Your Majesty wishes for me to do, I will do gladly. I have an estate on the island of New Providence and will arrange to stay there until we find Captain Ditarius and the other crystal. Where is the vault located?”
“Our sources say the vault is located in, or somewhere near, Nombre de Dios, which is near Panama. The vault is said to be buried into the side of one of the mountain ranges. Years ago the Spanish sailed to Nombre de Dios and picked up shipments of gold and silver. Twice a year they picked up the shipments that were dropped off in Panama and taken by mules to the little town. Here is a map to help you and more information about the crystal. What we do not have or know anything about, is how to open the door of the vault. There is a special way, but no one knows how, so you will need to find that out as well. Here is a pouch of coins to pay for your journey, and the queen would like you to bring back whatever you find. She will reward you handsomely for your patriotism.” Lord Hammil accepted the pouch and the map thankfully.
“Captain Riveri is down at the harbor waiting for your instruction. He only knows that he is to take you to Port Royal and help you with whatever needs you desire. He is not to know the entire purpose of your journey. He needs to be kept ignorant of some facts.”
“He is the captain of the ship, he will need to be informed,” urged Lord Hammil.
“Let me briefly explain to you why you must keep some things from him. If Captain Riveri discovers the identity of the person you are after, or any of the information that I have just told you, he will prevent you from reaching your goal. He will feel honor bound because of his close relationship with Captain Ditarius. Personally, I hope he does, for it would give me an excuse to take away the letter of marque he has worked so hard to attain. He feels he’s invincible, and I wish to crush him like rocks beneath my feet, just to show him how human he is.” Lord Havenor had a crazed expression upon his face, then it vanished as quickly as it was revealed. Lord Hammil knew the reason for the man’s distaste for the captain, for it mirrored his own.
“Unfortunately, he is aware that if he does betray us in anyway, we will revoke his letter of marque, and that we will hunt him down like the pirate he is. Knowing this, I am also sure that he will do as he is told and will walk a straight line. The man will not make a mistake, I guarantee it. He has too much to lose and he knows it. However, if you can think of a way to break him, by all means—” Lord Havenor let the rest of his words go unspoken, but Lord Hammil understood the implication. “Now, he has many men and a large ship. He will be able to handle any attacks that may come upon you. Good luck on your journey.” Lord Havenor bowed his head to Lord Hammil in farewell. Lord Hammil stood, grabbed all the papers he acquired during his meeting and held them underneath his arm.
“There is one more thing before you go. Who is the woman you chose for your bride? The queen wishes to bless you with many gifts upon your vows.” Lord Hammil smiled at the advisor and replied, “Her name is Miranda Smyth. She is a charming and beautiful woman. Her father is a traveler. I believe you have met her before, at Somerby’s affair a couple of weeks ago?” The advisor only smiled and nodded his head.
“I remember it quite well. She’s an enchanting creature indeed, a real beauty. Well, here is my wedding gift to you ahead of time. I believe you will find it most useful.” Lord Hammil grabbed the parchment wrapped with a pretty red ribbon from the advisor and thanked him profusely for his kindness. He then turned away from the advisor to face the door, and after making sure that he had all of his papers, left the room. Lord Havenor was smiling evilly upon Lord Hammil’s exit as if he were a cat eagerly awaiting his prey.
CHAPTER 2
Sounds of steel could be heard from the living room as Davy trained Miranda in the ways of swordplay. Daily, the furniture was removed from the room and the pair would practice for a few hours at a time. The servants would occasionally watch this tradition, and today was no different. Some of the men and women were gathered in the doorways watching with smiles on their faces as Davy and Miranda moved from one side of the room to the other. The fight between the two was getting heated, and Miranda was being aggressive. They would determine the winner by seeing which one could slash at the others clothing first. The skill between both was exceptional, though it wasn’t always so. When Miranda was a child, Davy would end up with scars on his arms and legs. Even though he took special precautions by wearing protective covering, it never seemed to save him from her blade. Now though, the protective shields remained on his chest but nowhere else.
Miranda had her hair back into a braid while she moved around the room stealthily. Davy never took his eyes away from her for fear she would beat him again. Over the years, she had moved faster with a blade than any man had, including her father. Miranda was told to strike with her fists when she felt confident enough, and today she had her confidence. Davy swung at her head, but Miranda smoothly ducked from the blow. Instead, she punched him in the stomach. When she saw Davy hunch over in pain, she hastily went to him. She lowered her sword to her side and placed her hand on his back.
“Are you all right, Davy?” As she bent over to check on him, Davy moved his foot and brought it by her ankles, tripping her in one fluid motion. With his hand he pushed her to the floor and straddled her hips, his sword at her throat. Miranda cursed loudly as she felt Davy’s cold blade. Davy’s eyebrows rose arrogantly as he touched her nose with his finger.
“How many times have I told you never to let your guard down? If I was another man fighting you, I would have killed you.”
“If you were another man, I never would have checked to see if you were hurt.” Miranda punched Davy’s thigh as he removed his sword and rose off of her. “You are getting up there in age you know.” Miranda crawled away quickly, but not before Davy smacked her on the backside with his hand.
“If I am so old, than how come I can beat you?” Davy gave Miranda a crooked smile as he put their swords away along with his chest pad. Miranda rubbed her backside as she stood from the floor.
“You have to admit that I’m improving,” returned Miranda arrogantly.
“The only way I will admit that is if you admit that I beat you fair and square.” Miranda rolled her eyes as she placed her hands upon her hips.
“Oh, all right, you beat me fair and square. Unlike the last time, and the time before that when I beat you soundly.” Miranda gave Davy a sassy smile as he started to chase her around the room. Her screams could be heard throughout the house, the servants only shook their heads in response. One servant, in particular, walked into the room and interrupted the pair.
“Excuse me, Miss Mayne, but Lord Hammil’s ball is in a few hours and you need to be getting ready if you want to make it there on time. His note requested for you to arrive earlier than his guests so he could speak with you privately.” The servant was a small, thin girl with curly brown hair and a round face. Her name was Melissa. “Also, I am to remind you that Madam Fairaday will be arriving shortly to assist you in your preparations. She will also be attending.”
“I forgot about that. Thank you for reminding me, Melissa.” Melissa bowed her head and smiled at her flush-faced mistress before turning away. “I better hurry before she arrives and sees me like this. The wonderful woman would faint if she saw me wearing men’s breeches.” Miranda placed her hand to her chest, her heart racing from her exertions. Her cheeks were flushed, and a smile was evident upon her face. “I don’t see why you don’t ask her over for supper some evening? She is a kind woman who could probably make you happy.” Davy rolled his eyes dramatically.
“She is out of my league, love. Don’t worry about my happiness. When I find a woman that I’m interested in, I will let you know.” Miranda slowly walked up to Davy, whose heart was also racing, and embraced him. They held each other
