Revenge of the Sea

*Trigger Warning: Physical violence and substance abuse.*

“How sure are we of this plan?” Jonesy asks, eying the collection of rune carved bones, twigs, and pebbles he had cast onto the table bolted to the quarter deck. Geraldine looks over his shoulder, the rough chop of her blonde bob shadowing her face.

“How sure are you, witch?” Geraldine asks, pointing at the shapes. No mockery was in her tone however, only reverence. Jonesy looks back at her, shaking his loose brown curls lightly. The colour drains from Geraldine’s face.

“Well, I’m sure,” Penelope says from her perch on the rail of the ship, “and I’m your captain.” Jonesy and Geraldine exchange a look. Penelope whips her head around, long black braid beneath the tight scarf bouncing, as if sensing the disbelief.

“Look, Pen, I know you have thought about this for a long time but,” Geraldine pauses, glancing nervously to the table again, “I really don’t think we have the resources or the crew-” Penelope cuts her off with the sweep of her hand.

“I’ve made my plans based on the size and capabilities of our crew I’m not stupid Ger.”

“Right, we know that this is all just feeling a bit rushed and maybe…” Geraldine stops, searching for the right words.

“Bonkers,” Jonesy supplies, his thick Irish accent cutting through the tense silence. Penelope jumps off the rail and onto the deck, cutlass clanking against the worn wood.

“I understand your hesitation, but a score here has to be settled,” Penelope states firmly, walking past them.

“What score Pen? You have never told us what happened to you here,” Geraldine comes to her side, gently placing a hand on her arm. Penelope turns, slipping herself from Geraldine’s grasp and leaning against the railing overlooking the busy deck.

“Why are you suddenly doubting my abilities now? When I pulled you out of Tortuga you were more than willing to trust my every word. And I didn’t even have a real ship then,” Penelope asks, dodging her question.

“On Tortuga I was a drunk prostitute who gambled away any hope of escape. Here and now, I’m your navigator on a boat full of crew who respects me. I think I’ve gained a bit of self worth since blindly grabbing onto whatever opportunity presented itself,” Geraldine snips.

“Fine, I’m sorry for bringing it up,” Penelope mutters.

“And that, what is this sudden attitude against everyone?” Jonesy adds. Penelope raises her eyebrows.

“I rattled you so hard I knocked some bite out of you, did I Jonesy?” she comments smirking.

“Enough Penelope. Spill the secret. Now,” Geraldine demands. Pen sucks in a breath.

“Okay fine. Once upon a time I lived here and the love of my life was killed by the Governor who presides over this port. Happy?” her voice breaks on the last word, and she turns away to stare out at the distant land. Jonesy and Geraldine exchange a sympathetic look. Geraldine approaches her again, skirts swaying. A storm rages in Penelope’s eyes. She looks down at Geraldine, and the storm subsides slightly.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, a tear tracing down her face. Geraldine reaches up and wipes it away, leaving her hand to cup Penelope’s face.

“I never expected you to not have loved before, I have too,” Geraldine says gently, “besides, we’ve talked about what we are and it’s not that serious.” She places a quick kiss on Penelope’s tear-streaked cheek. Penelope smiles and kisses Geraldine’s palm.

“Alright, so when do we do this Captain?” Jonesy asks, determination now lacing his words. Penelope doesn’t look up from Geraldine’s eyes.

“Dawn, at shift change for the guards,” she replies.

The sun is just finishing raising over the water as the rowboats silently cut through the last of the shallows a quarter a mile from the main port. The crew quickly works to pull in the boats before regrouping to Penelope to begin the raid.

“We’re here with a singular purpose lads and ladies, ruin and pillage this port. You know your assignments, listen for the calls to begin each phase. The luck of the seas to each of you,” Penelope finishes, sharply whistling. The crew disperses and begins the assault.

