Barbossa's Daughter

Chapter 10

Hector Barbossa's daughter was completely catatonic as she stood with Jack Sparrow atop a wooden platform, bound in ropes as the drums sounded. Though she didn't move, she wanted nothing more than to shove someone's head through those stupid drums. The ropes were rubbing tightly around her wrists as she stood before a noose, hundreds of people surrounding the platform as Elizabeth stood in her pretty dress with her father and her future husband as they watched their impending deaths like some sort of theatre performance.

"Jack Sparrow, Cordelia Barbossa," a man proclaimed as he read from a scroll parchment, and Cordelia scowled at her full name. "You have been charged, with counts of piracy, thievery and tried and convicted for your wilful commission of crime against the Crown."

Cora rolled her eyes before they locked with someone in the crowd.

His hair and face were freshly washed and there was a hat on his head with a large excessive feather and a red cape around his shoulders.

Will Turner held Cora's gaze for a number of minutes as the man simply stared at her, trying to read her. And all he could glean was the fact that she was unafraid of the circle of rope in front of her. That and she was pissed that she was being executed and not going out in battle or in the sea and that she'd likely be burned rather than being hung.

The man was still reading out the rather long list of crimes that Cora and Jack had committed as Will continued to stare at Cora, at least until a particular parrot caught his attention.

"And for these crimes, you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May god have mercy on your soul."

And Cora scoffed at the last line as Will made his way through the crowd and over to where Elizabeth, her father and Norrington stood.

"Governor Swann. Commodore," he greeted. "Elizabeth." And the eyes of the engaged woman turned to him. "I apologise gravely for my actions yesterday, but I needed to know the answer to a question I've had for the longest time. And the answer is that no, I do not love you. Once, I believed I did, but now I see that is not the case."

Elizabeth's face fell as the governor and Norrington turned to look at her in shock and surprise before Will continued speaking.

"I do not love you as I thought I did, but I wish you every happiness. I wish you well in your life for you helped save mine."

And Will began pushing his way back through the crowd, making his way towards the platform where the noose was being placed around Jack's neck. And there was nothing but a cold sneer on Cora's face as she had the necklace of rope placed around her neck. She was more fond of hand necklaces anyway.

"Marines!" Norrington called as he feared what Will might do.

"I cannot breathe," Elizabeth said as she swooned and fell to the floor, her father and fiancé instantly coming to her aid. And as her face was fanned, she shot up instantly as the lever was pulled and the floors gave way beneath their feet.

"MOVE!" Will bellowed to the crowd as they parted and he sent his sword flying through the air as it pierced the wood and gave Jack the thinnest ledge to stand on as the rope tugged at his neck.

As for Cora, she spent her time wallowing in a cage before this morning and she had decided something. She could go gladly and be with her father, or she could be her father's daughter, she could be the name he gave her and not go down without a fight.

She had heard about this particular trick working once before. But she had to get the timing just right as the lever was pulled.

And a fraction of a second before the floor gave way, she jumped. Her bound hands reached up for the rope that held her neck and then using all the momentum and force she would gather, she pulled on the rope as gravity came to her aid. And the hook that helped hold the rope to the beam above her was pulled free as Cora was sent falling to the ground.