As we pulled sailed into Shipwreck Cove, I looked around in amazement. This was magnificent.
"Captain," Tai called to me and I turned around. "Here are your weapons."
"Thank you." I took off the excess of the outfit I was put in and wrapped the affects around me. We weighed anchor and went to the shore. It was like an escalated version of Tortuga. Pirates were everywhere, drinking, gambling, and catching up. I had Lizzie, Tai Huang, and two crewmembers join us for the Brethren Court, everyone else was free to roam. I walked through the crowds the tallest building in the center. Pirates did everything in style and they weren't going to stop now. There were two men guarding the entrance. Tai said a few words to them and we were allowed entrance.
"You always know what to say." I told him, thinking back to when he led us to see Sao Feng the first time.
"It's my job, Captain." He continued to walk beside me.
"I think they've started." Lizzie spoke up and we listened as we made our way through the broken ships.
"Might I point out that we are still short one pirate lord and I'm as content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us." I heard Jack's voice as we walked in.
"Sao Feng is dead." I made the announcement, making everyone's head turn to us. "He fell to the Flying Dutchman." There was uproar at the news. Tai pointed out a globe with swords stabbed into it. I pulled out my sword and added to it.
"He made you captain?" Jack looked at me in surprise. "You won't accept any title less than that will you?" He asked and I gave him a look and walked up to the table next to Barbossa.
"Hart," Barbossa nodded to me in acknowledgement and I returned it before turning to the crowd.
"Listen to me!" I shouted over the crowd and they quieted down. "Our location has been compromised and Davy Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett. They are on their way here."
"Who is this betrayer?" A large man stood with his crew behind him.
"Not likely anyone among us." Barbossa tried to keep everyone calm.
"Where's will?" Lizzie suddenly asked from beside me. I looked around, noticing his absence as well.
"Not among us." Jack looked at us pointedly.
"And this makes it harder to forgive him." I mumbled under my breath.
"It matters not how they found us." Barbossa went on. "The question is: What will we do now that they have?"
"We'll have to fight." I looked around at them. They all erupted in laughter. Was this not the obvious answer?
"Shipwreck Cove is a fortress." A Chinese woman with a white painted face spoke up. "A well supplied fortress. There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us." She stood and pointed this out. Everyone seemed to agree with her.
"There be a third course." Barbossa drawled out, catching everyone's attention with his theatrics as he walked around. "In another age, the First Brethren Court captured the sea goddess and bound her in her bones." Everyone nodded in agreement but I rolled my eyes. He wasn't giving up on this. He looked around at us all. "That was a mistake. Oh, we tamed the seas for ourselves, aye. But opened the door to Beckett and his ilk. Better were the days when mastery of the seas came not from bargains struck with eldritch creatures, but from the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone. You all know this to be true." Chatter swept the room. "Gentlemen," Barossa came back to his original spot and looked between the woman who spoke before and I. "Ladies, we must free Calypso." The room was silent before it erupted.
"Shoot him!"
"Cut out his tongue!" People were shouting the most grotesque things.
"Shoot him and cut out his tongue then shoot his tongue. And trim that scraggly beard." Jack suggested.
"Sao Feng would have agreed with Barbossa." Tai spoke up from beside me.
"Calypso was our enemy then, she will be our enemy now." The large man stood. A man with a white wig and a French accent also stood in agreement.
"It's unlikely her mood's improved." The French man said.
"I would still agree with Sao Feng. We release Calypso." A small gruff man put his gun on the table. The French man went to him.
"You threaten me."
"I silence you." The small man barely finished the sentence before getting punched, making his gun go off. Suddenly we were watching a brawl. I sighed deeply. What was I expecting? These were pirates.
"This is madness." Lizzie looked on in disbelief.
"This is politics." Jack added in clarification.
"This is ineffective." I crossed my arms and looked at the lot of them. "In the meantime Beckett will be here soon."
"If he not be here already." Barbossa didn't help at all.
"Give me your gun." I held out my hand to Barbossa. He scoffed at me but gave it to me anyway. I aimed at the sky and shot, getting the attention of the room.
"Sit down!" I yelled at everyone. It took a moment but everyone slid in their seats. "Clearly we are going to kill each other if we stay here, abundance of resources or not." I looked at the woman. "Calypso is going to be enraged if we release and probably won't thank us for getting her out of the bind that we put her in." I looked to Barbossa and the small gruff man. "We have to fight."
