Execution and Betrayal

Emilia Drakon, the last of the dragon sorcerers, is led to her execution by Catherine, her former lover and now a high-ranking naval officer. Their confrontation is bitter, full of betrayal and regret. Catherine offers Emilia a chance at life in exchange for loyalty, but Emilia, hardened by betrayal, refuses. In a desperate act, Emilia wounds Catherine and escapes, using her mother's enchanted dagger and forbidden dragon magic to unleash fire and chaos, fleeing the city as a villain in the eyes of the world.

Escape in Flames

On the run for months, Emilia evades the relentless pursuit of the Illopian navy. Starved and weakened, she relies on stolen food and the last reserves of her magic. She arrives at Nefala, a pirate port outside the king's control, hoping for anonymity. The city is tense, awaiting the arrival of the notorious pirate Captain Maria Welles. Emilia's own wanted poster is missing, but the city's fear of Maria is palpable. She is drawn to Maria's legend, both as a potential ally and as a symbol of rebellion against the forces that destroyed her life.

Pirate Port Refuge

Emilia's hunger leads her to a tavern, where she is quickly entangled in the schemes of a local thief and the wary, lawless community. She meets Judith, a ship's cook with a pistol and a sharp wit, and is soon noticed by Maria's crew. After witnessing Maria's brutal justice—killing a thief in the street—Emilia is forced into a tense encounter with the captain herself. Maria, recognizing Emilia's desperation and skill, offers her a place among the crew, but only on her own ruthless terms.

The Infamous Captain

Maria Welles is every bit the legend: scarred, cunning, and feared. She rules her ship and the port with an iron will, but her reputation is more than bloodlust—it's survival. Emilia is drawn into Maria's orbit, both repelled and fascinated by her. Their first interactions are a dance of threats, blackmail, and reluctant attraction. Maria tests Emilia's resolve, offering her food and safety in exchange for loyalty, but always with the threat of violence lurking beneath.

Reluctant Alliances

Emilia bargains for passage home, offering gold she does not have and skills she does. Maria refuses to be a mere ferryman, but is intrigued by Emilia's healing abilities. After a series of tests—both martial and psychological—Maria agrees to let Emilia join the crew as a surgeon, but only after Emilia signs the pirate's Code in blood. The deal is sealed with mutual suspicion, simmering attraction, and the understanding that betrayal will mean death.

Swords and Secrets

Emilia is initiated into pirate life, learning the rules of the ship and the personalities of its crew. She is both outsider and asset, her healing skills quickly proving invaluable. Maria and Emilia's relationship is fraught with tension—each testing the other's boundaries, both in combat and in conversation. Their mutual attraction grows, complicated by Emilia's trauma and Maria's own scars, both physical and emotional. The crew is a found family of outcasts, each with their own secrets and loyalties.

The Pirate's Code

Maria's ship is governed by a strict Code: loyalty to the crew, equality in spoils, and death for betrayal. Emilia is forced to confront the realities of pirate justice, witnessing both camaraderie and brutality. She learns that Maria's power comes not just from violence, but from the loyalty she inspires—and the fear she commands. The Code is both a shield and a weapon, binding Emilia to the crew and to Maria, even as she dreams of escape and vengeance.

Crew of Outcasts

Emilia forms bonds with Judith, Helen, and others, discovering the humanity beneath their rough exteriors. The crew is a patchwork of exiles, criminals, and survivors, united by Maria's leadership and their shared rejection by the world. Emilia's skills earn her respect, but her secrets keep her isolated. The ship's cats, the rituals of daily life, and the constant threat of violence create a strange sense of home for Emilia, who has never truly belonged anywhere.

Tension and Temptation

The attraction between Maria and Emilia becomes undeniable, manifesting in stolen glances, heated arguments, and eventually, passionate encounters. Their relationship is a battleground of wills, each pushing the other to reveal vulnerabilities. Maria's scars and Emilia's trauma mirror each other, creating a bond forged in pain and defiance. Their intimacy is both a refuge and a risk, threatening to unravel the careful balance of power on the ship.

Vengeance and Vulnerability

Emilia's identity as a witch and the last dragon sorceress is revealed, putting her and the crew in grave danger. Maria must choose between protecting Emilia and safeguarding her own power. The crew is divided, but ultimately stands by Maria's decision. Emilia, haunted by guilt and loss, is forced to confront her past and her feelings for Maria. Their relationship deepens, built on mutual recognition of pain and the possibility of healing.

