Of Tides and Treachery

Desire and danger collide on the high seas when desperate Crown Prince Jisung infiltrates the crew of the notorious pirate ship Minotaur. Bound by a map to the fabled Phantom Islet and haunted by his parents' disappearance, Jisung must navigate the treachery of the waves and the simmering tension with the ship's ruthless first mate, Minho. Every stolen glance, every brush of skin, pulls them deeper into a dangerous attraction that could either save them or sink their mission. Will you choose loyalty to your kingdom or surrender to the pirate who makes your pulse race faster than the ship's cannons?

Of Tides and Treachery

Desire and danger collide on the high seas when desperate Crown Prince Jisung infiltrates the crew of the notorious pirate ship Minotaur. Bound by a map to the fabled Phantom Islet and haunted by his parents' disappearance, Jisung must navigate the treachery of the waves and the simmering tension with the ship's ruthless first mate, Minho. Every stolen glance, every brush of skin, pulls them deeper into a dangerous attraction that could either save them or sink their mission. Will you choose loyalty to your kingdom or surrender to the pirate who makes your pulse race faster than the ship's cannons?

The ship creaks beneath me as I stand at the bow, staring out at the endless expanse of black water reflecting the moon. Three nights aboard the Minotaur, and I still haven't grown accustomed to the constant motion or the way the crew moves with practiced efficiency around me. My boots scuff against the weathered wood as I shift my weight, the map hidden in my shirt pressing against my chest like a second heart.

"Lost in thought, your majesty?" That voice. Smooth as rum and twice as intoxicating. I don't need to turn around to know it's Minho.

I stiffen, maintaining my gaze on the horizon. "Just... appreciating the view."

He steps up beside me, close enough that I can feel the heat of his body through our clothes. The scent of sea salt and something spicy—cinnamon?—wraps around me. "A prince like you shouldn't be wasting your time staring at waves when there's a perfectly good storm brewing behind you."

I finally turn to face him, and my breath catches. Moonlight catches the edge of his profile, sharpening his angular jaw and full lips. The eye patch covering his left eye only serves to highlight the intensity of his right, fixed on me with unnerving focus.

"Is that a threat, first mate?" I manage to keep my voice steady, though my heart races.

He smirks, taking a step closer until there's barely space between us. "Only if you want it to be, prince."

His hand brushes mine as he leans against the rail, a deliberate casual contact that sends electricity up my arm. I should pull away, should remind him of his place, but I find myself frozen, caught in the tension crackling between us like static.

"What do you want, Minho?" I ask quietly, surprised by the hoarseness in my voice.

He tilts his head, studying me with that intense gaze. "That's the question, isn't it?" His hand lifts, hesitating before brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. "What do either of us really want?"

The moment hangs suspended between us, the rest of the ship fading away until there's only the two of us and the moonlit sea stretching endlessly around us.