Oh my god, guess who finally updated. Huzzah. This chapter is a little mix and mash, as I tie together lots of loose ends. However, Jack and Angelica really start to centralize the story. This chapter is long, but I hope it is varied enough to keep you all interested.
To everyone who is sticking around to read this, I salute you. Thank you to all readers and reviewers, I hope you will stick with this story, as I plan to continue it for quite some time, if I get enough positive feedback. You be the judge.
Disclaimer: Get real.
~Chapter Six~
A carriage sped through the town, forcing many villagers to quickly scamper aside out of the direction of the carriage. Inside was the cloaked man, his face shadowed by an oversized feathered hat. The carriage began to slow its pace as it approached the gates of the royal palace, as the man burst forth from the carriage before the horses had come to a complete stop. Rushing inside the palace, the man removed his hat, allowing his features to be recognised by the guards, who quickly gave him a nod of recognition and granted him entry, giving him a low bow as he passed them by. The man hurried through the main halls of the ornately decorated foyer, as light streamed through the stained glass windows. The light revealed his face. He had a determined look about him, with his eyes intent on his objective. He had a moustache and a goatee, with brown eyes to match. His hair was shoulder-length and unkempt. He strode towards the end of the hall, where the guards gave him a low bow and motioned to open the door, though the Spaniard was in much too much of a hurry, pushing heavily on the door himself, bursting into the adjoining room. "My lord, King Philip." The Spaniard announced, bowing low and trying to steady his breaths. The King sat at a dining table with a dozen other men, as the servants around them attentively waited on the royal attendants. All faces turned to the intruder, as the King beckoned him further into the room. "My lord, I bring news." The Spaniard strained to deliver from his exhausted lungs. "Go on." The King permitted. "The manuscript that once vanished from these great halls, appears to have been recovered." The moment the words slipped from the Spaniard's mouth, every occupant went quiet. The Spaniard cast an eye over all of them before continuing. "Pirates." The King's expression soured, full of malcontent. "What is your suggested plan of action?" The King asked his agent. The Spaniard gave a sly smile, as the King caught his drift. The Spaniard gave the King a nod, before turning on his heel, dashing out of the royal palace. The King let out a small laugh. "Those pirates don't stand a chance." Ha said, as the rest of the table came to the realisation of what was going to happen.
Jack sat in the marketplace, on a secluded pillar where he could not be easily recognised. There was an unusual buzz around the marketplace, as villagers set about their duties and the stores and stalls sold their wares. Carts were being lugged around, delivering fresh produce from the farms outside of town, restocking the stalls. A sudden commotion could be heard, turning many heads. "Make way! Make way!" A Spanish naval officer called as he cleared way through the crowd. Clearing a spot, he demanded the crowd's attention. "Citizens!" He began, un-scrolling a poster and showing it to the onlookers. "There is a state of emergency within the borders of this town." The poster was titled: "WANTED" accompanied with a picture of Jack, with the caption: "Rogue pirates, reward offered." The poster was nailed onto a nearby pillar, and the Spanish officer continued to speak. "These pirates are posing a threat to the common Christian good." Jack watched as patrols marched the square, nailing new posters over the old ones. "Any pirate seen outside of their confined port will be punished." The officer finished his speech, motioning to the patrol to exit the marketplace. The navy headed off, leaving the villagers to murmur amongst themselves and crowd around the poster. Once the excitement had worn off, the crowd cleared and returned to their business. Jack stared at the poster from his hiding spot. He watched as various people approached the poster, trusting his hunch that Angelica would turn up at some point. He continued to scan the gathering in the marketplace, watching as the lazy day wore on. At last, he saw her. Angelica approached one of the posters on one of the pillars very near to where he was standing. He took his opportunity, creeping behind pillars until he was on the opposite side of her column. Without much thought, he reached quickly for her hand, yanked her aside, pushing her flush against the wall, with one hand placed firmly on her shoulder to secure her in place, and the other covering her mouth.
