Mariana looked out of the window of her grand bedroom, showing her the
beautiful view of the town and port, and beyond that, the sea. Her green-
blue eyes were the same colour of the sea, and her hair was long and golden
brown, much like her father's. To her, the sea was one of the most
beautiful sights in the world, and she longed to know what it felt like to
sail upon it; to be truly free. Many times she had fallen asleep with the
sound of the crashing waves in her head and the feel of the sea wind
blowing over her dreaming face. And just as many times, she had woken to
find herself still on dry land, still in the same old house.
Ever since she was a tiny child, Mariana had dreamt of sailing the high seas, without a care in the world, and she was sure that her father, William Turner, had once done just that. She could hardly believed that a man who had lived near the sea for all of his life had never set sail on the beautiful Caribbean sea. Nor could she believe that her mother, Elizabeth had always been the mother she now was. Some fire burned inexplicably in her eyes, telling Mariana that she too, had once longed for, and even received adventure.
However, both her parents denied such things, her father saying that he had only once sailed the sea, on a crossing from England long ago, when he had met her mother. Elizabeth said that she had never had anything terribly exciting happen in her life, and that she was now happier than she ever hoped for to be married to William and have a daughter.
She wasn't sure what, but something told Mariana that this wasn't so. But they were her parents, who had raised her lovingly, and protected her from all harm.
Not that she'd ever been allowed near anything that could possibly cause her harm, but perhaps that is what was intended in order to keep her from harm.
Mariana sighed and pulled herself away from the window, and stood up off the bay window's seat. It was the early morning of her seventeenth birthday, and already, she could tell that it would be a day to remember. She brushed the creases from her beautiful yet stifling dress, and walked out of her bedroom and down the cool, airy hall.
Down in the kitchen, her parents greeted her with smiles and hugs, wishing her a happy birthday.
"Did you sleep well?" Elizabeth asked as Mariana sat in her place at the table.
"Yes, thank you, Mother," Mariana replied. "You?"
"Very well," Elizabeth answered as she drank some tea. William slipped out of the room, and returned moments later with several boxes in hand.
"For you," he said as he placed them in front of his daughter, whose face was lit up with joy. Eagerly, she opened the boxes one by one. The first contained a truly magnificent dress; the most wonderful that Mariana had ever seen. Inside the second was a ring of a bronze colour, with a flower carved into the metal, which held an iridescent piece of shell at its centre. The third box was long and thin, yet it weighed a considerable amount. Mariana looked up at her father, silently questioning what it was, before lifting the two catches on the side and lifting the lit. Her eyes widened in surprise and happiness as they saw what lay inside.
It was a sword, long, thin and elegant. A dragon was carved into the pommel, and it snaked all along the hilt. The blade itself was a silver colour, which glinted in the sun as Mariana lifted it.
"Happy birthday," William said, smiling proudly as Mariana gazed at the sword in her hand.
"We knew that was what you really wanted," Elizabeth put in. She had always wanted to be able to learn to fight when she was younger, but had never been allowed, being raised as a 'proper young lady' by her Governor father. Elizabeth knew that it was not what Mariana's heart desired most, but she would not allow her only daughter to be taken by the sea. Elizabeth knew it's dangers and griefs all too well, and they brought pain to her heart everyday of her life.
"Thank you," Mariana said in a voice barely above a whisper as she expertly handled the sword as her father had taught her. There was no doubt in her mind as to its maker. Only William could make swords this fine, and she would not have her sword crafted by any other. "It's incredible!"
"Would you like to try it out?" William asked, a glint in his eye.
"Yes!" Mariana replied.
Minutes later, Mariana had eaten her breakfast, and had changed into a pair of breeches and a shirt, and looked a different person from the Lady she had been only moments before. Outside in the garden, her mother was sitting in a chair, and Will was already waiting with his sword.
"Ready, are we?" he asked with a grin. In reply, Mariana brought the sword up in front of her face, keeping it there for a moment before swinging it to the side and dropping into a fighting stance. Will swung his sword around three times at his side before dropping into the same stance. A few seconds of silence passed before Mariana lunged forward, initiating her attack. Will blocked his daughter's lunge, and moved to the side, swinging his sword at her, which she blocked with accuracy before launching an attack at his legs. Will jumped over the blade before retaliating with another lunge.
