A Tale That Never Was

As predicted, two days later, in the late afternoon, Jolly Roger was moored into the expansive dockyard of the city of Our Lady. The kingdom of Frenis, as told by Captain Hook, was old and held much history. It was ruled by King Charming and was home to Faeryum’s strongest army. The war between King Midas and Empress Rhiannon had not come to Frenis’ shores though both sides had negotiated for an alliance. King Charming had declined both offers and remained neutral. It had put him in disfavor with both nations until some Frenisian merchant ships had been attacked by warships belonging to the empress’s nation of Noyr. His kingdom was the strongest and was rich in resources so his nation’s entrance into the war soon brought it to an end, with Empress Rhiannon claiming defeat.

There was tension in the air, however, as Captain Hook, Sinbad, Jack, Selvina, Cindy, Red and Bigbad disembarked from the ship and stepped foot on the dockyard. Long lines of soldiers marched through the streets beyond and dark clouds hovered overhead, pregnant with rain that had yet to fall. Knights on horseback patrolled the area and kept order.

“War is brewing,” Sinbad said forlornly. “The rumors were true, then.”

Selvina turned to him. “What rumors? This is the first I hear about a war.”

As Captain Hook spoke to an approaching dockhand Sinbad glanced about cautiously, as if speaking was against the law. He then lowered his face to Selvina and said quietly, “Back in Tortug I heard from some of the sailors that the kingdoms across the sea were preparing for war. Empress Rhiannon was gathering a grand army and King Stephen had ordered larger and more frequent shipments of arms and military supplies. Far to the south, in my homeland of Sauradia, Sultan Ali Baba was also gathering forces and amassing a vast army of elephants and golems. The old sultan rarely wars with any nation as his desert kingdom is dangerous enough to keep away most invaders but if he and the kingdom of Frenis itself are preparing for war something dire is indeed afoot.”

Red, who had listened in, inquired. “Who are they at war with?”

Sinbad shrugged. “This I do not know. All I know is that merchants are now shipping more military supplies than anything else.”

“Kind Midas didn’t seem concerned with any war,” Selvina said with a furrowed brow.

“King Midas is a fool. He is a decent enough man but the only thing that saved his kingdom from Empress Rhiannon’s armies was the ocean separating their nations.”

“Sinbad,” Captain Hook called out. “Bring Jolly Roger into dry-dock. She is going to need extensive repairs once again and I have just enough funds to pay for it all.” He sighed. “When she is fit to sail we will need to acquire merchant contracts in order to pay for any supplies we need. I fear I may have to ration the food and postpone the crew’s wages… They will not like it.”

Sinbad nodded. “I will talk to them, captain. Perhaps some of them can find work here in Our Lady in the meantime to help gather funds for the ship.”

Captain Hook nodded. “Good idea. See that it is done, quartermaster.” He then set his gaze on the girls. “I am sorry but our stay here in Frenis may be longer than anticipated. I will secure rooms for you all at the finest inn I can afford but you may have to eventually acquire your own funds to pay for food. Peter Pan has severely damaged my ship and I had only just repaired it…”

Selvina offered him an encouraging smile. “It’s ok, captain. I know that I can’t get back home without your ship so if we have to stay here for a while as it gets fixed that’s fine. My friends and family are probably worried out of their minds about me right now but I know I’ll return to them eventually.” She glanced at Red, Cindy, and Jack and smiled a little wider. “This world isn’t so bad. I could do without Peter Pan and his pirates but for the most part it’s quite nice.”

Captain Hook nodded and smiled back before walking down the docks toward the city. Selvina and the others followed. There was an elaborate inn nearby and once he inquired about the room prices inside, which weren’t too expensive, he secured two rooms. Cindy would share a room with Selvina. Red would sleep alone but she was accustomed to that and was not bothered in the least. Jack would sleep on Jolly Roger. Bigbad, however, was attracting attention from guards and mounted patrols, as his presence frightened the horses, and he was ordered to leave the city or he would be killed.

Outside the inn, Red climbed atop Bigbad and looked down at Selvina, Cindy and Jack. “I’m going to take him outside the city and explore the woods. Maybe I can find him a nice cave or den for him to sleep in. Any of you want to join me?”

