Hi! sorry about the long absence, but I was fixing up my other story, 'Dragonis' and then I was writing a new chapter for that one and then Holidays happened and then life happened and well, here we are. After this chapter I've planned for Anne to have more action of her own and not to depend so much on Elizabeth, but during this one its still pretty much a chapter to get to know Anne and some of her values and stuff, along with the introduction of Captain Jack Sparrow, of course.
Please enjoy and review if you want me to post another chapter, because if there are no reviews that means people are not really reading it and whats the point of posting a story if no one's gonna read it. That being said, thank you so much to last chapters 3 revieweres!
Disclaimer, I don't own pirates of the caribbean.
Anne Swann opened her eyes exactly at six thirty in the morning and was able to confirm that by simply taking a look at the small wooden clock resting on her nightstand. Knowing that day was going to be a big and long one and that she should've taken as much sleep as possible, but the nervousness she felt the previous night wouldn't even let her close her eyes for longer than a few seconds without worrying about each fiddling thing that could occur to her, instead she stayed up until late hours, reading 'La princesse de Clèves' for what seemed the tenth time in a period of two years - it had belonged to Elizabeth and she never was one for reading, so she passed it on to her sister when she was old enough to understand it and ever since then she has been very fond of it.
Still, despite what she thought was a repprochabe behaviour from the previous night, she was as awake as ever and It appeared as If she had plenty of time to get ready, which was handy since she intended to look her best for the day, due to various reasons that was. Her father always mocked her sleeping schedule, saying it was rather country-like that she should wake up so early each day even when there were no obligations where to be at - her sister, on the other hand, tended to wake at more fashionable hours, doing justice to her city girl breeding. Not that she had told this to anyone, but Anne believe that was a habit carried from the other life, back when she used to run early to the beach, to catch the prettiest views and still be on time for breakfast and school.
Enjoying some last minutes of quiet solitude and after petting her dear old Sage on the head, for it slept on the end of the bed; Anne stood up and went over to the small pile of books kept on the corner of the room and picked up her next victim, which turned out to be some Shakespeare, again. One of the worst things about living in 18th century Port Royal was the fact that reading options were far more limited than one would like. More than once she'd found lusting after some Harry Potter or even Pride and Prejudice, but It does no good to dream about things you can't have. Instead, she smiled as she placed 'Otello' under her arm, and left it on her night table, so she'd have some entertaining later tonight.
Getting into a robe, for she knew that It would be better start getting ready, she rang the bell and not more than five minutes later, the maids, Celeste and Estrella were making their way in, both already used to her waking times, for each had been members of the staff for at least three years now. Anne liked them, but more often than not found herself missing dear old Mrs. Cartwright. Still, the girls were alright and proved themselves to be beyond hardworking, and she appreciated that since despite their lack of knowledge about it, she had been a hard working girl once too.
"Good morning, Miss Anne" they both sang as they proceeded to open the windows, and make the bed.
She smiled at them as she sat down in front of the vanity table and Estrella, the one with the softest hands began brushing her wavy hair, which was now quite long, after years of not trimming it, similar to a mane really. She must confess that part of her wish of growing it long was because she wanted it to look a bit more like her mother's, for she still thinks she had the prettiest of hairs.
"You rose up quite early this morning, miss" Celeste commented, as she sprayed some perfume on the sheets.
"Didn't expect you up for another twenty minutes" Estrella added.
Anne grinned sheepishly at both of them, feeling very much teenage like for she was about to share a secret she had kept for herself during the last week. She hadn't even told Elizabeth, but that was mainly because she wanted to keep it for herself for as long as possible; holding a sweet secret in the 18th century was the most fun a girl could have, and it was entertaining to have her sister pleading for her to tell.
"To-day is Captain Norrington's promotion" she confessed, trying to keep the redness away from her cheeks, for she didn't want them to know about her true feelings regarding that man. He was, after all, the sweetest secret Anne had, and the only person who she suspected knew about her fancying of the captain was her very own sister and telling her had never been necessary, she simply sensed it.
"How exciting!" Estrella cried, her eyes lighting up with interest "He is a most fine man, the Captain"
Anne smiled, and decided to say no more than ought, simply settling with a "I believe he is"
It took about an hour to get her hair done, make up (which consisted of so little as rouge on the pale cheeks, not too visible for it was a outdoor event during the daylight) and getting herself into a dress. Her choice for the day had been carefully meditated ever since she learnt of the event and she was most pleased with it as she stared on the mirror. The gown had belonged to Mrs. Swann, and although worn at least a dozen times, It was the first time she, Anne, would be the one in it, for it had been left to her care days prior her mother's death and back then she had been a scrawny little child, unable to fit in it; now although not fully grown (or at least she hope not) she was able to admit it looked rather lovely on her frame. It was pale blue coloured polonaise gown with thin lighter horizontal lines running through it and an en fourreau back. There were still some memories attached to her heart of her mother wearing it, and that made a warm feeling grow on her chest.