After recovering from the initial shock, she shot him an annoyed expression, before wriggling out of his grasp. He let his arms drop beside him. "I knew you would come to annoy me…again." She spat at him, her accent thick and ready to curse at him at any available moment. "I like your hat." He pointed out, trying to evade a breakout in her temper in such a public and open place. She directed a glare at him, before rejecting the change of subject. "Jack, what do you want?" She asked, as he put his hand on her lower back, and guided her into the shadows. Jack was reluctant to ask for help, but he needed it right now, and hiding with Angelica gave him the best chance possible of obtaining that manuscript. "It appears I am in a tricky situation, with the entire town out looking for me." Angelica laughed at him, casting an eye at the wanted posters depicting him all over the square. "I'd like to see you get easily out of this one, Jack." Jack gave a grumble, considering what exactly his other options were if he could not convince Angelica.
Angelica noticed his mood drop, before feeling slightly guilty for appearing so hostile towards him. "Jack, you're going to be spotted if you cower here. Your face is everywhere! What are you going to do?" She inquired, catching his gaze over her. His face remained expressionless, as he dropped his eyes down to stare pointlessly at the cobblestones. Angelica processed his situation, before it occurred to her exactly what his intentions were. Her first reaction was to push him into the light, and watch as a villager pointed him out to the guards, before she realised how desperate his situation was. He wasn't quite as smart as he thought he was. She gave a sigh, and considered how she could justify her harbouring him like a fugitive, which in the eyes of many, he now was. Her religion did specify to help the needy, and her desires were in to position to deny him that.
Biting her lip, she began to speak. "How exactly are we going to get you out of here, dressed so conspicuously…" She pondered allowed, hiding the sly smile by quickly snapping her jaw shut. He raised his eyes back up to her face, his brow furrowed, as he subconsciously ran a hand down his apparel. "Here, do up your coat." She said as she took a step closer to him, and started to fiddle with the buttons. Jack was very taken aback, unsure exactly what he had done to earn her sympathy. He watched her as she worked up the buttons, avoiding direct contact with his face. She felt slightly awkward realising she was standing a little too close for her comfort, and sought to break the awkwardness. "You're too dirty…" She muttered fruitlessly, lifting his jaw up with one hand and rubbing the dirt off with the other. She took a step back to look at his appearance, biting her lip. This wasn't going to be easy. "Aha, take off the hat." She said, moving towards him to remove it. Jack jumped back suddenly, and Angelica stopped midway. "No!" He complained, somewhat childlike. "It's too obvious. Take it off!" She demanded, her temper rising with each syllable. Jack opened his mouth, but realised fighting with her here would only end badly for him. "I'm trying to help you! You can wear mine." She said, and removed her hat, spinning it towards his chest. He caught it, running it over with his hands. Jack stared at her, obliging and taking his hat off. He placed hers on his head, feeling most out of sorts. "We'll exit through the main gate, the others are being searched." As they stood behind the pillar in the darkness, they looked out onto the square, waiting for a patrol of guards to move on. "Alright, keep your head down and stick close to me."
Angelica kept herself close to Jack, as they moved out of the shadows and into the square. Angelica shuffled closer to Jack, as they passed through the crowds, towards the main gate. They immersed themselves in the crowd, as Angelica noticed she was being eyed by the guards. She jumped, reaching for Jack's sleeve. He noticed it, and wrapped his arm around hers, grasping her hand. She kept her head down, avoiding all eye contact with the authorities. Jack did the same. Keeping her head bowed and directing her gaze out into the crowd, they made their way through the gate. "Oh miss?" A voice called from directly behind her, as she froze on the spot, and let Jack's hand slip out of her own. Jack kept his pace, fleeing, as Angelica tried to resist the temptation to turn around. "Hola." She whispered softly. The man turned to face her, his grin making her feel most uncomfortable. "Pardon me, miss. May I point out you have lost your hat? You always wear your hat when you come into town." Angelica opened her mouth to speak, but could not think of a reason to justify why she did not have her hat. The guard cast an eye down her body, being overly obvious in his intentions. "I…I must have left it at the convent." She explained, trying to stress the emphasis on the "convent". The guard opened his mouth in comprehension, before returning his gaze up to her face. "Women from convents do not usually wander around town every other day." He took a step forward towards her, his stare harsh and condemnatory. She took a retreating step backwards, and glanced around as the hold up started to draw the attention of other guards. "I am a novitiate." She spat back at him, before brushing against his shoulder and continuing on her way. Once she had made her way further up the path, she glanced behind her. That guard was still watching her closely, as she turned on the spot and continued up the hill to the convent.
