The fog surrounded and closed in on the ship, except for the black flag. As Elizabeth watched in some morbid curiosity, the skull appeared to turn and grin at her, and she shuts her eyes tightly.

~- Elizabeth's room, Governor's Mansion, Port Royal, Eight Years Later-~

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open, her heart racing and she took shaky gasping breaths, as if she was struggling to breath. She clenched her eyes shut once again, before opening them slowly. She's no longer thirteen, she's 21, she's no longer on the stern of the forever intimidating HMS Dauntless, she's in her bedroom, and just woke up from a nightmare, or resurfacing childhood memories… She was never quite sure.

Elizabeth sat up, not enjoying the creeping darkness, and turned up the flame on the oil lamp beside the canopied bed she slept in. Carrying the lamp across the room, she approached her wooden dressing table, and sat down in the softly padded chair.

Pulling out one of the small drawers, she reached into a space beneath it, and removed the medallion. She ran her thumb over the smooth grooves. Eight years and it still hadn't lost it's shine, nor had it stopped the feeling of fear it gave her. She gazed at it, and absently returned the drawer to its slot in the table.

Suddenly, a booming series of knocks sounded from the door, causing Elizabeth to jump up out of reflex, which caused her to knock over her chair. The surprise didn't give her the time to catch the chair, since she was to focused on the intruder who dared to encroach upon her at whatever time of night it was, at least she assumed it was night, as she hadn't opened the curtain's yet.

"Elizabeth? Is everything alright? Are you decent?" She relaxed at the familiar voice of her father.

"Yes! Yes, uh, one moment!" Elizabeth said, hurriedly putting the medallion on. She threw on a dressing gown as he entered with Roxanne, who also must've just woken up and already looked fantastic. But that was just her infuriatingly natural beauty, though she supposed it couldn't be helped given what she was...

Roxanne was only a couple years older than her, but she was still one of the most beautiful people Elizabeth had ever seen. Second only to Victoria but she kept that to herself. Roxanne, had matured into a gorgeous young woman, her long hair had been cut to be more manageable, though not by much. Her tired brown eyes seemed to sparkle as she walked, carrying herself like the Queen of England, which she damn well could've been, but Elizabeth wouldn't tell anyone that, it would stroke her ego.

Her father, she noticed was carrying two large boxes. Dresses, she assumed, as she saw some uniformed maids following behind the precision of her father and Roxanne.

"Still abed at this hour? It's a beautiful day!" Her father chided as Estrella, one of the maids, pulled back the heavy curtains, making Roxanne and her cover their eyes at the sudden brightness, and Roxanne growled in annoyance.

Looking out the window revealed a blue sky that spanned over the bucolic town of Port Royal, built on a natural harbor. On a bluff at the mouth of the harbor stands Fort Charles, its stone parapets lined with powerful cannons, ready to defend the port from the Spanish and Pirates alike.

"I have a gift for you, Roxanne, and Victoria if she gets home soon." Her father sighed, Victoria was always up in the early morning hours, "exploring" she called it, but Elizabeth and Roxanne agreed that she probably knew most of the Island already. Setting the boxes down on her bed, her father opened one he displayed for her the gorgeous golden velvet dress. Roxanne and her let out an admiring gasp, and studied it closer.

"It's beautiful! May I inquire as to the occasion?" Roxanne asked, taking in the details with wide eyes.

"Is an occasion necessary for a father to dote upon his daughter and charges with gifts?" Swann smiled, and Roxanne grinned, though she was not his daughter, he might as well have made her one. But she also knew this was probably to help convince them to go to something, as these kinds of gifts often were.

"I suppose not!" Roxanne giggled, and sat down on Elizabeth's bed as the mentioned lady happily took it behind a screened off dressing area. Estrella and another maid followed, carrying the box.

"Although...I did think you could wear them to the ceremony today." He said, and Roxanne looked at him, sighing.

- Roxane's POV -

"Must we go? You know I don't like big crowds." That was an understatement. Roxanne absolutely loathed crowds, much to Uncle Weatherby's chagrin.

