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itsadmiralactually · 3 days

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The Pirate Queen

Chapter 3 - The Ball

If anyone ever said pirates weren’t efficient, they should be told the tale of Alice and her crew getting ready to host a ball for a new Commodore.

Hiding anything suspicious was the easy part. The locked extra pantry was plenty enough to stow away any of the papers they needed to keep from prying eyes. Their gear was locked into trunks in their personal rooms.

What wasn’t easy was shelling out the money for caterers and extra servants to make the night perfect. While they had the money, Alice had made a fortune sailing with Sam Bellamy and then even more in her exploits, they all hated spending it on posh pricks who would more likely give them a bullet than the time of day under normal circumstances.

Most pirates on ships had duel roles. Everyone chipped in, and just like on a ship, the men dove head first into getting ready.

By the time the night arrived everything was absolutely perfect.

Three of the men would be carefully and quietly sneaking into the Fort while the rest of the town partied at the mansion, courtesy of Vicountess Somers. Their goal was it make it seem like no one have ever been there. They didn’t want to get captured, and they didn’t want to have to kill. Alice and her crew took a page from Sam Bellamy - they didn’t kill if they didn’t have to.

The men left before the extra servants arrived for the night, and Alice went upstairs to get ready. Edward stayed at the mansion, her even present bodyguard.

When he knocked at the door to her room to let her know guests arrived, he couldn’t help but smile.

“You may not be a noble, but you wear the outfits quite well.” She turned to look at him with a smile on her face.

“Let’s be honest, I look better in trousers and my jacket.”

He motioned to her dress. “I see you’ve picked your signature color.” The red dress was her most fashionable. Bright red, matching the bow weaved intricately through her hair. Instead of an updo, she wore her hair down. The black hair fanned across the red dress she had commissioned to match that bow. The dress itself was more old fashioned than she had been wearing and the corset fit just perfectly. There were no color accents except around the sleeves and chest, and was intricately woven with gold and red fabric.

“Well, I wanted to stay partly me.”

“I wish Sam could see this.” Edward said and Alice took a calming breath.

“Me too.”

“Where should I wait during dinner?”

“You’ll be next to me.” Alice said simply and Edward raised his eyebrows.

“I don’t think it’s proper to have your bodyguard sitting at dinner. Robert would faint.”

Alice laughed. “Tonight is our last night with these people. I don’t particularly care what they think and they’re not going to question a noble.”

“Sounds good, Captain.” Edward was dressed in mostly black, fine quality that most would expect of a bodyguard. “People are going to be arriving soon.”

“Alright, let’s get ready to play our parts.” She effortlessly switched into her posh accent.

There were murmurs throughout the party. The red was certainly making some heads turn. When Governor Swann and Elizabeth arrived Alice was there to greet them.

“Lady Frances, you look marvelous!” Elizabeth said with a smile. They two women held hands for a moment.

“As do you, Elizabeth.” Her dress was a light blue which paired with her quite well. Her hair had been curled delicately and put in an updo worthy of a coronation, she was sure of it.

“That is such a stunning color.” Governor Swann started. “You stand out, in the best way.”

“Thank you, Governor.” Alice replied, trying her best not to smirk. “I felt it was appropriate since the ball is on behalf of a member of the Navy. Navy blues seemed a bit too pompous, don’t you agree?”

Governor Swann searched for something to say as Elizabeth politely held her laugh behind her fan. “You look absolutely wonderful, Lady Frances.” He finally said. Safe, complimentary.

“Thank you, Governor.” From behind him she caught the eyes of James. “Please excuse me, sir. I want to wish the man of the night my congratulations.” As she made her way over, James couldn’t seem to even think. She was beautiful. James was in his Navy dress. An outfit that should send Alice’s anxiety shooting upward. Yet, she was sure she had never seen a man so handsome.

“Captain Norrington.” She curtsied and he bowed back. Alice knew that there couldn’t be a repeat of the night of the dinner. The best thing would be to treat James Norrington with civility and step away as quickly as she could.

“Thank you for your generosity with this night.” He started. “And, if I may say, you look absolutely beautiful, Lady Frances.”

