A.n.- Welcome to my next story, I'm super excited to share this story with you, it has a special place in my heart. The time period is roughly 1600-1700's. I won't make this Author's note long because I know how long some of you have been waiting to read this.

The home had many secret passages and Riley was convinced that even if she spent her whole life here she would never discover them all. The most recent hallways that she found herself wandering to keep her sanity seemed like it was the service corridors that were spread all over for easy access. This hallway took her to the west side of the mansion and took the brunette up the stairs towards the attic. She had never seen this part before; and she could see why, things were scattered everywhere. Chaos would be a word on the tip of her tongue to describe it. Due to her clumsy nature, she did not see the box that was on the ground because her eyes were looking everywhere else. She tumbled to the ground in an unladylike fashion, but overall, she was unscathed. Her head tilted upward to see a painting that was leaning against the wall with a sheet tossed over it in a hurry. She rose to her feet and walked towards it her curiosity taking over. Her fingers gently pushed back the sheet and eventually pealed the dusty fabric completely off revealing the painting. The prominent people in the painting were undoubtedly her parents. Her fingers ran down the frame following her eye line. There was a little girl towards the bottom that resembled her when she was younger, but the one person she didn't recognize was a dark-haired boy with brilliant blue eyes. The painting looked to have captured him when he was about 8 years of age. Her eyes squinted trying to commit to memory the picture because none of it seemed familiar; eventually she pulled the sheet back in place blocking everything to continue in her search of the remaining items in the room.

A box tucked away captured her interest next, the outside was intricate by design and she assumed that was what drew her to it. She unhitched the latch that kept it shut and to her surprise her finger managed to hit a switch on the back releasing the bottom of the box. It fell to the floor starting Riley causing her to jump back. The box was placed on other chest approaching the box's contents carefully. Her fingers picked the paper like object off the floor. Whoever had this in their possession last made a lot of effort to hide it, curiosity gave way and she spread it out across the nearest surface. Imprinted on the smooth surface was a map; of what she did not know. Her fingers traced the paper until it got to the torn edge, it was incomplete. The rip itself was sloppy almost as if it was done in a hurry.

Her trance was broken when she heard one of the servants calling her name. She quickly rolled the paper up and shoved it behind her back before her eyes jumped up to another pair of brown eyes.

"Miss Riley, what are you doing up here?"

"Just exploring." She replied shortly, the less she knew about what she found the better. Riley had never been the best liar, she favored the evasion route.

"But I grow bored, so I'll go elsewhere. Thanks Vanessa." She hurried past her maid and her attempts to get her attempts only hoping that she wouldn't see that she had taken the half-fulfilled map with her. This habit of hers just brought more questions, the one on the forefront of her mind, where was the boy in the painting and did he have anything to do with the map?

The sights and sounds almost made the marketplace seem alive verses the colorful arrangement of people it possessed. She enjoyed mingling with the strangers and hearing their stories because she barely got out of her home. She knew she was on borrowed time because eventually her father would notice that she was gone and send for her. No one seemed to recognized her as she passed by them or if they did they didn't mind her presence. Multiple greetings were given which she happily returned. An apple was exchanged for coins that served as her breakfast to silence her shiny caught her attention between bites drawing her towards a booth.

"A pretty necklace for a beautiful girl?" The shop keeper's words meant to tempt the young girl into purchasing something. Riley's eyes jumped from object to object trying to take it all in.

"It's all so beautiful." The necklaces and bracelets were unique and one of a kind.

"It's all beautiful, that doesn't change when it leaves the ocean." The voice caught her by surprise as she turned and saw a man who was staring intensely at pearls among the other thing.

"I'm sorry?" He looked disheveled and slightly disorganized, Riley had never seen him at the market before.

"The story of how a pearl comes to be is amazing. A little grain of sand gets in an oyster and irritates it until it becomes the pearl within." The information was news to her, but it gave new perspective to the necklaces in front of her.

"How do you know that?" Curiosity got the better of her as she glanced back at the stranger.

"I'm an observer of the world around me."

"Miss, your Father asks you to come with us." The brunette let out a sigh of slight annoyance before tucking the attitude away to slip into the role that was expected of her.

"Excuse me, I have to go." Not many words could explain why she was being escorted away, usually it was best not to explain at all, odds were that she wouldn't see them again. She glanced back at the guy a last time before she rounded the corner and everyone disappeared out of her line of sight. Something that caught her attention was his curiosity about things; when she saw ordinary objects, it seemed like he saw more when he saw them. It was a trait that she admired and wanted to develop in her own life. They passed through the gate which closed behind them; every layer they went through it felt more and more trapped. She knew that when they reached her parents she would get a lecture on sneaking off. Indeed, her father and mother stood there an angry expression wore on his face.

