Chapter One- Cousins and Their Secrets
Adrienne and Rosaline Swann greeted the salty sea air with loving, tender sighs. It wasn't often that they got to travel with their father, but when they did, they preferred the sea to the carriages. The sisters approached the rail, watching as the Dauntless slipped smoothly into Port Royal's docks. The gangplank was lowered, and the ladies waited patiently for their father to descend first before they came down, giggling at the thought of seeing their dear cousin Elizabeth and their Uncle Weatherby again. The Count allowed his daughters their giggles, knowing that it had been too long since they'd gotten to visit his brother and his only daughter. He knew that they meant well, but the attention they were drawing from the dock hands was nothing compared to the attention of the naval Captain who was standing near their carriage.
"Count Swann," he said, bowing low, "I am Captain James Norrington."
"Captain Norrington, these are my daughters, Rosaline and Adrienne," the Count said, bowing in return. The girls curtsied absently, not paying a lick of attention to the Captain.
"I was told there was another?" the Captain said warily, wondering if the Count was as free with information as his brother was.
"My son, Jacob, was not able to make it. He's down with a horrible cold and was not up to the journey across, unfortunately."
"I do hope he gets to feeling better," the Captain said, opening the carriage door for the Count and his daughters, who had finally noticed the smart man in his uniform. They sobered up and slipped inside the carriage, a blush painting each girl's cheeks.
They were silent on the ride to the Governor's house.
"Uncle Weatherby!" Adrienne squealed, running to hug her uncle. Rosaline slipped out of the carriage, managing to keep her emotions in check. Her sister, only fifteen, was allowed to run about as though she were a small child. She, however, was almost twenty, and had no right to act the way her sister did amongst others. Rosaline approached gently and hugged her uncle in a very gentle, lady like way that made her father beam with pride.
"James, do come in," the Governor said after clasping hands with his brother.
"I'm afraid I shan't, Governor. I have much that needs attending to at the fort. Please, however, give my best to Miss Elizabeth," Captain Norrington said with a half smile.
As soon as the carriage was out of the circle and gone, the two girls erupted into laughter. Preparing themselves for what lay inside, they stepped into the house silently, prepared to act like proper English gentlewomen, at least until they went up to Elizabeth's room.
Later, as Rosaline lay awake, waiting for the opportune moment, she couldn't help but berate herself for what she'd done. Taking the gold coin from Elizabeth's room was one thing, but preparing to wear it outside the house was something entirely different. She guessed, however, that there was a bit of sense in her taking the medallion, what with her heritage and all. As soon as she heard the latch on her cousin's balcony doors close, she threw her legs out from underneath the covers, revealing burlap britches and a white cotton shirt. Silently, she drew on a plain beige jacket and donned a hat. Carefully, she belted her cutlass into place before she drew herself up to her full height. Taking her doused lamp from the bedside table, she poured some of the oil onto the latch before sliding it open. Suppressing a giggle, she grabbed a piece of torn cloth from the pocket of her coat. She bound her hair in a tight braid before she shimmied down the trellis beside her window.
The night was still young, and promising to be full of surprises.
At the Hawk's Wing, an inn in the poorer district of Port Royal, Rose sat at a back table, entertaining a few of the younger boys with tales of adventures and daring escapades that led to near death, but almost always ended in riches. Of course, most of it was wrought from the books she had in the bottom of her trunk about pirates, but she refused to let the little children know that. She gave each little boy six shillings and told them to run along before the pirates caught them out and about. She, consequently, didn't see the blacksmith that slid into the chair across from her.
"You think it wise, filling their heads with tales of thievery and law breaking?" he asked.
Rose didn't even jump. "Didn't you ever dream as a child? Didn't you think, maybe, that there was something more out there than a life of monotony and oppression? If I'm a monster for supplying that dream, so be it."
"Will Turner."
"Nigel," Rose replied, as she often did. She gave no last name. Nigel was usually such a common name, so she didn't even think about it.
"Nigel Swann, the governor's brother?"
"Who?" Rose said, suppressing the panic in her belly.
"Guess not," Will said, dejected.
