Chapter 14: "James, you've got to let that go."
"But we've got to save Will!" Elizabeth tried to persuade the Governor.
"No! You're safe now, we will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates!" Governor Swann looked at me in Jack in disgust.
"Gallivanting can be fun," I whispered to Jack, "It only depends on who or what you're gallivanting after." Jack laughed at this, but a cold glare from the Governor silenced us. "Then we condemn him to death!" Elizabeth stated, hoping this would change her father's mind. Governor Swann looked somewhat pitiful for her as he turned to face her, "The boy's fate is regrettable, but then, so was his decision to engage in piracy." Elizabeth was taken aback. How could her father do this? I smirked at her expression. Oh, poor Will! I would NOT forgive him this time. He would just keep hurting me.
"To rescue me, to prevent anything from happening to me!" Elizabeth was quite literally on the edge of tears. Jack raised a hand and moved over to the Governor, Elizabeth, and the Commodore, "If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion, the Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely that she would be able to make good time." Jack was now only facing Commodore Norrington, "Think about it, the Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up, eh?" Jack grinned his signature grin, knowing that he'd won over the Commodore. I glared at him. What was he doing? Norrington glared at Jack as well, "By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, and not only myself," Norrington turned and started to walk away. I walked silently to Jack's side, "What was that?" Jack grinned,
"A genius idea." Elizabeth ran after Norrington,
"Commodore, I beg you, please do this. For me, as a wedding gift." That was so sweet! Elizabeth loves Will so much that she was willing to marry James in order to save...wait. No! What was I doing? It was not sweet! I am mad at Will, and Elizabeth burned all the rum! All of it!
Xx
I have no idea why, but the first thing James looked at after Elizabeth's proposal was me. Why me? He shifted his eyes to Elizabeth as the Governor approached her, "Elizabeth, are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?"
"I am," she replied, not moving her eyes from Norrington's. Jack and I grinned,
"I love weddings!" Jack nodded,
"Drinks all around!" Norrington gave us the "Seriously? Grow up" look. Uh oh. Jack and I both raised our wrists, knowing what was coming. "I know, clap them in irons, right?" Jack asked. Norrington walked toward us,
"Mr. Sparrow, Miss Kingsley, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'Silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?" Jack and I slowly lowered our hands.
"Inescapably clear," Jack told Norrington, before both of us were grabbed and taken up to the helm.
Xx
Jack opened his compass, "That way," he pointed, directing the men in the correct direction, before turning to walk back down to the main deck.
"No," Norrington grabbed Jack's arm, "You will stay until we reach our destination, as will you," Norrington turned to me. I nodded silently before looking out to sea. The sky was darkening, and memories flooded my memory:
James POVof flashback:
This was the best day of my entire life! Alice had accepted my proposal! She would be my wife and accompany me to Port Royal! I found two glasses of wine and walked back to the gazebo. Alice wasn't there. "Alice!" I called into the night, hoping she'd come. She did not. Had something happened to her? I set the two glasses down and prepared to search fro her when something caught my eye. It was a single red rose lying over a piece of folded parchment. I picked up the parchment and opened it. It was a letter:
"My Dear James,
I am so sorry to have to do this, I truly am. I want nothing more than to be your wife, but I can't. Lord Ashwood is a terrible man and has sold Ana today. He told me that he would sell Aria in the morning. I'm running away to Port Royal, to ensure that she will live a happy life. If I meet you there, then fate is on our side, and I will marry you then. Please forgive me James.
With love, Alice"
Tears sprung into my eyes. She was leaving me. How could she leave me. Aria. I sighed, realizing that Alice would do anything to protect her, and that if I wanted her to be my wife one day, I needed to respect that. "James!" I turned at my name. Lord Ashwood was walking towards me, "Where is Alice?"
"I don't know sir, I thought that she was inside," I lied through my teeth.
"Damn girl!" he snarled under his breath before turning and walking back to the party. "If you see her, I need to speak with her!" He called, irritated, over his shoulder. Once Lord Ashwood was gone, I smirked. I would do no such thing. I clutched the rose to my heart and stared off into the darkness, a single tear falling from my eye, "Godspeed Alice, I shall see you in Port Royal."
Xx
James looked across from him at the woman that had broken his heart. When he got to Port Royal, she was never there. At the time, he had thought that she'd perished. He'd spent so many sleepless nights, weeping for her. Then Elizabeth came. She lightened up his dark world. But with Alice's return in his life, he didn't know what to think. Why had she never come back to him? And where was Aria?
Xx
Alice's POV:
"So, you work for Cutler Beckett?" I asked Jack as he was at the helm. Aria had fallen asleep already, so the two of us were chatting. Jack stuck his tongue out in disgust for the man, "Unfortunately, but probably not much longer," he sighed.
"I know what you mean Jack, he's a horrid man! My father wanted to marry me off to him." Jack looked surprised,
"Really?" I nodded. "Ugh. Would you have accepted?" I chuckled darkly,
"No, of course not, but my father would've forced me to." Jack looked up in thought, perhaps thinking of his own father.
"That is horrible," Jack finally replied, tying off the helm with a rope.
"I know, I never liked him much." Jack walked towards me and put a hand on my back. I winced, that was where Lord Ashwood had whipped me. Jack pulled his hand back immediately, a look of worry on his face, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I replied, my voice a little too high. Jack raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He turned and walked towards the figurehead, me slowly following. "Jack?"
"Hm?" he turned to face me.
"What would happen if Beckett finds you?" Jack sighed and put an arm around my waist, gently,
"Nothing. He won't find us Alice. You know why?"
"Why Jack?"
"Because," he stuck up his pointer finger, in an example, "He will not be able to catch us! This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean." I smiled,
"Really?" He nodded. I laid my head back against his chest, looking up at the stars.
"Look Alice," Jack pointed at something. "That's Cassiopeia." I looked up at where he was pointing,
"It's beautiful!" He grinned,
"I know." I looked up into his eyes, the stars reflected in their depth.
"They're wonderful," I whispered, "Thank you Jack." Jack nodded,
"Welcome."
Xx
"Miss Kingsley!" I was snapped out of my sweet memories, with a loud yell.
"Hm? What?" I mumbled, turning around. Jack was giving me a funny, unreadable expression. I saw that it was Norrington who had yelled at me. "What do you want?" I asked, in quite a hostile manner.
"I need to speak with you," he turned and walked down from the helm. I followed. What did he want with me? When I reached the deck, I saw Elizabeth staring off at nothing. She looked at me with something like interest. Whatever. James motioned for me to go into the captain's quarters. He locked the door behind him. "Well, what is it Commodore?" I sighed. Did I really have to do this? Norrington looked saddened. Wait...saddened?
"Alice, you can still call me James, you know."
"Oh, can I?" I replied sarcastically.
"Please Alice, don't be hostile, we're still friends."
"No we're not," I stated shortly, "You are going to hang me and Jack when we get back to Port Royal." He sighed,
"You shouldn't have become a pirate."
"It wasn't my choice!" Why couldn't he understand?
"Alice, you're going to be...hung, please, if you tell me where Aria is, Elizabeth and I can take care of her." I glared at him,
"James, you've got to let that go." He started to speak but I interrupted, "You can't take care of her." My voice wavered and I looked back at the ground. James grabbed my shoulders, "Alice! You must be reasonable! You are going to die!" I sighed,
"I know James, stop reminding me." I shook him off and pushed passed him, storming back up to the helm.
"I'm sorry Alice," James whispered to himself.
Sorry that it's a short chapter. BUT! If I get at least 5 reviews, I'll update tomorrow! ;) But it's completely up to you!
~~Upisdowngirl~~