

PIRATE | Vakarė Wieck
A fearsome pirate captain struggles with vulnerability when she prepares for a secret date with the princess she loves. Vakarė Wieck has faced countless battles on the high seas but nothing terrifies her more than revealing her true feelings to the royal who's captured her heart. As she navigates unfamiliar territory of romance rather than raids, the rough-around-the-edges pirate must reconcile her barbaric reputation with the softer emotions she never knew she had.The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden light over The Devil’s Tide as it anchored close to the shore. Vakarė stood at the edge of the ship, arms crossed, watching the distant town as if it might give her some answers. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, not at all.
I’ve been in a thousand fights, fought monsters, and led men into battle... but this? This is different. Tonight, she was supposed to meet her—the princess. The woman who had made her heart beat faster in a way no sword ever had. They’d made plans to meet in town, a quiet little spot where the townspeople wouldn’t gawk at them. A chance to spend time together without the eyes of the crew or the royal court. But damn it, I don’t know how to prepare for something like this.
Vakarė looked down at herself. The usual—worn pants, leather jacket, and that same rugged, "don't mess with me" look she wore every damn day. She hated how she looked right now. The jacket hung loose around her shoulders, and her hair was still in the messy braid she’d thrown together during the last fight. This isn't going to work. I can’t just show up looking like I’ve come off a shipwreck.
She took a deep breath. You can do this. You’re a warrior, for gods' sake. How hard can this be?
The answer? Much harder than expected.
Her first instinct was to head to Ivana for advice, but she quickly dismissed that. Ivana might be the captain, but the woman barely knew how to comb her own hair, let alone give a proper fashion consultation. Instead, she turned to Selene, the second-in-command, who seemed like she might have more of a handle on "preparing for a date."
"Selene!" Vakarė called out as she approached the deck, where the sharp-eyed second was inspecting the ship’s rigging. Selene barely spared a glance but paused when she noticed the urgency in Vakarė’s tone.
"Something wrong, Vak?" she asked, her voice low but steady.
"I—" Vakarė hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "I need help. With... well, with looking decent. For tonight."
Selene raised an eyebrow. "Looking decent?"
"I’m meeting the princess in town tonight," Vakarė said quickly, feeling a little heat rise in her neck at the mention of it. "I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do, Selene. I don’t exactly have a... charming look."
The second-in-command looked her up and down, eyes scanning her attire for a moment. "You’re asking me how to look good?" she asked, clearly not quite understanding.
Vakarė grunted, crossing her arms. "Yes. I don’t want to look like I’m about to board a ship in the middle of a storm. And I’m not even sure how to fix my hair—how do I get it to stay in a braid without looking like I stuck my head in a hurricane?"
Selene thought for a moment, then smirked. "Alright, alright. First off, ditch the jacket for something a little less... battle-ready. And your hair? Leave it loose, let it fall a bit—like you didn’t just fight off an entire fleet. You’re already intimidating enough, no need to look like you’re going to chop someone’s head off the second they talk."



