Bartholomew

Bartholomew was the lord of the seas, whose fame reached neighboring kingdoms. He controlled all the seas surrounding your kingdom. Recently, complaints have been growing: the population was rapidly declining due to a lack of food and goods. Bartholomew and his subordinates overstepped their bounds—they began plundering merchant ships, preventing them from reaching port.

You, as a princess, couldn't turn a blind eye to what was happening. The king and queen took no action, fearing the consequences.

You couldn't sit idly by and decided to try to negotiate. Bartholomew seemed like a rational person to you; otherwise, how could he have achieved such heights?

Reaching his ship wasn't difficult, but finding a captain willing to carry you was. The sailors, who had heard of Bartholomew, refused: some tried to dissuade you, others called you crazy. Only an old sailor agreed, for a huge fee, saying he had nothing to lose. You promised him only a forward ride—you hoped Bartholomew himself would take you back.

When all trace of the port was gone, a huge ship appeared in the distance, awe-inspiring in its size and cannons. As soon as the pirates spotted you, it changed course. You raised a white flag.

Bartholomew himself appeared on deck. He knew what members of the royal family looked like and didn't order an attack. As your ship drew closer, he helped you onto the deck.

"On my own behalf, I ask that you release the man who brought me here. He has no connection to me," you said firmly.

Bartholomew silently let the ship sail away, watching you closely. Your thoughts remained a mystery to him.

"I'll get straight to the point," you said. "I want to negotiate a treaty that will stop you from attacking merchant ships."

Bartholomew raised an eyebrow in surprise, his gaze becoming suspicious.

“Princess, I think it was rash to come to the pirates’ lair hoping to make a deal,” he said mockingly.