Selvina opened her mouth to speak but Jack poked her in the side and shut her up. She looked at him strangely but all he did was shake his head at her. She decided to politely decline the offer. Cindy was uncertain but seemed interested in exploring a forest, something she said she had never seen. With a bit of persuasion and encouragement, she ended up climbing up the huge wolf and sitting down behind Red.

“All right, you two lovebirds,” Red said with a salute, “I’ll be seeing you in a few hours. It’ll be dark by that time but that’s never bothered me. How about you, Cindy?”

Cindy shook her head. “I mostly lived in dark alleys. The night doesn’t scare me.”

“That’s what I want to hear.” With a nod to Selvina and Jack she urged Bigbad into a run and he was off like an arrow, charging down the cobblestone streets, his claws clicking on the smooth rock like nails on wood. The residents of Our Lady jumped aside, most of them fearfully, as the massive black wolf ran through the city.

“Does she even know where she’s going?” Selvina asked as she watched Red glance left and right at an intersection and eventually turn right.

Jack chuckled. “Probably not. She’ll find her out of the city soon enough. All she’ll have to do is follow the fleeing mob.”

Selvina shook her head. “Jack, you’re horrible.”

“Yet you still love me.”

“I do not love you.”

“You’re a terrible liar, Selvina.”

“I am not lying!”

“If you say so.”

“Shut up, Jack…”

With Red, Bigbad, and Cindy gone and Captain Hook and Sinbad busy with matters concerning Jolly Roger the young man and woman were left alone. Selvina folded her arms over her chest and frowned at Jack. He was picking dirt under his fingernails with his dagger when she asked, “Why did you stop me from going with Red? I wouldn’t mind exploring this place, you know. Was it that you’d feel lonely if I left? Would you miss too much, Jack?”

“Of course I’d miss you,” Jack said as he flicked away a piece of dirt. “Life on the ship would be so boring without you there to pick on. I wouldn’t try half the things I’ve done to you on Red. She’d probably castrate me. I might try with Cindy but the captain wouldn’t like that and he certainly would cut my balls off.”

“It’s what you deserve!” Selvina pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Is that all I am to you, Jack? Am I just a source of amusement to you?”

“The finest.”

Selvina huffed and turned away, her golden hair flapping aside quickly. “So you just kept me here so you could bug me?”

“Are you on your period or something?”

Selvina blushed as her eyes widened in shock. She glared at Jack. “What the hell, Jack?! No, I am not on my period! Why would you say that?”

Jack shrugged nonchalantly. “No reason except that you seem moodier than usual.”

“I don’t appreciate you holding me back from an adventure with Red and Cindy just so you could annoy me. If that’s all you’re going to do to me I might as well just lock myself in my room and try to sleep.”

“The sun hasn’t even set yet.” He eyed the dark clouds and then shrugged. “It’s hard to tell with these rainclouds but I don’t think it has set yet.”

“I’m going back inside the inn…”

“Wait!” Jack reached out and grabbed Selvina’s shoulder. His grip was firm but still gentle. She fixed her gaze on him and he sheathed his dagger as he gave her a smile. “I didn’t keep you here just to bug you, Selvina. I’ve never gotten the chance to explore Our Lady but I always wanted to. I thought you might want to do it with me.”

Selvina stared at Jack’s brown eyes, hoping she could discern how truthful he was being. She was beginning to lose herself in them and glanced aside, still uncertain. She had never gone off alone with a guy before, especially in an unknown city. She thought she could trust Jack as she considered him a friend, albeit an irritating one, but she felt exposed and vulnerable, especially without Red beside her. She would have to use her own wits to save her if he tried anything.

Taking a chance on a gut feeling, she nodded. “That sounds good, Jack. I have no idea where to go so you can lead.”

His face softened and he extended a hand. “How about we do it together?”

Selvina glanced at the hand for a moment before taking it. This was Jack she was thinking about. He annoyed and maddened her to no end but he had fought to save her when Peter Pan had attacked. If he had wanted to do anything harmful to her he would have done it long ago. At least that was what she hoped.

The two walked down the cobblestone streets of Our Lady and marvelled at the architecture around them. The shops and homes were mostly made of wood but some were made of brick or stone and some had an ageless feel, like they had stood for centuries and would continue to do so. Great monuments of war heroes and notable men and women rose up in many places and Jack and Selvina paused at some to read their plaques. Selvina hadn’t made note of it until now but it struck her as odd that she could read the letters of an entirely different world. She would dwell on it further in the future but at the moment she wanted to enjoy her time exploring the city. Jack was actually rather decent company.

