Chapter 2: Port Royal
It took several moments for everything to stop spinning. Her nausea was increasing rapidly to the point where she wasn't sure whether she would throw up or pass out first. Her ears popped as everything slowed down, and she took a deep breath. The salty humid air blew softly around her and she opened her eyes to see the waves crashing feet away from her. Did it work? She wondered as she looked around. She appeared to be in a small inlet and, if her calculations were correct, she merely had to swim around the cliffs to her right and should find herself in the port of the slumbering town. She looked at the device in her hand; the dials had popped back up, no longer locked in place, and the light had a black burn mark on it that she would examine more closely later. It would be anywhere from days to months before she could use it again, so she closed it tightly, making sure the rubber seals around the edges were sitting properly, and buried it in the bottom of her satchel, hoping it had not broken. The air was much colder than she expected it to be, and she kicked herself for not bringing a coat. She had planned to have one made, but decided to wait until she was here to acquire one in order to avoid having one that stood out. She made a note to purchase one first chance she got. She walked out into the water, thankful that, though still quite cold, it was warmer than it appeared, and she swam in the appointed direction.
She was now more grateful than ever for her southern California upbringing, where she had spent countless days swimming in the much colder Pacific. As she came around to the other side of the cliff, tall wooden ships bobbed on the dark waves in the distance, and another was docked at the shore, the dim lights of the town twinkling beyond it. She had indeed made it. She swam for the shore at a metered pace, not wanting to exhaust herself, and reached the shoreline as the sky started to tinge pink with the oncoming dawn. She walked across the beach to an overturned dinghy, and rested against it while she dumped the water from her boots and rang out her socks as best she could. Alice stood and looked around at the town, rubbing her arms for warmth as she shivered. She had to find the governor's mansion, and she hoped he would be there.
The night watch was still on guard, but she saw a pair of uniformed men near the dock trying to wake up before their shift began. They sipped from steaming steel mugs and yawned parts of sentences out while rubbing at their tired eyes. She knew they would be able to help her, so she got her act together quickly and mentally rehearsed her story as she walked toward them. They noticed her and quickly stood up from the barrels they were sitting on, their muskets resting nearby.
"Morning," the tall one said, tipping the front of his cap lightly. The stouter of the two men followed suit, and she curtseyed lightly.
"Good morning, gentlemen," she replied, the hint of trembling in her voice not entirely faked thanks to the cold. "I've encountered a bit of a problem, and I must find the governor at once." The two men took on a more serious tone and eyed her a bit warily.
"A problem? What sort of problem?" asked the shorter man.
"I was in a shipwreck, you see. We were bound for Port-de-Paix from the Americas when many of the crew fell victim to some unknown illness. Those who survived were very weak and, during this time, we came under attack from pirates. It is a miracle I made it here alive, but I am the sole crew member remaining, and I seek help."
"But, why would the governor help you?" the tall man asked. He did not seem insincere, but merely curious. "I mean, that sounds like something for the navy."
"For one, I am sure the governor would be interested in knowing of any piratical activity occurring in this area. And two, well, I am a princess, and I seek asylum"
"A princess?" the short one snorted skeptically, taking in her appearance. Alice took on a haughty stance and glared at him.
"Yes, of the Banjeree family, originally from India."
"You don't look much like a princess… your highness," the tall one quickly tacked on the formality, seemingly unsure of how to address her.
"Nor do you look Indian," said the other.
"My mother is French, and my dad is Indian. Please, I need your help!" she begged, her frustration only half-feigned.
"If you came under attack from pirates, then how did you make it here?" the short man jeered.
"I slipped on board their ship wearing the clothes of one of our crewmen," she responded with a gesture to her appearance. "They were headed for Tortuga, but I knew that was no place for a proper young woman. I stole a jolly boat as we were nearing Jamaica, knowing that we were not far from Port Royal, and I made for land as quickly as possible. The waves overturned me, but I was just barely able to swim for the shore." Her eyes pleaded with them to believe her and she allowed tears to well up in them.
"Please don't cry, miss," the tall man said, grabbing for a handkerchief. He handed her the white linen square and she thanked him softly, dabbing at her eyes. He turned to his fellow soldier. "Let's just take her to the governor's mansion, Rupert. I see no harm in that."
"No harm? What if she's a—" he lowered his voice, eyeing Alice again, "bleeding pirate?" he finished with an almost comical whisper.
