Lady Violet: The Tales of a Runaway Pirate Book 1

Chapter 1

Pirates. Evil creatures the legends say. They say that all pirates do is loot, steal, kidnap. They all focus on the negative portions of us pirates. But what if I were to say that we aren't as bad as everyone expected? Yes, we may loot and steal and kidnap, but there usually is a very very good reason.

It wasn't long ago that I believed those legends about the pirates that I wanted nothing more than to steer clear of any of them that could possibly be one. As a small lord's daughter, I had the beliefs of my mother and father. The ones that they chose to impart on my twin brother and I. We were not as lucky as many seemed to believe, even though we were the children of nobles. I wasn't lucky. My brother, the poor boy. He wanted us to be equal. He wanted us to be able to do what we wanted together, but that wasn't the case for me. I wasn't born as a male. I was born as a female, and a noble one at that.

I was used to hiding my skills, hiding the fact that I wanted nothing more than to be a knight or someone other than a woman who sat around doing nothing at all. I only wanted to do something, and unfortunately for my father and mother, I did what I wanted. Even if it goes against their beliefs. I learned how to use a sword without them finding out, a feat that seemed almost impossible, and learned how to sneak out without anyone realizing I had left most of the time.

It was on one of those times that I had snuck out that I had met him. Met the one that would show me more than just the land. I had known from the moment that I had woken up that day, there was something different about the day.

Breakfast had been uneventful, but I wasn't one to assume that it would stay uneventful because I was the rebellious one and never did anything correctly. I was always wrong, even when I was correct. My mother was the one to teach me about the way of our lives and the way that I would need to live. I didn't mind it that much, but it was boring and just another place to be scolded by my mother. She seemed to live to tell me how I was doing everything wrong.

It was only during the class that I really started to wish that I was somewhere else. I wanted to be outside with my brother and covered in dirt and dust. I must have been daydreaming because the tops of my hands were suddenly stinging as my mother swung her closed fan down on them.

"Listen! You are a woman in this place and you must learn how to act like one if you are to marry and be the lady of the house." She glowered down at me as if I were being inconsiderate of her and her lessons. I wasn't a fan of the classes, but I usually pretended to be interested so they would end much earlier than normal.

She ended up keeping me longer than usual due to my day dreaming. When I finally was able to get out of the lesson, it was almost time for dinner and I was itching to leave and practice anything that I could. Dinner was more of a nuisance with the constant corrections and the excessive praising of my brother. Evin had a pitiful gaze as he looked at me throughout the dinner. That just made me more determined that night to escape this prison.

That night as soon as I was alone, I changed out of the night gown into one of my easy dresses. It was much simpler to escape in. I never had to worry about it tearing or catching on any of the branches in the yard. I knew the pattern of the few guards that were on patrol around our small piece of heaven. I loved being free, and alive in the dark as I walked towards the worst part of the town and paused to listen to the sounds of the drunkards. The closet building was a tavern and those were usually the best places to be free.

I almost always visited this same tavern when I would escape from home. It was the friendlier one of the others on this little street and livilest. Singing and dancing could already be heard from the tavern as I approached it. A grin had already taken over my face as I stepped into the building and found an empty seat among the crowded room. I didn't usually order anything, but I was tempted just this once when I saw how more crowded it was than normal. I was just about to call over the waitress when a young man dancing to the song caught my eye.

A man who seemed to know what he was doing. His hazel eyes scanned through the room, landing on mine as a boyish grin overtook his lips. The man made his way through the crowd to my seat, holding a hand out, bowing slightly. "A fine lady shouldn't be alone on a night like this." His voice smooth and deep as he looked down at me. "A dance wouldn't hurt either of us, would it?" He asked, his hand still reaching out, waiting for a companion. I placed my hand in his as I rose from the seat.

The songs that were played seemed to be very uplifting as he led me in the dance of the night. Laughter filled the void between us as we danced. He was striking, even though he had to bend over to have any conversation with me. His eyes, though clearly seen, were covered by his extremely light hair.

"May I know the name of the fine lady I have danced this night away with?" He asked, his lips close to my ear. A small smirk lifted my face as I looked at this striking man.

"The name is just something to take away the mystery. Wouldn't it be better to not know it?" I pulled away from the man, a part of me regretting that I would not see him again probably. I was only a few steps towards the door, before my hand was taken once again.

"One more dance, and if I can sing along to the song while dancing with you, you'll tell me your name, and I'll tell you mine, my fine lady. Do we have a deal?" His eyes were gleaming as his eyes searched mine. With only a slight curl of my lips, I nodded my head, returning to a dance with him.

I watched him closely as he started to sing along to the newest song, a song about two lovers that separated from one another for many years. By the time the song was ending, I had been led through a simple dance, but serenaded by his voice through it.

"Now, my fine lady, I shall show you a bit of good faith. My name is Dorian. Just Dorian." His eyes searched mine, as we continued a small step turn.

"Violet. That is my name."