"Who are you?" The Frenchman suddenly spoke up. I was slightly taken aback by the question and others began to ask the same.
"Captain Baily Hart." I told them and this only led to more murmurs and chatter. Gibbs made his way over to us.
"Nice to see you, lass." He leaned down to me, "I think it's good to let you know that rumors about you haven't stopped spreading." He told me quietly.
"As in Black Heart?" The small gruff man stood and asked. The room waited for my answer. I looked around at the most ferocious pirates who had heard all kinds of things about me. The woman from before smirked at me, hopefully somewhat impressed.
"Is there another?" I asked, playing into the persona. Though part of me wondered if I had to play into anything. I was a pirate lord now. The room buzzed with talk once again.
"They've heard of you." Lizzie nudged me, trying to restrain her smile.
"Let's hope that's a good thing." I whispered back.
"I think it is." She nodded to the accompanying crewmembers that were moving to get a better look at the woman with a black heart. I glanced at Tai who was suddenly standing straighter next to me.
"She's the one." Jack spoke up. "Sharp as a tack that one," He began to walk around. "She didn't forget about our dear friends the cuttlefish."
"I really hope this is going somewhere." I told Lizzie quietly.
"Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends, the cuttlefish. Flipping glorious little sausages. Pen them together, they'll devour each other without a second thought." Jack stopped behind the painted woman's chair and placed his hands on her shoulders. The two men beside her instinctively went for their weapons but this didn't deter Jack. "Human nature, isn't it? Or fish nature." He asked her guards.
"So, yes we could hole up here well provisioned and well armed. Half of us would be dead within the month as Black Heart said. Which seems quite grim to me, any way you slice it. Or… as my learned colleague so naively suggested, we can release Calypso, and we can pray that she will be merciful." He moved on down the table. "I rather doubt it. Can we in fact pretend that she is anything more than a woman scorned like which fury hell hath no? We cannot." He moved along until he was at the end. "Res ipsa loquitur, tabula in naufragio. We are left with one option. I agree with, and I am honored to say it, Captain Black Heart." He pointed to me. "We must fight."
"Thank you for that long winded agreement." I smirked at him.
"You've always run away from a fight!" Barbossa yelled at him.
"Have not!" Jack quickly became defensive.
"Have so!"
"Have not!"
"Have so!"
"Have not!'
"You have and you know it!." Barbossa yelled at Jack whom I hoped would end this.
"Have not Slander and calumny." He got in the last word. "I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit that here now that is what we all must do. We must fight," He jabbed a finger behind him, "To run away."
"Aye!" Gibbs shouted from beside me causing others to agree.
"As per the Code, an act of war, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the pirate king." Barbossa told everyone. It sounded as if they were just making up rules now.
"You made that up." Jack accused him.
"Did I now?" Barbossa gave him a knowing look. "I call on Captain Teague, Keeper of the Code."
"Sri Sumbhajee proclaims this to be folly!" A short man with a long gray beard spoke dramatically for his pirate lord, slamming his hand on the table. "Hang the code. Who cares," A shot rang out before he finished and he fell back. I looked around for the source to see a man with dreads similar to Jack's, a red coat, and a smoking gun.
"Code is the law." His voice was deep and no nonsense. Everyone sat slowly except Jack who was making a face of apprehension. I looked on curiously. Captain Teague walked over coolly.
"You're in my way boy." He told Jack and the captain didn't hesitate to move. Side by side they looked amazingly similar. Teague got to the end of the table and motioned over his shoulder for a very large book to be brought in by two very old men. The men admittedly didn't look like they belonged around a bunch of pirates.
"It's the code/ set forth by Morgan and Bartholomew." Gibbs explained.
"Ah," I nodded and watched on. Teague whistles and the white dog I'd seen in Port Royal came forward with a set of keys. Pintel and Ragetti spluttered in disbelief.
"Sea turtles mate." Was all Teague offered in explanation. I crossed my arms. It was unbelievable. Teague glanced over at me while he opened the book.
"Not impressed, Captain Hart?" He asked me. Jack looked up from his place.
