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flyingflosser09 · 1 year

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Cursed / Armando Salazar x OC / Chapter 33

Epilogue

Armando stands at the helm of the Mary, something that has become a routine for him over the years, and gaze over the decks of the vessel, bustling with life.

His crew is hard at work as always, preparing for another day of sailing and capturing pirates. At the main deck, Magda is already training Alejandro and Javier, teaching them about footwork and balance. They still train with wooden swords, but once they turn ten in a few months, they will see to replace the wooden ones with real blades.

Jimena, who is only two years younger than the boys, stands at the side, waiting her turn with her wooden sword in hand. Every now and then, she would yell at her brothers, “Lift your feet, Ali! Your footwork is atrocious! Javier, watch out for the…mierda! How did you not see that table?!”

“Jimena,” he warns from his post, “language.”

“Sorry, papa!”

He shakes his head. She’s takes after Samira and only recently learned two new words from Magda: atrocious and, well, mierda. The latter he’s not awfully proud of and had a long talk with Miguel about the words he uses in front of the children.

Just below at the quarter deck, Moss is teaching little Carmen to read. She just turned five and came a bit as a surprise, but not that he minded. The Mary is big enough to house about fifty people, what is a few more children, eh?

“When will I get to play with sticks?” Carmen asks as she stares at her brothers and sister.

“As soon as you turn six, pequeño,” Antonio says calmly, turning the page of the book.

“Why?”

“Because you might get hurt if you’re too young,” Moss explains patiently.

“Is that what happened to Tío Santos?” she asks in her childish innocence, “His nose looks funny.”

From behind the wheel, Lesaro snorts.

“No, nothing like that happened to Uncle Santos,” chuckles Moss.

“Then what happened to his nose, Tío Antonio?”

“He met his wife, niñita,” Lesaro answers her question with a smirk, recalling the day Santos walked into the mast, and from across the deck, the officer in question sends him a glare.

“You’re just jealous Esther chose me and not you,” Santos calls back, referring to a moment during the midwife’s stay on the ship when Lesaro mentioned that she’s pretty. It’s been a hell of an argument that day, but at last, it came to an end when Esther shyly admitted she thought Santos is attractive.

And one year later, the crew of the Silent Mary celebrated their second wedding after the curse.

“Don’t be sad, Tío Lesaro,” says little Carmen, “One day, you will marry a princess and you will live in a palace made of seashells and eat as many coconuts as you like.”

Lesaro smiles and nods in agreement, “Sí, I will marry a princess. Hear that, Santos!”

Armando shakes his head and laughs. He would’ve never guessed these men were once cursed, deprived of feelings and emotions, and only thriving on revenge. Look at them now. They’ve gone soft! Even Magda is allowing the boys to tackle him onto his back, floundering dramatically as they pile on top of him.

“Ugh,” Jimena rolls her eyes, “Niños.”

He huffs a laugh. Sí, she takes after her mother.

And speaking of which…

His heart misses a beat as it always does when laying eyes on Samira. He spots her climbing up the side of the Mary, hair dripping wet and skin glowing in the early morning sun. She has returned from her weekly visit to Port Royal to check in on Henry and his family. Seeing as she can literally transform herself into a body of water and use the ocean to travel around the world in minutes, she has the luxury of seeing her other family once a week.

“Mama!” the children swarm her with hugs and kisses when they see her.

Armando smiles as he makes his way toward them, feeling his heart swell with love just by seeing what he’s achieved in his life. Hunting pirates is nothing compared to this.

After greeting their children, Samira looks up to him, blue eyes reflecting the ocean in its most beautiful form. “Mi amor.”

He doesn’t say a word as he kisses her deeply, uncaring that her clothes are soaking his. Armando grins when the boys make gagging sounds, and pulls back, “How was your visit?”

Her smile widens, “Fantastic, thank you for asking.”

“And?” he urges her to say more, “What did they get?”

“They had a girl!” she basically blurts out as if she couldn’t wait for him to ask. “Henry lost a bet, so Carina got to choose a name, Mirabelle. You should see her, mi amor, she’s so, so small, and soft, and precious…” Samira looks at him and bats her lashes, “I think we should have one more.”

He blinks. “Another child?”

“Yes. If it’s a girl, we’ll name her Isabella, and if it’s a boy, Emilio.”

Armando looks over his shoulder at the boys wrestling on the deck, arguing who is the better sword fighter between the two.

On the side, Jimena loudly cheers them on, shouting above the noise, “Javier, what did Tío Magda tell you? Always go for the eyes! Alejandro, cover your damn eyes!”

And then there’s little Carmen, trying to sneak up on a seagull that perched on the rail, but ends up staring at it in awe instead.

Armando smiles. He has the perfect life now. He is the Capitán of the mightiest ship in the seven seas with a crew that would follow him through war, he married a woman, a sea goddess, who call up storms when she’s angry and calms them when’s she’s content, and she’s given him four beautiful children. They have an estate back in Spain with enough room for them to have as many children as they want, and he still have many years ahead of him to see them grow up, get married, and have children of their own.

