Disclaimer: Pirates? Not mine.
A/N: Written for the "treasure" challenge at BPS.
Passed Over
The elite of Port Royal were not quite sure what to make of Elizabeth Swann's wedding. Apart from the obvious disparity between the bride and groom's social situations, and the fact that the man most everyone had expected to marry Miss Swann had instead sat through the ceremony in the front pew of the church with a half-sad smile on his face, there were a number of other strange happenings. For instance, a ruby the size of a cat's eye strung on a silver chain arrived by way of a none-too-respectable looking sailor at the beginning of the reception in the Governor's garden. The seaman insisted on putting the gem in Elizabeth's hands himself, calling it 'a wedding gift from a mutual friend.' Instead of being horrified, as most of the guests were, Elizabeth smiled and had her new husband fasten the chain around her neck.
All of this culminated in an uncomfortable silence around the new couple. The ladies were unsure of whether congratulations were in order to a bride who had married so far beneath her, and the gentlemen were glad to follow the lead of their wives and daughters, not being sure at all of what to say to the young man who had shod their horses, repaired their iron gratings, and was now wed to the Governor's daughter.
Elizabeth kept her chin high and her eyes forward, but even she eventually began to be affected by the stony silence, and she knew Will wasn't doing any better. She could sense his discomfort keenly, and his grip on her hand tightened by the second.
Just a while longer, my love, and this will be over. After all, we've survived worse, she thought, and was about to say as much to him when James Norrington, resplendent in his naval uniform, approached Elizabeth and said to her in a clear, strong voice, "Allow me to be one of the first to congratulate you on your marriage. I wish you both all the happiness in the world."
Things were easier after that. Having seen one of Port Royal's finest sons speak to the Turners so freely, the wedding guests warmed to them considerably. Elizabeth cast a grateful glance in James' direction and he acknowledged her with a slight nod and a gentle smile before returning to his conversation with one of her many visiting relatives. Surprise briefly shadowed Elizabeth's face as, for a moment, she caught a glimpse of the treasure she had passed over.