Authors Note: Thanks Dawnie-7 for pointing out my mistake. I was exhausted
when I posted this and I completely forgot all about spacing the paragraphs
out. It means a lot. So without further ado I present to you... Flying Free...
the easier to read version!
Silence hung like a shroud as Diana lay on her back staring at the stars in the night sky. The cool sand of the Caribbean beach felt good against her back as she shifted into a more comfortable position. Were anyone she knew to walk by the beach right now they'd throw a fit. There she was, in her white and black striped dress, laying in the sand like some sort of listless dreamer. Her parasol and hat were set neatly aside in the endless shadows of night.
Oh how she longed to be in something- anything other then what she wore now. Anything that would let her have more freedom to feel the sand beneath her was welcome. She wished she were a sailor, free to lay in the sand and sea whenever she pleased, rather then having to sneak off like the thief that she was to steal a single moment of bliss.
If her father were ever to discover what she did with her spare time she doubted she'd ever be allowed out on her own ever again. Loving and doting though he tried to be to her, he never could understand her. He wanted so much for his little girl to grow up into a proper lady and marry into a proper and noble household. She'd done her very best to please him and never let him know what she really wanted.
Once before she had tried to talk to him about it, it remained a prominent memory from childhood now that repeated itself several times daily in her mind. She was very young and had said innocently to him as they rode past the docks in their carriage, "Daddy when I grow up I want to sail across the ocean just like these men do!"
He had turned on her then with a furious look upon his face that she had never seen, "You'll do no such thing Diana! Ladies do not sail across the sea; they stay at home, where it is safe! The ocean is no place for you!" The rest of the ride home was silent but Diana saw that her father was agitated.
"I change my mind Daddy, I think I'd rather stay at home after all." She had said, hoping to appease him. The smile that very slowly crept across his face as he relaxed visibly brought her a sense of relief.
"That's my little girl... come gosling," He lifted her into his arms, "I'll read you a story." Diana knew little about her mother, who died shortly after giving birth to her here in the French colony of St. Kitts. Though growing up without a mother had left Diana feeling a bit empty at times, she knew there was nothing that could be done about. Her mother's death though had been the reason for her father's overbearing behavior with her. His wish that she do her mother proud seemed almost impossible to live up to when he was constantly giving her higher standards. Still, Diana did her best to follow his wishes and do as she was told.
By all means Diana's father was a kind man who took pride in his daughter above all else. Her beauty was stunning, even before she could speak or understand what beauty was. Not only that though, she was a fast and avid learner, spending most of her spare time at home reading books from their enormous library.
When it came to learning he denied her nothing. It was insured that the finest tutors in the Caribbean were employed for her benefit. She was schooled thoroughly in subjects that would be considered both useful and distasteful for a young woman in this day of age. It was not always looked upon as a good thing when a woman was smarter then most men.
At the insistence of her father she had learned cooking and sewing to aide her in her future need for a husband. English, history, the arts and horseback riding were all subjects she had mastered over the years. Diana on the other hand had her own ideas of what she wished to learn; convincing her father that these courses would be useful was a difficult task indeed.
Fencing, navigation and hunting were the three areas in which she wished above all else to be schooled. Navigation her father would have forbade and would have most certainly grown suspicious at... but it was easy for a smart girl like Diana to find perfectly legitimate reasons for learning to fence and hunt.
Fencing was a popular sport among the nobles overseas; anything popular with the nobles that she wished to learn made her father proud. Hunting, both with bow and arrow as well as shot, also was becoming a popular sport. Thus two more tutors were found and hired by her father. Currently she had surpassed both those tutors. They'd been teaching her for three years and by now she was far more skilled then either of them.
As part of her daily routine Diana would go to town and socialize with the women there. A childhood friend of hers, Nathanial Williams, was a sailor at the dock. He helped to repair ships and load and unload the cargo. He was also the only one who knew of her fancy with the sea... though perhaps not the extent of it.