"You have certainly made a name for yourself in town." Jack announced, coming up behind her, making Angelica jump and crack a smile. "Not many novitiates choose to go out into town, Jack. But from when I was a girl, I begged the sisters to let me go into town. When I was of age, they let me. It gave them an opportunity to get me out of their hair." Jack was surprised how she was opening up to him so easily, but became intensely interested in her character, and for someone who had not been given an opportunity to "live" as far as Jack was concerned, she was exceptionally deep and interesting. "Troublemaker?" Jack inquired. Angelica chuckled. "Overly curious. The sisters used to have a hard time getting me to sit still when I was a child." Angelica gave a snigger at the memory. "They still find me hard to deal with." She added. "How are you going to manage when you take your vowels?" Jack continued. Angelica laughed and shrugged her shoulders in non-compliance. "I haven't quite figured that out yet. Her voice dropped slightly, and she lowered her eyes to avert Jack's gaze. Jack took it as a sign to not harp on the subject. Silence fell between them as they continued to make their way towards the convent. Jack took her hand, and pulled her body closer to his. She went willingly, but kept her head bowed and away from Jack's. Angelica couldn't help but feel comforted by Jack's presence next to her. "You have quite a collection of trinkets." Jack started, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "A collector. A trait you and I have in common." Angelica gave a nod in agreement. "Except yours were attained without payment. Mine were bought with honesty, a trait you fail to exhibit." Accepting defeat, Jack did not seek a scathing retort. Silence fell between them once again, as they ducked into dark alleyways when a patrol marched by. The pair of them made their way to the convent, undetected.
Angelica fiddled with the lock, jimmying the key in frustration. At last, the door unlocked. She reached for the handle, when she heard footsteps coming up behind her. "Angelica." Angelica turned around, grimacing. "Sister Catalina." The woman was tall and frail, with pinched lips on her white, pale face. The many lines on her face did not make her appearance any softer. "Angelica, these visits into town MUST come to an end!" Her voice rose with each syllable. Angelica gave a frustrated grunt, brashly hitting her fist against the wood of that door. "Is it not within my rights to do so? I am not a nun, Sister Catalina!" Jack put his ear to the door, backing himself up against the wall in case of a sudden intrusion. The sister continued, lowering her voice to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation. "Angelica. You are seventeen, and your eighteenth is not far away. Two days, to be exact." Angelica rolled her eyes insolently. "Sister, I do not have to take my vowels on the first day! Why must you continue to pressure me! Argh!" Angelica's temper raised, her thick Spanish accent rolling off her tongue fluently. "This is my final word, Angelica. You must stop letting your curiosity get the better of you." She paused for a moment, dropping her raised voice to a more serious tone. "You must take your vowels." Angelica groaned in frustration, before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open, slamming it behind her. She forcefully pushed her back against the door, causing Jack to jump in surprise. "It's my decision!" she called from behind the door. "You don't have another option!" Sister Catalina called, before she walked away. Angelica listened to her footsteps disappear down the hall, and closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. Jack wasn't sure exactly sure what to do with himself. Angelica kept her head low, nervously running a hand through her hair.
Frustrated and annoyed, she turned to lock the door, and proceeded towards the bed, collapsing upon it. She closed her eyes, deep in thought in how dire her situation was for time. Jack, still standing against the door, watched her closely. Pulling up a chair beside the bed, he admired the many trinkets on the bedside table, absentmindedly picking them up and playing with them. "I cannot help but notice, you seem a little at war." Angelica sluggishly turned onto her side to face Jack, knowing he desired an explanation. Resting herself on her elbow, she watched Jack play with various trinkets. "I turn eighteen in two days time." Angelica said, hoping Jack would fill in the gaps. "Ah, you will be expected to take your vowels, I suppose." Jack stated, slightly disappointed. Angelica nodded in agreement. "That would mean no more little trips into town, no more harbouring fugitives…" Jack trailed off. "That's a sad commentary". Angelica gave a small smile, before resuming to her glum expression. Jack was desperate to change the subject. "Now, what did you do with that manuscript?" Jack continued, glancing aimlessly around the room. Angelica rolled her eyes, and turned away from Jack and to the wall. With her nonchalant attitude, he came over to the bed. Uncomfortable with his presence, she shifted herself over to the wall. Jack got onto his knees, with one arm on either side of Angelica. He hovered above her, but he did not seem to illicit a response from her. She remained motionless, keeping her face hidden behind her hair. "Do you expect me to give it up easily?" She questioned, letting her eyes peer out from behind her locks. Jack gave a smirk, brushing her hair out of her face. She buried her face with her arm, in an attempt to block Jack and hide her beaming expression. He couldn't help but feel as though this was some kind of test, to see who could withstand from temptation the longest.
