Maria was heavy hearted. The long sea trip from Hispaniola to Spain in the company of Sister Anna and the young Sister Innocentia was not something she was looking forward to. The nuns were severely seasick and their shared cabin reeked of vomit.
The old captain had advised them to be on deck when possible because that did help to get over seasickness but Sister Anna refused to go and also insisted that Maria and sister Innocentia "would not show themselves to those sailors". Maria had wondered if the nun was not a total hypochondriac. Was she not returning to Spain because her constitution could "not stand the Caribbean climate"?
Just a few days out of port Maria was ready to scream. The scarce moment she was able to flee the cabin because the nuns were sleeping totally exhausted she would climb up to the deck and let the sun and the sea-breeze kiss her hair and her skin. She liked to watch the crew work the galleon. But most of the day she would sit inside trying to hold her tears back.
Her father had decided that for her to find a good match she should return to his homeland Spain and spend time with his sister-in-law the Dowager Duchess. As a third son of a Spanish nobleman her father had joined the army as that was one of the few options for younger sons of nobles. Being posted in the Spanish Netherlands just prior to the end of the Eighty-Year War with the Dutch he had made himself quite a fortune there and married the wealthy daughter of a Scottish wool merchant he had met while on campaign.
Their parent's marriage had been a real love story. Being from different sides in a war they had fallen head over heals for each other. And when the peace came they had decided not to return to Spain but try their luck in the new colonies. Her father had founded a sugar plantation on a remote part of Hispaniola. Her parents, her older brother and herself and a few servants had been the only white people for miles and miles around. All the others black slaves working the plantation.
Her father was a kind master and his plantation flourished but for Maria and her brother Hugo their only playmates had been the children of the slaves. And she guessed that for their parents life must have been somewhat isolated as well. On the other hand that might have been done on purpose as her mum was foreign and her father did not like the narrow minded social structures in the small towns on the island. When Maria was 12 her mum had died and her father had retreated more or less on his plantation and the small family had lived their sheltered life far away from civilisation
So Maria was now an eighteen year old maid who could speak Spanish, Dutch, Scottish, Creole and Latin. She also knew how to heal people as she had often accompanied Isabella the old black woman who ran their household after her mum had died and who was a revered healer amongst the black community. And as her brother had practised his fencing with her she could also wield a sword like a pro. Very handy skills to have when you were a young man and could become a trader or a soldier or run an estate. For an 18 year old noblewoman totally unsuited.
Her father had noticed that the local Spanish gentry regarded his family as a wild bunch. Due to his financial prospects Hugo had been able to find himself a nice bride but her father had severe doubts that Maria would make a good match on the island. So he had arranged that she would go and join his sister-in-law in Spain.
Her aunt could try and improve her embroidery skills, learn her how to behave like a high ranked Spanish lady and introduce her to noble families. Well away from gossips about her wild native life,with a bit of luck and a lot of help from her good looks (she had inherited the blue eyes and honey-coloured hair from her mum what was quite exotic for a Spanish girl) and dowry she might find herself a good husband. The alternative to join a nunnery looked terribly bleak.
And so Maria ended up with two nuns as chaperones on a galleon en route to Spain
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Suddenly Maria was brought back from her reveries about her family and her home by a loud shout from the deck. It seemed whatever it was had brought the ship's crew to action. Feet where running and heavy objects seemed to be moved. Sails flapped and she could feel the ship tack.
A knock on the door heralded the cabin boy of the captain. "Please ladies, the captain says you best go to his cabin and lock the door. We are about to get attacked by a pirateship." He coached the screaming nuns and Maria towards the big stateroom she had dined in a couple of occasions. Maria shoved the big desk of the captain against the barred door hoping to keep enemies out.
Cannons boomed, muskets fired but it became quite clear to Maria when some loud cracking and tearing noise shrieked through the ship one of the masts had gone down and the mighty galleon was dead in the water. Hopefully they crew could slay the boarding party.
The nuns were crying and praying loudly but that did not drown the sounds of fighting on deck. The clatter of swords, the cries of pain. Then someone tried to enter their cabin. They heard voices in a different language. "English" thought Maria. "They speak English", she said.
"Oh no" sister Anna wailed. "They are winning. We will be violated and loose our virginity."
The door was now heavily attacked and the question was not if but when the English pirates would break through. It seemed the ship was lost.
"Come", said Sister Anna to Sister Innocentia and to Maria, opening up the state window in the back of the grand cabin. "Get in the water!"
Maria looked at her bewildered. "Sister we will drown. There is no land near."
"Girl we better die then be raped by those savages."
"But suicide is a mortal sin Sister."
"No not in this case. We will be martyrs. We will die as saints protecting our virtue."
"No!", said Maria. "I won't!"
She focussed on the door and the desk. And then the ceremonial sword of the old captain caught her eyes. He wore that with his best uniform on formal occasion, the hilt gold and jewel encrusted. Too ornamental to be handy in battle but the only defence she could think of. She grabbed it.
At that moment all things seemed to happen at once. The door caved in, the nuns shrieked and scrambled to get out of the window and two rowdy sailors barged into the cabin. She braced herself to fight.
"Oh look this little kitten thinks she has claws!" grinned one of the pirates, advancing towards her not even bothered to really raise his weapon. She slashed at him making him fall back blood pouring out of his chest.
"You cunt," the other growled. Swifty discovering she was quite a good fencer.
Some more pirates arrived and the second attacker and one of his mates tried to corner her.
"Stop," shouted one of the other new arrivals. "Do not kill her now. She is probably nobility and we might get a good price for her." Turning towards the deck he added: "Call the captain immediately!"
For a few moments they all seemed to have frozen in a kind of tableau vivant. Maria still keeping them at bay with the sword, they blocking her in the cabin.
Then the men were pushed aside and a tall man in his thirties walked in. Quite a striking figure with short cropped black curls and bright blue eyes.
"What the devil is going on here? Why were does nuns drowning?"
"Because they were afraid. They rather killed themselves then give you the pleasure," the girl in front of him hissed. "Keep your goons away from me!"
The tall man laughed. "Or what, little girl?"
She lifted the sword again.
