Note: Hello all you lovely pirate lovers out there! I'm going to be very short with this note, even though it's the first one here. This story is a story that I started a long time ago and actually posted a few chapters of here on fanfiction. The thing is that I've just recently gotten the inspiration to try and pick it up again, but considering that I found my old writing to be crap, I decided to re-write the story with everything that I've learned about story-telling these past few years. So, if this sounds familiar to any of you, it might be because the story was previously named "My Freedom". As you can see, the story name has changed, but the OC in the character remains the same, although slightly more developed. Also, the story will be rated M, just to be sure.
This story might not be my top priority, but depending on the reviews, I might be able to get some more chapters out soon. Either way, i really hope that those of you who take time to read it also find the time to tell me what you thought of the first chapter! Thank you so much for your attention, please enjoy! :)
P.S. Please ignore minor mistakes that might have made their way into the chapter, despite all the spell-checking I've done. Sometimes shit happens.
Chapter 1: The Passing From England
A thick fog surrounded the HMS Dauntless as it slowly passed through the water. The young Elizabeth Swann was humming a small tune and slowly began singing words that got clearer by the second.
"Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirate's life for me," she sang but her song was interrupted by her gasp when a man grabbed her shoulder from behind.
"Quiet, Missy!" the man exclaimed in a hushed, yet serious tone. "Cursed pirates sail these waters. You want to call 'em down on us?" he asked her and she stared at him with wide eyes.
"Mr. Gibbs," an irritated voice sounded, and Joshamee Gibbs turned around quickly to face the young lieutenant. "That will do," Norrington said calmly. He was a dashing young man, navy to the core and very devoted and respectful to his friends and colleagues. Beside him stood the Governor, Elizabeth's father, and a man of high standards.
"She was singing about pirates," Gibbs said. "Bad luck to sing about pirates, with us mired in this unnatural fog, mark my words."
Norrington just looked at him and said in a bored tone, "Consider them marked. On your way."
"Aye, Lieutenant," Gibbs said and walked off mumbling something else. He returns to swabbing the deck, while taking a sip from a small flask. Elizabeth looked at the Lieutenant and at her father before speaking.
"I think it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate," she said, her voice calm and yet strong enough to prove that she meant it. The Lieutenant looks at her and frowns a little.
"Think again, Miss Swann," he said. "Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag, or wears a pirate brand, gets what he deserves," he paused for a moment, a small twinkle in his eye as he continued, "A short drop and a sudden stop." Elizabeth looked at him confusedly before spotting Mr. Gibbs behind the Lieutenant, mimicking a man being hung. The little girl stared in shock and gasped before her back collided with her father's front as he stepped forward.
"Lieutenant Norrington. I appreciate your fervor, but I am concerned about the effect this subject will have on my daughter," he said and looked down at the girl, standing tall and proud as ever.
The young Lieutenant nodded once, "My apologies, Governor."
He walked away, head still held high and Elizabeth turned back to her father.
"Actually father, I find this all fascinating," she shared, her tone sincere. The Governor looked down at her and nodded once curtly.
"That is what worries me," he replied slowly before directing his eyes toward the other young girl who was sitting on top of one of the barrels, book in hand and nose buried between the pages. "Perhaps you should go and play with Mr. Gray's daughter?" he suggested.
Elizabeth looked toward the other girl who was just a year older than her and also the daughter of one of the Governor's best friends. The girl's mother had passed a few years earlier and her father had gone mad from the loss, but before he had been consumed by the grief, he had left his daughter at Governor Swann's house and she had been living with him since then. Elizabeth knew that her father considered the other girl as his own, but Katherine had a way of being difficult sometimes.
"Why do you not call Katherine by her name, father?" Elizabeth wondered.
The Governor sighed, "Because I need to keep reminding myself of who she is."
Elizabeth didn't really understand what he meant, but she nodded nevertheless, knowing that she wouldn't be getting another answer from him any time soon. Instead, she walked toward her friend and gently touched her arm to get her attention.
Katherine snapped her head up and even though it took her a moment to smile, when she did, Elizabeth found her pearly white teeth to be almost dazzling; especially with that mischievous twinkle in her stormy blue eyes.
