"There are three of us here, actually."
Soracha stepped forward to stand on Edward's other side, their shoulders touching.

Eabha looked her over disdainfully.
"Where's your brat?"

Soracha stiffed briefly, drawing in a sharp intake of breath. Roxanne felt Edward shift slightly, and her eyes flickered down just in time to catch his hand subtly brushing over her wrist in a gesture of comfort.

"None of your business."
Soracha's voice was steady and cool, sharply edged with loathing.

Glancing over, Roxanne saw that her eyes were as hard and brilliant as emeralds, glinting with hatred. One hand rested casually behind her back, most likely on a knife hilt.

Roxanne frowned slightly, wondering why she was looking at Eabha in such vehement dislike, as well as what Eabha's question had meant and why Soracha had refused to answer it.

"What are you doing here?"
Perhaps realising she was going to get no information out of Soracha, Eabha addressed her son.

"Do I need a reason to visit home?" Edward asked mildly. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I have a reason though, and it's to inform you that you can stop trying to pair me off with Caitlín Ó Súilleabháin, because Roxanne and I are dating now."

Eabha looked at him, her mouth slightly open, for about a second.
Then, eyes flashing, she let a torrent of Gaelic fall from her lips, scarcely pausing for breath.

One eyebrow slightly raised, Edward stood calmly until she'd finished before replying in the same tongue, his tone steady but cool.

Soracha stood with both hands behind her back, her feet apart.

Roxanne shifted uncomfortably, hearing both Edward and his mother mention her name but not understanding anything they were saying about her.

Soracha said something sharply and they suddenly both switched to English, Eabha's accent heavy with scornful dislike.

"She ain't good enough for ye! She's a posh, proper, usel-"

"Oh, but a whore would be fine? Or that daughter of Declan Moriarty's who can neither read, write or sew? You'd have me settle for anybody as long as they're of an "acceptable" background instead of seein' me happy with someone I love."

Edward's eyes were darkening, though his voice had quietened, carrying a note of sad realisation.

"Roxanne's a well-educated, determined, passionate woman who could've had me killed on the night we met if she'd wanted to. She saw me as a person first an' a pirate second. She ain't what ye think all English aristocracy are like."

Eabha snorted, rolling her eyes.
"Your taste in women is lousy, always has been. I should've figured that out when ye started makin' friends with the likes of her."

She glanced scornfully at Soracha, who left Roxanne's side, her step calm and purposeful as she moved to look out of the cracked window behind Eabha.

There was a rasp of steel on leather and a flash of silver as she swiftly drew her knives and put them at Eabha's throat from behind, pressed against her skin.

There was a brief flash of fear in Eabha's eyes when she realised her predicament. Then she gave a haughty scoff.
"You won't kill a Pirate Lord."

Soracha grinned dangerously.
"Aye, I will. Titles make no difference to me."

Edward watched the two of them with a rather bored, indifferent expression, though there was a slight glimmer in his eyes and a hint of a smile played on the corners of his mouth as he rested his hip against the long table.

Roxanne stood quietly next to him, looking over as Hazel came into the kitchen, glancing briefly at Soracha and her mother before starting to rinse two mugs.
"Tea, Roxanne?"

"Do me a cup Hazel."

"Get off your arse an' do your own. Roxanne's a guest. Technically, you should be making her tea, because she's your guest, but because I'm such a lovely person, I'm going to do it."
She flashed a grin at her brother, flicking her thick braid of hair over her shoulder so it fell down the middle of her back, the end of it brushing her backside.

Eabha tried to move but Soracha roughly set her knives under her jaw, pulling her head back.
"Stay still, or I swear to god I will slit your throat," she hissed menacingly into the older woman's ear.

Edward's eyes were slightly amused as Eabha glared at him, saying something in rapid Gaelic.

He responded indifferently, waving a hand in a rather dismissive manner while accepting a steaming mug from his sister.

