I do not own this!!!
Chapter One
Rian gasped as the stays on her corset were yanked tighter and tighter.
"Agh! Cut me in half, yeah? ' ow am I s'pposed to move?" she muttered as she was laced, tucked, and shoved into her satin dress. "NO!" she said softly seeing the tiny, perfect shoes she was to wear. She went to the chest at the foot of her richly upholstered four poster bed. Opening it she pulled a pair of worn, scuffed, soft leather knee high seaman's boots from its dark recesses. Looking longingly at the other contents in the box, she closed the lid and slid into the small boots she held.
"Miss? Your brother would not approve! He sent for these shoes from England!"
"Aye, he'd not approve... He can rest in Davey Jones! I'll be in charge of what I'm wearin', thank ye!" Rian retorted, green eyes flashing.
"Yes ma'am..." sighed the maid, once again resigned to the head-strong Mistress of the House, Riananne Norrington.
A knock at the door brought Rian to life.
"Yes?" she called genially.
"The Commodore requests your presence at tea milady."
"Tell him I shall be down in a moment," she replied curtly, turning to her night stand in a rustle of deep purple satin. Opening the drawer she pulled out a simple silver chain adorned with one small charm. Gazing sentimentally at it, she lifted the few small chestnut curls off her neck and fastened the chain around it, grinning as the charm came to rest between her collarbones. Fingering it lightly, she sighed, remembering... They had given it to her when she left. This necklace was all she had left. It was hers. Her black pearl.
With a small groan she touched her forearm gently and went down to breakfast.
Chapter Two
Arianna started, brown eyes no longer dreamy. "Yes?" she implored, looking at the heavy door guarding her room from where she sat in her window seat. She forced a smile as her hostess, Elizabeth Swann entered softly.
"Hello," she said gently.
"Hallo Elizabeth," sighed Arianna, turning her gaze back to the ocean.
"Why do you stare at the water so?" asked Elizabeth sweetly, innocently curious.
"Why DON'T you?" Arianna fired back. "You spent time on the sea... To sail would be... freedom. Is that not what it was for you?"
"For me it was terror and adventure and stress! Kidnapped by undead pirates, frightened out of my mind..."
"You were not kidnapped! You claimed Parley, and they did as you asked and left Port Royal. You didn't ask them to bring you back. And you had to call yourself Turner." She added venomously to her previously passive statement. "Did you forget they were PIRATES?!" Her curly hair seemed to dance with the tense energy that filled her.
"Who's side are you on? Did YOU forget they killed your father?!"
"I can't forget. I watched," a tear slid down Arianna's cheek and she wiped it away automatically. "Now I just want to leave this place."
Elizabeth put a comforting arm around Arianna as Arianna shook her head and stood, straightening the bodice of her wine red dress.
"When will the visitors arrive?" she asked in a whisper.
"Oh you can never tell with our guests of honor, but the Commodore and his sister Riananne shall be here shortly. As will be William."
Arianna nodded and faced the window. "May I be alone now?"
Elizabeth sighed and latched the door behind her.
Chapter Three
Rian smiled appreciatively as she walked down the docks. Taking a deep breath she savored the cool salty air of the Port, and eyed the water. Suddenly she gasped and clapped her hands gleefully. 'They're here!' she thought as she called for her best friend Arianna to come join her. Arianna came in a whisper of crushed velvet and flowery perfume.
"What Rian? Must you yell like a banshee rather than simply ring my doorbell?!"
"Only when the Cap'n's in Port!" smiled Rian cheekily and hiking her skirts ran to meet the docking ship.
Sighing, Arianna followed more slowly, none-the-less very excited. She let her jaw drop as Rian jumped the gangplank and boarded the impeding ship.
Rian huddled against the hull, waiting for her friend.
Suddenly she was grabbed by the arm and hiked to her feet none too gently.
"And 'oo be you milady?!" asked a rough voice she knew all too well.
"None a yer damn business mate!" she intoned, spitting by the man's foot.
"Schrap! Well, you ain't changed a lick 'ave ye?" laughed Gibbs.
"Not at all. I am quite reformed of my evil pirating ways my good sir." Rian replied in a well-bred accent, bending at the same time to help Arianna aboard. "This is Arianna. She's staying with the Swanns mate... Speakin' a Swanns, where's mini-Bootstrap?"
Just at that moment a good-looking young man dropped from the rigging prompting a yelp from Arianna and a laugh from Rian.
"Like a cat Will," she said shaking his hand with her gloved one.
He smiled and turned to Arianna with an apologetic grin. "Sorry miss, didn't mean to startle you. The name's William Turner." He bowed low, kissing her hand.
"Arianna... Arianna Lively." She replied slowly, blushing as their eyes met. "I'm staying with Elizabeth. She's told me so much about you. All good, to be sure." She smiled.
