I could smell a strong smell of mildew coming from the wood. _What was I doing on this ship? _

I started to feel faint, and I fell when someone caught me.

“Are you okay?” This random guy whispered, him still holding me. My eyes widened in shock.

“I’m allergic to mold,” I choke out, still in his grasp, then suddenly stand up—just to almost fall again.

“Oh—come here,” he supports me all the way to a closet. “I’ll stay with you in here.”

“Who are you?” I ask curiously.

“Peter Pan,” he says matter-of-factly.

“_Really_?”

“No.”

I can’t help but laugh and his face stays straight—a tiny smile forming on his lips.

“My job is hazardous and oftentimes I get captured on enemy ships, but I always escape,” he adds with a wink.

“Oh—are you a pirate?”

“No, I just help protect valuables.”

“Oh,” I smile, interested.

“Like you,” he whispered.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. Are you hungry?”

“A little bit.”

“Okay be right back.”

Something in me felt subconscious about this random man, what if he was a pirate? Why was he helping me?

Interrupting my thoughts, the random guy is back with a tray of food.

“Where did you get this?”

“We have some packaged food I heated up.”

“Interesting,” I nodded, wanting to know more about him. “What’s your real name?”

“Sebastian,” he took out his bruised hand and my heart sank, “I’m Lilian.”

“Nice to meet you, princess,” he handed me a bread roll.

“Why is my name Princess?” I picked at the bread, t**hen stuffed it all in my mouth. **

He laughed, and added, “Because I’m your knight in shining armor.”

“But I don’t think I’m pretty enough to be the princess.” His bruised hands still bothering, I tried to ignore it.

“Have you seen yourself?” He asked genuinely.

“What do you mean? My eyebrows raised.

“You’re gorgeous,” his hands following his gaze as he looks up and down at me, “How come you can’t see it?” He asked.

“Really? I’m surprised, no one’s ever told me that.”

“Hmmm.”

His nonchalant tone was lost, and it was just this man who was curious about me. “How come?”

“Well my parents work a lot, so I pretty much was the mother to my siblings.”

“Hm, I can give you a better life.”

“But I just met you?” I said hesitantly.

“Can I be honest with you?”

“Yes, of course,” I smile.

“My older sister did all the housework, and took care of us kids, I decided when I was a kid I wanted to provide for her. She was like a workmaid—_my_ sister—I hated it. They wouldn’t even let me take out the trash or anything ‘manly’.”

“I see, is that why you want to give me a better life?”

“There’s more than just that, you shouldn’t have to be like Rapunzel, you’re not a Disney princess, you’re beautiful, but I wouldn’t want that life for you.”

“I see,” I smile. “Thank you, sir.”

I was starting to get to know this stranger—but my heart wasn’t fully in this.

After talking for a while our food was done, then it was time to escape.

We both ran out holding hands and jumped onto a random boat.

Stay tuned, maybe part 2???