“Thank you, Captain. It is a pleasure to celebrate you.” James could tell she was being more formal, putting more of a guard up. He had no right to wish for something different. To wish anything different was downright improper. “Please, enjoy yourself.” She curtsied again and turned to greet her other guests. The bow going through her raven hair caught his eye and something stirred in his memory. Just for one second a moment of fear crept into his mind, but he couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why.

As everyone made their way into the dining room, there were whispers at the fact that while Lady Frances sat at the head of the table, her own bodyguard was to her right. To her left was Governor Swann, beside him Elizabeth, and James was surprised to find himself placed next to her.

Once everyone was seated Lady Frances stood.

“Good evening. I hope you are all enjoying yourselves.” There was some murmurs of approval. “Tonight we are here to celebrate Captain James Norrington, who will not be called Captain in twenty-four hours. Now, I have only known Captain Norrington for a few short days. I could regale you all with the kindness and character he has shown me. However, I wanted someone who knows him more, who served with him, to speak here tonight. Lieutenant Groves, if you would please?”

A few seats down from Edward, Groves stood, and Alice took her seat. She knew her brain would betray her if she was forced to give a speech about James. She could hardly talk about how handsome he looks in the moonlight. She was supposed to be married. More than that, it was about to be James’ job to be in charge of hunting her and the people she cared about. The thought soured her mood considerably. More so when she realized she shouldn’t even be thinking about James Norrington. She should be wondering how we men were doing at the fort. By the time she came back into focus, Groves had finished his speech and she held up her glass in a toast before the first course.

Once the food was cleared and the band had begun to play, Alice whispered to Edward to go and be on the lookout for the returning men. The hope was they would be back quickly and efficiently. One of her men named Simon had offered to help in the kitchen. He had been a chef back in Ireland and then became the chef for her crew, and he would be waiting to move any papers to the locked pantry.

“My dear Lady Frances.” Governor Swann said as he walked up to her. “Would you honor me with a dance?” He held out his hand and she took it immediately.

“It would be a pleasure.” They danced to a lively tune. The laughter around the floor told her everyone seemed to be having a great time. She made sure they had enough stock of wine to last them, and making sure everyone was good and drunk could only help her in the long run.

As the Governor turned her she caught a glimpse of James who was dancing with Elizabeth. He was smiling, she was laughing. Alice felt a pang of jealousy go through her, but she quickly pushed that away. Any thoughts about her and James Norrington needed to stop at that moment. And, more than that, she knew he would make a great husband to Elizabeth. He was kind and gentle. When he showed emotion it was sincere. In the first night she had watched his eyes flicker to Elizabeth which such adoration. Alice knew she would be taken care of and loved. She couldn’t ask for more than that from two wonderful people.

The dance came to a close and there was a small round of applause. “Thank you for the wonderful dance, Governor.” He bowed. “If you would excuse me?”

“Of course.” He beamed. His cheeks were red from several glasses of wine and Alice found herself thinking that wasn’t a bad idea. Find a servant with the wine she took a glass for herself. When she turned back to the party she was surprised to see James walking toward her.

“Lady Frances.”

“Captain Norrington.” She acknowledged. “Are you having a good time?”

“I am, thank you.” He promised. “I came to ask if you would honor me with a dance.” She couldn’t say no. Maybe it was knowing that after tomorrow she would, hopefully, never see him again.

“I would be delighted-“ She was interrupted by Edward.

“I am terribly sorry, my Lady.” He bowed.

“What is it, Edward?” She asked.

“May I speak with you, privately?”

Her eyes turned to James. “My apologies, Captain.” She and Edward turned, heading for another room. James couldn’t pretend he wasn’t disappointed.

The study was a place she had wanted to spend more time in, if they had the time. It was dark wood with books lining the walls. Giles stood outside on guard to make sure no one came within earshot as Edward closed the door behind them.

“Is everyone alright?” Was her first question.

“Yes, everyone made it back safely.” Alice let out a sigh of relief. “They were in and out quickly, no one saw them. It’s what they found that’s concerning.”

“What did they find?” Alice asked.

“A list of spies for the Royal Navy and where they are located. Some are on Tortuga.” Her jaw clenched. “There’s also a few pirate havens that they know about. I think your Captain Norrington intends to go raid them after his promotion is made official.”