"You would accuse me of being a pirate?!" she feigned outrage. "After seeing what remaining family I had slaughtered by such vile savages, you think I would join such terrible creatures?!"
Rupert's face turned red in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, miss, it's just that…" he trailed off, looking away from her in shame.
"You know what? Never mind. I will find my own way there!" she turned to storm off, rolling her eyes at their unhelpfulness.
"Wait!" the tall soldier called out as he ran to her side. "I apologize, miss. I will escort you there, even if my colleague will not." She stared at him for a moment, unsure of whether to accept his help or not. With a sigh she decided to accept.
"Thank you, Mr…?"
"Murtogg, miss. Charles Murtogg."
"Thank you, Mr. Murtogg," she forced a light smile. "Please, call me Alice."
"Right this way, miss," Rupert strode up to her other side and gestured in a direction.
"Changed your mind, did you?" Murtogg asked in annoyance.
"Obviously," he retorted to his friend and then gave Alice a startled glance. "Of course, Charles," he stated more formally to Murtogg, and then turned to Alice. "I would hate for you to get lost, miss. I am Rupert Mullroy," he said with a stiff salute.
"Hold up, are you saying I couldn't find my way to somewhere as simple as the governor's mansion?" Murtogg glared at Rupert.
"Ha! You couldn't find your way to the sea from here, and it's right behind us!"
"YOU got lost trying to find the tavern last night, and it's next door to where you live!"
Alice huffed and mentally shook her head as the pair bickered. This would be a long walk, she thought. Realizing they were being rude – and each blaming the other for this – they pointed out people and places to Alice along the way.
"Gentlemen, shouldn't you be headed toward your post?" a stern voice called out, and a startled Alice jumped slightly before looking toward the man who said it. Murtogg and Mullroy stiffened up into a salute immediately as a tall man strode toward them. His uniform was impeccable, and he walked with clenched authority.
"Apologies, Captain," Murtogg stated quickly. "We are escorting, uh, Princess Alice to the governor's mansion."
"Come again?" he asked with a slight cocking of his head as he approached the trio. He looked down at the pair sternly and eyed Alice with some confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, but the pair quickly filled the man in on what she had told them earlier. She looked at them in annoyance.
"I hardly think this woman is a mute," he said, looking to her for confirmation.
"No, sir, I am not," she said simply and then glared at Mullroy. He mumbled an apology along with Murtogg.
"Then return to your posts at once. I will take charge of her highness." The pair apologized again, and then quickly shuffled off in the direction they had just come from. "I apologize for any confusion. Princess Alice, was it? I am Captain James Norrington," the man stood up straight and bowed slightly to her.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I am just very exhausted and more than a little bit distressed."
"I can understand that. We are not far from the governor's mansion. We will head there now but, when we arrive, may I speak with you in private for a moment? As Captain it is my duty to sort out affairs such as these, especially ones involving pirates. Surely you understand?" Alice was hesitant, but she knew she had to if her plan was to work at all.
"Of course, Captain." He offered his elbow and she took it, allowing him to escort her. He did not speak much during the walk, aside from small pleasantries, and they soon found themselves outside of the heavy iron gates of the mansion. Once inside the gates, Norrington dropped his elbow and placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her up the steps to the front door where he knocked authoritatively. After a moment the door opened, and a butler appeared.
"Good day, Captain Norrington," he greeted.
"Good day, Mr. Glass. I have some unexpected business with Governor Swann, but first I would like to talk with this young woman in private regarding a recent pirate sighting. May we?"
"Of course, Captain. Right this way." The butler led the pair into the lavish mansion, and Alice did her best to not eagerly take in every sight. Norrington's hand was still on the small of her back, guiding her along at a steady pace. The butler led them through a hallway and stopped at a white door that was almost indistinguishable from the others. He opened it and stepped inside, holding it open for them with a small bow. They walked inside and stopped in the middle, Norrington turning to ask the butler to bring them tea as well as a towel for Alice, whose clothes were still quite damp. She looked around at the ornate room that was full of heavy furniture crafted from dark woods. Thin white curtains only slightly obscured the view outside, but they caught the dawn light and seemed to almost glow.
Alice turned to look at Norrington just as the butler returned carrying a tray of tea, a heavy linen draped over his arm. Norrington thanked the butler as the man set the tray down on the desk, and asked that they be left to speak in private; the butler bowed again and stepped out, closing the heavy door behind him. Norrington unfolded the linen as he walked over to Alice and he draped it around her.
