One Day I'll Fly Away
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as Pirates of the Carribbean
Summary: After kidnapping a nobleman's engaged daughter, he finds himself in love. Though his crew and the daughter's fiancé don't seem too keen on this idea…
a/n: Yeah, yeah, yeah. There have been a MILLION of these stories. The girl finds freedom on the Black Pearl, and Jack falls in love with her, and he goes back on all his previous character traits so that he can marry her, and everybody loves the girl, and blah blah blah. But you know? Hopefully this one will be different.
Chapter One
Celeste Satine sat at her dressing table, staring intently into the mirror as her sister Marie fastened a string of pearls around her neck.
"Cherie, you look beautiful. He's yours! And by tonight, you can join the ranks of the married and engaged with me." Celeste touched the necklace at her throat with a small smile. Cristián loves white pearls, she thought. Marie pressed her cheek against Celeste's and gave her an affectionate squeeze. They heard hurried footsteps and the door flew open. Their mother rushed in, hair fly-away, skirts askew.
"Celeste!" she cried frantically, as she was wont to do. Their mother was never calm, never quiet—not even in her sleep. "Monsieur Correales is pulling up! You have no time to waste! Vite! Vite!" she gasped. Celeste sighed quietly and rose from her seat.
"Oui, Maman," she said patiently. With one last glance in the mirror, she clasped Marie's hand and the two of them squealed, as sisters do. She took a breath for composure and floated down the hall and down the staircase where Cristián waited. She paused to look at him. He was everything she could ever have imagined. Cristián was the son of a wealthy Spanish merchant. Their marriage had initially been arranged for them, and Celeste was sure she would refuse him, as she had all the others. But he was different. His brown eyes were warm and intelligent. His brown hair curled slightly at his ears—she loved that. He was soft and caring, and always considerate of her feelings. He had told her from the beginning that he would like to get to know her before proposing marriage, and from that moment, she was his.
He turned at the sound of her footsteps, and a grin burst on his face. All thoughts of propriety gone, she flew down the stairs and into his arms with a cry. They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. The two of them quickly separated and looked to see Lord Satine smiling good-naturedly. Celeste smoothed her skirt, Cristián coughed, the two of them stifling broad smiles. They walked into the library and sat together. Cristián took her hands and smiled.
"Celeste, I—you—" he sighed and hung his head. He touched the pearls at her neck. "You are like a pearl. Perfect, white, and beautiful. A pearl is one of the most precious things on God's earth. And I would—well. Nothing would make me happier if you would be my pearl."
"Well," she said solemnly, withdrawing her hands, "I just don't know, Cristián. I mean, I am a woman of noble birth. Surely I could do better than the son of a merchant. I mean, we had some fun, didn't we?" He looked shocked, his mouth hung open, like the toy bird that she'd had as a child. Celeste burst out laughing. "Cristián! Of course I'll marry you, you lunatic!" He scowled at her. She pacified him with a kiss on his cheek. He took a box from his pocket and slid a simple silver band with a white pearl on her finger. She smiled.
Celeste woke to the sound of cannons. Her eyes flew open and she rushed to her window, flinging them open. In the ocean, firing upon the fort, she was the silhouette of a ship. Pirates! She flew to Marie's room where she sat, rocking her screaming child, Thérese. She was quickly followed by her hysterical and pale tight-lipped father. She knew better than to try and say reassuring things. She maintained a calm exterior while fear clawed and wrenched through her stomach. Suddenly, someone pounded on the door. Celeste couldn't help but jump in fright. Another crash, and they heard the door being forced open. Her mother began to wail with Thérese. Silent tears rolled down Marie's cheeks. Her father put his head in his hands. Nobody dared move. Celeste searched for a weapon and found nothing. The fear swelled, crashing like waves, threatening to engulf her. She could hear the pirates moving ever loser, raiding each room as they went, laughing and making lewd jokes on their way.
They reached Marie's room and blasted open the door. Lady Satine screamed. Someone kicked open the door and a swarm of mismatched pirates—including a midget and a man with a parrot—rushed into the room, some already laden with money, jewelry, and other things of value. Their pistols were drawn, and a smile was on more than one face. The family huddled into the farthest corner of the room. Celeste stood erect before them. A round man with a dirty faced and gray-streaked hair and beard cried, "They're in here, Jack!" Slow, ominous footsteps came ever closer. The men respectfully parted for who must be their captain.
If she hadn't been so utterly terrified, Celeste would have thought him quite handsome. He stood talk and proud, half-smiling, half-sneering. Gold glinted in his teeth. Beads and other trinkets hung from his hair and various places on his person. His most striking features, however, were his smoldering, brown-black eyes lined with kohl, making him look ever the more sinister. He swept a dingy-looking hat from his head into a deep bow. "My Lady," he said, addressing Celeste. He stepped forward and kissed her hand. She jerked it away, repulsed. He smiled. "I thank you for your hospitality." Rage replaced the fear, and she saw red. The nerve of that pirate! I'll show him hospitality! She spat in his face. He stepped back, looking outraged, amused, and shocked. His men took a threatening step forward, guns raised. The captain motioned with his hand and they were lowered. He laughed at Celeste—a mirthless, dangerous laugh. "Mercy cannot rob justice. Have you heard that phrase, my Lady?" She stood silently before him. "For your crime, justice must be served."
"I've committed no crime, sir!" she cried.
"Such blatant disrespect of a Captain of the sea is an act of treason."
"As is storming and raiding a port of France!"
"My Lady, I grow tired of this. For your crimes, you must be punished. Normally, this is punishable by death. But I think for your spirit and courage, especially compared to this stuffed-shirt band of cowards, imprisonment will have to do. A life sentence, I should think." Her mouth fell open in shock.
"But—Captain, I am to be married!" He clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Oh, well that changes everything. In that case, sixty years in prison." His men laughed uproariously. With a wave of his hand, two dirty men, one short and fat with stringy hair, the other tall, lanky, and looking like he had a wooden eye, flanked her and took her roughly by the arms. She shouted and kicked, putting up a fight.
"Darlin', I wouldn't recommend that. Me knife might accidentally slip with all that fighting you're doing," the fat one said in a raspy voice. The tall one laughed stupidly. She was noticeably quieter after that.
Sitting in the boat that would take them to her prison, Celeste couldn't help but be awed. It was painted black, every inch of it. Black, tattered sails hung from its masts. Despite its ragged appearance, it emanated a sense of majesty. Her captor caught her staring and smiled.
"Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Mademoiselle." She averted her gaze, determined not to be impressed. The captain laughed.
She was hauled aboard and roughly brought to a small room the size of a cupboard.
"Excuse the size, love. We weren't exactly expecting a lady on board. Unless, of course, you'd rather share quarters with the crew." They laughed. She was "placed" inside, and the door was slammed and bolted behind her. She looked at her dark surroundings. She fell onto a pathetic little cot. Unable to hold them back, quiet sobs filled her room.
