Chapter 34: Our First Memory
She stood before a full-length mirror, examining herself from every angle to make sure everything was absolutely perfect. These last two weeks had seemed to fly by, and yet they had seemed as if they would never end. Seamstresses had been in and out for the past week until she finally got tired of their fussing and arguing and when the barest minimum of what she needed was complete, she told them to go away. Now she examined the beautiful gown and smiled. This was going to be a wonderful day.
********************************
Jack paced on the dock next to his ship, dressed and ready for the occasion. The clothes were very well-made, and he much appreciated that Arianne had thought to do something so nice for him. She had even bought him a new hat. He smiled and looked at it again. It was a big hat, with a long feather that had been dyed red to match the new scarf he had tied about his head.
Still smiling, now with utter excitement, he restrained himself from doing a dance of joy. He couldn't believe that his fondest wish was going to come true today!
********************************
"Arianne?" called Amara, "It's time for us to get into the carriage and leave, darling!"
She quickly tied off the end of her french braid and hurried down the stairs with unseemly haste, though she was very careful not to cause any damage to her dress. When she finally reached her mother, cheeks tinged red with excitement, Amara smiled fondly at her daughter.
"You look stunning, Arianne, and I'm so very happy that you are marrying for love." Amara kissed her daughter lightly on the cheek, and then hurried her out the door to the waiting carriage.
********************************
Elizabeth wasn't quite as happy as everyone else seemed to be that morning. She was sick--had been for the past few days--and feared that she was finally going to be slowed down by the gift God gave to women. Will suspected as well, and he was absolutely overjoyed that he might be a father. Even if it was Amos' child? Came the thought unbidden, but she shook it away, determined to be excited about the wedding of Jack Sparrow and Arianne the Golden Eagle, as she was now called.
No one quite knew how that name had come about, but somehow it seemed appropriate. Odd how a cheeky little bird was going to marry a bird of prey. Elizabeth found herself wondering if Jack's status was going to come in second to Arianne's.
Her reflection was interrupted when Will came in, fully dressed for the wedding. "Are you still sick, love?" he asked her with some concern. When she shook her head, he helped her out of her chair and twirled her around for a few dance steps until she laughingly told him that he was likely to make her sick if he kept spinning her around like this.
He immediately stopped and gravely inquired as to whether she was going to get dressed or attend the wedding nude. He broke out into a smile, then, saying it mattered not either way to him, though he feared he would have to duel several men to defend her honor. She laughed and pushed him out of the room before she proceeded to get dressed, asking that the corset not be pulled as tight today.
The maids smiled knowingly and complied.
********************************
As people started gathering at the end of the dock (the dock itself was to be the aisle), Jack grew very impatient. What if she didn't come? he asked himself, now worrying. His fortune had been entirely too good of late, and it would be just about right if the wedding he so dearly wished for didn't happen.
When the priest finally arrived, he gave Jack a look of absolute disgust, making him smile at a memory of impersonating a member of the clergy. That had been quite fun. He vaguely missed those days, but now, now perhaps it was time to move on to something besides pirating. His ship, of course, he would keep, he just wouldn't use it for pirating activities so much anymore. He and his crew (not to mention the former crew of the Black Pearl under Barbossa) had hoarded enough plunder to live richly for the rest of their days.
Perhaps they would only do occasional pirating. He indulged himself in a fantasy of traveling all over the world, his beautiful eagle by his side.
********************************
The priest stared at Jack with disgust still written all over his face, but when he saw Jack smiling tenderly, a little of the ice melted away. He was getting married, after all, and perhaps his view of the pirate had been wrong all along. For he truly did love Arianne.
********************************
When the carriage finally arrived, Jack found himself holding his breath and consciously let it out. As his soon-to-be wife stepped out of the carriage, all the air that was in him fled, and seemed to have no desire to return.
She was beautiful, more than beautiful. Her golden hair was pulled back into a french braid, the sun catching and reflecting off of it, making her seem to have a halo. Her dress was not what was "in fashion" with the nobility, but no one cared once they laid eyes upon her. It was a glorious gown dyed a blue deeper and more vibrant than any sapphire, her shoulders were bare and the sleeves were long with dagged ends that would cover her hands were it not for the calla lilies she held. Her bodice was skin-tight, but she did not wear a corset. Never again would she be bound by the torture device. The skirt wasn't the fashionable full skirt with several petticoats that all the women wore, it seemed to flow from her hips to her feet, with a short train following.