The youngest Swann wasn't ugly, that she could admit. Elizabeth and her both looked rather similar, but while the oldest took after their mother almost completely, Anne was more of a mixture between both parents. As Elizabeth had said many years ago, while her sister was still a newborn, they shared same brown eyes, but while her hair was that of a dark blonde, Anne's was brown - besides some minor differences, both shared the same facial structure and nose, and that little beauty mark over their right eyebrow; anyone could easily tell they were sisters. However, while Elizabeth was already a lady at twenty years of age, Anne stood still more a child than a woman at sixteen, for her chest had only just started showing and her hips were only a recent thing. She was satisfied with the way she looked, and hoped that someday, the man she wanted would too.
Perhaps she spent more time than she should've staring into the mirror. Vanity was never one of her faults during her old life, wasn't pretty enough to have such sin, and had more important things to take care of, and while she wouldn't say this was her main flaw in this life, it has certainly grown in importance. Guess all the pretty gowns, parties and titles really played their part. Still, despite her slip, she managed to be on time for breakfast, as it always was at the same hour.
Her father's muffled voice could be heard as she made way to the dining room, Sage following close behind, for it was time for her to have breakfast too. Governor Swann was talking to one of the staff, arranging things for some special dinner he was planning on throwing that very same day on Commodore Norrington's behalf, but his voice and eyes immediately switched to where his younger daughter stood once he heard her enter the room.
"We were just asking about you" he said merrily, as he turned his head and stood up, she walked towards him "Oh my!" his eyes went glossy in less than a second and a sweet smile was settled on his face. Although a man, Weatherby Swann had always been easy to read regarding his emotions.
"You recognize this, I assume"
"How could I not" he smiled, finally taking a grab of her hands "You look beautiful, Annie. Just as your mother" She smiled too, for that was the nicest thing anyone could say to her.
Both took their usual seats soon after, and the food began to arrive. He sat at the head, she at his left, but the chair on his right remained empty, making his daughter raise her eyebrows and look at him, demanding for an explanation. He immediately caught up on that, already used to her vast diverse physical expressions that made up for the lack of words.
"I believe your sister's having her morning meal in bed" he informed
"Allowed to do that, is she? While I am confined to do it at the table... " a cheeky smile appeared on her face "I will start thinking you are favouring her, father"'
"Don't be ridiculous" he cried, giving a small wave of hands
Of course he knew she was only joking, and her soft giggles did nothing but reinforce that knowledge. Not that the girl had any experience with siblings from a past life, but from what she saw on television and movies, she had expected favourites would be picked and one child would feel inferior to the other, and it had always been a thought of hers that If given the case that she should have a sibling, It'd be her the one left aside. It never happened with Elizabeth; their parents simply loved each individually and the only times when one would get more attention than the other was during birthdays.
"A long day awaits for us, so I thought you girls could have the morning off for yourselves… of course you were ahead of me, as you usually are, Anne" he finished explaining with an amused smile.
She replied with a sheplish one.
"I hope I'll be unerring to assume your acknowledgement regarding today's events, hence your lovely choice of gown" he said warmly as he took a sip of tea. She was wondering when he was going to bring that up since one didn't use gowns that pretty without a reason.
"And you'll be most correct, father" she replied while taking a sip of my her own. She had figured by then her father was trying to keep the whole event a secret from both daughters, but knew he wasn't angry at her for finding out about it, if anything, he seemed diverted.
"May I enquire how you came into the possession of such particulars?"
"A good friend might have said a thing or two"
She swallowed two big pieces of fruits then, hoping he would ask no more of it. It was very amusing to tease her father about it, but that didn't mean she wanted to reveal the source of information. Poor Theodore had been so aggravated after he left the information slid from his mouth and had made her promise not to say a thing to her father. Although she knew her father wouldn't' say a thing if she were to ask him not to, since it wasn't that much big of a deal anyway, she couldn't bring herself to betray Mr. Grooves promise. At the same time, she hated keeping things from her father so if he were to insist too much on it, she'd probably say the truth, which would only aggravate her.
"Very mysterious of you, Anne" he chuckled, and she was glad to see he was letting it go. Had it been Elizabeth instead of Anne, perhaps he'd have pressed for a little longer in order to obtain an answer, but he knew talking under pressure wasn't his youngest forte and that shall the discussed subject be of any importance, she'd say what it was needed to be said at her own pace. "Have you told your sister yet?"
"No, your surprise is safe, papa"
"Well thank you, dear" he laughed
Breakfast was filled with conversation about the promotion, Captain Norrington and a special surprise father had prepared for both sisters, for which Anne begged to know more about but he paid her back and said she'd know soon enough, which made her smile, surprises were always nice. The father also reminded her that she should soon try to release that injured bird they had taken in after multiple begging on her part, since it was likely now fully recovered; she agreed, reluctantly. When the meal was finished, he instructed her to meet him over at Elizabeth's room, so he could give them their surprise.