"Quite the opposite." I promised as the large book was opened to the right page. Teague's fingers scanned the page then stopped on a few scrawled words.
"Barbossa is right." Teague ended the conversation with three words.
"Hang on." Jack pushed forward and leaned in to read what was on the page. After a few mumbles he looked up. "Fancy that."
"There has not been a king since the First Court and that's not likely to change." The French captain observed.
"Not likely." Teague agreed then walked away. His job was done.
"Why is it not likely?" I turned to Gibbs.
"See, the pirate king is elected by popular vote." He began.
"And each pirate only every votes for hisself." Barbossa finished.
"Or herself." I added, giving him a look.
"Yes, or herself." Barbossa added.
"I call for a vote." Jack said anyways, raising chatter. Teague began to play in the background.
"Any suggestions?" I asked Gibbs. Maybe it would be good to actually elect someone.
"I suggest Captain Hart." He told me with a chuckle.
"Will do." I returned the smile. Everyone began to vote for themselves but at least I got to learn everyone's names. There was Ammand the Corsair, the French man was Capitaine Chevalle the penniless Frenchman, Sri Sumbhajee with the wonderful beard and mustache, the lovely woman was Mistress Ching, the large man was Gentleman Jocard, and the small gruff man was Vallenueva. I had to admit that it was absolutely amazing how we all managed to at least come together this much from all over the world.
"Captain Hart." I put in my vote.
"Barbossa." Hector put in his vote. It all came down to Jack.
"Captain Black Heart." He looked at me pointedly.
"Excuse me?" I gapped at him.
"I know, curious isn't it?" Jack was up to something. There was once again uproar while I looked across the table and shook my head at him.
"No." I mouthed to him but he only nodded.
"Am I to understand that you lot will not be keeping to the Code then?" He asked, particularly to me. Teague broke a string on the guitar, making everyone sit except for Mistress Ching.
"Very well," She looked to me, "What say you, Captain Hart, King of the Brethren Court?" I nearly gapped at the sound of my name said in such a way.
"Our enemies will be here soon so we must prepare every vessel, every resource we have. At dawn we will go to war." I gave my orders, earning a nod of approval from Jack. Sri Sumbhajee stood, speaking for the first time.
"And so, we shall go to war." His voice was very high pitched but no one seemed to mind as they began to cheer. The members of the Pearl crowded Lizzie and I.
"I wouldn't expect anything less, lass." Gibbs squeezed my shoulder.
"Thank you Mr. Gibbs, you flatter me." I wanted to reach out and hug him. Barbossa nodded to Pintel and Ragetti who took away the pan of the nine pieces of eight. The crew began to leave but I told Lizzie to go along and that I would catch up later. I stopped Barbossa before he left.
"It's not a good idea." I told him, "Not for right now." Barbossa looked down at me.
"Are you going to order me not to, my highness?" He asked me, saying the last bit with some hostility.
"No." I reached into my pocket and pulled out Sao Feng's necklace. "I listened to you when you got me good and lost." I placed the necklace in his hand. "I trust that you're doing what you need to." He eyed me but pocketed the piece before walking off. I prayed that I had just done the right thing. Turning, I spied Jack conversing with Teague at the other end of the table.
"Captain, you have an offer to drink with the pirate lords." Tai Huang redirected my attention.
"I don't drink." I told him and he smiled.
"I don't think that is the objective of the offer." He clarified. I gave in and went to meet with the rest of the Brethren Court. There were a lot of questions, strategizing and gossip. I had to admit that the rumor mill among pirates was legendary. Names of pirates being tossed around in the same breath as elected officials who were corrupted. I was astonished to be in the middle of it. We all dispersed to get back to our ships and crews. Well some of us did while others joined the riled up crowds. I gave Tai Huang orders as I made my way to the door when none other than Captain Teague stopped me.
"She'll catch up." The raspy voice of Captain Teague approached us. Tai placed a hand on his gun.
"I will catch up." I promised and Tai dismissed himself with a nod.
"Congratulations, Captain Black Heart." Teague commended me.
"You don't need to call me that." I told him with a chuckle. "I'm sure most of what you've heard are just stories."
"There's truth to every tale." He motioned for me to follow him through the crowd and back to the table we were all just meeting. I wanted to doubt him but thought against. We entered the back room from where he first appeared. There were items everywhere, but most importantly the Code was sitting on a table, magnificently displayed.
