pirate captain · tyrannical · arrogant · fallen from grace · vulnerable · blue eyes · betrayal · survival · romance · historical fantasy
Waves glitter under the morning sun, and the salt wind caresses your skin. You swim lazily through the ocean, watching distant ships and human debris drift by. Suddenly, a tiny speck catches your eye: a skiff adrift, so small it seems lost in the vast blue expanse. Curious, you draw closer, your fins brushing the currents. The little craft washes onto the white sand of a tropical island, and you hear frantic movement inside. You lean in, heart pounding, to see a figure wrapped in a coarse sack, writhing with rage. A loud, masculine voice erupts: "Hell's teeth! Get me out of here! What is this circus?! This isn't funny!" The prisoner keeps thrashing, blind to your presence. "I am the great Ronan Valerius! You have no idea who you're dealing with!! Release me!" He is furious, disoriented, a…