Title: Daughters of the Empire
Chapter Prolog: "A Journeys End"
Author: Grizzled Rose
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A cool breeze flowed to the deck of the large military ship, blowing right off the salty ocean. The seas were covered in a thick blanket of fog, like someone had laid a cotton sheet over the world. The British ship was headed back to Royal Portsmith, one of Britain's largest coloines in the Caribbean Islands, returning from London. A thin little girl, with long brown hair, danced about the upper deck of the ship's bow. Youngest daughter of the Governor of Royal Portsmith. Happily she watched the men work, she took a liking to the sea and always enjoyed the long journeys to England.
Leaning upon the railing, minding her younger sister was the Governor's eldest daughter, Elisabeth. Elisabeth hugged herself; something in the air didn't sit well with her today. Of course since the announcement of her future marriage, nothing had really set well with her. She was unhappily engaged to the up and coming Lieutenant Finn, of his Majesty's Royal Fleet. Lazily she would dream of adventure and romance, two things Lt. Finn knew nothing of. The Lt. was a life long military man, from a long family with ties to the British navy. The man was very dull, as if he didn't have anything in his life but the orders handed to him. The worst was that he expected nothing else from his future wife then to settle into her place in the military's social life.
As Elisabeth's mind wandered, Dawn her younger sister, decided to take advantage of the situation. Wondering down to the lower deck where the men worked keeping the ship a sail. All around her the men continued working, Dawn would mimic the men, learning the ways of the ship like many times before. After awhile she became bored, the ship lacked the adventure that the young girl earned for. Pulling a scarf from the hem of her skirt, she tied it about her head like some of the sailors wore. Grabbing a mop, and not listening to the grumbling behind her, she ran to the upper deck where her sister stood.
"Lady, I'm here to take possession of your valuables!" Dawn shouted to her sister.
"What are you doing Dawn?" Elisabeth asked trying to be stern, also holding back from laughing at how ridiculous her sister looked.
"I'm the great pirate Dawn, Lady of the Seven Seas!" Dawn proclaimed, striking what she thought was a menacing pose. Elisabeth covered her bright smile with her gloved hand, not wanting to encourage her sibling.
"Quite girl! Pirates do sail these waters. You don't want to be bringing them down on us, now do ya?" An old sailor warned as he took the mop away from Dawn. He was gruff, and had wrinkles all around his face, that showed his years at sea. As he said his peace the Governor and Lieutenant walked up to join the small group.
"Mister Clem that will do." Lt. Finn remarked, standing straight with no expression on his face or in his voice.
"It's bad luck to be calling attention to pirates, with fog like this and the cold winds blowing up from the sea. Bad luck I tell you, you can mark my words." Mister Clem replied as he turned and faced the Lieutenant.
"Consider them marked Mister Clem, now on your way." Lt. Finn ordered, still showing no emotion in his domineer.
"Aye- Aye Lieutenant." Mister Clem said, but he added as he passed Lt. Finn. "Its bad luck to have women aboard too. Carrying on about pirates and all." He then continued on his way to the lower deck, sneaking a quick sip from his once hidden flask.
"We'll see that it doesn't bother you again." The Lieutenant said under his breath so that no one else could hear.
"I'm not afraid of pirates." Dawn said. "In fact I'd think it be exciting to meet some pirates." She continued, as she removed her make shift hat.
"Would you Miss Summers? Pirates are vile and disgusting creatures, the bunch of them." Lt. Finn began as he made his way to the railing of the bow. Elisabeth hadn't been paying attention, she had learned when her fiancé had started a lecture he planned on finishing them. She didn't plan on listening to this one as well as the dozens that she was forced to bear. "I plan to see to it that any man that sails under pirate colors, or bears a pirate mark, gets what they deserve. A long fall and a short rope." Lt. Finn finished.
Dawn looked at the Lieutenant, not understanding his last remark. She turned to her elder sister, who of course was not listening. Looking about the ship for some explanation she saw Mister Clem looking in their direction. Once he saw her lost look, he drew his thumb across his throat. It took a moment before the horrific truth came to her. The realization showed on Dawns young face.
"Lt. Finn, I appreciate your devotion to your work, but I'm not sure I wish for my youngest to be hearing of such things." The Governor proposed as he became involved in the subject at hand. "I'm also concerned about the effect such subjects have upon Dawn." He frowned, taking hold of Dawns shoulders.
"I'm sorry Governor Summers." Lt. Finn said as he walked away.
"I do find it all terribly fascinating father." Dawn said, smiling up at her father.
"That's what I am worried about." Governor Summer's said with a frown. He slowly began guiding Dawn to the cabins that the family rented for the journey. "Come along Elisabeth it's about time for tea dear." He said, turning back to his eldest child.
