Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Only Christina. Yeah, it sucks. Oh well, enjoy!
//////////Chapter 1: The Unpleasant Ceremony///////////////
"Grace!" Hard knocking at her door awoke Grace Swann. Grace turned over, and snapped open her eyes with a small frown on her face. She had been having the most wonderful dream... The knocking proceeded.
"One moment!" she called out. Grace hurriedly got out of bed, put on her robe, and went to open the door.
"Still awake at this hour?" her father inquired. He walked in and opened the blinds. The morning outside was bright and beautiful. "Here, I have a gift for you." He motioned to one of the chambermaids, who brought in a box.
"Father you shouldn't have..." Grace went over and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful, hand-woven, pale pink dress. "Oh, Father, it's beautiful." The held the dress in the sunlight.
"I thought you would like it. I hear it's the latest in London. Grace held the dress up to her in the mirror. "Actually I was hoping you would wear it to the ceremony today."
Grace sighed. "Father--"
"Yes I know Commodore Norrington fancies Elizabeth, not you," he interrupted. "But that does not mean there will not be fine gentlemen there."
"You're not going to start that again, are you?" Grace was getting quite tired of her Father's constant attempts to arrange a marriage for her.
"It's time for you to think about a future husband! Once Elizabeth and Norrington wed, it will be time for you to choose one!'
"Father I do not want to get married yet. I want to travel, see the world, sail at sea..."
"I do not have time for this right now. I must go wake Elizabeth." He walked to the door. "Put on the dress, and please consider looking for a husband today. For me?" He always guilted her into it.
"Yes, I shall think about it. Thank you for the dress, Father." Grace's father exited the room and she was left to get dressed.
"Your father is right, you know," she chambermaid inquired. "You may not want to hear it, but a woman your age should start thinking about those things." Grace looked down.
"I do think about it. And to tell you the truth, it does appeal to me. But there are no men that I feel for. I do not want to be forced into marriage. I want to be in love." The maid out her hand on Grace's shoulder.
"I hear you, miss. Let's get dressed and think about this some other time." Grace looked up, with a tiny smile on her face. The was exactly what she needed right now. _____
Grace stepped down the stairs to the hall. At the bottom was her Father and Will Turner, who both turned to look at her as she made her entrance.
"Grace, darling! You look lovely!" Her Father complimented.
"Yes, and only at the expense of me breathing." Will gave a smile. Grace reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Good day, Miss Swann." Will nodded at her.
"Is that the sword for Commodore Norrington?"
"Yes," Will put the sword back in it's case. "Your father placed a very good order," Will replied.
"Oh, Elizabeth! You look absolutely stunning!" Grace and Will tuned to see her sister, Elizabeth, coming down the stairs. Elizabeth's face lit up when she saw the young blacksmith.
"Will! It's so good to see you!" She continued down the stairs to him. "I had a dream about you last night." Will seemed a bit taken aback.
"About me?" Grace smirked. It was so obvious that they liked each other.
"About the day we met, do you remember?"
"How could I forget, Miss Swann ?"
"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth ?"
"At least once more, Miss Swann , as always." Governor Swann stepped in. "There. See? At least the boy has a sense of propriety. Now, we really must be going." Elizabeth's expression hardened.
"Good day, Mr. Turner," and with that, Elizabeth left. Grace turned to leave.
"Will, honestly, just tell her you like her already." Will shook his head.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes, she likes you too, so just tell her."
"Grace!" Governor Swann beckoned to her name from outside.
"Goodbye, Will"
"Good bye, Miss Swann." _____
Good Lord, this party was boring. All Grace had done since she arrived was been introduced to boring socialites. Her Father, of course, had made sure that she mingled with every young man there, and not only was she tired of smiling at their stupid jokes, but her face had started to ache. I need to get out of here, she thought. She began to walk backwards towards the stone steps that led to the street. One step, two step....she was almost there.
"Grace!" Grace stopped and groaned...so close yet so far. She sighed before she replied.
"Yes, Father?" Her father strode over to her.
"Have you spoken to Thomas Jones, yet? You know, he's the son of Judge Jones. I think it would be wise for you to go over and introduce yourself." Governor Swann put his hand on her back and began to lead her in Thomas' direction.
"Father, no!" Grace turned to face him. "Stop! You can't make me do this anymore!"
"Is it such a crime for a father to want his daughter to marry a good man?"
"No, but you are not listening to me. I do not like these gentlemen you introduce me to! I do not even want to be here today, but i did to make you happy. Enough! Love is important to me when it comes to choosing a husband, not his bank account." Her father lost his patience with her.
"Grace, I've had enough. Whether you like it or not, you will get married. Now at the end of next week, I expect you to choose who you want to be your husband, or I will choose him for you. Is that understood?" Grace was stunned. All she could do was nod.
"Good. Now I suggest you get to it, then." Her Father left her. Grace's breathing started to become heavy. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She had to leave. She composed herself and then walked to her carriage, where she informed the driver to take her home.
