DISCLAIMER: We don't own PotC. No we don't.
Will Turner stood at the door, welcoming guests as they entered. Some were personal friends of his, but most were high-ranking acquaintances of the governor – always polite, of course, but still unable to completely hide their surprise at being welcomed by someone who was, until recently, a mere blacksmith. But, he tried not to take any of it personally; they could not help the small, unintentional slighting they did without thought.
On the other side of the room stood Elizabeth – he could see her clearly by turning his head only a few inches. She looked especially beautiful, he thought, surrounded by the ladies that were drawn to her like moths to a flame nearly as soon as they stepped in the door. Their talk was lively, even bound to the rules of social etiquette as they were; Elizabeth, at least, had thrown away her demure façade after the adventure that had truly brought them together in the first place.
So absorbed was he in watching her, he was completely unaware that more guests had arrived until one cleared his throat loudly. Apologizing, Will turned back to the door – and laughed in pleasure at the new arrival.
"Jack! It's wonderful to see you!"
But Jack looked behind him, drawing someone else forward, and, for the first time, Will saw that he was accompanied by a woman of about Elizabeth's age, perhaps a year or two older. She had fair features and her hair hung straight and smooth down her shoulders, a direct contrast to most of the other woman at the party, whose hair were piled delicately atop their heads, adorned with ribbons and curls. Her eyes - which were a shade of honey-gold - looked everywhere, save at him. There was a spark of something familiar in those eyes, but Will couldn't remember what it was that made it so, and continued to study her.
Hanging close to Jack as though she might lose him if he moved too far away, she nervously clutched at her satiny blue skirts, obviously not used to them..............so what WAS she used to?
"Will, this is the new crew member I told you about yesterday." Jack said, apparently taking it upon himself to do introductions. "Ryenne Caelar."
Crew member? The girl looked far too small and finely-built to be of any use to a pirate crew. Where had Jack found her? And, more importantly, what was her duty? Telling himself that appearances could be deceiving, he nodded slightly, sticking out his hand.
"Will Turner."
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Ryenne's head shot up, her eyes widening in shock, and she was unable to keep a hand from flying to her mouth in surprise. "You!?" she asked incredulously, all fear suddenly evaporating.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing: after nearly 13 years............how could it be possible? It couldn't be...............but there he was, that oh-so-familiar bemused look in his honest brown eyes – the only feature she still recognized. No longer the rough-looking, scrawny boy of her childhood, he was lean and muscular, his dark hair pulled back in a neat ponytail and his fine, well-fitted clothing easily defining his current social status. Had they not been introduced, she would not have recognized him.
Will's eyes shone with curiosity and puzzlement, an apologetic smile spreading across his face. "Have we met before?"
After a long moment of studying him, his bewildered expression finally sunk in, and she realized he'd asked her a question. Had they met? They'd more than just MET; they'd been best friends for 6 years! So, he didn't recognize her? She supposed that was to be expected; she HAD changed drastically since the last time he'd seen her. But if he didn't know who she was, she certainly wasn't going to tell him.
"Oh........no." she replied slowly, as though taking a closer look at him and reconsidering her outburst, a (not-so-fake) look of badly-concealed embarrassment on her face. "I'm terribly sorry; I must've mistaken you for someone else............"
He nodded politely and she noticed that he was still waiting to shake her hand. Laughing nervously, she offered it, blushing slightly when he brought her gloved fingers to his lips. His eyes never left her; measuring her up, silently speculating how he'd known her.
"Are you sure we haven't met? You seem somewhat familiar."
"Quite sure." She said, almost too quickly, a sheepish grin forming on her own face. She wasn't entirely certain why, but she didn't want him to remember her, didn't want to have to tell him what she'd gone through all these years, didn't want to know if he still desired her friendship – if he'd missed her, the way she'd missed him, ever since she was young............
He still didn't look entirely convinced, but – this time – held silent. Jack, whom she'd forgotten was there, gave her hand a reassuring squeeze (he obviously thought she was still consumed with nerves) and cleared his throat ostentatiously.
"Well, we'd better go pay our respects to the hostess, then." He said, with the air of a child being sent off to do studies, but Ryenne caught the outrageous wink he threw at Will.
Laughing good-naturedly, Will clapped him on the shoulder, an eager – and, somehow, relieved – expression on his face. It was apparent that he'd been searching for an excuse to leave his post for quite some time. "I'll join you."
.
The hostess, it turned out, was only a girl no older than Ryenne herself – twenty, perhaps twenty one – who was surrounded by a crowd of other young ladies, all with fawning smiles on their faces. She had a kind, comfortable look about her that Ryenne couldn't help but like, and was, no doubt, the reason she seemed to be so adored. Smiling over the rim of her wineglass, her eyes lit up when she saw them approaching, and she said something, causing the crowd around her to part and scatter.
