Disclaimer: Nothing's changed...I'm still kicking myself for not making
this movie first...Don't sue, please?
Here's To Freedom (Chapter 3)
Like most parties and balls given by the wealthy of Port Royale, Master Eaton's was a magnificent affair, dripping with decadence.
The Grand Hall was bustling with hundreds of the host's closest friends and its walls were coated with rich fabrics, precious metals, and even more superfluous swag. Exotic foods prepared by the finest chefs, imported from Europe, of course, coated tables that lined the entire perimeter of the room. In the center, the magnificent spiral staircase gave way to a platform that housed a string quartet who played waltzes and quadrilles continuously for the dancers swirling gracefully across the floor, two by two.
All in all, the sensory overload was simply too immense to escape.
As was young Clark Eaton. Why, Natalie had been sneaking from one potted plant to another for hours, trying to remain unseen by the whelp, and frankly, it was putting an even larger damper on her already horrendous evening.
She suddenly spotted him across the room, strolling towards her, and with a gasp, she quickly bounded behind Madam Blake's enormous and very tasteless dress and her gaggle of eligible teenage daughters to hide. In silence, she mentally chanted for him to not see her, over and over again, and smiled when a bewildered expression crossed his features and he turned and walked away.
But a gentle tap on her bare shoulder caused her to jump a mile out of her skin and set her heart to pounding. When she turned and saw who it was, the problem only worsened. "Well, hello there, Master Turner. You're having an enjoyable evening, I pray?"
"A lovely time indeed, and what of you?" he asked. It was all Natalie could do to nod and smile, so she did, and he forged on with the conversation. "While I'm pleased to here this, Miss Swann, I've noticed that you have been hiding along the wall here for some time now. Would you care to dance with me?" he asked, making a formal bow and offering his hand.
Natalie looked at him, wondering if he had gone daft. She needn't think twice about the matter! "Why thank you, I would be delighted," she replied with a smile, placing her hand in his, following him to the floor, and coaching her body to resist the urge to swoon.
The quartet had been playing a lively number, and immediately, Will swept her into a series of twirls and spins, taking her breath away while she laughed and laughed. The world around them faded into a blur until all she could see was his smiling face and all she ever wanted to feel, from then until forever, was William Turner in her arms.
"Pardon me, good sir, but might I cut in?"
The words infiltrated her subconscious, dragging her, kicking and screaming, from her own little dream world back to reality. The man couldn't be for real, it just wasn't possible! Clark had always managed to find her in general, but as of late, he seemed to descend upon her at the most inopportune moments! Natalie simply could not win; it would probably knock the cosmos out of synch!
Will nodded, placed a polite kiss upon her hand, and thanked her for the dance before walking away to re-join Elizabeth. With yet another sigh, she turned her attention to the oaf who stood before her, holding his arms out expectantly. "Actually, Master Eaton--."
"Please, do call me Clark, darling."
"Very well," she corrected with an exasperated sigh, "Master Clark, I could use a breath of fresh air, for it is dreadfully warm in here. So, if you would excuse me, I will take my leave."
As Natalie turned to walk away, her tormentor boldly grabbed hold of her hand. Fighting the desperate urge to pummel the man, she spun around to find him looking upon her with that self-assured grin of his. "Please, allow me to accompany you, my pet."
Gritting her teeth against a violent outburst, she nodded sharply and hurried through the crowd, dragging him behind her. She had dealt silently with him for the majority of her life, but if he used one more endearment in reference to her, she couldn't promise herself that she wouldn't end his life, right then and there.
Once free of the hall and its heaving mass of people, she dropped hold of Clark's hand and moved across the stone patio. Leaning her forearms on the short wall at its perimeter, she looked out over the sea, now enveloped in complete darkness, and took deep breaths in an attempt to regain her composure.
Hearing his shoes clicking against the smooth cobbles as he moved towards her, she rolled her eyes and prepared herself for the worst. "My, my, the island is certainly beautiful tonight," he said softly, the genuine awe in his words shocking her, to say the least.
"That it is," she replied, trying to enjoy his change in attitude for she knew not how long it would be present.
Not a moment after, he confirmed her belief that people never really changed. "The air is calm, the night is shady. I ask you, Natalie, be my lady!" Clark recited, reading from a small scrap of parchment that he had taken from his jacket pocket.
Quickly, he scrambled to his knees, remembering that it was customary when proposing marriage, and pulled out a golden ring with a large diamond set in the middle. Her eyes widened as a combination of his awful rhyming skills, the size of the bauble, and the sheer idiocy of the man to ask for her hand slammed into her all at once. Opening her mouth to inform him of her rejection, she was cut off but a piercing shriek.
"Oh, Natalie!" Elizabeth cried, hurrying over with Will and their father in tow, "This is smashing news! We must inform everyone immediately!" She would have run off and told the entire free world, had her husband not held her back.
With a supportive smile, Will intertwined his hand with her sister's and said, "Congratulations, Miss Natalie. I'm sure you two will be very happy together."
"But...I--," she stammered, unable to believe what was happening. It was as though she was simply watching the event unfold before her very eyes and she could do nothing to stop it.
It was then that her eyes fell upon her father.
He said nothing, but his expression spoke volumes. The bemused smile on his face as he gazed upon his youngest daughter, looking beautiful and poised in her new evening finery and more mature than he had ever noticed before melted any objection she had been preparing to voice.
Unable to kill the pride reflected in his countenance, she stood there in silence as Clark slipped the ring on her finger, rose, and placed a kiss on her cheek, her eyes never breaking contact with her father's. Natalie couldn't bear to embarrass or disappoint him, so she decided to do the only thing she could do in the situation: run away.