Eabha glanced at Roxanne, who flinched at the contempt and dislike conveyed in the single flick of her eyes.
Even the Lady's crew hadn't looked her with such hatred.

She then lifted her chin, knowing Edward's mother had seen her flinch and determined not to look weak.

Hazel gave her a mug of tea and a milk jug, and she busied herself with them to do the tea to her liking, glad of the excuse to look away from Eabha and Soracha for a moment.

"Are you goin' to behave yourself?" Soracha muttered, blades still held firmly across the pale skin of Eabha's neck.

Despite her visible fear, the Teague matriarch still looked defiant as she glanced between her children in a silent request for help.

Her son looked steadily back at her in complete, undisguised scorn, his eyes dark with contempt. He didn't say anything in response, nor did he need to.

Hazel shrugged, slightly apologetically.
"I'm not gettin' involved in this. Soracha scares me," she said before leaving the kitchen with her tea.

As she went out, Áine came in, halting abruptly as she took in the scene in front of her.

"Get the fuck out," Soracha said harshly.

The youngest of Eabha's offspring opened her mouth, looking at Roxanne.

"Ye were told," Edward said slowly before she spoke, "to get the fuck out. Listen to your elders once in a while, they say some unexpectedly wise things."

"Oh, sure." Áine scoffed, shaking her head while gesturing at Roxanne. "What the hell is she doin' here again?"

Glancing heavenwards, Edward respond rather impatiently.
"I'm dating her, just thought I'd make ye all aware of that."

"No ye are not. Not if I have anythin' to do with it, Eddie."

"Don't fuckin' call me that. And ye can't do anything about it. I'm an adult with me own ship, a house and a livelihood. I'm not a little boy seekin' his ma's approval. I ain't here to ask your permission. I'm here to tell you I'm in love."

Eabha curled her lip. "And when she leaves you like Aisling did, who'll pick up the pieces of your heart that this Sparrow leaves behind?"

The blades at her throat were pulled tighter. "I would advise ye to shut up," Soracha hissed, "and she isn't going to leave him, cause I'll kill her if she does."

Roxanne shivered, clearly recalling what it felt like to have the doctor's knives at her throat.

Eabha suddenly grasped at her own wrist, breaking a thread tied there, which turned out to have several beads and a coin knotted onto it.

She held it in her son's direction.
"Here's some responsibility for ye, seeing as you seem so desperate to prove ye can handle it. I, Captain Eabha Teague, Pirate Lord of the Atlantic, hereby surrender my Piece of Eight and my seat in the Brethren Court and appoint you my successor."

Edward stared at her. "I refuse," he finally said flatly.

"You can't." Eabha looked incredibly smug. "You can't refuse a private appointment. Section 18 of Article 22 in the Pirate Codex."

"Didn't think ye knew the Code at all," Soracha muttered. "Truth be told, I doubted there was one, but if ye can quote that with such accuracy, maybe there is a physical book like the stories say."

"Bas in Ifreann.*" Edward swore through his teeth, roughly taking the Piece of Eight and shoving it into his pocket. "Soracha, let her go. We're leavin', now."

Soracha left the room without looking back, her knives glinting as she spun them casually.

Roxanne went to follow, but Eabha caught her wrist.
"He doesn't love you, and he's not going to stay with you. All Teague's are unfaithful bastards full of empty promises. Edward's a runner, just like his father, won't settle and stay with anyone. He'll love ye for a while, maybe have a wain or two, then he'll up an' leave. He isn't in love with you. He's just using you to annoy me."

"Roxanne!"

At Edward's call, Eabha released her and she stood for a moment, thinking about what the woman had said.

"Roxanne! Come on, or I'll leave ye there!"

Eabha stood watching Roxanne leave, spite glimmering in her eyes.

*Die in Hell

Dedicated to FandomFox29 for being such a loyal reader on both this story and my oneshots. ❤️