The girls entered a the dining room where the long table was set. 

     Lloyd and the other boys were already seated and waiting, a neutral expression on their faces. 

   "Good evening." Nya greeted shyly, taking her seat. The boys nodded but didn't say anything. 

  Lloyd sat at the head of the table with Kai on his right and Jay on his left. Cole sat next to Jay with Zane next to Kai. Nya had taken her seat next to Zane's with Skylor next to her. Harumi, Pixal and Seliel sat on the other side. 

   Once Morro left the room, the boys started filling their plates with food and the girls followed. 

  Silence fell as the Commanders kept quite and the girls had no idea what to say. 

   "Umm... for pirates, this ship is very posh. And you don't seem to be cruel either." Harumi said, trying to break the ice. 

    "Yeah, well we're not like other pirates." Lloyd said, glancing up at her before focusing on his food. 

    Harumi exchanged glances with Nya across the table.  

  "Have you always been on the sea?" Seliel asked, glancing at the Captain.

  "Yes, for as long as we can remember. We've always been sailing," Lloyd answered, looking up, "We were trained by Nadakhan, a pirate captain who looked after us and raised us. After his lover died, he wasn't the same anymore. He left one day and never came back, leaving us in charge of his ship. When he left, he took most of his crew with him, but three stayed; Flintlock, Clancee and Dogshank. We recruited our on crew and here we are." 

     It was the longest any of the girls had heard him speak. 

  "Nadakhan? As in the djinn Nadakhan? One of the most feared pirates in Ninjago?" Pixal inquired. 

  "Affirmative." Zane replied, "Nadakhan raised us so he is like a father to us all." 

   "Flintlock said that they found us at different times. Cole was found first, and soon after, Zane. Then about a year later, it was me, then Jay. Lloyd was found last, a year after they found Jay. We were found at different piers, each abandoned there by who knows who." Kai explained. 

   "They found us because, according to Clancee, the crew heard crying or noises and would alert the captain to investigate." Cole took over from Kai. 

    "They didn't know who we were, where we came from or why we were on the piers." Jay turned to look at the girls briefly before taking a sip from his goblet. 

    "The only thing they knew were our names. When they found each of us, we were wrapped in blankets that had our first names and date of birth embroidered on them."  Lloyd spoke once more. 

     "If you don't mind me asking," Nya spoke up, "how old are you all?" 

   "Cole and I are 19, Cole being the youngest of the two of us, Kai and Jay are 18, though Kai will be turning 19 soon, and Lloyd is 16 coming 17." Zane reeled of their ages. 

    "So young?!" Skylor and Nya said, gasping at the same time. 

   "How long have you been in charge of this crew?" Seliel looked shocked. In fact, all the girls were shocked. 

   "Five years." Lloyd replied.

   "Five years?!" Nya shrieked, causing the boys to jolt in their seats. "You mean to tell me, that you started leading a crew of pirates when you were only about 11 or 12?!" Nya grew louder with each word, causing Zane and Skylor to cover their ears.

    "Yes, your point?" Lloyd leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow at her. 

   Nya just sat there open-mouthed, gaping at all the boys. 

    Silence fell once more on the group. 

   "Wait, so if Lloyd is the youngest, why is he the captain?" Skylor asked.  

    "He was always the best when it came to planning." Jay explained. 

   "Now if you don't mind, we'd like to eat in peace with out a hundred questions fired at us." Lloyd said sharply, looking at the girls with an unreadable expression on his face.

    The girls flushed with embarrassment and lowered their heads while the boys exchanged glances before their faces also turned neutral.  

   After a few minutes, Lloyd finished his dinner and stood up, leaving the room without a look back or saying anything.

    "Did we say something wrong?" Harumi asked, looking up again and turning to the remaining Commanders. 

   "No, at least, we don't think so. Lloyd, hardly ever speaks to anyone he doesn't know well or trust. And he's also serious about certain things." Kai explained, finishing up as well. 

