"Elizabeth! Are you awake? Are you decent?" A male voice called from the opposite side of the door.
"Yes! Yes?" Elizabeth called as Govenor Swann and Bella walked in smiling, yet her eyes said something different. 'This may hurt' was the message. They had ignored what the Govenor was saying.
"Go on Miss Turner, please help her." Bella nodded as she led Elizabeth behind the changing screen. Bella was one of the two maids helping Elizabeth. Bella was tightening the strings to the corset.
"Actually, I had hoped you might wear it to the ceremony." Govenor Swann told his daught from the other side of the screen.
"The ceremony." Elizabeth questioned.
"Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony. Commodore he is about to become. He fancies you, you know." Elizabeth gasped behind the screen, her father wasn't sure about the commodore or about the dress.
"Elizabeth? Hows it coming?"
"It's difficult to say." Elizabeth stated simply, mainly because her lungs were being crushed under the corset.
"I'm told it's the latest fashion in London." her father insisted.
"Well women in london must have learned not to breathe." Elizabeth told him in response. A male butler then walked in, unaware to Elizabeth untill his voice sounded in the room.
"My Lord, you have a visitor." was all that he said before Govenor Swann took his leave from the room and down to where the visitor was waiting. The visitor turned out to be Bella's brother.
Will stood there in the main entrance looking around. He looked at the candle holder and as he touched it it broke off. He quickly looked around and placed it in a umbrella stand underneath the candle holder. just in time, a butler just entered the room and shortly afterwards so did the Govenor.
"Ah! Mr. Turner. Good to see you again!" Govenor Swann exclaimed at the sight of Will.
"Good day sir. I have your order." Will said as he opened the case that contained a sword. The govenor took out the sword and seemed to be inspecting it after he seemed pleased by the sheath he took out the sword, now inspecting the blade.
"The blade is folded steel. That's gold filigree laid into the handle. If I may?" Will said as he took the sword from the govenor and balanced the sword at the base of the blade. "Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly the full width of the blade." Will finished as he flipped it around and neatly caught it and presented it back to the govenor in a swift movement. Govenor Swann looked slightly worried as Will did so.
"Impressive. Very impressive. Ah, now, Commodore Norrington is going to be very pleased with this. Do pass my compliments on to your Master." The govenor told him with a satisfied look. Will looked at him as he receieved the compliment. It's not every day you get a compliment from the Govenor of Port Royal now is it?
"I shall. A craftsman is always pleased to hear his work is appreciated." Will said as he caught sight of people on the stairs, his sister and Elizabeth. He couldn't help but stare at Elizabeth, always had he loved her but had yet to announce his feelings. Bella already knew how her brother felt towards her but promised to to say anything. Will broke away from his thoughts as the Govenor once again spoke.
"Oh Elizabeth , you look absolutely stunning." the elder man said, praising his daughter. Elizabeth hadn't heard what her father was saying for Bella was wispering to her.
"Look theres my brother." Bella said trying to get the reaction out of her. Elizabeth's head shot up at the mention of Will's name. Her eyes zoned in on the young man.
"Will! It's so good to see you!" she said rushing down the stairs with Bella at her heels. "I had a dream about you last night. And Bella of course." Elizabeth informed Will. Bella's eyes widened to a unimaginable size at her words, so bold for one to say that, even in their own home.
"A-about me?" Will looked more than amused at this information.
"Yes, well, is that entirely proper for you to?" Govenor Swann murmered, but no one listened to him.
"About the day the three of us met. Do you remember?" Elizabeth asked mainly Will but did look at Bella, who now placed herself to the side, inbetween the two.
"How could we forget Miss Swann?" Will said, knowing full well about Elizabeth's preference to call her by her first name in public, Bella had become accustomed to do so even though she did reluctantly.
"Will, How many times must I ask for you to call me Elizabeth? Bella seems to have no quarrels with it." Elizabeth said, trying to use his own sister to convince him about calling him Elizabeth.
"At least once more Miss Swann, as always." Will insisted. Bella frowned at him, unknown to the Govenor or Elizabeth because her head was turned in such a way that the back of her head was all they could see.
"See? At least the boy has a sense of propriety. Now we really must be going." Govenor Swann told Elizabeth. Bella was not attending as one of the maids from a family just down the road had invited her for a walk for the duration of the ceremony. The maids name was Hannah, and like Elizabeth, her employer was attending the ceremony as well.
"Good day Mr. Turner." Elizabeth said in a harsh voice to Will before she turned to Bella, her face warmed incredibly towards her other best friend. "Good bye Bella! I expect to hear about your day when I return!" Elizabeth said excitedly. It was rare that Bella didn't accompany her everywhere she went, but when she did they both would exchange stories about their day apart.
"Of course Elizabeth. Good bye!" Bella called, ignoring the Govenor's glares about her propriety, or lack of it. Bella followed the two outside with her brother at her heels.