"It's good to see you again, Jack." She said warmly, embracing him and planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. "And who is this you've got with you?" she turned to Ryenne, a pleasant smile gracing her features.
Ryenne could feel Jack's arm snaking around her waist as he replied, and her heart fluttered fretfully; what sort of impression was he trying to give them? Or did he really think she was THAT nervous?
"This is Ryenne Caelar, the new crewman I spoke of the other day." So, he'd been talking about her, eh? What exactly had he said? Turning to her, he gestured to the young woman. "Ryenne, this is Will's wife, Elizabeth."
She froze in shock, almost unable to keep her mouth from dropping open. Will's WIFE!? He was MARRIED!? As if to punctuate the statement, Will crossed to Elizabeth and kissed her lightly, causing Ryenne to flush in anger and surprise. Aware that her anger was unjustified, and – at the moment – unexplainable, even to herself, she lowered her eyes, coughing awkwardly.
"Will, not in front of Jack's guest!" Elizabeth chided, pulling away with a small frown, though it was obvious she wasn't upset in the least. Taking a small sip of her wine, she looped her arm through his and turned to Jack, looking business-like. "Well, you DID mention a new crew member yesterday, but I don't recall you mentioning that your new crew member was a woman."
So, he hadn't really spoken of her at all; at least, not in a very specific sense. She was, in any case, getting increasingly more curious as to what he'd said..............
"Well, I........." Jack spluttered, sounding very undignified. "I..............wanted to surprise you."
What?
"You certainly did." Will replied, looking somewhat amused. Ryenne wished they would stop discussing her as if she weren't there, or were some sort of ignorant sort of thing that was incapable of intelligent speech...........like a rock.............or..........something.
As though reading her mind, Elizabeth suddenly turned, flashing that friendly smile once more. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Caelar." She laughed, not unkindly. "And pleased to see that Jack has a lady-friend."
Jack's hand abruptly dropped from her waist as they both rushed to deny the statement.
"I'm not – "
"She isn't – "
Elizabeth looked perplexed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you."
Glancing at Jack, Ryenne TRIED to smile, explaining. "No, there's no offense taken, it's only that.............well, Jack and I are NOT – "
"I understand." Elizabeth nodded, and Ryenne got the distinct feeling that she truly DID understand. "So, where did you come from, Miss Caelar?" she asked, changing the subject quickly.
"Oxford," Ryenne replied without thinking. "England."
"Really?" Will exclaimed, making her realize the huge mistake she'd made. "Maybe that's where I recognize you from. Did you know Lord and Lady Rutherford?"
Wishing she'd thought out her answer before speaking, she pretended to look ponderous and shook her head. "No; the name doesn't sound familiar."
He looked crestfallen. "Oh. Never mind, then."
She'd never felt so guilty for lying to someone in her entire life, and half her life had been BUILT upon lies. At the same time, she wanted nothing less than to reveal her old identity: she wasn't Carolyn Rutherford anymore, and hadn't been for nearly 6 years.
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Jack sighed, eyeing Elizabeth's wine covetously. The situation was far more uncomfortable than he'd anticipated, and now he wanted to have a quiet word with Ryenne to ask of her former connections to Will, though he knew she would reveal nothing. He was in dire need of a drink. When was anyone going to be decent enough to give him the opportunity to get drunk?
Throwing a sidelong glance at Ryenne, who was squirming with guilt, he self-consciously adjusted the lapels of his coat, trying to catch her eye. Paying him no heed, her gaze shifted from Will to Elizabeth, whom she eyes with a strange mixture of admiration and contempt – both badly masked. Elizabeth didn't seem to notice, however, chatting amiably about the weather, and asking a few trivial questions, to which Ryenne grudgingly replied. Perhaps the happy couple was falling for Ryenne's little game, but he was not.
Clearing his throat loudly, he caught her hand again, and – finally – her eyes. "Well, you can't let us keep you away from your other guests. I'm sure they desire your company as well."
Elizabeth nodded in agreement, but Will looked slightly injured. "You're sure you'll be alright?"
"Oh, yes. We can entertain ourselves for a while." Jack ignored Ryenne's suspicious glare, trying to contain a yelp of pain as she crushed his fingers.
"Come on, Will, dear." Elizabeth said, pointing to a rotund, balding man who had just entered the room. "Look, there's the chaplain!"
Throwing Jack one last mutinous look, Will nodded submissively, and they disappeared into the crowd.
