The Ship of Dreams

Chapter 1: The Ship of Dreams

Story summary:

April 1912, two penniless lads, Jack Dawson and Robin of Locksley, win tickets to board the Titanic, on her maiden voyage. Both travel 3rd Class.

Two first class passengers, 18-year-old Ms. Regina Mills and 17-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater, both unhappily engaged, to respectively Mr. Caledon Hockley a Pittsburgh Steel tycoon, and Leopold Blanchard, a very rich businessman, become friends aboard the Titanic, even though they're very different. Both feel trapped in the cages their mothers and fiancés have built for them. And both want to escape their fate, but can they?

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April 10, 1912

"Come on, Regina, hurry up! The ship will be leaving soon! We have to go now!" her Mother shouted from downstairs, and she sighed as she put her comb in her purse. Today they would be boarding the grandest ship in the world, the Titanic. Not that she wanted to, per se, it would take her back to America, where she would have to marry Leopold Blanchard, a man she absolutely didn't like, but it would also reunite her with her father again, and that thought made her very happy. "I'm coming, Mother!" she shouted, before making her way downstairs, where her Mother and Leopold were waiting for her. Along with her handmaiden Eva White, whom she really liked. Leopold took her hand, and led her, and her Mother to the car, with Eva following behind them.

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Southampton Port:

Rose DeWitt Bukater stepped out of the car and looked up at the grand ship that would take her back to America in chains. Her Mother had arranged her engagement to Caledon Nathan Hockley, a rich Pittsburgh Steel tycoon. She didn't like him at all. No, she wanted to be free, and this ship, wouldn't provide freedom. If anything, it would only trap her even more. As Cal stepped out of the car, she looked at him, sternly, "I don't see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauretania..."

He sighed, "you can be blasé about some things, Rose, but not about Titanic, it's over a hundred feet longer than Mauretania and far more luxurious."

He then went to assist her Mother, as she stepped out of the other car, the one which also held their bags. "Your daughter is far too difficult to impress, Ruth." Ruth ignored him and looked up at Titanic. "So this is the ship they say is unsinkable.", Cal smiled. "It is unsinkable. God himself could not sink this ship." Behind them, the porter checked in their bags, assisted by Mr. Lovejoy, Cal's valet. "These bags, and twelve more in the Daimler to rooms B52-54-56!" Cal looked at Rose and Ruth, "Come, ladies, we better hurry up!" And so, the three went to board the grand ship.

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As Regina made her way aboard Titanic, she couldn't help but feel like she was dreaming. What a beautiful ship! While she dreamily made her way toward B-Deck, where their rooms, B51, B53, and B55, were located, she suddenly bumped into another woman and almost tripped.

Except, the other woman did fall because of her stupid actions. As the woman got up, with help from what was presumably her husband, and turned around to look at her, she saw it was a girl of her own age, and she immediately went to apologize.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't watch where I was going...", the man looked her up and down, "as you should be! Are you alright, sweet pea?" The girl looked at him, "I'm fine, and it's alright... we're on the 'Ship of Dreams'. I'm sure she was just admiring the beauty of the grand ship." She then faced Regina, "Right?"

Regina smiled in return, "yes, that's right. The beauty of the ship is remarkable... it feels like a dream. Perhaps you could join us for dinner tonight, so we can talk about the beauty of the ship some more? It would be an honor..." The girl smiled and answered for her husband, or maybe he was her fiancé, "Of course, we'd love to, wouldn't we, Cal?", he faked a smile, "of course..."