"Of course I recognized it," Eleanor murmured. She reluctantly pulled away and continued packing her clothes and a few items of makeup as a guilty pleasure she wanted to keep. "I'm so excited to see what you've done with the ship. And to meet your crew. God, Lori, I just can't wait to be with you. But we have to hurry, my mother will come looking for me soon to meet the distinguished Prince Beckam." Eleanor rolled her eyes, picking up her bag as she rose to her feet. "Are you ready?"
“I’m glad you did.” Lori smiled at her as she finished packing and nodded. “Aye, I’m ready. But you might want to take off your tiara. That'll be a dead give away.” she chuckled, making her way over to the window. “I’ll go down first then you throw down your bag before you come out.” she suggested as she already started climbing down the vines. The raven-haired Captain made quick work of reaching the ground, even jumping the last few feet, and looked back up at the window as she adjusted her hat.
Eleanor reached up and unpinned her tiara from her beautiful chestnut brown locks. "Alright. I'm coming." She slipped it into her bag, a small reminder of the life she was leaving behind. She went to her window and took one last look of her room. A soft sigh escaped her lips before the princess turned to her view. The ocean. The world. The most beautiful girl she'd ever seen.
She looked down and grinned. "Ready?" she called down to her Lorelei before she dropped her bag and began to climb down herself.
Lorelei matched her Princess's excited grin as she caught the bag effortlessly. She could feel the old rush she and her crew always got when they were breaking one law or another as she quickly checked for any guards. Now, because Eleanor was coming of her own free will, technically this wasn't kidnapping… Even though the King would certainly declare that to be the case. And Gods know what would happen to any of them if they were caught.
She shook her head to clear those thoughts and focus on the moment. “Be careful, love.” she called up as she watched Eleanor climb down.
"I'm always careful," Eleanor replied, gasping as she missed her next foothold on the first attempt. "Shit," she cursed quietly before she steadied herself and continued scaling the ivy. It was a miracle she made it down with only a minor tear in her skirt, but she hit the ground and grinned at Lorelei with anticipation.
"Lead the way to freedom, my darling," she whispered excitedly, kissing Lorelei's cheek and marking it with her rouge lip makeup.
“Of course you are.” Lorelei teased once she was certain that Eleanor wasn't going to fall. Though seeing her stumble made the Captain's heart jump into her throat.
Letting out a sigh of relief as Eleanor reached the ground, Lori smiled back and quickly returned the kiss, not at all bothered by the mark on her cheek. “Right this way.” she whispered back, taking her hand and weaving their fingers together as she took the lead.
Eleanor grinned wildly as she let Lorelei pull her through the streets towards the dock. Her heart was racing with excitement she hadn't felt in years. Adrenaline rushed through her, and as much as she wanted to look around and observed her city one last time, she kept her head down. Fortunately, the people were all dressed in their best to greet the prince – orders of her parents, of course – so her elegant clothes blended in a bit more today than they normally would any other day.
"Darling," she whispered, "how much longer?"
“Not much longer.” Lorelei assured, keeping a calm but quick pace through the city. She very grateful for the good fortune that allowed them to pass through so easily. “You can actually see my ship from here. It's the one that's not flying any colors.” she pointed out, though all that could really be seen from here was the top of the mainsail.
"Good," Eleanor replied, hurrying to keep up. "I'm not used to this much running," she admitted, flushed from the exertion and a bit from embarrassment too. She lifted her gaze briefly, willing to risk being seen for a glimpse of Lori's ship. She located it, squeezed Lori's hand excitedly, and ducked her head back down.
The further they got from the palace, the safer Eleanor began to feel. It was like a weight being lifted off of her shoulders, and she began to smile more almost on instinct. She didn't care for the consequences of her parents finding out, telling the kingdom she was gone, searching for her… she didn't care. She only cared to be with Lorelei and out on the waters.
(Btw, this Tiktok has the sound (and the plot sort of lmao) that inspired this rp: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdAuptKF/)
Lorelei raised a brow at the mention of running and slowed down a little. “My darling, when anyone in my crew runs, we move much faster than this.” she told her, gently squeezing her hand in return. Of course, she and her crew had many reasons to run fast and Eleanor most likely never had to run anywhere before. All that was going to change for her now… And Lori was going to help her. “Don’t worry. Once we get to the Song, me and my crew will help and protect you. Anything you need, just ask.” she promised.
"I would hope so," Eleanor teased to hide from her embarrassment. She knew Lorelei probably wouldn't expect her to run as fast, but she didn't want to be a disappointment. "I'm doing my best, Lori." She staggered behind the pirate, quickly loosing speed. "As soon as we're safe, I promise I'm going to kiss you until you can't breathe."
