Okay, so since I'm completely the laziest person in the world (and I didn't get home until kind of late because of our SOUTH PADRE BAND TRIP MEETING!!), I took one of my works in progress from my 100 Theme Challenge and transferred it to this challenge, because it's my fanfiction account and I can do whatever I want. It's counting for both challenges, but I'll still post it in this chain of drabbles, even though it's too long by about 200 words without my ramblings before. Oh well. This doesn't have any dialogue in it, and I'm afraid Elizabeth may be a little OOC, but my writing's been kinda sucky lately because of all this stress and other things I'd rather not talk about. Anyways... without further ado, I give you... Fairy Tale (Number 61 of my 100 theme challenge, and day 8 of my AWE first anniversary challenge).
61. Fairy Tale
As a young child, I always dreamed of my life being a fairy tale. I dreamed that Prince Charming would rescue me from the evil villain and we'd live Happily Ever After. With every tale I was told and every adventure I read, my "perfect" fairy tale became more and more complex, and I grew less and less sure that Prince Charming would rescue me and ride off into the sunset. By the time I was twelve, I realized that my life would probably never be my "perfect" fairy tale.
But that didn't stop me from dreaming.
I dreamed of pirates, sea monsters, curses, and true love. My dreams were far-fetched and imaginative, but I never gave up on them, even as my father pushed me to start courting when I grew older. I turned down suitor after suitor, deeming them unfit to fulfill the title of Prince Charming. It was my Prince or no one, and I was prepared to put up a fight for it. Father grew angry for passing up "smart matches", but I never cared. I promised myself I would not agree to an arranged marriage for the benefit of propriety. If I was to marry, I would marry someone I loved. There was only one man in Port Royal who could fulfill this definition, and sadly, he was the one man I knew I could never have.
Then, one day, the doldrums I called life took an unexpected turn for the better. My past had only been the first chapter, the prologue, the Once Upon A Time to my fairy tale, because the action was fast approaching. I suppose I have my dreams that night to thank for that. If I had not put on that medallion in the first place, I would have never been kidnapped by pirates. My life started to play out as a fairy tale, with cursed pirates and an evil villain, and I waited patiently for Happily Ever After. I knew my Prince would come and save me. There were some near-death experiences for both him and me, but we made it through, together. And as we shared in True Love's Kiss, I knew that we would create a Happily Ever After.
But it was not Happily Ever After after all. At least, not yet.
I knew that rain on my wedding day was a bad omen, and I never believed in omens. Not many people can say they got arrested on their wedding day. If only Beckett had waited until the next day… But that would have changed the course of both my Prince and my story. We were both arrested, but once again, I was the Damsel in Distress, waiting for him to return with Jack's compass that would be the ticket to our freedom. It annoyed me to no end, being locked in a cell, defenseless, not able to help my Prince buy our freedom. At first chance, I escaped. Somehow, I got stuck (and tricked into) hunting down a chest by my friend Jack. He said it would save my Prince from Davy Jones. And, for once, I was the one saving him. Or so I thought. Turns out, he didn't need saving, as we finally met back up at Isla Cruces. But then, albeit with good intentions, I betrayed my Prince by kissing another. It was to save us, but my Price saw. And I had ruined, perhaps permanently, my chances of ever having a Happily Ever after. Then began a long process of backstabbing, guilt, secret agendas, and Pirate meetings, in which I was named King (no, not Queen) of the Brethren court. And, with the fate of all present and future pirates resting on us, the very climax of my Fairy Tale occurred. There, in the midst of one of the most epic battles of our time and a raging maelstrom, I, the King, married my Prince Charming. It was everything I didn't want my wedding to be, but that's why it was so perfect.
Until my Prince was defeated by the villain.
It shouldn't have happened this way. It was never like this in fairy tales! The Prince always rescued the fair maiden and saved the day. The hero was always victorious! But there he was, my Prince, laying on the deck with a sword protruding from his chest. My love, my one true love, dying in my arms. My steady stream of cries and tears were my words that conveyed my loss. Finally, after the long journey of our Fairy Tale, we were married, but separated. It was not fair. My Prince charming had bested death, but with the cost of immortality and isolation for both of us. Ten years. Ten years of my story would be written without my Prince, my love. One day as compensation for ten years was hardly a good bargain, but at least my Prince was still alive.
I guess our Happily Ever After would have to be postponed for ten years. But I knew it would be worth it in the end.
And as I stood on the bluff next to my beautiful son, my little Prince, recalling the details of my fairy tale, I knew it was. Every minute of my Prince Charming's absence, every tear that had been spilled, and every pang of heartache I suffered through was insignificant now, as I anxiously awaited his arrival. My little Prince looked up at me, his brown eyes soft, mimicking his father's, and I smiled back at him, just as excited. I pulled him closer to me, wrapping a thin arm around his shoulders. I could feel his anticipation and nervousness radiating around him, so I rubbed his shoulder. I knew that this was only the prologue, the first chapter, the Once Upon A Time in my little Prince's fairy tale. He still had many, many chapters to go, but now, he would have chapters that included his father. I counted the heartbeats until I saw the gorgeous flash of green on the horizon. The Flying Dutchman sailed magnificently towards the shore, her billowing white sails contrasting against the bright orange remains of the sunset. Grinning with tears in my eyes, I watched as Will, my love, my perfect and wonderful Prince Charming, dove off the ship and swam as fast as his arms could carry him to shore. As I rushed to his side and embraced him, loving how every inch of my skin tingled at the feel of him against me, I knew that my fairy tale was finished. True Love's Kiss broke his curse, and I felt his heart beating against my hand, pressed flat against his chest. He turned to his son, a bright smile on his face and a tear in his eye, and opened his arms. The little Prince ran into his arms, laughing and crying, too. I wiped a stray tear from my eye as I walked to them, joining in the hug. And as the three of us walked into the darkening horizon, the last words were penned to my fairy tale:
And they lived Happily Ever After.
The End.