"Good day!" Will exclaimed to her but lowered his voice. "Elizabeth."
"Finally dear brother! You have successfully called Elizabeth..Elizabeth in public! I congratulate you. I will be at the black smiths later tonight. Remember that you promised to show me how you made the swords?" Bella said, reminding him of his proposal. Sure Bella had been taught to use a sword, but had no idea how he made them except by using very hot materials.
"Of course Bella. How could I forget with you reminding me every day for the past week?" He said smiling at his younger sibling. "I must be off, I ned to head back." Will told Bella, whos, was overjoyed at the thought of learning how swords were made.
"Right. Now I must be going because Hannah would think me to be late. Good day dear brother." Bella said mockingly. She then ran off, at a speed where her dress would not fly above her ankle. She was very insistant on that. Never would someone actually look there for all that would find is material of her dress that she wore that day, but to Bella, she was paranoid about it. She reached the gates to the mansion and found Hannah waiting a hundred meters of so away, near her place of employment. Hannah was the maid to a girl who was about ten years old, Bella strained to remember the name. 'Laurel? No. Anne? No. I does start with an A or and L. Alexis! Thats it!' Bella finally remember the name, just in time because she had just reached Hannah. Hannah had hair that was brown but with a almost orange tinge to it. Her eyes were a amber sort of colour. Many presumed Hannah to be an angry sort of person because of her eyes but they were not right. Hannah was a kind woman who absolutley adores her work to take care of Alexis who she calls Lexi.
"Good morning Hannah." Bella said politely to the older woman. 'About a year or too older than Will and Elizabeth.' Bella thought. Hannah wad watched the young woman walking towards her, her face twisted into a new expression almost every second untill she reached Hannah with a enormous smile on her face. "How is dear Miss Celon?" Bella added with caution, still not entierly sure about the name of the girl who Hannah worked for.
"Good morning to you too Bella. Lexi is fine, thank you for asking and how is Miss Swann?" Hannah asked as she and Bella proceeded to start their walk, heading for the docks.
"Oh Elizabeth is absolutely wonderful. Though that corset she had to wear today was horrendous. I wouldn't be suprised if the poor girl fainted." Bella said, not knowing how right she was.
"That would be dreadful!" Hannah said with concern written on her face. The two continued their walk to the docks. It took several minutes because Bella would keep looking down to check her ankle and make sure it wasn't showing but that would leave her open to be knocked down. She fell over just as she reached the docks, quickly recovering herself as she hurridly got back up.
"There is the fort! I hope Elizabeth is having a good time." Bella told Hannah, while she in turn added the very same comment on Lexi.
"Only the poor thing is one of the youngest here most likely. I myself wouldn't want to be around bayonets, and she is only eight." Hannah said.
"I'm sure she is fine." Bella said reassuringly as she looked up at the fort, she saw two shadows up on the battlements, she could have sworn it was Elizabeth but she had no time to make sure for one of the two had fallen over the edge of the fort, plunging into the caribbean sea below. Bella took off as Hannah was right behind her, having not seen what had happend. After a minute of running that came to the deck closest to where the person had fell. Bella saw a man surfacing with the person and placed her down on the dock. Bella immediatly caught a glimpse of the person and immediatly knew it was indeed Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth!" Bella cried as she rushed over.
"Not breathing!" one gaurd said, Bella had spoken to him before, his name was Murtogg at least thats what she thought his name was.
"Move!" said a man who was not dressed in a uniform, he was soaking wet with dreadlock hairstyle with bits and pieces in his hair. His outfit was too hard to describe, bits and pieces mangled in with everything else. He swiftly cut open Elizabeth's corset and she promptly started coughing up water.
"Elizabeth! Are you okay?" Bella asked, helping her up, but not before the un-uniformed man had questioned.
"Where did you get that?" Bella heard the stomping of the guards feet including who was now, most likely, commodore Norrington. He swiftly drew his sword which Bella recognised as the sword her brother had made. James Norrington was pointing his sword at the odd man out.
"On your feet." he said with a cold glare to put the cherry on top. Bella was helping Govenor Swann put a jacket over Elizabeth. The govenor then saw one of the gaurds holding Elizabeth's corset to immediatly dropped it and pointed to the man who looked suspiciously like a pirate. Govenor Swann seemed to think so too.
"Shoot him!" he said.
"Father! commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" Elizabeth told James. Who sheathed his sword and held his hand out.
"I believe thanks are in order?" the man hestiantly took his hand only to have his sleeve pushed up to reveal a scar in the shape of a P. 'Pirate' was what ran through Bella's mind.
"Had a brush with the East India Trading company, did we, pirate?" James said with venom in his voice. "Keep your guns on him men! Gillette, fench me some irons!" He ordered as he pushed his sleeve up further to reveal a sparrow tatoo on his arm. "Well well, Jack Sparrow isn't it?"