Before stepping over at Elizabeth's, however, Anne made a stop by her room, allowing herself to a few more instants of staring into the mirror. Not an idiot regarding formalities in the 18th century (after sixteen years of living in it, she had come to learn and accept them), she knew Captain Norrington was approaching his late twenties and society demanded a man of such position of a certain age should soon take a wife, and a younger one was always preferable, for it facilitates breeding. She had just turned sixteen a few months ago, and was hoping that soon, little by little, she'd perhaps get a chance; all she had to do was hope he wouldn't propose to anyone else as she did her growing and so far that had worked, and while perhaps not quite and adult yet, she hoped that he'd start paying more attention, and she guessed the dress she was wearing for his promotion would do its bit to get that done.
Feeling just slightly ashamed of all the time wasted in front of the mirror and her fantasies, she made her way towards her sister's room, only to find a scolding father and her sister looking as if she'd just woke up from a long night; so she only assumed Elizabeth had not, in fact, taken her morning meal in bed.
"You could start taking after your sister's waking hours" Governor Swann added, as Anne sat down in bed with a smile on her face for she admired how even when scolding at them, their father had a soft loving look on his eyes, much different to how Rachel's mother's eyes had been when telling her off.
"Why, It'd take me years to pick up such neat habits as our little mouse's" Elizabeth said, directing a playful smile towards where her sister sat.
Their father decided to ignore the subject, although what seemed like a suppressed smile was showing. The maids made their way in, Estrella opening the curtains; two generous sized boxes resting over Celeste's hands.
"I have a gift for you" he announced to his oldest daughter, and with proud eyes, he revealed a most precious gown, which soon the new owner took on her arms, unfolding it to see it on it all.
"It's beautiful" Elizabeth cried, appreciating the present.
"Is it?"
The dark haired sister stood up as well in order to get nearer to the dress, trying to get a closer look of it and feel the fabric. It was absolutely gorgeous, she confirmed, and knowing how well those kind of soft golden colours favoured her sister, Anne was sure it'd look the loveliest on her. However, Elizabeth, being the smart lady she was, soon caught up on the fact that such expensive presents didn't come without a reason, and with an inquiring raising brow, she asked: "May I inquire as to the occasion?"
"Does a father need an occasion to dote upon his daughters?" Governor Swann raised a single eyebrow, playfully and soon chuckled, ordering then for his eldest to go and try the dress on and she did so with a most pleased and thrilled smile "Which reminds me, this one's for you, Anne dear"
And walking closer to where her father, Celeste and the box stood, Anne was met by a pair of pink coloured silk slippers, a small pair of ribbons on top of it. Taking one of them in her own hands, the teenager smiled for it was her first pair of slippers with a heel of such length.
"These are wonderful. I adore them, father" and with fondness and gratefulness in her chocolate eyes, she leaned over to kiss her father on the cheek, the shoe still on her hand.
"I am most pleased to hear that, darling"
Then, as she left to put her newly acquired items on, her father seemed to have gained courage to admit his real intentions to Elizabeth. Looking out the window, he began: "Actually, I… I had hoped you may wear it for the ceremony today"
"The ceremony?"
"Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony"
"I knew it!" Elizabeth called, her head popping from behind the screen.
"Commodore Norrington, as he's about to become"
"Annie you don't look surprised. Why aren't you surprised?" the blonde Swann inquired with suspicion, for she had immediately posed her look upon her sister, to share a reaction upon the news, only to find Anne looked oddly calm. Knowing the special interest her younger sister took upon the captain, that was not a reaction she had been expecting, unless…
"I did not tell her" her father excused himself, confirming the knowledge of his younger daughter regarding the subject "He's fine gentleman, don't you think? He fancies you, you know?" after not getting an answer and what he thought was some odd breathing, he called for her "Elizabeth? How's it coming?"
Anne wasn't listening with as much attention as before, but that was expected, since she was trying not to let emotion mar her face after hearing her father's words. Of course she was aware that Captain Norrington, along with many other gentlemen, took interest on her sister, but that was only natural, since Elizabeth was not only beautiful on looks but also a charming person all together, but she tried not thinking about it too much because it'd be pointless: for once, Elizabeth would never dare harming her sister in any way, and being aware of Anne's feelings for the man, she'd never take interest in him, besides, Anne knew her sister's heart had been taken by another person many years ago, even if Elizabeth herself was unable to admit that yet.
After Governor Swann and the maids left, the sisters had no other company but themselves, which only made them relax further, waking around the room with a deprocupied air around them. Much to their parents relief, the girls had grown close to one another, being each other's greatest confident, carer and friend. Anne had been worried at first that that wouldn't have been the case, since many times you could dislike the people you loved and that was often the case with sisters, when jealousy would get in the middle of things, but she found herself adoring her sister' playful and adventurous personality, and Elizabeth grew to do the same with Anne's more unusual and gentler nature.