Despite the fact that she was forbidden to ever even set foot on the docks let alone a ship, Diana and Nathaniel would meet each week. He would teach her all about sailing; navigation, the galley, the rigging, what to do during storms or pirate attacks... anything and everything that suited her fancy. Not only that, but he was also her source of the latest information overseas. The instant a ship docked he was talking to the crew, so he knew everything there was to know. The pirate attacks and hangings, rumors, legends and how the well known ports were faring.
After these meetings and at night Diana would come out here to this secluded beach that lay not far from her home. Nathanial was the only other person who knew where her most private thinking place was. The rocky waters made it impossible for large ships to come near so it was never used and always provided a haven for her. Here she could take time away from her busy life and just imagine, that for a few short moments... she was free.
Every time she thought that she blushed with shame. She knew that, no matter how much she loved her father and wanted to be with him part of her wanted nothing more then to just stow away on a boat and leave this port forever. Never had she been able to stand being held somewhere... and yet ironically, her whole life, that's exactly what was going on. Her sense of duty to her father kept her bound for what seemed like forever to the port.
Diana closed her eyes, perhaps one day...
Through the dark night Diana could hear the crunch of the sand as someone made their way across the beach. Instinctively her eyes flew open and she sat up, looking around in fear that her father had somehow found her. Unable to see very far in front of her in the dark she listened carefully to the approaching person. The sound of uneven steps and the tinkling of some strange objects reached her ears.
Finally the person who had found her beach stumbled into the moonlight and Diana's breath caught. It was a young man, perhaps a few years older then herself and he certainly wasn't from the town. She couldn't see very well at all in the poor lighting but she could see well enough to realize this was nobody she had ever seen before. The people of St. Kitts were very neat and proper, this man... well... wasn't.
The man stopped when he seemed to catch sight of her sitting on the ground. Diana could sense his eyes running over her body... or what little he could see of it. She shifted, taking a hold of her parasol in her right hand; if it came to it she could use it in place of a sword. It wasn't as effective perhaps but it could still hurt. Cautiously she stood up, favoring the option of being on her feet if this man tried anything.
"Who are you?" Diana demanded in a firm voice. Her heart was beating quickly, she hated to admit that he had surprised her or that she was slightly frightened. The grip on the parasol tightened, if this were her sword she would be a lot more confident.
"Calm down lass; I mean you no harm," The man replied raising his hands to show he held nothing in them.
"Who are you," this time her voice held a threatening edge.
"Captain Jack Sparrow." The man answered this time, apparently catching the warning tone in Diana's voice.
"Captain Jack Sparrow?!" She repeated this back to him in disbelief.
"You've heard of me," was the calm return. This wasn't good for Jack, he was hoping she was unaware of who he was. He did not want to get caught here. He'd have to take her with him now to keep her from talking.
"Wait..." Diana dropped the parasol and waved her hands about as if to clear away all the words that had already passed. She looked up sharply when the man across from her let out a chuckle at her antics. "What?"
"Nothing lass', please continue..." Jack swept a hand aside as if to apologize and urge her along at the same time.
"...are you saying... that you're Jack Sparrow... former Captain of the Black Pearl until your first mate, Barbosa mutinied?" Diana wondered.
"The same..." Jack's voice was gruff; slightly angry at the reminder. He watched curiously as the girl visibly relaxed.
"That's a relief... I was worried it was someone dangerous or important..." Diana let out her breath in a sigh.
"Hey there lass-" Jack began, sounding offended. He stopped when the girl began to laugh and allowed things to process before he too began to laugh a bit. "What's yer name?" He asked her with a small amount of admiration at her not being afraid.
"Diana Aphrodine," She curtsied politely, taking the pirate by surprise.
"A noble?" He noticed as he took note of her mannerisms for the first time.
"I suppose you'd call it that... though I can think of several more descriptive words to describe what my life is." She frowned.
"Well in that case," Jack walked up to her and bowed deeply, taking his hat off. He took her hand and kissed it lightly, "Tis a pretty name fer a far prettier lass." Jack commented before standing back up and replacing his hat.
"You can't even see me," Diana let out a giggle at his mockery of nobles.
"Ah, but I can hear you. You sound pretty enough."
