A brunette girl woke up smiling and pulled herself off the small cot that served as her bed. Picking up the small handheld mirror that was her only memento of a family, she began to brush her hair, noting that her blue eyes flaked with stormy gray were aglow with joy. The day had finally come, May first, Aurelia's eighteenth birthday. It was time for her to leave. Gathering up her few possessions, she headed down the stairs where she was greeted by the familiar scents and sounds of the kitchen.
"Aurelia, dear, have some breakfast," plump Missus Rachel insisted. "I know you have 'big plans' and are leaving, but you can at least do it on a full stomach!"
Aurelia chuckled. "If you insist," she said with a gracious smile, sitting down at the small table.
"It seems like just yesterday that Mr. Thomas dropped you at my doorstep before running off to God-knows-where and then the navy," the woman mused. Aurelia smiled. It was a tale she knew well. "But Aurelia dear, are you certain he is truly your father?"
"It's the best lead I have," she said with a sigh. "By all rights, I should have been raised as your neighbor and not your charge. We may not be in the slums, but we aren't exactly wealthy and I've been a hindrance on your husband's income… I can at least pay off my debt to you for caring for me if I am abroad."
Missus Rachel was tearing up. "You don't have to pay us back, dear," she said as she placed some sausages before Aurelia. "You know that Richard and I can never have children of our own." Suddenly, the woman let out a small sob and had to stop cooking the eggs for a moment.
Immediately, Aurelia was at her side. "This isn't goodbye forever," she promised, kissing one plump cheek.
Missus Rachel managed a small nod. Wiping her tears away with a kerchief, she returned to the eggs.
Once back at the table, Aurelia speared several sausages and placed them on her plate. She cut into one and let it cool for a minute before taking a bite. "These are superb! Oh, I'll miss your cooking, Missus Rachel!"
Missus Rachel shook her head. "How many times have I said that there's no need for the 'missus'?"
Chucking, Aurelia continued to eat the food placed before her. All too soon, though, it was gone and it was time for her to leave. As she stood up, Missus Rachel hurried over as fast as her moderate bulk allowed. "Mr. Richard and I have something for you," she said, holding up a beautifully woven pack covered in designs. "It is sturdy, but not waterproof so be careful," she said, embracing the girl that had been her charge for over seventeen years. "Be careful out there."
"I will… Mum," Aurelia said, turning and walking out the door before Missus Rachel noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. As she walked out into the foggy Liverpool morning, she heard the woman that had raised her crying in the doorway.
Quickening her pace slightly and wiping away her tears, she headed for the main road. When a cart rumbled by, she ran along and grabbed on to the side. "Heading for the port?," she asked when the annoyed driver looked at her. He grunted and nodded. "I'll pay if I can catch a ride," she said, receiving a nod of approval from the driver.
They traveled for nearly a half hour before reaching the port. "Thank you," she said, tossing the driver a coin and walking off. Her behavior was improper, but she didn't care. Spying a shop that looked promising, she stepped in. "Excuse me," she asked a woman that had stopped to help her, "I need clothes for my son. He's about my size. Just plain breeches, trousers, and a shirt should do."
The woman nodded and scurried off, returning a few minutes later with an armful of clothing. Thanking the woman, she purchased the clothes and went to find a secluded spot.
It took a while, but she eventually found one. Pulling her first pack open, she removed a cap and a pair of boots. Quickly, so as to not be noticed, she slipped into the boy's clothing and pulled on the boots, taking a minute, she fiddled with the cap until her hair was hidden. The disguise wouldn't hold up under close scrutiny, but she didn't plan on being spotted.
Stuffing her clothes into her first pack, noticed something and cursed softly. She hadn't had time to find or make a breast band and now it posed an awkward dilemma. Sighing, Aurelia decided to make the best of the situation.
For a moment, her eyes strayed to the pack she'd been gifted, but she decided not to open it just yet. Rising, she made her way for the ships, looking for the Silver Porpoise. It was bound for Port Royal and carried European goods to sell in the Caribbean. The only catch was that a British Naval officer was aboard, but with any luck Aurelia would avoid him.
Picking up an empty crate, she walked up the gangplank, pretending to be one of the crew. Once aboard, she headed below deck. Finding that there was a nearly empty room, she set her crate down, opened the lid, and crawled in. Knowing there was a long trip ahead, she allowed herself to be lulled to sleep by the ship's rocking motion.
