Chapter Three: Port Royal
She put on the dress that her mother had brought to her this morning. It was a beautiful thing, deep emerald with trimming the color of fresh cream, but she hated wearing dresses. They were so restricting--in more ways than one, due to the corset. She stood in front of the mirror forlornly while Haramel--another of the elves that had come with her mother and father--fixed her hair. While Haramel generally preferred very intricate hairstyles that indicated certain things or events, Reanna had asked that her long mane simply be twisted up at the back of her neck with the long sticks that elvin women wore to keep their hair back.
Haramel complied, for the most part. Instead of twisting the shining black hair all in a knot, she let the ends hang free and curled them into spirals that hung near halfway down her back.
Reanna sighed. Going to Port Royal was such a bore. She had to look and act properly according to the unwritten code of etiquette followed by all of the useless fops and silly little twits. It really was unfair to her that she had to look like a proper lady when her mother had been gallivanting about the docks in men's clothing at her age.
Besides, Reanna thought as she shifted the corset so she could breathe a little better, her mother would probably prefer her to look as unattractive as possible, right? So why did she have to get all dressed up when it was her mother that wanted the attention anyway? Reanna certainly didn't like being ogled by the vapid and hormone-charged young men in the city. Sure, she felt the urges that most girls her age felt, but she was more self-disciplined than they were, and she was not--under ANY circumstances--looking to get married.
Maybe if she were to meet an intelligent young man she would consider going to Port Royal less boring, but there was very little chance of that. It didn't help that "Will the Third" had decided to take a fancy to her, either. He was the worst of all of them, trying to make conversation with her over silly things like the weather, as if she had nothing better to talk about. When she said anything intelligent, he stared at her blankly and then started asking her about who had tailored her dresses. It was intolerable!
Elizabeth Turner didn't at all like that her son was so infatuated with her--this was about the only thing they agreed on, as a matter of fact. Reanna avoided little William (as she liked to refer to him in her head) as often as she possibly could, and Elizabeth saved her (though Reanna doubted that Elizabeth looked at it that way...) from the torture of talking with him the whole time they were in Port Royal. One thing that really burned Reanna was how Elizabeth looked at her. The woman glared at her every time she came into sight like she was some whore bent on stealing her son and husband away.
Of course, Reanna knew about the relationship her mother had had with Elizabeth's husband. Her mother hadn't told her any details, but she knew from the way her mother talked about Will that they had had sexual relations. Elizabeth still rather disliked Arianne for that, as well.
It burned Elizabeth even more that Arianne was still as beautiful as she had been the day she married Jack Sparrow. Even though Will hadn't looked at Arianne in any way other than friendship ever since that day, Elizabeth still hated her and found any excuse to be out of the house when Arianne and Jack came for a visit--usually she took her son with her.
Her grandmother was the only thing that made the visits halfway interesting--well, the man her grandmother had married, anyway. Governor Swann was the most amusing man--aside from her father, and he was amusing in an entirely different way--that Reanna had ever met. He was such a bumbling old fool, and said some of the funniest things sometimes. Occasionally he would slip her a trinket to take home with her, and she took them only to make him happy. She had no use for the rings and bracelets he gave her, but when he gave her the old compass, she had kissed him on the cheek in her happiness.
He had blushed, and then it had been time to go.
"Reanna! Are you ready yet?" called her mother from downstairs.
"Yes, Mother," she called back half-heartedly. Another weekend of torture. When she came out of the house, her father gave her a smile and a wink behind her mother's back--their little signal that he would make it up to her. Taking a deep breath and drawing her shoulders back to stand up straight, she walked with dignity onto the ship.
Whatever her father was going to do to make up for this, she thought as she sat listening to little William ramble on about hunting, it had bloody well better be something huge. When she could finally stand no more, she asked, "So do you eat the animals you kill, then?"
William stared at her as if she were daft. "Of course not! My friends and I keep their pelts, we throw the rest away."