Back in the Triangle, being a married man, a father, and leaving behind a legacy were the last things on his mind. He ruled them out as things he’ll never have.

But Samira flooded their lives and broke their curse and showed him all the things he never knew he wanted.

For once, Lesaro was wrong. One curse – a blessing in disguise – can break another.

And so, he kisses her again, tasting the ocean on her lips and inhaling the sea on her skin. When he pulls back, he smiles because, how can he refuse her anything?

“Then let’s go make another child, mi corazón.” In a spirited motion, he has her in his arms and carries her to the great cabin, fully intending to worship her in the privacy of their room.

El Final

#armando salazar #armando #salazar #pirates of the caribbean: dead men tell no tales #pirates of the caribbean #potc dmtnt #potc #dmtnt #jack sparrow #henry turner

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flyingflosser09 · 1 year

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Cursed / Armando Salazar x OC / Chapter 32

Two days after the wedding, the Mary has set sail once more. The Spanish officers have resumed their mission to cleanse the ocean of pirates under the king’s command. However, given the results of their previous pursuits, they’ve changed their tactics. Nowadays, they take prisoners before burning down their ships, and drop them off at the nearest port to be thrown in the barracks.

So far, this new tactic works, and that is enough to satisfy the Capitán of the Silent Mary. In the past four weeks, they’ve sank three ships and taken over sixty pirates prisoner.

Armando stands at the helm of the Mary with Lesaro behind the wheel. He is at peace, content even, as he knows they are leaving the ocean pure. But what makes him even happier, is seeing his wife in bed with him every morning when he wakes up. Even though he bought the estate he so much dreamed about, Samira insisted to sail with him.

How can he refuse her?

And there is absolutely no reason why she couldn’t sail with them. Storms? She can either tame or cause them. Pirates attacking? She knows her way with a sword. Risk her getting hurt? The sea will heal her. And even if he wanted to say no – which he didn’t – his crew wouldn’t step foot on the Mary if they heard she wouldn’t be there.

He may be the Capitán , but everyone knows Samira is secretly the one with the authority.

And honestly? Having Samira sail with them is the best decision he’s made since marrying her. They’ve had nothing but clear skies and calm seas for days with her always being in a good mood.

But something is different today.

Armando frowns at the strange weather they’re having. It’s been lightly raining during the morning, only for it to vanish within an hour. The next thing he knows, the waves are growing in size, rocking the ship in every which direction and throwing many officers off balance. If they weren’t used to sailing, most men would’ve been seasick by now. But the strangest sighting by far is the dolphins that were following them on their voyage. They seemed rather…purposeful to him if that makes any sense.

Only then does he realize that Samira hasn’t left the cabin yet that day. Telling Lesaro to keep an eye on the horizon, he leaves the helm to check on his wife.

Past the stage of knocking, he enters the great cabin and freezes.

“Mi amor?” he frowns when he finds her bent over a bucket, face pale and eyes dull. Armando is at her side in an instant, holding back her hair while she heaves up this morning’s breakfast. “I don’t understand. You don’t get seasick, my love.”

Samira shakes her head as she slowly sets the bucket down. “I’m not.”

“Food poisoning?” That is his next guess. Immediately, Armando thinks back to what they had for breakfast, a simple plate of bread, some pork belly, and eggs. Could it be the meat?

“No,” she says again, using a damp cloth to wipe her mouth. There is a look of almost surprise on her face when she meets his eyes. “I haven’t bled yet this month.”

“Is that…normal?” What has that got to do with her being sick? He still has much to learn about women after being cursed.

“Only if I’m with child.”

He nods thoughtfully as if knowing what that means…and stops. “Wait, with child?” He knows she used to be a nurse, meaning she’d know what the signs would be. But…can it be? Taking her hands in his, Armando has to make sure. “Are you certain?”

“I can go ask the dolphins,” she manages to joke, referring to the ocean mammals that’s been following them, “Apparently, they can sense things like that.”

Her humor only confirms it for him. Armando’s hand comes to rest on her still flat belly, as unbridled happiness brightens his face. “I’m going to be a father.”

“You’re going to be a father,” she laughs at his excitement, knowing that she’s the sole reason for it.

Unable to contain himself any longer, he picks her up and spins her around, laughing all the way. When he puts her down, he says, “Wait until the men hears about this. Do you wish to tell them or should I?”

Samira opens her mouth to reply, but immediately closes it when another wave of nausea hits. Frantically, she searches for the bucket and Armando grabs it for her in beat.

He rubs her back while holding her hair as she begins heaving once more. “Or we can wait. Let’s tell them tomorrow. Come here…” Carrying her bucket and all to the bed, he takes the rest of the day off to stay with her.

The following months have been a challenge most of the time. Samira had her fair share of behavioral ups and downs and developed a strange taste in foods the didn’t particularly go well together.

