In the Hands of Fate I: Curse of the Black Pearl

Chapter one

Elizabeth Swann is to be the death of me. This, I know for a fact. Whether she runs off with Master Turner (which if you ask me is quite inevitable) or possibly goes gallivanting around with pirates (again, inevitable). Personally, I prefer it if she chose the former. I've dealt with pirates enough to last me ten lifetimes.

I'd have to admit, though, that both those out comes would be partially my fault. If I hadn't told her all those stories about my adventures on the Wicked Wench (aka Black Pearl [that's a story for another day]) and the Gypsy Curse, and a few of Jack's.

So, with all that taken into consideration, it wasn't a huge surprise to find out that my mistress had been in a brush with a pirate. It seemed almost normal for me to speak of it, even though it really wasn't my place. Not in this household anyway.

"There you go, miss," I said as I placed the bed warmer between her sheets, "It must've been a difficult day for you, I'm sure."

Miss Elizabeth nodded as she looked through the book in her hands. "I suspected Commodore Norrington would propose, but I was still not entirely prepared for it."

I chuckled softly as I tucked her in. "I meant your being threatened by that pirate. It sounds terrifying," I lied. As terrifying as a baby kitten… then again I was raised by a cruel lot of them.

"Oh. Yes. Terrifying," she deadpanned.

"But - the Commodore proposed! Fancy that! That's a smart match, miss, if it's not too bold to say."

"It is a smart match. He's a fine man," she began, this look of concentration covering her face. "The sort any woman should dream of marring."

"That Will Turner… He's a fine man, too."

Miss Elizabeth shoots me a glare. "That is too bold."

"Beggin' your pardon, doamnă." I patted her shoulder. "It was not my place."

...

I was nearly to my room when I first heard the cannon fire. It took me a moment, but I did recognize the guns. Hard to forget a ship like that. Especially since I spent the majority of my life on it.

The Black Pearl was here.

I rushed to Miss Elizabeth's room quickly, but she wasn't there, nor was she on the balcony. Out in the distance I could see, in the faint moonlight, the black sails of the legendary ship.

There was a scream from inside the house. I followed it to the origin.

"Miss Elizabeth?" I asked in a whisper as she rushed into her room. Elizabeth jumped due to my close proximity. "They've come to kidnap you, doamnă. You're the gov'ner's daughter." As soon as I said it, I knew it was a lie. A glinting of gold nestled in her bosom caught my eye.

They were here for the medallion.

One of the pirates slammed into the door and Elizabeth pushed me into the corner. I was crammed between her tall wardrobe and the wall. I've been in tighter spaces, I'm sure, I've just never really like small spaces.

"They haven't seen you. Hide, and first chance; run to the fort," she orders me.

The pirates managed to bust through the door. Miss Elizabeth runs to the side door with the pirates close on her tail; Pintel and Ragetti, I think immediately. The names pass through my head as an afterthought.

Pintel gets his faced smacked with the bed warmer and he staggers back. I take this as my chance to run.

But I don't go to the fort. Instead, I make my way down to my room, tugging on the laces of my work dress and corset.

I slam the door to my room behind me and lunge for the trunk at the foot of my bed. I slip the dress off and a white poet's shirt and a black leather stay I found in the trunk on. My bonnet as well as the wig I wore had fallen off when I dove for the trunk, so my strange, longish hair cascaded down my back.

Out of the trunk came a pair of black breeches, old black leather boots and a bright blue sash. These garments were put on in a matter of seconds. It was not my normal garb but it was what I arrived at Port Royal in, so the skirt will have to wait.

Hidden under the false bottom of the trunk was a very delicate looking sword and pistol. Without a second thought, the scabbard was tied to my sash and the cutlass drawn, the pistol slipped into my sash as well.

I managed to make it out of the manor without incident but the entire port had gone to Hell. Cannon balls zoomed past; pirates and citizens and Navy men alike ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, and screams filled the air nonstop.

I held my ground like the best of them. But I really was no match, being so out of practice and all. I'd attack one pirate and manage to run him through, and not even five minutes later, he'd get back up and attack me again.

I heard the sound of a cannon ball whizzing past my head and land in the building behind me. I had just enough time to watch as Elizabeth was dragged past me before everything went black.

...

Romanian translations:

Doamnă – Mistress