"Lizzie," Katherine grinned in acknowledgment. "Is there a problem?"
"No," Elizabeth shook her head quickly. "Did you not hear what the Lieutenant just said?" she wondered.
"I'm sorry, but no," Katherine admitted sheepishly. "I'm afraid I was too caught up in my book to hear."
Elizabeth lowered her eyes and glanced at the book that was now closed on top of Katherine's lap. Her eyes widened instantly, "Kat! You're not supposed to be reading that book! Father forbade you from bringing it with you on this trip."
"Oh shush," Katherine hushed her, glancing around to make sure that no one had overheard her friend's outburst. She quickly slapped Elizabeth's hands away when she tried to make a grab for the book and then brushed the black cover, tracing the silver letters that spelled out the title – Pirate Adventures – in beautiful calligraphy. The book was old, but Katherine took great care of it as it was one of her greatest possessions.
She brushed away a loose curl out of her face, "Lizzie, calm down. What your father doesn't know, will not hurt him. Besides, I won't do anything to get into trouble when I'm just sitting here and reading, will I?"
"Fine," Elizabeth said, but not without gently swatting Katherine's pale arm. "But do not let them catch you."
Katherine grinned again, that mysterious smile of hers making her cerulean eyes twinkle with mischief once more, "They haven't managed to yet."
Elizabeth watched her settle back and open her book again, falling deep into the world of adventures that she told Elizabeth about every night before they went to bed. She observed her friend – the girl she considered to be a sister – and she couldn't help but smile slightly. Katherine had always been pretty and despite sometimes looking as pale as a porcelain doll, Elizabeth knew that her friend was as hard as steel. Others who didn't know her well often mistook her for only being fragile and beautiful, though, Elizabeth knew better. The small smirk that adorned Katherine's face all too often for her father's liking was the only clue that the young girl unknowingly gave away when she was about to do something to cause trouble. In fact, since she had moved in with the Governor and become a part of his family, she had been the cause of many headaches, despite her young age.
Elizabeth knew that her friend was pretty and often, late at night when they were alone, she would make up stories about a future where she and Katherine became beautiful young ladies, with suitors lining up down the streets just to get a look at them through their carriage. Katherine always snorted though and told her that that was only how Elizabeth's future would look because she was the one who was the Governor's daughter. Elisabeth knew that there was no jealousy between her and her friend – only love and friendship – but at times, she wished that Katherine would admit it to her that she saw her as a sister too. Instead, Katherine stubbornly only referred to Elizabeth as a friend and Elizabeth's father as Sir or Governor. The young girl didn't seem to want to admit that she had found a family in them, just as much as they had in her.
Elizabeth sighed to herself and walked over to the railing again, looking out at the dark waters.
"I still think it would be exciting to meet a pirate," she whispered to herself, relaxing against the wooden railing. Soon though, she found herself frowning because her eyes spotted something in the water. A lone parasol was floating on the water and her eyes followed it before she came across a horrifying sight. "Look!" she called out, turning to get the attention of the crew. "A boy! There's a boy in the water!"
Immediately, Lieutenant Norrington and her father ran over to her and looked overboard, spotting the young boy drifting unconsciously on top of a wooden door.
"Man overboard!" Norrington yelled.
"Boy overboard!" Elizabeth corrected, but her voice was drowned out by the other crewmen running around on deck as they set about to haul the boy in. Only a few minutes later, the boy was on the ship and they laid him down on deck to check if he was still breathing. Elizabeth turned her attention to Katherine whose eyes rested on the unconscious boy. The commotion had clearly brought her back to reality and Elizabeth noticed that her book was nowhere to be seen, which meant that she had most likely tucked it away safely in her bag that she always carried with her. Katherine jumped off the barrel and lifted her dress, hurrying over to where Elizabeth had previously been standing by the railing. "My God," she whispered, eyes wide as the other crew members looked in the direction that she was looking. The sea was no longer empty; a burning shipwreck was slowly sinking in front of them, the British flag on it still flaying in the wind. Whispers broke out as the adults began throwing out theories on what had happened, everyone choosing to ignore Mr. Gibbs who kept insisting that pirates must have attacked the ship. Lieutenant Norrington made the decision to stay and look for survivors of what he thought to have been an explosion and the Governor ordered Elizabeth to watch over the boy until they returned. Elizabeth was kneeling next to the unconscious boy when Katherine slowly approached her, placing her hand on her shoulder and squeezing.