"Captain, if you please." Jack said to him before his eyes quickly flickered to the young women, one of whom he had rescued, the other he felt as if he had seen her before. His eyes quickly left them and returned to James Norrington.
"Well I con't see your ship. Captain." commodore Norrington said.
"I'm in the market. As it were." Jack said as what Bella could only describe as full of himself. One of the guards who had helped save Elizabeth added to his comment.
"He said he'd come to commandeer one." said one.
"Told ya he was telling the truth. These are his sir." the other said as he retrieved what looked like a sword, hat and a pistol. James proceeded to inspect the tools.
"No additional short nor powder. A compass that doesn't point north." he said as he picked up the items one by one and finally unsheathing part of the sword. "And I half expected it to be made out of wood. Your are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of." he finished his inspection.
"But you have heard of me." Jack insisted as he was pulled away to be put in his irons. Elizabeth and Bella at the same time began to protest.
"Commodore, I really must protest!" Elizabeth said, stepping in front of the pirate, Bella did the same.
"Pirate of not this man saved Elizabeth's life!" Bella said with her eyes turning ice cold.
"One good deed is not enough to redeem a lifetime of wickedness" James told the two girls.
"Though it seems enough to condemn him." Jack added.
"Indeed." James said as Gillette finally finished putting the irons on Jack.
"Finally." Jack said in a dark tone as he threw the chains over Bella's neck. He was going to go for the other woman but the two seemed attached so Jack figured the woman would do anything for the younger woman he now had. Elizabeth gasped as she stood back, worried for Bella's safety.
"No please! Don't shoot!" Elizabeth pleaded with the guards. The govenor gave his approval, not wanting to see his daughter upset about the loss of her friend.
"Commodore Norrington, my effects please, and my hat!" Jack said, Commodore made no move to give Jack this things, Bella started to panic. "Commodore!" Jack said as he pulled slightly tighter on the chains around Bella's neck. "Now whats your name love?" Bella had to answer.
"Miss Turner." she said, not giving Jack her first name. Jack looked taken aback slightly but didn't remove the chains. Commodore gave Bella Jacks effects.
"Now Miss Turner if you would be very kind." Bella mumbled and grumbled about it as she put on his effects. "Your horrendous." she said as she finished strapping on his sword.
"Sticks and stones love. I saved your job with the girl, you save my life, savvy?" Jack told her and quickly turned her back around to Elizabeth and the guards.
"Now, gentlemen, m'ladies, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught, Captain Jack Sparrow!" He said as he removed the chains from Bella's neck and quickly shoved her away and into the guards. Jack then quickly took hold of a long chain and kicked it as he flew up in the air and circled around them high in the air.
"Now will you shoot him?!" Govenor Swann said as Elizabeth hugged poor Bella who was quite shaken up at the moment.
"Open fire!" James ordered and his men started firing at Jack as he landed on a beam and slid down another rope and continued running. "On his heels!" James ordered. Elizabeth kept asking Bella questions to make sure she was alright. Bella was quite disorientated but was otherwise fine. Elizabeth gave her a final hug before she and Govenor Swann guided her back to the carrige and took her home. Bella herself would make sure she would be able to make it to her brothers work place later that night. She was really quite alright it was just a momentary lapse. Well who wouldn't under cirmcumstances? Bella was fine after about an hour but Elizabeth would hear nothing of it. Instead of Bella being the maid, Elizabeth was making sure Bella was perfectly okay and rested.
"Elizabeth I am fine really!" Bella told her.
"Uh-uh-uh. Not untill you eat something Bella." Elizabeth ordered. Bella rolled her eyes and quickly drank all of the water Elizabeth had given her.
"I said eat, not drink." Elizabeth told her with a smile. Bella then shoved a roll down her throat.
"Happy?" Bella asked.
"Perfectly."
"Good cause I need to get to Will's soon." Bella said, bracing herself for a lecture.
"Annabella Laurel Turner! You were just threatened by a pirate! You can't go to your brother's! Your unwell!" Elizabeth insisted.
"Wow. I havn't heard Annabella for a long time. Anyway, I was threatend three hours ago! And I was in shock, I wasn't coughing up hunks everywhere!" Bella said before both their faces turned into smiles before they burst out into fits of laughter. Elizabeth soon regained her composure and turned to Bella who had also managed to stop laughing.
"Bella, are you sure you want to go to Will's?"
"Yes, Elizabeth. I promise I will be back later!" Bella said, asking Elizabeth like a five year old would ask to go to the park. Elizabeth finally agreed but told Bella she had to wait an hour or so to leave. Bella heaved a sigh and agreed.
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Aloha again! I am just winging this chapter. Mainly because I am just not wanting to write it in a book then type it all up so reveiw and tell me what you think!
What will happen to Bella when she is at Will's when the Black Pearl attacks? Will she fight along with Will? Find out in the next chapter of:
A Sister's Story
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Bella Bree