“Go, get Robert, will you?” She asked and Edward gave a quick nod before leaving. They would have a head start on anything Norrington had planned, which was key. She sat in silence for a few moments. If her mind wandered too far, she could almost feel tears threatening to spill. So, she pushed them down. Edward and Robert came back in a few minutes.

“Captain.” Robert acknowledged.

“I need you to get to the docs and get first passage that you can. You have to get to Tortuga as quickly as possible.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “Hopefully those pirate havens can be cleared out before the Royal Navy gets their hands on anyone. And make sure the right people in Tortuga know the names of the spies.”

“You can count on me Captain.”

“When you get to Tortuga send someone for us. We’ll want to leave late tomorrow night.”

“I will.”

“The winds be with you, Robert.” She shook his hand and he headed back out the door.

“What’s the plan?” Edward asked.

“Tomorrow, after the ceremony,” Alice started. “We will spend the day carefully packing, not drawing any attention. Once night falls we will gather everything up. We can’t leave a trace of us behind. Not a single piece of clothing.”

“Understood, Captain.”

“We will leave an urgent note with the Swann’s. My husband has taken ill and we were quickly recalled to England.”

“Will they believe it?” Edward asked.

Alice shrugged. “Once we’re back on the seas, it won’t matter.”

“I’ll start telling the men.” He said and she let out a soft sigh. “You should get back out there. The hostess will be missed.”

Alice seemed to clench her jaw. “I can do this for one more day.” He nodded before opening the door for her.

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itsadmiralactually · 3 days

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Okay, I've just got a thought (actually, I got it quite long ago) and I want to... well, share it now, I suppose. (My English is bad, bad, bad. 😂) So, James and Elizabeth. And the couple they... don't make at all.

Wait a moment. I have nothing against Norribeth. I've read really great fics about them, and I loved it, and I truly admire 'Redemption's Promise' by norrington-hell 'cause it's one of my favorite fics. Not only in this fandom but at all. But I myself (completely personally) don't see James and Elizabeth as lovers.

Not because I myself have Catherine (who has all this French and sarcastic stuff and who actually shares James' devotion to his duty and loyalty to the Crown), not at all. Well, it would be strange if I didn't love the relationship between the characters in my own fic but I don't put Elizabeth aside just because 'I have a better and loving woman for him, you, *itch!!!'. No. It's not about some headcanons and etc, it's only about the movies. The main problem for me is that James and Elizabeth doesn't work together as a couple right from the start. I know that people sometimes have problems with them being already acquainted when Elizabeth is twelve and James is... well, at least, eighteen, but he's a sailor. And a military one. He could leave Port Royal even for a year or two, going just anywhere he is commanded, and then return, find out she's grown up and only then fall for her. He definitely acts like she's nothing more than a child in the prologue of the COBP. Just look at the way he smiles when he speaks to her. He's only polite and not interested in her at all.

And this WORKS. When he tries to play that sort of an older brother looking over a naive girl. It should've stayed this way when she's grown up, but it doesn't and everything goes... bad.

He proposes, she falls from the cliffs. With James being that smart as he is in the movies he should've already thought that it was a bad idea. Then Elizabeth is taken to Isla-de-Muerta, saved by Will, goes into battle (who, by the way, taught her all these tactics? Of course, she's read books but she reacts too fast for someone who's never been into battle), then she's left on an island with Sparrow, then rescued again and... things get worse. She literally manipulates James into saving Will and I truly regret that they cut off James' phrase 'Mr Turner is the subject of the English Crown and thus is under my protection'. It would've been better (in my opinion) to show that James is still the man of duty. And that he hesitates not because he doesn't care about Will's life (he does as he looks quite... tormented, so to say, when Governor Swann says they will return to Port Royal and not go after The Pearl), but because James cannot risk Elizabeth' and her father's life as they are civils, nobles and etc. He's the man of honor and duty, he doesn't make rash decisions and he knows that he cannot endanger Governor of Jamaica because of a blacksmith' apprentice. While Sparrow is all that freedom stuff, James is strict and harsh but not merciless. That's what makes him so interesting as a character. He does what he has to even if he doesn't want to. Even if it's literally torments him but he knows that it's his duty. And still he, first of all, tries to do what he believes is right. (That 'Fuck off, Beckett, I am leaving' moment.)

