A Man's Soul - chap 2
Title: A Man's Soul (is not much different from a woman's)
Author:
sparrows_lass
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, belong to the mouse - the lot of 'em...
Notes: Lots o' thanks to my wonderful beta
sirdrakesheir!!! Feedback is appreciated!! :]
A man’s soul
(is not much different from a woman’s)
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue - she had it all.
A beautiful long white wedding dress with white roses and thorns embroidered on the finest cloth her father could lay hands on - something new.
She had a necklace of white pearls with a fastener of gold in the shape of a flower. It had once belonged to her mother - something old. Undergarments of the finest silk with the same roses like the ones embroidered on the dress. They were her favorite color, the color of what lay over and beneath the horizon, the color of the sky and something larger, which promised freedom - something blue.
A ring of old silver, the precious metal marked of time, with a beautiful jade which wasn’t exactly hers. Actually, it belonged to a man, and its size was the reason she had to wear it on her thumb to not lose it. A man with dark eyes and bronzed skin, hair as black as his ship’s sails in the night and a heart, too compassionate, too caring for a man of his kind. Something borrowed (even though she had borrowed it without permission, it was still borrowed - she would give it back sometime).
All of these things were lucky charms for the day which was supposed to be the most beautiful day of her life. The day she should always remember as the day that she was supposed to marry the man she wanted to spend her entire life with, the man she wanted to be the father of her children, the man she truly loved. Yes, the day she married the man she truly loved…or maybe the day that her freedom was taken away from her.
It really was a beautiful day. There was no cloud far and wide to keep the warm Caribbean sun from shining down in all its beauty.
A light breeze caressed her face and made a few loose strands of her hair dance in the warm air as she stood at the open window in her bedroom overlooking the harbor.
It was perfect. Every single detail was perfect; from her clothes, hair and paint, the weather and all the decorations in the church, dining room and ball room to her groom… everything.
She took a last glance at her reflection in the mirror, putting her thick honey-brown locks and the skirts of her wedding dress into place. Then she picked up her bridal bouquet and let her long white soft veil fall into place. With a deep breath she pressed the cold brass door handle down and stepped out of her bedroom in the governor’s residence into the corridor, where her father was already waiting for her.
A warm and gentle smile spread over the friendly face of the Governor of Port Royal. He was dressed in his finest blue and golden breeches, a vest, jacket, feathered hat, his polished shoes and lots of frills. As he took in the sight of the young beautiful woman who had once been his little girl with a head full of pirates and their adventures on the high seas.
“My god, Elizabeth, you look absolutely stunning.”
He offered his daughter an arm and she took it, smiling gently at her father.
“Just like your mother. I whish she could see you right now” her father said as they descended the stairs and went down the hall, paced through the massive wooden doors and finally stepped out into the street.
He helped her into the open white carriage. It would bring them to the church of Port Royal, where the wedding guests and a very nervous young blacksmith were impatiently awaiting the bride’s arrival.
“William is a very lucky man” the governor stated with the same warm, but sad smile with which he had told her that she looked like her mother. Elizabeth gave him another sweet smile.
It was not an entirely sincere smile, though.
The harbor and fort came into sight. She couldn’t help but think of one particular day about a year ago. It had been a hot day. The Commodore had proposed to her; her corset was verbatim breath taking. That day a living pirate legend decided to enter her life by saving it; only to turn it upside down the same second. That particular night she had been kidnapped by two of Captain Barbossa’s pirates. And Will had finally acted on his own impulse and had hurried to her rescue. It was now that she realized that all the while she was thinking, she had been constantly playing with the silver ring on her thumb. A slight smile began to pull at the corners of her mouth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh salty air the wind carried her way. It calmed her down a little.
And still, five minutes later as her father helped her to step out of the beautiful carriage; she did so with mixed feelings.
---
“We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Elizabeth Swann and William Turner in marriage.
Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in marriage, they must speak now or forever hold their peace.”
It was so quiet one could have heard the sound of a pin hitting the floor. The priest continued, his voice calm and grave.
“Who is it that brings this woman to this man?”
With a clear voice Governor Swann spoke. “I do on behalf of her family and friends.” Then, he stepped aside with a glance at Elizabeth and Will took her delicate hand into his own strong hand. He looked at her with so much love and gentleness in his eyes that she began to wonder if she could return his affection in the same way. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the priest began to speak again.
“Elizabeth and William, life is given to each of us as individuals, and yet we must learn to live together. Love is given to us by our family or by our friends. We learn to love by being loved. Learning to love and living together is one of the greatest challenges of life - and is the shared goal of a married life.”
Her mind began to wander as the priest spoke. She didn’t even realize that she was toying with the old silver ring on her left thumb. Suddenly, the image of a certain pirate captain appeared in her thoughts. She often tried to get rid of it since she returned to Port Royal, but it was to no avail. She felt like he was near. A shiver ran down her spine, spreading goose bumps all over her body.
What was wrong with her? She had vowed to herself that she would not let Jack tear her away from William. Had vowed the day she returned to Port Royal and saw the ship sail away that she would not let this overwhelming kiss of death on deck of the Pearl rob her of her love to Will. Not the kiss, nor all the other wonderful feelings that she had when she was near Jack. She had disposed as a little infatuation and had all but believed it. So why the hell did she have to think of him right now?
“William Turner, do you take Elizabeth Swann to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Elizabeth shuddered again, this was the moment she had dreamed of and dreaded for so long.
“I do,” Will answered, clear and strong.
“Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?”
Will locked eyes with her and answered with the same determination as before.
“I do.”
There they were again - the doubts that she had felt so strongly a few minutes before; they had haunted her for so long now. She loved William; however, there was something about Jack that she didn’t feel for Will. The way Jack looked at her, the way they played games with each other, the look in his eyes when he made her angry or abashed and the thing she felt when she kissed him...
No. She would do it. She would marry William. Bugger Jack. She would do it; she loved Will after all.
“Elizabeth Swann, do you take William Turner to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Suddenly, she felt constricted. If she married Will now, she would never sail again, nor would she be free the way she was when she was with Jack, when she was on a ship, when she was on the Black Pearl. She cringed. She couldn’t do this. She just couldn’t do this anymore, not when it meant to give up the sea, her freedom, Jack. Jack was her freedom. Finally, she realized it. If she married Will now, her life would be over. She would be bound to Port Royal until the end of her days. She just couldn’t do it.
Will looked at her, startled as she didn’t answer.
Elizabeth opened and closed her mouth twice, locking eyes with Will.
“Will, I-I can’t...I just...I’m sorry” it came out in a whisper.
Will froze; he felt like his heart would stop beating. Why did she do this? What was the reason -
“It’s Jack, isn’t it? So the kiss wasn’t just a means to an end?”
She couldn’t bear the hurt in his voice and eyes; it was too much for her to take. She knew perfectly well how much she hurt him with this, but there was no other way. She couldn’t give up what she loved most.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say again before she gathered her skirts and run out of the church, tears running down her cheeks.
The wedding guests started to murmur and the governor hurried to Will, shocked. Will simply watched her leave. Feeling anger awake in him, he stood still.
Jack. Jack Sparrow. Once he would find this bloke and show him what it meant to feel the anger of a man whose bride had left him for a bloody pirate.
“Will, you have to run after her, get her back! We can fix whatever has happened, I’m sure!” the governor said, frantically.
“No. I would be to no avail. I know your daughter very well, Governor. She won’t come back if she doesn’t want to - you know it.”
Elizabeth ran as fast as she could, straight down to the harbor. She had dropped her wedding bouquet and veil somewhere along the way. She didn’t care. When she looked at the horizon through a veil of tears, she froze. A ship was sailing towards Port Royal - a ship with black sails.