Her heart rate was already up, but it automatically increased with excitement at the mention of Lorelei and her crew. "The Song?" she asked breathlessly. "Is that the name of your ship?"
Lorelei smiled softly and nodded. “I believe you, love.” she assured, slowing down again as soon as her feet touched the docks. Her eyes widened at the promise before grinning as her cheeks darkened. “Well, the safest place for that, my dear, is in my cabin.” she said wrapping an arm around Eleanor’s waist. “And I can't wait to… Oh! Of course.” she nearly sighed in realization as her hand touched the stiff side of her dress. “No wonder you can't breathe.”
“Aye. The Siren’s Song.” she nodded with a proud smile. “She may not be the grandest ship but she's kept me and my crew safe all these years. And now, she’ll keep you safe too.” she promised, pressing a soft kiss to Eleanor’s cheek.
Eleanor sighed with relief when Lorelei slowed their pace. Her legs felt weak, and she was grateful when her partner's arm snaked so lovingly around her waist. If not for that, she surely would've collapsed. But Lorelei's strength made her strong too. She chuckled quietly at Lorelei's remark. "Very keen of you to notice, my darling," she teased with a grin, bumping their hips together in a very unfit motion for a princess.
When Lorelei mentioned the ship's name, Eleanor's face softened. She knew instantly where the words came from. She grinned as Lorelei kissed her cheek, and she kept their faces close to sing quietly into her lover's ear.
"So I sing this siren song in hopes
one day she will come home –
With more than her weight in gold
to take me father’s throne."
Lorelei chuckled and pulled her even closer against her side. “You can't blame me for not remembering when I was so excited to see you again. Besides, I don't ever wear one. I admit I tried it once but I took it off in less than five minutes.” she shrugged as the memory of how uncomfortable that time had been and how she hadn't been able to take a full breath even once replayed briefly in her mind. “You won't have to wear it again either if you don't want to.” she smirked roguishly.
She nodded softly as Eleanor sang their song again. “Aye. And so she has… I'm not sure about having my weight in gold but I have all the treasure I ever wanted with me right now.” she said softly.
Eleanor gasped quietly as Lorelei pulled her closer against her side. "That's alright, my love… I remember that time. I can't blame you for not being able to wear it." She giggled. "But you did look so good for that three and a half minutes though…" Her eyes widened, and she smirked right back. "I won't if you're the one to take if off of me," she purred and nuzzled her nose into Lorelei's hair and kissed her ear.
She drew back and gazed at Lorelei lovingly. "As do I, my darling," she murmured, her eyes darting around Lorelei's face. "As do I."
Lorelei tried not to blush as she heard the Princess laugh. It had always been something that she cherished, even if it was at her expense. “Perhaps. But it's so limiting.” she pointed out. Her grin widened at the suggestion. “With great pleasure, my dear. As if I would let anyone else touch you like that.” she purred back as they approached the gangplank.
“Welcome back, Captain.” a voice called from the deck.
“I see everything went well.” A second giggled.
“Nic, Niki.” Lorelei nodded, greeting the androgynous twins. “Has everyone else returned?”
“Almost.” the first shrugged.
“We’re still waiting on Charlie and Tommy.” the second explained. “But you know what they’re like.”
"There have been plenty who have tried," Eleanor muttered, only half intended for Lori to hear. She quickly put up a genuine smile at her lover's crew mates. "Hello," she greeted warmly.
She frowned a bit at the news that they couldn't leave right away. "Darling, we should be leaving as soon as possible," she murmured. "The second my parents find out that I'm missing, they'll scour the entire city looking for me. It's best we be gone before that happens."
Lorelei did hear but didn't let herself react for now, beyond holding her closer. “Don’t worry, love. Charlie has never missed the tide since she joined my crew. She’ll be along soon with Tommy in tow.” she assured, before addressing the twins again. “Tell Jax that we'll be setting sail as soon as possible and that no one is to disturb us until this land is out of sight.”
“Aye, Captain.” they replied with bright smiles. “Nice to meet you at last, madam.” the second added before setting off.
“We can stay in my cabin until then.” Lori told her love before gently guiding Eleanor towards the stern.
Eleanor nodded as she listened. It didn't stop her from looking around worriedly for guards who would come and snatch her to take her back to the castle. She clung to Lorelei's arm tightly, and it was the only sign of how anxious she was.
