Chapter 8

"We are all gathered here today, one week after the king's death, to crown England's new king." Gwen said. Today was Jack's coronation and instead of letting someone else do it she had requested she be the one to perform the ceremony. "Prince Jonathon please come forward."

With that the two doors swung open and in came Jack dressed the same way he had been on that fateful day when their mother had been killed and he had run away. This is not the man who showed up here just last week. Gwen thought as she smiled at her brother.

Jack grinned at her then knelt at her feet. She gently placed the crown upon his head. "Rise King Johnthon I." she said and he rose to his full height. He locked eyes with Gwen and she nodded in the direction of where Anamaria was standing. When he had talked to her about this he never mentioned this as he had wanted to surprise her.

Jack turned to the people of his kingdom to address them for the second time.

"All o' you who were at the mansion a week ago know tha' I plan ta rule jus' as my father 'ad. What 'as not been answered and many o' you have asked me sister and her husband over the past week is who will I take as my Queen." He looked over at Anamaria but she wouldn't look him in the eye.

"'ve chosen someone 'ho has been by my side and 'as seen the worst an' best o' me and hasn't taken off yet. 've chosen me long time lover Anamaria." he said as he held his hand out to a shocked Anamaria. She looked around and noticed everyone's eyes were on her then she looked back at Jack. She smiled slightly and took his hand.

Jack grinned at her and pulled her into his arms. The crowd cheered as he gently kissed her.

As the crowd began to dissipate Gwen grabbed Jack by the arm to talk to him. "I know you want Ana as your Queen but there's one thing you have to do before she can be crowned."

"Wha's that?" he asked clearly confused.

"You have to marry her." When she said that Jack laughed.

"'m sorry, luv bu' pirates don't get married. 'cept the whelp's mum and da' but that's a different story." Jack said still chuckling.

"You aren't a pirate anymore, Johnny." she told him. "You're a king now."

Jack slowly quit laughing. "I can ask 'er bu' she's gonna say no." Ana over heard him as she came into the room.

"I'm gonna say no ta wha'?" she asked the newly crowned king. Gwen grinned at Jack and mouthed ask her to him. Jack glared at her and turned to Ana.

"Oh uh nothin' you need ta worry 'bout." Jack said trying to cover up what they had been talking about. Ana glared at him and raised her hand as if to slap him.

"A'right we're were talkin' 'bout one lil detail that I forgot to mention to you." he said backing away from her.

"Wha's that?" she asked him.

"Ye need ta marry me." Jack said running a hand through his hair.

Ana laughed. "Yer joking right?" She noticed that neither Jack or Gwen were laughing. "Yer serious."

"We don' have to if you don't want to." Jack quickly told her. Gwen chose then to leave the room.

"Do you wan' to get married Jack?" Jack sighed. He hadn't even told her he loved her and here they were discusing marriage. Jack mentally grinned, what better way to do it.

"Only if it's to you." he said so quietly that he wasn't even sure that she had heard him.

Ana smiled at the ex-pirate captain. "Then let's do it then."

An hour later Will had gotten the priest there and amazingly got Jack to actually dress up. They were standing in the parlor next to the priest waiting for Anamaria to come down the stairs.

When she did she almost took Jack's breath away. Gwen had gone through some of the things that had been left there and had found one of their mother's dresses. It was a sky blue with sequiens sowed onto the upper part of the dress. She slowly came down the stairs and to Jack's side.

"King Jonathon do you take Anamaria to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or poor, as."

"I do." Jack said interupting him. The priest gave him a dirty look for that and turned to Anamaria.

"Anamaria do you take King Jonathon to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or poor, as."

"I do." she said interupting him just as Jack had.

He gave them both a dirty look. "By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Jack did exactly what he said.

Will and Gwen grinned at them and led the priest out of the mansion.

"'ow did ye spend most o' yer life living 'ere and not get lost?" Ana asked him coming into her and Jack's room and laying down on the bed.

Jack laughed and joined her. "I did a few times bu' there were so many people 'round an' they woul' help me get back."

Ana curled up against his side and laid her head on his shoulder. "Did ye e'er miss this?"

Jack wrapped his arm around her sholders. "Fer the first month a'ter I left bu' it go' easier after a bit. The more I did on the ships the more I forgot. Bu' I think if I 'ad the choice I'd do the exact same thing." he told her and kissed her then blew out the lone candle shrouding the room in darkness.

"What's wrong, love?" Will asked when he came into the room and saw Gwen pacing.

"It's nothing. I'm just worried about Jack." she told him.

"You don't need to. He's taken the crown. He's going to be a great king." Will told her as they got into bed.

"He's not a king, Will. He's a pirate. He's the captain of the most feared ship in the caribbean."

"If he runs the country half as well as he did his ship things will be fine."

"That's what worrys me." Gwen told her husband before curling up against him and falling asleep.

Will stared up at the ceiling and hoped that Jack could put behind all Will's father, Bootstrap Bill, had taught him about being a pirate and remember what Jack's father had taught both boys about being a king.

TBC...