"You sound like you're full of it Captain Sparrow."
"Perhaps I am lass, perhaps I am."
"So what brings you to St. Kitts Captain? I can't imagine what a pirate would be doing here; it's not a treasure port." Diana wondered and sat back down in the sand.
"I'm lookin' to commandeer a boat." Jack told her and sat a couple feet next to her. Diana simply nodded in reply. "What about you lady noble? What brings a fine lass like yourself out into the cold sand at night?"
"The sea."
"Mind explaining to me what you mean by that?" Jack questioned her.
"What do you mean?"
"Couldn't you come during the day when it's safer and you can actually see the water?" Jack elaborated his eyes fixed on his companion who was staring out at the dark waters.
"No." Diana answered simply before turning to him. "If my father were to discover that I come here at night he would most certainly lock me in my room at night. He forbids me to come to the ocean or the docks."
"Why's that luv?"
"He tells me it's unladylike to be fascinated with the seas and with pirates and ships... in fact, if he were to discover that I ever talked to a pirate he's have you hung in the town square." She smiled grimly at Jack.
"You don't like it here then?" Jack wondered.
"No. I love my father of course... but I hate this life he forces me to lead." She confessed and fell back against the sand.
"You could always leave Lady noble." Jack suggested, looking down at her. He used the title as a joke but his expression remained serious.
"No I can't."
"Why not?"
"Maybe for you it's easy to just pick things up and leave wherever you are but I can't do something like that. I have a family and duties to attend to. I'd never forgive myself if I left my father no matter what the reason."
"What if you were kidnapped by a not-do-dangerous pirate luv?" Jack offered playfully nudging her shoulder as if he'd known her for years.
At first there was no reply as Diana simply laughed, "You mean the not-so- dangerous pirate with no ship to put me on?"
"No ship yet... but I'll have the Pearl back one day... what about then?" He wondered.
"You're serious?"
"O' course lady noble." Jack offered her his hand.
"Fine, if you get the Black Pearl back then you are more then welcome to come back and kidnap me Captain Jack Sparrow." Diana agreed.
"We have an accord." Both Jack and Diana laughed as they shook hands.
Silence hung like a shroud as Diana lay on her back staring at the stars in the night sky. The cool sand of the Caribbean beach felt good against her back as she shifted into a more comfortable position. Were anyone she knew to walk by the beach right now they'd throw a fit. There she was, in her white and black striped dress, laying in the sand like some sort of listless dreamer. Her parasol and hat were set neatly aside in the endless shadows of night.
Oh how she longed to be in something- anything other then what she wore now. Anything that would let her have more freedom to feel the sand beneath her was welcome. She wished she were a sailor, free to lay in the sand and sea whenever she pleased, rather then having to sneak off like the thief that she was to steal a single moment of bliss.
If her father were ever to discover what she did with her spare time she doubted she'd ever be allowed out on her own ever again. Loving and doting though he tried to be to her, he never could understand her. He wanted so much for his little girl to grow up into a proper lady and marry into a proper and noble household. She'd done her very best to please him and never let him know what she really wanted.
Once before she had tried to talk to him about it, it remained a prominent memory from childhood now that repeated itself several times daily in her mind. She was very young and had said innocently to him as they rode past the docks in their carriage, "Daddy when I grow up I want to sail across the ocean just like these men do!"
He had turned on her then with a furious look upon his face that she had never seen, "You'll do no such thing Diana! Ladies do not sail across the sea; they stay at home, where it is safe! The ocean is no place for you!" The rest of the ride home was silent but Diana saw that her father was agitated.
"I change my mind Daddy, I think I'd rather stay at home after all." She had said, hoping to appease him. The smile that very slowly crept across his face as he relaxed visibly brought her a sense of relief.
"That's my little girl... come gosling," He lifted her into his arms, "I'll read you a story." Diana knew little about her mother, who died shortly after giving birth to her here in the French colony of St. Kitts. Though growing up without a mother had left Diana feeling a bit empty at times, she knew there was nothing that could be done about. Her mother's death though had been the reason for her father's overbearing behavior with her. His wish that she do her mother proud seemed almost impossible to live up to when he was constantly giving her higher standards. Still, Diana did her best to follow his wishes and do as she was told.
