Salt and Blood [A Pirate LitRPG]

Friends in fair weather make themselves scarce in the storms. Those who stand beside you through the harshest weather are those you can truly call allies

-Excerpt from 'What Lies Beneath the Waves' by Telamere Ilrend

"I'm beyond proud of what you've accomplished, my sons. As the crown prince and second prince of the Emerlan Isle, you've shown the people of this nation that you are willing to lay your lives down to protect theirs. I am happy to see that you have grown from this adventure, both of you," the king said as Everyn, his brother, and Rose knelt before him.

After that, they stood up to greet him in turn. The second prince looked both proud and embarrassed at the same time. Everyn was his usual smug self, while Rose was nervous but wearing a confident smile.

"Not only did we succeed in our attack on Minenblum, but our actions inspired our neighbours to reach out on our journey back. Representatives of Derridas and Zoria made their intentions for an alliance clear. The goal of said alliance would be to repel Minenblum and destroy them for good. In that sense, our mission was an utter success by every metric," Everyn said, walking forwards and handing his father the letter from Duchess Windvayne and General Vagor.

"What is this?" the king asked as the gathered councillors and nobles burst into chatter at Everyn's reply.

"It is a letter from Duchess Windvayne of Derridas and General Vagor of Zoria, the representatives we spoke with in Nirodas. The alliance has all but been confirmed, but they wish to meet with an official representative of our nation to discuss our strategy moving forward," Everyn explained, before stepping back into line with Rose and his brother.

"I see, that is wonderful news. You have done well, my son," he replied, opening the letter and giving it a quick scan. He placed it back inside before raising his head again. "And to you, Rose Everblue, you have proven yourself to be a master strategist and leader. For your dedication to defending our nation and what you have achieved, there is something I wish to present you with. Come forward," he said, at which point the entire throne room fell silent.

Rose was confused, but stepped out so that she was right in front of the throne nonetheless. She didn't feel like kneeling, but she gave the king a small curtsy. It was an appropriate level of respect, in her eyes.

"I only did what was right. Defending and avenging my home is the least I could do. If it was possible to wipe Minenblum off the face of the seas, I would," she said, making a few of those in the throne room gasp.

It wasn't that they didn't hate Minenblum as much as she did, because every man, woman, and child in the Emerlan Isle did after their invasions. It was simply that those words coming from the mouth of such a young girl was a shocking contrast.

"Well, despite that it is still right to reward such actions appropriately. I considered what I could give you, knowing that you plan to leave the moment this war is over, and I believe that this should be perfect. The crown prince suggested it, in fact," the king said, taking a sealed envelope out of his robe.

Rose threw a sideways glance at Everyn, a gesture made difficult by the fact he was standing behind her, but it had the intended effect when he grinned and gave her a thumbs up. Rose turned back to the king as he stood from the throne, towering over her by about two head heights.

She took the envelope from his hands, immediately reaching for the wax seal bearing the royal crest of the Emerlan Isle—a four-horned war doori above a shield—to break it and open the envelope. She hesitated at the last moment, realising it was perhaps best to wait to see the contents.

However, the king chuckled loudly and said, "No need to wait on propriety, open it up."

Given the green light, Rose tore it open with zeal and then carefully pulled out a thick sheet of parchment which had been folded in three. Another stamped royal crest was at the bottom of the page, next to a signature which was almost unreadable.

Rather than try to decipher it, she began to read the letter from the beginning. Fortunately, whoever had penned the letter itself had far better handwriting than the person who had signed it.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

For her meritorious and noble deeds in the defence of her homeland, alongside various other accomplishments, the pirate Rose Everblue is hereby awarded this letter as recognition of said accomplishments.

This letter grants her the right to sail freely in the waters of the Emerlan Isle and any allied nations, a privilege recognised by the crown and the king himself, as signed below. This letter also grants her the privilege to freely raid vessels and nations recognised as enemies of the Emerlan Isle.