It was then; Jack spotted a glint of gold attached to a chain around her neck. Adjusting his position, he saw the gold was in the shape of a key. Glancing over to the bedside table, he saw the key Angelica had placed there, making sure it was not the key for the door. Jack was bewildered; there was no other lock anywhere around the room as far as he could see. "You never explained why you need it so badly." muffled Angelica, interrupting Jack's train of thought. She turned her head, waiting for Jack's response. "Well." Jack started, trying to think of a good enough excuse to persuade Angelica. "It's for a venture." Jack struggled. "A venture!" Angelica said excitedly, sitting boltly upright, sending Jack toppling off her and onto the floor. Giving Angelica a queer look, she apologised, helping him back onto the bed. Jack sat rubbing a sore spot on his head, trying to ignore Angelica's grin directed at him. "That manuscript is the only way for us to determine how to find it." He said. Angelica shuffled a little closer to him, intrigued. "Tell me more, Jack." Jack looked suspiciously at her. "No!" He said, continuing to rub his head. "Not when you send me to the floor!" He added, trying to justify himself and end the stream of questions. Angelica rolled her eyes, agitated. "I didn't do it on purpose!" Her thick accent sending uncomfortable shivers up his spine. "Regardless, it hurt!" Jack debated, standing up to illustrate his point. "Usted es tan infantil!" Angelica rebuttled, before quickly realizing he could not understand. "You are such a baby!" She stood up, fuming. She advanced towards him, causing him to retreat back a few steps. She hit him brashly over his head, as he shielded himself with his arms. "What was that for?" He started, in astonishment. "You are so irritable!"
She gave a groan, as Angelica rested her back against the wall, allowing her legs to give in, as she slid down to the floor. She took a deep breath, realizing this amount of noise was sure to attract unwanted attention. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she ran her hands through her hair, trying to think of a witty comment to lower the tension. "I thought you would have had a higher pain threshold for someone who carries a sword." Angelica said cheekily, resting her elbows on her knees, eyeing Jack for his reaction. Jack watched her, slightly offended, and having the sudden urge to attack her back, in a much more pleasant way. Jack slowly advanced towards her, and he watched as Angelica apprehensively tensed up. Getting down to his knees, he crawled towards her, and rested an arm on each side of her, pressing his chest against her knees in an effort to convince her to let him come close. Jack watched as a wonderful warm blush spread across her cheeks. He craned his neck towards her, as she gradually dropped her knees. Jack smiled, as he brought his body over her. She retreated a little, pushing herself back against the wall. Angelica watched Jack's movements with cat-like eyes, studying his movements intensely. He shuffled a little closer, letting his lips brush lightly against her cheek. Angelica cracked a smile, as Jack brought her chin to face him. Jack balanced himself on one arm, and brought his other hand up to her lips, running his fingers over the outline. Angelica leaned in a little, coming into contact with Jack's forehead. He tucked her hair behind her ear, watching her facial expression change as she leant further and further in. Unable to resist the urge, he pressed his lips to hers. Angelica smiled against his mouth, as she responded eagerly.
Jack shuffled a little closer so he could rest entirely on his knees. Angelica grasped the rough material of his shirt, pulling him in closer. Jack went willingly, bringing his hands to grasp her hips. Angelica instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, urging him on. Jack continued kissing her, savouring the taste of her lips. He brought his hands up and kneaded his hands through her dark locks. The heat emitted started to increase, as the kiss began to intensify. Angelica moaned into his mouth, struggling for breath; as Jack moved his hand to find a sensitive spot behind her ear. Unlike the night before, Jack continually brought his lips to hers in a way that was anything but gentle, and Angelica was quick to respond. He wanted her to feel his passionate desire for her, as he brought his body closer and closer to hers, and she responded by pulling him onto her. Jack heard her sigh against his lips. Jack realised how preoccupied she was, and took the moment to grope around for the key. Feeling his hand come into contact with the cool metal, Angelica broke away from the kiss, struggling to catch enough breath to begin to throw a scathing retort back at him.