The next four weeks went smoothly for Aurelia. Her own stock of dried meats and nuts lasted a while, and when that ran out she could sneak scraps from the galley. Water was easy enough. It was stored in the room she had her crate hidden in. So far, even when she was glimpsed, nobody seemed to suspect anything out of the ordinary save the naval officer, Arthur Kirkland. He had glimpsed her once and immediately pursued her, and he regularly checked for stowaways. His way of thinking was that if there was a stowaway they would eventually slip up… and he was right.
Arthur Kirkland had known that something was up as soon as his foot touched the Silver Porpoise's deck. It wasn't until he had glimpsed a cap and a loose cotton shirt that things had finally clicked. There was a young country on board and he was going to find them. This was easily more important than his mission to apprehend the pirate Thomas Baker.
On the last night of the trip, Aurelia snuck out of her crate near dawn to go look at the sea and stars. The long journey was almost at an end. She'd heard the men say that they'd hit Port Royal by the coming afternoon. After a little while, she snuck back to get in her crate… but someone was in the room. "Look," one of the crew said. "The top of this crate isn't all the way on and there are bag's inside.
In shock, Aurelia gasped two men came out. "Well look here," one said with a smirk. "Let's see if this rat drowns." Though she tried to run, strong hands closed around her waist and tossed her over a broad shoulder. She was afraid to speak, knowing it would give away her femininity.
The men took her to the ship's edge. The one holding her dangled her over the edge while the other poked her face, receiving a powerful bite that drew blood. Letting out a yell of pain, the second man stumbled back. "You little bastard!"
Suddenly, Aurelia noticed that the navy officer was there. "I see you've found our stowaway," he said. "Good work, but now I'll deal with him."
Looking disappointed, the man holding Aurelia handed her over to the navy man. He held on to her by just the wrist. Seeing an opportunity, she tried to twist loose and run.
"Oh no you don't," the man said, tackling her to the ground. His legs pinned Aurelia's and his hand rested on her chest to restrain movement.
Due to being tackled, her cap had fallen off and spilled out long brown hair. Her shirt had come up slightly to show a small waist. And the man noticed that the stowaway's chest was soft and squishy… he had put his hand directly on a breast.
"Dear God, you're a girl," he cried, snatching his hand back.
"An astounding revelation," Aurelia said sarcastically, finally speaking. "And did you really have to be so slow to notice it? I don't enjoy being groped by strange men."
Blushing, though out of shame and not embarrassment — he really had let his hand linger a moment longer after he realized she was female — he helped her up. "Well, Ms. Stowaway, I am Arthur Kirkland of the Crown's navy. I do believe I have a right to know your identity."
"Aurelia," she said. "Just Aurelia."
Happy to at least have a partial answer, Arthur lead Aurelia to his quarters. "Someone fetch the girl's things. And do not remove anything," he instructed a man.
"I'm not a girl, I'm a woman," Aurelia said defensively.
"Regardless, being a stowaway is a low, childish move, so you are a girl in my eyes."
"But in the memory of that hand I'm a woman," she shot back.
Arthur ignored the jibe and stared through the large window at the back of the room. He was certain now. She was, in fact, a new country, though she did not seem to be aware of it. Also, it seemed that she had aged normally for the first few years of her life. He expected that her aging would slow given time. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Arthur opened it and took Aurelia's two bags. "Get dressed," he ordered her.
"No."
"Fine. Then you can stay in those pants and rather thin, somewhat translucent, shirt and be at the crew's mercy.
"I hate you," Aurelia murmured, digging through her bag. "But you're not watching me change. Out of the room."
"Only to return, get hit on the head, and have you escape? How about no?"
"Then at least don't watch," Aurelia ordered as she began to remove clothing. Arthur was extremely conscious of the sound of clothing hitting the ground, but kept his back turned and eyes closed. She usually would have slept in her underclothes, but decided to dress fully as the underclothes weren't so something she wanted him to see. Before long, Aurelia said, "I'm finished," and he turned around and opened his eyes.
With a plain cream dress on her surprisingly tanned skin and her hair tumbling down her shoulders in chestnut waves, she looked every bit tropical and not an ounce English. "Wow," Arthur murmured.
"Stop gawking," Aurelia snapped. "I'm tired." Sighing, Arthur let her take the bed and slept on the couch, coming up with theories about the girl. She was probably an illiterate from the slums, judging by her terrible manners. He planned to take her to a friend's inn when they reached Port Royal. He'd keep an eye on her until he could figure out what to do. With these thoughts drifting through his head, he fell asleep.
