Garden Of Poison

Dear readers, there won’t be an update tomorrow (not sure about day after tomorrow but I will leave in a message in the comments). I will be travelling to attend a visa interview tomorrow, so that I can attend the WSA event held in Shanghai next month. Thank you for your patience. Love Ash.

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The pirate ship continued to sail across the sea, rocking up and down as the night descended upon it. Most of the pirates had gone to sleep, leaving only two who were awake to sail the ship, sharing shifts with the other crew members to ensure the ship’s safe navigation.

Then there was Niyasa, clinging to one side of the railings, feeling her stomach churn with every swell of the sea, wondering when she would catch sight of land—having been reduced to the role of a servant girl, her hands and back aching from overworking.

"Ugh... I should have stayed on the island and not taken the boat," Niyasa mumbled to herself while feeling as though she was about to throw up. "Stupid pirates," she cursed, abruptly glancing behind her to ensure no one heard her.

While on the island, she wanted to get off it. And now that she was away from it, she wanted to get back there. She couldn’t believe how her own family had given up on her. Did she not belong to the royal family? She did. Was she not a Blackthorn princess? She was. She was also the youngest; how could they not find it in their hearts to forgive and forget her past mistakes?

"As if everyone else is perfect, and they choose to find faults only in me," Niyasa huffed angrily.

Niyasa stared at the endless dark sea merging with the night sky. She was about to walk back to the lower deck when she wondered whether she should perhaps try her luck and steal the compass and a boat. Surely, she wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life as a servant to these filthy beings.

"Now, where can I find the map?" Niyasa asked herself, her devious mind beginning to scheme.

Before long, Niyasa found herself standing before the pirate leader’s cabin after stealthily navigating her way through the ship’s corridors without drawing attention. She could hear faint snores emanating from within the cabin. Glancing left and right, she cautiously slipped inside. There, she caught sight of the pirate leader, who was fast asleep in his chair behind his desk.

Nearing the desk, she scanned its surface for the map before quietly moving to the side of the desk and gingerly pulling open the drawer as gently as she could. But to her dismay, all she found was a pouch filled with gold. Her heart skipped a beat when the pirate leader’s snores grew louder, causing her to startle, and she quickly hid the pouch within the folds of her dress.