Mary Janet
Having grown up for most of her life as a pampered Princess in a Portuguese Palace in the heart of Porto, Mary Janet knew a wanderlust and a desire to see new horizons that never left her from her earliest infancy.
Palace plans to see her married at sixteen to a pleasant but elderly local noble did not appeal to her at all.
She had a friend in the palace she had grown up with all her life, Alphonso. Two years older than her, handsome and the son of a lesser noble. Alphonso seemed a true man of the world to Mary Janet and she believed him to be a good honourable friend.
When Alphonso stumbled upon her sobbing over her plight in the palace gardens Mary Janet confided in him her troubles.
Together they came up with a plan. He would spirit her away under cover of night and save her from the wedding plans. Inexperienced in the ways of the world, caught up in the idea of romance and adventure, and trusting of their long standing friendship Mary Janet was thrilled when the night came and they did indeed escape the palace, jumped on a ship where some of her jewellery bought passage and sailed into the world full of hope and bright expectations.
As is the way of these things Alphonso, it turned out, wanted rather more than friendship from Mary Janet, but search her heart as she might Mary Janet simply did not love Alphonso in that manner.
In the midnight watch while Mary Janet wandered the deck searching her heart, Alphonso caught her roughly from behind, and attempted to force his attentions upon her.
Mary Janets screams alerted a sailor, who was aboard quietly working his passage to the Caribbean Sea (something about a ship lost and a difference of opinion with local excise men)
With a fearsome cry he leapt across the deck grabbing a belaying pin on the way. Before Alphonso could recover from the shock and draw his sword this sailor had stove in the unfortunate would be lovers skull with the pin. He unceremoniously shoved him over the rail, ruthlessly muttering under his breath “aye and the sharks’ll have yer body and the devil ‘ave yer Soul ya phillanderin bilge rat ye “
Following this he turned to Mary Janet and executed a very unexpected courtly bow. With a smile playing around his lips he said “Smilin Map Kernow at yer service Milady, presently a poor sailor and part of a scurvy crew sailin’ fer foreign climes, but in truth a successful and well known gentleman of fortune in those parts. Pray enjoy the rest of your voyage in safety Milady, secure in the knowledge that the whole crew will know you are under my protection by daybreak, and not one man jack o’ them’ll will bother ye now. Oh and in case they do.... here’s a fine dissuader” He presses a knife gently into her trembling hands.
With that he bowed once more and departed leaving Mary Janet there on the deck staring about her in wonderment at the events that had just enfolded before her.
During the course of the voyage Mary Janet spent as much time as she could together with Map, in truth he was smitten with her but unsure as to her feelings for him, for flamboyant as he was, and wealthy too, he knew at heart he was a mere pirate, and she every inch a princess.
Their discussions often led to Mary Janet urging Map to tell tales of his exploits as a “gentleman of fortune” and his adventures upon the high seas.
Even now were you to ask Mary Janet what it was that she fell in love with first, the romance and freedom of a pirate’s life or the easy charm of Map’s manner and conversation, she would be hard pressed to say for sure.
All that matters is you seldom see these two apart, oh and if you also are considering pressing your attentions in her direction beware, for since that first night that knife never leaves her side, and believe me her fearsome exploits since that fateful night are proof enough that she knows how to use it !!!
Palace plans to see her married at sixteen to a pleasant but elderly local noble did not appeal to her at all.
She had a friend in the palace she had grown up with all her life, Alphonso. Two years older than her, handsome and the son of a lesser noble. Alphonso seemed a true man of the world to Mary Janet and she believed him to be a good honourable friend.
When Alphonso stumbled upon her sobbing over her plight in the palace gardens Mary Janet confided in him her troubles.
Together they came up with a plan. He would spirit her away under cover of night and save her from the wedding plans. Inexperienced in the ways of the world, caught up in the idea of romance and adventure, and trusting of their long standing friendship Mary Janet was thrilled when the night came and they did indeed escape the palace, jumped on a ship where some of her jewellery bought passage and sailed into the world full of hope and bright expectations.
As is the way of these things Alphonso, it turned out, wanted rather more than friendship from Mary Janet, but search her heart as she might Mary Janet simply did not love Alphonso in that manner.
In the midnight watch while Mary Janet wandered the deck searching her heart, Alphonso caught her roughly from behind, and attempted to force his attentions upon her.
Mary Janets screams alerted a sailor, who was aboard quietly working his passage to the Caribbean Sea (something about a ship lost and a difference of opinion with local excise men)
With a fearsome cry he leapt across the deck grabbing a belaying pin on the way. Before Alphonso could recover from the shock and draw his sword this sailor had stove in the unfortunate would be lovers skull with the pin. He unceremoniously shoved him over the rail, ruthlessly muttering under his breath “aye and the sharks’ll have yer body and the devil ‘ave yer Soul ya phillanderin bilge rat ye “
Following this he turned to Mary Janet and executed a very unexpected courtly bow. With a smile playing around his lips he said “Smilin Map Kernow at yer service Milady, presently a poor sailor and part of a scurvy crew sailin’ fer foreign climes, but in truth a successful and well known gentleman of fortune in those parts. Pray enjoy the rest of your voyage in safety Milady, secure in the knowledge that the whole crew will know you are under my protection by daybreak, and not one man jack o’ them’ll will bother ye now. Oh and in case they do.... here’s a fine dissuader” He presses a knife gently into her trembling hands.
With that he bowed once more and departed leaving Mary Janet there on the deck staring about her in wonderment at the events that had just enfolded before her.
During the course of the voyage Mary Janet spent as much time as she could together with Map, in truth he was smitten with her but unsure as to her feelings for him, for flamboyant as he was, and wealthy too, he knew at heart he was a mere pirate, and she every inch a princess.
Their discussions often led to Mary Janet urging Map to tell tales of his exploits as a “gentleman of fortune” and his adventures upon the high seas.
Even now were you to ask Mary Janet what it was that she fell in love with first, the romance and freedom of a pirate’s life or the easy charm of Map’s manner and conversation, she would be hard pressed to say for sure.
All that matters is you seldom see these two apart, oh and if you also are considering pressing your attentions in her direction beware, for since that first night that knife never leaves her side, and believe me her fearsome exploits since that fateful night are proof enough that she knows how to use it !!!
