Ha. So funny story: I simply suck.
Not so funny story: This past year has been basically Hell. I'm going to spare you lovely readers the details, but I'm hoping you guys aren't mad at me for being gone. This chapter sat in my files for about eight months before I finally finished it. Hopefully it's okay. I tried to keep it a little long, but I need to get going on writing the ending and such before I try and get something new going.
Thank you so so much for staying with me! Here's one for you guys! :D
9.
He carried me through the crowd to the Captain's Cabin, asking me to hold on. I knew I couldn't move, so I was helpless as he held me. I think I could hear the fear in his voice, but I doubt anyone else could. I also couldn't tell if I was dreaming or not, I opened my eyes once and saw Theo with a hand covering his mouth in fear. The rest was a blur. This can't be real.
I don't want to die.
I want to live. For him.
James….
Hours passed slowly into days. Every member of the Dauntless's crew came to visit the unconscious Narelle at least once at her bedside. The only constant was James. He placed himself behind the desk in the room and started filling out paperwork for her, occasionally taking a break to sit by her bedside, or to make sure she wasn't bleeding through her clothes. The doctor came in at least twice a day to check on her, and to change her bandages. Still having a sense of propriety, James would step outside and get some fresh air while the doctor did his work.
He knew she was in good care when he left, but it still never felt right to him, as if his presence would make a difference in Narelle's well-being.
The doctor knows what he's doing, he scolded himself. Trust the man, and get some fresh air.
James stood near the helm, silent in his own thoughts. The governor came to stand beside him, and caused James to jump slightly when he spoke.
"So often we worry about the ones we care about, that we often forget others are just as capable of giving the same amount of care as we are," the governor said with a small smile.
"I'm merely filling out some paperwork for Captain Westbrook. Trying to give her a head start when she wakes up," James nonchalantly replied. He never told the older man about his true feelings about Narelle yet. He wanted to wait until both the governor and Elizabeth were in the same room to talk to them, but Elizabeth was more interested in talking to the blacksmith all day.
"I know a lie when I hear one, Commodore," the governor replied. "I know you have feelings for Miss Westbrook. You worry so much for her when you're out on the deck that you almost have a rut ground into the wood."
James opened his mouth slightly, as if to deny the insinuations of the governor, but closed it again. The older man was right, and there was no use in denying the truth.
"I've been meaning to talk to Elizabeth, but it seems she will not give me the time of day to speak to me," he stated.
"I'm sure the situation will resolve itself soon," the governor replied. "She will eventually see the problem, and will most likely help to find a quick solution."
Narelle awoke to a doctor leaning over her body. Her side burned in a dull ache, and her shoulder felt like it was on fire. She groaned slightly in pain. The doctor didn't seem fazed in her sudden regaining of consciousness. She coughed.
"Ah, Captain," he said. "Glad to see you're awake."
"My shoulder and my side feel like they're on fire. Ugh," she moaned.
"Nothing to fear, my lady. Your shoulder is bruised something fierce, but your side is free of infection."
"Glad to know. Where's the Commodore?"
"On the deck. I kicked him out to change your bandages. He needed some fresh air anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"He wouldn't leave you unless I made him leave. That man has been in this room since the battle at Isla de Muerte. Filling out paperwork, sitting in that chair over there, sleeping at your desk, sleeping in the chair, even saw him sleeping on the floor once."
"He didn't have to bring me here. There are other beds on the ship, and he could have had his own bed to sleep." Guilt washed over her.
"Many of the crew offered their bunks to him, but he refused. Guess he wanted to protect you, or watch over you, or whatever."
The doctor straightened, and took a step back when he realized Narelle had already swung her feet over the side of the bed to get to a sitting position.
"Am I good to go?" she asked.
"Officially, I would say no. Unofficially, I'm saying that you know your limits, so take it easy. No need to get up and sprint out the door. Here."