"What're you up to?" Ryenne hissed, as soon as they were out of earshot, wrenching her hand away.
"What're you hiding?" he demanded, grabbing her shoulder and steering her towards the refreshment table. She tried to give the impression of being affronted, but only managed to look surprised and anxious.
"I'm not hiding anything!"
"Liar." Letting go of her arm, he picked up a glass of wine, which she quickly snatched away.
"Give me that."
Taking small, nervous sips, she turned and looked out over the room, obviously ill-at-ease. Rolling his eyes, Jack opted for the direct approach.
"How do you know Will?"
Her answer came too fast.
"I don't."
Pitching his voice low, Jack tried to reign his temper.
"Ryenne, lie to me once more, and when the Black Pearl sets sail again, it'll be short one crewmember."
Even from the side, he could see the conflicting emotions on her face, and how tightly her fingers were wrapped around the stem of the wineglass. Worried it would shatter, he was about to reach out and gently remove it from her hands, when she looked fiercely at him. When she spoke, her voice was harsh."
"Jack, did it ever occur to you that Ryenne Caelar was not the name given to me at birth?"
He didn't flinch at her gaze.
"Yes."
"You never asked me before." She said, raising an eyebrow. Jack folded his arms and leaned against the wall, eyes innocently wide. He was desperately relieved that her stormy anger seemed to have passed so quickly.
"I figured you would tell me when you were ready."
"Hmph," she grunted, setting down her glass and facing him fully. "Well, I'm certainly not eager to tell you, but I'm also less-than- enthusiastic at the thought of spending the rest of my days HERE." She paused for a moment, considering Jack knew what she wanted from him: a promise of absolute secrecy. But she would get none. Will was a good friend of his, and anything he needed to know, he would know, whether Ryenne liked it or not. Jack couldn't help it; pirate or no, some loyalties just came first.
His long silence seemed to convince her of something, for she gave a weary sigh and continued.
"D'you remember who Will asked if I knew?"
"A Lord and Lady Rutherford."
"Yes. Will's mother was a servant in their house; it's where he spent the first 9 years of his life, until he left forever when his mother died. To come here." Again she paused Jack was getting impatient – MUST she drag this out!? But, judging by her face, yes, she did have to. Drawing a deep breath, she came to what she had been building up the courage to say.
"My-my name, then, was Carolyn............Rutherford."
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Will Turner stood at the door, welcoming guests as they entered. Some were personal friends of his, but most were high-ranking acquaintances of the governor – always polite, of course, but still unable to completely hide their surprise at being welcomed by someone who was, until recently, a mere blacksmith. But, he tried not to take any of it personally; they could not help the small, unintentional slighting they did without thought.
On the other side of the room stood Elizabeth – he could see her clearly by turning his head only a few inches. She looked especially beautiful, he thought, surrounded by the ladies that were drawn to her like moths to a flame nearly as soon as they stepped in the door. Their talk was lively, even bound to the rules of social etiquette as they were; Elizabeth, at least, had thrown away her demure façade after the adventure that had truly brought them together in the first place.
So absorbed was he in watching her, he was completely unaware that more guests had arrived until one cleared his throat loudly. Apologizing, Will turned back to the door – and laughed in pleasure at the new arrival.
"Jack! It's wonderful to see you!"
But Jack looked behind him, drawing someone else forward, and, for the first time, Will saw that he was accompanied by a woman of about Elizabeth's age, perhaps a year or two older. She had fair features and her hair hung straight and smooth down her shoulders, a direct contrast to most of the other woman at the party, whose hair were piled delicately atop their heads, adorned with ribbons and curls. Her eyes - which were a shade of honey-gold - looked everywhere, save at him. There was a spark of something familiar in those eyes, but Will couldn't remember what it was that made it so, and continued to study her.
Hanging close to Jack as though she might lose him if he moved too far away, she nervously clutched at her satiny blue skirts, obviously not used to them..............so what WAS she used to?
"Will, this is the new crew member I told you about yesterday." Jack said, apparently taking it upon himself to do introductions. "Ryenne Caelar."
Crew member? The girl looked far too small and finely-built to be of any use to a pirate crew. Where had Jack found her? And, more importantly, what was her duty? Telling himself that appearances could be deceiving, he nodded slightly, sticking out his hand.
"Will Turner."
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Ryenne's head shot up, her eyes widening in shock, and she was unable to keep a hand from flying to her mouth in surprise. "You!?" she asked incredulously, all fear suddenly evaporating.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing: after nearly 13 years............how could it be possible? It couldn't be...............but there he was, that oh-so-familiar bemused look in his honest brown eyes – the only feature she still recognized. No longer the rough-looking, scrawny boy of her childhood, he was lean and muscular, his dark hair pulled back in a neat ponytail and his fine, well-fitted clothing easily defining his current social status. Had they not been introduced, she would not have recognized him.