"Ceremony?" Elizabeth asked curiously while the maids fiddled around with something behind her.

"Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony." Uncle Weatherby repeated, and Roxanne rolled her eyes while Elizabeth peeked around the screen.

"I knew it."

"Or, rather, Commodore Norrington...a fine gentleman, don't you think?" He asked, and Roxanne hummed, looking at her nails. He didn't receive an answer from either of them. "He fancies you, you know." He said, looking at Roxanne, she glanced at him, and looked up, annoyed. "I heard he was thinking of proposing this evening…"

"What! Uncle you can't be serious!" He wasn't really her uncle, more of a father figure, but Victoria and her called him that anyway. Ever since he adopted them into his family.

8 years ago, give or take a few days, they'd been found and brought to Port Royal. Roxanne, which wasn't her real name at all, but thirteen year old Elizabeth was unable to pronounce it, or rather, nobody really could, so they just called her Roxanne. Roxanne owed him for having taken them in, cared for them as his own… Her sense of morality would have made it hard for her to turn him down.

Behind the screen, Elizabeth gasps, drawing her father's attention, which Roxanne was grateful for, not being able to take her "Uncle's" hopeful eyes any longer.

"Elizabeth? Uh, how's it coming?" He asked. Roxanne peeked around the screen, and watched Elizabeth and the maid's struggle to adjust to the corset in amusement. Victoria would never agree to wearing a corset, she already probably off doing something "unladylike" as Uncle Weatherby like to call her excursions out into the world, he's given up on trying to make her "proper" by now.

Elizabeth was holding her hair up and a glimmering thing Roxanne couldn't identify( a necklace perhaps?) as the maid behind her cinches her into a corset over her slip. Estrella had her foot in Elizabeth's back as she pulls the laces tight. Roxanne giggled, looking at her best friend in amusement.

"Difficult ... to say." Elizabeth said breathlessly.

"I'm told that dress is the very latest fashion in London." He said nervously, glancing at Roxanne for help, she'd worn corsets before, it wasn't easy, but they did make her look fabulous.

"Women in London must have learned to not breathe." Elizabeth snapped, struggling to breath already. Roxanne heard Elizabeth voice her complaints, and smiled.

"Don't worry Lizzie dear, you get used to it." Roxanne chuckled, and admired her own blue dress that she'd picked from a box, it was beautiful. The dress was a deep royal blue with white accents. The pattern was exquisitely done with pearls sewn into the top of the bodice and at the waist.

"How can you get used to something so tight Roxy?" Elizabeth hissed as Estrella pulled it tighter. When Estrella finally finished, Elizabeth took a deep breath and winced as they helped her get the parts of the dress on. Someone knocked on the door, drawing their attention and a butler appeared in the doorway of the room.

"Governor? Madame Victoria has returned." He said in a drawling tone.

"Yes, well, when you're finished, do help Roxanne get her own dress on while I try to convince Victoria to wear a dress." Uncle Weatherby smiled, exiting with the butler. When Elizabeth stepped out, Roxanne grinned, looking at her with a bright smile. She was stunning, but was quickly dragged off to another corner of the room to have her hair put into place.

"Your turn Madame." Estrella said, leading Roxanne over to the area Elizabeth previously was in. Thank God she could handle corsets much better now. Roxanne grunted as they pulled the corset tighter. This was somewhat tighter than normal, and she did not fancy the feeling of her rib-cage being crushed. Today, she determined, was not going to be a good day, and it wasn't often her gut instincts were wrong.

When they finished putting the dress on, Roxanne moved over to where Elizabeth was.

"How can you stand this?" Elizabeth muttered as the maids left to go prep for the struggle of trying to make Victoria presentable.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Roxanne sighed, helping Elizabeth put her hair up. They settled into a comfortable silence, but Elizabeth could feel the medallion growing colder on her chest like it always did if she wore it for extended periods of time.

After Roxanne finished with her hair, the two switched places, and Elizabeth managed to twist it into something decent. They finally finished getting ready, Elizabeth had to drag Roxanne away from the mirror, they made it to the top of the grandtraircase, and watched in amusement as Elizabeth's father pleaded with the redhead to go upstairs and change.