Chapter Four
"Arianna, you've met Will, this is Mr. Gibbs, my surrogate father, and first mate on this beautiful vessel. Over there's Anna Maria, and Mr. Cotton and his parrot." Rian said genially, waving her hand towards the vast vicinity of the ship on which they stood. "Now where has that rascal gone off to?" she mused aloud.
"And which 'rascal' would ye be referring to, my little poppet?" said a slightly slurred voice from the captain's quarters.
"And that, is Jack Sparrow," finished Rian with a smile.
"Captain Jack Sparrow my good lady." Corrected the handsome man, showing a partly gold smile and tipping his tricornered hat cheekily.
"Arianna Lively," she introduced herself. "You have a lovely ship Mr. Sparrow."
"Jack, please Miss. I am but a pirate."
"A PIRATE!"
"Aye."
"How did you get involved in this?!" Arianna asked breathlessly.
Rian just shrugged, studying Jack Sparrow's face. She smiled slightly as she took in the familiar cocky grin, straight regal nose, and laughing eyes.
"Ye haven't changed much Cap'n." She stated.
"Nay, but you 'ave!" he replied. "Ye look like high society, and a woman at that!"
"I AM an woman you eunuch!" Rian shot at him.
He drew his blade at that and brandished it at her. She looked at Anna Maria, who tossed her a sword. Rian caught it deftly and smiled, "Are you up for this Cap'n?" she asked, as the rest of the crew laughed merrily.
Jack lunged, and Rian parried his thrust, but stumbling on her skirts, dropped the shining piece of steel from her hands. Jack quickly brought the tip of his sword to the base of her throat and grinned wolfishly. His wolfish grin melted into a smile as he hooked her necklace with his sword.
"Yer pearl," he stated.
"I wear it always. It's my reminder of home, Jack." Rian replied softly.
Turning her to face the crew, Jack shouted, "She be home mates. Say 'ello to Poppet!"
The crew laughed and cheered, welcoming Rian back into their midst.
"How old are you?" asked Will of the some what shocked Arianna.
"Twenty," she answered.
"Me too!" laughed Will. "God, Rian looks happy!"
"How do they know her?"
"You mean she never told you?" asked a very surprised Will.
"Told me...?" prompted Ariannna.
"...When her parents died, her brother wanted to send her to a boarding school. Rather that let anything of the sort happen she hopped the first ship she found, which just happened to be the Pearl. She was fifteen me- thinks. Gibbs found her one night in the crow's nest. After that she became part of Sparrow's crew..." Will stopped to look at Rian, who had her sleeves up, exposing the "P" carved into her forearm.
"NO! She's a... she's a pirate too?!"
Chapter Five
Chapter One
Rian gasped as the stays on her corset were yanked tighter and tighter.
"Agh! Cut me in half, yeah? ' ow am I s'pposed to move?" she muttered as she was laced, tucked, and shoved into her satin dress. "NO!" she said softly seeing the tiny, perfect shoes she was to wear. She went to the chest at the foot of her richly upholstered four poster bed. Opening it she pulled a pair of worn, scuffed, soft leather knee high seaman's boots from its dark recesses. Looking longingly at the other contents in the box, she closed the lid and slid into the small boots she held.
"Miss? Your brother would not approve! He sent for these shoes from England!"
"Aye, he'd not approve... He can rest in Davey Jones! I'll be in charge of what I'm wearin', thank ye!" Rian retorted, green eyes flashing.
"Yes ma'am..." sighed the maid, once again resigned to the head-strong Mistress of the House, Riananne Norrington.
A knock at the door brought Rian to life.
"Yes?" she called genially.
"The Commodore requests your presence at tea milady."
"Tell him I shall be down in a moment," she replied curtly, turning to her night stand in a rustle of deep purple satin. Opening the drawer she pulled out a simple silver chain adorned with one small charm. Gazing sentimentally at it, she lifted the few small chestnut curls off her neck and fastened the chain around it, grinning as the charm came to rest between her collarbones. Fingering it lightly, she sighed, remembering... They had given it to her when she left. This necklace was all she had left. It was hers. Her black pearl.
With a small groan she touched her forearm gently and went down to breakfast.
Chapter Two
Arianna started, brown eyes no longer dreamy. "Yes?" she implored, looking at the heavy door guarding her room from where she sat in her window seat. She forced a smile as her hostess, Elizabeth Swann entered softly.
"Hello," she said gently.
"Hallo Elizabeth," sighed Arianna, turning her gaze back to the ocean.
"Why do you stare at the water so?" asked Elizabeth sweetly, innocently curious.
"Why DON'T you?" Arianna fired back. "You spent time on the sea... To sail would be... freedom. Is that not what it was for you?"
"For me it was terror and adventure and stress! Kidnapped by undead pirates, frightened out of my mind..."
"You were not kidnapped! You claimed Parley, and they did as you asked and left Port Royal. You didn't ask them to bring you back. And you had to call yourself Turner." She added venomously to her previously passive statement. "Did you forget they were PIRATES?!" Her curly hair seemed to dance with the tense energy that filled her.
"Who's side are you on? Did YOU forget they killed your father?!"