Aurelia was not so lucky. All night she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. As dawn light began to turn the room gray, she finally fell into an uneasy sleep.
When Arthur awoke, he noted that Aurelia was still asleep. Getting dressed, he went to eat breakfast, making sure to lock the door as he left the room. After eating, he placed a tray of food in his room for Aurelia. He then pushed her from his mind and started dealing with his intended work here.
Once Aurelia woke, it was near midday. Noting a tray, she ate the food placed on it and gratefully drained the water. No sooner than she had finished, Arthur returned. "Get dressed in something that isn't so thick if you can," he said. "It's hot today and you and I have a long walk ahead of us."
Knowing she had nothing in her first pack, she opened the second. On top was a silk dress with a note attached saying that there were two outfits in the bag and the second should stay wrapped up and hidden for a little while. Shrugging, she pulled out the dress. It was a stormy grayish blue, matching her eyes. There was even a pair of shoes. Quickly, Aurelia pulled them out and laid them out on the bed.
Looking at the fine material, Arthur couldn't help but think it was stolen, but decided to let it go. "You ought to clean your hair," he said. "There's a basin of water in there." He jerked his thumb toward a closet.
Nodding, Aurelia pulled out the basin. "I'll be back soon. Be ready by then," Arthur said, leaving her to wash her hair.
The young woman found a bar of soap and set it beside the basin. Removing the cream dress, she knelt in just her underclothes and began washing. First it was just her hair, but after a while, Aurelia removed the underclothes and washed her entire body. Once she was done, she let out a sigh of relief and squeezed excess water from her hair and dried the floor as best as she could. Once mostly dry, she pulled on the silk petticoats that had been packed along with the dress. However, she noted angrily that she was unable to lace the corset on her own. Just then, Arthur Kirkland came back in. "Could you help me?" Aurelia asked, looking at the floor in embarrassment. Arthur, though awkward, helped her lace it as best as he could. When Aurelia turned around to thank him, he noticed how much she was blushing.
Figuring the worst was over, Aurelia pulled on everything else and ran a comb through her now-dry hair. "Are we leaving now?"
"Yes," Arthur said, taking her arm and leading her up to the deck, down the gangplank, into Port Royal and into the market,
Scents of green and black tea, of jasmine and bergamot and citrus, of clove and cinnamon and everything wonderful and exotic washed over Aurelia as she walked through the market in. "Wow," she murmured, taking in all the scents and processing them. "I know there are unsavory notes as well, but the scent of this place alone is wonderfully overwhelming, not to mention the sights and sounds and the slight taste of coffee on the breeze," she gushed to Arthur.
"You truly have the potential to become an author," he chuckled, ruffling the girl's brown hair. "But you know why we're here, and you're not escaping punishment.
"B-but," Aurelia began to protest.
"No arguing," the Englishman said. "You were a stowaway on my ship and by all rights I should have let my men drown you. You'll be better off than you'd hoped where I'm taking you."
"I have important things to do, though, and people to find!"
"By your argument I assume you wish to change course for the jail?"
Immediately, Aurelia was pouting. For the next several market stalls she completely ignored Arthur, instead focusing on a monkey — capuchin, if she remembered correctly — on a vendor's shoulder. She giggled to see it was dressed in a tiny set of trousers and a loose cotton shirt.
Arthur rolled his eyes slightly, seeing how easily amused she was. "Who could be so important anyway?" he asked, feigning noninterest and trying to seem like he was just resuming conversation.
"Why would you care," Aurelia asked, pushing hair out of her stormy blue eyes before looking back at the diversity in the market.
"Because you were a stowaway on my ship and I deserve answers. I could also send you to the jail… or a brothel."
"You wouldn't!" Aurelia exclaimed, face bleached of color and terrified. "And I took you to be a gentleman!"
Sighing, the blonde realized that the conversation was going south fast. "I apologize, Aurelia," he said. "It was an empty threat."
The girl merely harrumphed.
"I really would like to know who you are looking for, though," he continued.
For a long time, she merely stared into the distance, hardly noting the market. "I bet that those reddish onion-looking fruits taste weird," she finally said.
"That's a pomegranate," Arthur said.
"Like Persephone ate!" Aurelia exclaimed, proud to know where the fruit was from.