First, the guild of assassins Penelope had saved from being picked off by the royal navy now picked off navy on the docks and guards along the outer wall one by one. They cleared the way for the few explosive experts that had joined the crew after fixing cannons on board the first ship Penelope and Geraldine had managed to take. They rigged explosions quietly and quickly along the docks, its guard towers, and outer wall of the city, drawing the attention of the remaining guards. As the city panicked upwards and the guards sprinted downwards for the docks, the rest of the pirate crew use the confusion to arrive at the two surviving docks on the rest of the rowboats. And so, the fight begins.

While the crew and military go blade to blade at the docks, Penelope leads Geraldine, Jonesy, and a few of their most trusted crew, Marcy, Seamus, and Sam, towards the manor atop the hill. They creep up the path behind the house, waiting until a majority of the military have left the house before approaching. Penelope waves them to a service door at the back, the light above it still unlit. Pushing up her hat to peek inside the dusty window on the door, Geraldine spots an empty storage room. Slipping her dagger in the door lock, she picks carefully and quietly until the lock clicks and the door swings open. The crew files in guns and blades drawn.

Penelope leads them out of the storage room and down an expansive and spotless hallway. She breaks left at the first doorway with sure familiarity. Geraldine and Jonesy exchange looks, before waving Marcy and Sam towards the other rooms and motioning at Seamus to stay put as guard. They nod, scurrying off and Geraldine and Jonesy slip down the next hallway after Penelope. She stands tall in front of a door at the end of the hall, a candlestick wedged in the doors of the room in front of her.

“Security office,” she whispers before coming towards them. They straighten from their crouch and stare at her.

“How-” Jonesy starts.

“Shall we?” Penelope cuts him off, gesturing to the door on their immediate left. Before either of them can respond, she kicks open the door.

“Sorry to interrupt gentleman,” Penelope says strutting in, and sheathing her cutlass. The room, clearly an office of sorts, is lined with bookshelves and lit only with the bright morning sun from the expansive window on the back wall. A desk centers the room, a plush chair behind occupied by a blanching older man, and two less ornate chairs in front, one seating a startled younger man.

“What in God’s name-” the man behind the desk, the governor, says while starting to stand. He freezes upon seeing Penelope’s face.

“At a loss for words old man?” Penelope asks tightly, beginning to circle the room.

“What are you doing back here, dressed like… that?” the governor asks standing to his full height and gesturing to Geraldine and Jonesy, “and who are these… ruffians?” Penelope appears to ignore him, a hand reaching up to drag along the spines of the books lining the shelves. The younger man moves to stand, but Jonesy cocks his pistol and places it behind his head. The man freezes where he is, blonde head forced forward towards the governor.

“You know, once I swore to myself I’d never come back here. The day I was all but banished,” Penelope states, coming up behind the governor on her perusal of the shelves, “do you remember that Father?” Geraldine starts, shock pulling her backwards a step. She flicks her eyes to Jonesy, who looks equally stunned. Neither of them had guessed this grudge was a familial one. Geraldine surveys the scene, considering the facial similarities of Penelope and the governor in front of her. Look too hard, and you’d see it plain as day. Penelope comes up behind her father and pushes his shoulders down so he’s sitting again. Then she leans in close.

“The day Mother died was the day I became a ghost in this house to everyone; did you notice that? The only time you or anyone else wanted to meet with me was to tell me you’d found another, wonderfully noble man you wanted me to wed for your own gain. They each came here to meet me, and I’d send them running,” standing straight again, she walks around the table and settles into the free chair before continuing, “much to your dismay of course. Ah but then, then one day I found true happiness in the new companion you chose for me. A new lady’s maid, Elissa, to help me be more… civilized, as you called it. And it truly did work. She was a wonderful, beautiful spark to my life.” The governor scoffs loudly. Penelope glares over at him, leaning forward, elbows on her knees.

“That heathen-” he begins. Penelope stands abruptly, slamming her hands down on the desk. The governor flinches.

“That woman, was my everything! Elissa brought me so much joy, a shriveled heart like yours would give out under that kind of love. Then you had her executed over that love. You are a monster of proportions one can’t fathom.” Penelope shouts, dropping back into the chair. The silence in the room is thick and heavy.

“What did you come here for Penelope? Just to yell at me?” the governor asks, exasperated. She smiles.

