Chapter 1: Bird In A Cage

Her eyes opened slowly and burnt in the harsh sunlight. She closed them quickly and tried to part her dry, cracked lips. Her breath caught harshly in her chest and the skin of her face grated against the sand beneath her. A fresh cold wave lapped over her legs and suddenly dark silhouettes blocked the burning light of the sun.

The man stroked a strand of dirty blonde hair off the girls face; she was burnt from the sun and looked close to death.

He tilted her head and gently touched her right temple. Her hair was bloodied and matted; even being in the water had not cleansed the blood from her hair.

His wife sat opposite him and gently dabbed the wound in the girl's head, he watched his wife and couldn't help shuddering to think that had the bullet been closer to this girls temple she would have been killed.

They took her to their new home in Port Royal, she was still unconscious when they had a bed made up for her and laid her in it. When she awoke she had no idea where she was or who they were. In fact she didn't know who she was or what she had been doing that had gotten her shot in the head. She knew she was 15 and her name was Roxanne.

Ten years later

Roxanne stood at her window and looked down at the low hum of voices that passed her family's house. Things had changed a lot in Port Royal in the last few years. She watched now as a procession of people, all chained, were led past the house to be imprisoned and finally hanged. She watched them all walk past and begged someone out there to have mercy on them. Her stomach twisted as she saw the last prisoner walk along behind the others, a boy who could be no older than ten, and she squeezed her eyes shut in anger.

She was dressed in her restrictive corset dress and her long blonde hair that now reached beyond her lower back was pulled up into a fashionable style. She accompanied her father Samuel Bennett into town, a large crowd gathered in the town square to watch the latest pirate hangings. Roxanne knew that Samuel Bennett was not her real father, just as she knew that Catherine Bennett had not been her mother. They had never hidden it from her, but she had no idea who her family was or where she came from and they were kind and loved her as if she was their own. Samuel didn't agree with these hangings and knew his wife would have hated them too if she were alive today.

Lord Cutler Beckett stood next to a man who was scratching names off a list, he looked over and smiled at Roxanne, she loathed Beckett and refused to return the smile.

She watched him leave the town square and scowled; her father squeezed her arm,

' Cant look his victims in the eye, coward!' she muttered coldly

' What was that dear?' he said turning to look at her

' I didn't say anything' she said smiling at him

' I'm sorry Roxanne, I did everything I could'

' I know you did' she said smiling at him

' I'm going to go, I cant stand these…hangings' he said quietly, he walked away and left her.

She stood to the side of the square and watched as the first ten to be hanged were led out, she gasped quietly as the small boy was led out last and stood closest to her. He was so young they had to stand him on a bucket to reach the noose. One man at the other end began to fight against his fate and several soldiers dashed over to restrain him. She seized the opportunity and walked over to the man with the list,

' How much for the boy?' she muttered

' I can release him'

' How much for his life?' she dangled a bag full of coins in front of his eyes,

' If lord Beckett found out…' he said looking around

' How would he, small boy like that could easily slip his restraints and run couldn't he?'

' Well…yes I suppose he could but they've all seen him' he said gesturing to the crowd who were now laughing at the pirate who had tried to escape,

' Say you called his name at the wrong time and have him sent back, I'll collect him and you get your money' he hesitated then nodded.

She led the boy away from the square and up to the house; her father looked perplexed as she brought him into the house but agreed to keep him there after hearing his story. His name was Michael, his mother had seven other children and an eight on the way and she couldn't afford to feed him so she sold him. He was bought by a pirate and forced to work on the ship and was thus arrested as a pirate not a slave. She made sure the boy ate heartily and showed him to a room,

' You're too kind hearted, what if Beckett realises who the boy is?' her father said warily,

' Keep him out of sight, I doubt he'll care after tomorrow anyway' she said sadly

' I'm so sorry Roxanne, I never wanted this for you…not him' he said quietly

' Stop blaming yourself'

' But it is my fault, I brought you here to him'

' And you saved my life and gave me a family, without you I'd be long dead' he stroked her hair affectionately,

' You gave your mother and I hope, we couldn't have our own children and then there you were, lost and alone and we both loved you instantly and now I have to lose you'

' You're not losing me'

' He'll never let you back here, he'll keep you locked up like a bird in a cage'

' Then more fool him' she said squeezing her father's hand

' Here, I've been meaning to give you this for a long time' he fiddled around in his coat pocket and pulled out a long silver pendant,

' It's beautiful'

' It's yours, it was the only thing you had on you when we found you on that beach' she held it in her hand and smiled at him. He kissed her forehead and left her alone in the parlour, she could have been wrong but she could have sworn she could feel the pendant pulsing in her hand.