"I'm surprised you know that story," the Brit said. "Not to be rude, but you looked like someone from the slums." By now, Arthur had decided to give up on the issue of who the stowaway was looking for. All that mattered was that she was here right now.
"I read in my free time," she said before letting her gaze drift back to the fruits. "They look strange, but must taste amazing to trap someone in Hades," she mused.
"Would you like to try one," Arthur asked.
"Really?" she asked with a smile.
"Really," he confirmed, purchasing one of the larger pomegranates. "Now let's find a nice place to eat this," he told the smiling girl.
"I saw a nice place when we brought the boat in to harbor," Aurelia said.
"Then by all means lead on!"
Giggling all the while, Aurelia lead Arthur toward a sandy beach shaded by palms and a rocky overhang from the cliff they stood atop. "Race you down," the youth exclaimed, snatching away the pomegranate and scrambling down the cliff face.
"Not so fast," Arthur exclaimed, removing his boots and tossing them down before chasing after Aurelia. It just so happened that she was stuck on a tricky lip of rock. "Let me help you," Arthur said mischievously, holding out his hand to her. She reached for it, only to have him dart closer and snatch away the pomegranate. "Maybe I won't let you try any," he teased.
"You bastard! We were supposed to share!"
"But I purchased it," Arthur teased further.
With a grunt, Aurelia launched herself off the lip of rock in a risky move and landed on a small ledge, grappling for a grip before she fell. After a terrifying moment where she almost did, she regained her balance and began to head for Arthur who was only thirty feet from the bottom.
The poor British man never saw it coming. One minute he was chucking to himself, prepared to win the race, and the next a giggling, determined girl was clinging to his back, peeling them both off the rock face. As they fell, Arthur had just enough time to try and rotate himself so that Aurelia was not crushed.
With a thump, he landed stomach first on the sand. The wind — already knocked out of him — was further removed due to Aurelia's impact on his back.
"I-I'm so sorry," she murmured, standing up hurriedly and offering her hand to Arthur.
"No… you… are… not," Arthur managed in short bursts before coughing. When he recovered, he added, "at least you're not as sorry as you ought to be."
"Guilty as charged," she said with shrug. "Now how about a pomegranate?"
Smiling, Arthur sat up and pulled his boots back on. With a few brushes of his hand, he removed the sand coating the fruit from their fall on to the sandy beach. "Luckily, we didn't smash it." He took a small knife from his belt and opened up the pomegranate.
"It's… beautiful," Aurelia said, astounded upon seeing the glistening red seeds making up the interior.
Arthur smiled more. "I suppose it sort of is in its own way," he said, picking out one of the seeds and popping it in his mouth.
Aurelia hurried to do the same, and made a face as the seed burst in her mouth.
"Do you not like it?" Arthur asked.
"It's weird… but good," she said, hurrying to reach for another.
The two sat together on the sand and ate pomegranate seeds together, staining their fingers, watching the clouds move and the sun sink inevitably. A warm breeze rustled the palm fronds and made the scorching day more bearable. The pomegranate was refreshing and added a perfect contrast of cool, sweet tartness to the hot, salty air.
Nearly an hour passed, and it wasn't until Aurelia was falling asleep in the sand that Arthur noticed it was almost sunset. Looking at the nearly unconscious girl, he registered for the first time that she appeared to be of an age similar to his body's appearance. And she was quite pretty too. Suddenly, he shook the thoughts from his head. "Aurelia," he said, gently tapping the girl's shoulder. "It's time to go."
Yawning, the girl slowly sat up. "Thomas Baker," she said.
"Pardon?" Arthur asked, confused that this girl would know that name.
"You asked who I was looking for. I'm looking for Thomas Baker… apparently he's my father. He left and joined the navy over a decade ago. I was told to look here for him… do you know anything that could help me? I'd appreciate it."
Arthur shook his head sadly. "I'm terribly sorry, but I can't help you with that as of now."
The girl sighed. "I should have assumed as much… it was foolish of me to get my hopes up."
Feeling guilty about keeping secrets from this girl, Arthur made the best offer he could. "Why don't you come with me tonight and stay in the governor's home? It's the least I can do to make up for my rudeness and lack of answers." In truth, he also wanted to keep Aurelia close to himself for the time being… he had plenty of questions that she was causing him.
"Are you sure that I will be welcomed?" Aurelia looked apprehensive.
"You will be as soon as I have you cleaned up," Arthur said.
"Lord help me," she murmured before being dragged back to the cliff by an overly enthusiastic British Navy officer.