Chapter 182 - Aboard a Ghost Ship

However, she could not have this conversation in front of a stranger, and turned to the Captain, asking instead,

"But how did the Prince convince a Captain to take part in this? And, getting into a boat carrying a coffin and a birdcage all the way around?"

The red-haired giant shrugged, and for the first time Alexa realized that he had a Flanders accent, although subtle, when he spoke,

"I was worried about taking the princess's coffin and a bird with us. But there was no other way. His Highness wasn't willing to let the coffin behind, and we couldn't trust it to anyone else… But believe me, Your Highness... I have seen things as strange as. Bards have a hard time impressing me with their fantastic songs and stories!"

"Captain Dubois has his reasons. In any case, I had few choices. As has been said, they are not exactly welcoming anyone from Holstein. It doesn't matter who it is, as long it's coming from Holstein," Magnus didn't need to emphasize the grudge about it.

Although Alexa was curious about what the First Prince's last 40 hours would have been like, it wasn't the best time to ask.

The maiden felt so good about being in her own healthy body! Even the hunger in the pit of her stomach was welcome.

There was no pain.

In fact, when he was in Alexander's body, her mind seemed to wobble into the past, when she thought of herself as a boy. It was confusing, and Alexa liked it less and less. She felt much more comfortable and happy in her own body. She felt complete, and even her thoughts seemed clearer.

But while the two men paddled the small boat vigorously towards the ship, Alexa had a sudden thought that needed to be shared with Magnus. Leaning over him, she whispered in his ear,

"Wouldn't it be better for me to go up first? So, if there are souls who need rest, and I think there will be, I can finish this before our friend the captain goes up."

Magnus turned his face to hers, and Alexa felt something strange and hot in the middle of her chest and also on the top of her belly. That was love, just because he looked at her like that, did she think she was going to melt?

He whispered back,

"I would appreciate it if you did something for them. You can go up, but I'll be right behind you. If necessary, you will give me a signal and I will remove the captain long enough."

Magnus always had simple and sensible plans, and Alexa nodded, stretching a little.

"Did you feed Romeo?"

"Believe me, he doesn't need to be fed in his mouth. Don't worry. He's a survivor," he replied, sarcastically. But her eyes didn't want to leave each other, and in the end, he winked at her, looking away next.

Alexa made some ties and knots to the skirt of the dress to make it more practical to climb and whatever else was needed. She also took Romeo with her, tucking him inside her clothes, for safety.

The boat then got close enough to the ship, and the captain got up, skillfully using the long rope with a tripartite hook to attach the boat to the ship's side. He was strong and very experienced, and on the first attempt he made an excellent shot, and the hook stuck firmly to the railing on the upper deck.

"I go first? Climbing a ship on a rope isn't easy task for those who are not used to it. Once there, I will launch the boarding ladder."

It wasn't surprising that a captain thought a prince and a princess, as peculiar as they were, were not capable of such a feat. Alexa knew her skills, and remembered that the First Prince might not be as agile and light as she was when comes to climbing, but he had gone up and down the outer side of a lighthouse in the past.

"The Princess will go first," Magnus confirmed, and the Captain still showed no surprise.

Alexa didn't take long to climb the side of the ship, ready to find the rope ladder and launch so they could join her.

The deck, as expected, was empty and dark. But as she looked toward the quarter deck, she saw the former captain's unmistakable Shade, with his back to her, serenely facing the horizon next to the wheel, as if he was still busy with the activities of his previous life.

She considered whether she should go to the Captain's Shade first, but looking at the companions in the boat, waiting for their action, she thought it best to bring them to the deck at once. Perhaps all the ghosts they were going to meet in the ship could leave just after they saw the Prince and knew that they had fulfilled their mission of waiting for his return. It was a sad conclusion, but a very common one.

As happened to Ulrich, recently.

It was not difficult to find the boarding ladder, conveniently prepared on the deck. Without a second thought Alexa pinned the ladder to its proper hooks, with some difficulty, and launched it to Magnus and Captain Dubois.

A noise on the deck caught her ear. Alexa hoped they weren't mice, although that was more likely.

She smelled the faint stench of death, but to her surprise, the smell was less unbearable than she feared. Did it have anything to do with the sea?

In a few moments, the two men joined her on the ship's deck. The captain went over to a lamp attached to the lower deck access door, and lit it with the help of a special flint.

Now they had some light. The captain casually commented, while looking at the deck,

"They did their best to keep everything clean as long as they could ... If this ship is able to sail, it is a sin to leave it adrift like that."

"Should we go in?" Alexa asked them.