Xandra’s Beginning
My father was the most ferocious pirate the OGON continent had ever seen. He ruled the seas for three decades, and no military force could go against his fleet. Although he’s no stranger to filling his libido, he started late in making his next of kin. Unfortunately for me, I was his first child.
Being born as the daughter of the pirate king is not as marvelous as it sounds. Since my father is the pirate king, people think that he would treat me like a princess, be doted on, or provide me everything according to my whims. But all I received was scorn and disappointment.
He wasn’t mad at me because my mother, who died after giving birth to me, was the love of his life, no. She was no more than a whore in his eyes. A means to an end. He was disappointed because his first child would also be no more than a whore in the future, just like its mother.
Sure, being his daughter has its perks; no one dared to bully me, no one dared to go against me, but no one also befriended me. I learned a lot from him, of course, but the first thing I learned was that I would never be good enough in his eyes because I’m a woman. It didn’t matter if I were to pull off the biggest heist, bring in the most booty, take our crew to a whole new level, or be better than the rest of my siblings. After all, at the end of the day, I would still succumb to my inevitable role as a fucking baby-maker.
It also didn’t help that I had the same preferences as my father did. I didn’t have his dick, but I got his charms and tastes, which only worsened my father’s outlook towards me. I still remember what he told me when he found out I was making out with one of his younger slaves. He said
‘You have one fucking job! You can’t even fuck the right people!”
I thought wanting the same things he did is a compromise, but all he could see was what was in between my legs instead of who I am, so I left.
Two kids followed me in my journey outside the village, Otokar, and Suzie. They were children of my father’s closest retainers, so they were naturally with me while growing up. I told them to go back and not follow me, but they wouldn’t listen, no matter how much I convinced them to do otherwise. I even threatened to kill them if they took one step closer to where I was going, but they still took that step. I almost killed Otokar that time by burning his back, but neither the two of them resented me for doing so. Seeing that they didn’t hate me even if I intentionally tried to kill them, I let them follow me. They could prove beneficial once I return triumphantly.
Leaving my father’s protection wasn’t the best idea for a couple of ten-year-olds, but it was still better than living under his wing like dead people. It was because of him why I have the obsession of proving my worth to insignificant strangers. And the best way I could do that was to become a Soldier of Fortune.
But a group of ten-year-olds didn’t have any hopes to reach the city from a remote village without being caught by slavers, especially since kids can only join the SF guild once they’re 13-years-old. So we hid, ran, and lived in the forests for three years before making our way towards the nearest city in the Svet Dukedom.
Living in the city was more troublesome than in the wild. At least in the woods, all we had to be cautious for was untamed beasts and stray slavers. But the city had more savage beasts than in the woodlands. It didn’t help that we looked presentable for our age, so we were constantly on guard against anyone. Though, it wasn’t all that bad. We met a few decent individuals and rose from sweepers to adventurers.
In my three years in the city, I got to experience the things I’ve always dreamt of, such as having trustworthy friends, individuals who recognize who I was past my physical features, and a home I can comfortably return. Although I still had to indulge myself discreetly when it came to my preferences, it was still better than how I was living with my father.
It was also then where I met Gez, an archer of the explorer rank of another party and one of the youngest explorers in the city. She was one of the women who caught my eye. Though she was only a few years younger than I was, her wisdom was far beyond her years. Gez was very resourceful and innovative. Her head was full of ideas that seemed out of this world. She really was a wonder, and I just wanted to get my hands on her. Which I did, after a few months of courting. As much as I desired to be discreet about my intentions, she surprisingly picked up on them fast and wasn’t against it. She was even flattered about my feelings and respectfully declined them.
Her acceptance and futuristic views just made me want her even more. Although we weren’t officially together, she would indulge me once in a while, which was more than I could ever ask for.
I also followed stories about my father’s continued exploits and couldn’t help but feel proud for him. I was his eldest child. I was bound for greatness with or without his approval. If he controlled the seas, then I’ll dominate the land, and there was nothing that would stop me from rubbing my success in his old and smug face. That was until I heard the news of his fulfilled bounty.