Roxanne coughed to get their attention, and began making her way downstairs with practiced balance, though it was getting harder to breathe. When she reached the bottom, hands on her hips, Roxanne glowered at Victoria, she was in pain, and not feeling like taking any of Victoria's bullshit today.

Elizabeth followed, wincing with almost every step, but seeing Victoria before her was worth it. Roxanne may have been beautiful, with many more suitors than men they'd possibly met, some of which called her a goddess. But Victoria, was the epitome of whom Aphrodite was to Elizabeth, with deep red hair and glimmering hazel eyes that shone like stars. Her perfect lips were twisted upward in a sheepish smile directed to Roxanne, who was mentally preparing the best way to kill her for such inconvenience, Elizabeth assumed. Victoria's sun kissed skin was dirty in places, and her feet were covered in dried mud, and she'd lost a shoe apparently.

"Elizabeth! Roxanne! You look stunning!" Her father smiled.

"Victoria." Roxanne said, moving towards other best friend, looking at the shorter girls hazel eyes. "You have half of an hour to get dressed for the ceremony. Go, or I won't make you any pastries tonight." Everyone loved Roxanne's pastries. Everyone. No exceptions. Victoria gasped dramatically.

"You wouldn't!" The redhead demanded.

"I just might! Now go!" Roxanne snapped, and shoved Victoria, who smiled at Elizabeth, towards the stairs. Victoria hurried upstairs, disappearing into the hall. Uncle Weatherby shook his head, and went off somewhere with the butler, Leaving Elizabeth and Roxanne in the entrance hall. The medallion was cold against her chest. She glanced at Roxanne, who was dusting something off her dress.

Maybe, just maybe… Roxanne could wear it today. She'd always been into dark things like this, whether it be stories, or objects, count on Roxanne to know everything, or almost everything about it.

Biting her lip, Elizabeth's hand went to the chain around her throat the medallion was hidden in the bodice of her dress. She couldn't take it anymore, she decided that yes, Roxanne would be perfectly okay with wearing it for today. Hopefully she wouldn't show it to Victoria.

"Roxanne." She said, and the other woman looked at her, smiling. "I need you to hold onto something for me… It's really important." She said, and Roxanne frowned, confused.

"Of course. What is it?" Elizabeth took a shaky breath, and took the medallion off carefully. Roxanne's eyes widened as she took hold of it. "Oh Elizabeth… Where in God's name and everything holy and unholy did you get this?" She asked in a soft voice. The footsteps of people sounded, and Elizabeth quickly helped her get it on. Roxanne unceremoniously stuffed it in her bodice while Elizabeth messed with the back, clasping the chain around her neck.

"Ah, is there something wrong?" Her father asked, concerned. Elizabeth forced a smile at him.

"No, no, I was just fixing her hair." She smiled, and they both turned, and he smiled brightly at them.

"Good, good… Hopefully we will be leaving soon." He said, and they looked towards the top of the stairs, where they heard shouting.

- Day, Fort Charles, Port Royal -

With choreographed precision, Governor Swann slid the sword and scabbard from the presentation case, held by a uniformed Navy man. He held it out vertically to James Norrington, who was in full dress uniform. James grasped the scabbard above Swann's hand, and Swann let go. He drew the sword, flourished the sword, and quickly brings the blade up in front of his face. Governor Swann stepped forward, pinned a medal to James's jacket, and stepped back.

Personally, Roxanne found she could be doing so much more in the time it took for this ceremony. Like drawing, or reading, or singing in her room, but softly enough for Uncle Weatherby not to notice. She wasn't supposed to sing, not really, not ever. That had been put into her mind since day one of living with the Governor. Oh she knew why, she definitely knew why, she was a mermaid after all, and knew to the extreme of what her powers could do. Well…

Okay, maybe she didn't know the extreme as she had dabbled a bit, not unregretfully so, but she'd read the stories, some in other languages which was a grueling task, but it was worth it.

