Time passed quickly and before she knew it, Peaches was standing at the end of a rose covered aisle, with her father holding her arm. “I know the grand pn, father.” Peaches whispered, “Mother admitted the ruse this morning.” She patted him on the arm, “You get to give me away and have your title.”

  “What?” Her father looked at his daughter perplexed. “I don’t know what you are talking about, love. Your mother must be pnning something on her own.” He shrugged, “I never wanted this union, but he’s a Duke and I am in no position to say no.” He lifted the veil to get a good look at Peaches, “You keep calling her mother, she is your step-mother. You can call her Brigitte, I have said that since you were small.”

  Feeling betrayed for the third time in one day, Peaches' mood soured quickly. “She’s the only mother I know. You refuse to tell me what happened to my real mother.” She waved impatiently at her father. “We don’t have time to discuss this now, father.” She pointed to the Duke. “I have to get married.”

  When the music from the lutes and flutes started, Peaches gracefully walked up the aisle to her awaiting Duke. Upon reaching the imposing man, she bowed once and then took up her position opposite of him. Peaches caught a quick wink from the Duke and smiled in return.

  Waiting for the music to stop, the cleric of the vilge stepped between the couple. “What a lovely autumn day we have today, esteemed guests.” He looked at the couple standing before him. “Today we are here to enjoy the union of Duke Garratt and his lovely soon to be Lady Garratt.” He reached out and took their hands in his. “Weddings are such a blessing, they signify the start of something new and a path of life that you can’t begin to fathom. I wish the two of you the best of luck.”

  Peaches whispered, “Thank you, Cleric Dupot.”

  Nodding lightly to Peaches, “My pleasure Lady.” He turned his attention to the crowd. “Let’s begin.” He noticed the nervous look in both of their eyes, “Try and rex. You only have a few words to say.” The cleric heard polite ughter from the guests. “We are gathered together with the heaven’s above to witness the union of these two lovely people.” He pointed at Peaches' father. “Do you give your permission and blessing to this union?” When the cleric got a simple nod from Peaches' father, he continued. “Since it appears that the happy couple is turning a bit green, I will make this quick.” He ughed for a second, “Surely I jest you two. You both look like you want this over.” Cleric Dupot turned to the Duke first. “Do you promise and decree that you wish to be husband and partner? To cherish your new bride for all time? Love and honor her coming sacrifices?”

  Duke Garratt took a deep breath and steadied himself, “I do, Master Cleric.” he looked into Peaches’ hazel eyes. “I will spend a lifetime pleasing this lovely dy.”

  Cpping briefly, Cleric Dupot adjusted his colr and then turned to Peaches. “Do you promise to devote yourself wholly to Duke Garratt, as his wife and partner through life? To cherish him in good times and in hard times? To be the shoulder in his darkest moments?”

  Peaches looked into the cleric’s brown eyes, “I do, Master Cleric.” She handed him her bouquet. “I wish you to have these, so you might enjoy the same happiness that I am about to.”

  Flushing until he was as bright as an apple, Cleric Dupot bowed. “T-Thank you, Lady.” He looked at them both. “Unless there is anyone who opposes this union…” He waited a couple seconds, “...Then I pronounce you Lord to Lady, Man to wife, man to woman for as long as you both live.”

  What happened next, seemed to make time almost stand still, freezing the guests in their pces.

  A fsh of steel and glinting rubies swept through the air and struck the duke squarely across his neck, sending blood down his chest. A return hit jammed in the big man’s chest, and sent blood all over Peaches’ ivory white wedding gown. “Consider me a widow now, Master Cleric.” She watched the Duke fall to the ground, “Good riddance you nasty fucker.” She waved the dagger in front of her mother and then took off running from the guards that had begin to sprint towards her.

  Knowing her family farm well, Peaches took off in the direction of the huge cornrows that would hide her escape. “I can’t believe it worked.” She told herself as the whistles of the guards were close behind. “Okay, this is your home. You can do this, Peaches.” She reassured herself as she pulled off her shoes and made better time in her bare feet.

  It took the better part of twenty minutes of her weaving and side slipping the guards before Peaches evaded them completely. Based on their callouts she knew they were circling the middle of the main corn field.