As she walked down the "aisle," the skirt flowed like water about her legs, and Jack struggled to regain control of his lungs. He couldn't believe how incredibly gorgeous she was, nor could he believe that she was walking towards him with love radiating from her very being.
Yes, he would make every sacrifice for her and it would not seem a sacrifice as much as the least he could do to make her happy.
********************************
She walked towards him, trembling slightly with excitement and nervousness. He wore the new clothes she had arranged for him, and he looked absolutely dashing in them. His hair was freshly braided and decorated, and he wore the hat she had given him as well. Her smile grew slightly wider when she remembered his gleeful reaction to the new hat.
The walk down the aisle seemed to take ages, but when she was finally by his side, all nervousness disappeared. This rang true in her soul.
"Dearly beloved..." the priest began.
********************************
Will watched Arianne walk towards Jack and knew then how he had fallen for her. She was so beautiful, and her very personality seemed to glow through her skin, making her absolutely radiant. He would be shocked indeed if many men did not fall in love with her this day. He looked down at Elizabeth and squeezed her hand lightly. She looked up at him and smiled, and he knew that she did not doubt his now unwavering love for her.
********************************
"I swear to love you, Arianne, unconditionally and eternally. I swear that I will never stray from you, that I will be with you always, as you so richly deserve," Jack vowed, his face very solemn as he slid the plain but beautiful silver band on her heart finger. He meant this with the whole of his being.
"I swear to love you, Jack, unconditionally and eternally," she began, returning the vows. "I swear that I will never stray from you, that I will be with you always, even unto death." She slid a band matching her own onto his finger.
The priest stared at them with growing happiness. This was a union that would withstand all trials of time. Never yet had he had the privilege to witness such a union, and that he was able to do so before he passed into his Lord's hands was a great gift.
"I now pronounce you man and wife," he said, almost too softly to be heard, tears rimming his eyes. "You may kiss the bride."
********************************
"Aww, but Mama! That can't be all!"
"It isn't all, child, but it is all you are going to hear this night," she replied to her daughter.
"But I want to know what happened after that!" Reanna pleaded, sitting up in her bed with the covers tangled around her legs.
"Go to sleep now, love, and I may tell you another one tomorrow night," Arianne said, smiling.
"Alright, Mama, good night. I love you." The little girl laid down, then, allowing herself to be tucked in, and closed her eyes, almost immediately asleep.
"I love you too, little Rea," she said softly, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead.
"Wonderful story you told there, love," Jack said, folding her in his arms when she carefully closed the door to Reanna's room.
She smiled up at her wonderful husband and kissed him lightly on the lips. "It's our first memory, Jack, and it means very much to me."
"Ah, but you're wrong there," he replied mischievously, tickling her neck with his beard. "Have you so soon forgotten how we met in the first place?"
"No," she replied, laughing softly. "But I didn't think that a very appropriate story to tell our eight-year-old daughter, either."
He smiled gently down at her. The years hadn't aged him a bit, nor had she seemed to change either. Maybe tomorrow night she would tell Reanna of how she and Jack had found the Fountain of Youth...
************************************************************************ *Sniffle* I so enjoyed writing this chapter, though it means that this story has come to a close. I didn't think I would be so emotional about this chapter, but it really tugged at me and now I'm almost crying, so I'll bring this last note to a close. Thank you all so much for reading this, your support has meant so very much to me, and I could not have finished this without you all! Thank you!
And, in regard to the 166th review, thank you so much for your insulting review. I'm going to answer your questions now: YES, I have seen the movie, I liked it very much, and if you had even bothered to read the rest of this story you would find some very interesting things happen. And I believe you meant to say "WILL and Elizabeth are madly in love," rather than "Jack and Elizabeth are madly in love," as you had said shortly before that Jack and Ana Maria are destined to be together. This is a FAN FICTION, which means that you can write things DIFFERENTLY if you so choose, and you shouldn't bitch people out just because they didn't write it your way.
And, as to the "cocksucker" reference...can't you come up with a more creative way to insult me than that? Honestly, it gets old hearing the same old things over and over again.
