Read the full story of Queen Ruby and her Ladies in Raiding- Cruise of the Jeweled Princess
Learn more about 2023's bus to the beach and our Interactive Pirate Drama to be enacted across the Lowcountry.
The Jeweled Princess is hidden at anchor in a remote creek near Cape Romaine, N. of Charleston. Queen Ruby has taken off of a secret mission. The ladies in raiding have secured supplies and water, but have carefully avoided drawing attention.
Crystal, the beautiful raven haired teenage daughter of the crew's Master at Arms, Emerald, has disappeared. Also missing are Crystal's personal arms and small purse of gold coins.
Emerald orders a search for her daughter and discovers in historic Charleston lady pirates are just assumed to be working in the tourism industry. A single gold coin purchases CARTA gold bus passes for the entire crew. They camp among the city's homeless population at night, sharing their largess with the hungry and unhoused. Emrald does not understand why a community with so much wealth has so many people sleeping under abandoned houses and in wooded lots. Some of the ladies take up event work for meetings and conventions to develop contacts. The event planners are amazed at the realism of their accents and clothing. “Best pirate actors I've ever seen,” reads one online review. Emerald soon finds Anderson and the Kings Guard. She has the Ladies in Raiding follow them.
Crystal has found her way inland to Summertime, taking the #41 bus from Shem Creek where she landed in a borrowed boat with an amazing, but noisy motor she found near McClellenville. Having rowed hundreds of miles in her time, this outboard motor is the first of many wonders. The antique dealer in Mt. Pleasant was happy to give her hundreds of dollars for just one of her antique coins. Downtown she takes in the sights and meets a theater student from Rollins School of the Arts who has been working on a pirate theater project. Together they take the #3 Express Bus to Summertime where she proceeds to discover the wonders of teenage life in the 21st Century.
Crystal does some Instagram posts with her friends, picks up a smart phone and begins to explore Dorchester County. She couch surfs among the Rollins students and even manages to spend most of a day at Rollins, amazing the theater teacher with her mastery of stage weapon choreography. She slipped out of the school when the administration started asking to speak to her parents. Dad doesn't have a cell phone back in 1723 and Emerald doesn't have one now.
That night Crystal was enjoying some pizza and a crisp, cool salad of fresh vegetables with her new Summertime friends. In Crystal's time, fresh vegetables wilted or rotted rapidly in the heat. On board a long voyage everything was dried, boiled or cooked. Crystal is a big fan of refrigeration. Ice cream too.
But not everything is wonderful, Crystal learns that some of her friends, who struggle with poverty in Summerville have never seen the Atlantic Ocean, only 20 miles away. She promises them, they'll see the sea this summer. She considers taking someone's boat and heading down the Ashley River but figures riding the bus would be less risky. She's also getting nervous about her reunion with the Ladies in Raiding who must be searing for her now.
“Of course it's real,” Says Crystal, “I would have no chance against Anderson's pirates or the guard with one of your made in China's.”
One of the other boys says she not really a pirate, but has some sort of mental health problem.
Crystal's hand swings down to her delicate boot and fingers reach a knife. In an instant she brings it up, around and whips it forward so that it pierces the eye of a character in a poster that looks too much like Pirate Anderson for her liking. It passes two inches in front of the boy's nose.
If you see a man who looks like that, warn me and run.
He soon gets word of a pirate girl with a growing social media following in Summerville. He's never seen Crystal, but recognizes the style of her dress. She has to be one of the ladies in raiding and would make a valuable hostage. Unable to navigate the problems of getting and driving a car, he too gets some CARTA Bus passes and rides the #10 Rivers Ave. Bus and Tri County Link bus all the way to Summerville, where again, everyone just assumes they're working in the tourism industry and don't bathe enough. Anderson can't understand why it takes two hours to get to Summertime on a bus which can clearly be driven 60 miles an hour.
The King's guard has been shadowing Anderson and hiding in modern clothes they've received at the Sunday Community Potluck on Hampstead Square. They also head to Summerville. Lacking a chest of gold, the redcoats beg for the fare in uniform first. Tourists love the selfies.
Her mother, Emerald, has also followed Anderson and the Guard to Summerville, the ladies as usual eliciting information from the hapless guards.
Some people have noticed there certainly seem to be a lot of pirates riding the bus system these days, but the authorities have no idea what is about to happen. Two warring bands of pirates and a detachment of royal guards are about to meet a group of teenagers among the craft booths and food trucks in flowertown. One of those teenagers is ready, but out of her time. The others are out of their depth and Queen Ruby and her magical key are far away.
It is later afternoon when Crystal and her friends arrive at Hutchinson Square. Anderson, the Guard and the Ladies in Raiding will arrive soon.
Be on Hutchinson Square in Summerville on Thursday, May 18 to see what happens next.
Support and Contact Us
- You can support our continuing efforts for better transit by making a contribution online on Act Blue
- You can reach us by emailing executive director William Hamilton at wjhamilton29464@gmail.com or by calling 843-870-5299.
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