Ah, yes...spoken like the true sportsman, Reanna thought furiously, but refrained from saying something rash that would get her grounded. Thankfully--and she thanked every god she could think of, including the god of the humans--Elizabeth finally came in and stole William away.
When she was alone, she abandoned her ladylike posture and sat back in the chair, her legs splayed out. Rubbing her temples, she hummed the star song softly to herself to try and rid herself of the dreadful headache speaking with William always brought her. When it had finally receeded--to a point--she looked at the clock. Oh bloody hell, it was seven o'clock! She was supposed to have been at her grandmother's house an hour ago.
Mumbling curses under her breath, she stood up, shaking out her skirts and straightening her hair. She quietly left the manor the Turners owned and hurried up to the Governor's household.
"Damn, I think something bit me, love!" Jack exclaimed that afternoon as they walked through the city. Arianne looked at where he had been bitten and saw only the usual red mark left by a mosquito bite.
"Jack, you're fine, it's just a mosquito bite."
"It bloody well didn't feel like a mosquito!" he exclaimed.
Laughing, Arianne put her arm in his and they made their way through the streets of Port Royal.
Watching them through the crystal, Y'lorani frowned. This had the feel of importance, but she could not push past the feeling to the truth of the matter.
Time would tell.
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*Sings the Twilight Zone theme* ;) Rin- Thanks muchly for the compliment! Yes, I've heard of The Secret Window. I haven't seen it (and don't intend to until it comes out on video). What's your story going to be about? Is it a PotC fic, or a Secret Window fic about Johnny's character's kid? Shoot me an e-mail (the address I use most of the time is in my profile, but I won't be here all week, so it may take some time to get back to you). Also, if you haven't already done so it might be a good idea to read Arianne and The Fountain of Youth. They come before this story, and you'll understand a lot more that way...I know, that means more reading, but if you wish to understand my OCs better, that'd be the best way to do it! Not that I'm saying you HAVE to...because you don't!
She put on the dress that her mother had brought to her this morning. It was a beautiful thing, deep emerald with trimming the color of fresh cream, but she hated wearing dresses. They were so restricting--in more ways than one, due to the corset. She stood in front of the mirror forlornly while Haramel--another of the elves that had come with her mother and father--fixed her hair. While Haramel generally preferred very intricate hairstyles that indicated certain things or events, Reanna had asked that her long mane simply be twisted up at the back of her neck with the long sticks that elvin women wore to keep their hair back.
Haramel complied, for the most part. Instead of twisting the shining black hair all in a knot, she let the ends hang free and curled them into spirals that hung near halfway down her back.
Reanna sighed. Going to Port Royal was such a bore. She had to look and act properly according to the unwritten code of etiquette followed by all of the useless fops and silly little twits. It really was unfair to her that she had to look like a proper lady when her mother had been gallivanting about the docks in men's clothing at her age.
Besides, Reanna thought as she shifted the corset so she could breathe a little better, her mother would probably prefer her to look as unattractive as possible, right? So why did she have to get all dressed up when it was her mother that wanted the attention anyway? Reanna certainly didn't like being ogled by the vapid and hormone-charged young men in the city. Sure, she felt the urges that most girls her age felt, but she was more self-disciplined than they were, and she was not--under ANY circumstances--looking to get married.
Maybe if she were to meet an intelligent young man she would consider going to Port Royal less boring, but there was very little chance of that. It didn't help that "Will the Third" had decided to take a fancy to her, either. He was the worst of all of them, trying to make conversation with her over silly things like the weather, as if she had nothing better to talk about. When she said anything intelligent, he stared at her blankly and then started asking her about who had tailored her dresses. It was intolerable!