"Is there something you would like to discuss with me?" I watched as he picked up two bottles.
"Have a drink, Captain." He handed one to me.
"I don't," I began but he placed it in my hands.
"It's water."
"Thank you." I took it gingerly from him.
"The pirate lords have only met three times before this. They've only had one King," He began, picking up the keys to the code. "And one declaration of war. That doesn't mean everything has been peaceful or that we haven't needed it. The time has come where war is a last hope."
"I agree." I nodded. "Cutler Beckett is an evil man who needs to be stopped. We can't let him control the seas." Teague looked at me, seeming to take me in. "Do I pass?"
"Pass?" He resumed the task of unlocking the book and opening it with a heavy thud.
"You're looking at me as if to size me up. What do you think?" I stood straighter and puffed out my chest.
"I think that you assume the stories are just stories, but you seem a force to be reckoned with." He barely even looked at me as he flipped through the pages. I had never heard of myself spoken about in such a way. "Look at this." I came forward and found myself looking at a map of the world. The pictures were moving within the pages as if it were something Tia Dalma had laid hands on. There were dark clouds where storms were happening and tiny ships where pirates were sailing. I wondered if this is where the many charts we were after came from.
"How marvelous." I admired in awe.
"This is your territory, Madame." He moved out of the way so I could have a better look. There were the seven seas, the rumrunner islands, the pirate safe havens and free ports. It was everything.
"My word, piracy really is freedom isn't it?" I ran my hands over the pages.
"How does a woman raised to curse piracy become prepared to die for it?" He asked me. I was going to ask how he knew but I saved my breath. I figured he actually did know everything while I just claimed to.
"I have no idea." I answered honestly. "I wish I had more time to feel like a pirate before I have to begin to act like the King."
"Are you going to petition for a change in title?" Teague took a swig of what I could only assume to be rum.
"No. I quite like it. We're pirates; we don't have to behave by the rules of societal monarchs. The word will spread that the King is a mistress and not a master anyhow." I shrugged, happy to use the speculations to my advantage. I heard footsteps and turned to see Jack exiting a door that I could only assume went farther back into Teague's quarters. "Oh, hello."
"My King." He tipped his hat at me.
"What are you doing?" I looked him over curiously then looked to Teague who was also looking at Jack, but not at all in surprise that he was there.
"Nothing good." Teague chuckled and took another drink.
"Like father like son." I shook my head at them.
"I knew you were clever." Jack came over to us, looking at the code.
"You're too similar." I looked between them. From their appearance to the rum, they were clearly closely related.
"Watch out for this one." Teague told Jack, nodding to me.
"Always have." Jack smirked at me.
"I think it's time for me to take my leave." I said goodbye to Teague and I headed towards the ships, Jack in toe. We walked through the room where drinks were being passed around and crews were doting on pirate captains. It was truly a contest to see who was the most prestigious. Outside, people were moving cargo onto ships and adding extra ammunition.
"You're with Pearl still?" I asked Jack as we neared our ships.
"I am." He stole a gun from an open crate as we went. Pirates.
"Good." I smiled at him. "I want to see it before tomorrow. I miss her." I never thought I would say it about a ship but I did.
"She misses you, luv." He led me onto the grand ship when we got to the harbor and I walked on slowly. I skimmed my hand over the ledge and looked up the mass to the crow's nest.
"Lovely as ever." I looked around. It was quiet on the deck with only a few crewmembers walking about. I walked up to the helm and placed my hands on the wheel. Who knew what she would look like after tomorrow?
"You fit well there." Jack looked up at me from the main deck.
"No, you fit well here." I challenged him, walking down to meet him. "You worked so hard for this ship. I think she's worth it."
"Aye," He nodded. "She's magnificent."
"That's why she will lead tomorrow." I made the decision at that moment.
"Wouldn't have it any other way, luv. Fastest ship in the Caribbean." He sounded so full of admiration.
"With the best captain in the Spanish Maine." I couldn't help but give him the credit he deserved. Jack Sparrow had done many things that I didn't even think were possible. "Want to see my ship?"
"Absolutely." He nodded.