"He will be all right, Lizzie," Katherine said with confidence. "He is far too young to die."
Elizabeth only nodded and Katherine observed her when she gently brushed away the wet strand of hair from the boy's face. Both girls jumped when the boy suddenly gasped, eyes wide as he grabbed Elizabeth's hand. Elizabeth yelped, but then quickly returned the strong hold on the boy's hand.
"My name is Elizabeth Swann," she said, calm and collected.
The boy was still panting and Katherine figured he must be in shock, still. The water must have been icy cold.
"Will Turner," the boy said, introducing himself.
Elizabeth looked down at him and Katherine hovered over her shoulder, curiously watching the scene. "I'm watching over you, Will," Elizabeth said and Will only clutched her hand for one more moment before slipping back into unconsciousness.
"What's that?" Katherine murmured then, pointing at a chain around Will's neck. His shirt had opened slightly when he had moved to get up earlier and Elizabeth tilted her head, looking at it curiously before reaching down to further inspect it.
The chain was adorned with a golden medallion and Elizabeth turned it in her hand, eyes widening at the symbol adorning it.
"A skull?" Katherine whispered, kneeling down beside Elizabeth. "He's a pirate!"
Elizabeth noticed the excitement in her friend's hushed tone, but she didn't share the enthusiasm. What if someone found out about Will? What if Norrington did and then followed through on his promise to kill every pirate that crosses his path? Quickly, Elizabeth hid the medallion in her coat, turning to Katherine.
"Do not tell anyone," she said, grasping her friend's shoulders.
Katherine nodded, "Of course I won't tell anyone. I'm not stupid–"
"Did he speak?" Norrington interrupted from behind them. Katherine instantly stood up while Elizabeth remained knelt down by Will.
"His name is Will Turner," Katherine replied easily. "That's all we found out."
Norrington only nodded before walking away again. Katherine waited a moment before turning back to Elizabeth. "Come on, Lizzie," she said. "Let's look at the medallion together."
Elizabeth nodded and stood up, sending one last glance at Will before they slowly walked over to the stern of the ship. Elizabeth took out the medallion once more and the girls examined it together.
"It's incredible," Katherine said in awe, eyes twinkling.
"It is," Elizabeth agreed.
"You can keep it, Lizzie," Katherine said thoughtfully. "Keep it and return it to Will once he gets better."
Once again, Elizabeth only nodded. Simultaneously the two girls turned and looked out at the sea again. Through the fog, Elizabeth could have sworn that she saw another ship moving; a ship with black sails and a Jolly Roger flag. The skull on the flag looked almost as if it was grinning toward them, looking exactly like the skull on Will's medallion. Elizabeth looked toward Katherine with a horrified expression, but on her friend's face was nothing but awe and perhaps even a little fear. Elizabeth shut her eyes tightly and felt Katherine take her hand, squeezing it lightly.
Her heart wouldn't stop pounding in her chest.
~ Eight Years Later ~
Elizabeth's eyes snapped open and she glanced around her room. She was home again, in Port Royal, and the pirate ship was nowhere to be seen. Her heartbeat began slowing down again and she quickly realized that it had all just been a nightmare. She sat up and turned up the flame on the oil lamp beside her bed. Picking up the lamp, she stood from the bed and walked to her dressing table. Elizabeth opened one of the drawers and pulled out the golden medallion that she had dreamed about, inspecting it closely as her fingers trailed over the golden pattern. A sudden knock from her door startled her and Elizabeth jumped, looking towards it.
"Elizabeth? Is everything all right?" her father asked through the door. Elizabeth quickly shoved the medallion into the drawer again, pulling on a dressing gown as fast as she could. "Are you decent?"