Author:
sparrows_lass
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, belong to the mouse - the lot of 'em...
Notes: Lots o' thanks to my wonderful beta
sirdrakesheir!!! Feedback is appreciated!! :]
A man’s soul
(is not much different from a woman’s)
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue - she had it all.
A beautiful long white wedding dress with white roses and thorns embroidered on the finest cloth her father could lay hands on - something new.
She had a necklace of white pearls with a fastener of gold in the shape of a flower. It had once belonged to her mother - something old. Undergarments of the finest silk with the same roses like the ones embroidered on the dress. They were her favorite color, the color of what lay over and beneath the horizon, the color of the sky and something larger, which promised freedom - something blue.
A ring of old silver, the precious metal marked of time, with a beautiful jade which wasn’t exactly hers. Actually, it belonged to a man, and its size was the reason she had to wear it on her thumb to not lose it. A man with dark eyes and bronzed skin, hair as black as his ship’s sails in the night and a heart, too compassionate, too caring for a man of his kind. Something borrowed (even though she had borrowed it without permission, it was still borrowed - she would give it back sometime).
All of these things were lucky charms for the day which was supposed to be the most beautiful day of her life. The day she should always remember as the day that she was supposed to marry the man she wanted to spend her entire life with, the man she wanted to be the father of her children, the man she truly loved. Yes, the day she married the man she truly loved…or maybe the day that her freedom was taken away from her.
It really was a beautiful day. There was no cloud far and wide to keep the warm Caribbean sun from shining down in all its beauty.
A light breeze caressed her face and made a few loose strands of her hair dance in the warm air as she stood at the open window in her bedroom overlooking the harbor.
It was perfect. Every single detail was perfect; from her clothes, hair and paint, the weather and all the decorations in the church, dining room and ball room to her groom… everything.
She took a last glance at her reflection in the mirror, putting her thick honey-brown locks and the skirts of her wedding dress into place. Then she picked up her bridal bouquet and let her long white soft veil fall into place. With a deep breath she pressed the cold brass door handle down and stepped out of her bedroom in the governor’s residence into the corridor, where her father was already waiting for her.
A warm and gentle smile spread over the friendly face of the Governor of Port Royal. He was dressed in his finest blue and golden breeches, a vest, jacket, feathered hat, his polished shoes and lots of frills. As he took in the sight of the young beautiful woman who had once been his little girl with a head full of pirates and their adventures on the high seas.
“My god, Elizabeth, you look absolutely stunning.”
He offered his daughter an arm and she took it, smiling gently at her father.
“Just like your mother. I whish she could see you right now” her father said as they descended the stairs and went down the hall, paced through the massive wooden doors and finally stepped out into the street.
He helped her into the open white carriage. It would bring them to the church of Port Royal, where the wedding guests and a very nervous young blacksmith were impatiently awaiting the bride’s arrival.
“William is a very lucky man” the governor stated with the same warm, but sad smile with which he had told her that she looked like her mother. Elizabeth gave him another sweet smile.
It was not an entirely sincere smile, though.
The harbor and fort came into sight. She couldn’t help but think of one particular day about a year ago. It had been a hot day. The Commodore had proposed to her; her corset was verbatim breath taking. That day a living pirate legend decided to enter her life by saving it; only to turn it upside down the same second. That particular night she had been kidnapped by two of Captain Barbossa’s pirates. And Will had finally acted on his own impulse and had hurried to her rescue. It was now that she realized that all the while she was thinking, she had been constantly playing with the silver ring on her thumb. A slight smile began to pull at the corners of her mouth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh salty air the wind carried her way. It calmed her down a little.
And still, five minutes later as her father helped her to step out of the beautiful carriage; she did so with mixed feelings.
---
“We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Elizabeth Swann and William Turner in marriage.
Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in marriage, they must speak now or forever hold their peace.”