    "When you're done eating, just make your way to your rooms." Cole instructed before they too left, leaving the girls on their own. 

     "I feel bad for them," Nya said, sighing as she toyed with the remaining food on her plate. 

   "Why?" Seliel asked, looking at her. 

    "They've obviously been kidnapped when they were really little, or... Well we don't really know the full story, so we don't really know." Nya said, lowering her voice.

   "Do you really think they were kidnapped?" Skylor asked. 

  "Well, the most logical explanations would either be being kidnapped, or they were abandoned there by their parents. Each has a 50% chance." Pixal concluded. 

   "Well, they're pretty cute, aren't they." Seliel said vaguely, taking a sip from her goblet. 

   The others looked at her. 

     "What? Why are you all looking at me like that? You look as if I grew wolf ears and a tail." Seliel looked at her friends. 

    "Did you just say that are captors are cute?!"  Harumi asked, gaping at her. 

   "Well, captors or not, you have to admit they're cute, right?" Seliel shrugged. 

   The others did not look as if they agreed. But silently, they did a little.... but only a very little. like, a 1% chance. 

    Finishing up, they headed back to their rooms, stopping briefly in front of Lloyd's cabin and started eavesdropping.

    "Tell Faith, Ultra Violet and Tox I want them in the main cabin tomorrow morning, concerning about our... unwanted guests." Lloyd's voice came. 

   "As long as they don't get in the way, I don't care what they have them do." Kai's voice came next. 

   "We need to set a few rules, and when I say a few, I mean a lot." Lloyd said.

   "They can't enter our cabins, for one." Cole said. 

   "Or the main cabin unless instructed." Kai added.

    "And they certainly can't go down into the hold. If they do... mop the decks?" Jay suggested. 

   "Good one, Jay." Lloyd said and the girls guess him smirking at this. 

    "They can not be allowed to enter the weapons room without an escort from someone from the crew and without permission from us." Zane added to the list. 

    "That will do for now, I think." Lloyd said. 

   Noises from inside the cabin made the girls bolt for their own cabin, shutting the doors just in time before the four boys exited and went to their own cabins. 

                 ⚔⚔⚔⚔⚓⚔⚔⚔⚔

    "Your majesty, we haven't found them yet." The general said, bowing before the King. 

   King Ray said nothing, a stony expression on his face. 

    "There is absolutely no sign of them or their disappearance." The general continued. 

   "Search harder. And send for everyone." King Ray ordered. 

    "Everyone, your majesty?" The general asked, confused. 

    "The girls parent, Sir Cyrus Borg, King Max and Queen Lena Jade, Lord Chen, the Lord and Lady of Nom, and also, King Garmadon and Queen Misako, Lord Wu, Duchess Mistake, Lord Lou, King Cliff and Queen Libby and Lord Julien." King Ray rolled of the list. 

   "The letters will be sent out at once." The general bowed before leaving the King on his own in the throne room.

    Ever since Nya had disappeared, Queen Maya had stayed in her room, only coming out for meal times and to spend a few hours with King Ray.  

    "Where are you?" King Ray murmured, looking down at a miniature of the three of them. 

                ⚔⚔⚔⚔⚓⚔⚔⚔⚔ 

    Skylor finished brushing her hair as she got ready for bed. 

   Looking out the porthole, she could see the Shard Sea glistening in the moonlight. 

    She understood why Lloyd had ordered to sail into the Shard Sea. No one would dare sail into these waters for fear of the sudden ice shards that would rise from the sea and would disappear as quickly as they appeared. 

    She got under the blankets and spent some time staring at the ceiling before she finally drifted off to sleep. 

       ⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓

    So there you have it! Chapter 3! Honestly, this is the fastest I've ever updated one of my books... XD XD XD XD 

  (Word count: 1512) 

   I do apologise that I forgot to add some important characters to the 'characters list'. At some point I will update it... 

   Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this and I'll see you all in the next chapter!!!

   Claire xxx⚓