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Chapter Prolog: "A Journeys End"
Author: Grizzled Rose
@@@
A cool breeze flowed to the deck of the large military ship, blowing right off the salty ocean. The seas were covered in a thick blanket of fog, like someone had laid a cotton sheet over the world. The British ship was headed back to Royal Portsmith, one of Britain's largest coloines in the Caribbean Islands, returning from London. A thin little girl, with long brown hair, danced about the upper deck of the ship's bow. Youngest daughter of the Governor of Royal Portsmith. Happily she watched the men work, she took a liking to the sea and always enjoyed the long journeys to England.
Leaning upon the railing, minding her younger sister was the Governor's eldest daughter, Elisabeth. Elisabeth hugged herself; something in the air didn't sit well with her today. Of course since the announcement of her future marriage, nothing had really set well with her. She was unhappily engaged to the up and coming Lieutenant Finn, of his Majesty's Royal Fleet. Lazily she would dream of adventure and romance, two things Lt. Finn knew nothing of. The Lt. was a life long military man, from a long family with ties to the British navy. The man was very dull, as if he didn't have anything in his life but the orders handed to him. The worst was that he expected nothing else from his future wife then to settle into her place in the military's social life.
As Elisabeth's mind wandered, Dawn her younger sister, decided to take advantage of the situation. Wondering down to the lower deck where the men worked keeping the ship a sail. All around her the men continued working, Dawn would mimic the men, learning the ways of the ship like many times before. After awhile she became bored, the ship lacked the adventure that the young girl earned for. Pulling a scarf from the hem of her skirt, she tied it about her head like some of the sailors wore. Grabbing a mop, and not listening to the grumbling behind her, she ran to the upper deck where her sister stood.
"Lady, I'm here to take possession of your valuables!" Dawn shouted to her sister.
"What are you doing Dawn?" Elisabeth asked trying to be stern, also holding back from laughing at how ridiculous her sister looked.
"I'm the great pirate Dawn, Lady of the Seven Seas!" Dawn proclaimed, striking what she thought was a menacing pose. Elisabeth covered her bright smile with her gloved hand, not wanting to encourage her sibling.
"Quite girl! Pirates do sail these waters. You don't want to be bringing them down on us, now do ya?" An old sailor warned as he took the mop away from Dawn. He was gruff, and had wrinkles all around his face, that showed his years at sea. As he said his peace the Governor and Lieutenant walked up to join the small group.
"Mister Clem that will do." Lt. Finn remarked, standing straight with no expression on his face or in his voice.
"It's bad luck to be calling attention to pirates, with fog like this and the cold winds blowing up from the sea. Bad luck I tell you, you can mark my words." Mister Clem replied as he turned and faced the Lieutenant.
"Consider them marked Mister Clem, now on your way." Lt. Finn ordered, still showing no emotion in his domineer.
"Aye- Aye Lieutenant." Mister Clem said, but he added as he passed Lt. Finn. "Its bad luck to have women aboard too. Carrying on about pirates and all." He then continued on his way to the lower deck, sneaking a quick sip from his once hidden flask.
"We'll see that it doesn't bother you again." The Lieutenant said under his breath so that no one else could hear.
"I'm not afraid of pirates." Dawn said. "In fact I'd think it be exciting to meet some pirates." She continued, as she removed her make shift hat.
"Would you Miss Summers? Pirates are vile and disgusting creatures, the bunch of them." Lt. Finn began as he made his way to the railing of the bow. Elisabeth hadn't been paying attention, she had learned when her fiancé had started a lecture he planned on finishing them. She didn't plan on listening to this one as well as the dozens that she was forced to bear. "I plan to see to it that any man that sails under pirate colors, or bears a pirate mark, gets what they deserve. A long fall and a short rope." Lt. Finn finished.
Dawn looked at the Lieutenant, not understanding his last remark. She turned to her elder sister, who of course was not listening. Looking about the ship for some explanation she saw Mister Clem looking in their direction. Once he saw her lost look, he drew his thumb across his throat. It took a moment before the horrific truth came to her. The realization showed on Dawns young face.
"Lt. Finn, I appreciate your devotion to your work, but I'm not sure I wish for my youngest to be hearing of such things." The Governor proposed as he became involved in the subject at hand. "I'm also concerned about the effect such subjects have upon Dawn." He frowned, taking hold of Dawns shoulders.
"I'm sorry Governor Summers." Lt. Finn said as he walked away.
"I do find it all terribly fascinating father." Dawn said, smiling up at her father.
"That's what I am worried about." Governor Summer's said with a frown. He slowly began guiding Dawn to the cabins that the family rented for the journey. "Come along Elisabeth it's about time for tea dear." He said, turning back to his eldest child.
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