By all means Diana's father was a kind man who took pride in his daughter above all else. Her beauty was stunning, even before she could speak or understand what beauty was. Not only that though, she was a fast and avid learner, spending most of her spare time at home reading books from their enormous library.
When it came to learning he denied her nothing. It was insured that the finest tutors in the Caribbean were employed for her benefit. She was schooled thoroughly in subjects that would be considered both useful and distasteful for a young woman in this day of age. It was not always looked upon as a good thing when a woman was smarter then most men.
At the insistence of her father she had learned cooking and sewing to aide her in her future need for a husband. English, history, the arts and horseback riding were all subjects she had mastered over the years. Diana on the other hand had her own ideas of what she wished to learn; convincing her father that these courses would be useful was a difficult task indeed.
Fencing, navigation and hunting were the three areas in which she wished above all else to be schooled. Navigation her father would have forbade and would have most certainly grown suspicious at... but it was easy for a smart girl like Diana to find perfectly legitimate reasons for learning to fence and hunt.
Fencing was a popular sport among the nobles overseas; anything popular with the nobles that she wished to learn made her father proud. Hunting, both with bow and arrow as well as shot, also was becoming a popular sport. Thus two more tutors were found and hired by her father. Currently she had surpassed both those tutors. They'd been teaching her for three years and by now she was far more skilled then either of them.
As part of her daily routine Diana would go to town and socialize with the women there. A childhood friend of hers, Nathanial Williams, was a sailor at the dock. He helped to repair ships and load and unload the cargo. He was also the only one who knew of her fancy with the sea... though perhaps not the extent of it.
Despite the fact that she was forbidden to ever even set foot on the docks let alone a ship, Diana and Nathaniel would meet each week. He would teach her all about sailing; navigation, the galley, the rigging, what to do during storms or pirate attacks... anything and everything that suited her fancy. Not only that, but he was also her source of the latest information overseas. The instant a ship docked he was talking to the crew, so he knew everything there was to know. The pirate attacks and hangings, rumors, legends and how the well known ports were faring.
After these meetings and at night Diana would come out here to this secluded beach that lay not far from her home. Nathanial was the only other person who knew where her most private thinking place was. The rocky waters made it impossible for large ships to come near so it was never used and always provided a haven for her. Here she could take time away from her busy life and just imagine, that for a few short moments... she was free.
Every time she thought that she blushed with shame. She knew that, no matter how much she loved her father and wanted to be with him part of her wanted nothing more then to just stow away on a boat and leave this port forever. Never had she been able to stand being held somewhere... and yet ironically, her whole life, that's exactly what was going on. Her sense of duty to her father kept her bound for what seemed like forever to the port.
Diana closed her eyes, perhaps one day...
Through the dark night Diana could hear the crunch of the sand as someone made their way across the beach. Instinctively her eyes flew open and she sat up, looking around in fear that her father had somehow found her. Unable to see very far in front of her in the dark she listened carefully to the approaching person. The sound of uneven steps and the tinkling of some strange objects reached her ears.
Finally the person who had found her beach stumbled into the moonlight and Diana's breath caught. It was a young man, perhaps a few years older then herself and he certainly wasn't from the town. She couldn't see very well at all in the poor lighting but she could see well enough to realize this was nobody she had ever seen before. The people of St. Kitts were very neat and proper, this man... well... wasn't.
The man stopped when he seemed to catch sight of her sitting on the ground. Diana could sense his eyes running over her body... or what little he could see of it. She shifted, taking a hold of her parasol in her right hand; if it came to it she could use it in place of a sword. It wasn't as effective perhaps but it could still hurt. Cautiously she stood up, favoring the option of being on her feet if this man tried anything.
"Who are you?" Diana demanded in a firm voice. Her heart was beating quickly, she hated to admit that he had surprised her or that she was slightly frightened. The grip on the parasol tightened, if this were her sword she would be a lot more confident.