"Yes," Elizabeth replied just as the door opened and her father walked in, two maids following behind him. One of them was carrying a big box while the other hurried over to the windows and pulled the heavy curtains apart to let the sunlight in and show what a beautiful day it was.
"Still in bed at this hour?" Governor Swann asked and Elizabeth couldn't help but blush slightly, feeling only a little bit ashamed of herself. "I have a gift for you," her father continued, without waiting on her reply. He opened the big box that had been placed on the bed and revealed a beautiful dress inside. "I must however ask you one thing first…" he trailed off as Elizabeth hurried behind a screen to try her new dress on.
"What is that, father?" she wondered as the maid began pulling on the corset.
"Have you by any chance seen Katherine this morning?" he wondered.
Elizabeth gasped as the corset was pulled too tightly and she tried to catch her breath. "No," she replied. "She must have gone out, as usual. You could send Sebastian after her. She should be down by the docks," she said, knowing just how much her best friend loved taking her early walk on the beach. Elizabeth lost her thoughts of Katherine fairly quick though, when she instead tried to remember how to breathe.
~ Down by the docks ~
Katherine sat on the bridge, her cerulean eyes settled on the sea in front of her. The sun was shining as small waves pulled in on the shore and she looked at the ships sailing in and out of the port. For only a moment, she closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like to stand at the helm of a shop, steering off into the unknown on adventures that no one would be able to keep her from, because she would be her own person and free. The salty scent of the ocean filled her nose, but she knew that she needed to start heading back to the house. She lifted herself up and walked down the bridge, onto the sandy beach. Taking a few steps forward, she sighed frustratedly when her heels kept sinking into the sand and she bent down to remove them before lifting her skirts so that her dress wouldn't get dirty. Katherine herself didn't mind it, but she knew that Governor Swann most certainly would. She ignored her thoughts of the Governor's face when she would later see him, and hesitated only for a second before walking to the shore and standing where the water would reach her. The cold water came to shore and relief washed over her the moment it touched her bare feet. Her skin wasn't quite as pale as it had been when she had been younger; years of sneaking out in the early mornings to catch the first rays of the sun had given her fair skin a slightly more tanned hue, but it wasn't by much. Since her younger years, her hair had darkened more and her unruly curls had flattened slightly to gentle waves that only curled up in humid weather. Despite the fact that her maid had pinned her hair up in a delicate bun – the woman had refused to let Katherine step outside with her hair down, ignoring Katherine's request as always – some of her curls had slipped out to frame her face. Katherine loved walking the dock in the early mornings and she loved sitting on the bridges, watching the sunrise which was exactly why her maid didn't allow her to have her hair down. She didn't want her Miss' hair getting all smelly from seawater, no matter how many times Katherine told her that she really didn't mind.
A loud whistle and a call broke her out of her thoughts and Katherine swirled around to look at the man standing by a carriage.
"Ms. Gray!" Sebastian, the man who usually drove her carriage, called out, waving his hand at her like he did every morning when the Governor sent him down to the docks to fetch her. Katherine grinned and waved back, but internally she was cursing herself for not finding another spot to hide for the day; a place where Sebastian and everyone else wouldn't have been able to find her.
"Sebastian," Katherine called back, running up the beach, loving the feeling of warm sand slipping through her toes. "What are you doing here?" she grinned, her tone teasing.
Sebastian looked at her and shook his head, "You know very well what I'm doing here, Miss. The Governor has been looking for you all morning, just like he has been doing every morning since you realized your love watching the sun rise in the early hours."
Katherine stepped up to him and placed her hand on her hips, "Are you mocking me, Sebastian?" Her tone was feigning hurt.
"No, not at all, Miss," Sebastian replied, knowing that she was the one joking with him.
"Well, what might Weatherby want this time?" she wondered, referring to the Governor by his first name.
"He wanted me to tell you not to be late for Commodore Norrington's promotion ceremony," Sebastian told her.
