Medieval Hearts(P)

Solomon gave a little put when she blew by him and ran onto the deck, watching her go for a second before yelling out, “My men wish they were so lucky!” that little jab by her the thing in his mind that, first and foremost, felt like it needed to be addressed. But then she was gone and in the kitchen, and he was standing there half way up the stairs towards her cell, and he just gave a little huff before descending once more, grabbing his sword, and then stalking up the steps and back to the deck of his ship.

He looked around for a second, taking stock of everything and, when the only concerning thing that happened was a few of his men actually looked at him with concern, he snorted, rolled his eyes, and moved towards the kitchen. He knew it was a little sad, how he was chasing after her, but he swore this little bit of the conversation would only last a few seconds. He kicked open the door before steppin half way in, watching her work for a second before smirking. “I just want you to know, Princess, that I have no feelings whatsoever for you, because that would be absolutely ridiculous.” he announced with a smirk, hoping for a second that all the pans she was balancing in her hands would fall over, though they didn’t and he was secretly relieved.

“And this conversation isn’t over.” he added a second later before making a face and rolling his eyes. “Or ,well, this part of the conversation is. Because I don’t love you and that’s a fact. It’s not going to happen, darling, you should probably just move on at this point…” he said with a playful purr before remembering why he really came and placing his hand on his sword in a protective motion. “But once we shove, I do expect to hear about the troubles you had on land. I need to know all the problems and the status of everywhere we’ve landed so I can best decide how to steer and maneuver my ships.” he announced before looking at her and nodded. “So get over your pride now, because yu will tell me.” he finished.

And, with that, he turned on his boot and left the kitchen, moving slowly to the helm of the ship, giving a long breath of relief when he felt the salty wind running over him, tugging at his half-open shirt, like always, playing with his long locks of hair, ruffling the sails behind him. After a second, he just held onto the mast and took a deep breath, trying to clear his head of whatever she had infected him with, because she was right. He needed to remain the fearsome King, and when he was around her, he just felt like a boy again.

Solomon knew that Jax had been trying to provoke him with her last comment, but he couldn’t help but follow it anyway. Sure, he had to continue to check up on the islands that he’d conquered, but he listened to her advice and, as he stood confidently behind the large wheel that controlled his ship, he steered far away from the village, and towards the setting sun, away from the islands that were near the center of her old kingdom. That’s not to say that he was happy about it, though. He was quite infuriated, actually. He knew there was something she wasn’t telling him, something important, based off of how tense she looked, and he was angry that she wouldn’t just tell him. He knew she was trying to be tough but, gods, could he not just see that he was trying to protect her?

He let her have her time, though. He didn’t bother her again in the kitchen, though he did send Dante to go stand by the door, to make sure that she was safe and wasn’t doing anything drastic in there- after all, she had a massive set of knives, and there were times where even he thought about using them on himself. After how scared she’d looked earlier, he didn’t want her to even think about it. But she came out with cobblers, of all things, and the men had cheered, and dinner had been a success, and then he’d sent a new crew of men in to help her with the dishes, carefully refraining from the chore, even though it usually just ended up being he and Jax who did it. He didn’t want to push her too far.

But then the men finished, and then they started dancing and singing, and then even more time passed, and they stopped that too, and they all retreated to the cabin. All of them, except for Jax. He could see her, still in the kitchen, working at one pot as she had been for the past ten minutes, and he’d had quite enough. So he swung across the deck of his ship on a rope, hopping off right by her door, giving it a light knock before pushing it open, a little smirk across his face.

“You know, Princess, I have a glorious mirror in my room. I, in fact, bought that pot so that it could be, get this… a pot. Pray tell me, why are you cleaning it as if it’s supposed to be a mirror?” he asked, looking at her iwht al little smirk, trying his hardest to break the ice. “Just put the pot away. The men won’t notice if it’s dirty anyway. And if they do notice, they definitely won’t care.” he finished with a snort

“Yes, I am.” Solomon confirmed, barely waiting long enough to avoid interrupting her. He was sick of waiting, sick of worrying. Sick of wondering what the h*ll had happened to shake the princess, his princess, the girl who could take everything else that was crazy in her life as if it were nothing. But then she went onto shore for a quick restock and she came back as if she’d seen a ghost. It made him a whole lot more concerned that he would have liked to admit, and even a little nervous. Because if something scared her, if should definitely scare the rest of him. And he was going to hear what it was, dammit.

And in his frustrated thinking, he was distracted, and then she was running around him, and at first he thought she was avoiding the news even longer, and he started to growl. But then she was laughing, and he stopped immediately, staring at her for a moment as he watched her spin around, though a wide smile split across his face at the sight, and he just watched her for a few more seconds before joining her by the rail and tucking a stray piece of white hair behind her ear, pulling away as she started to speak, not wanting to distract her.