Witch Revealed

A failed assassination attempt exposes Emilia's true nature to the crew. Maria's leadership is tested as she defends Emilia against mutiny and the threat of execution. The crew, swayed by Emilia's sacrifices and Maria's loyalty, ultimately accepts her. Emilia's magic becomes both a weapon and a gift, saving lives in battle and binding her fate to the pirates. The trial cements her place among them, but also sets the stage for the final confrontation with her enemies.

Mutiny and Loyalty

As the threat of mutiny looms, Maria and Emilia's bond is tested by suspicion, jealousy, and the ever-present danger of betrayal. The crew's loyalty is hard-won, forged in the crucible of battle and shared hardship. Maria's past is revealed—her own betrayal by Catherine, her rise from orphan to captain, and the scars she bears. Emilia learns that trust is not given, but earned, and that family can be chosen, even among thieves and killers.

The Enemy Returns

Catherine, now an admiral, returns with a fleet, seeking both Emilia and Maria. The confrontation is inevitable, bringing old betrayals and new alliances to the surface. Emilia is forced to choose between her past and her present, her desire for vengeance and her loyalty to her new family. Maria and Catherine's rivalry is both personal and political, a battle of equals with Emilia caught in the middle.

Battle at Sea

The Wicked Fate faces Catherine's fleet in a desperate battle. Emilia's magic and Maria's leadership are pushed to their limits. The crew fights with everything they have, united by the bonds they've forged. Sacrifices are made, and the cost of survival is high. In the chaos, Emilia and Maria's relationship is tested, but ultimately proves stronger than the forces arrayed against them.

Sacrifice and Solidarity

Catherine offers a deal: Emilia's life in exchange for the crew's safety. Both Maria and Emilia refuse to sacrifice the other, choosing solidarity over self-preservation. The crew stands with them, rejecting Catherine's bargain and embracing Emilia as one of their own. The battle's aftermath is bittersweet—victory won at great cost, but with the promise of a new beginning.

Truths and Trials

In the wake of battle, secrets are confessed and wounds are tended. Maria and Emilia confront their pasts, their fears, and their feelings for each other. The crew holds a trial for Emilia, but her loyalty and sacrifices win them over. Maria offers Emilia her freedom, but both struggle with the prospect of parting. Their love is hard-won, built on trust, vulnerability, and the shared experience of survival.

Homecoming and Heartache

The Wicked Fate arrives at Drakon Isle, Emilia's long-lost home. The island is both a place of grief and hope, haunted by the ghosts of Emilia's past and the promise of a future with Maria. Both women must decide what they truly want—vengeance, freedom, or love. Their confessions to each other are raw and honest, and the possibility of a life together becomes real.

Here Be Dragons

Emilia is reunited with her dragons, and Maria witnesses the power and beauty of the beings she once feared. Together, they face the future—not as pirate and witch, but as partners. The story ends with the promise of more adventures, as Emilia chooses to stay with Maria and the crew, embracing her place among the pirates and her love for the captain. The legend of the Wicked Fate, and its crew of outcasts, continues—now with dragons at their side.

Characters

Emilia Drakon

Emilia is the last of the dragon sorcerers, marked by trauma, loss, and a deep well of empathy. Betrayed by her lover Catherine and orphaned by war, she is driven by vengeance but longs for belonging. Her magic is both a gift and a curse, making her a target and an outcast. Emilia's journey is one of transformation—from victim to survivor, from healer to fighter, from exile to found family. Her relationship with Maria is central: a dance of trust, desire, and mutual recognition of pain. Emilia's arc is about reclaiming agency, accepting love, and forging a new identity as both witch and pirate.

Maria Welles

Maria is the infamous captain of the Wicked Fate, feared for her ruthlessness and revered for her cunning. Her scars—physical and emotional—are the legacy of betrayal, torture, and survival. Maria's leadership is built on loyalty, fear, and a strict code, but beneath her hard exterior is a capacity for deep care and vulnerability. Her attraction to Emilia is both a source of strength and a risk, challenging her to confront her own wounds. Maria's arc is about learning to trust, to forgive, and to allow herself to be loved, even as she fights to protect her crew and her own power.

Catherine Rochester

Catherine is the admiral of the Illopian navy, driven by ambition, jealousy, and a need for control. Her betrayal of Emilia is both personal and political, rooted in her own insecurities and desire for power. Catherine's relationship with Maria is equally fraught—former friends turned bitter rivals. She is a mirror of what Emilia and Maria could become if they let vengeance and ambition consume them. Catherine's arc is a cautionary tale of the cost of betrayal and the emptiness of victory won at the expense of love.

Judith

Judith is the ship's cook, a source of warmth, humor, and practical wisdom. She is Maria's oldest friend and Emilia's first true ally among the pirates. Judith's loyalty is unwavering, but she is not blind to Maria's flaws or Emilia's pain. She acts as a bridge between the two, offering support, advice, and the occasional pistol. Judith's own history is marked by hardship and resilience, and her friendship with Emilia is a testament to the power of chosen family.