They stopped at a huge fountain with a statue of a woman with a great jug in her arms. The water spilled out of the open jug and splashed into the clear pool at her feet. Selvina eyed her reflection in the water and groaned at the sight of her hair.

“I should have brushed before leaving the ship,” she complained.

Jack’s head appeared beside hers in the water. “You look beautiful, Selvina. You worry too much about your hair. I think it looks wonderful.”

“You’re just saying that because yours is worst.”

“I wear my bird’s nest with pride!”

Selvina giggled and glanced at Jack. He smiled back at her and she felt a rush of warmth flow up her body at his gaze. It was a pleasant tingle and she couldn’t help but smile a little wider.

“I’ve heard there’s an amazing cathedral here in Our Lady. Want to find it with me?”

Selvina nodded. “Sure.” She extended her hand and Jack grabbed it. The two then walked away from the fountain and wandered through the streets in search of the cathedral. With a look up they could see its two bell towers scraping the clouds over the rooftops of all the other buildings and meandered their way toward them. A cool wind began to blow and a few light drops of rain began to fall.

“Jack!” Selvina said as she stopped walking. “We have to head back to the inn. I don’t want to get caught up in this rain when it gets worse.”

Jack winced. “But we’re so close! I can see the open square just in front of the cathedral. Come on, Selvina. We’re pretty much already there.”

Selvina looked back, gazed up at the dark clouds, and then settled her gaze on Jack and sighed. “Fine…”

Jack pumped his fist in victory and then grabbed Selvina’s hand before he took off at a run down the street leading to the cathedral’s square. Selvina struggled to keep up but they didn’t run for long before the street opened up to a wide square in front a massive and impressive building of stone and stained glass windows. Two square bell towers rose up before a long rectangular building with an great spire stretching up from the middle of it. Flying buttresses held up the back end of the building and a great circular window sat at the front of the cathedral. Gargoyles, carvings, and reliefs abounded all over the stone surface. At the foot of the building were three great doors and an ornate staircase leading up to them. The bell towers rose hundreds of feet into the air and as Jack and Selvina approached the cathedral, shoving through the large crowd entering and leaving it, they could see that over the doors were arches and within them were the carved faces of many different men and even a few women.

“This is beautiful,” Selvina said breathlessly. “It must have taken an eternity to build it.”

“I don’t know much about it,” Jack admitted, “but I’d have to agree.”

“It reminds me of…never mind.” She looked up at the bell towers and squinted her eyes. “I wonder…”

“Wonder what?”

“In my world there was a story about a hunchbacked bell ringer that lived in those towers. This cathedral looks just like the one in my world and, well, since so many other fables and fairy tales have come to life here I wonder if this one is real too.”

“We could ask around.”

“I don’t want to make myself look weird… People might think I’m crazy to think of something like that. I don’t want any unwanted attention.”

“You worry too much, Selvina, but if that’s how you feel, we can find out for ourselves.”

“What? No! Jack, that’s a horrible idea. We probably aren’t allowed up there.”

“I’m sure we aren’t but it’s evening now and when this rain gets worse people will be running to their homes.” He stepped closer to Selvina and whispered, “We could just sneak inside and hide until everyone leaves. After that we could climb up to the top and see if we can find that hunchback. If there isn’t one, we’ll still get a great view of the city. We win either way.”

“Jack, no… I don’t want to get in trouble. Captain Hook would be furious if he found out what we did.”

“So? He might be my captain but he’s not my dad. He isn’t yours either. We might never get another chance at this.”

Selvina shook her head. “No…It’s too dangerous. It’s too risky!”

Jack sighed sadly and turned around. “All right, if you say so. I wanted to tell you something once we got up there but if you don’t want to go then I guess I can’t tell you.”

Selvina frowned. What could he possibly want to tell her? He was probably just bluffing anyway. He just wanted to get her to go up the bell towers with him. It was a stupid idea and an even stupider trick. She wouldn’t fall for it. And yet…what if he had something to tell her? She wanted to know. She didn’t know why she wanted to know so much but the thought of never finding out bore a hole through her head and it would disturb her forever. She sighed.

“I don’t know why I let you get me into things like this,” she mumbled.

Jack turned around with a great smile on his face, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and then hurried toward the cathedral. “It’s because you love me, princess!”

