Authors Note: I hope you like this, please be lenient in your criticism, as I this is my first fanfic and wrote this in approximately thirty minutes, give or take. I would like to disclaim owning any of the Pirates of the Caribbean characters, which is something that breaks my heart . But I do own Miriam, Christopher and André! For all you plagiarizers, that is my brain working there and my production. Now, for all of you eager people that are already sneaking peaks at the story…I present the first chapter!
Chapter I: Capture
The sun was but a glimmer in the horizon, its last rays disappearing beyond the sea. The orange and red light cast an eerie glow on the houses of Port Royal. The movement of the people was slow, and the boats were anchored to stay. Nothing but the slight waves disturbed the still calmness of the sea.
Miriam leaned out her window, her sun tanned face turned into a frown. The orange light slipped down the brown waves of her hair, ending lightly on her shoulders. Her gentle brown eyes looked past her straight nose to the sea. She wore nothing more than a white blouse and breeches, showing her frustration. Miriam tilted her head slightly, the brown waves of hair sliding to her left. The horizon stretched endlessly before her, nothing breaking the stillness of the evening calm. The waves of salt water where unseen as the ocean reflected black in the gulf.
"Miriam?" called a stern voice.
Miriam stubbornly stared into the sea before her, ignoring the call.
"Miriam!" the voice called again, louder. A woman walked into the room, her stomach swelled with motherhood. Her hair was put up in a graceful bun and a fashionable rectangular cut dress swished the wood floor. Elizabeth Turner walked resolutely to her daughter, "Miriam! I previously informed you to prepare yourself for the ball tonight. Have you disobeyed me? And where did you ever find those breeches?"
Miriam didn't turn, "I won't go, mother. Not without Christopher. Those balls do not interest me. As for the breeches, they are from Chris's clothes."
Elizabeth sighed. Then a hidden smile crept onto her lips, "You are required to go the ball. There is nothing I can do about that. I am sorry that you don't want to go, but you must. They have already prepared the honors and all the Port will attend."
"Whose idea was it anyways? My birthdays should be spent the way I want them spent."
Elizabeth started working on Miriam's hair, arranging it into a stylish bun with some stray tendrils of hair escaping the diamond pins.
"What do I do if he proposes?" Miriam asked her voice weak.
Elizabeth stopped working for a second. Sighing slowly she resumed sticking the pins into Miriam's stubborn hair, "Miriam…I don't want to pressure you into anything; I know how hard it can be to chose. However, I will say that I believe Andrew to be a very decent and honorable young man. He is handsome and loves you very much. Yet, if you feel you are not ready, then postpone your answer, but never say no. No is too final, and I refuse to let you break that boy's heart."
"I do not love him mother."
"Which dress do you want to wear?" finished Elizabeth.
Miriam pointed to her closet, "You chose."
Elizabeth waddled over to the closet, her swelled stomach weighing her steps. Miriam rested her head on her arms and looked down on the port.
Fires were being light, their flames dancing. Sailors and maidens laughed and drunk, their shadows orange in the fire light. A young man stood, his part of his long black hair braided and adorned in beads. Throwing away the comments and jest of his friends he jumped over the fire. The flames licked at his clothes and boots as he flipped in the air, as gracious as a bird. Landing on the other side, his act was greeted with cheers and whistles. A woman walked over to him, her hands chiding him. The young man leaned back, his smile revealing sparkling white teeth. His friends teased him as the woman swung her rolling roll at his head. Having missed, the woman shook the ground with her fury. The young man removed a rose from his pocket and tossed it to her, as he disappeared into the dark alley.
Miriam craned her neck; but the young man with the black hair had disappeared for good. His smile…I've seen that smile before…she though. But she was given no more time to think as her mother dragged her away to be dressed.
"I've heard of your latest escapade Ms. Turner, quite remarkable," giggled a blond haired young woman, her rose colored fan dusting her blue eyes.
Miriam turned from the group of ladies she had been conversing with. Her rectangular cut emerald dress brought out the green in her hazel eyes. It swished the floor lightly as Miriam leaned over to whisper to the girl, "If I ever hear your laugh again Rachel, it will be my pleasure to treat you to a fight. I am good with the staff and Arabic sword; it is, after all, your choice."
The young woman leaned back, her rosy face pale with fear. Miriam's eyes twinkled as Rachel left hurriedly, her dress dragging behind her. This night will be the end of me…with no one except Rachel and Valerie to talk to they'll soon have to dig my grave, she thought mildly. Miriam could see her mother laughing with the other mothers, her mother's hand, as always, resting on the swell of her stomach.
Andrew appeared out of nowhere, his blonde hair and blue eyes bright under the chandelier light. Miriam saw how his smile spread as he saw her and blushed. Suddenly she wished that her dress where not as low cut, even though it was modestly cut, and that her seashell necklace given to her by her grandfather was not so bright. Andrew bowed generously. His father was a noble from the English court and as far as Miriam knew, Andrew was the only true noble in Port Royal. Her green dress billowed around her as she plummeted into a curtsy.
"Miriam, I have told you many times not to curtsy as low, you beauty would be wasted if your visage was inclined always to the ground," he said, offering his hand to help her rise.
Miriam smiled, "But it my visage was not often inclined to the ground then it would be snapped into place for eternity by Mr. Robinson, the protocol and etiquette professor."
Andrew beamed at her, his blue eyes never leaving her hazel ones for a second, "Do you wish to walk with me?"
"Could I say no and live to tell about it?"