Elizabeth watched intently from the sidelines. She could see that Mariana's skill now matched that of her husband, and that, provided neither of them made a mistake, they would be at this for quite sometime. The steel blades flashed in the bright sun, and the clash of steel rang loudly in her ears. Will's blade came close to Mariana's arm, but here, Elizabeth did not fear for her daughter's safety. Although Will had never gone easy on Mariana, he had never hurt her during a duel, and Mariana had never injured Will, not even during her first lesson at that age of ten.
The two battled backwards and forwards across the lawn, first Mariana being forced into retreating, the forcing her father to do the same.
Will swung at Mariana, and she jumped backwards and fell to the ground, surprised by the attack. Elizabeth watched, thinking that, yet again, Mariana would loose to her father. Just as Will prepared to swing the defeating blow at her, she rolled to the side and flipped back onto her feet. Her lightning quick recovery startled Will, and gave her an opening for an attack. She lunged forward at him, the sword pointed at his chest. In his shock, Will failed to see the attack coming. The sword stopped just short of his chest, and Mariana smiled triumphantly.
She had won.
Will threw down his sword, acknowledging his defeat, and Elizabeth leapt out of her chair, clapping and cheering as she rushed over to her victorious daughter.
"Well done!" she cried as she embraced her daughter. "You finally beat your father."
"He had it coming," Mariana replied, grinning at her father.
"For a long time," he agreed as he wrapped Mariana in his arms. "Well done, and well fought. Very well fought."
Later that night, Mariana was again looking out of her window at the sea, this time lit by the moon which was reflected on the calm waters. They're almost too calm, she thought with a slight frown. She had been watching the same stretch of water for all of her life, and often knew when there would be a storm or rough seas before it happened. But tonight, the sea was perfectly calm, and all of the ships were safely docked in the harbour, save one, which was just sailing in. It had dark sails, which were ripped as thought it had been through a rough storm.
She smiled to herself, dismissing the ship and thinking of the wonderful day that had now nearly passed, and of how, for the first time, she had defeated her father in fair combat.
A knock sounded softly on her door, and as she turned, Elizabeth and Will entered. Will carried a small box in his hand, which he handed over to Mariana.
"This came for you," Will said as she inspected the label. It was blank, save for the word 'Mariana', but it had a picture of a bird on it, as though it were someone's crest or symbol. It's a little late for a delivery, Mariana thought as she opened the box. Inside was a necklace with a pendant hanging from the silvery chain. It was a black pearl, with a tiny crystal set into the metal fixing above it.
"Do you know whom it came from?" she asked as she took it from the box.
"No," Will answered. "Someone left it at the door, and the butler found it. I suspect it's from one of your admirers," he teased, and Mariana glared at him before smiling.
"Well, goodnight, Mariana," Elizabeth said as she turned to the door, Will in tow.
"Good night," Mariana said as she watched them go before closing the door and sitting on her bed. She fastened the necklace around her neck, and lay down. She fell asleep with the same pictures of ships and sea, as she had done many times before.
Mariana's eyes snapped open hours later as she heard a shuffling sound behind her. She lay silently, listening for more sounds and stilling her own breathing. Barely audible was the sound of someone else's breaths. Then, they stopped, and Mariana dismissed it as the remnants of a dream or her own imagination. She closed her eyes again, feeling safe in the light of the moon.
Moments later, she heard the quick shuffling again, but before she could even open her eyes, she felt a rough hand clamp itself over her mouth, muffling the screams she tried to let loose. Another hand rolled her over to see a dark man looming over her. She stopped trying to scream, and a look of confusion came over her face. Mariana recognised this man.
"Don't scream," the man said, his world slurred as his black hair fell about his face in twisted braids. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend of your mother and father. Just don't scream." With that, he lifted his hand hesitantly from Mariana's mouth. A split second passed before she opened her mouth and drew in breath to scream, but the hand was once again firmly clamped over her mouth. "I told you not to scream. I'm not going to hurt you. Will would kill me if I did. I just want to talk to you, savvy?" Mariana stared at the man, dumbfounded. How did he know her father's name? Why was he here? And why on earth did he expect her not to scream? She struggled, trying to get free of his hold. He rolled his eyes, apparently he had expected her to co-operate, and pulled out a rag from his waistband which he gagged Mariana with. He then pulled her hands behind her back, and tied them there securely, yet without hurting her. "Just don't panic," he said as he hoisted her onto his shoulder. Mariana kicked and wriggled, but he didn't loose his hold. He opened the window, and carefully climbed out and down the thick vines that weaved in and out of each other on the side of the mansion.
