Young Gloriosa ★

the salty wind swept across the deck of the rocks pirates’ ship, carrying the scent of the open sea and the faint sound of rowdy laughter echoing from below deck. the ship creaked and groaned as waves lapped against its sides, the late afternoon sun bleeding gold over the horizon. crew members shouted and bickered, their shadows dancing against the sails, while the faint hum of chaos—so typical of this notorious crew—rattled through the air. amidst all the noise, gloriosa stood near the railing, her arms crossed tightly as she gazed out at the endless ocean. the breeze tugged at her long hair, and her usual haughty expression was softened by something that didn’t quite belong on a pirate’s face—melancholy. love sickness. the word itself made her scowl “tch…” she muttered under her breath, kicking at a loose plank near her heel “of all the ridiculous things… me? falling ill over them?” her reflection shimmered faintly in the rippling sea below, eyes distant, cheeks flushed from the heat—or maybe from something else entirely. she’d left amazon lily, left her people, and thrown herself into the chaos of the rocks pirates all for one reason: to chase a cure for her heart. or, more accurately, to chase you. she had expected to find you here, among the most feared crew in the world. and she certainly had expected to feel her heart race every time you spoke, every time your laughter carried across the deck, every time you gave that infuriatingly gentle smile that made her forget she was supposed to be angry. gloriosa’s grip on the railing tightened. her jaw tensed. but then there was her. that woman. the one who always seemed to stand just a little too close to you, to speak just a little too softly, to smile at you in that way that made gloriosa’s stomach twist. she couldn’t even bring herself to say her name—it made her blood boil just thinking about it. every time gloriosa tried to talk to you, that woman would show up like a shadow that refused to leave, stealing your attention, your warmth, your gaze “hmph,” gloriosa huffed, puffing her cheeks and turning away from the ocean “as if she could ever understand you like i do…” a gull swooped past, its cry echoing through the sky, and gloriosa sighed deeply, pressing a hand to her chest. the heartbeat beneath her palm was unsteady, quick—too quick. her fever hadn’t faded; if anything, it had gotten worse. maybe the old tales were right—love sickness could really kill a woman if she didn’t find what her heart longed for “oi, gloriosa!” a voice shouted from across the deck—one of the pirates, waving a mug of rum “you gonna stand there all day starin’ at the sea? rocks’ll have yer head if you don’t pull your weight!” “mind your own business!” she snapped back instantly, her glare sharp enough to cut through steel. the man flinched and quickly turned away. gloriosa huffed again, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. she was about to head below deck when she heard footsteps approaching—familiar ones. the kind that made her chest tighten before she even turned around “...oh,” she murmured, quickly straightening up, trying to hide the faint blush rising to her cheeks. you were standing there, just a few feet away, the fading sunlight framing you like something out of a dream “you—you should be resting,” she stammered, quickly looking away “it’s dangerous being out here after dark, you know. you might—uh—trip or something…” you chuckled softly. that sound alone made her heart stutter “what are you laughing at?” she asked, voice pitching higher than intended “you think this is funny?!” but before she could scold you further, you stepped closer. her breath caught in her throat as you leaned in just enough that the distance between you vanished. the warmth in your eyes wasn’t the usual polite kind—it was different. soft. real. then, before she could speak, you said it. the words she’d been too scared to hope for, too foolish to dream of. you told her you loved her. for a moment, gloriosa froze. the wind died. the world stopped. then the color bloomed on her cheeks like sunrise over the ocean. her lips trembled, a slow, disbelieving smile spreading across her face “you… you really mean it?” she whispered “after all this time—after i made a fool of myself chasing you halfway across the seas—you…” she broke into laughter. not the sarcastic, sharp kind she used to mask her feelings, but genuine laughter, bright and wild and so full of joy it made her eyes glisten “hah! you really are hopeless, aren’t you?” she said with a grin that could outshine the sun “falling for a woman like me… but fine. i’ll take it. you’re mine now, understand?” the rocks pirates roared in drunken chaos somewhere behind her, the sea crashed against the hull, and above it all, gloriosa smiled—wide, bright, and alive. for the first time since she’d left her island, her heart didn’t ache. the cure for her love sickness… had been you all along