She nodded her response to the twins accompanied with another winning princess smile. "Lovely to meet the both of you as well!" she called as Lorelei began to lead her off. She kept glancing over her shoulder, and finally, when the door to Lorelei's cabin was shut behind them, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Lorelei didn't mind the tight grip, placing her hand on top of Eleanor's to reassure her. She had been keeping careful watch as well and so far it seemed that news had not yet left the castle.
Once they were finally in her cabin, Lori bolted the deadlock on the door and hugged Eleanor close to her. “There. Safe and alone at last.” she smiled softly, relaxing quite a bit as well.
Eleanor immediately relaxed against Lorelei and hugged her tightly. "When my father forced you away, I thought I lost you," she whispered. "I knew you promised to come back, but I wasn't sure." She began to tremble slightly as she spoke.
"My darling, you would not believe the amount of suitors my father forced me to see. As if any one of them could replace you. And just before you arrived, my mother told me she didn't care what I felt for the prince arriving today, I was to marry him. That's why I was going to kill myself… I couldn't imagine being with a soul other than you.
Lorelei let out a soft trembling breath at those words and held her love a little closer. “I felt like your father ripped out my heart when he made me leave you. It took me a week to stop crying and decide that in order to keep my promise, I would have to fight everything the world threw at me.” she said with a watery smile. “When I arrived today, I heard that some snotty prince was coming to see you… I just went blank. I was angry, yes, but I couldn't think until Jax talked some sense back into me.” she chuckled softly.
“My love, I can't bear the thought of being with any one other than you either but I would never want you to kill yourself.” Lori told her as she pulled back to meet her eyes. “Gods know what I would have done if I had found you and you were…” she shook her head when she couldn't force the words past a lump that formed in her throat.
Eleanor winced. "Please, don't… I can't bear it to talk about it anymore. Let's talk about something else. Anything else. Who is Jax? Tell me about your friends. I'd like to know everything. Nothing ever changes in those stone walls. It's the most elegant prison in the country."
“Alright.” she nodded, grateful for the change of topic. “Here take a seat.” Lori suggested, gesturing to her table which was still covered with maps, candles, and some tools. “Well, Jax is my first mate. He was actually the first person I met when I became a sailor. His ship had been destroyed by a storm and he was the only survivor. So I hauled him aboard and he taught me everything I know about sailing.” she told Eleanor as a soft smile started growing.
Eleanor approached the table, tracing her fingers over the maps Lorelei had spread out. "You've accomplished so much… learned so much…" She looked at the map a moment more before turning to look at Lorelei again. "You've made a whole new life for yourself. I'd like to do the same."
Suddenly, from outside the cabin, a distant horn blew, and Eleanor froze. "I think they've realized I'm gone, my darling," she breathed, crossing the room to Lorelei again. "We need to leave as soon as possible."
“And you can. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to handle being on a ship.” Lorelei encouraged.
She chuckled, nodding at the assumption. “Don’t worry, love. Listen.” she said softly as she moved to stand beside her.
Just on the other side of the cabin door, Jax was already issuing orders for the crew cast off. It wasn't much longer before the familiar rattle of the anchor chain soon joined the cacophony.
Eleanor's heart was racing, and it refused to stop. The "what ifs…" raced through her mind non-stop. What if my father and mother catch me? What if something happens to Lorelei? What if I'm forced into a marriage? The thoughts caused her to tremble, and she clung desperately to Lori's arm. "Darling…" she whispered faintly.
Lorelei raised a brow slightly at the grip but when she felt Eleanor shivering, she just wrapped her free arm around her. “I’m right here.” she assured, whispering in her ear. “They won't get you. You're safe. I’m not going to let you go.” she continued. The captain gently rubbed soothing circles against the princess's back and kept whispering comforting words to her as the ship gave a jolt to signal that it was free of the port and making its way to the open seas.
Eleanor melted easily against Lorelei. Their bodies fit together like the final two pieces of a puzzle. She was tense until the ship was well into the water, and as she looked out the window and saw her home shrinking into the distance, she finally relaxed. "I can't believe I've actually run away," she murmured. "I've talked about it, thought about it, for so long. I've even dreamt of it! And now it's really happened…" She turned to face Lori and grinned wildly. "I've finally run away with you!"
Lorelei had to admit that she missed how much she relished holding her love like this. It made her feel more complete than she had in years. Like she was a whole person again.
“Yes, you did. And you're free now. Free as the sea.” she smiled. “I’ve thought about stealing you away from that kingdom a few times… but I wasn't sure how it would go off.” she chuckled, kissing her forehead.