She slapped his hand away, untangling herself from his body, and dragged her figure onto the bed. Jack retaliated, as she caught her breath. "No te atreves!" She spat at him, enraged. Jack however; found her temper strangely exciting. He watched her with a grin as she pushed herself up onto the bed. Jack followed, making her retreat as far away as possible away from him. He followed, effectively pinning her body against the mattress and his own weight. She rested her weight on his elbows, and watched her expression. Her stern expression quickly changed to a small smile, as he re-adjusted himself over her. She was still flushed, and that key still hung freely on the chain around her neck. "Where does it go to?" Jack continued, as Angelica tried to maintain a steady breathing rhythm. "Uh-" Jack gave a smile, as he brought a hand up to the frayed material of her shirt, sliding his fingers under the shirt to make contact with her skin. Angelica gave a slight gasp at the contact, her eyes slowly beginning to roll shut, before she realized how persuasive his method was over her. She thought of how easily influenced she was over him, and knew that keeping the upper hand was long gone. She reached down and pulled his hand out from under her shirt, and returned to sitting position.
"Jack-" She started, trying hard to suppress the urge to pull him closer. "Jack, I will level with you." Jack gave a grin, as he watched as Angelica moved her position to sit cross-legged on the bed, and directly face Jack. "Jack, I know what you are searching for." Jack was taken aback by her knowledge, his jaw ajar in surprise. "The treasure. The lost treasure of Cortez." Jack remained transfixed upon her brown eyes. He watched as her expression changed, and she looked into his eyes with sympathy. "Jack, the location. It's not there." Jack's jaw slung ajar once again, as Angelica stood up upon the mattress, and removed the chain from around her neck. Jack watched, as she unlocked a small compartment in the ceiling, and fumbled around inside. She brought the manuscript down, and sat down next to Jack on the bed. Angelica flicked through the pages to find a certain page, and pinpointed what she was searching for. "Here;" She started, reading out an extract from the book. "...It can only be found by those who already know where it is." Jack leaned over, staring at the Spanish language Angelica had automatically translated. "You know what that means." Angelica filled in, watching as Jack stared blankly at the manuscript.
Angelica grimaced, as Jack's work seemed to wash away before him. Jack cleared his throat, beginning in a serious tone. "There isn't one living relative who would know the location." He stated, fruitlessly. Angelica gave a nod. She couldn't help but feel somehow relatable to him, that he had aspirations to do great things, though always seemed barred in some way of doing so. He was pressured, just like her. Angelica raised an arm and slung it around his neck, and Jack turned to face her. She seemed to understand him, and he was grateful for her current silence. Despite what a dire situation he was in, he couldn't help but desire her. He brought a hand up to her neck, and ran it down to her chest. She brought his body closer to his, and kissed his cheek. "What am I going to do?" He mumbled, as he brought her lips to his, and gently applied pressure. Angelica wrapped her arms around his neck, as Jack brought her to sit on his lap, and wrapped his arms around her back. Angelica smiled against his mouth. "I'll help you." She whispered, moving her mouth to his ear. Jack nodded, as he brought the manuscript around so they could both see it from their position. "Explain it to me?" Jack said, gesturing towards the manuscript. Angelica nodded against his face, as Jack clutched her tightly.
~End of Chapter Six~
Congratulations, you deserve a cake if you stuck with it until the end.
If you had trouble understanding the "royal palace" scene, the Spaniard is "King Philip's trusted agent", who appears in OST under King Ferdinand's rule. Ha, told you he would be important!
On a sidenote, my next chapter will be prolonged once again, as I am in the midst of exams. It is in the making, so bear with me. Also, I am considering whether to keep this story as a strong lime, or classify it as a lemon. Suggestions anyone? That "big moment" is only a few chapters away. :3
Here's a challenge. See that review button? Click it, and wait for a knock on your door from Fed-Ex, delivering you that promised cake. 3