James nodded, turned smartly and nodded to his fellow officers, he turned again and nodded to the audience – other important dignitaries, merchants, plantation owners, their families, all of which Roxanne hadn't bothered to learn the names of. She hadn't found them really that important. Another flourish with his sword, and he returned the beautifully crafted weapon to its scabbard.

The silence is broken by loud applause, making Roxanne finch, Elizabeth and Victoria looked at her sympathetically. They knew what she was, and how bad her headaches got if she stayed near loud noises for too long. Thankfully, a brief distraction was offered by James, who was greeted by backslapping from his fellow Navy men. Roxanne, although in pain, and feeling like she was going to die from the heat, applauded with Elizabeth, Victoria, and the rest of the audience.

Glancing at Elizabeth briefly, Roxanne saw her discreetly try to adjust the corset through the material of the dress, before she resumed clapping, trying to hide her discomfort. Roxanne pitied her, she really did, but Elizabeth would have to handle her own breathing problems as Roxanne was positive she was going to die from asphyxiation.

- Time skip -

Roxanne fanned herself, trying to stop sweating so much. She was drying up and she knew it. God help her she wanted to leave, and do nothing more than soak in a nice bath for the rest of the evening. But, she was unfortunately still at the ceremony, and standing off to the side with Elizabeth and Victoria, who were chatting about what Victoria had seen that day in the market that day. They'd managed to get the girl into a dress decent enough for this party long enough to drag her to the ceremony. A miracle that was. She refused the corset though, and Roxanne agreed with her, willing to defend that choice to the grave, and wished she herself hadn't worn one.

People milled around them chattering or dancing to the music, which Roxanne had long since drowned out for the most part, all of it was just background noise as her mind was more focused on her lungs screaming for air. When Roxanne noticed James approach them, she straightened, and pleaded to God above that he wouldn't talk to her. She was in no mood to be facing a suitor at the moment.

"May I have a moment?" He asked, extending his arm out for her. Dear god in heaven why must you disappoint me so? Roxanne took it, forcing a weak smile.

"Of course." She managed out. God how tight was this corset?! She gave a look to Victoria and Elizabeth that screamed, 'Help me!' but they just giggled as her and James walked away from the party, and towards the parapet. After a moment of silence, of which Roxanne was grateful for and used as a time, to think of how to turn him down, or not… She hadn't decided yet. She was bad at deciding life changing choices, she glanced at James, who seemed to be giving himself an inner speech. Roxanne looked back to the ocean; it was calling to her, singing her name on the salty air. It always did, it always sang her name, asking for her to come home.

"You look lovely. Roxanne." He burst out, pink lightly dusting his cheeks. Roxanne smiled weakly, but unable to focus properly on his voice. He seemed so far away, even if he was right next to her.

"Many people have said so, and agreed with you." She said, and he grimaced.

"I apologize if I seem forward - but I must speak my mind." He added hastily, and stood straighter, looking as if he were going to give some important speech. Which Roxanne didn't doubt for a second. Here comes the big suitor speech… Yay….

"This promotion confirms that I have accomplished the goals I set for myself in my career. But it also casts into light that which I have not achieved. The thing all honorable men most require: a marriage to a fine woman." He paused, and Roxanne fanned herself harder, oh god a marriage proposal, but it wasn't helping. Not in the slightest. "You have become a fine woman, Roxanne." Roxanne felt her heart speeding up, and her throat tightened. Her vision went spotty as she fanned herself harder, desperate for air.

"I can't… Breathe." She panted out, he smiled nervously, still looking out to the sea that was louder now than it was before, or that could've just been the blood rushing in her ears. Black spots began to dance around her eyes. Not good.

"I'm a bit nervous, myself…" Dammit James! Roxanne stumbled away from him, reaching a hand out to the parapet to steady herself. Unfortunately, that did nothing to help stabilize her, and she just kind of slid off like water on laminated paper. She tumbled toward the crashing waves, and smiled likely. The word 'Home' ran through her head, and she slammed into the water, and the feeling of adrenaline rushed through her, the water seemingly revitalizing her.

"Roxanne!" James shouted, drawing the attention of the populace of the party, who rushed over in concern and shock.