It was so quiet one could have heard the sound of a pin hitting the floor. The priest continued, his voice calm and grave.
“Who is it that brings this woman to this man?”
With a clear voice Governor Swann spoke. “I do on behalf of her family and friends.” Then, he stepped aside with a glance at Elizabeth and Will took her delicate hand into his own strong hand. He looked at her with so much love and gentleness in his eyes that she began to wonder if she could return his affection in the same way. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the priest began to speak again.
“Elizabeth and William, life is given to each of us as individuals, and yet we must learn to live together. Love is given to us by our family or by our friends. We learn to love by being loved. Learning to love and living together is one of the greatest challenges of life - and is the shared goal of a married life.”
Her mind began to wander as the priest spoke. She didn’t even realize that she was toying with the old silver ring on her left thumb. Suddenly, the image of a certain pirate captain appeared in her thoughts. She often tried to get rid of it since she returned to Port Royal, but it was to no avail. She felt like he was near. A shiver ran down her spine, spreading goose bumps all over her body.
What was wrong with her? She had vowed to herself that she would not let Jack tear her away from William. Had vowed the day she returned to Port Royal and saw the ship sail away that she would not let this overwhelming kiss of death on deck of the Pearl rob her of her love to Will. Not the kiss, nor all the other wonderful feelings that she had when she was near Jack. She had disposed as a little infatuation and had all but believed it. So why the hell did she have to think of him right now?
“William Turner, do you take Elizabeth Swann to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Elizabeth shuddered again, this was the moment she had dreamed of and dreaded for so long.
“I do,” Will answered, clear and strong.
“Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?”
Will locked eyes with her and answered with the same determination as before.
“I do.”
There they were again - the doubts that she had felt so strongly a few minutes before; they had haunted her for so long now. She loved William; however, there was something about Jack that she didn’t feel for Will. The way Jack looked at her, the way they played games with each other, the look in his eyes when he made her angry or abashed and the thing she felt when she kissed him...
No. She would do it. She would marry William. Bugger Jack. She would do it; she loved Will after all.
“Elizabeth Swann, do you take William Turner to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Suddenly, she felt constricted. If she married Will now, she would never sail again, nor would she be free the way she was when she was with Jack, when she was on a ship, when she was on the Black Pearl. She cringed. She couldn’t do this. She just couldn’t do this anymore, not when it meant to give up the sea, her freedom, Jack. Jack was her freedom. Finally, she realized it. If she married Will now, her life would be over. She would be bound to Port Royal until the end of her days. She just couldn’t do it.
Will looked at her, startled as she didn’t answer.
Elizabeth opened and closed her mouth twice, locking eyes with Will.
“Will, I-I can’t...I just...I’m sorry” it came out in a whisper.
Will froze; he felt like his heart would stop beating. Why did she do this? What was the reason -
“It’s Jack, isn’t it? So the kiss wasn’t just a means to an end?”
She couldn’t bear the hurt in his voice and eyes; it was too much for her to take. She knew perfectly well how much she hurt him with this, but there was no other way. She couldn’t give up what she loved most.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say again before she gathered her skirts and run out of the church, tears running down her cheeks.
The wedding guests started to murmur and the governor hurried to Will, shocked. Will simply watched her leave. Feeling anger awake in him, he stood still.
Jack. Jack Sparrow. Once he would find this bloke and show him what it meant to feel the anger of a man whose bride had left him for a bloody pirate.
“Will, you have to run after her, get her back! We can fix whatever has happened, I’m sure!” the governor said, frantically.
“No. I would be to no avail. I know your daughter very well, Governor. She won’t come back if she doesn’t want to - you know it.”
Elizabeth ran as fast as she could, straight down to the harbor. She had dropped her wedding bouquet and veil somewhere along the way. She didn’t care. When she looked at the horizon through a veil of tears, she froze. A ship was sailing towards Port Royal - a ship with black sails.