“Well to rob you for one, which my crew is working on currently. Other than that,” she pauses, “to make you understand I suppose. I don’t why. Maybe to kill you in justice for Elissa, who deserved far more than she ever got.” The governor flinches at her casual tone.

“Please, Lady Penelope, let this go,” the other man finally speaks, his voice cracking. Both women in the room flinch at the sound of his voice. Penelope, at the use of Lady, but Geraldine at the familiarity of it. She steps forward, into the man’s eyeline for the first time.

“Father?” she manages to say, the sound barely a whisper. The mans eyebrows pinch in confusion.

“Do I know you?” he asks. Geraldine removes her hat and shakes out her choppy blonde hair. The man gasps.

“Maria?” he asks quietly, standing slowly. Jonesy pulls his pistol back. Geraldine shakes her head, but the man just laughs in pure joy and reaches for her.

“Maria, my love, my daughter! We thought we lost you to the seas as well as your fiancé,” the man pulls her into a hug. Geraldine, Maria, holds frozen. Her father holds her at arms length and scans her, eyebrows pinching again at her appearance.

“Father, my name is Geraldine now. I am no longer a merchant’s daughter, but a daughter of the sea,” Geraldine says quietly, refusing to meet her father’s eyes. He lets go of her.

“Did you find Zachariah then, and marry… I do not understand,” he stutters.

“No, I escaped on a ship under the name and appearance of a man named Gerald to sail and find news of Zachariah. But I was discovered to be a woman, and they ship threw me off at Tortuga. Bad luck they called me. There I learned Zachariah was really gone. Then…” Geraldine pauses, thinking about all she endured on Tortuga, “then Penelope saved me from that place and made me navigator on her ship. I changed my name to Geraldine after that. I was allowed to be myself on her ship.”

“I do not understand,” her father says, tears brewing in his eyes, “you’re a… a pirate now? Why did you not come home my dear?” Geraldine shakes her head.

“You would not accept me now. And my place, my home, is the sea. I’ve never felt more free Father.”

“Please love, come home. I’ll find a spot on my boat for you, no matter what my crew says, I’ll-” He cuts himself off as Geraldine steps backwards and reaches for Penelope’s hand. Their fingers interlock, and both fathers blanch.

“Ah I see,” the governor says leaning back in his chair with a bemused smile as if watching theater.

“This witch has plagued your mind,” Geraldine’s father says, shaking his head fast and scrambling, “let me save you, please daughter.”

“Actually, I’m the only witch here,” Jonesy supplies playfully, “and I’m guessing your wife is the Irish one who taught your daughter our lore or you would not be so disrespectful in your use of the word.” Both women shoot Jonesy a glare and he raises his hands defensively.

“But you’re a man…” Geraldine’s father says confused.

“We exist, I can’t help I’m an only child of a powerful witch sir,” Jonesy says defensively.

Penelope shoots her pistol into the ceiling unexpectedly, the sound ringing through the air. Every head whips in her direction.

“We’re straying away from the point of this meeting,” she says, cocking her gun again, and pointing it at her father, “I’m here for revenge Father. It sailed to you from the high seas and fought many battles to get to you. There is nothing you love more than yourself for me to destroy, so instead I shall destroy you.” The governor doesn't even bother to sit up at the sight of the pointed gun.

“Please, Penelope, let’s be serious. You don’t have the stomach,” he says smirking. Penelope scowls, tensing. A shot rings through the air. The governor does not speak again. Geraldine squeezes Penelope’s hand reassuringly, as her father retches behind them. He collapses to the chair, gazing up at Geraldine.

“My daughter died at sea,” his voice shakes, tears slipping from his eyes. Geraldine smiles sadly at him.

“Yes she did. Maria died in Tortuga, a victim of vicious men and alcohol. Geraldine is free of her shell now. Tell Mother everything for me. Maybe she’ll find some of the freedom I’m sure she once craved in my story.” With that, Geraldine pulls Penelope by their interlocked fingers away and out of the office, Jonesy in tow.