While Elizabeth is... well, selfish and sometimes even shallow. She literally humiliates him in front of the whole Fort Charles and still acts like 'What? I did nothing wrong'. While it's James who did nothing wrong and Elizabeth couldn't even speak to him in private. She's the Governor's daughter, she has her father on her side (who said earlier 'A right decision made for wrong reasons can be a wrong decision') and what is she afraid of? That James might answer 'All right, I thought better of you'? Yeah, better slap him in front of half of his men, girl. And after he saved your dearest lover and lost many of his men in a battle with immortal cursed pirates. Great. (No, not at all.) People sometimes get surprised that Elizabeth left Jack to the Kraken, but well... Elizabeth was that kind of person right from the start.

Luckily, they did cut off that phrase 'Good luck to both of you'. Yes, James steps aside showing that he accepts and respects her decision but he has a sense of self-respect. I'm pretty sure that if Elizabeth were a man there would be a duel. James didn't react the way he might only because she was a woman. (Don't throw stones at me, it's 17th or 18th century, and relationships between men and women used to be different that time. And it still was in public.)

(Just look at his face! What the hell is wrong with you, Elizabeth?)

This is what I always disliked about this couple. They know each other for quite a long time but still don't understand each other at all. James knows that he has his duty while Elizabeth is all about her own freedom. And the moment James starts doing what she wants him to do, he steps on the road that will lead him to the loss of everything he has. And then even to death. While Elizabeth is like 'Oh, I've known him for at least eight years, and now he died after I manipulated him once more literally saying he killed my father. All right, let's fight for freedom!'. What the hell is going on here, ha? They have at least two scenes when she mourns about Sparrow (in the boat and in Tia Dalma's house), and then it like 'James! Ah, fuck off, James, I have important business with pirates'. Well, she doesn't love him, she doesn't care, I understand. And I don't hate her because of 'Go away from my beloved character' or something. But James deserves much better. He deserves a woman who will understand his struggles between his own honor and his duty to the Crown. He deserves a woman who will accept this and love him for who he is and not in spite of this. And Elizabeth is definitely not that kind of a woman.

And I myself actually see James being older than he is usually shown in fanfiction. Well, books and etc tried to show that he was like twenty-six in the COBP, but... well, being well-known pirate hunter and already promoted to the Commodore at such a young age? Well, he is definitely great as a sailor and a military man but still not that much. Or maybe he's too young for me. (Or it's me who is too old now and is just not attracted in this way to a twenty-six-year old man.) I see him as being almost twenty-six in the prologue of the COBP and being in his early thirties (thirty-three, to be more precise) during the main part of the movie. And working hard all these years as he wants to achieve high rank because of his own heroism and cleverness and not because of his father being an Admiral or something like that. Considering their relationship, James would desperately need to be respected and loved because of his own achievements and not because of his father's rank. Although I don't see any problems with James and Elizabeth being in love while he is more than thirteen years older (she's already twenty during the main part of the COBP, and I am a history nerd so I know about enough marriages with such an age difference that actually succeeded as loving and caring relationships), but I still don't see connection and attraction between James and Elizabeth. He actually looks happier when he saves The Dauntless from the hands of the pirates than when Elizabeth accepts his proposal. I'd rather believe that he proposed because it was... well, expected from him. He is the Commodore of the Royal Navy, the brave 'Scourge of Piracy' and all that, and she is the Governer's daughter and all that. She's a 'fine woman'. He cares about her but she's not the woman he loves. And it's a 'good match'. But it's not about love and passion as between Elizabeth and Will. In my opinion, James and Elizabeth communicate in much more interesting way when they act like some sort of friends. One of my favorite scenes is when he said 'Didn't you think how your fiancé got on The Flying Dutchman?' and... SHE DIDN'T GET IT. She even used the compass and still didn't get it. Oh, come on, go after him and make him explain! He is trying to build some sort of friendship between you two. And it would be even more interesting as in this historical period men and women were considered to be husbands and wives and not friends.

But Disney lost it. Yeah, better make him die for a woman who doesn't even care about him, that's what we all want. (No.)

#potc

#pirates of the caribbean

#james norrington

#once more it's just a personal opinion