By morning ships with the EITC emblem on them along with the Flying Dutchman could be seen nearing shipwreck cove. A parley was called between the two sides which was how Jack, Narcissa, and her father ended up walking down a spit of land on an island vaguely resembling the one Jack had been marooned on.
Standing waiting for them was Beckett, looking smug as ever, Will, and to Narcissa's surprise Davy Jones, who was standing with his feet in a bucket of water with a series of buckets behind him leading to the longboat those three had arrived in. It was almost a comical sight. Almost.
Once they reached the trio there was a pause before Narcissa's father addressed Will.
"You be the cur that led these wolves to our door."
"Don't blame Turner. He was merely the tool of your betrayal. If you wish to see its grand architect, look to your left." Captain Barbossa turned to Narcissa who turned to Jack who looked at the empty air on his right.
"My hands are clean in this. Figuratively." Will looked defiant.
"My actions were my own and to my own purpose. Jack had nothing to do with it." Narcissa believed Will at least believed that but she wasn't sure that Jack had NOTHING to do with this. He was as crafty as he was drunk.
"Well spoke. Listen to the tool." Narcissa sighed ignoring Jacks words and addressing her former friend.
"Will, I've been aboard the Dutchman. I understand the burden you bear, but I fear that cause is lost." Bootstrap Bill really was in a pitiful state and there was no guarantee just killing Jones would save him. Especially when it would cost many other lives.
"No cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it." Internally Narcissa groaned. Damn Will and his stupid honor. A promise that resulted in the death of hundreds was not worth keeping.
"If Turner wasn't acting on your behalf, then how did he come to give me this?" asked Beckett holding out Jack's compass. "You made a deal with me, Jack, to deliver the pirates. And here they are. Don't be bashful. Step up. Claim your reward." the cool arrogance in Beckett's voice made Narcissa want to smack him never mind the stupid rules of parley.
"Your debt to me is still to be satisfied. One hundred years in servitude aboard the Dutchman. As a start." said Jones. Up close in all his tenticley glory as Ragetti might have put it he was more than a little scary although the buckets did undercut the effect.
"That debt was paid, mate. With some help."
"You escaped." argued Jones.
"Technically." added Jack. That was when Narcissa had an idea.
"I propose an exchange. Will leaves with us...and you can take Jack."
"Done." said Beckett.
"Undone." said Jack in a panicked tone.
"Done." repeated Narcissa. Her father gave her an incredulous look.
"Jack's one of the nine pirate lords. You have no right."
"King," Narcissa pointed out before adding softly. "Trust me."
"As you command, your nibs," said Jack with a scowl.
"Blackguard!" said her father who lunged with his sword cutting the piece of eight attached to jacks hair. It fell to the ground and Jack the monkey scampered to grab it.
"If ye have something to say, I might be saying something as well," her father told Jack.
"First to the finish, then?" Jack said before walking over to stand next to Jones who leaned close to him.
"Do you fear death?"
"You've no idea."
"Those are brave word for a man in a bucket, Captain Jones," Narcissa quipped. Jones glared at her.
"You will die by my hand for that insult." Narcissa remained unfazed as Beckett addressed her.
"Advise your Brethren, you can fight, and all of you will die. Or you can not fight, in which case only most of you will die. Although for you I will make my offer a final time." He added.
"Keep yer paws off my daughter ye bastard," growled Narcissa's father.
"So I can live a life as your toy while my friends and family are executed?" scoffed Narcissa.
"It is your final chance of survival," said Beckett.
"Very well, then let me give you my answer for a final time. I will not promise to be your wife. But I will make you a different promise. I swear to you that win or lose by the time that this battle which we will fight, you will die. I will make you pay for the pain you have caused my family. Including the death of Weatherby Swann."
"He chose his own fate," said Beckett.
"And you have chosen yours. I'd suggest you make your peace with God for I may or may not live to see the next sunrise but it is certain that you won't," declared Narcissa before turning around behind her she heard Beckett reply,
"So be it."
As Narcissa, Will and her father walked away Will asked,
"King?"
"Of the Brethren Court, curtesy of Jack," was Narcissa's clipped answer.
"I hope ye know what ye were doing with that trade," said her father.
"Jack has a far better chance of getting off that ship than Will did. In addition, even with whatever deal he struck with Beckett Jack was clearly still in danger of Jones calling in the debt. Which means he would want Jones dead. Having Jack over there means he may be able to get to the heart." Her father looked impressed.
"Nicely done treasure." she gave a small smile as they got into the boat and began rowing back.
"Cissa, please surely you of all people would understand why I've done what I have," said Will. Narcissa glared at him.
"What on earth is that supposed to mean Turner?"
"You would do anything to help your father. You were happy to help him break the curse. Well, it's the same with my father." Narcissa scoffed.
"It is not. First of all, breaking the curse would not have resulted in the death innocents. I made father swear not to kill you so there was no fear of collateral damage. Beyond that I would never betray those I loved!"
"If your father hadn't sent mine to the bottom of the sea maybe I wouldn't need to rescue him," snapped Will."
"Oh yes let's go back and drag up the past wrongs of others in an attempt to deflect from your poor choices! Your father was a liability for a mutiny! Any pirate worth his salt would have gotten rid of him! I'm sorry for what was done to him but it doesn't excuse your actions! You've always been like a brother to me. I trusted and loved you! But now you've betrayed me and my sister and possibly cost many innocent people their lives. All for a fools errand that isn't even certain to work. Quite frankly once this is over I never want to speak to you again William Turner! You severed our bond when you betrayed me and Elizabeth. So shut up before you make me do something I'll regret."
