Pirates on Deck : The prophecy of the winter mermaid

prologue

Prologue

France 1698

Gentle wind was blowing through the estate and the dark night sky was showing its brightest stars as Juliana made her way to the door. The townhouse was a small estate for a marquis yet it was elegant in its old way, containing twenty bedrooms, a guest hall, a small parlor and a flower garden yet to be seen.

She had just turned eleven this season and was looking forward to this trip. Asking permission from the marquis was the hardest thing to do. The marquis was a strived perfectionist. His secretary often writes reports about his children’s studies and behavior and proper decorum.

Juliana always strived to be up to his expectations since she became his ward. He said he was a distant cousin of her father but she knew better as she was always a little too smart for her age. The marquis is her father, her unusual cleft in her chin which was usually found in males, her sandy-blonde hair and her pert nose were all his.

Since Claude Montaigne, marquis of Chantilly was a hard man to please, he told her that he was willing to let her go to the country estate but she will have to be accompanied by two governess, one personal maid and five personal bodyguards.

Since she was already used to have more than two governesses and she already used to have more than two bodyguards and she already have a personal maid whom she considers her closest friend so she was fine with it but having ten bodyguards was way over top. It was the only way he’d agree so she reluctantly gave in.

With her was a battalion of people ready to march in the estate. It was already early spring and she silently wished that the primroses had already bloomed.

“ ‘Tis a small estate for a frenchie lassie like ‘ye.” whispered Lena behind her ear who was her personal maid around her age.

“ la critique est aisée, et l’art est difficile ” (Criticism is easy and art is difficult) she replied.

“ ‘Spose so..” Lena frowned. “But if ‘ye were me, I’d choose a bigger one, why’ever did ‘ye pick this one? I’d have to say the marquis ‘ad a much larger estate there at Paris, mind ‘ye, Julie.”

Juliana smiled. “Mama used to bring me here, just outside the gates and would look at wonder at this place and say to me ‘Sweet, someday you’ll live in a big house like this one when your papa would come home and get us.’ ”

“I’ve always liker yer mom” Lena sniffed. “Can’t shake ‘me cryin’ that day, when ‘ye losed ‘er that unfortunate day.”

“Best not to talk about the woman in the presence of a lady.” Mademoiselle Anne-Marie Ronsard said, Juliana’s young and haughty governess and off she went with her petticoats and a tot from her shoes.

“Me’self thinks that tall lady who jus’ went has no heart and I’d jus’ soon dump ‘er rotten flesh off in the streets” Lena nodded. “Yeah, yeah, that’s what ye should do.”

The room was magnificent. Gold was the color of the wallpaper tapered across the wall and was printed with roses. The bed was fit for a princess with lacy velvet hanging around its roof. To top it all, glass windows were put to see a majestic view just beside a large closet filled with a recently-made wardrobe, probably ordered for her by the marquis.

Her face glowed upon thinking on the assumption. She loved her father since her mother, Clarisse, would talk about him, her green eyes filled with joy and longing. Her face would warm yet you could still see her sadness beneath her face only it would be covered by the beauty of her flaming red hair.

A knock came from the door and appeared Lena, with her cheeks flushed, her braided-hair disarrayed and tears etched her face. “ Ye ought to fire that Anne-‘arie.” She growled. “Cursed yer mama, aye she did! Yer mama was beautiful and smart and kind and makes the best beef stew I’ve ever tasted!”