Once he was down on the ground, he looked around before sprinting off with her into the darkness.
Ever since she was a tiny child, Mariana had dreamt of sailing the high seas, without a care in the world, and she was sure that her father, William Turner, had once done just that. She could hardly believed that a man who had lived near the sea for all of his life had never set sail on the beautiful Caribbean sea. Nor could she believe that her mother, Elizabeth had always been the mother she now was. Some fire burned inexplicably in her eyes, telling Mariana that she too, had once longed for, and even received adventure.
However, both her parents denied such things, her father saying that he had only once sailed the sea, on a crossing from England long ago, when he had met her mother. Elizabeth said that she had never had anything terribly exciting happen in her life, and that she was now happier than she ever hoped for to be married to William and have a daughter.
She wasn't sure what, but something told Mariana that this wasn't so. But they were her parents, who had raised her lovingly, and protected her from all harm.
Not that she'd ever been allowed near anything that could possibly cause her harm, but perhaps that is what was intended in order to keep her from harm.
Mariana sighed and pulled herself away from the window, and stood up off the bay window's seat. It was the early morning of her seventeenth birthday, and already, she could tell that it would be a day to remember. She brushed the creases from her beautiful yet stifling dress, and walked out of her bedroom and down the cool, airy hall.
Down in the kitchen, her parents greeted her with smiles and hugs, wishing her a happy birthday.
"Did you sleep well?" Elizabeth asked as Mariana sat in her place at the table.
"Yes, thank you, Mother," Mariana replied. "You?"
"Very well," Elizabeth answered as she drank some tea. William slipped out of the room, and returned moments later with several boxes in hand.
"For you," he said as he placed them in front of his daughter, whose face was lit up with joy. Eagerly, she opened the boxes one by one. The first contained a truly magnificent dress; the most wonderful that Mariana had ever seen. Inside the second was a ring of a bronze colour, with a flower carved into the metal, which held an iridescent piece of shell at its centre. The third box was long and thin, yet it weighed a considerable amount. Mariana looked up at her father, silently questioning what it was, before lifting the two catches on the side and lifting the lit. Her eyes widened in surprise and happiness as they saw what lay inside.
It was a sword, long, thin and elegant. A dragon was carved into the pommel, and it snaked all along the hilt. The blade itself was a silver colour, which glinted in the sun as Mariana lifted it.
"Happy birthday," William said, smiling proudly as Mariana gazed at the sword in her hand.
"We knew that was what you really wanted," Elizabeth put in. She had always wanted to be able to learn to fight when she was younger, but had never been allowed, being raised as a 'proper young lady' by her Governor father. Elizabeth knew that it was not what Mariana's heart desired most, but she would not allow her only daughter to be taken by the sea. Elizabeth knew it's dangers and griefs all too well, and they brought pain to her heart everyday of her life.
"Thank you," Mariana said in a voice barely above a whisper as she expertly handled the sword as her father had taught her. There was no doubt in her mind as to its maker. Only William could make swords this fine, and she would not have her sword crafted by any other. "It's incredible!"
"Would you like to try it out?" William asked, a glint in his eye.
"Yes!" Mariana replied.
Minutes later, Mariana had eaten her breakfast, and had changed into a pair of breeches and a shirt, and looked a different person from the Lady she had been only moments before. Outside in the garden, her mother was sitting in a chair, and Will was already waiting with his sword.
"Ready, are we?" he asked with a grin. In reply, Mariana brought the sword up in front of her face, keeping it there for a moment before swinging it to the side and dropping into a fighting stance. Will swung his sword around three times at his side before dropping into the same stance. A few seconds of silence passed before Mariana lunged forward, initiating her attack. Will blocked his daughter's lunge, and moved to the side, swinging his sword at her, which she blocked with accuracy before launching an attack at his legs. Will jumped over the blade before retaliating with another lunge.
Elizabeth watched intently from the sidelines. She could see that Mariana's skill now matched that of her husband, and that, provided neither of them made a mistake, they would be at this for quite sometime. The steel blades flashed in the bright sun, and the clash of steel rang loudly in her ears. Will's blade came close to Mariana's arm, but here, Elizabeth did not fear for her daughter's safety. Although Will had never gone easy on Mariana, he had never hurt her during a duel, and Mariana had never injured Will, not even during her first lesson at that age of ten.
