Disclaimer: I do not own anyone from The Phantom of the Opera though I would like it very much if Erik was my Angel of Music. I only own William Daae, The Maid Marion, and the Phantom (the ship not Erik)
Chapter 1 The Crossing From England Somewhere on the Atlantic 1761
A little girl of about ten stood on the deck of the English sailing ship "The Maid Marian" singing a shanty she had learned at the docks in England.
"We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me 'earties yo ho!" She stared out at the ocean or where it would be were it not for the fog. "We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties yo ho!"
She watched the fog curl around the figurehead at the bow of the ship.
"Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up-" She broke off with a gasp of surprise as she was spun around, her chocolate curls tapping her face, by one of the more superstitious sailor.
"Quiet, missy!" he snapped tense. "Cursed pirates sail these waters. You don't want to bring them down on us, now, do ya?"
"Mr. Khan, that will do!" a lieutenant exclaimed unimpressed as he came up behind the sailor with the little girl's guardian.
"She was singing about pirates," Nadir Khan said defensively. "Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog. Mark my words."
"Consider them marked," the lieutenant said uninterestedly. "On your way."
"Aye Lieutenant," Nadir said saluting and walking away, pulling out a hip flask as he leaned on a rope. "It's bad luck to have a woman on board, too. Even a miniature one."
The lieutenant stood there unmoving as he stared past the little girl out at the ocean.
"I think it'd be rather exciting to meet a pirate," the little girl said honestly.
"Think again Miss Turner," the lieutenant said a smile tugging at his lips as he walked toward Miss Turner and standing next to her. "Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves." Here he looked down and grinned at her. "A short drop and a sudden stop."
Miss Turner, confused, looked at Nadir for clarification who mimed a hanging causing a horrified look to cross her face.
"Lieutenant Chagny, I appreciate your fervor," Mr. Turner said quickly noting the look on his ward's face. "But I'm, uh, concerned about the effect this subject will have upon my daughter."
"My apologies Mister Turner," Lieutenant Raoul Chagny said as he left.
"Actually," Miss Turner said enthusiastically. "I find it all fascinating."
"Yes," Richard Turner said as he turned to leave. "That's what concerns me Christine."
Sighing Christine Daae alias Turner turned around and started in surprise when she saw a ship burning. Taking several steps back Christine ran into Nadir who was also staring at the burning ship.
"Mary, Mother of God!" Nadir muttered drawing attention to the burning ship.
"What happened here?" Richard asked stunned.
"It's most likely the powder magazine," Raoul muttered distractedly. "Merchant vessels run heavily armed."
"A lot of good it did them," Nadir said staring at the merchant ship before glancing at Raoul. "Everyone's thinking it I'm just saying it. Pirates!" Richard snorted in derision.
"There's no proof of that," he scoffed as the new Governor of Port Royal and his daughter walked toward them. "It was probably an accident."
"What is going on here?" the Governor asked as he looked down at Richard who was standing in his way.
"Merchant ship is on fire sir," Richard said as he ducked away from the Governor.
"Hmm," the Governor said casting an appraising look over the burning ship as Raoul hurried away. "Yes well that is a tragedy."
"Rouse the Captain immediately! Heave to and take in sail. Launch the boats," he said quickly to a sailor walking next to him, who nodded and dashed away.
*************
After everybody had clamed down from all the excitement, Christine slipped away from her guardian to the quarterdeck before pulling a gold medallion from the neckline of her gown. Studying it she let a tear slid down her cheek for her missing father. A sudden chill made her look up. A huge sailing ship with black sails sailed past. Christine squinted trying to see the flag on the mast. A sudden gust of wind caught it causing it to unfurl making her eyes widen. The ship flew the Jolly Roger. Pirates!