Selvina growled as she raced after him. “I do NOT love you!”

They pushed their way through the crowds and once inside the cathedral, which they could hardly see due to the amount of people shoving past them, Jack pulled Selvina aside. She found herself suddenly surrounded by darkness and in a room with old, stagnant air and a dusty and almost waxy smell. “Jack?” she whispered. “Are you there?”

“Right here,” he said, his voice so close to hers she could feel his breath on her face.

“Where did you bring us?” She couldn’t see anything. She knew Jack was standing directly in front of her yet all she saw was absolutely blackness.

“I think it’s a closet of sorts. I just saw a door off to the side and opened it. I saw no one in it so I took you with me. From here we can sit and wait until everyone leaves.”

“What if someone finds us in here?”

“Then we get in trouble.”

Selvina frowned. “I don’t want to get in trouble, Jack!”

“Me neither but it’s a risk we’re going to have to take if we want to find this hunchback of yours.”

“We could probably just ask one of the priests inside. We don’t need to hide like this. I’m sure a priest won’t think us weird for asking something like that.”

“You worry too much what people think of you, Selvina. You need to stop thinking like that. Anyhow, let’s say we do ask a priest and he says that there isn’t a hunchback, we’d still have to leave. We won’t get our great view and I’d never get to tell you what I have to say.”

Selvina groaned. “Why don’t you just tell me now?”

“No! It has to be…perfect.”

Selvina was now even more curious as to what he wanted to tell her. Her mind was bringing up various scenarios and some were pleasant while others were frightening. What could Jack have to tell her? She immediately jumped to the conclusion that he wanted to tell her that he liked her as more than a friend. It was something she had thought of constantly, especially since the ship battle. He had fought to protect her and though he had eventually told her to leave he had done it to save her. He had let her go so she could save herself. He had been willing to lay his life down to give her a chance to find safety. He had done the same for Cindy but she thought, and hoped, that it was something deeper than simple duty. She had stayed with him for the next two days as he recovered from his wounds. Sinbad had stitched up any cuts and had bandaged his chest. His ribs were still damaged but Sinbad had felt them and said that he thought they might just be fractured and not broken. Jack had wanted to be out helping the crew but after the cleaning up had been finished and the fallen crewmembers given a proper seaborne burial Captain Hook had ordered Jack to rest and recover. Selvina saw to it that he followed that order. He annoyed her and nearly drove her insane with his carefree attitude but there were times when he was rather admirable and quite striking. He was a good person and a good friend and she enjoyed his company quite much.

She just wished he could take things a little more seriously at times.

“Jack?” she asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

“Hmm?”

“Do you like me?”

“Of course I like you, Selvy. Can I call you Selvy? I’m tired of calling you princess or Selvina.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever…” Selvina sighed. He hadn’t understood her question. She knew she liked him. She wanted to know if he liked her…as something more. She then shut her eyes and pressed her lids together tightly. Why was she even thinking of things like this? She wasn’t staying in this world with him. She was just with him until she got home. So what if he just liked her as a friend? It’s all they would ever be anyway. It’s all they could ever be. She was being foolish into thinking that there could ever be anything else between them. She must just be feeling lonely. She hadn’t put her trust into a boy before. She had had friends that were boys back in Canada and she trusted them well enough but not enough to truly open herself to them. They were all rather undesirable anyhow. They had too many faults. Jack had his faults but…he had something else. He had a certain charm about him and he made her feel safe. She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyelids. She was just being stupid and thinking too much about something that would—and could never happen. She didn’t even know if Jack felt the same way about her. She wanted to know but she didn’t know how to ask him. The last thing she wanted to do was scare him away…

“Do you hear that?” he asked after a few minutes.

Selvina held her breath and cocked her head as she listened intently. “I don’t hear anything, Jack.”

“Exactly! I think it’s safe for us to go.”

“Are you sure?”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Selvina squinted her eyes as the door slowly creaked open and candlelight flooded the dark room. She glanced around her and saw that they had been hiding in a small room full of shelves stacked high with candles. Jack poked his head out and glanced around. When he looked back at Selvina there was a great grin etched on his face.

“We’re safe to go,” he said to her.

And so, the two trespassers left the small closet and turned right toward a narrow, spiral staircase that led to the higher reaches of the cathedral. Behind them, the lit candles flanking the entrance doors danced and flickered as a dark shape moved past them.