Any government, navy, or force, upon being presented with this letter, must accede to the above declarations, else they risk facing the full wrath of the Emerlan Isle.

Signed,

King Bartholomew of the Emerlan Isle

Thankfully, the king's name had been clearly written by the author of the letter, making it obvious that the chicken scratching beneath was his. Rose had to stifle her laughter at discovering the king of her homeland could barely write, seeing as the man in question was standing right in front of her.

Despite her amusement, the contents of the letter and what it meant touched her heart. Being presented with some meaningless title or riches wouldn't have meant a lot to her. Well, the riches would've been nice, but lacking the personal touch this letter had.

It was clearly a reward created with her in mind. Rose hadn't heard of a pirate being granted such a privilege in the past, which meant she was the first.

It was almost enough to bring a tear to her eye. Almost. She neatly folded the letter into three and returned it to the envelope, which she then tucked into her overcoat.

"It is a fantastic reward. Thank you very much, King Bartholomew," Rose said, actually bowing this time, all the way to her waist.

The gathered nobles and councillors burst into excited and curious chatter, wondering what the contents of the letter were. Very few of them were privy to the private decisions of the king, especially in these times of war where anyone could have been bought off by Minenblum.

"I'm glad you like it. For all those who were not aware, the letter that the crown just presented to Rose Everblue grants her freedom of passage and operations, as well as full diplomatic immunity provided she is sailing in the waters of the Emerlan Isle and its allies," King Bartholomew announced loudly, making most of those in the stands gasp in shock.

"Preposterous, for a pirate-" one fat noble exclaimed.

"Even the princes don't have full immunity, how is this appropriate!?" a councillor cried in outrage.

"Silence!" the king bellowed. "While all of you were sitting in your warm mansions, stuffing your faces and relaxing with your families, this young woman was out fighting for our nation, putting her life at risk with every moment she spent at sea. You have no right to slander her. If we make it out of this war alive, with our safety intact, just remember that it's Rose Everblue you have to thank for it, not your own cowardly selves."

Rose stepped back into line with the two princes, her cheeks flushed as the king roared her praises. He was correct of course, but hearing it stated so boldly was embarrassing nonetheless.

In a very out of character gesture, Everyn reached down and ruffled Rose's hair. "I hope you won't use that to go wild, but you deserve it."

"You-! Hmph. It's too late to say that. If I raid every ship from Albumott to Highbream, you can't do a damn thing. It says so in my fancy letter from the king," she retorted, sticking out her tongue.

Everyn burst into laughter and even the second prince smirked in amusement. All of the complaining nobles and councillors had been silenced by the king's rage. They were burning with shame and fury, but couldn't say anything in response because they knew his words were the truth.

"Now, enough of that nonsense. Rewarding our brave soldiers is only the first reason we are gathered here today. In addition to their martial efforts, Rose and my sons have managed to broker a makeshift treaty with Zoria and Derridas, with the shared goal of wiping out Minenblum for good. Thanks to them, we can now make inroads with our neighbours that might last beyond this blasted war," the king said, changing the topic before his subjects could die of shame.

Rose was shocked to hear a splash in her ears, wondering what skill could possibly have leveled up from this nonsense. When she saw the whorl however, she understood. In fact, she thought it was overdue.

You have earned a new skill!
Diplomacy 0 > 1

Excited noises and chatter erupted once more, though this time a few of those who'd stared at Rose with resentment and derision now had approval in their gazes. The king raised a hand for silence before continuing his speech.

"I have decided to appoint Councillor Everblue as our nation's official ambassador. He will accompany the princes and Rose to Derridas, where a conference will be held to cement the alliance for good. If there is anyone else who believes their talents would be useful here, speak up now."

The entire room erupted in shouting, most of it people bellowing their own praises. Rose rolled her eyes, knowing this would take a while.

"Want to get a drink? Some rum sounds perfect right now," she suggested to Everyn.

"You read my mind," the crown prince replied with a beaming grin. "I know the perfect tavern."