Better the Devil You Know

Rowe glanced at her sister and slowly arched her left eyebrow. “I somehow find it hard to believe you would relinquish it in favor of someone less ethical,” she shook her head. As much as Aoife might complain, Rowe knew what sort of person her sister was. “Unfortunately, your annoyance is also the reason why you’re perfect to keep it. But you were already aware of that,” she chuckled, sorting through some papers on her desk. “So, what’s new?”

Aoife sighed at her older sister's words. "You're probably right." As much as Aoife liked a good chunk of her fellow pirates, there were very few she would trust with the keys to the medical supply cabinet. Not when so many didn't have the same formal medical training as she did. "Although its very tempting to just toss the keys into the ocean and tell everyone to figure it out themselves if they get injured and need oxycodone." She grimaced. "But I suspect that would result in someone trying to shoot out the glass like they're in an action film, and that would be a nightmare." She shrugged at Rowe's question. "You know, the usual struggle. Wanting to keep busy but also not wanting to be around the royals." Which was a real problem, since half the island seemed to be royals these days and they made up a good chunk of her patients anymore. "How about you? Anything exciting I haven't heard about yet?"

Yulia’s ears perched up at her brother’s words as she inspected the crates. “I’m listening,” she had no idea what he was about to disclose, but the mere fact that he wanted it to be a secret was enough to make her curious. But as the topic came out, her enthusiasm faded a few notches quite fast. A heavy sigh emerged from her lips. “And here I thought you were about to tell me something juicy,” she shook her head. “But you’re not alone when it comes to that. I hear people saying similar things all the time,” the blonde spoke with a swerve of her hand in the air. “We’ve been cooped up here for far too long,” Yulia let out in a plaintive tone. “I miss the freedom we used to have out there,” she looked wistfully at the horizon where the ocean met the sky.

"I suppose that's true" agreed Nikolai with a frown. He'd heard more than a few pirates mention that in their time watching the royals. "But that doesn't necessarily mean I want the Tulachs knowing I said it" he pointed out. He didn't want to show any signs of appearing insubordinate. Not when a life of piracy was basically all he knew. Then he nodded. "I agree. It would be nice to have a chance to travel further from the island more often." Except for trips to resupply and to bring in more royals, the pirates were mostly on the island these days. "I miss the freedom too. But when Roman's plan succeeds, we'll have all the freedom we want." Nikolai wasn't clear on what the pirate leader's whole plan was, but he was sure it ultimately involved bringing the world's monarchies in line so that the pirates would be free to sail without the threat of execution hanging over them.