He handed her coat to her, and kicked her boots over to her. She slipped into the footwear and the coat, and slowly hobbled out the door to the deck. The sun blinded her for a moment, causing her to silently curse, but once her eyes adjusted, she was grateful to have the star warm her face. She looked around, and saw the crew busy at work. Officers chatted amongst themselves, unaware their commanding officer was awake and limping around. She heard the familiar baritone voice of James, but couldn't find him.
He must be above me, near the helm, she thought.
"Captain!" someone exclaimed, pulling Narelle out of her thoughts. She looked around to find the source of the voice, and saw Andrew running towards her.
"Andrew," she replied with a smile. Most of the crew stopped what they were doing to stare at the injured woman. Many of them smiled, some of them sighed in relief. Theo was towards the bow of the ship, and ran over to Narelle and Andrew, a smile beaming on his tanned face.
"Captain, glad you're alright," he said. Narelle smiled.
"I'm sure I look a lot worse than how I feel, but I'll be okay," she replied. "I'm just glad no one decided to replace me."
Both of her lieutenants laughed. "It would have been a challenge, I doubt Norrington would let us take over for you."
"Mostly because the ship would be sinking within the first hour of you in command," came a voice.
Narelle turned her head, saw James and the governor standing next to her, and she smiled.
"That's why you're here, Commodore," she replied. "It's your job to teach the new fish how to swim."
"I'd rather not," was his amused reply.
"Captain Westbrook," the governor started, a smile plastered on his face. "I'm delighted to see you moving about, and on such a nice day!"
She smiled back at him. "Thank you, sir. I'm glad the sun is treating us today. How is Miss Elizabeth?"
"She's grateful this whole mess is behind us. I think she also wanted to speak to you when you are well. She wouldn't say what about, but I know better than to get involved in ladies' matters."
"I'd like that very much, sir. Whenever she is free, I will speak with her."
"Splendid! I shall retrieve her!" He went below deck to find his daughter.
"We're about two days away from Port Royal, Narelle," James stated once the governor was gone. "If you're able, I'd like for you to be on duty when we return to dock."
"Whatever you need, James," she replied, "I'll make sure I'm up and around."
A few moments later, Elizabeth bounced up the stairs. She immediately spotted Narelle, and trotted to her.
"Miss Narelle," she said with a smile. "I'm glad you're awake and moving around!"
"Me too," Narelle replied. "I need to talk to you."
She took a step forward, winced in pain, and began to collapse. Two hands caught her arms, and pulled her back up. She saw that Andrew and Theo both kept her from falling. Both James and Elizabeth watched on in horror.
"Maybe you should take this into the cabin so you can sit?" Andrew suggested.
Narelle shook her head. "Just get me to the railing," she ordered. "I can use the ship to move around."
The two men half-walked, half-carried the injured woman to the railing of the ship. She steadied herself for the moment, and dismissed them. Elizabeth cautiously approached her.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine. My health can wait. Our conversation cannot."
"I've been…thinking about what I wanted to say to Commodore Norrington."
"You can use James, 'Liz. We are both on a first name basis here."
"Fine. James. I've been wanting to talk to him about ending the engagement between us."
"So you used him to rescue that Turner boy?!" Narelle almost yelled.
"I didn't want to, but he left me no choice! What would you have done to save him?"
"I would have just left. Those pirates you sailed with when you were saved from the Black Pearl would have helped you."
"They're not the sort to help others for charity."
"Then I guess the meaning of friendship to them is how deep your pockets are?"
"That's not…." Elizabeth trailed off.
"I thought so," Narelle replied. "And it's thanks to the pirates that I'm here, hobbling around, scaring the absolute daylights out of my crew, and sending James into a worried state ever since I got hurt. If I were you, Elizabeth, I would sever all ties to this nonsense, go home, and act like the governor's daughter."
"And what of you, princess?" Elizabeth half-sneered.
"I'm going to be doing my job, Miss Swann. Protecting the people from danger and all those who break the law."
"So arrest me, then. I technically broke the law by sailing with pirates."
