Something softened inside Chris when he heard the child's innocent question. "I'm not scary?" His head tilted, confusion flickering across his usually stern face.
"Nope! You actually look like a handsome prince," the little girl declared confidently, still nestled against his leg.
Chris exchanged a surprised glance with Murillo, both unsure how to respond to such unexpected praise. "I think I'd better take the child with me, Captain," Murillo said, stepping forward to lead her away.
But Chris shook his head with a rare, sheepish grin. "You know what? I can handle this one." He gently took the child's small hand. "So… you really think I look like a prince?"
The girl's smile widened. "Uh-huh!"
Chris looked over at Murillo with a goofy grin spreading across his face. "Well then, since I'm a prince, I guess that makes you a princess. How's that sound?"
The child nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. Together, they wandered the golden deck, the stern captain transformed into a doting companion.
Murillo watched them go, hands on her hips, shaking her head with a bemused sigh. "How gullible can men get? All it took was a child's words to turn him into mush."
2025
Cecilia stifled a laugh. "Wait, you're telling me he has a soft spot for children?"
"Not just any children," Martinez replied with a grin. "Just Princess. That was the first time in two hundred years someone called him handsome—and it completely fried his brain."
Twenty to thirty years ago,
Princess's soft humming echoed lightly through the Twilight's dim corridors as Chris guided her along the winding passageways. Her small hand slipped into his, her innocent melody weaving through the heavy air, bringing a rare warmth to the ship.
As they approached the captain's quarters, Chris paused, a frown creasing his brow. The usual mournful wails of the portraits of Twilight's previous captains were strangely absent. He pressed his ear to the door, but only silence greeted him. Shrugging it off, he muttered, "Must be a coincidence," and led Princess away.
That little girl brought out a side of Chris no one had ever seen—a softer, warmer side beneath the gruff exterior.
They proceeded to the snack bar, where he let the child have all the treats she wanted. "Do you like the ice pop?" Chris asked, watching as Princess devoured her treat as if it were the sweetest treasure. "Slow down, Princess," he teased gently. "We've got plenty more, but you don't want to eat like you're racing, do you?"
"Do we have seafood?" she asked eagerly, eyes wide with anticipation. "My Daddy can't cook shrimp or crab," she explained with a pout.
Chris chuckled. "Not just shrimp and crab—we've got lobster, mussels, and every kind of tasty fish you can imagine."
"Really? Can I try some?" Her excitement was contagious.
"You can have it all," Chris smiled, clearly delighted. "Anything you want." In those moments, the captain wasn't a hardened ferryman but a doting prince, enchanted by his little princess's wonder and joy.
Chief Bustmante, Chief Murillo, and Martinez all arrived at the snack bar. "Captain? One of our VIP passengers, that American baseball Hall of Famer? He wants to meet you, sir," Chief Bustamante informed Chris.
Chris stood from his chair and patted Princess on the shoulder, "Stay here, okay? If you need anything, just ask Murillo, okay?" Chris then left the child in the care of his officers.
"Are you done yet?" Murillo asked the snobbishly
Princess tugged at the hem of Murillo's uniform, her wide eyes filled with innocent curiosity. "Auntie Espie," she asked softly, "are you jealous of me because the prince likes me more than you?"
"What?" She scoffed. Murillo's lips curled into a growl, her eyes narrowing sharply. "Jealous? Of a child?" she snapped.
Princess's bottom lip quivered, tears welling up almost immediately. The sharpness of Murillo's tone stung deeper than she expected. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears, but they spilled over, soft sobs escaping her small frame.
Hearing the commotion, Martinez and Bustamante hurried over. Martinez knelt beside Princess, gently brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Hey there, little one. No need to cry," he soothed, offering a mango-flavored ice pop from the snack fridge. The child's eyes lit up as she took it, the sweet taste melting some of her sadness into a shy smile.
Bustamante stood, casting a stern glance at Murillo. "That's enough, Murillo. Let the girl be." Murillo grumbled but stepped back, muttering under her breath as she retreated.
"I don't like her; she's mean," Princess said as she rubbed her eyes.
"She's not mean, she's...strict," Bustamante simplified to the child. "She can be a good friend," he encouraged the girl.
Princess pouts again. "I can't like her, she's scary."
Bustamante crouched beside Cecilia, his voice soft and kind. "You know, the impossible yields to a heart that dares." he pauses and observes the child. "It means we can do the things we thought we couldn't do as long as we try."
Princess nodded slowly, clutching the ice pop with new hope. The warmth of their kindness enveloped her like a gentle hug, and for the first time that day, she felt a tiny spark of courage grow within her.
Back in Cargo-Bay one (2025)
"Hold up!" Cecilia held up both hands, forming a capital "T" to signal a time-out. "Wait a minute—he lets the little girl eat as much as she wants? Did she get billed for all that?" Martinez just gave a playful grin and shrugged casually. Cecilia laughed, shaking her head. "Man, I wish I were that little girl."
"She stayed with us for a couple of days. She never got off Kaginhawaan, but the captain doesn't seem bothered by it. He did not say it, but he was happy the little girl stayed." Martinez's demeanor changed, and he looked away. "But life...life is just isn't fair."
Cecilia's alarms went off when she heard what Martinez said, "Why? What happened to Princess?"
Martinez sucks his teeth and blew out air. "Just when we thought the captain had found someone who would make him smile, disaster struck in the most heartbreaking way we could imagine."