"I can't forget. I watched," a tear slid down Arianna's cheek and she wiped it away automatically. "Now I just want to leave this place."
Elizabeth put a comforting arm around Arianna as Arianna shook her head and stood, straightening the bodice of her wine red dress.
"When will the visitors arrive?" she asked in a whisper.
"Oh you can never tell with our guests of honor, but the Commodore and his sister Riananne shall be here shortly. As will be William."
Arianna nodded and faced the window. "May I be alone now?"
Elizabeth sighed and latched the door behind her.
Chapter Three
Rian smiled appreciatively as she walked down the docks. Taking a deep breath she savored the cool salty air of the Port, and eyed the water. Suddenly she gasped and clapped her hands gleefully. 'They're here!' she thought as she called for her best friend Arianna to come join her. Arianna came in a whisper of crushed velvet and flowery perfume.
"What Rian? Must you yell like a banshee rather than simply ring my doorbell?!"
"Only when the Cap'n's in Port!" smiled Rian cheekily and hiking her skirts ran to meet the docking ship.
Sighing, Arianna followed more slowly, none-the-less very excited. She let her jaw drop as Rian jumped the gangplank and boarded the impeding ship.
Rian huddled against the hull, waiting for her friend.
Suddenly she was grabbed by the arm and hiked to her feet none too gently.
"And 'oo be you milady?!" asked a rough voice she knew all too well.
"None a yer damn business mate!" she intoned, spitting by the man's foot.
"Schrap! Well, you ain't changed a lick 'ave ye?" laughed Gibbs.
"Not at all. I am quite reformed of my evil pirating ways my good sir." Rian replied in a well-bred accent, bending at the same time to help Arianna aboard. "This is Arianna. She's staying with the Swanns mate... Speakin' a Swanns, where's mini-Bootstrap?"
Just at that moment a good-looking young man dropped from the rigging prompting a yelp from Arianna and a laugh from Rian.
"Like a cat Will," she said shaking his hand with her gloved one.
He smiled and turned to Arianna with an apologetic grin. "Sorry miss, didn't mean to startle you. The name's William Turner." He bowed low, kissing her hand.
"Arianna... Arianna Lively." She replied slowly, blushing as their eyes met. "I'm staying with Elizabeth. She's told me so much about you. All good, to be sure." She smiled.
Chapter Four
"Arianna, you've met Will, this is Mr. Gibbs, my surrogate father, and first mate on this beautiful vessel. Over there's Anna Maria, and Mr. Cotton and his parrot." Rian said genially, waving her hand towards the vast vicinity of the ship on which they stood. "Now where has that rascal gone off to?" she mused aloud.
"And which 'rascal' would ye be referring to, my little poppet?" said a slightly slurred voice from the captain's quarters.
"And that, is Jack Sparrow," finished Rian with a smile.
"Captain Jack Sparrow my good lady." Corrected the handsome man, showing a partly gold smile and tipping his tricornered hat cheekily.
"Arianna Lively," she introduced herself. "You have a lovely ship Mr. Sparrow."
"Jack, please Miss. I am but a pirate."
"A PIRATE!"
"Aye."
"How did you get involved in this?!" Arianna asked breathlessly.
Rian just shrugged, studying Jack Sparrow's face. She smiled slightly as she took in the familiar cocky grin, straight regal nose, and laughing eyes.
"Ye haven't changed much Cap'n." She stated.
"Nay, but you 'ave!" he replied. "Ye look like high society, and a woman at that!"
"I AM an woman you eunuch!" Rian shot at him.
He drew his blade at that and brandished it at her. She looked at Anna Maria, who tossed her a sword. Rian caught it deftly and smiled, "Are you up for this Cap'n?" she asked, as the rest of the crew laughed merrily.
Jack lunged, and Rian parried his thrust, but stumbling on her skirts, dropped the shining piece of steel from her hands. Jack quickly brought the tip of his sword to the base of her throat and grinned wolfishly. His wolfish grin melted into a smile as he hooked her necklace with his sword.
"Yer pearl," he stated.
"I wear it always. It's my reminder of home, Jack." Rian replied softly.
Turning her to face the crew, Jack shouted, "She be home mates. Say 'ello to Poppet!"
The crew laughed and cheered, welcoming Rian back into their midst.
"How old are you?" asked Will of the some what shocked Arianna.
"Twenty," she answered.
"Me too!" laughed Will. "God, Rian looks happy!"
"How do they know her?"
"You mean she never told you?" asked a very surprised Will.
"Told me...?" prompted Ariannna.
"...When her parents died, her brother wanted to send her to a boarding school. Rather that let anything of the sort happen she hopped the first ship she found, which just happened to be the Pearl. She was fifteen me- thinks. Gibbs found her one night in the crow's nest. After that she became part of Sparrow's crew..." Will stopped to look at Rian, who had her sleeves up, exposing the "P" carved into her forearm.
"NO! She's a... she's a pirate too?!"
Chapter Five