"You were a prisoner aboard the Black Pearl, and that's why we wasted all this time, resources, and my men to get you. You know some of my men died that night, right?"
Elizabeth opened her mouth to give a sharp retort, then realized she couldn't fight back after that statement, and closed it again.
"I think I will speak to James now," she softly replied.
As the blonde woman walked away, Narelle stared after her and spoke low enough so she could still hear.
"I won't hesitate with the irons next time."
Elizabeth stopped midstride, whirled around to face the dark-haired officer.
"At least I would be imprisoned as something I've always wanted to be."
She turned on her heel, and stormed off towards James. They spoke for a few seconds before they went into the cabin together.
The nerve of that woman, Narelle thought. If I weren't injured…
"If looks could kill, Miss Elizabeth would be a pile of ash," came Andrew's voice.
"The ship would most likely be on fire if looks could really kill, Andrew," Theo replied. "That scowl will most likely give you untimely wrinkles, Captain."
Narelle rolled her eyes, but the joke did help her mood lift a little. She didn't make eye contact with her friends, and just stared at the closed door.
"I just can't understand that woman, guys," she sighed.
"You don't have to," Theo stated. "Those two will break off their engagement, and you and James will be free to court each other."
"It would give him an excuse to get out of the office for once," Andrew mumbled.
Narelle grabbed the railing, and turned herself towards the view of the ocean. She had hoped that seeing the waves would put her mind more at ease.
"At least that Sparrow fellow is in the brig," Theo said, a reassuring smile on his face. "Then you can say that both you and James hung the most notorious pirate in the Caribbean."
"Maybe," she replied. "Though it seems that Mr. Sparrow has a knack for trying to escape."
"Do you always expect the worst, Captain?" Gillette asked. "You don't seem particularly thrilled that you've captured him."
"One thing at a time, Andrew," she replied. "First thing we need to do is make sure we get back to Port Royal in one piece. Then we can start on the situation with our pirate guest."
She heard a set of footsteps heading towards her, and as she turned back around to face the rest of the ship, James came to a stop before the group. The three officers looked at him expectantly.
"Well," Theo started. "How did your talk with Miss Elizabeth go?"
James nodded slightly before he spoke.
"It went rather well," he said. "Mostly, we both stated our reasons as to why, and we agreed to break off the engagement. In essence, I'm a free man."
"A bachelor once again, James," Andrew said with a smile. "Now, you're free to court that one lady we all know…"
"Yes," Theo continued. "She doesn't get out much, though. I hear she has a military career…" he winked.
"Oh yeah," said Andrew. "But I hear she's sometimes a hard ass on duty."
Narelle narrowed her eyes, and the three men laughed.
"Oh, I don't think she'd like that if she heard you say something of that sort," James finished. "She could make your day a living hell on the ship."
"Yes," Narelle chimed in. "Considering that this is now my ship, I could make all three of you do extra work, like swabbing the deck." She crossed her arms with a smirk.
The men laughed, and Narelle found that the voyage home might end on a lighter note than she had originally planned.
Night had fallen once again upon the seas, including the Dauntless. The stars shone brightly in the various constellations, and the moonlight gave the waves and the ship an almost eerie glow. Narelle, unable to sleep, wandered around the deck. Her side felt better and better the more she moved, and the spikes of pain she felt earlier in the day soon faded to an annoying ache every once in a while. She eventually came to a stop at the bow of the ship, and stared out to the waves, lost in past memories. She didn't even realize a tear had fallen down her cheek until she was scared back to the present by a voice behind her.
"If something's bothering you," came a familiar baritone voice, "you can talk to me about it."
Caught unaware of James's presence, Narelle jumped when she heard him. He stepped into her view with a hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't mean to startle you," he said quickly.
She shook her head, and wiped the tear away. "It's okay," she replied. "I was lost in thought."
"Apparently not a pleasant one."
"No, I guess not."
"Painful memory?"
She hesitated before she nodded. "I was thinking about my father."
"The King?"
"The current king is my uncle, King George. My father was King before him. King John."