"You must be a blacksmith," Rose said softly, taking in his clothes.
"That I am not. I'm an apprentice. My master sent me to fetch him a bottle."
"Tell you what; I'll buy the bottle if you'll repair my cutlass. She's nicked and dinged from a bar fight in Surrey and I'd desperately love to get her fixed."
Will nodded, eager to prove his worth. Rose bought a bottle of rum and followed the boy to the smithy.
At the Governor's house, Elizabeth Swann stepped into her cousin's room in silence, wondering if Rosaline was still getting away with what she'd been doing since she was fifteen. At the sight of the empty bed, Elizabeth smiled and went back to her own room, resolute to keep the secret.
Rose leaned back against the wooden support beam and watched the taught, hardened muscles of the black smith's back ripple as he worked to fix the nicks in the blade.
"It looks like it's been a while since you've seen a smith about this blade, Nigel. Been traveling a lot?"
"More like... privateering on behalf of the King," Rose said softly, hoping that this guy didn't hate pirates. She was obsessed with them and she knew it, but privateers weren't as... dangerous.
"I hear it's a dangerous profession, privateering," Will said, pulling the blade from the fire and beginning to hammer it back into shape.
"Not really. I'm certain being a pirate is much more dangerous."
"Pirates," Will growled, "Deserve to have a dangerous profession."
"Do tell; what have you against them? They're just privateers without colors," Rose countered.
"They rape, pillage, and plunder without rhyme or reason. They're evil."
"Have you ever met one, William? Sit down and talk with one once. Most pirates now a day's rape because they can't pillage or plunder worth a damn. Years back when piracy was in its prime, pirates had a certain respect for persons of the female persuasion. Women without husbands were often left be. Their houses were often the only ones unscathed. You listen to the East India Trading goons too much, William," Rose said, taking the cooled cutlass from the man and moving to the bench with the whetstone. She didn't realize her hat was slipping, or she wouldn't have started sharpening the blade.
Her hat fell to the ground, revealing her feminine features.
"Y-You're a woman!" Will said, rushing forward to grab her by the arm. "You shouldn't be here, Miss."
"Stop, right now," Rose growled, holding the cutlass to his throat. "And don't doubt that I know how to use it, Mr. Turner. We were having a pleasant evening. How about we continue enjoying it? You've gotten your bottle of rum, but I've not fixed my blade yet."
"Why?"
"Why do I do this? You've really no idea how dull and drab the life of a noblewoman is. Being perfect and ladylike just so that one day some boring toad can come along and claim you as his bride? I think not. So I do what I can to live the life I want to live. If that means hiding the fact that I'm a woman, so be it. But, believe me, getting into bar fights and telling stories to little boys who want so badly for there to be something out there that isn't enslavement because some god told a man to tell another man he was king is far more enjoyable for me than sitting in my bed wondering if I'll have a Commodore or a Prince come by tomorrow to look at me through the glass," Rose said, a cold laugh escaping her throat as she began hacking away at the sword with a whetstone.
Will continued his questioning as the blade became sharper and sharper.
"Rosaline!" Elizabeth called, rushing into the room, "Rosaline wake up!"
"Hizzit?" Rose said, sitting up in the bed and rubbing the bags away from her eyes. Adrienne rushed in after their cousin.
"You and I and Adrienne have a half an hour to get ready for the Commodore's swearing in ceremony. And then, you and I have things to discuss," Elizabeth said, a smile playing on her lips.
"Alright, alright," Rose said, swinging out of bed and into action. She'd carefully shoved her clothes into the bottom of the trunk as soon as she got home, despite the fact that she was quite tired. Silently, she pulled out a lavender dress. As Adrienne laced up her corset, Elizabeth kept eying the trunk suspiciously, and Rose tried to keep from laughing. Elizabeth had never been able to figure out where she managed to keep all her boy's clothes when her trunk was so full of dresses and frocks. "You'll never find it, Lizzy," she whispered softly, so softly that Adrienne didn't hear.