The two battled backwards and forwards across the lawn, first Mariana being forced into retreating, the forcing her father to do the same.
Will swung at Mariana, and she jumped backwards and fell to the ground, surprised by the attack. Elizabeth watched, thinking that, yet again, Mariana would loose to her father. Just as Will prepared to swing the defeating blow at her, she rolled to the side and flipped back onto her feet. Her lightning quick recovery startled Will, and gave her an opening for an attack. She lunged forward at him, the sword pointed at his chest. In his shock, Will failed to see the attack coming. The sword stopped just short of his chest, and Mariana smiled triumphantly.
She had won.
Will threw down his sword, acknowledging his defeat, and Elizabeth leapt out of her chair, clapping and cheering as she rushed over to her victorious daughter.
"Well done!" she cried as she embraced her daughter. "You finally beat your father."
"He had it coming," Mariana replied, grinning at her father.
"For a long time," he agreed as he wrapped Mariana in his arms. "Well done, and well fought. Very well fought."
Later that night, Mariana was again looking out of her window at the sea, this time lit by the moon which was reflected on the calm waters. They're almost too calm, she thought with a slight frown. She had been watching the same stretch of water for all of her life, and often knew when there would be a storm or rough seas before it happened. But tonight, the sea was perfectly calm, and all of the ships were safely docked in the harbour, save one, which was just sailing in. It had dark sails, which were ripped as thought it had been through a rough storm.
She smiled to herself, dismissing the ship and thinking of the wonderful day that had now nearly passed, and of how, for the first time, she had defeated her father in fair combat.
A knock sounded softly on her door, and as she turned, Elizabeth and Will entered. Will carried a small box in his hand, which he handed over to Mariana.
"This came for you," Will said as she inspected the label. It was blank, save for the word 'Mariana', but it had a picture of a bird on it, as though it were someone's crest or symbol. It's a little late for a delivery, Mariana thought as she opened the box. Inside was a necklace with a pendant hanging from the silvery chain. It was a black pearl, with a tiny crystal set into the metal fixing above it.
"Do you know whom it came from?" she asked as she took it from the box.
"No," Will answered. "Someone left it at the door, and the butler found it. I suspect it's from one of your admirers," he teased, and Mariana glared at him before smiling.
"Well, goodnight, Mariana," Elizabeth said as she turned to the door, Will in tow.
"Good night," Mariana said as she watched them go before closing the door and sitting on her bed. She fastened the necklace around her neck, and lay down. She fell asleep with the same pictures of ships and sea, as she had done many times before.
Mariana's eyes snapped open hours later as she heard a shuffling sound behind her. She lay silently, listening for more sounds and stilling her own breathing. Barely audible was the sound of someone else's breaths. Then, they stopped, and Mariana dismissed it as the remnants of a dream or her own imagination. She closed her eyes again, feeling safe in the light of the moon.
Moments later, she heard the quick shuffling again, but before she could even open her eyes, she felt a rough hand clamp itself over her mouth, muffling the screams she tried to let loose. Another hand rolled her over to see a dark man looming over her. She stopped trying to scream, and a look of confusion came over her face. Mariana recognised this man.
"Don't scream," the man said, his world slurred as his black hair fell about his face in twisted braids. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend of your mother and father. Just don't scream." With that, he lifted his hand hesitantly from Mariana's mouth. A split second passed before she opened her mouth and drew in breath to scream, but the hand was once again firmly clamped over her mouth. "I told you not to scream. I'm not going to hurt you. Will would kill me if I did. I just want to talk to you, savvy?" Mariana stared at the man, dumbfounded. How did he know her father's name? Why was he here? And why on earth did he expect her not to scream? She struggled, trying to get free of his hold. He rolled his eyes, apparently he had expected her to co-operate, and pulled out a rag from his waistband which he gagged Mariana with. He then pulled her hands behind her back, and tied them there securely, yet without hurting her. "Just don't panic," he said as he hoisted her onto his shoulder. Mariana kicked and wriggled, but he didn't loose his hold. He opened the window, and carefully climbed out and down the thick vines that weaved in and out of each other on the side of the mansion.
Once he was down on the ground, he looked around before sprinting off with her into the darkness.