"Isn't he…you know…" James trailed off.
"Dead?" Narelle finished. "Yes." She sighed. "I guess I should share this story with you. It's part of the rose bouquet, though it's the worst memory in the vase."
"You don't have to if you don't want to, but I'll listen to anything you have to say."
She gave a small, sad smile before speaking.
"My father was kind, not only to his people, but to his family. My mother died when I was young, and as a consequence, I don't have very many memories of her. He always spoke kindly about her, saying that his only wish was that I turned out as free-spirited and as compassionate as she was. He told me a couple of years ago that I looked just like her, and he was proud of me when I earned my naval commission.
"Father had invited my uncle and my cousins over for a feast to celebrate the peaceful negotiations for some new territories. He had the ambassadors from the other countries over as well."
"Before you continue," James said lowly. "Didn't your extended family live within the palace with you and your father?"
She shook her head. "No, they lived nearby in a very nice estate. They didn't have many direct affairs within the royal court, and my uncle wished to not to get in the way."
"Ah."
"Anyway, we all had dinner together. It was nice; my cousins were tolerable for the most part. They've been brats since they were born, but at least they put on a polite front when they were at the palace. The ambassadors were kind, but they didn't really talk to me. It didn't really matter, I was more of a listener then.
"I had stepped away from the table after I had finished to tend to a few things within my chambers. Mostly getting my report finished and sending it to one of the Admirals before sunrise…"
9 Years Earlier, in November
Narelle scribbled away on her paper, trying to jot down the last few key points on her weekly report. She cursed at herself mentally for not getting the blasted papers done before the arrival of the dinner guests, but like so many, she was plagued with the curse of procrastination.
She wracked her brain for more details, and when she was satisfied that she included everything that she could remember, she signed the last page of her document. She threw it into an envelope, sealed it with her wax seal, and gave it to her courier. She tossed him twenty shillings and promised more if he got it to Admiral Kenning within the half hour. After he ran out the door, she quickly looked in the mirror, fixed a few strands of hair that had gone out of place, and made her way to her father's study, where he took all his guests after dinner for wine and other spirits.
She opened the door, expecting to hear conversation or laughter, but heard nothing. Concerned, she peeked around the door, and saw only her two cousins Margaret and Isabelle sitting in the chairs close to the crackling fireplace.
"Oh, princess," Isabelle gushed. "Do sit. Margaret and I have been wondering where you disappeared to."
"Sorry, cousins," she said quietly. "I was in my chambers. I had to tend to an errand before everyone came here for conversation and spirits. Where is everyone?"
"Oh, the ambassadors left early," Margaret chimed in. "Daddy and Uncle John went to talk business while walking on the grounds."
The two sisters smiled, and Narelle was aware that they weren't genuine.
Something's wrong, she thought. I need to find Father.
"Please sit," Isabelle repeated. "We should call for some wine."
Without a word, Narelle turned on her heel, and ran out of the study, slamming the door behind her. She ran as fast as she could outside the palace, frantically looking around for her father or her uncle. She stopped a guard who was heading inside.
"Have you seen His Majesty?" she asked breathlessly.
He nodded. "Down the east side of the palace, my lady." He pointed to show emphasis.
"Thank you," she replied. She ran outside, and turned the corner. She stopped mid-stride, almost running into her uncle.
"Dear princess," he said, grief and concern thick in his voice. "You should head inside. There's been an accident." He took one of her arms to lead her back into the palace.
She looked past him, and saw her father lying on the ground. A few guards had run over to investigate, quickly forming a crowd around the motionless man. She gasped, wrenched free from her uncle's grip, and sprinted to her father.
"Move!" she yelled at the guards. A lane opened between two of them; she ran and knelt by his side, wishing desperately that he was okay. She took his hand, and squeezed it. It felt like an eternity before she felt a weak squeeze back.
"Father!" she said quietly. Her fear rose when she saw blood pooling around him. Tears started to flow down her cheeks.
