to listen for a heartbeat, but the boy was still an immature kitsune.

As both young boys' fears were being tested every passing second, the girl began to stir.

They released a breath they did not know they were holding, both finally rushing to her side.

"Are you okay?" Mamoru shouted as he helped her sit up.

"Huh?"

The girl thought, held her hands out in front of her face, looked down to her legs, and tried her best to see if she felt anything in extreme pain. When she did not, she smiled.

"Yep! I'm okay Momo."

Before Mamoru could reply he was ripped away by the older boy and thrown to his butt.

"You're never climbing a tree again!" Silas yelled, now replacing Mamoru. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

He grabbed the princess roughly by her shoulders. She was shocked at first but smiled at the boy.

"Okay, Si, if it makes you feel better, I'll never climb a tree again." She promised.

PRESENT

That really was the last time she climbed a tree, and the only time she ever remembers Silas getting that angry.

(Y/N) dipped her head into the water, holding her breath. Yes, she was very bored. For a half-second, she thought of running away from the pirates the next time they docked.

She liked them all very much, but she ran away from home because of a mundane schedule and no freedom. Though she almost immediately dismissed the thought.

Lightning does not strike twice, there is no way I will find just as nice people to travel with.

She came up for air.

"I just want something to do..." (Y/N) pouted to herself, as she stood from her tub.

A knock on her door made her jump and almost slip.

"We are docking, get ready." Leven's muffled voice said from the other said, and she heard his footsteps walk away.

(Y/N) suspiciously looked upward, "Thank you." She said to anyone who was fulfilling her wish.