Okay so there's been a bit of a delay between these posts, and I'm sorry about that, really. Second, you may recognize some dialogue from this chapter as that from the opening 5 minutes of POTC 1. It's not that I have no creativeness myself, just that i was always going to use some aspects of the movies, just slot them into my little story.

So after that ramble, here is Chapter Eight.

A New Dress

A number of months passed.

Since Elizabeth had embarked on her secret relationship with Will, everything else in her life had become easier. She found herself capable of listening to the constant praise-making her sister made at breakfast about how wonderful her fiancé was. She was able to spend every party at James Norrington's side.

But every morning she had taken to awaking early and wandering the secluded beaches with Will. But still, neither of them had any idea how they could pursue their relationship publicly. For whilst Elizabeth was able to bear the evenings she was forced to spend at Norrington's side, she always wished it could be Will who led her onto the dance floor, or who was the body of warmth at her side.

Still, she had her perfect mornings.

The problem however, was always going to be Esther. The night Elizabeth drank the most amount of wine in her short history of wine drinking, Esther made quick work of pulling the dark curtains closed, and remained with Elizabeth until she was sound asleep.

Elizabeth awoke and immediately knew something was wrong. Besides the dull ache covering her head, it was the complete darkness – barring the solitary candle on her table – surrounding her that caused Elizabeth to look around her room in confusion.

She moved from her bed and walked towards the covered windows. At one window she pulled one of the curtains aside, and was almost blinded by bright sunlight streaming into her room.

"Damn it!" She exclaimed to herself as her eyes adjusted to the brightness, and took in Port Royal, shining beneath her.

At that same moment there was a knock on her door. The pain in her head resumed and Elizabeth, remembering the night she had had before, rushed to her bed, jumping in and pulling the sheets above her neck.

"Elizabeth?" She heard her father's voice as he poked his head into her room. "Still in bed at this hour?" He sighed, walking in as Elizabeth made a show of waking up.

"What time is it?" She attempted to croak, blinking her eyes after rubbing them.

"Drawing on 10. And after events last night, I can understand Mrs. Rowbottom's decision to draw your curtains." He motioned to the drawn curtains, although didn't seem to notice that one was parted more so than the others. But it didn't matter, because the two maids who had followed him into the room quickly went about opening them.

Elizabeth maintained her show of waking up as she moved to her feet, and listening to her father as he spoke.

"I have a gift for you."

Elizabeth looked to him confused. He never brought her gifts, apart from those few trinkets he gave to her at her birthday. She lifted the lid of the box one of the maids held eagerly up to her. After moving the tissue paper aside, one of the most beautiful gowns Elizabeth had ever seen appeared. It looked to be far softer than silk, and was of the lightest rose tint, with delicate patterns roaming around the hem which were displayed as Elizabeth pulled the gown from the box and held it to her frame.

"Oh father, it's beautiful." She breathed as she did a little swirl before him, much to his delight.

"Isn't it." He reciprocated.

"But what is the occasion?" Elizabeth asked before disappearing behind her screen.

Her father just smiled at her, before puffing his chest out weakly. "Does a father need an occasion to dote upon his youngest daughter?"

Elizabeth smiled at him.

"Actually, I had hoped you might wear it to the ceremony today." He turned away from the screen, turning to the open window and looking out towards the fort.

After gasping at how tight her corset was being pulled, Elizabeth managed to repeat her father's word, 'ceremony'.

"Yes, Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony."

Elizabeth remembered back to all those moments when she had heard Will talk of completing Captain Norrington's sword.

"I knew it." She gasped, trying to think of what it would feel like to have her ribs broken.

"Yes. Commodore Norrington, as he is to become." She heard her father's voice announce proudly.

Elizabeth was in the process of shuddering internally at the thought of all reasons why her father was so proud of the future Commodore, and the main thought that it was because he was courting her. But this thought process was broken she released a louder than normal gasp.

"Is everything alright back there?" Her father asked slightly concerned.

"Difficult to say." Elizabeth sighed as she looked down her front, and saw her cleavage almost twice the size it normally was.

"Well I've heard it's the latest fashion in London." He spoke.

Elizabeth glanced in the mirror beside her, and gawked at the size of her waist. "Well women in London must have learnt not to breathe." Elizabeth gasped as Esther pulled her waist in even more. "Ow!"

One of the male attendants came to the door and Elizabeth could only hear the muffled conversation he exchanged with her father.

"Elizabeth, we shall be leaving for the fort within the hour. I'll expect you to be ready." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she heard her father leave, before feeling the corset tighten MORE.

Luckily, that tug, was the last, as Elizabeth felt fingers tie off the strings at the base of her spine, before throwing her new dress over her head. Elizabeth stared at her reflection in the mirror as she was pushed into the seat behind her small dresser, and the two women set about brushing out her hair and making her presentable for society.

A matching bonnet with her dress was the final touch, which was tied at the back of her neck, just at her hairline. A mirror nearby her door caught her attention as she began to leave the room. In the slightly distorted imagery, Elizabeth gasped as she remembered the portrait of her mother that hung in the master bedroom. The pose she was pulling, and her overall look made her think in that moment how much like her mother in that portrait she appeared.

Elizabeth smiled, hiding her internal beam as she made her way downstairs. The sound of voices made her slow down, but when she identified the second voice as her beloved William Turner, she quickened her pace.

"Elizabeth, you are a vision." She heard her father's voice, and knew he was thinking of her mother. But in that moment she was saddened, knowing that he was also undoubtedly thinking of how her mother was not still alive.

Elizabeth smiled at him as she continued down the stairs, beginning her act of pretending he was still her good friend and not a lover. "It's so good to see you Will." She inwardly beamed as she saw how wide Will's eyes were as he took her in.

She was so beautiful.

Will wanted to look elsewhere so that the Governor wouldn't get mad that he was staring at the woman he shouldn't be staring at, but at the same time, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her tiny waist, her bulging bosom, or her radiating face. Elizabeth managed to make the decision for him when she stepped close to her father, forcing Will to blink and look away.

"Elizabeth, where is your sense of propriety?" The Governor whispered slightly harshly into Elizabeth's ear.

Elizabeth ignored him, curtsying for Will, winking too him.

"It's a pleasure to see you this morning, Miss Swann." Will smiled, bowing, knowing full well that he was annoying Elizabeth by calling her 'Miss Swann'.

The Governor smiled at Will as he righted, closing the sword case, and allowing a servant to take it out to the carriage. "Well at least the boy has a sense of propriety." He said weakly, before bidding farewell to the young man.

"Are you coming to Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony?" Elizabeth asked Will as she heard Georgia come down the stairs.

Will smiled at Elizabeth, before responding quietly. "The longer you keep me here, the more likely I won't be able to." He noticed Georgia at the top of the stairs, and unwittingly stepped away from Elizabeth. "Good day, Elizabeth." Will took her hand and placed a kiss on it, before leaving the house.

Elizabeth tried to hide the bright smile on her face from her sister and father as she moved out to the carriage, watching as Will ran down to the town. She didn't notice Georgia watching her intently, until she moved to leave the carriage in front of the fort. Georgia just looked away quickly, a blank expression on her face, but one that alerted Elizabeth's senses regarding public affection to Will, to be at a minimum.

The last thing she needed was Georgia knowing about her relationship with Will. It was scandalous enough as it was, but there was no way Elizabeth was going to end it.