His eyes cracked open, and looked into hers. He coughed, spattering more blood around his lips, and a few drops landed on Narelle's gown.
"Who did this to you?" she asked, her words barely audible through her sobbing.
"I-it was…" he choked out, "y-y-your… uncle…." He let out one last breath, closed his eyes, and was still.
Tears flooding down her cheeks, she shook her head, sobbing more. A guard placed a hand on her shoulder. Soon after, another guard rested a hand on her other shoulder. The first guard spoke to her.
"We need to get you inside, my lady," he said. "If your uncle is doing this…"
She shook her head. Her grief was quickly turning into anger. The tears soon stopped, and she stood.
"He's trying to assume power," she replied. "We need to move quickly. You all know what happened, and now we must confront him."
They nodded to each other before the first guard spoke again.
"We're right behind you," he said.
She ran back towards the door, her guards following close behind. Two more guards were standing outside the door and stopped her and those following.
"I'm sorry, princess," one of them said. "The king does not wish to be disturbed. You're to clear out of the palace grounds immediately."
She unsheathed a sword from a guard's belt. "I really hope we can settle this reasonably. The king is dead, my uncle is assuming power, and I really just want you to stand aside and let me in."
"I'm sorry. I cannot let you in."
She sighed, and ran the guard through with her sword. The other was shot before he could raise his rifle. She threw open the doors, ran down the grand hall, and barreled through the throne room doors so hard they bounced off the wall, and left a doorknob sized hole in the wood. The guards levelled their rifles at Narelle's uncle as she pointed her bloody sword at him.
"Step down, uncle. You've just committed treason against the crown," she said. "Come down from there, and I'll spare you a public hanging."
Her uncle sighed, and looked at the floor below Narelle's sword, which started collecting the blood drops that were falling from the metal.
"My dear, you're going to ruin the floor," he said nonchalantly. "Your father died from a horrific heart attack that I couldn't even begin to understand. It's only courteous that I take you in as the loving uncle that I am until your grief is more manageable for you to take the throne."
"I know you, uncle. Your lies are as horrible as the noose you'll hang from. My father spoke to me before he died. It was you. You killed him! You killed your own brother out of greed!"
She heard boots behind her. She turned around, and saw each of the guards that were following her get stabbed in the back by bayonets. The redcoat guards fell, and guards wearing blue coats took their place, their guns pointed at her.
"I'd rather spare you from a public hanging for slander, my dear Narelle," her uncle patronized. "I will honor your father's death by keeping you under my care, until you are ready to take the throne."
He waved his hand, and she felt something hard hit her in the back of the head. She fell to the floor, dropping her sword, unconscious.
Present Day
"I woke up about three days later with my cousins in my room, telling me I'd never see the light of day again," she finished.
James, who had become angry during the end of her story, kept his fist so tight, his knuckles turned white.
"Where are they now?" he asked lowly.
"Far from here, James," she replied soothingly. She slowly took his fist into her hand. "They can't hurt me here. Not anymore. Not while I'm on this ship."
"If they cross our path…."
"They'd have to find me first."
His hand finally relaxed, and gently grabbed hers. He pulled her close to him and held her. She rested her head on his chest.
"I will not let them touch you," he said. "They'll have to go through me."
"This is the king you're talking about, James, not some drunken wretch."
"It doesn't matter if it's a wretch or the king. I will defend you until I die."
She smiled a little, and it grew when she felt him kiss the top of her head. Her cheeks flushed pink. Her arms wrapped around him, and he froze for a second before she felt him wrap one arm around her and the other lightly stroking her hair.
She soon fell asleep in his arms, and he carried her to her bunk below deck before heading off to sleep himself.
A/N: I'm not sure when I'm starting the next bits, but hopefully it's soon, so I can crank this out to you guys and wrap it up. I know you guys see this a lot, but leave a comment (just no flames, please). Thank you to the readers that favorited the story while I was gone, and I forever thank everyone who happens to stop by and read! You guys are truly the best. :)