"Calm down lass; I mean you no harm," The man replied raising his hands to show he held nothing in them.
"Who are you," this time her voice held a threatening edge.
"Captain Jack Sparrow." The man answered this time, apparently catching the warning tone in Diana's voice.
"Captain Jack Sparrow?!" She repeated this back to him in disbelief.
"You've heard of me," was the calm return. This wasn't good for Jack, he was hoping she was unaware of who he was. He did not want to get caught here. He'd have to take her with him now to keep her from talking.
"Wait..." Diana dropped the parasol and waved her hands about as if to clear away all the words that had already passed. She looked up sharply when the man across from her let out a chuckle at her antics. "What?"
"Nothing lass', please continue..." Jack swept a hand aside as if to apologize and urge her along at the same time.
"...are you saying... that you're Jack Sparrow... former Captain of the Black Pearl until your first mate, Barbosa mutinied?" Diana wondered.
"The same..." Jack's voice was gruff; slightly angry at the reminder. He watched curiously as the girl visibly relaxed.
"That's a relief... I was worried it was someone dangerous or important..." Diana let out her breath in a sigh.
"Hey there lass-" Jack began, sounding offended. He stopped when the girl began to laugh and allowed things to process before he too began to laugh a bit. "What's yer name?" He asked her with a small amount of admiration at her not being afraid.
"Diana Aphrodine," She curtsied politely, taking the pirate by surprise.
"A noble?" He noticed as he took note of her mannerisms for the first time.
"I suppose you'd call it that... though I can think of several more descriptive words to describe what my life is." She frowned.
"Well in that case," Jack walked up to her and bowed deeply, taking his hat off. He took her hand and kissed it lightly, "Tis a pretty name fer a far prettier lass." Jack commented before standing back up and replacing his hat.
"You can't even see me," Diana let out a giggle at his mockery of nobles.
"Ah, but I can hear you. You sound pretty enough."
"You sound like you're full of it Captain Sparrow."
"Perhaps I am lass, perhaps I am."
"So what brings you to St. Kitts Captain? I can't imagine what a pirate would be doing here; it's not a treasure port." Diana wondered and sat back down in the sand.
"I'm lookin' to commandeer a boat." Jack told her and sat a couple feet next to her. Diana simply nodded in reply. "What about you lady noble? What brings a fine lass like yourself out into the cold sand at night?"
"The sea."
"Mind explaining to me what you mean by that?" Jack questioned her.
"What do you mean?"
"Couldn't you come during the day when it's safer and you can actually see the water?" Jack elaborated his eyes fixed on his companion who was staring out at the dark waters.
"No." Diana answered simply before turning to him. "If my father were to discover that I come here at night he would most certainly lock me in my room at night. He forbids me to come to the ocean or the docks."
"Why's that luv?"
"He tells me it's unladylike to be fascinated with the seas and with pirates and ships... in fact, if he were to discover that I ever talked to a pirate he's have you hung in the town square." She smiled grimly at Jack.
"You don't like it here then?" Jack wondered.
"No. I love my father of course... but I hate this life he forces me to lead." She confessed and fell back against the sand.
"You could always leave Lady noble." Jack suggested, looking down at her. He used the title as a joke but his expression remained serious.
"No I can't."
"Why not?"
"Maybe for you it's easy to just pick things up and leave wherever you are but I can't do something like that. I have a family and duties to attend to. I'd never forgive myself if I left my father no matter what the reason."
"What if you were kidnapped by a not-do-dangerous pirate luv?" Jack offered playfully nudging her shoulder as if he'd known her for years.
At first there was no reply as Diana simply laughed, "You mean the not-so- dangerous pirate with no ship to put me on?"
"No ship yet... but I'll have the Pearl back one day... what about then?" He wondered.
"You're serious?"
"O' course lady noble." Jack offered her his hand.
"Fine, if you get the Black Pearl back then you are more then welcome to come back and kidnap me Captain Jack Sparrow." Diana agreed.
"We have an accord." Both Jack and Diana laughed as they shook hands.