Suddenly Andrew frowned, "I would never force you to do something that was not of your wishing…"
Miriam interrupted him hurriedly, "No, Lord Andrew, it is not what I meant! The ladies that fight for your glance would be the one's to kill me, never you!" Miriam pretended to act all distraught, "If I ever did anything to upset you, the kind and gentle Lord you are…"
Andrew shone under the praises as he led her to the balcony. The stars played on his awards and medals and danced on Miriam's seashell necklace. Andrew wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders as he looked up to the stars, "Miriam, how long have we known one another?"
Here comes the question…she thought, her eyes looking wearily at his arm that chilled her skin, "For two years, we meet in our protocol class."
Andrew sighed, then abruptly he turned her and meet her eyes with his. His blue eyes glinted with a dangerous light and Miriam silently and carefully struggled to keep him from hugging her tight in his embrace.
"Miriam! I must ask you, for my…"
"Lord Andrew! Come and entratain us with stories of your travels!" called Elizabeth, the ladies behind her pressing Andrew with smiles.
"Mrs. Turner…I was going to ask your daughter…" struggled Andrew, the flame in his eyes gone as he let go of Miriam to let his arms hang limply by his sides.
"Now, now, is that the ways to answer the mothers that took care of you?" Elizabeth chided, apparently having consumed a little too much wine, "Come and amuse us, my Lord, when the cloud have parted and the moon shown itself you may talk to my daughter. But for now lovers must part for the mothers, for which my daughter will be very displeased."
Miriam and Andrew blushed, but after having heard Elizabeth's last words Andrew joyfully escorted the ladies back inside, casting Miriam a glace she thought was not proper for a young woman in her status. She sat down on a white bench on the balcony, her gaze never straying from the dark watery expanse in front of her. The night had settled, and the cloak of darkness covered the sky. Stars shone brightly in the absence of the silver orb, lighting up the dark balcony. Behind, yellow and orange light from the chandelier streamed out, but it was stopped as the darkness settled around it, engulfing it in black.
Suddenly a hand reached up from behind to tap her on the shoulder. Miriam turned slowly, expecting to see Andrew standing behind her. But before she could even stand up to excuse herself she was enveloped in a tight hug. Miriam gasped for breath as the strong muscled arms pressed the air out of her lungs.
"Miriam! I so glad to see you! Two months at sea and we though we would never get back in time!"
Miriam pulled out from the hug and strained to see her assailant. His smile broke through the dark, and stars reflected in the eyes that were also hers, "Christopher!"
The young man smiled, his wavy brown hair combed in place. Miriam jumped on him, her joy uncontainable, "Tell me! Tell me everything!"
Chirs sat down, stretching his legs in front of him, "Well, not much to say, Dad and I caught a few ships, but not a big bounty, last time you went with him the bounty was double."
Miriam thrust out her chin and looked at him arrogantly before they both collapsed in laughter, "Aye, that is true, but the season was good then, you got the lower end of the deal this time 'round."
"We were stopped on the way here, but the passage was quickly unblocked, if you catch my meaning…" his hazel eyes glinted mysteriously.
Miriam elbowed him in the ribs, sending the young man into a fit of laughter.
"But father got us here at the right time; he knew mother would be worse than a block if we arrived late. Tell me, how is it…the baby?"
"It'll be born next month, so be prepared to have another sibling! Mother was upset you weren't here in the morning as father promised. After all, who doesn't get here on their birthday?"
Chris feinted innocence then leaned over and hugged Miriam affectionately, "I've missed you, sister. Father was right when he said twins must stay together, we are born to live and die together," He stopped to grin mischievously, "How is you staff and swordsmanship? You should see me go at Ali with the knives now; he barely catches them in time!"
Miriam raised her eyebrows, "You have to get a lot better than you are to best Ali at knives. As for myself…"
They both stopped talking at the same time to reach for their weapons. Miriam was quick to retrieve her curved sword from its scabbard under her dress. Chris twirled a dagger in his hand. The vines that fell over the balcony shifted and swayed, and the crickets and night noises had vanished to leave only stillness and the background music of the ball. Jumping over the wall, three figures charged at the twins. Miriam attacked the first, her blade flashing in the night. The clash was quickly followed by a thud as Chris's knife dug into the second man's heart before the assailant had even finished climbing over the wall.
More and more figures leaped other the balcony, ten as far as Miriam could count as she parried and attacked with her attacker, he having provided himself with a straight edged sword. Chris fought hand to hand, his many knives already thrown and lost on the bodies of three black clad men. But there were too many men, and shortly after Chris was knocked unconscious, Miriam's world turned black as the first screams erupted from the ballroom.
Water spread in all directions, slow waves altering the tranquil surface. The black bottom was not visible through the gray, algae filled water. The rhythmic beating of the waves was deliberate and silent. Without success, the small stars strived to shine, but they were shrouded by the fog that crept into the sea, its tendrils enveloping the calm and steady air. Humid particles huddled together and clouded everything from sight. Muted air emitted only the deaf sound of the waves knocking against a hard hull of oak. The fog swirled calculatingly above the gray expanse of water, hiding the world from view. A shadow became apparent in the opaque white air, slowly moving forward, propelled only by the gentle sea waves. Tendrils of mist extend through the air as they disappeared, spreading apart from each other. The magnificent vessel moved with the mist, the tendrils swirling around it, enveloping the double masts in its suffocating embrace as the canvas sails hung limp from the rigging. The Schooner glided through the fog, its bow cutting through the dense mist and placid waves knocked mutely into the oak hull. The vessel moved forward slowly as the tiniest hint of a breeze swirled through the opaque white air. And the ship was swallowed by the spinning mist, and the gray sea was once again shrouded with fog.
A/N: Well, I hope you liked it, I'll keep posting. I just love cliff hangers, don't you? Now all of you readers have a very important duty REVIEW, I'll say it again… REVIEW! Thank you.