Alaniana Bluebeard walked with hands tied in front of her, locking her to her husband in front of her. The crowd pulled at their boots. One person succeeded in pulling her boot off. Lanie, in twelve years in Kingston Harbor, had never seen such a hostile crowd. Her boot hit her face, and she stumbled but continued in her regal confidence. She finally made it to the podium."Let the hanging begin!" the executioner screamed.

The king sat thoughtfully in front of the platform. He had grown fatter. Worry lines creased his face. Lanie suddenly felt a pang in her heart. He would never see his only daughter again. The executioner lowered the rope over her head.

"Goodbye, Father," she whispered, a tear falling from her eye.

"Wait!" the king yelled. Lanie paled, thinking he had heard her. "I think I recognize you! Are you related to Richard Bluet?" he pointed to John. Lanie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who is that?" John asked.

"He was the king three generations ago in Azul." Lanie remembered Azul was the neighboring kingdom The current ruler was James Bluet. His father's name was Jacob.

"My grandfather's name was Richard." John offered.

"Was your father named Jacob?' Lanie's father voiced her question.

"No, his name was Harold."

"I need my secretary."

the secretary ran up."Yes Sir?"

"What is the genealogy of the ruling family of Azul?"the king asked, handing the secretary a megaphone.

"The original document says Richard's oldest son was Harold, but it is changed on the more recent documents." she frowned.

"And Harold's son must have been you." the king marveled.

"I'm the rightful ruler?" John asked.

"Bluebeard does sound a lot like Bluet." Lanie found her voice.

"Yes," the king mused. Then he realized who spoke. "That voice. I haven't heard one like that in eight years."

"Hi, Father." Lanie squeaked.

"My daughter has come home! Alaniana, Don't leave me again!" He ran to his daughter and removed the noose from her neck. The executioner reluctantly removed the noose from John's neck. The king publicly embraced his daughter.

"If I wouldn't have left, I wouldn't have found John." She embraced her father. "John, the kids!" she gasped.

A figure rolled up in a wheelchair.

"Pardon me, Princess, but I presume your first mate knows where the children might be?" Zach asked.

"Oh, Zach! You're ok!" Lanie yelled. "Yes, Jack knows where the kids are."

A young man behind Zach ran to the harbor.

"I'm so happy I could burst!" Lanie cried.

"The End!" a little girl who had come to "Queen Alaniana's Story Time" sighed happily. "I love love stories!"

"I liked the pirates." a boy harrumphed.

A blonde teen poked her head through the door. "Hey, Mom?"

"Yes, Cordelia?" the queen replied.

"Where's Dylan? He claims I'm better than him with horses and wants me to drive him to town." the girl responded.

"Let Dylan do his own stuff. He'll get it eventually."

"Even if he gets mad at me?"

"Even if he gets mad."

Cordelia noticed the children at her mother's feet. "Are you telling the story of how you and Dad met?"

"Of Course I am." the mother called after her retreating daughter.

"That was true?" a little girl squeaked.

"And you're Lane!" another boy cried.

The Pirate Queen only replied, "You thought it was fiction?"