“Petsha?"

Petrianna woke to Dimitri standing beside her hammock.

"Dima," she looked up and said.

"Kitten, you should come above deck, its time."

"Time for what?" she asked her head still swimming.

Dimitri took a deep sad breath "The funeral, Petsha."

"Oh" she said climbing out of her hammock.

Dimitri wrapped her shaw and his arm around her and helped her up the stairs.

What was left of the crew was gathered on deck. Many sailors had gone over during the kracken attack but there still remained the bodies of the other sailors killed shrouded and tied, ready to be committed to the deep. There was somber silence on the deck. The evidence of the monster was every where. The ship had taken tremendous damage.

"What do we do?" Petra dared to whisper to Dimitri.

"Hush dear, you'll see"

Captain Esmerelda stepped forward from the crowd, took off her hat and began to sing:

"The sea stole from us today, the sea stole from us./ The sea stole from us today the sea stole from us./ And we that are left behind are charged to tell the tale./ Of what the sea stole from us today the sea stole from us."

The crew joined in and the chorus was repeated. The remaining crew added in verses for each of the lost sailors each time interspersed with the chorus.

"But we had back from the sea a kracken from her briny deep put to the torch plunged back below t' remember all our many woes" Lark sang out.

"Once again you saved us," Dimitri whispered in Petra's ear and kissed her on the cheek. Petra was to tired to react. She leaned more on his shoulder. The chorus was repeated again and again as the bodies on deck were committed to the waters until only the living remained and the song ended.

"My crew," Esmerelda began, "what is left of us. I--"

"This should not be your crew" Etheldred called out from the opposite side of the deck. He addressed the crew. "Every decision she has made has led us from bad to worse. How many more of us need to die before we see reason."

"Quartermaster this is not the time" Sezjeck growled.

"Then when will it be time? When we starve to death in this doldrums with no sight of land? When the next monster comes out of sea and puts the rest of us into the deep? When will it be time?" Etheldred shouted impassioned.

"Be plain quartermaster. What are you doing, right now?" Esmerelda said evenly.

"What is happening?" Petra whispered to Dimitri

"Shh, just wait Petsha." he whispered back.

"Esmerelda Zaira Yasmin Josephina Maria Alcalde Conde Sandoval de Castellano you are unfit to lead this crew." Etheldred solemnly declared.

Esmerelda stepped up and squared with him. Her voice was low and cold "A mutiny vote requires unanimous support as I am sure you know quartermaster. Do you have it?"

Etheldred maintained eye contact with her.

Petra watched as first Sezjeck, followed closely by Tornas, then Seanathan, Erika, and Ruben went to stand behind their captain.

“Is this the vote is this how it happens?” Petra whispered to Dimitri.

“No vote has been officially called, we should stay where we are.” he said and held her closer.

"This isn't over. You have the support today but how much longer will it last Esmerelda?" Etheldred sneered.

"It's Captain Esmerelda to you." she responded.

He turned and stormed away.

"Crew," Esmerelda began again. "I promise you we shall get through this. We have made it this far. And I vow that we will see the Southern continent. The price we paid today was heavy but we have lived to tell of it and we will live to tell it far and wide. We will tell of our fearless sailors fought on against the insurmountable beast and how our dear Petrianna single handedly saved all of us. We will live to tell of this." She put her hat back on. "First mate" she nodded to Sezjeck

"Captain" he replied.

Esmerelda walked deliberately into her quarters and shut the door behind her. A tense silence fizzled as the crew dispersed.

"Come, you need to rest" Dimitri said low in Petra's ear.

She leaned on him as they walked below deck and down the stairs.

“You know she was right about one thing,” Dimitri said as he helped her into her hammock “you single handedly saved us all. You were as ever, magnificent. She almost sounded jealous.”

“Why would the captain be jealous of me?” Petrianna asked.

“Because she cannot pretend at being a fearless hero when you are the one who is actually being heroic.” He answered.

“I am not a hero Dima I just--” she began.

“you were today dear Petsha.” he said tucking her blanket around her.

"Dima," Petra said softly, not holding eye contact "I can manage just fine, you do not have to do all this"

"Yes, I do" he replied gently.

"But why?" she asked.

"Because Petsha, haven't I shown you by now, I love you" he smiled into her eyes and stroked her cheek.

"Dima" Petra began, feeling the warm happy tickles of a blush climbing up her cheeks.

"You don't have to respond now kitten. Sleep well princess, I'll see you in the morning." he laid a soft kiss on her forehead an Petra watched him walk away.

Petra was shocked but she could not deny that she was also happy. He loved her. He had told her that he loved her. Her mind caught for just an instant on the question of why would he would call her princess, before she fell into a contented and much needed sleep.