They say that once, centuries ago, four pirate lords joined together in a pact. This pact was to promote a certain harmony, a ceasefire between one another.
The deal was to bury their treasure as a way to make sure none of them would attack or kill each other. This was a way to safeguard their self-built empires.
Each pirate lord originated from four different corners of the world, making a unanimous decision that should any of them die the treasure they bury would be divided equally amongst them.
Although the locations of their treasures were kept secret to others, the co-ordinates of each lord's horde were marked on four seperate maps only to be shared when a lord died.
Eventually, all the lords were killed before any could uncover the others treasures. It was a tale often told to young children to inspire hope and spirit. The treasure was still out there.
Georgiana stood, breathing heavily outside her balcony doors. The smoothed surface of the wall she leant against chilled her through her diaphanous nightgown.
The wind coming in from the sea offered her no protection against the sudden cold and she decided to move from her hiding place. Whilst moving, she heard her maid calling for her quietly.
"Miss Georgiana! Miss, where in heaven's name are you girl?" Her maid, Sara, was aged and akin to a great aunt. "You better not have hid away again or come morning, your father shall know!"
Georgiana snorted silently. What a threat.
She noticed her shivering had not quelled and continued on her mission. Looking down at the crumbling bricks that made up her family's large manor home, she reached out tentatively with her left foot.
Good. Nothing broke beneath her weight so she continued her way downwards. By the end, she had various grazes and scratches on both her knees and feet but still she persevered.
Her father, the Governor of Jamaica, presided over the small island they called home. Whilst officially named Port Royal, Georgiana liked to call it Port Insufferable.
She looked around the outskirts of her father's property for the familiar gap she used to break out. As usual, she lifted the haphazardly placed wooden plank to squeeze through the small hole.
The young woman silently prayed to the powers that be for her mother's physique, tall but slim. It helped when she needed to reach places other ladies could not and also for instances such as the one she was currently in.
After brushing past some overgrown shrubs, Georgiana sighed happily as she strode silently and carefully through the village.
Many of the village's inhabitants were asleep whilst others were too occupied to notice a young woman strolling past their homes. Eventually, once she reached her destination, Gee paused.
Up close, the ships parked in the Port's docks seemed much larger and Georgiana found herself almost slightly scared. Then again, Georgiana had never felt fear in her life and chose to carry on.
She shrugged her wrap closer and braved the dangers of the open water to inspect one ship more closely.
Deciding enough was enough, Georgiana began to turn towards the direction she had come. Before doing so however, she noticed a ship in the distance heading seemingly for the island.
Her breath escaped her as she noticed the colour of the sails. Black. The sign of a pirate ship.
She hitched her nightgown higher, baring her smooth calves, and ran for her home. As soon as she reached her bedroom, she rushed downstairs to the foyer where she knew her father's manservant, Frederick, would remain on the odd chance of any late-night visitors. He would remain at his post until granted permission to retire for the night.
"Miss Georgiana! May I enquire as to the reason for your being out of bed?" If one did not know Frederick, one might have thought his tone to be scolding but Georgiana took it for what it really was - concern.
She smiled despite her rising panic. "Do not fret for my absence Frederick - where is my father?"
The old man shook his head worriedly, a frown placed upon his lips. "I believe him to be in his office, my lady. With Commodore Llewellyn."
Normally, Georgiana in her inquisitive nature would have asked about the presence of the Commodore but due to a much more pressing matter, she refrained from doing so and ran for her father.
"Father!" She called when she entered his office. Both men looked up at her in surprise.
Her father rose angrily. "Georgiana-" His voice held a reprimand and a warning simultaneously.
"No, father you must listen! There is a pirate ship headed for the island!" Before either man formulated an appropriate response, Georgiana became aware of her improper attire and quickly snatched one of her father's spare coats from the stand in the corner.
"Llewellyn, please assemble your men and meet me at the docks. We shall stop these goddamned fiends before they terrorize any more people." With a significant look at Gee, Commodore Llewellyn left hurriedly.
Before thinking too much on what that could have possibly meant, Georgiana turned to her father. "Georgiana, I want you to gather your sister and both of you hide in the cellar. This is much too dangerous for either of you."
Knowing there was no point in arguing with her father, Gee left to find her younger sister Jane.
Her sister lay in her bed, probably fast asleep like a proper young lady. "Jane," Georgiana shook her sister awake. "Jane, come with me, quickly now." Minutes passed as Gee woke her sister from her dreamy reverie.
As they both headed for the cellar, the door to their home banged open, a dead soldier falling to the ground.
Georgiana took a sword from her father's wall stand in preparation for any oncoming attack, but nothing happened. She kept the sword with her while ushering Jane through the pantry into the cellar.
As the sounds of cannons and gunfire penetrated the manor's walls, Gee found herself torn. One part of her wished to go, see the action, feel it. The other deemed such an idea preposterous and foolish.
So, naturally, Georgiana chose to listen to the former. She uttered a quick, harried apology and goodbye to her sister and rushed out the door, hitching her chemise and father's coat as she went.
She must have looked a sight, running like a village girl across the island towards the docks in such an outfit. If only the upper-class society saw her now, they would have perished. Gee laughed wildly at the thought.
Her long mahogany locks streamed behind her, a reckless banner of reds and browns. Her feet hurt from running over such rocky ground but finally, Georgiana could see the battle before her.
The ships once parked in the docks were free now, fighting the pirate ship's cannons with their own. A giant cloud of black smoke billowed from a burning ship and Georgiana felt a flicker of fear for her father.
She continued towards the beach where she could sit and watch the ongoing fight. Hours passed with no recognition of the time from Georgiana, and eventually the battle died down.
As soon as she realized the pirates had been taken, Georgiana followed the sounds of the soldiers' conversations towards where the foreign ship was being brought in to the docks.
Her breath caught as she tried desperately to search for her father in the crowd of men. Her slender shoulders slumped in relief when she found his familiar grey wig underneath his hat.
She went to stand behind her father and Commodore Llewellyn as the pirates were gathered from their ship. Gee noticed a distinctive mix of people; a black woman with white hair, an old man with a whole ear completely pierced, a young man with a hand missing and many more odd characters. The person she noticed most though, was being led first and wore the three-pointed hat of a captain.
He had dark eyes, an unblemished, pale complexion and equally pale silvery hair. He wore a navy coat with gold thread and black breeches. Gee could hardly breath as he looked in her direction.
Their eyes locked and her heart stopped. He smiled and Llewellyn put his coat around her shoulders and whispered in her ear to go home. The pirates smile faded and her heart dropped into her stomach.
Why was she feeling like this? She shook off the sudden emotions and decided to paid attention to what her father was saying.
"Cretins like you deserve to go to hell as immediately as you are borne of it. They are to be hanged tomorrow morn." Governor James' voice was final, indicating no argument.
Gee cried out, making all eyes turn to her. She blushed and sighed as she stupidly lifted her eyes to meet those of what she presumed to be the pirate Captain's.
They seemed black now and she could barely turn herself away. But one look at her father's outraged face made her want to leave as soon as possible.
"Georgiana, I shan't enquire as to your reasons for abandoning my previous orders but now demand you return home. Immediately!" She acquiesced, curtseying before her current company.
Her heart hurt for some strange reason as she turned to leave. Later, when she was sat at her vanity, brushing her hair well into the early morning, Gee made a promise to herself that she would not let those pirates die without meeting them first.