At her news, he frowned and let out a little growl, pushing off of the banister for a moment to pace the deck, though ti was not at all for the expected reason. For, after another second, he narrowed his eyes again and looked at her, frowning. “And take you away.” he added after a moment, the growl obvious in his voice. “That’s what would have happened. He would have tried to kill us all- I wouldn’t have let him, mind you,” he quickly added, still stubbornly protecting his crew even in hypotheticals, before continuing. “And he would have taken you from us. For f*cks sake, Jax, why didn’t y’bloody tell us?” he finished with a hiss, though he wasn’t angry, just exasperated. “How the h*ll am I supposed to protect you- ALL of you- if ye don’t tell me these things?"

“He would have tried,” Solomon repeated, looking at her for a long second before noticing how tentative and nervous she looked, and giving a deep breath, moving back over to her. He just stood in front of her for a long second before taking her hands and slowly pulling them from her sides, uncrossing her arms, and then taking her hands in his and looking down at her. And as much as he’d found that he was quite interested in holding her hands- he found himself thinking about it all the time on the ship, when she was lugging ropes or handling her sword- this was not one of those times. This was just his plea for her to listen to him.

“Jax. Enough secrets, okay?” he asked after a moment, wishing he could yell at her for not telling him sooner, because then he could have gone and beaten the ever-loving crap out of the other guy, but he’d realized- after numerous mistakes, of course- that yelling didn’t work with her. It only made her yell, too. So he looked at her and he gave a little sigh and then he shook his head.

“Seriously. If something comes up, y'have to tell me.” he said, dropping her hands when her eyes finally moved up to his. He looked down at her for another moment before starting to pace again, though this time it was a bit slower, so that he could think. “I need to know. I need to know so that I can steer these ships and get us where we need to go without all the men getting hurt. Do you understand?” he asked at the end, not wanting to treat her like she was stupid, but needing to hear that verbal communication. Because he felt like they’d done this dance a hundred times, and it still kept happening. “Please. Just tell me."

“Hard to be a child when you have so much riding on your shoulders…” Solomon muttered back, looking at her for just a moment before she was slipping off and he was crossing his own arms, because she was moving away from him, and he didn’t like that. Didn’t like it at all. The second she was gone, he missed her stubborn warmth, the way her breath condensed in the night and landed on his arm, all warm and wet and somehow still pleasant. He missed a lot of things about her. So much for no secrets… he thought with a snort before seeing her face and rolling his eyes, immediately starting up the ladder after her.

When he made it up to the nest, he easily swung into the little bucket, looking at her for a moment before shrugging. “I used to be a washboy, remember? I’ve done my fair share of climbing..>” he muttered with a grin that made it seem like he was almost shy about his past, though he only let it shine for a few minutes before he looped one of the ropes around his wrist and leaned out of the crow’s nest, the wind flying through his hair, his eyes closed as he took in the air. He knew it was totally random, but it was what he always used to do and, besides. Everyone else was in bed. Who cared anymore what he did?

“I’m going to go after your father.” he announced after a second, opening his eyes and turning around so that he could look at Jax, only climbing back into the crow’s nest a moment later so that he could look at her. “You said no secrets, and I think that’s fair. So I’m telling you now. It’s not right away, but I will turn these ships around eventually and invade your capital. I’ll storm the castle, capture your father, and demand that he instate you as queen and that he exile himself. And if he doesn’t do that, I will hurt him. And I will continue to hurt him until he does it, or you’re heir by default.” he announced before looking away and over the ocean, giving a little nod a moment later. “It’s what you deserve. Peace."

By her side… “It’s not just for me, Princess. Jax.” he corrected after a moment, blushing at his incredible inability to use her real name. And maybe a little bit at the fact that she’d want him to rule with her. As King and Queen. Together. Even though he sliced open her shoulder. But just maybe- after all, he didn’t get flustered. He was a king, and king’s didn’t get flustered. Besides, she was just a girl. As if I ever believed that… he thought with a dry snort before turning to her and shaking his head.

“I know you don’t see it in me, but what I do, and why I do it isn’t just because of m’personal gain.” he murmured after a moment, watching as she pulled away, looking at her for a long second before walking behind her and resting his hand on her shoulder gently after a moment. What he really wanted to do was wrap his arms around her waist, pull her close to him and smell that sweet scent that she somehow managed to keep in her hair despite living on a ship for months now, but he knew that was out of place. So instead he let his diction slip, let his words flow a bit more, let himself relax. Because at least that was something, to trust her to treat him gently at his weakest.

