The Cursed Doubloon by B.T. Love

especially to a crowd of drunken pirates.”
    My father nodded. “Do ye be havin’ a plan?”
    “Well, after working my way over the rocks I’ll go straight to the tavern to seek out Keelhaul. I’ll approach him dead on and tell him I am interested in joining his crew.”
    “And ye be thinkin’ that will work?”
    Ladarius pondered his question. “I may have to treat him to some rum first, just to get on his good side. And I’ll talk him up, tell him how much I’ve looked up to him and wanted to work beneath him on Hades Halo . He’ll most likely have his ego stroked and fall victim to my compliments.”
    “Well we’ll be waitin’ fer yer return to this very spot.”
    “Aye aye, Sir.”
    My father grunted and stood quietly for a moment before bringing his hands around to the front of him. In his grasp was a leather belt which held a curved sword and a flintlock pistol. “The crew be puttin’ their money together and be gettin’ ye this.”
    Ladarius’s eyes widened. “A cutlass and a pistol? For me?” His eyes were shining as he took it from him and laced it around his waist. “It’s perfect. Thank you all so much.”
    My father huffed under his breath and flipped around, taking the spot next to John and joining him in his spying.
     Ladarius smiled. “I really look like a pirate now.”
    “That you do. You look very handsome.”
    His smile slowly faded and his eyes met with mine. “I will miss you, Grace.”
    “Yes, I will miss you, too.”
    “Will you walk with me once more before I leave?”
    “I would love nothing more.”
    He held his arm out and I took it, resting my hand against the solid bicep hidden beneath his shirt sleeve. We strolled along the length of the ship in silence, breathing the sea air in and out, both of us dreading his soon departure.
    When we got to the stern he stopped. “I want to give you something,” he said, reaching into the pocket of his trousers. He pulled out his hand and opened his fingers. The other pearl tear was sitting in the center of his palm.
    “You want to give it to me ?” I asked with shock.
    “Yes.”
    “But why? You only get two in your lifetime.”
    “Because you deserve to have one.”
    I smiled and dropped my eyes to his palm once again. “It’s beautiful. Are you sure you want to give it to me? You already gave me the rose-colored pearl.”
    “Yes, and you deserved that as well.”
    “You never told me what your gift actually meant. You told me you loved me for the first time that night, I assumed it was a symbol of your love.”
    “It is,” he nodded. “But, it’s much more than that.”
    “Oh?”
    “Yes. In our realm a rose-colored pearl is a symbol of everlasting devotion. They are taken quite seriously.”
    “Everlasting devotion? You mean that you will love me forever?”
    “Yes but it’s also a symbol of our bonding together. When a merman gives a mermaid a rose-colored pearl and she accepts it, it means they are forever in union and belong to one another. No one else can ever break that bond or even try to. It’s, in a sense, a marriage proposal.”
    I pulled in a pleased breath of air. “A marriage proposal? And I didn’t even know it. You mermen have strange ways of going about things.”
    “That is true,” he agreed with a smile. “But you are unaware of our customs so the fact that you accepted it didn’t bond us necessarily. But now that you do know . . .”
    “I gladly accept.”
    His cheeks lifted with a grin. “You do? That’s wonderful!”
    “Yes, it is wonderful. But your brother was clearly unhappy about you offering it to me.”
    “Forget about my brother. This is about you and me. I love you, Grace. I want you to know how deep my love for you goes.”
    I carefully took his last pearl tear into my fingers. “I love you too, Ladarius. And I will hold this pearl for safe keeping and use it when it is right.”
    He pulled me against his warm body and kissed me deeply. He was always serious with his