Will's eyes shone with curiosity and puzzlement, an apologetic smile spreading across his face. "Have we met before?"
After a long moment of studying him, his bewildered expression finally sunk in, and she realized he'd asked her a question. Had they met? They'd more than just MET; they'd been best friends for 6 years! So, he didn't recognize her? She supposed that was to be expected; she HAD changed drastically since the last time he'd seen her. But if he didn't know who she was, she certainly wasn't going to tell him.
"Oh........no." she replied slowly, as though taking a closer look at him and reconsidering her outburst, a (not-so-fake) look of badly-concealed embarrassment on her face. "I'm terribly sorry; I must've mistaken you for someone else............"
He nodded politely and she noticed that he was still waiting to shake her hand. Laughing nervously, she offered it, blushing slightly when he brought her gloved fingers to his lips. His eyes never left her; measuring her up, silently speculating how he'd known her.
"Are you sure we haven't met? You seem somewhat familiar."
"Quite sure." She said, almost too quickly, a sheepish grin forming on her own face. She wasn't entirely certain why, but she didn't want him to remember her, didn't want to have to tell him what she'd gone through all these years, didn't want to know if he still desired her friendship – if he'd missed her, the way she'd missed him, ever since she was young............
He still didn't look entirely convinced, but – this time – held silent. Jack, whom she'd forgotten was there, gave her hand a reassuring squeeze (he obviously thought she was still consumed with nerves) and cleared his throat ostentatiously.
"Well, we'd better go pay our respects to the hostess, then." He said, with the air of a child being sent off to do studies, but Ryenne caught the outrageous wink he threw at Will.
Laughing good-naturedly, Will clapped him on the shoulder, an eager – and, somehow, relieved – expression on his face. It was apparent that he'd been searching for an excuse to leave his post for quite some time. "I'll join you."
.
The hostess, it turned out, was only a girl no older than Ryenne herself – twenty, perhaps twenty one – who was surrounded by a crowd of other young ladies, all with fawning smiles on their faces. She had a kind, comfortable look about her that Ryenne couldn't help but like, and was, no doubt, the reason she seemed to be so adored. Smiling over the rim of her wineglass, her eyes lit up when she saw them approaching, and she said something, causing the crowd around her to part and scatter.
"It's good to see you again, Jack." She said warmly, embracing him and planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. "And who is this you've got with you?" she turned to Ryenne, a pleasant smile gracing her features.
Ryenne could feel Jack's arm snaking around her waist as he replied, and her heart fluttered fretfully; what sort of impression was he trying to give them? Or did he really think she was THAT nervous?
"This is Ryenne Caelar, the new crewman I spoke of the other day." So, he'd been talking about her, eh? What exactly had he said? Turning to her, he gestured to the young woman. "Ryenne, this is Will's wife, Elizabeth."
She froze in shock, almost unable to keep her mouth from dropping open. Will's WIFE!? He was MARRIED!? As if to punctuate the statement, Will crossed to Elizabeth and kissed her lightly, causing Ryenne to flush in anger and surprise. Aware that her anger was unjustified, and – at the moment – unexplainable, even to herself, she lowered her eyes, coughing awkwardly.
"Will, not in front of Jack's guest!" Elizabeth chided, pulling away with a small frown, though it was obvious she wasn't upset in the least. Taking a small sip of her wine, she looped her arm through his and turned to Jack, looking business-like. "Well, you DID mention a new crew member yesterday, but I don't recall you mentioning that your new crew member was a woman."
So, he hadn't really spoken of her at all; at least, not in a very specific sense. She was, in any case, getting increasingly more curious as to what he'd said..............
"Well, I........." Jack spluttered, sounding very undignified. "I..............wanted to surprise you."
What?
"You certainly did." Will replied, looking somewhat amused. Ryenne wished they would stop discussing her as if she weren't there, or were some sort of ignorant sort of thing that was incapable of intelligent speech...........like a rock.............or..........something.
As though reading her mind, Elizabeth suddenly turned, flashing that friendly smile once more. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Caelar." She laughed, not unkindly. "And pleased to see that Jack has a lady-friend."
Jack's hand abruptly dropped from her waist as they both rushed to deny the statement.
"I'm not – "
"She isn't – "
Elizabeth looked perplexed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you."