Rose stepped into the dress as Elizabeth pulled her hair up into a kind of hanging bun designed to let her hair cascade down her back, while still keeping it up. As soon as Rose was done, Adrienne went off to get into her own gown while Rosaline began lacing up Elizabeth's corset.
"So, still getting away with it, I see," Elizabeth laughed as Rose suppressed a yawn. "Did you meet any of those pirates you fancy?"
"I didn't, and it's probably for the better. Anymore, I don't think I could keep myself from leaving with one," Rose giggled as she laced up the back of Elizabeth's sunshine yellow dress.
"You should find yourself a suitor here just so you could stay."
"Perhaps a blacksmith," Rose laughed, thinking of her encounter with Will Turner the night before. Elizabeth, however, stiffened. "Ah, we wouldn't happen to fancy the blacksmith, now would we?"
"No," Elizabeth denied quickly.
"Really? So that means he's fair game, right?"
"NO!" Elizabeth answered before she could stop herself.
"So we do fancy the blacksmith and not the Captain now don't we."
Elizabeth turned bright red and swatted the girl away, leaving her to her giggles as she returned to her rooms to gather her fan. Rose grabbed, instead of the brilliant red fan that her father had bought for her, the black Japanese fighting fan that she herself had picked up from a pirate in Singapore.
It was both a good thing and a bad thing that she did.
Downstairs, Will Turner shoved the broken candle holder into the umbrella stand just as Rose descended the stair case. Her breath hitched in her chest, and she found herself stuck in a very awkward position as he turned and caught sight of her. Recognition flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing. A slow smile spread across her face as her feet found the marble of the floor.
"I don't believe we've ever properly been introduced, Mr..."
"Turner. Will Turner," he said, bowing.
"Rosaline Swann," Rose said with a smile. Then, lower and quieter, "I'm glad we have an understanding. You watch my back, and I'll be sure to bring you some work your way. You really are an excellent craftsman."
Will blushed and stood up straight as the Governor came into the room.
"Ah, William, I see you've met my niece Rosaline," the Governor exclaimed.
"Yes, Governor, Miss Swann and I were just discussing your order," Will said with a smile.
"Mr. Turner was about to show me what was in the box when you came along," Rose said softly.
"Well, please, don't stop on my account," the Governor said with a smile.
"Miss, if you please," Will said, and Rose curtsied and stepped back so that her uncle could see the sword. Will opened the box and handed the girl the sword. She, of course, had to force basic instinct to the back of her mind and pray that her Uncle hadn't noticed her hands as they twitched to pull the sword from its sheath. "May I?"
"By all means," Rose said, handing the blade back.
"It's perfectly balanced; the blade is folded steel which makes this sword strong, light, and supple. That's gold inlay on the handle."
"It really is beautiful. You did a fine job," Rose said softly, catching the sword easily as he tossed it up in the air. It was an ingrained instinct.
"Now, Rose, surely you must know that it was his master that did the work?" the Governor said softly, and Will's face fell.
"But, Uncle, in England the apprentice does all the work while the master lazes around," Rose said softly, hinting to her uncle that she knew the social decorum, but work as fine as the blade she'd just held deserved proper compliments.
"I see," the Governor said, a smile gracing his face. "In that case, well done, William."
Will bowed, smiling, and went to leave the mansion. However, he heard the Governor's gasp and turned.
"Will!" Elizabeth said.
"Miss Swann," William said as she descended the stairs.
"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth."
"I'm afraid just once more as always, Miss Swann," he gulped.
"At least the boy understands social decorum, Elizabeth and Rosaline," the Governor said. Elizabeth, behind her father's back, looked quizzically at Rose, who smiled coyly, earning her a glare from the aforementioned cousin.
"Good day, Mr. Turner," Elizabeth growled, her rage unintentionally redirecting itself to Will, who blushed. Adrienne and Elizabeth went out the door behind Governor Swann. Rose, before leaving, placed a chaste kiss on Will's cheek. "The Tiger's Jaw, midnight. I'll bring the rum, you bring the blacksmith skills."
Rose ran out after her cousin, giggling to herself the whole way. God, she loved Port Royal.