Norrington's Darling

The Course Home

POV: Zuri Norrington

A week had passed before the Black Rose was ready to sail. Our departure was planned for just after dawn on the eighth day, yet it was delayed by none other than Cedric. 

I should have expected it, really. Samuel had warned me that Cedric wasn't going to take kindly to being left in Port Royal. But I had convinced James to do it once, so how could I not convince Cedric to do the same? As it turned out, Cedric had been born with my very own stubborn streak.

"Absolutely not, I am going with you," Cedric insisted, pacing wildly about my bedroom—and very purposefully blocking the doorway. I could always drop over the balcony edge, but I wasn't looking to leave Cedric without an explanation. He'd just chase after me anyway.

"No, you are staying here and remaining safe."

"What good does 'safe' do me when you might not be?!"

"Cedric—"

He grabbed my shoulders. "Mom, I can never be sure you are safe at sea. Never."

"I'm a pirate, love, danger's in the job. But I know the sea. I know how to read it, how to navigate it."

"That's not what concerns me," he said, shaking his head. "What concerns me is how, one way or another, you're going to die out there. And you want to." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "How can I be absolutely sure that this isn't the last time I see you? How do I know you aren't going on a suicide mission so you can see Dad again?"

My heart twisted. If Cedric was anything, he was intuitive.

"Ced..."

He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, and when he opened them, they were reflective with tears. "Please. I know you miss him, and I know...I know it's always hard to go on without him. But I can't lose you. I can't let you go out there alone and not be able to say goodbye when the time comes."

"That time is not now, Cedric, I promise."

"You are running after a myth!" he cried. "You have no idea if the Trident even exists, but you are going after it as if it is all you have left."

I shook my head. "Saving the Black Pearl is all that remains for Uncle Jack. If the Trident is the key, I will do what I can to ensure my brother gets his hands on it."

"And I'm going with you."

"No, Cedric. Stay here. Stay with Rosalind."

"Mom—"

"I will not let you have the same fate that your father and I did, Cedric," I said softly. 

He froze. He'd heard stories of his father from everyone who knew him, but I hadn't told him about this. I hadn't told him about just how short of a time James and I had had together before he died as a married couple.

I waited for Cedric to gather his courage. At last, he said, "What...what do you mean?"

I twisted my wedding ring. "Your father and I fell in love when we were young. But...for so much of that time, we were separated. By people, by sea, by circumstance. Of all our time, most of it was spent pining for each other rather than being together. The same was true once we were married. After the wedding in Malta, I had to search for your uncle, and James had to keep up appearances. He went back to Beckett, and I went to the Locker. We spent a grand total of maybe a week or so actually together in the few months we were married. Most of it was spent trying to conceive you," I added, and Cedric turned as red as a soldier's jacket. "What I mean to say, Cedric, is that I don't want you to spend all of your life away from the woman you love, because life ends too quickly for that. It ends abruptly for one of you, and it will tear you apart, and it will kill you daily. Your sorrow and your rage will burn in your chest until you just can't take it anymore."

Cedric blinked abruptly. "Can...can you?"

"Sorry?"

"Can you still take it? That burn?"

I pressed my lips together. "For now. But it hurts, Cedric, and I don't want you to have to feel that pain ever in your life. For what it's worth, I don't want Rosalind to feel it, either, and as it currently is, it's most likely that she will be the one to suffer. You cannot tell me you wish such pain on her."

Cedric squeezed his hands into fists. "I don't."

I cupped his face. "Be sensible, Cedric."

"I'll go, too, if it helps," said Rosalind's meek voice at the door. We both glanced over. She and her parents were there, having snuck up without either of us noticing.

"We'll all go," said Theodore, putting his hands on his wife and daughter's shoulders. "The Black Rose is a family ship, after all, is it not?" 

"Aye, it is," I admitted.

Anamaria nodded. "It's decided, then! We'll accompany you on your journey. I could use some time at sea, anyway."

"And you want the life of piracy for your daughter?"

Anamaria grinned at me. "Well, we had that life. Look how we turned out."

I gave a tiny laugh that was made mostly of air. "We did pretty good for ourselves, I think."

"Pretty good? We married military men and had kids! Excellent, wonderful, intelligent kids who are experiencing your love story all over again." Ana squeezed my hand. "Think about it, RiRi. You grew up pirate, Ced grew up pirate. James turned pirate, albeit briefly, and that's the opportunity presented to Rosa now."

"I don't want them to have my love story, Ana," I said gently. "I want them to have a better one."

"Oh, Zuri," she whispered, hugging me. "I don't think there could be a greater love story than that of the Norringtons."

Tears built in my eyes. "Then why did it end so soon?"

"Good things aren't always meant to last," she said, "but I promise you—you and your James were a very good thing."

I wiped the tears from my eyes that refused to fall. "Alright, alright, alright. That's enough wallowing from me. Go pack, all of you. I'll have Oliver find more room on the Rose to fit all of us."

Cedric threw his arms around me. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet."

He followed close on my heels as we left the house and headed for the Rose. "Where are we going?"

"Home."

Cedric raised his brows. "Sorry?"

"You've lived your life in your father's home and part of mine. Now it's time for you to meet the other half of my home."

If I was going to go after the Trident, I was going to need to do it the right way. I was going to need to know if it truly existed. And there was only one place I could think of that would confirm or deny its existence.

Liam was waiting for us at the edge of the pier. "All set, Captain?"

"Ready to make way. Tell the crew we're headed for Shipwreck Cove!" 

Anamaria grabbed my arm. "Really?"

I grinned. "I think it's time to go see some old friends."