Categories > Original > Horror > Penance
Things We Lost In The Fire
0 reviewsSet in the original Florida Colonies, Draven is a nobleman whose life is ripped away from him after his colony is attacked by mysterious figures.
0Unrated
Penance
Prologue
Things We Lost In The Fire
I wasn’t always a pirate. Once I was a good man, an honest man, a nobleman. I was born in the Florida Colonies on April 7, in the Year of our Lord 1519 just six days after colonization by Juan Ponce de León y Figueroa to Lord Henry Draven British defector to the service of Spain and his wife Lady Emilie Draven.
It was in the Florida Colonies that I was raised a true British gentleman. I always got the door for a lady, as well as pulling out her chair for her to sit. Manners were thoroughly beaten into me, when I failed at a lesson they were taught at the end of a bull whip. Needless to say by the age of thirteen I was the perfect gentleman when we received guests.
That was until my thirteenth birthday, the day I met Tiara Natalya Morrison the daughter of Duke Marion Mitchell Morrison who liked to only be referred to as Duke. I was so taken with Tiara, I forgot my manners. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, I stumbled over my own feet trying to pull the chair out for her, falling and knocking her over with me… I landed on top of her.
“Why hello there,” She said her voice ringing with mirth, “are you always this forward or do you only attempt to have your way with girls who you’ve only spoken four words to?” she laughed a laugh that reminded me of the sound of a chime in the wind.
I was enamored by her silvery grey eyes I almost didn’t hear her ask, “Would it be a terrible imposition to ask you to get up now? I would like to eat supper.”
I hastily scrambled off of her helped her to her feet and her into her chair.
Her father’s stare bore a hole in my head for the rest of the evening.
We were married three years later.
Tiara and I were near inseparable before and after our wedding day. The only time we were not together was during my “other” lessons with my personal bodyguard Andean Tanandias.
These lessons consisted of blacksmithing, carpentry, marksmanship and sword-fighting. The reason being as Andean stated countless times, not only should I know how to fight, but how to make crude weaponry when necessary. He would constantly berate me while we dueled.
“You are a Lord of the Spanish Courts! You need to be prepared to take attackers in all forms, no matter what the circumstances!” the larger man would yell as he bludgeoned me with a wooden practice sword.
He was training me to protect my wife; he would remind me constantly that a man should be able to protect those he loved.
It was a shame I couldn’t protect her from the harsh truths of the world.
We had been married for a year when we discovered she was with child, of course we were overjoyed at the news, and in fact I remember my reaction well.
I was returning home from yet another training session with Andean when I heard my wife calling for me.
“Is that you my love? Please come sit with me darling I have something to tell you.”
Entering the parlor to join her I looked at her and it was as if I was seeing her again for the first time. She was positively radiant, everything about her exuded; love and warmth. The sheer joy in her eyes was like Christmas morning and our wedding night all rolled into one.
So I sat down, her enthusiasm rubbing off on me I threw my arms around her and I excitedly asked, “What is it you have to tell me that has you looking so happy?”
She giggled at my antics and cupped my face with her hands replying sweetly “My dear Lord Draven, it is my duty to inform you that in approximately nine months you will be accepting a new ward into your household.”
Needless to say at first I was confused by her response, I had taken in temporary wards before and given my protection to numerous people in the colony. I remember asking myself what made this new one so special, who could be coming in…. nine months?
“You’re pregnant?!?” I yelled in jubilation before kissing her all over her face, I was going to be a father!
“Yes I am, daddy.” She responded, still giggling she continued slyly “And I thought you might want to celebrate this joyous occasion, in the bedroom.”
At the time I thought it was the greatest night of my life.
It turned out to be one of the worst.
Three months later she lost the baby, and also her mind.
She would frequently walk joyously through the house talking to a little girl named Ana Maria. Whenever you made the attempt to tell her there was no girl there, she snapped.
“How dare you insult my little girl; of course she’s real.”
Shortly thereafter we stopped receiving guests in our home, first our friends stopped coming over and then my parents. The only people who still visited were her father Marion and our bodyguard Andean, both for obvious reasons.
As she stumbled headlong further into her delusions, I spent less time at home and more time in training with Andean, and even more time in the local pub. My problem was I loved my wife to much to realize the kind of help she needed she wasn’t getting by my ignoring the problem.
Before long, when I eventually came home she would regale me with tales of what they did while I was out. I died a little on the inside when my dear sweet Tiara asked me to help her organize a ball for our Ana Maria’s first birthday.
I did.
The day after, I went out to the pub too broken inside to do more than sit and drink. As I sat in my stool nursing my tankard of ale, I heard a commotion outside and rose to investigate.
As I reached the door to the pub, Pat the colony baker collapsed into my arms bleeding profusely. Before I even had the chance to contemplate what was happening, I realized he was dead in my arms.