All the while, the Spanish crew remained supportive and, to be honest, very over-protective of her. They were, of course, overjoyed to hear that there will soon be a new addition on the Silent Mary, and spent the months preparing themselves for the big day.

At each port they stopped at to drop off pirates and pick up supplies, the crew began gathering little things that would help with the new concept of having a baby on board. From clothes to little wooden toys, and children’s books. Even Magda came on board one day with two little wooden swords in his hand, clearly stating that he will be the one to train the baby once it’s big enough to hold the sword.

By the end of the eighth month, Samira’s belly was so big, she could barely stand for longer than a few minutes. Armando finds himself growing more worried the closer it comes to her giving birth, constantly insisting that they stop at the next port to find a midwife.

“I am a nurse…and a midwife,” Samira would argue as she tries standing up from the bed.

“I know, mi amor, but you can’t tend to yourself during birth,” he told her patiently, knowing her moods have become unpredictable these past few weeks.

“But I don’t want to give birth at a port,” she pouts, “I want it to be on the open waters, nowhere close to any land. It just feels right.”

“Then I suggest a compromise,” he gently makes her lie back down and rub soothing circles over her swollen belly, smiling when he feels the baby kicking on the inside. “We find a midwife at the next port, and she can stay with us until your time comes. Please, for me, el mía.”

At last, Samira agrees, and Armando wastes no time to set sail for the nearest land. He himself went to find a midwife he believed was qualified enough to deliver his child and brought her back to the Mary.

The midwife, Esther, is still young, but her knowledge of her craft reminded him of Samira and his gut told him she is the best choice. And since the moment she stepped foot on the ship, Santos was enamored. He would follow her around like a lost child, trying his best to start conversations but ended up slurring and stammering instead. Once, when she left the great cabin after checking on Samira, Santos was so distracted by her, that he walked into the mainmast with brutal force and ended up with bloody nose.

Of course, Magda still teases him about it until this day.

And then the time finally arrives.

It happens in the early morning hours before the sun could even peer over the horizon. The Mary shakes with Samira’s screams while the crew waits the end in anxious anticipation. Inside the great cabin, Armando holds her hands while Esther orders her to push as hard as she can.

Samira sits in a tub of water – something Esther was very confused about but didn’t ask questions – pushing until she had no strength left. Sweat shines on her face and neck, mixed with the tears of pain.

“You have to push, my lady,” says Esther calmly, “It’s almost over.”

Armando lets her use his hand to grasp onto as she gives another agonizing push, screaming. He’s killed so many pirates in his life, this shouldn’t phase him. And yet, he’s almost sure his face is as pale as it was when he was cursed.

“Almost there, mi amor,” he tries encouraging her, stroking her hair with his free hand, “Just a few more.”

“Push,” reminds Esther.

Samira just about curls into herself as she delivers one final hard push and slumps back when feeling a solid mass slide out of her. Armando holds her steady but has his eyes locked on the pink bundle in the midwife’s arms.

Esther smiles at the happy couple. “It’s a boy!”

Armando breathes a laugh of both joy and relief and kisses the side of Samira’s face. “You did it, mi amor. We have a son.”

Breathless and hurting all over, Samira opens her eyes to look at the baby in the other woman’s arms. She smiles tiredly upon seeing his little head of black hair, just like Armando’s. “He’s…perfect.”

“Want to hold him?” Esther hands the crying baby to Armando, who holds him low enough for Samira to see. However, just as she tries moving to get a better look, she lets out a cry and clutch at her still swollen belly.

“What’s happening?” the Capitán demands to know, worry consuming him once again.

Esther jumps to inspect what the damage is to Samira’s lower regions – oblivious that the water would heal her – and freezes.

Armando feels his heart miss a beat. “What is happening?”

Outside on the deck, the crew is still waiting. They were relieved when the screaming stopped for a moment and prepared themselves to meet the new addition to their family…only to jump when another series of screams tore through the wooden walls of the cabin. This time, even the wind picked up and rocked the Mary to the side.

“I don’t think I can take this much longer…” Moss covers his ears, only imagining the pain the señorita must be feeling.

However, he is just about to retreat below deck when, all at once, the screaming stops.

The officers wait with upheld breaths, perking up when the door of the great cabin opens for the Capitán to step out. He looks physically exhausted and maybe a bit horrified, his sleeves are rolled up and the white fabric of his shirt stained with blood.

At first, he says nothing and only leans against the rail for what feels like hours. But at last, he looks at his men and smiles, “It’s two boys! Mellizos!”

“Twins?” Lesaro echoes, floored with surprise.

“Santa Maria…” Santos says, wide-eyed.

“Mierda…” Magda shakes his head, “I don’t have enough swords…”

“And their names?” Moss asks after getting over his own surprise.

Armando glances back at the cabin before looking at his crew. Then he says, “Alejandro and Javier.”

#armando salazar #armando #salazar #pirates of the caribbean: dead men tell no tales #pirates of the caribbean #potc dmtnt #potc #dmtnt #jack sparrow #henry turner

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