“I just… I think of th’people.” he muttered after a second, pulling his arm away and then looking out at the sea again. “Th’people under yer father, y’know? Like… what if that was Sophie?” he asked, referencing Dante’s beloved younger sister, who he’d pretty much adopted as well. “I wouldn’t want yer father ruling over her. And my men know that.” he said, going quiet for a few more seconds before shrugging and nodding. “Nothing y’can say will change my mind. Or theirs.” he added a second later, nodding towards the barracks. “They’re good men. I know y’don’t see it, but they are…” he finished softly.

ooc: god I really hope he's not massively out of character here, but I feel like he is. Sorry! I just watched a movie and I'm in that post movie funk, ya know? Sorry if it's awful.

Solomon looked at her for a moment before seeing the look on her face and snorting, relaxing a moment later. Because somehow she’d managed to fix the tension hanging between them, managed to remind him that this was just Jax. And sure, she was a princess with an evil father who was running an entire country, but she was the solution, and he trusted her. Just like she trusted him, apparently, which he’d suspected, but it was amazing to hear. I’m forgiven… he realized before laughing, actually laughing, and nodding.

“Of course. Although don’t think that I’m going t'be your teacher.” he added quickly, looking at her with a smirk. “I don’t concern myself with beginners. Dante’ll train you.” he announced with a smirk, which although he was quite smug about getting to rub it in her face that he was much better at fighting- at least, pirate fighting- than she was, he always also pleased to tell her that she’d be working with someone she was so close with. Because he’d noticed their relationship, of course, and although it made him more than a little bit jealous at the beginning, by this point he recoginzed it for what it was.

“And you’re going to start with defensive maneuvers, because the last time we fought, you were much too aggressive. AND-“ he added quickly, narrowing his eyes at her when he saw her starting to interrupt, raising an eyebrow until she quieted and then smirking. “AND we’re gunna get some kind of armor on that shoulder o’yours. I know you still favor th’other.” he finished with a smirk before nodding. “But, yes. We’ll teach ya.” he finished with a little grin. “Look at’cha, the warrior princess…

“Oh, right. Of course, Princess. I’ll remember to stay quiet.” Solomon said with a snort, rolling his eyes at her for a long second, though a moment later he found himself snorting again, just that unable to believe if. “Princess, if you’re able to beat me in a fight, well… Then…” he said, shaking his head wit ha laugh, trying to think of an appropriate punishment before he smirked and shrugged. “I’ll do everything your bossy little *ss tells me to do. For a whole day.” he added at the end, raising an eyebrow at her one more time before snorting.

“But I mean a proper fight. None of this bullsh*t jumping me thing that y’did when we first met.” he said, rolling his eyes at the mention. “Because that was just slopping fightin’. And the hits you got in were just lucky. And that doesn’t show me that y’learned anything.” he added before looking at her and holding out his hand playfully, as if he were making this into a real wager. Because he was, at least in his own mind. Maybe it wouldn’t be all that bad, doing exactly what she wants for a day. Some women are kinda k*nky… he thought before berating himself for even considering it- because he absolutely did not want to do anything like that with her- though he found himself misfiring just a tiniest bit all the same.

“And don’t hit me.” he growled after a second, narrowing his eyes at her playfully before snorting again. “Every time you unfairly assault me, I’m going to have Dante smack you during practice. It’ll teach you to stop really fast.” he grumbled, though he found himself nudging her with his elbow playfully, pulling away at her words and then popping up so that he was sitting on the edge of the bucket, looking at her with a grin, leaning back when he was able to catch a rope. “And of course. The fiercest. That’s what you get for being in my crew.” he finished with a proud smirk. “We’re the best. Top of th’line fer skeevy men and all that."

“Slow down, Princess. I only offered that up because I know there’s no way in h*ll I’m going to lose to you. After all, you’re just a girl,” he announced, sticking his tongue out at her playfully at the end, laughing when he felt her hitting him, because he definitely asked for that one. But he couldn’t not, it was just so easy. So he just ducked his head at her smacking, pulling away after a moment so that he could glare at her, catching her wrists in his hands after another second, raising an eyebrow at her playfully.

“That’s enough of that, don’t you think?” he questioned, looking at her for a moment before letting go playfully, trying not to think too much about the look she’d been giving him, because e knew that she she was messing with him. That’s all she ever did. But, still… What is she thinking?! he thought desperately, though the tried his hardest to ignore it, because from what he’d learned so far, he had zero chance of knowing until she wanted to tell him. And, based off the look she’d given him… He was pretty sure that meant he had zero chance of knowing, ever. And it was driving him al little crazy.

His eyes danced down to her exposed hipbones for a moment, his eyes taking in her skin- so f*cking pale- as he licked his lip slightly, but then he realized that was crazy creepy, and he looked back up at her, though his gaze was maybe a little bit darer. “Oh, yes. Very unfair. I think I should get a prize, too. In fact, I think I should get the same prize. But you have to do everything I say for two days. Because it will have been the second time I’d beaten you.” he announced with a teasing smirk, only smiling at her comment about staying on the ship. not really wanting to talk about that now. Because they were talking about her being his servant for a little while, and that was a much more interesting topic.