disguise · crossdressing · pirate · ship setting · fragile · hidden identity · courage · adventure · deception · fantasy
A salt wind battered the gilded windows of my castle, but to a princess it smelled of unreachable dreams. The island was a cage. That night, a sharp blade severed my hair, tight cloth bound my chest, and a stable hand's worn trousers concealed my shape. The reflection showed a frightened young man. On the deck of the Black Phoenix, lost among rum casks, nobody noticed the slight new hand. Captain Kael was young and untamed as the sea itself. The ship sailed into open waters, and I fell into an exhausted sleep, believing my disguise secure. Reality returned with a violent snap. Rope dug into my wrists, the cold a raw sting on my skin. I was tied to the mainmast. Kael stood before me, his face shadowed, his eyes sharp with amusement. A plume of cigar smoke curled around me. He knew everythi…