//////////Chapter 1: The Unpleasant Ceremony///////////////
"Grace!" Hard knocking at her door awoke Grace Swann. Grace turned over, and snapped open her eyes with a small frown on her face. She had been having the most wonderful dream... The knocking proceeded.
"One moment!" she called out. Grace hurriedly got out of bed, put on her robe, and went to open the door.
"Still awake at this hour?" her father inquired. He walked in and opened the blinds. The morning outside was bright and beautiful. "Here, I have a gift for you." He motioned to one of the chambermaids, who brought in a box.
"Father you shouldn't have..." Grace went over and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful, hand-woven, pale pink dress. "Oh, Father, it's beautiful." The held the dress in the sunlight.
"I thought you would like it. I hear it's the latest in London. Grace held the dress up to her in the mirror. "Actually I was hoping you would wear it to the ceremony today."
Grace sighed. "Father--"
"Yes I know Commodore Norrington fancies Elizabeth, not you," he interrupted. "But that does not mean there will not be fine gentlemen there."
"You're not going to start that again, are you?" Grace was getting quite tired of her Father's constant attempts to arrange a marriage for her.
"It's time for you to think about a future husband! Once Elizabeth and Norrington wed, it will be time for you to choose one!'
"Father I do not want to get married yet. I want to travel, see the world, sail at sea..."
"I do not have time for this right now. I must go wake Elizabeth." He walked to the door. "Put on the dress, and please consider looking for a husband today. For me?" He always guilted her into it.
"Yes, I shall think about it. Thank you for the dress, Father." Grace's father exited the room and she was left to get dressed.
"Your father is right, you know," she chambermaid inquired. "You may not want to hear it, but a woman your age should start thinking about those things." Grace looked down.
"I do think about it. And to tell you the truth, it does appeal to me. But there are no men that I feel for. I do not want to be forced into marriage. I want to be in love." The maid out her hand on Grace's shoulder.
"I hear you, miss. Let's get dressed and think about this some other time." Grace looked up, with a tiny smile on her face. The was exactly what she needed right now. _____
Grace stepped down the stairs to the hall. At the bottom was her Father and Will Turner, who both turned to look at her as she made her entrance.
"Grace, darling! You look lovely!" Her Father complimented.
"Yes, and only at the expense of me breathing." Will gave a smile. Grace reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Good day, Miss Swann." Will nodded at her.
"Is that the sword for Commodore Norrington?"
"Yes," Will put the sword back in it's case. "Your father placed a very good order," Will replied.
"Oh, Elizabeth! You look absolutely stunning!" Grace and Will tuned to see her sister, Elizabeth, coming down the stairs. Elizabeth's face lit up when she saw the young blacksmith.
"Will! It's so good to see you!" She continued down the stairs to him. "I had a dream about you last night." Will seemed a bit taken aback.
"About me?" Grace smirked. It was so obvious that they liked each other.
"About the day we met, do you remember?"
"How could I forget, Miss Swann ?"
"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth ?"
"At least once more, Miss Swann , as always." Governor Swann stepped in. "There. See? At least the boy has a sense of propriety. Now, we really must be going." Elizabeth's expression hardened.
"Good day, Mr. Turner," and with that, Elizabeth left. Grace turned to leave.
"Will, honestly, just tell her you like her already." Will shook his head.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes, she likes you too, so just tell her."
"Grace!" Governor Swann beckoned to her name from outside.
"Goodbye, Will"
"Good bye, Miss Swann." _____
Good Lord, this party was boring. All Grace had done since she arrived was been introduced to boring socialites. Her Father, of course, had made sure that she mingled with every young man there, and not only was she tired of smiling at their stupid jokes, but her face had started to ache. I need to get out of here, she thought. She began to walk backwards towards the stone steps that led to the street. One step, two step....she was almost there.
"Grace!" Grace stopped and groaned...so close yet so far. She sighed before she replied.
"Yes, Father?" Her father strode over to her.
"Have you spoken to Thomas Jones, yet? You know, he's the son of Judge Jones. I think it would be wise for you to go over and introduce yourself." Governor Swann put his hand on her back and began to lead her in Thomas' direction.
"Father, no!" Grace turned to face him. "Stop! You can't make me do this anymore!"
"Is it such a crime for a father to want his daughter to marry a good man?"
"No, but you are not listening to me. I do not like these gentlemen you introduce me to! I do not even want to be here today, but i did to make you happy. Enough! Love is important to me when it comes to choosing a husband, not his bank account." Her father lost his patience with her.
"Grace, I've had enough. Whether you like it or not, you will get married. Now at the end of next week, I expect you to choose who you want to be your husband, or I will choose him for you. Is that understood?" Grace was stunned. All she could do was nod.
"Good. Now I suggest you get to it, then." Her Father left her. Grace's breathing started to become heavy. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She had to leave. She composed herself and then walked to her carriage, where she informed the driver to take her home.