She stood before a full-length mirror, examining herself from every angle to make sure everything was absolutely perfect. These last two weeks had seemed to fly by, and yet they had seemed as if they would never end. Seamstresses had been in and out for the past week until she finally got tired of their fussing and arguing and when the barest minimum of what she needed was complete, she told them to go away. Now she examined the beautiful gown and smiled. This was going to be a wonderful day.
********************************
Jack paced on the dock next to his ship, dressed and ready for the occasion. The clothes were very well-made, and he much appreciated that Arianne had thought to do something so nice for him. She had even bought him a new hat. He smiled and looked at it again. It was a big hat, with a long feather that had been dyed red to match the new scarf he had tied about his head.
Still smiling, now with utter excitement, he restrained himself from doing a dance of joy. He couldn't believe that his fondest wish was going to come true today!
********************************
"Arianne?" called Amara, "It's time for us to get into the carriage and leave, darling!"
She quickly tied off the end of her french braid and hurried down the stairs with unseemly haste, though she was very careful not to cause any damage to her dress. When she finally reached her mother, cheeks tinged red with excitement, Amara smiled fondly at her daughter.
"You look stunning, Arianne, and I'm so very happy that you are marrying for love." Amara kissed her daughter lightly on the cheek, and then hurried her out the door to the waiting carriage.
********************************
Elizabeth wasn't quite as happy as everyone else seemed to be that morning. She was sick--had been for the past few days--and feared that she was finally going to be slowed down by the gift God gave to women. Will suspected as well, and he was absolutely overjoyed that he might be a father. Even if it was Amos' child? Came the thought unbidden, but she shook it away, determined to be excited about the wedding of Jack Sparrow and Arianne the Golden Eagle, as she was now called.
No one quite knew how that name had come about, but somehow it seemed appropriate. Odd how a cheeky little bird was going to marry a bird of prey. Elizabeth found herself wondering if Jack's status was going to come in second to Arianne's.
Her reflection was interrupted when Will came in, fully dressed for the wedding. "Are you still sick, love?" he asked her with some concern. When she shook her head, he helped her out of her chair and twirled her around for a few dance steps until she laughingly told him that he was likely to make her sick if he kept spinning her around like this.
He immediately stopped and gravely inquired as to whether she was going to get dressed or attend the wedding nude. He broke out into a smile, then, saying it mattered not either way to him, though he feared he would have to duel several men to defend her honor. She laughed and pushed him out of the room before she proceeded to get dressed, asking that the corset not be pulled as tight today.
The maids smiled knowingly and complied.
********************************
As people started gathering at the end of the dock (the dock itself was to be the aisle), Jack grew very impatient. What if she didn't come? he asked himself, now worrying. His fortune had been entirely too good of late, and it would be just about right if the wedding he so dearly wished for didn't happen.
When the priest finally arrived, he gave Jack a look of absolute disgust, making him smile at a memory of impersonating a member of the clergy. That had been quite fun. He vaguely missed those days, but now, now perhaps it was time to move on to something besides pirating. His ship, of course, he would keep, he just wouldn't use it for pirating activities so much anymore. He and his crew (not to mention the former crew of the Black Pearl under Barbossa) had hoarded enough plunder to live richly for the rest of their days.
Perhaps they would only do occasional pirating. He indulged himself in a fantasy of traveling all over the world, his beautiful eagle by his side.
********************************
The priest stared at Jack with disgust still written all over his face, but when he saw Jack smiling tenderly, a little of the ice melted away. He was getting married, after all, and perhaps his view of the pirate had been wrong all along. For he truly did love Arianne.
********************************
When the carriage finally arrived, Jack found himself holding his breath and consciously let it out. As his soon-to-be wife stepped out of the carriage, all the air that was in him fled, and seemed to have no desire to return.
She was beautiful, more than beautiful. Her golden hair was pulled back into a french braid, the sun catching and reflecting off of it, making her seem to have a halo. Her dress was not what was "in fashion" with the nobility, but no one cared once they laid eyes upon her. It was a glorious gown dyed a blue deeper and more vibrant than any sapphire, her shoulders were bare and the sleeves were long with dagged ends that would cover her hands were it not for the calla lilies she held. Her bodice was skin-tight, but she did not wear a corset. Never again would she be bound by the torture device. The skirt wasn't the fashionable full skirt with several petticoats that all the women wore, it seemed to flow from her hips to her feet, with a short train following.