"You look in pain" Anne stated, a trace of playfulness visible on her face as she got closer to her sister, to inspect her from closer "but look most lovely"
"Not very fair, for you look even lovelier and seem perfectly fine" that gained a few chuckles from the youngest, and Elizabeth walked over to where she stood and grabbed her by the forearms, inspecting the gown with caring eyes "You look just like mother did when she wore it, you know?"
"You think so?" starry doe eyes stared at her, a tiny smile resting on Anne's lips.
"Absolutely" was Elizabeth's only response, gently caressing her sister's cheek. Then, turning around and walking towards window, she added teasingly: "Although… you could explain how come you knew about father's wicked intentions"
Knowing her sister unlike her father wouldn't settle with such a vague answer that failed to include names, and that Elizabeth was even less likely than herself to reveal anything to their father, she answered with the complete truth: "Lieutenant Grooves mentioned it to me about half a fortnight ago, around port"
Just seeing Elizabeth's suggestive smile made Anne's cheeks go bright pink.
"Oh, stop it!"
"I didn't say anything" although her face professed how badly she actually wanted to say something.
"Good"
And just when Anne's cheeks had returned to their normal ivory hue and as they prepared themselves to abandon the room and meet their father downstairs, Elizabeth opened her mouth again: "I just think Its really considerate of Lieutenant Grooves to share secrets with you"
"Elizabeth!"
Soon the sisters were chasing each other, something quite impressive considering their gowns, and giggles were all that could be heard around the house - that's the scenery Governor Swann and William Turner encountered when they lifted their heads. Soon, both sisters noticed the presence of the young blacksmith and giving that said William Turner was one of the few people with whom Anne was comfortable enough to be around, a gigantic smile appeared on her face, as she turned to Elizabeth, who saw how the opportunity to tease had been switched towards Anne's power.
"William Turner!" Anne whispered among giggles while leaning onto her sister, giving her perhaps one of the cheekiest looks, for it wasn't often that she was in such a silly, playful mood.
A squeeze on her forearm and a warning look from Elizabeth were enough for Anne to drop the teasing, although she kept the playful smile on her lips, for it always got her in a good mood to see young William, one of her few non blood related friends. Sticking to the opinion she had made up about him back when they had first met, when she was nine going on twenty five and he had been fourteen, she thought him to be sweet, loyal and very fun, when he permitted himself to be so in the presence of the ladies; she could see he was a good natured lad who had lived a harsh life and continued to do so every day, parentless, much like she had been once as well.
"Calm, calm, my dears" their father's voice said, affectionately "You two look absolutely stunning"
However such praise was ignored, for Elizabeth's attention was stolen by a certain brown eyed someone, as she cried: "Will! It's so good to see you", leaving her sister a few steps behind as she made her way towards the subject of interest. Anne walked down as she watched both with warm eyes, because to her, being the person who knew Elizabeth the most, it seemed clear that her interest on young William Turner was beyond friendship, and judging by the always more nervous, delicate and formal way in which he address her older sister, in comparison to herself, it was also clear that he liked her too, as a little bit more than friends.
Linking her arms to her father's, she heard as Elizabeth claimed about a dream she had the previous night, which involved, of course, Mr. Turner. It was almost painful to see, for his nervousness was as clear as water.
"About me?"
"Is that entirely proper for you to…
"About the day we met, do you remember?"
"How could I forget, Miss Swann"
"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?"
"At least once more, Miss Swann. As always"
It pained Anne to see the look of disappointment on Elizabeth's face. It was hard to see, coming from the 21th century, something as silly as social status to come between such clearly attracted to each other people as William and her sister were; Anne had had more time than necessary to learn the ways of the current times, and all she had left was the hope, that one day, with a little help from herself, both lovebirds could be together, if they wished to, for she knew although he wouldn't encourage it, their father wouldn't dare to think any less of Elizabeth were she to choose William Turner as a husband; the only problem was, despite her sister's various votes of confidence on him, such as offering the familiarity of being called by first names, the blacksmith still stood by the social rules firmly.
It was Anne's believe, well, more like hope, that she had been gifted with the opportunity of life again for a reason, and guarding for her sister's happiness certainly looked like something worth another chance at breathing. She did small things, not too evident for anyone to think they were anything but mere coincidence, mentioning romantic stories about two lovers who were apart due to different backgrounds when her sister was around; bringing up stories about how happy 'the daughter of that duke who married the baker' was - said lady had been the scandal of London back when they were children and been talked about for weeks until the next came.
"Good day, William" Anne said with a nod, just before turning over the door, her arm still over her father's and her sister following close behind.