Dropping him I ran out into the street, as I looked around at the frenzied chaos and burning buildings, I realized the colony was under attack…
Prologue
Things We Lost In The Fire
I wasn’t always a pirate. Once I was a good man, an honest man, a nobleman. I was born in the Florida Colonies on April 7, in the Year of our Lord 1519 just six days after colonization by Juan Ponce de León y Figueroa to Lord Henry Draven British defector to the service of Spain and his wife Lady Emilie Draven.
It was in the Florida Colonies that I was raised a true British gentleman. I always got the door for a lady, as well as pulling out her chair for her to sit. Manners were thoroughly beaten into me, when I failed at a lesson they were taught at the end of a bull whip. Needless to say by the age of thirteen I was the perfect gentleman when we received guests.
That was until my thirteenth birthday, the day I met Tiara Natalya Morrison the daughter of Duke Marion Mitchell Morrison who liked to only be referred to as Duke. I was so taken with Tiara, I forgot my manners. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, I stumbled over my own feet trying to pull the chair out for her, falling and knocking her over with me… I landed on top of her.
“Why hello there,” She said her voice ringing with mirth, “are you always this forward or do you only attempt to have your way with girls who you’ve only spoken four words to?” she laughed a laugh that reminded me of the sound of a chime in the wind.
I was enamored by her silvery grey eyes I almost didn’t hear her ask, “Would it be a terrible imposition to ask you to get up now? I would like to eat supper.”
I hastily scrambled off of her helped her to her feet and her into her chair.
Her father’s stare bore a hole in my head for the rest of the evening.
We were married three years later.
Tiara and I were near inseparable before and after our wedding day. The only time we were not together was during my “other” lessons with my personal bodyguard Andean Tanandias.
These lessons consisted of blacksmithing, carpentry, marksmanship and sword-fighting. The reason being as Andean stated countless times, not only should I know how to fight, but how to make crude weaponry when necessary. He would constantly berate me while we dueled.
“You are a Lord of the Spanish Courts! You need to be prepared to take attackers in all forms, no matter what the circumstances!” the larger man would yell as he bludgeoned me with a wooden practice sword.
He was training me to protect my wife; he would remind me constantly that a man should be able to protect those he loved.
It was a shame I couldn’t protect her from the harsh truths of the world.
We had been married for a year when we discovered she was with child, of course we were overjoyed at the news, and in fact I remember my reaction well.
I was returning home from yet another training session with Andean when I heard my wife calling for me.
“Is that you my love? Please come sit with me darling I have something to tell you.”
Entering the parlor to join her I looked at her and it was as if I was seeing her again for the first time. She was positively radiant, everything about her exuded; love and warmth. The sheer joy in her eyes was like Christmas morning and our wedding night all rolled into one.
So I sat down, her enthusiasm rubbing off on me I threw my arms around her and I excitedly asked, “What is it you have to tell me that has you looking so happy?”
She giggled at my antics and cupped my face with her hands replying sweetly “My dear Lord Draven, it is my duty to inform you that in approximately nine months you will be accepting a new ward into your household.”
Needless to say at first I was confused by her response, I had taken in temporary wards before and given my protection to numerous people in the colony. I remember asking myself what made this new one so special, who could be coming in…. nine months?
“You’re pregnant?!?” I yelled in jubilation before kissing her all over her face, I was going to be a father!
“Yes I am, daddy.” She responded, still giggling she continued slyly “And I thought you might want to celebrate this joyous occasion, in the bedroom.”
At the time I thought it was the greatest night of my life.
It turned out to be one of the worst.
Three months later she lost the baby, and also her mind.
She would frequently walk joyously through the house talking to a little girl named Ana Maria. Whenever you made the attempt to tell her there was no girl there, she snapped.
“How dare you insult my little girl; of course she’s real.”
Shortly thereafter we stopped receiving guests in our home, first our friends stopped coming over and then my parents. The only people who still visited were her father Marion and our bodyguard Andean, both for obvious reasons.
As she stumbled headlong further into her delusions, I spent less time at home and more time in training with Andean, and even more time in the local pub. My problem was I loved my wife to much to realize the kind of help she needed she wasn’t getting by my ignoring the problem.
Before long, when I eventually came home she would regale me with tales of what they did while I was out. I died a little on the inside when my dear sweet Tiara asked me to help her organize a ball for our Ana Maria’s first birthday.
I did.
The day after, I went out to the pub too broken inside to do more than sit and drink. As I sat in my stool nursing my tankard of ale, I heard a commotion outside and rose to investigate.
As I reached the door to the pub, Pat the colony baker collapsed into my arms bleeding profusely. Before I even had the chance to contemplate what was happening, I realized he was dead in my arms.
Dropping him I ran out into the street, as I looked around at the frenzied chaos and burning buildings, I realized the colony was under attack…
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