Glancing at Jack, Ryenne TRIED to smile, explaining. "No, there's no offense taken, it's only that.............well, Jack and I are NOT – "
"I understand." Elizabeth nodded, and Ryenne got the distinct feeling that she truly DID understand. "So, where did you come from, Miss Caelar?" she asked, changing the subject quickly.
"Oxford," Ryenne replied without thinking. "England."
"Really?" Will exclaimed, making her realize the huge mistake she'd made. "Maybe that's where I recognize you from. Did you know Lord and Lady Rutherford?"
Wishing she'd thought out her answer before speaking, she pretended to look ponderous and shook her head. "No; the name doesn't sound familiar."
He looked crestfallen. "Oh. Never mind, then."
She'd never felt so guilty for lying to someone in her entire life, and half her life had been BUILT upon lies. At the same time, she wanted nothing less than to reveal her old identity: she wasn't Carolyn Rutherford anymore, and hadn't been for nearly 6 years.
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Jack sighed, eyeing Elizabeth's wine covetously. The situation was far more uncomfortable than he'd anticipated, and now he wanted to have a quiet word with Ryenne to ask of her former connections to Will, though he knew she would reveal nothing. He was in dire need of a drink. When was anyone going to be decent enough to give him the opportunity to get drunk?
Throwing a sidelong glance at Ryenne, who was squirming with guilt, he self-consciously adjusted the lapels of his coat, trying to catch her eye. Paying him no heed, her gaze shifted from Will to Elizabeth, whom she eyes with a strange mixture of admiration and contempt – both badly masked. Elizabeth didn't seem to notice, however, chatting amiably about the weather, and asking a few trivial questions, to which Ryenne grudgingly replied. Perhaps the happy couple was falling for Ryenne's little game, but he was not.
Clearing his throat loudly, he caught her hand again, and – finally – her eyes. "Well, you can't let us keep you away from your other guests. I'm sure they desire your company as well."
Elizabeth nodded in agreement, but Will looked slightly injured. "You're sure you'll be alright?"
"Oh, yes. We can entertain ourselves for a while." Jack ignored Ryenne's suspicious glare, trying to contain a yelp of pain as she crushed his fingers.
"Come on, Will, dear." Elizabeth said, pointing to a rotund, balding man who had just entered the room. "Look, there's the chaplain!"
Throwing Jack one last mutinous look, Will nodded submissively, and they disappeared into the crowd.
"What're you up to?" Ryenne hissed, as soon as they were out of earshot, wrenching her hand away.
"What're you hiding?" he demanded, grabbing her shoulder and steering her towards the refreshment table. She tried to give the impression of being affronted, but only managed to look surprised and anxious.
"I'm not hiding anything!"
"Liar." Letting go of her arm, he picked up a glass of wine, which she quickly snatched away.
"Give me that."
Taking small, nervous sips, she turned and looked out over the room, obviously ill-at-ease. Rolling his eyes, Jack opted for the direct approach.
"How do you know Will?"
Her answer came too fast.
"I don't."
Pitching his voice low, Jack tried to reign his temper.
"Ryenne, lie to me once more, and when the Black Pearl sets sail again, it'll be short one crewmember."
Even from the side, he could see the conflicting emotions on her face, and how tightly her fingers were wrapped around the stem of the wineglass. Worried it would shatter, he was about to reach out and gently remove it from her hands, when she looked fiercely at him. When she spoke, her voice was harsh."
"Jack, did it ever occur to you that Ryenne Caelar was not the name given to me at birth?"
He didn't flinch at her gaze.
"Yes."
"You never asked me before." She said, raising an eyebrow. Jack folded his arms and leaned against the wall, eyes innocently wide. He was desperately relieved that her stormy anger seemed to have passed so quickly.
"I figured you would tell me when you were ready."
"Hmph," she grunted, setting down her glass and facing him fully. "Well, I'm certainly not eager to tell you, but I'm also less-than- enthusiastic at the thought of spending the rest of my days HERE." She paused for a moment, considering Jack knew what she wanted from him: a promise of absolute secrecy. But she would get none. Will was a good friend of his, and anything he needed to know, he would know, whether Ryenne liked it or not. Jack couldn't help it; pirate or no, some loyalties just came first.
His long silence seemed to convince her of something, for she gave a weary sigh and continued.
"D'you remember who Will asked if I knew?"
"A Lord and Lady Rutherford."
"Yes. Will's mother was a servant in their house; it's where he spent the first 9 years of his life, until he left forever when his mother died. To come here." Again she paused Jack was getting impatient – MUST she drag this out!? But, judging by her face, yes, she did have to. Drawing a deep breath, she came to what she had been building up the courage to say.
"My-my name, then, was Carolyn............Rutherford."
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