Zain

Zain is Maria's quartermaster, responsible for discipline, order, and the ship's Code. He is cautious, skeptical, and fiercely loyal to Maria, but not afraid to challenge her when he believes she is wrong. Zain's arc is about balancing loyalty with integrity, and his eventual acceptance of Emilia is hard-won. He represents the pragmatic, rational side of pirate life, and his support is crucial in moments of crisis.

Helen

Helen is the ship's master gunner, known for her love of explosions, her shamelessness, and her loyalty to the crew. She is both comic relief and a reminder of the dangers of pirate life. Helen's friendship with Emilia is boisterous and supportive, and her antics often diffuse tension. She is a survivor, shaped by hardship, and her acceptance of Emilia is immediate and wholehearted.

Pelt

Pelt is the boatswain, responsible for the ship's maintenance and discipline. He is gruff, scarred, and seemingly hard, but his loyalty to Maria and the crew is deep. Pelt's acceptance of Emilia is a sign of her integration into the crew, and his presence is a stabilizing force during moments of chaos.

Fulke

Fulke is a massive, mostly mute sailor whose tongue was cut out by a previous captain. He communicates through sign language and is known for his strength and kindness. Fulke's acceptance of Emilia is immediate, and his presence is a reminder that even the most damaged can find a place among outcasts.

Jane

Jane is a barmaid in Nefala, rescued by Maria from a life of exploitation. Her relationship with Maria is complex—part friendship, part history, part unspoken understanding. Jane's presence is a reminder of Maria's capacity for compassion and the ways in which the crew is a refuge for the broken.

Rat-Slayer (the cat)

Rat-Slayer is one of the ship's many cats, but becomes a symbol of Emilia's acceptance and belonging. His loyalty to Emilia, and Maria's eventual acceptance of him, mirrors the journey of trust and found family that defines the story.

Plot Devices

Duality of Power and Vulnerability

The narrative is structured around the tension between power and vulnerability—both in the external world of piracy and the internal world of trauma and healing. Maria's reputation is a shield and a prison; Emilia's magic is both a weapon and a source of isolation. Their relationship is a microcosm of this duality, as each must learn to trust, to yield, and to accept help. The pirate Code, the rituals of the crew, and the ever-present threat of betrayal all serve to heighten this tension, making every act of kindness or violence fraught with meaning.

Found Family and Chosen Loyalty

The crew of the Wicked Fate is a found family, united not by blood but by shared rejection and survival. The plot uses the motif of chosen loyalty—through the signing of the Code, the rituals of daily life, and the defense of each other in crisis—to explore what it means to belong. Emilia's journey from outsider to insider is mirrored by the crew's gradual acceptance of her, and by Maria's struggle to allow herself to be loved.

Trauma, Healing, and Redemption

Both Emilia and Maria are haunted by trauma—betrayal, torture, loss—and the story is structured as a journey of healing and redemption. Magic is both literal and metaphorical, representing the possibility of transformation. The narrative uses flashbacks, confessions, and moments of vulnerability to reveal the characters' wounds and their capacity for growth. The ultimate redemption is not in vengeance, but in the willingness to choose love and solidarity over isolation and revenge.

Foreshadowing and Reversal

The story is rich in foreshadowing—Emilia's initial distrust of Maria, Maria's warnings about trust, the ever-present threat of mutiny, and the return of Catherine. Each is set up to create tension and then subverted: Maria is not the villain she appears, the crew is more loyal than expected, and Emilia's greatest enemy is not Maria, but her own fear of trust. The final reversal is Emilia's choice to stay, not out of necessity, but out of love.

Analysis

Pirates of Aletharia is a sapphic fantasy adventure that reimagines the pirate mythos through the lens of trauma, healing, and redemption, and found family. At its heart, the novel is about the search for belonging in a world that punishes difference—whether that difference is magic, queerness, or simple kindness. The relationship between Emilia and Maria is the engine of the story, a slow-burn romance built on mutual recognition of pain and the possibility of redemption. The book interrogates the nature of power—how it is wielded, how it corrupts, and how it can be transformed by vulnerability and trust. The pirate crew, a found family of outcasts, is a microcosm of resistance against a world that would destroy them. The narrative is rich in psychological depth, exploring the ways in which trauma shapes identity and the courage it takes to choose love over vengeance. Ultimately, Pirates of Aletharia is a celebration of dangerous women, magical worlds, and the radical act of claiming a place to belong.

Last updated: May 5, 2025