Katherine only looked at him for a moment before biting her lip and tucking away one of her loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Oh, bugger," she mumbled to herself, looking up to the skies. She was running late already, that much she was certain of. If anything, she guessed that she only had an hour or so left before they would need to leave for the ceremony and she wasn't even properly dressed yet.
"Quickly, Sebastian," she said, climbing into the carriage. "I need to get home and get ready before Weatherby's headache starts."
"I'm sure you're already late for that," Sebastian said before pointing toward the beach again. "What about your shoes, Miss?"
"Leave them," Katherine shook her head. "They were never comfortable anyway and I would rather wish they were dragged by the tide to the Locker than for some poor unfortunate soul to find them and wear them."
Sebastian only nodded at her request and left the shoes as he climbed onto the carriage and the horses began taking them back to the house.
-§-
Half an hour later, Katherine descended the stairs in the Governor's mansion. She smiled to herself when she spotted Will standing next to the Governor, demonstrating the new sword that he had made. Katherine was very well aware of the fact that William had a tendency not to take credit for his creations and even though the thought of him giving the honor to the good-for-nothing blacksmith who had employed him when he was younger angered her, she said nothing about it. Will was a man of his own and if he wanted to let others believe that he was nothing but a mere apprentice, then that was his decision.
Katherine walked down the stairs, resisting the urge to bull out the pins that held her hair together. It was a struggle, but one that she had gotten used to by now. Years of going to events and parties had made her perfect the false look of content whenever she was forced to parade in front of the public eye, all in order to make Elizabeth's father happy. She had been dressed in a navy blue dress that had been decorated with silvery thread, a gift that had come with Elizabeth's dress from London because the makers had known that the Governor had two young ladies living under his roof, even though only one of them was his real daughter. Either way, the dress was comfortable enough, so Katherine couldn't complain and she easily walked down the stairs and approached Will to give him a hug, ignoring the repelled look that the Governor gave her.
"It is so good to see you, Will," Katherine said as she pulled back from the embrace. "How have you been?"
Before Will had the chance to reply though, his eyes flitted up the stairs again and Katherine smiled knowingly before she turned around and followed where his eyes had settled.
"Will, it's so good to see you!" Elizabeth exclaimed happily as she descended the stairs, her hand coming to rest over her chest. Katherine narrowed her eyes slightly when she noticed a golden chain handing from her neck, the pendant securely hidden in Elizabeth's cleavage. "I deamed about you last night," Elizabeth continued and Katherine resisted the urge to snort at the happy look that Will sent her best friend.
"About me?" he questioned.
Governor Swann cleared his throat quickly, "Elizabeth, this is hardly appropriate–"
"About the day we met," Elizabeth continued, ignoring her father's reprimand. "Do you remember?"
"I could never forget it, Ms. Swann," Will nodded.
Elizabeth's face fell slightly, "Will, how many times must I ask you to call me ' Elizabeth'?"
"Until he gets it through that thick skull of his," Katherine said, not being able to help herself from stepping in.
"Ms. Gray, such words will not be tolerated in my home!" Governor Swann gasped.
Katherine bit her lip to keep herself from grinning, but she knew that Will could see the amusement shining in her eyes. "I apologize, Will," she said, trying to sound as kind as possible. The Governor bought it though and nodded.
"Let us get a move on or we shall be late," he said, walking out of the mansion. Katherine watched as Elizabeth smiled at Will as she passed him, wishing him a good day and Katherine couldn't help but grin at the young man when she stopped for a second next to him. She mimicked knocking her head with a fist, lightly making a sound of wood being knocked with her mouth. Will shot her a glare before his mouth broke out in an amused smile.
"I'll see you after the ceremony, Will," Katherine told him. "I'll come down to the shop and we can have something to drink," she winked. "That might get you to loosen up enough to tell me why you still haven't told Lizzie about your feelings for her."
With those parting words, Katherine walked off, leaving Will to stare after her as she hurried to the waiting carriage. Katherine took her seat opposite Elizabeth before turning her attention to the harbor again. She closed her eyes for a moment, once again trying to imagine what it would be like to be out there sailing the ocean on her own ship, free.
Note: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to share your thoughts and tell me what you thought. It's very much appreciated! :)