As she walked down the "aisle," the skirt flowed like water about her legs, and Jack struggled to regain control of his lungs. He couldn't believe how incredibly gorgeous she was, nor could he believe that she was walking towards him with love radiating from her very being.
Yes, he would make every sacrifice for her and it would not seem a sacrifice as much as the least he could do to make her happy.
********************************
She walked towards him, trembling slightly with excitement and nervousness. He wore the new clothes she had arranged for him, and he looked absolutely dashing in them. His hair was freshly braided and decorated, and he wore the hat she had given him as well. Her smile grew slightly wider when she remembered his gleeful reaction to the new hat.
The walk down the aisle seemed to take ages, but when she was finally by his side, all nervousness disappeared. This rang true in her soul.
"Dearly beloved..." the priest began.
********************************
Will watched Arianne walk towards Jack and knew then how he had fallen for her. She was so beautiful, and her very personality seemed to glow through her skin, making her absolutely radiant. He would be shocked indeed if many men did not fall in love with her this day. He looked down at Elizabeth and squeezed her hand lightly. She looked up at him and smiled, and he knew that she did not doubt his now unwavering love for her.
********************************
"I swear to love you, Arianne, unconditionally and eternally. I swear that I will never stray from you, that I will be with you always, as you so richly deserve," Jack vowed, his face very solemn as he slid the plain but beautiful silver band on her heart finger. He meant this with the whole of his being.
"I swear to love you, Jack, unconditionally and eternally," she began, returning the vows. "I swear that I will never stray from you, that I will be with you always, even unto death." She slid a band matching her own onto his finger.
The priest stared at them with growing happiness. This was a union that would withstand all trials of time. Never yet had he had the privilege to witness such a union, and that he was able to do so before he passed into his Lord's hands was a great gift.
"I now pronounce you man and wife," he said, almost too softly to be heard, tears rimming his eyes. "You may kiss the bride."
********************************
"Aww, but Mama! That can't be all!"
"It isn't all, child, but it is all you are going to hear this night," she replied to her daughter.
"But I want to know what happened after that!" Reanna pleaded, sitting up in her bed with the covers tangled around her legs.
"Go to sleep now, love, and I may tell you another one tomorrow night," Arianne said, smiling.
"Alright, Mama, good night. I love you." The little girl laid down, then, allowing herself to be tucked in, and closed her eyes, almost immediately asleep.
"I love you too, little Rea," she said softly, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead.
"Wonderful story you told there, love," Jack said, folding her in his arms when she carefully closed the door to Reanna's room.
She smiled up at her wonderful husband and kissed him lightly on the lips. "It's our first memory, Jack, and it means very much to me."
"Ah, but you're wrong there," he replied mischievously, tickling her neck with his beard. "Have you so soon forgotten how we met in the first place?"
"No," she replied, laughing softly. "But I didn't think that a very appropriate story to tell our eight-year-old daughter, either."
He smiled gently down at her. The years hadn't aged him a bit, nor had she seemed to change either. Maybe tomorrow night she would tell Reanna of how she and Jack had found the Fountain of Youth...
************************************************************************ *Sniffle* I so enjoyed writing this chapter, though it means that this story has come to a close. I didn't think I would be so emotional about this chapter, but it really tugged at me and now I'm almost crying, so I'll bring this last note to a close. Thank you all so much for reading this, your support has meant so very much to me, and I could not have finished this without you all! Thank you!
And, in regard to the 166th review, thank you so much for your insulting review. I'm going to answer your questions now: YES, I have seen the movie, I liked it very much, and if you had even bothered to read the rest of this story you would find some very interesting things happen. And I believe you meant to say "WILL and Elizabeth are madly in love," rather than "Jack and Elizabeth are madly in love," as you had said shortly before that Jack and Ana Maria are destined to be together. This is a FAN FICTION, which means that you can write things DIFFERENTLY if you so choose, and you shouldn't bitch people out just because they didn't write it your way.
And, as to the "cocksucker" reference...can't you come up with a more creative way to insult me than that? Honestly, it gets old hearing the same old things over and over again.