Elizabeth Turner didn't at all like that her son was so infatuated with her--this was about the only thing they agreed on, as a matter of fact. Reanna avoided little William (as she liked to refer to him in her head) as often as she possibly could, and Elizabeth saved her (though Reanna doubted that Elizabeth looked at it that way...) from the torture of talking with him the whole time they were in Port Royal. One thing that really burned Reanna was how Elizabeth looked at her. The woman glared at her every time she came into sight like she was some whore bent on stealing her son and husband away.
Of course, Reanna knew about the relationship her mother had had with Elizabeth's husband. Her mother hadn't told her any details, but she knew from the way her mother talked about Will that they had had sexual relations. Elizabeth still rather disliked Arianne for that, as well.
It burned Elizabeth even more that Arianne was still as beautiful as she had been the day she married Jack Sparrow. Even though Will hadn't looked at Arianne in any way other than friendship ever since that day, Elizabeth still hated her and found any excuse to be out of the house when Arianne and Jack came for a visit--usually she took her son with her.
Her grandmother was the only thing that made the visits halfway interesting--well, the man her grandmother had married, anyway. Governor Swann was the most amusing man--aside from her father, and he was amusing in an entirely different way--that Reanna had ever met. He was such a bumbling old fool, and said some of the funniest things sometimes. Occasionally he would slip her a trinket to take home with her, and she took them only to make him happy. She had no use for the rings and bracelets he gave her, but when he gave her the old compass, she had kissed him on the cheek in her happiness.
He had blushed, and then it had been time to go.
"Reanna! Are you ready yet?" called her mother from downstairs.
"Yes, Mother," she called back half-heartedly. Another weekend of torture. When she came out of the house, her father gave her a smile and a wink behind her mother's back--their little signal that he would make it up to her. Taking a deep breath and drawing her shoulders back to stand up straight, she walked with dignity onto the ship.
Whatever her father was going to do to make up for this, she thought as she sat listening to little William ramble on about hunting, it had bloody well better be something huge. When she could finally stand no more, she asked, "So do you eat the animals you kill, then?"
William stared at her as if she were daft. "Of course not! My friends and I keep their pelts, we throw the rest away."
Ah, yes...spoken like the true sportsman, Reanna thought furiously, but refrained from saying something rash that would get her grounded. Thankfully--and she thanked every god she could think of, including the god of the humans--Elizabeth finally came in and stole William away.
When she was alone, she abandoned her ladylike posture and sat back in the chair, her legs splayed out. Rubbing her temples, she hummed the star song softly to herself to try and rid herself of the dreadful headache speaking with William always brought her. When it had finally receeded--to a point--she looked at the clock. Oh bloody hell, it was seven o'clock! She was supposed to have been at her grandmother's house an hour ago.
Mumbling curses under her breath, she stood up, shaking out her skirts and straightening her hair. She quietly left the manor the Turners owned and hurried up to the Governor's household.
"Damn, I think something bit me, love!" Jack exclaimed that afternoon as they walked through the city. Arianne looked at where he had been bitten and saw only the usual red mark left by a mosquito bite.
"Jack, you're fine, it's just a mosquito bite."
"It bloody well didn't feel like a mosquito!" he exclaimed.
Laughing, Arianne put her arm in his and they made their way through the streets of Port Royal.
Watching them through the crystal, Y'lorani frowned. This had the feel of importance, but she could not push past the feeling to the truth of the matter.
Time would tell.
**********************************************************************
*Sings the Twilight Zone theme* ;) Rin- Thanks muchly for the compliment! Yes, I've heard of The Secret Window. I haven't seen it (and don't intend to until it comes out on video). What's your story going to be about? Is it a PotC fic, or a Secret Window fic about Johnny's character's kid? Shoot me an e-mail (the address I use most of the time is in my profile, but I won't be here all week, so it may take some time to get back to you). Also, if you haven't already done so it might be a good idea to read Arianne and The Fountain of Youth. They come before this story, and you'll understand a lot more that way...I know, that means more reading, but if you wish to understand my OCs better, that'd be the best way to do it! Not that I'm saying you HAVE to...because you don't!