~3 years ago~
The day Maria Hollohan left for England was the day of James Norrington's promotion as Commodore. Her father, Commodore Charles Hollohan, had been helping James train for years. The week before the promotion, James had come over every day to talk to Charles and John, Maria's brother, about it. It was all he could talk about, he was so excited. John, a captain, was leaving a few days after the ceremony to hunt down some pirate ships farther away from Port Royal than Maria could ever imagine. It was all he could talk about, either. Maria had been the forgotten one in the week-long conversations, save for James. Every day, every time he would come over, he would greet Maria good morning and tell her she looked lovely. It was very kind of him, but Maria learned not to take it to heart. She knew that he was sweet on Elizabeth Swann, her best friend. Just a few days before the ceremony, he had asked Governor Weatherby Swann, Elizabeth's father, for her hand in marriage. Even though Elizabeth was her best friend, she couldn't help but be jealous when she overheard James telling Father about it. James was handsome, caring, very intelligent, and very successful. Maria tried her hardest not to be jealous, but it just wasn't working.
The day of the ceremony started off well. Elizabeth came over in the morning to help Maria pack. Maria was excited and giddy at the thought of the ceremony, but sad that this would be the last time she'd see her best friend in three years.
"I'm sorry you're aunt's sick, and I know that there's no turning back now, but isn't there any way that someone else could go take care of her?" asked Elizabeth, rummaging through Maria's traveling bag.
"No, I'd tried to get out of it, but I'd feel guilty not going. She asked specifically for me, so I couldn't really turn her down, you know?" Maria turned towards the large trunk and packed the last of her belongings in. She slammed the chest shut and locked it with a key, which she then put in a purse. She checked her small carpetbag one more time for her traveling clothes, and then buttoned it shut. She turned to Elizabeth, who had been staring sadly out the window, and grabbed her hands.
"Come now, don't be upset with me! It's not my fault."
"I know, but I can't believe it will be three years 'till I see you again."
"Me neither, but let's not dwell on it." Maria swung around and picked up her dress from the bed. She held it over her underdress and pretended to curtsy to Elizabeth.
"How do I look?" she asked, giggling as Elizabeth pretended to swipe her hat down for a low bow.
"Marvelous! Maybe the Captain Norrington will propose to you instead of me," laughed a Elizabeth. Instantly, Maria felt the smile start to slip from her face, and she struggled to keep laughing. Don't ruin today, she told herself sternly. This could be the biggest day of Elizabeth's life, so don't spoil it. She flung the dress on the bed and stepped behind her dressing curtain. She pulled a tassel on the curtain, and a maid knocked on her door a few minutes later.
"I'm going to get dressed for the ceremony," she called to Elizabeth from behind the curtain as the maid started to lace her into the corset.
"Not a problem," came the reply, and Maria heard Elizabeth's skirts rustle as she sat on the bed. "I'll wait for you."
A few minutes later, an already breathless Maria stepped out from behind the curtain, fanning her face.
"I can't breathe," she gasped, clutching onto the bedpost for support. Slowly, she began to get her breath back and carefully stood up straight. In her delicate, turquoise lace dress and her hair curled into ringlets, she clipped a flower into the coiffure and hoped that James would remember her as a pretty girl, should he even remember her at all. She made sure all her belongings were in order, and then pulled a tassel by the window curtain. A maid appeared at the door almost immediately and Maria nodded her head towards the trunk and the carpetbag. She and Elizabeth made their way down the marble steps of the grand house, chattering on about London fashion and corsets. Just as Elizabeth was ready to go, the butler opened the front door and James strode in. He stopped short in the hallway, having eyes for only Elizabeth.
"Good morning, Miss Swann. If I may say so, you look lovely today," he said, a bit uneasy and nervous in her presence. Maria could see the love and hope in his eyes, and yearned for him to look at her that way. She felt a twinge of jealousy and instantly scolded herself.
"Thank you, Captain Norrington," replied Elizabeth, not returning his warm tone. She turned towards Maria and gave her a quick hug.
"I'll see you later," she said, and quickly left. Maria glanced at James, who was looking down at the ground, a bit disappointed and flushed. Maria put her hand on his arm and he looked up at her.
"I take it you're very excited for the ceremony today, aren't you, Captain? Or should I say, Commodore?" James laughed and patted her hand.
"Thank you. Yes, I'm very excited for today. I have been working towards this my whole life." Somehow, Maria knew that he was talking about proposing to Elizabeth, not the promotion. James looked at her and said seriously, "I heard that you are leaving for England today, Miss Hollohan. When will you be back?" Maria looked at him as they walked down the long hallway to her father's office together.
"I'm not quite certain. I believe that I should be back within three years. Aunt asked especially for me, so I couldn't decline. But I will miss Port Royal," she continued, as they reached the office.
"And Port Royal will miss you, Miss Hollohan." Maria lowered her head demurely. James let up his mask of no emotion and looked a bit embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, that was too forward of me." Maria looked him and smiled shyly.
"No, it wasn't." It was James's turn to blush. He regained his composure quickly and said, "I'm sorry, your father will be waiting for me, Miss Hollohan. I must go."
"Of course, Captain Norrington. My apologies." Maria turned and walked back down the hallway, heart racing. James paused, hand on doorknob.
"Oh, and, Miss Hollohan?" he called after her.
"Yes, Captain Norrington?"
James smiled, and said, "You look lovely today."
The ceremony was very grandiose, but very hot. But when James appeared under the arch of swords, Maria gained back her breath and looked at James in awe. Resplendent in his new uniform, he strode under the arch of swords to the front, where he was given a sword of his own by Governor Swann. Maria ended up clapping more than Elizabeth, who was sitting next to her. She couldn't blame her though; the heat had made Elizabeth absolutely breathless, and her tight corset wasn't helping. After the ceremony itself, there was food and drink and dancing at the reception. Elizabeth and Maria stood together in the shade, waving their fans and talking. Elizabeth eyed James coming closer, so she excused herself and slipped away, murmuring some excuse about the heat. James slipped through a fat dancing couple and made his way over to Maria, now standing alone.
"Have you seen Miss Swann anywhere?" Maria gestured towards the building with her fan.
"She said she was going in to splash some water on her face. It's very hot out today," she said. It wasn't exactly untrue; she did say it was hot. James agreed, and stood around for a second before asking Maria to dance. They walked onto the floor together and began to waltz. In his presence, Maria felt aware of her every move, of every eye on them. As the dance finished, Maria's father declared it was time for her departure. Elizabeth had come out again, and Maria ran over to her. With tears in their eyes, they gave each other a hug, making a silent promise that they would see each other again. Governor Swann kissed her on both cheeks, and wished her a safe journey. Finally, James approached. He wrapped her into a tight embrace, and said, "Thank you for coming today."
"You know I wouldn't have missed it for the world," said Maria into his uniform. They broke apart, and James bent down and kissed her on both cheeks.
"I hope to see you again, Miss Hollohan. I wish you the safest of journeys, and my regards to your aunt."
"Thank you, Commodore Norrington, I hope to see you again soon." Maria smiled, and said, "I wish you luck in your proposal to Elizabeth." He looked surprised for a moment that someone knew of his supposedly secret plan, but then he smiled, too.
"Thank you, Miss Hollohan." They hugged lightly one more time, then Maria left.
As she stepped into the waiting carriage, she looked up the cliff one more time to the reception happening above, and said quietly, "I'll miss you, James Norrington."