"Thank you." He smiled and nodded politely in reply before gesturing toward a wooden armchair.
"Please, have a seat." She sat down as he removed his hat, setting it on the desk, and prepared them each a cup of tea. He handed her a cup and saucer and she thanked him again as he pulled another chair over to sit across from her. "I wish to hear your full story, Princess." Alice could tell that he was very skeptical of her, but willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. As long as she could sound convincing enough, she had a chance; the fact that he had already brought her to the mansion showed that the odds were in her favour. She rested the saucer and the cup on her lap lightly and sat up straight with her head held high.
"My name is Princess Alice Banjeree. My father is one the Maharajas of Patiala. My mother, Bernadette, is from France: My father met her during one of his many travels there. We had gone to visit the Americas about 12 years ago. I think my father had wanted a break from the violent oppression many of the tribes held toward the British, as he was in no hurry to return to India. We began the long journey back, with a plan to stop at Port-de-Paix to resupply on our way through the West Indies. It was not long after we left that a sickness had spread throughout the ship. Few of those aboard, including myself, managed to avoid contracting it, but many of the ill perished, including both of my parents." She stopped to sip at her tea, her eyes lowered in mock sadness.
"I am very sorry to hear that," he said softly and she raised her eyes to see his pained face.
"Thank you, Captain," she said softly and then cleared her throat to continue. "It was decided that we would limp our way to Port-de-Paix where we could find passage on another ship. One evening, about a day out from here, we were set upon by a large sloop. Our frigate, with its skeleton crew, could not outrun them. We knew we would be taken and, fearing what would happen to me, several of the remaining crew offered to shoot me to save me from such barbarians. I was terrified, Captain Norrington," she said softly and pretended to dab a tear from her eye with the corner of the linen. He leaned forward and set his hand on her arm in a gesture of comfort. She smiled at him sadly. "I asked if there was any other option, and one man, Brohma, had suggested that I change into more suitable clothing and sneak aboard their ship. It was dangerous, but it was the best alternative. So I abandoned my traditional clothes for these," she gestured toward her current outfit. "They claimed our much larger vessel as their newest flagship, and I hid as best I could. Luckily they were quite a haphazard arrangement, with many recent recruits, so they did not question who I was. When I heard that they planned to head for Tortuga, I knew they would be coming near Port Royal. The night after our capture I hid in one of the jolly boats, stealing away with it after most of the crew had fallen into a drunken sleep." She paused again to sip her tea, and noticed that Norrington had not removed his hand from her arm, but was now rubbing it softly. "I could see land in the distance, illuminated by the scant moonlight, and I rowed for my life. The choppy waves caught my small boat and overturned me. I thought I would drown. I held fast to the keel as long as I could, hoping the waves would push me closer to the shore. They did only so much and then I decided to swim for it. At first I was fighting against the tides, but I was becoming exhausted quickly, so I tried to match their flow, letting them carry me whenever possible. My breath was coming in gasps, but I knew I was too close to give up. Once I was in the harbor I swam harder than I ever have in my life, praying that I would reach the shore alive. And I did." Realizing she was staring into her tea, she looked up at Norrington. The rings of sage green in his hazel eyes seemed to glow in the filtered morning light.
"Thank goodness you are alright," Norrington said softly, but he seemed to recall his place as he looked down at his hand on her arm and quickly sat back. "What do you plan on doing from here?" She made note of the concern in his voice.
"That is why I was insistent upon speaking to the governor. I don't honestly know what to do. I could return to India, but what will await me there? Yes, I have family there, but I have been gone for over a decade; who knows how much has changed in that time? I have no home, and no one to go home to," she said sadly, closing her eyes. The partial truth of this statement caused her throat to tighten and she couldn't help the tears that began to escape. She was startled by the feeling of a warm finger on her cheek and opened her eyes; Norrington had frozen in place, unsure of how to proceed. She leaned into his hand slowly and he took that as permission to continue, wiping away her tears delicately.
"Something can be arranged, your highness," he said just above a whisper.
"Please, Captain – call me Alice." He nodded.
"You may call me James."
"Thank you, James."
"Governor Swann will need to be apprised of your situation. May I speak to the governor on your behalf?"
"Yes, you may." Alice's haunting sadness was trying to overtake her, but she fought against it, trying to put it off until she was alone. Her gaze drifted to the window.