All of Narcissa's anger, frustration, and betrayal came pouring out of her in angry waves. Jack's betrayal hadn't meant much to her emotionally. But Will's felt like something was eating away at her. The worst of it was that while she was utterly furious with him. She still didn't...no couldn't hate him. But even that didn't ensure that she would forgive him. Then again Will never was one for thinking about the wider and long term consequences of his actions.
Will looked shocked and hurt for a moment. But then his expression hardened.
"As you wish your majesty," he replied.
PotC
They returned to the ship Elizabeth rushed to Will and hugged him shooting a grateful look at Narcissa but then pulled back and gave her fiancée a glare.
"Cissy's right about the consequences of your actions. Your own father said he didn't want you to risk yourself rescuing him," the blond sighed. "But we can talk more about that later. If we actually survive this."
"As charming as this is we have more important business," said Narcissa's father. He was holding a bowl full of the pieces of eight collected from the pirate lords.
"We'll need to use the Black Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack. But I agree we do have something to do first." Narcissa removed the piece of eight from around her neck and added it to the bowl.
Ragetti and Pintel brought Tia Dalma forward.
"All right, Mrs. Fish. Come on."
"Barbossa, you can't release her. Surely you can see this is madness Cissy?" said Elizabeth in a panicked tone.
"Going to locker was madness, capsizing a boat in the hopes it would get us home was madness, taking on the Flying Dutchman and EITC armada is madness. Two of those things have worked and I have some hope for the third but we need every advantage possible and Calypso can possibly add to that. Besides father was right binding her may not have been such a great decision after all."
Personally Narcissa did feel some personal debt too Calypso for the return of her father and her father's speech at the Court also hadn't been far off. It was a risk but it was one worth taking.
"Indeed. Too long me fate has not been in me own hands. No longer," Narcissa's father declared.
"Be there some manner of rite or incantation?" asked Gibbs.
"Aye. The items brought together, done. Items to be burned..." her father set the items on fire. "And someone must speak the words:
"Calypso, I release you from your human bonds." Nothing happened.
"Is that it?" asked Ragetti.
"Tis said it must be spoken as if to a lover." her father added and there was an audible ohh from the crew.
"Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!" her father yelled in a slightly slurred fashion. Narcissa coughed.
"If that's how you spoke to mother I seriously question my parentage."
"No, no, no. He didn't say it right," said Ragetti. Surprised but figuring they had nothing to lose Narcissa gestured for the one eyed pirate to give it a try. He stepped forward and whispered in Calypso's ear.
"Calypso...I release you from your human bonds." This time something happened. Tia Dalma began to twist and her eyes went white. To her surprise Will stepped forward.
"Tia Dalma. Calypso. When the Brethren Court imprisoned you, who was it that told them how? Who was it that betrayed you?"
"Name him. The woman snarled.
"Davy Jones," answered Will. Despite her lingering anger Narcissa gave Will a grateful look. That little piece of information might just work in their favor. Tia Dalma began to grow bursting the ropes tying her to the mast as she became as tall as the mast itself.
"This is it! This is it!" called Pintel as they backed away. Narcissa's father knelt and called.
"Calypso! I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow and now ask your favor. Spare meself, me ship, me crew...but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters...or mine." In response Calypso yelled an indistict incantation. Before bursting into a load of small white crabs nearly burying them.
"Is that it?" asked Narcissa.
"Why, she's no help at all," said Pintel.
"What now?" asked Elizabeth.
"Nothing. Our last piece of hope to give us a chance just failed us," said Gibbs. Will sighed. For all the bad blood that was now between them she heard concern in his voice.
"We've got a whole armada against us Cissa plus the Dutchman. I know you want revenge but now actually seeing it. I'm not sure you're revenge on Beckett is something everyone here are all willing to die for. There's no chance," Narcissa paused. Will's words back on the island suddenly struck her. Fools. Hadn't all of this been with practically no chance. Decisions made based on the slimiest hope only a fool would have considered.
"Only a fools chance," she said softly. She turned.
You're right. Then what shall we die for? You will listen to me." she then called more loudly as she stood on the rail of the ship on hand on the rigging. All she had learned from her father, all she felt for those she loved, all her desire for freedom filled her.
"Listen! The Brethren will still be looking here to us, to the Black Pearl, to lead. And what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No. No, they will see free men and freedom! And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons. They will hear the ring of our swords, and they will know what we can do. By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs..and the courage of our hearts." Her voice briefly lowered,
"Gentlemen...hoist the colors." Then she bellowed fiercely," Hoist the colors." Crys from the crew began,
"Hoist the colors!"
"Hoist the colors!" the Pearl's flag was raised and then pirates on the other ships began taking up the call each in their own language the lords began raising their own flags each with a different emblem.
Hope began to bloom slightly in Narcissa's chest. They were now well and truly at war and Beckett had better watch his back.
Author's Note: I realized this chapter was becoming a bit long so I decided to split it. Which I guess means more chapters for you guys. In this version Barbossa is much more on the side of fighting because he understands that for his daughter it's about more than revenge. So the freeing of Calypso was only a part of the plan. Someone asked what happens during the switch scene and my best recommend is to youtube Pirates of the Caribbean up is down because words can't do it justice.