Elizabeth and Anne had just managed to escape a tiring conversation with Mrs. Carew-Shepperd, the wife of a former admiral and mother of two sons that lived in England and who she believed would be such perfect match for both Swann sisters. Any social event seemed like the perfect opportunity for every middle aged woman in Port Royal to catch a look of the Governor's daughters and decide they were good enough to be married to the remaining single gentlemen in their families; most setups were aimed to Elizabeth, but from time to time, more often now than ever before due to her current journey towards womanhood, Anne was drawn into those schemes and not knowing well how do dealt with them, needed of the constant company of her sister to leave the conversation alive (or more like it, without a proposal)
Talking to the officers was rather different. Not that either Swann girl took interest on any of them, for they were already fixated on different men, but it was entertaining nevertheless - they told stories of their adventures and were beyond kind when talking to the ladies. Still, those conversations also were long and with some officers, these could get boring towards the end.
So indeed two sisters were giggling and heading towards a corner, hoping to spend at least a few moments unbothered with no other presence but each other's. Elizabeth let out a sigh and Anne gave one last chuckle when she caught sight of two people approaching; two people with whom she was familiar with; and two people who she liked greatly.
"Commodore, Liutenant Grooves" Anne greeted, and her sister soon followed the example, her voice much confident and louder than Anne's. Not a minute short, both gentleman did as expected.
"Enjoying the ceremony?" Commodore Norrington asked to them both, a tang of nervousness adorning his voice, making him (without his knowledge) completely irresistible to the youngest Swann sister.
"Very much" Elizabeth answered, as always assuming the proactive role in the conversation "A most beautiful day, isn't that right, Anne?"
"Lovely" was the brunette's answer and it gained her a brilliant smile from Theodore Grooves, her dear friend, who held her in high esteem and always seemed to leave conversations with the lady with a pleased air around him.
Mr. Norrington simply gave a small nod and a polite grin, and the lack of words from his part that came after surprised Anne and made her think perhaps he was not interested in their ongoing conversation, which was odd. It felt almost as if he didn't want to be a part of it. It was confirmed after he cleared up his throat and said: "Miss Swann, Elizabeth, I was wondering if I could have a word with you"
Instead of giving an answer straight away, the blonde turned her head to face her sister, who remained to look as unbothered by the request as she should have been had she not had any feelings for the man in question. Not only was she good at keeping her emotions on watch, but also, this conversation Mr. Norrington intended to have with her sister may've been purely innocent and there was no need for her to be aggravated by that.
"Of course" she said, giving her sister a soft touch on the hand "I shall be right back, Anne"
"Miss Swann" the Commodore nodded her way, as he offered his arm to Elizabeth.
Not wanting to look a the pair for too long, for it would be no good for her, Anne turned to look at Theodore, offering him a tender smile and the start of a friendly conversation. The two had been friends for that of two years now, and he was one of the few people his age who she considered made interesting conversation.
"My father was most amused when he realized I already knew about today's gathering"
"You haven't told, have you?" in his voice there was no doubt that he already knew the answer.
"Of course not. I don't kiss and tell"
That produced a chuckle on the young boy, for he quickly recognized the phrase as that used on 'Burlesque upon Burlesque', a book by Charles Cotton that had belonged to Anne Swann until she passed it along to Theodore Grooves. It was quite an enjoyable book and the lady was having her second go at it when walking around the shore one morning, when she had ran into the Lieutenant; he mentioned to her that it had been quite a while since he had spent some alone time with a book out of pleasure, and that's when she decided to make it a present for him. The line had stuck into both teenagers: for Anne, because it was quite popular back in 2017 and it seemed amusing to be able to use it again; to Theodore, because that was the first time he was hearing of it - she guessed it'd be at least another hundred years until the phrase gained popularity.
"I suppose it is not too wild of me to say you look lovely, Anne"
Instead of a blush, what any proper young lady should've gotten, Anne smiled with fondness. Not only was it a sweet thing to say, but it was coming out of a dear person who she trusted, and most importantly, it helped a great deal to ignore the fact the man she lusted after had just requested to have a private conversation with her slightly always prettier older sister.
"Well thank you, Theo. You look handsome yourself" that did gain a blush of his part, and although she meant it to come out as a witty remark, it was the truth "Soon we'll be gathering here for your own promotion, that shall be exciting"
"I'm not so sure about that." he said, the face of true modesty "Were it to happen, I hope I shall count with you being present?"
"You have my word" she smiled at him, posing a hand over his lower arm, and removing it with care "Have you given 'Gulliver's Travels' a bit of your attention? Don't you love it as much as I do?"
"As a matter of fact-
And Theodore Grooves was never able to finish that sentence, for the desperate calling of Elizabeth's name made both young people turn their attention towards were Mr. Norrington stood looking at the ocean, alone, without Elizabeth Swann. Every single social rule a well raised young woman should follow was broken by Anne Swann the minute she realized what had happened, and she ran towards where the Commodore stood along with other two newly arrived.