He was never a father figure in any way, but still my dad nonetheless. I had to admit that I admired his prowess despite him being a bilge-sucker, and there was no way I’d leave his legacy to my good-for-nothing siblings.
We returned home after ghosting them for six years. I wasn’t expecting a feast for our return, but they didn’t even recognize our existence when we came back. Only a handful of elders, officers, and ‘childhood friends’ were happy to see us again. I was close to some of my younger siblings, but those vying for my father’s position saw me as nothing more than a sight for sore eyes.
It took me almost a year and a half, the death of nearly all my siblings, and the loss of half of Avital’s wealth to secure my position as the head. Not to mention that I also lost most of my family’s connections throughout the continent for the sake of my father’s continued legacy.
I thought things would only get better after becoming queen of the pirates, but my father’s words just had to haunt me. A few months after working hard to rebuild Atival’s connections and create Ziba’s Hundred Island Pirates, I found out that I was pregnant. The father was another pirate captain who thinks they’re better than everyone else, no less.
I fell into a spiral of hatred, anxiety, and resentment after discovering what happened to me. I hated myself for succumbing to my inevitable role as a baby-maker at the end of the day. I resented myself for proving to my dead father that he was right all along. My anxiety continued building up as each day passed, wondering if my people will conduct mutiny against me for being a full-fledged woman.
As my belly grew, so did my loathing towards everything and everyone. I was becoming a tyrant worse than my father. I had everyone who annoyed me to the slightest dance with Jack Ketch. My despot continued to worsen to the point that I ordered Suzie to cleave Otokar to the brisket because he skipped a meeting. I was out of control.
Leo and his child inside me didn’t help me the slightest. They were the worst individuals throughout my pregnancy. I wanted to turn this child into fish feed, but I couldn’t do it without risking my own life. I also can’t have Leo walk the plank since he’s one of my best captains, so I had to vent all my frustrations to everyone else.
Leo’s enthusiasm about our child was the most sickening sight I’ve seen. His passion for having a family with me was nothing but mockery in my eyes. I could see my father looking at me, filled with ridicule beyond Leo’s excited eyes. I wanted everything and everyone to burn, including myself.
Suzie and Otokar were some of the few people who could tolerate my dictatorship. They tried their best to appease and convince me to see the better side of things. Ziba’s Hundred Island Pirates was indeed garnering fame faster than my father’s time, and that Avital’s connections were rebuilding at a steady pace. But my father’s expectations and how much of a failure I was, stuck to me like an itch I can never satisfy.
It wasn’t until the day of my delivery that I was able to calm down. That was the day I was looking forward to the most. After the child’s birth, I would feed it to the fish, have Leo undergo a decade-long expedition, and everything will finally go back to the way it was. Everything was going according to plan until I laid my eyes on the most angelic being I’ve ever seen.
Her face was like the embodiment of cuteness. She had the smoothest curly silver hair that shined brighter than the sun. Her eyes fluttered when she opened them for the first time, revealing a pair of deep orange eyes which dazzled better than the stars on a clear night sky. Seeing my baby for the first time made me wonder what I did in this or my past lives that allowed me to bear a child as lovely as her.
Looking at this small girl in my arms, who can make anyone drown with her innocent gaze, I questioned my father, Darius Avital, the Pirate King, what was wrong with him for scorning women for their abilities to give life to babies like my child.
I also realized how naive I was for believing my father, my dead father. I am Xandra Avital, the Pirate Queen of Ziba’s Hundred Islands, and my child, my lovely and beautiful Alexandria, will be treated like the princess that she rightfully is.
There is no way I’ll subject my baby to the things I’ve experienced when I was a child. I will take the OGON continent and place it under your rule, my baby. My precious Princess Alexandria.
Heyy, so here’s my promised chapter in Xandra’s POV. This will probably last until Chapter 14 or 15, so yeah. . . Thank you so much for reading!!
I’m also not sure if she sounds different than Alex but I hope she does. I wanted her tone to be a little serious than the laid-back and very expressive Alexandria, so yeah. . .
I’m having problems with my drawing tab, thus the delay of Alexandria and Xandra’s pictures. I’m sorry, I’ll finish them as soon as I can.
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