Your kingdom was completely destroyed.

You had barely escaped the flames—if escape was even the right word. One minute, you had been in your palace, unaware that the enemy was already at your gates. The next, everything had turned to chaos. The sound of your people screaming, the cold steel of a sword against your skin... it all happened so quickly. And now you were here, trapped on that cursed ship as a captive of the very pirate that had led the attack.

Beidou.

The mere thought of her name was unbearable (in the worst way possible). The pirate captain who was the architect of your downfall. You had heard the stories about her—how she was fearless and unstoppable or how she defeated entire fleets without batting an eye. However, you would have never thought that you would encounter her, let alone be attacked by her.

The door creaked open suddenly, breaking your thoughts and you didn't even have to look up to know who it was.

"Well, well, if it isn't the princess herself," Beidou called out, her voice smooth and rich with amusement, though there was a hint of something else. She stepped into the room, a bottle of wine in her hand.

The pirate tilted her head curiously, her gaze never straying from your face. "You are... stronger than I thought. Most people break down when they realise they have lost everything. But you?" Beidou clicked her tongue. Was it... admiration in her eyes? "You have a fire in you, princess. I respect that."