Charlotte flopped herself on top of the bed that was in her room. She wasn’t allowed to do anything on the ship nor was she really allowed outside in the sun. While she understood that she couldn’t be seen by those who were her family’s enemy, she was still a growing adult. She just wanted to spread her wings a bit and fly. After all, she just hit her eighteenth birthday.

Rolling onto her stomach, she played with some of her hairs that had fallen over her shoulder between her fingers. She was trying to remember how it felt for someone to do that, only she knew no one had actually done it. The only time it had happened was in a dream one year prior. And at that, it was only a dream. Surely, the man who was gentle to her was a completely different man in reality.

“Hmm, he is a mystery though.” She giggled and rolled onto her back. Raising her hands above her, she started to peer at her hands with an interest she never had before. Boredom was probably the cause of that.

It was at this moment that she peered out the window to see another vessel pass by. She was shocked by the sheer vast size of the hull, but that did not deter her from running over to the pane to stare openly. She wondered if it might have been Olivia and the Division’s crew. She wondered if it might have been someone Admiral Chief Julian sent. She wondered.

Her thoughts were immediately interrupted as a canon over top exploded, shaking the vessel. Charlotte screamed, falling onto the floor and covering her head. They were under attack already.

“Charlotte!” Mr. Nielsen slammed open the door with a ferocity that she had not seen since the first time she met him. Half a year prior, he had once been the upper-rank admiral on his own vessel, but his reign ended in a decisive battle between the infamous Nico Guarnera. It was after this that he gave up that part of his life to begin anew as something more beneficial, like him becoming Charlotte’s instructor.

“Mr. Nielsen, is everything going to be all right? What’s going on?” The man shook his head while bolting closed the door and sticking a chair between the connecting knob. It was a futile effort, but it would buy them some time.

“I will not lie to you, sweetie. We’re under attack by one of Zaine’s underlings. I don’t know what they may want, but I’ve been instructed to stay with you.” He rushed over to the closet, pulling out a tan paperboy hat and some boy’s clothes. Handing them over to Charlotte, he instructed her to change. “You are to pretend to be my son. Do you understand, Charlotte?”

The girl nodded quickly before Nielsen forced a smile.

“Good. Change quickly. Tuck your hair under your hat too.”

The man turned around to give the girl some privacy to change. In less than a second, Charlotte had fully clothed as a cabin boy. Nielsen turned around to give the girl a look over before smirking.

“Well, we’ll just say you are about to hit puberty. Your face is a bit too girlish to hide. Now throw your clothes and provisions that you’d like to keep in that satchel.” She rolled her eyes, but Charlotte did as she was told. She was anxious, but there was not much she could do.

“What do we do Mr. Nielsen?” she whispered, her voice shaking as she clutched her satchel in her hands. The auburn was trying to keep her hands from shaking in fear.

The door that was their only blockade was being banged upon repeatedly. Nielsen merely grabbed hold of her and pulled her close.

“We hope we aren’t killed,” he muttered and closed his eyes.

The oak of the door broke in upon itself as bullets riddled the wood.

۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