The man watched the girl be escorted away with not another word. That was one of the strangest things he had seen all day, but his mind just concluded that she was someone of affluence. He never gave her his name and he never got hers so the likelihood that they would meet again was low. He loved to come to these parts to just watch everyone and how they interact. Humans always fascinated him and observing their behavior interest him; it fed his scientist mind. He rounded another corner to hear people shouting money amounts.

"Sold." It seemed that he had landed on the outskirts of a slave auction. The use of slaves was common among the ports, he didn't own one himself.

"Next up, we have this strapping young boy, strong legs good for farming or work around the home. Can I get money?" A bid got shouted followed by another. The blue eyes landed on the guy who seemed to shift uncomfortably from the situation. Something seemed to tug at him until he found himself opening his mouth. The bid was once again raised and he opened his mouth again; in an instant the auction was over. He handed what money he had and was given the rope.

"Let me get rid of this." He loosened the rope trying to make it as comfortable for the boy. He didn't know what compelled him to participate, but he had a gut instinct not to let him be bought by the other two gentlemen.

"Do you have a name?"

"They call me Zay sir."

"My name is Farkle." Farkle had never owned a slave before, but he figured that he would need help with anything that he needed.

"Riley what were you thinking going outside the walls without an escort?" Her father chastised and Riley suddenly felt like she was 6 instead of 19. She didn't really see the danger of going out alone, she could handle herself and even if she couldn't it wasn't like their town was a violent one. Ever since she was little it seemed like their mission to keep her inside as much as possible while keeping an eye on her, and it was starting to suffocating the very air she breathed. There were so many rules that she had to obey, it seemed like it was never ending, and not one eve explained why. It was almost like her parents didn't want her going outdoors, they liked it less when she visited the markets and even less when she went down by the docks. All the sailors that she ever met were nice and they always had the best stories to tell of their journey on the open sea. That sounded like the life that was limitless, there were no walls around her and they could set sail till they couldn't anymore. Their stories consisted of new places, meeting other people, almost running into creatures; some claimed mermaids. Every now and then they had stories of run ins that they had with pirates, although some of those were tales, but even as they were it still sounded more excited that being told what to do every day.

"Riley, did you hear me?" Her eyes jumped up to the searching one of her fathers.

"Yes Father," She replied when it was further from the truth, but it seemed like he didn't believe her either.

"Riley this is serious, you are important to this town, you have certain responsibilities and I need you to start acting like it." Everyone on the island had a role that they needed to play including her own, but she just had this gut feeling that she couldn't explain deep down that there was something more than just the island.

"I understand father," all joy erased from her voice. His face cringed at her response not knowing what to do. He let out a sigh at his daughter, he was trying to keep her safe, didn't she realize that?

"Riley"-

"Can I go now father?" Her eyes were focused on the floor until he dismissed her. She rushed up the stairs wanting the privacy of her quarters. Her feet took her to the window, it didn't help her longing to escape by the view of the endless ocean in front of her. She was feeling drawn to like it was calling her name. She looked back towards the door in hopes that no one would walk in on her trying to escape. She wanted to be the child that her parents always wanted, but she didn't seem the harm of slipping out for a bit. She need to clear her head, it might help her clear her head to figure out what she found in the attic. She knew what people would say if they say her as she threw the linen out of the window, that this wasn't something that she should do, that it was appalling and far from lady-like behavior, but it was this pull that keep nagging at her that she couldn't shake.

The sight of the endless blues meeting at the horizon brought a calming effect to the brunette as she raced over the hill away from her home. She couldn't explain why this was her spot whenever she needed to think, it always welcomed her with the sound of crashing waves. She watched the tide come in and out almost like the water was saying goodbye to the shore only to embrace with it again.

She wished that she could be what her parents wanted, the perfect daughter that could uphold her responsibilities in the proper manner that was required of her, but it seemed like every path she took it just brought her back to feeling confined. It just felt like there was so much more that this tiny island could offer. Maybe that was why she was prone to run away before. She had to admit that did not help with the trust issues that she was facing with her parents. There was no way that Father would let her leave on a ship, it would be far too dangerous.

She neared the water's edge and took off her shoes with care feeling the sand beneath her feet. She took a deep breath and put her foot in the water letting the water fall past her feet and then return to the ocean. She pulled out the map that she had managed to keep from her parents successfully. What did it even mean, but the more important question what was it doing within the possession of the Matthew's family? There were always secrets kept within families and Riley knew that, but something like this; she would at least imagine hearing the whispers of the staff. She let out a sigh knowing that her time outside was limited, sooner or later they would send staff in after her and when they found out she would be missing only to get in trouble again. She bid goodbye to the waves and began her journey back, but not before turning back for one last glance.

"Someday," she promised before continuing the trek back up the hill, but her heart was still on the beach.

A.n.- So there you have it, chapter one. I hope that you continue on with me in this story, but if it is not your cup of tea I am also posting another story in a couple of days. Let me know what you think, and don't forget to favorite and follow.