One look down and she confirmed the worst: her sister had fallen into the sea. Everything seemed like a nightmare, but she didn't seem to be waking up. A hand rested on her waist, assuring she would not follow the same destiny as Elizabeth had - it was Mr. Grooves', who had followed her close behind with almost as much desperation as she had held, but she did not turn to check if it was indeed him or someone else, in fact, she didn't even feel anything touch her until she felt it harden its grip when she tried to jump.
"I need to save her!" she shouted, once again trying to get closer to the cliff and ready to jump, but Theodore Groove's grip on her didn't allow her to do such a thing,
She didn't even need to ask for an explanation as for why she should not jump to the waters, for the other navy men were just telling Commodore Norrington that the rocks could kill him the minute he touched the water. Instead of staying and argue, the Commodore ran down to the shore, and Anne could only pray he'd get there on time - if not, she didn't know what she'd do.
Taking a hold of the Lieutenant's hand, Anne began a travecy of her own, draggin the youngman with her all the way were she hoped she'd see her sister still breathing alongside Commodore Norrington. She was aware she probably bumped into some people, Mrs. Carew- Shepperd being one of them - not that she recognized her. It'd be one tragic thing if Elizabeth were to die the same way Anne had many years ago.
All she could think of as her legs ran as fast as they were able to in the discomfort of such a dress, corset and sandals, was that she'd do anything if her sister survived. She prayed to God, cried for help in the riot that was her mind. How had she dared thinking negatively of her sister a few minutes ago; allowing herself to feel jealousy towards her own, beautiful, sister - Anne promised God to never again allow those feelings take hold of her regarding Elizabeth, or anyone else, if she survived.
"She's not breathing!" a voice was heard saying, one officer.
Anne felt the tears she had been holding finally running free on her face, and she kept on running. Soon, she was next to her sister's unconscious body, but just as she was leaning down and screaming her name, the blonde began throwing up water and breathing. Letting out breath she didn't know she was holding, Anne allowed herself to smile, tears still running down her face.
In the spite of the moment, she stood up and hugged the first familiar non recovering face she saw, which was that of Mr. Grooves. Not prolonging the gesture long enough for her to feel embarrassed, she soon retrieved her attention back to her sister, kneeling down again, and missing the redness that spread across the lieutenant's cheeks and neck.
"Elizabeth!" she whispered lovingly, full of relief, running a palm over her sister's cold cheek. She was now holding her sister's head over her lap, wet blonde hair all over it; her arm was circling Elizabeth's frame, and she was trying to give as much warmth as physically possible. Elizabeth's eyes and attention were aimed somewhere else.
When the youngest Swann sister turned to see what that was, she was met by a tanned, dirty and quite unusual man, who was not exactly staring at her sister's face, but more like her chest - when Anne looked down, she noticed it wasn't exactly her sister's chest what was of interest to this man either, but rather a strange golden medallion she had never seen in all her life.
He asked her where had she gotten that from, and Anne looked at Elizabeth in request of the same answer, for had it been any other medallion, it wouldn't have mattered, but that looked dangerously pirate, and the fact that such a man like the one who kneeled along with her was inquiring about it, made it even more suspicious.
Elizabeth wasn't able to give an answer. Anne wasn't even sure she was physically able to.
Commodore Norrington along with some other members of the Navy were surronding them, a sword pointing towards the strange man and close to Anne's own brown head.
"On your feet"
Every man stood up, while Anne remained on the ground with her sister, half of her attention put into the man, the other half making sure her sister was still conscious and recovering.
This would be the first time she was exposed to such a scene, with swords and the possibility of a fight. During her old life, things hadn't been easy but usually everything went down to yelling and perhaps slaps or hair pulling (the 21th century lacked on dramatism); during her new one, both her father and mother made sure their children were protected from things she was sure many other kids in the 18th century were used to seeing on their everyday life. Hadn't her sister been laying cold as a ghost on the floor, water still coming off her nose and mouth, she would have even said it was a rather exciting scene to be a part of - even if only on the sidelines.
She wasn't able to stay on the ground for too long, for her father came a few seconds after, inquiring for Elizabeth and dragging her to her feet, to give her his coat and cover her up, for as Anne along with Weatherby Swann realized, Elizabeth had been forced out of most her clothes.
"Shoot him" her father said, and it was the first time Anne had ever heard him said anything of the such.
"Father!" Elizabeth said, turning her head to look to the uniformed men "Commodore, do you really intent to kill my rescuer?"
After some minutes of hesitation on his part, Norrington obliged, and the swords were taken away from his brown face. Not a second after, the Commodore was offering his hand out to this stranger.
"I believe thanks are in order" and just when Anne was thinking of what a perfect gentleman Norrington was, behaving in such a polite and equal way towards a man who looked so obviously inferior to him in all range, wealth, and very likely, education, the Commodore took the liberty to pull the man's dirty sleeve up, revealing a 'P' engraved on his skin, like cattle "Had a brush with the East India Trading Companu, did we, pirate?"
"Hang him!"