"Alice," he almost whispered. She returned her gaze to him and he placed his hand on top of hers. "The governor is not hard of heart; he will come to some arrangement, I am sure. If not… I will do my best to help you." He squeezed her hand and she fought out a weak smile and thanked him again. He stood slowly. "I will go talk to the governor now; he should be up and about." He picked up his hat from the table. "Wait here, and I will return shortly." He walked over to the door and paused, turning to give her a saddened smile, and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Alice sat unmoving for a few moments, her gaze fixed on the door. She had not expected such kindness, she realized, and she stood up to place the cup and saucer on the desk. Sitting back down, she turned to face the window once more. Talking about her created family made her miss her actual family. But, never mind the current state of the device in her bag, she was in no hurry to return. She was not lying when she said she had no one to go home to. She had become quite detached from her parents over the years, as they had gone their separate ways and were enjoying their newfound lives, and she did not have many close friends. The two she did have knew where and when she was – they had created the device that brought her here. She reached into her waterlogged bag and pulled it out to examine it.
Mark had spent decades working on creating this device. She didn't know how he did it, exactly, even though he tried to explain it to her many times. There was a matching set; in the event of an emergency with one – if it broke or was malfunctioning – the other would be alerted and lock on to the last known coordinates, transporting the user of the other one there with a push of the button. He and his partner David had tested them several times. She had always been too afraid, even though she had always wanted to travel through time. But that had all changed with the aftermath of Paul. She winced at even thinking of his name. She looked closely at the burn on the light. This was not something that had ever happened in their trials, but they had also not tried to come back this far before. She sighed. The fact that she may be permanently stuck here rang in her mind, but she wasn't able to fully comprehend what all that would entail. Instead she focused on trying to get by here. She put the device back in the bottom of her bag and gazed out the window.
Why was she being so sad? She thought that maybe if she went this far away she would leave her heartache behind, she supposed. She tried to shake it from her head. Her lifelong fascination with pirates was what made her decide to come here, so she was determined to at least enjoy that. She wondered how tightly controlled the island was and considered the frequency of pirates visiting here. Would she able to catch a ship to Tortuga? She let herself daydream for a time. This reverie brought her back to Norrington. His hand on her arm had stirred something within her. Had she been deprived of even the basest of affections for that long? It pained her to remember how long ago Paul had begun to drift away, and she hated remembering that he was still battling the demons of his own past. She didn't want to feel any sympathy for him. She sighed and watched the birds fly outside.
The door opened, and she stood quickly. Norrington walked in followed by a regally dressed man in an ornate powdered wig.
"Princess Alice, I presume?" he asked in a kindly voice.
"Hello," she smiled softly through her sadness and walked toward the pair. The man reached out his hands and clasped one of hers warmly between them.
"Captain Norrington informed me of your story. I am very sorry to hear what you have been through. Such tragedy…" Alice said nothing: She just maintained her sad smile. "Come, join us for tea," he said as he walked over to the desk and sat behind it. Norrington pushed her chair closer and, after she sat, he pulled his up as well. Mr. Glass entered with a fresh pot of tea and a plate of biscuits, which he served them swiftly, and then he stood in a corner, awaiting further duty. The governor apologetically asked her a few questions about the story she told, and made some light talk, Mr. Glass weaving around periodically to refresh their cups. The morning passed rather quickly, and Alice felt very comfortable in the governor's presence, his paternal manner soothing her greatly.
"I don't wish to be rude, Governor Swann, but I must return to my duties," Norrington said with a slight questioning edge.
"Oh, yes, of course! I apologize for keeping you so long, but this situation…" he trailed off.
"Understandable, Governor."
"Miss Alice—May I call you that?"
"Of course, Governor Swann."
"Miss Alice, the circumstances surrounding your ordeal are quite amazing. That you could endure them speaks much about you. You are welcome to stay here for the foreseeable future; I am sure my daughter would not mind. Would that be agreeable to you?"
Alice let out her first genuine smile in a long time. "Yes, sir! That would be most wonderful! Thank you!" The governor could not help but smile back, and Norrington's stiffness faded just enough to be perceptible. Even the governor had noticed.
"No need to worry, Captain Norrington," he chuckled and Norrington let out a small chuckle in response.
"Thank you, Governor Swann." He turned to Alice. "Miss Alice, I will come by to check on you periodically. If you ever have need to reach me, anyone here can do so." He bid his goodbye and took his leave.
"The captain was most worried about you," the governor smiled. "Come, child; let us get you set up."