  -Good, they are helplessly lost here.-

  Peaches turned east and ran against the slowly setting sun. Emerging from the farmnd, she quickly crossed into a huge patch of woods and to a small hut that had seen better days. Initially trying to jerk herself free of the bloody garment, Peaches realized that the gown was still worth quite a bit, given the pearls that were in the hem of the dress.

  -Putain tout ?a!-

  Looking out of the door to the hut, Peaches saw that there was no one following her. Unbuttoning the dress, she stepped out of the heavy material and went to her hidden pack in the corner. “Much better.” She told herself as she slipped into her comfy clothes, taking the time to ball up the stockings and cut the corset from her with the dagger. She looked at the weapon closely. “It’s just you and I. Time to get a move on.”

  “Peaches.” A light female voice came from outside. “Did you think I couldn’t find you here?” Sophie walked into view. “I helped you build this love box.”

  Peaches packed up the gown and tied her hair with a piece of tanned leather. “I was hoping you would.”

  Sophie took a step into the broken hut, “You have made a huge mess of things, you will be hanged when you are caught.” Sophie held out her hand, “Let’s do the right thing and give yourself up. It’s a lifetime of running scared otherwise.” Sophie shed a few tears, “I hate to see someone I care for in such a mess.”

  “Peaches the murderer, the Duke killer.” Peaches called herself. “Sophie, this morning you confessed that you didn’t care about me, yet you are here.” Peaches stepped up to the chambermaid and gave her a kiss on both cheeks. “I can’t go with you, it would never work out…right?” Peaches held the dagger to Sophie’s chin. “Give me a reason to not do it, Sophie.”

  Nervously shaking and crying in front of Peaches, Sophia felt the cold point of the dagger under her chin. “P-PP-Peach..wh..what are you doing? It’s me…you wa-wanted to run away..” She paused, desperate to save her life. “We have your pearls, we can go far away together. Just you and I like you…you wanted.”

  Power. Fear. Control. Peaches felt the rush of the emotions for the first time in her life and knew that she needed more of it. “No. Sophie. You would just give the guards information about us every moment you could.” Sighing briefly as she considered her options, Peaches blinked her hazy hazel eyes. “You know…You know me inside and out. You’ve heard my dreams and desires for years now. You know I want to explore and see the world. I bet you could name ten cities that I really want to see.”

  Sophie nodded and gave a weak smile. “Now I want nothing more than to explore pces like Athens, London, The new world... what’s the name of that city, Boston? Yes, that’s it. Rome, Perhaps far into Russia to experience Moscow in the winter. Huddled together.” Sophie touched Peaches’ hand, “Trinidad.”

  Peaches smiled and raised one long bck eyebrow, “Simply put, you are a liar, trying to py on our past that you destroyed. It’s simple really, you have become a liability.” Without hesitating, Peaches shoved the dagger through Sophie's chin and into her head, killing her instantly.

  Wiping Sophie’s blood on the rotted hay, Peaches put the dagger back in its sheath and walked out of the hut and stood quietly for a couple seconds. “Let’s see, which way to go? She looked west to see the sun going down, then turned south. “Italy it is. Venice I think will be nice enough.”

  Completing her tiny tale, Ruby smiled at Jonny. “What be in ya head, boy? Ol’Ruby One-Eye be ssh’em down, she be. Aye.” Ruby chuckled and tossed a bit more rum on the fire before drinking from her bottle.

  Rolling her eyes at her partner, Avanora cleared her throat, “Jonny, she meanz that zhe story was how she killz zhem all, yes?” She squeezed Ruby’s arm. “Meant to give you fair warningz is all.” She kissed the pirate on her scarred cheek. “Nexzt time tell the boy a better tale. Perhapz becoming a s-zailor, yes? I love that one too.”

  “Amen, so it be.” Ruby announced and looked into Ava’s eyes, “Arrgh, yer look cut’n me ta the quick, them eyes do.” Ruby looked back at a shocked Jonny. “No bones about it, my boy. Ruby be a killer, pray you remember that, Aye?”

  “Yes, Captain.” Jonny nervously replied.

  “Hear you now then, Ruby does be hav’n other adventures. Make no mistake, not all involve murder’n. Quite a few be about rolling in the covers, aye?” Ruby paused and sipped her rum, “As it chances, Ruby do have’n another tale that picks its yarn just after me reached Venice.”