"Keep your guns on him, and Gillette, fetch some irons"
Prying a bit higher on his arm, the Commodore came across this pirate's name, Jack Sparrow.
Conversation was kept between the Commodore and the pirate, and soon some of the other navy officers joined in, but Anne was too busy to pay attention, busy experiencing something she had never felt, well, never towards the people towards whom she was feeling it. Anger was building up, little by little, in Anne's small chest. How could these men, Commodore Norrington, her father as well, treat so lowly a man who had risked his own life to save Elizabeth's? A man whom without his help, her sister could've possibly drowned? Perhaps a pirate, perhaps dross, but a brave man who had saved the dearest person to her.
"You are without a doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of"
"But you have heard of me"
And that's when Anne did perhaps the most out of character thing she could possibly do. Something young ladies of her social status were never supposed to do; something ladies of any statues were supposed to do; something no one on their right mind would've expected shy Anne Swann to do - Elizabeth, perhaps, but not Anne. She shook hands with a pirate.
"Mr. Sparrow, I thank you for saving my sister. May God bless your path" she said sincerily with a bow, leaving everyone around (pirate included) on complete surprise.
The pirate raised his brows with cookiness, and then said to no one in particular: "These Port Royal lasses sure are grateful, perhaps you could show me some of that gratefulness more later" and then he winked an eye to one of the uniformed men closer to him.
Nothing else could be said on Anne's part; once, because she didn't know what to say; secondly, because she refused to answer to such disrespectful implication and ofensse to her persona; and thirdly, because Commodore Norrington was pulling him by the forearm with great force, anger visible on his face as he did so.
It was then Elizabeth, the one who came to the pirate's resque, getting rid of her father's coat and following the men: "Commodore, I really must protest!"
"Carefully, Liutenant" he instructed to one of his men, the one handcuffing Sparrow.
"Pirate or not this man saved my life"
"One good deed does not redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness"
"It's enough to condemn him" the pirate added.
"Indeed" Norrington said, then proceeding to ignore the Captain again, to face the young woman "You have seen yourself, Miss Swann, this man's ill treatment of your own sister. If that's doesn't seem like reason enough to condemn him, I don't know what it is"
And that day, the day of her first interaction with a pirate, Anne learnt one thing: the basterds were quick.
"Finally" Sparrow said, and then proceeded to press his chains against Elizabeth's neck, forcing her to crook her head back in order to keep breathing
The only thing that kept Anne from jumping to fight the pirate with her own bare hands was the fact that once again, Liutenant Grooves was holding her, this time by her wrist, for which she was grateful, had she done what her initial reaction had told her to (go and fight the pirate, that was) it may have gotten not only herself, but Elizabeth killed in the process. All she was able to do was stand by the sidelines, observing her sister's luck depend on the hands of what she assumed to be perhaps the most unpleasant individual with whom she had ever crossed paths with during this life. The feeling of impotence was overpowering, and she felt her eyes, once again, fill up with tears as the pirate commanded Elizabeth to practically dress him up.
"Gentleman, my ladies, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow" and as he said his last name, he pushed Elizabeth towards them, to run off.
Even in her current state of anger, Anne was able to admit to herself that the whole thing was beyond impressive, and when fire was open by the King's men, as her sister and herself were held by their father's embrace, she told herself to take back every single time she had thought the 18th century was a bit boring in comparison to the 21st.
Anne was beyond grateful her father wasn't home that night, for she knew what would await for her the minute he found some free time to do so, and that was to 'have a word' regarding her behaviour with the pirate. Now, she knew her father wouldn't tell her off, he wasn't like that, but he'd probably list her about a thousand reasons of why what she did shouldn't be repeated under any circumstances, but she didn't want to be reminded of her own stupidity. Believing a pirate could be somehow of a decent man, Anne wanted to laugh at herself, but the self embarrassment didn't allow her to do so.
With a soft knock on her sister's door, Anne awaited to see her sister in private for the first time after all that mess of a day, for both Elizabeth and her had taken baths, and during those times they hadn't been allowed to be by themselves.
"Come in"
The thin smile on her lips grew a little when her sister returned it, and it was safe to say both Swann girls were overly exhausted. Not even having to ask for it, the eldest pulled the covers away on the right side of the bed, so her sister could lie with her.
Just as they did every once in a while, since they were little girls, Elizabeth and Anne lied in bed together, their arms tangled around the other, and Elizabeth's chin resting over Anne's head. Back in the old days, in London, they used to do that a lot, their mother in the middle, holding one girl to each side; after her mother's passing they continued the little tradition themselves. No words were necessary, they said all they had to say through their eyes and actions, and just as Elizabeth was about to fall asleep, her eyes weighting more and more each time she blinked - Anne already long gone, the unmistakable sound of canyons shooting was heard close enough to have them both jumping in their place.