Here's To Freedom (Chapter 3)
Like most parties and balls given by the wealthy of Port Royale, Master Eaton's was a magnificent affair, dripping with decadence.
The Grand Hall was bustling with hundreds of the host's closest friends and its walls were coated with rich fabrics, precious metals, and even more superfluous swag. Exotic foods prepared by the finest chefs, imported from Europe, of course, coated tables that lined the entire perimeter of the room. In the center, the magnificent spiral staircase gave way to a platform that housed a string quartet who played waltzes and quadrilles continuously for the dancers swirling gracefully across the floor, two by two.
All in all, the sensory overload was simply too immense to escape.
As was young Clark Eaton. Why, Natalie had been sneaking from one potted plant to another for hours, trying to remain unseen by the whelp, and frankly, it was putting an even larger damper on her already horrendous evening.
She suddenly spotted him across the room, strolling towards her, and with a gasp, she quickly bounded behind Madam Blake's enormous and very tasteless dress and her gaggle of eligible teenage daughters to hide. In silence, she mentally chanted for him to not see her, over and over again, and smiled when a bewildered expression crossed his features and he turned and walked away.
But a gentle tap on her bare shoulder caused her to jump a mile out of her skin and set her heart to pounding. When she turned and saw who it was, the problem only worsened. "Well, hello there, Master Turner. You're having an enjoyable evening, I pray?"
"A lovely time indeed, and what of you?" he asked. It was all Natalie could do to nod and smile, so she did, and he forged on with the conversation. "While I'm pleased to here this, Miss Swann, I've noticed that you have been hiding along the wall here for some time now. Would you care to dance with me?" he asked, making a formal bow and offering his hand.
Natalie looked at him, wondering if he had gone daft. She needn't think twice about the matter! "Why thank you, I would be delighted," she replied with a smile, placing her hand in his, following him to the floor, and coaching her body to resist the urge to swoon.
The quartet had been playing a lively number, and immediately, Will swept her into a series of twirls and spins, taking her breath away while she laughed and laughed. The world around them faded into a blur until all she could see was his smiling face and all she ever wanted to feel, from then until forever, was William Turner in her arms.
"Pardon me, good sir, but might I cut in?"
The words infiltrated her subconscious, dragging her, kicking and screaming, from her own little dream world back to reality. The man couldn't be for real, it just wasn't possible! Clark had always managed to find her in general, but as of late, he seemed to descend upon her at the most inopportune moments! Natalie simply could not win; it would probably knock the cosmos out of synch!
Will nodded, placed a polite kiss upon her hand, and thanked her for the dance before walking away to re-join Elizabeth. With yet another sigh, she turned her attention to the oaf who stood before her, holding his arms out expectantly. "Actually, Master Eaton--."
"Please, do call me Clark, darling."
"Very well," she corrected with an exasperated sigh, "Master Clark, I could use a breath of fresh air, for it is dreadfully warm in here. So, if you would excuse me, I will take my leave."
As Natalie turned to walk away, her tormentor boldly grabbed hold of her hand. Fighting the desperate urge to pummel the man, she spun around to find him looking upon her with that self-assured grin of his. "Please, allow me to accompany you, my pet."
Gritting her teeth against a violent outburst, she nodded sharply and hurried through the crowd, dragging him behind her. She had dealt silently with him for the majority of her life, but if he used one more endearment in reference to her, she couldn't promise herself that she wouldn't end his life, right then and there.
Once free of the hall and its heaving mass of people, she dropped hold of Clark's hand and moved across the stone patio. Leaning her forearms on the short wall at its perimeter, she looked out over the sea, now enveloped in complete darkness, and took deep breaths in an attempt to regain her composure.
Hearing his shoes clicking against the smooth cobbles as he moved towards her, she rolled her eyes and prepared herself for the worst. "My, my, the island is certainly beautiful tonight," he said softly, the genuine awe in his words shocking her, to say the least.
"That it is," she replied, trying to enjoy his change in attitude for she knew not how long it would be present.
Not a moment after, he confirmed her belief that people never really changed. "The air is calm, the night is shady. I ask you, Natalie, be my lady!" Clark recited, reading from a small scrap of parchment that he had taken from his jacket pocket.
Quickly, he scrambled to his knees, remembering that it was customary when proposing marriage, and pulled out a golden ring with a large diamond set in the middle. Her eyes widened as a combination of his awful rhyming skills, the size of the bauble, and the sheer idiocy of the man to ask for her hand slammed into her all at once. Opening her mouth to inform him of her rejection, she was cut off but a piercing shriek.
"Oh, Natalie!" Elizabeth cried, hurrying over with Will and their father in tow, "This is smashing news! We must inform everyone immediately!" She would have run off and told the entire free world, had her husband not held her back.
With a supportive smile, Will intertwined his hand with her sister's and said, "Congratulations, Miss Natalie. I'm sure you two will be very happy together."
"But...I--," she stammered, unable to believe what was happening. It was as though she was simply watching the event unfold before her very eyes and she could do nothing to stop it.
It was then that her eyes fell upon her father.
He said nothing, but his expression spoke volumes. The bemused smile on his face as he gazed upon his youngest daughter, looking beautiful and poised in her new evening finery and more mature than he had ever noticed before melted any objection she had been preparing to voice.
Unable to kill the pride reflected in his countenance, she stood there in silence as Clark slipped the ring on her finger, rose, and placed a kiss on her cheek, her eyes never breaking contact with her father's. Natalie couldn't bear to embarrass or disappoint him, so she decided to do the only thing she could do in the situation: run away.