We walked onto the Empress got a good look around. It was a new ship and I wasn't very familiar with it. I ended my brief tour by letting Jack into my cabin.
"Are you going to keep it?" Jack sat on my bed.
"No, I told Tai Huang he could be captain when this is over." I took off the top layer of my outfit so I was in the simple black pants and shirt below.
"Giving away your title so easily?" Jack looked around the cabin.
"Well, a pirate I know may still be in need of a quartermaster." I walked over and straddled his lap.
"A pirate king and a quartermaster, rather daring."
"A woman can wear many hats." I placed my hands the sides of his face then pressed my lips against his. I was trying to be optimistic about the war but win or lose; it was possible that tomorrow could be our last day. Jack wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer.
"If the Brethren Court were to find out, they'd think I voted for you because I desire you." Jack chuckled when we were forced to breathe.
"Why did you vote for me?" I looked down at him curiously.
"You just want me to say good things about you." He said it as if he'd figured me out.
"I cannot say it isn't true." I smiled down at him.
"Alright. I voted for you because you are smart," He kissed my cheek, "diligent," he kissed the other, "and able." He finally gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. "You are also one of the most captivating creatures I've ever know and you charmed me with your ways."
"Don't be silly." I smacked his shoulder but he grabbed my hand and kissed it.
"I'm not. Even Beckett thinks so." He mentioned the one man I couldn't stand at the moment.
"What?" I took my hand from his.
"He mentioned you when I met with him." He shrugged. "He asked about you." Jack looked up at me expectantly.
"He's a lunatic." I stated simply. "Did you just talk about me during your meeting?"
"No," He began, "He offered me a deal to make sure the pirates here leave the protection of Shipwreck Cove and make themselves vulnerable to the Navy." My eyebrows furrowed at the news. "This, of course, would be in exchange for him not giving me over to Davy Jones once again. I took it."
"Jack, why would you do that?" I was confused as to why he was even telling me this, but I hoped there was a good reason.
"I knew we'd have to fight once the East India Trading Company started expanding their services and the free ports were shut down. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone." He looked at me, waiting for me to say something. I took a moment to think about what this meant for us. It was a desperate deal to make on Beckett's part to ensure that anyone could get this task done for certain. He did know absolutely nothing about the Brethren Court. Deal or not, we would have fought anyway.
"Pirate." I accused him with a small smile. "I think the betrayal of our whereabouts is much worse."
"Ah yes, our good friend William is still taking extremes to free his father." Jack rolled his eyes at the thought of it.
"A traitor among us." I closed my eyes with a groan. "What does he think he's doing? He has to choose between the heart and Elizabeth." I thought back to what Bootstrap told Lizzie said. Why didn't he come to me? I could've helped him.
"But if someone else, also qualified, were to take up the burden of the heart…" Jack brought me out of my thoughts.
"What are you talking about?" I took a moment to realize exactly what he was saying. "You can't stab the heart. You'd be ferrying souls for the rest of eternity." I grimaced at the idea if him ending up like Jones if he didn't do the job.
"But living forever on the seas. That's the dream, luv." He'd thought about this often. There were many things I wanted to say but decided against most of them. We were going to be fighting in only a few hours.
"Alright, say you'd only see land every ten years," I decided to consider this for more than a passing fancy. "Where would we visit first?"
"Visit?"
"Well I won't have an infinite amount of years, but I do want to visit lots of places. So, we'll pick three. That's thirty years worth. I say we consider Spain and India, not necessarily in that order." I would've continued but Jack raised a hand to my chin. He didn't say anything as he stroked my cheek with his thumb. "What?"
"Nothing," He dropped his hand, "I should get the Pearl in order." I lifted myself off of him and led him on deck.
"I'll fight for you if you'll fight for me." I extended my hand before he walked off. He grasped it in a firm shake.
"We have a deal."
I walked back to my cabin and let the door shut behind me before looking around. I was alone for the first time in what felt like ages. Walking over to a mirror in the corner, I took myself in. My hair was still short but was growing to reach my shoulders, my skin tanned from endless sailing and exposure to sun, and my eyes less naïve. I placed my hands on my face, ran a hand through my hair.
"King. You are the Pirate King." I told the woman in the mirror. "You have a ship and a crew and you are leading the pirate lords in battle tomorrow. You will do well. You have to."