The warrior prince

Bermuda, the mouth of the West Indies. Normally a haven to privateers and lesser beings, it's an unavoidable stop for English vessels on their way to the British Colonies. My cross of the ocean has been long, and young William has been a little sea-sick on the first week of travel, but fortunately, the worst is over, and now the best part of the travel is next.

We are scheduled to stop here for three days, until our water and food stock are recharged, our sugar supplies increased (our captain's a merchant and he's quite aware that a little extra might wage another travel through the ocean), and the latest news collected.

On the second night, he had a pending visit to a friend of his, in the local tavern, the Golden Swan. They had served together as boatswains in the Royal Navy, he tells me, and they had both earned their freedom through extraordinary services.

As we entered, the tavernkeeper asked me name, which I was glad to lie about, and he enquired us about the news coming from the Mother Country.

We were glad to speak about the near-to-come expedition that Prince Harry would wage against the Moors. A small scale in portuguese waters, and he would cross the Mediterranean see to face them. The objective was no other than the plundering of Cairo, but many were skeptical about such prowess.
-"The Mediterranean belongs to the Turks" he says. Me captain showed disapproval.
-"But still we have to teach them".

Many in London had been worried that the very Prince could lose his life during such expedition, it was commented, but he decided to go anyway.

-"We shall get more of that in the years to come, my friends", the captain concluded, while sipping his glass of rhum.

Our next stop in the travel, would be my last: We'd be home!

Spanish Comedians

A long time has lapsed since me last writing, I know. Greater matter recalled me to the old-shaped cottages of me family in England. After embarking for Plymouth, I had to travel to Banburyshire and clear miles and miles of red tape over the Will of an aunt of mine, who is kindly offering me 10.000 Gold Coins.

The only trick on this is that I'll have to take care of her younger son, by the name of William, who is 13 and likes the sword already... He could quickly turn into a fearce pirate, but the will is clear: shall he fall off me custody before he turns 16, the Crown will claim such sum of gold. And I have no interest of losing it. So for three years, young William will be an apprentice bartender in the Caribbean, so he better behave!

During the long journey, back to my island, we've hit the Spanish coast. Near Finisterra, news travel quicker to such a remote harbour than to the Caribbean, which is quite strange, but such are the Spanish ways.

We learned from the harbourmen than the Crown is engulfed in an inner trouble. The Valido of the King, an equivalent to our Prime Minister, has suffered an unexpected rebellion from the Vascongados to the North, which have stealthly striken in the capital, killing two. The Valido, Count José Luis del Zapato was facing formal accusations from his biggest rival, Marquis Mariano del Rajoy to be a coward.

The Valido, a grand manipulator of the Public opinion, has organized via his minions in the capitol a huge parade to keep the populace quiet. The fact that most actors of the Comedy (a mentidero, those Spaniards call it) are behind the Valido is earning him more and more supporters, while the Marquis remains isolated in his intentions.

If such is the situation in my nearer seas, and the Spanish armada is divided as well, don't be surprised that a bold captain plunders Cartagena one of those days!

Rule Britannia!