Elizabeth barely had enough time to put on her robe before going to check on the balcony, Anne wasn't so lucky, and found herself in the shelter of night with only her nightgown. What they saw was fighting, and Anne remembered those period films she sometimes watched, in which war was the main protagonist. Fire, shouting, darkness, the smell of terrible knews.
Even worst, the shouting got closer, and before they knew it, several men were entering the property, the place that until a few minutes ago had seemed like the safest place on earth. They knew they had to run. Grabbing her sister by the hand, Elizabeth began to run towards the main room, looking to secure the door.
Too bad one of their employees had to open the door.
For the first time in their lives, Anne and Elizabeth saw someone getting killed.
The scream of pure fear that came out of the blonde drowned whatever little gasp Anne let out, and once again being the most proactive of the two, Elizabeth dragged her sister away from the danger.
"They've come to kidnap you!" Estrella shouted at the eldest sister, as soon as the the pair made it through the door, grabbing her by the shoulders. That gesture of confidence only reinforced the feeling of desperation every single one of them was feeling.
"What?"
"You're the Governor's daughters"
The realization that fell upon Elizabeth was something Anne had realized long ago, they were probably going to die or held hostages, then die.
Sooner than they would've liked it, the men made their way into the room. Elizabeth ran towards the next room, while Anne and Estrella hid under a piece of furniture, as the eldest Swann had commanded. The men followed Elizabeth immediately, and Anne had to fight her instinct to go after them, waiting instead, for the most opportune moment.
That came when Elizabeth hit one of them in the face with a boiling red bed warmer, knoking him down immediately. The other one, however, took hold of the handle, and made it difficult for her sister to hit him, so knowing if there was any opportune moment to fight a possible pirate that was possibly it, Anne got out of her hidden spot. Running towards them with a heavy 16th century vase on her hands, Anne watched how her impressive sister burned one of them with the heated embers in amazement. When the other one made an attempt to stand up again - how he could do that still after what had happened to him, was beyond Anne's understanding - she smashed the vase on his head, and once again, he fell.
However, she must've underestimated how strong boned and flesh 18th century men were, for they stood up no long after, resuming with their chasing of them downstairs, were chaos reigned.
It seemed as if they were possibly going to make it, but the skinniest one jumped from the upper level towards where they were, leaving the sisters between him and his partner. From such close proximity, Anne confirmed these people were indeed, pirates, for they looked just as nasty as the one she had encountered earlier that day.
Perhaps Anne Swann weighted little more over a hundred and ten pounds, and was no taller than the average lady, but God gave her strength to push her whole body weight and that of a dozen men against the skinny pirate, tumbling him down just as a cannonball crashed against one of the house's pillars and made a chandelier fall over him - Elizabeth and Anne escaping, urharmed.
Hadn't it been for Elizabeth, Anne would've stayed staring in horror for a lifetime, for she had just killed a man. Pirate or not, her intention or not, she had pushed someone and made him fall to a certain dead. She seemed to be in the most profound state of shock, for when they entered a new room, after locking up the door with a candle holder, Elizabeth grabbed both her cheeks in between her palms, lowering her head and moving her face closer to Anne's
"Annie, we can make it. We just have to make it through until the officers come, alright?" Anne wasn't answering "Come on, compose yourself" still, not even a blink "Anne!" Elizabeth shouted, her patience running low.
That made the brunette snap out of it. Nodding like a mad woman, she whispered "You're right"
Elizabeth nodded, understandingly: "Come, help me get this out"
With a lot of struggle, they got the swords up on the wall off. Sadly, they were merely decoration, for they were unable to get them separated from the marmol holding them together.
The door was struggling, someone was getting in, time was running low.
"Elizabeth we have to hide!"
"They'll find us!" the taller sister breathed, as she kept on trying to get the swords out
"It's not coming out. Stop it and hide!" and yanking her sister's robe, while Elizabeth accepted the fact her sister was right, both ladies ran towards a wardrobe.
Hugging her sister and praying, that's how Anne spent what she thought were her last minutes alive - praying perhaps by some miracle, they wouldn't find them; praying that if they did, they'd give them a quick death; praying that if they died, she may be allowed to go to Heaven with her sister and mother, and not be confined to another life, as good and blessed that new possible life may be. Praying God to forgive her for killing a man.
"We know you're here poppets"
"Poppets!"
"We promise we won't hurt you"
"We will find you poppets"
"You've got something of ours, and it calls to us. The gold call to us"
"The gold"
By then, both sisters were staring at Elizabeth's golden medallion, to then look at each other, trying to understand what possibly could be about such a tiny thing to provoke what was happening outside.
"Parley" her sister shouted, and the pirates didn't harm her.
Anne wouldn't have been more surprised by the fact that her sister knew of such things as a pirate code and whatever parley was, had she not been unable to move her eyes away from the skinny pirate who no long ago she had seen crashed under a chandelier, now breathing and moving as if nothing but the pestilence of not showering in a long time was affecting him.
In fact, that was all she could think about as the pirates took them to their ship.
