My Confession
Title: My Confession
Rating: T
Pairing: Will/Elizaebth
Summary: After seeing a certain blacksmith at mass, Elizabeth suddenly feels the need to confess. Pre-COTBP.
Fanfic Link: Fanfic.net
Disclaimer: I own NEITHER plot and/or characters. Hard to believe, eh? Also, any lines from either movie (Pirates and/or Mask of Zorro) are also not mine.
Author's Note: The premise of this is fic actually came from 'The Mask of Zorro', from when Elena is in the confessional, and accidentally confesses to Zorro himself that she's been thinking about him. I thought it'd be fun to put Will & Elizabeth in this little scenario. I also realize, that this is completely historically inaccurate, since in POTC time, they were probably Church of England, and not Catholic. Then again, this is a fic, so historical accuracy can be suspended for about 15 minutes. And that ends my AN. ENJOY!!
x-posted to turningpirate
---
Elizabeth Swann squirmed uncomfortably in her seat in the pew during mass while the minister went on and on about how everyone was supposed to love one another in hopes of getting into heaven once they all passed on. However, her main concern at the moment was her dress, the embroidered lace that clung to her like a second skin. The unbearable heat wasn’t helping matters either. She stopped squirming when something caught her eye in the corner of the church. There he was, tall, nearly dark and completely handsome; it was Will Turner, standing in the side isle of the church, listening to the sermon of the tired old minister. She never thought of Will as a religious man, but seeing him at the service just made listening to the sermon a little bit more bearable. He must have come straight from the smithy. He had a little bit of soot on his face and clothes, his hair tied back as neatly as possible, with only a few strands sticking to his forehead. His shirt was clinging to him, no doubt from the heat, accentuating muscles that she’d never seen on him before. Suddenly, her uncomfortable dress wasn’t the only thing that had her squirming.
As the minister’s homily went on, her mind began to wander. She began to think about the weather and the unbearable heat, and then quickly realized she didn’t need to be thinking about that. It would only make it even hotter in church, so instead her mind wandered to things she knew she shouldn’t be thinking about while in church. She thought about Will and the changes she instantly noticed. He had gotten taller, some facial hair was evident on his chin and upper lip, and if possible, his hair was even curlier. She figured those curls must be very soft. Soon, she started wondering what Will looked like without his shirt on. Elizabeth shook her head lightly, realizing how inappropriate that was, and yet, she couldn’t help but smile and immediately bit her lip to conceal it. Lest someone think she was laughing at the minister’s sermon. Suddenly, she envisioned a beach, with only Will & herself…her body temperature quickly began to rise and she took out her fan while attempting to focus on the sermon being delivered.
---
After the service was over, Elizabeth stood idly while her father, Governor Swann, made small talk with some of the nobility in Port Royal. She was highly eager to get home, change into something more comfortable, and stare out into the blacksmith shop not too far from her home. As the voices of her father and some nobleman faded from her ears, she decided she needed to speak to someone herself. For the last few months, every time she saw Will, she would picture them in any kind of scenario her mind could come up with. Everything from the simple act of him kissing her hand to things much more inappropriate, especially for the daughter of the governor, seemed to enter her mind; seeing him at the service didn’t only furthered these imaginings. She wanted to find Will, to talk to him and ask him how his apprenticeship was going. Speaking to him would surely give her a way of relieving her mind from these thoughts, but as she looked around, he was nowhere in sight.
With no Will to help her find some sort of release for her pent up thoughts and desires, she decided to speak to someone who couldn’t completely judge her, the minister. It was said that ministers can be told anything and not be allowed to tell anyone, it was part of their vow as men of the cloth. Elizabeth was resolved; she was going to go to confession. She hadn’t gone since she was a young girl, and in that time she didn’t know what to tell him. She softly broke into her father’s conversation, to tell him that she wished to talk to the minister by herself.
“Did the man’s sermon move you, my dear Elizabeth?” her father asked, amused.
A small smile crept to her lips, as she answered, “Yes, father. He made me think.”
With another slight laugh, the governor gave a quick kiss to her forehead and let her go, reminding her to take no more than half an hour, so they could go home. Elizabeth walked back into the church, only to find it somewhat empty with people still lingering and talking amongst themselves. Perhaps the minister was inside the confessional already. They usually waited there after the service, in case someone wanted to come in and confess. Elizabeth felt that need right now. Her suspicions were confirmed when she approached the little booth, one curtain draped closed, while the other side was opened. She went inside and sat down. There were two options when you went to confession, face to face or to keep your identity a secret. Considering what she was about to confess, Elizabeth decided to keep her identity a secret.
---
Will sat nervously inside the booth, his leg shaking wildly. He had tried to mask his nervousness when he stepped inside, but it was no use. The minister had told him to wait, while he was called outside. Apparently, one of the elderly women had fainted outside the church steps and he went to assist. He sat quietly trying to call his emotions and steady his breathing, after seeing Elizabeth at the service fidgeting with her dress, he started thinking that he wanted to help her out of it. Then, he realized that he was in church, and shouldn’t be thinking that about the governor’s daughter in such a state, he really shouldn’t be thinking of her at all. As a young boy Will was told that confessing ones sins was the best way to cleanse one’s mind, body and soul. His mind needed the cleansing most of all.
After what felt like an eternity, he heard someone enter the space next to him in the booth, separated only by a small window that could be moved to show their identity or mask it. Will decided it best to keep his identity a secret, he didn’t know if he could face the minister once this was over.
“Is someone there?” the voice asked. That voice was most definitely not the minister’s, it was far too feminine. Will looked through the little window, trying to see if he could decipher the person’s face, but he couldn’t. The face was blurred out by the screen for him to see, yet the voice sounded familiar. Where did he know that voice from?!
“Father?” she spoke again. Will silently gasped, it was Elizabeth!
----
It had been a good thirty seconds since she spoke, and still no answer. She knew the minister was in the confessional, so why wasn’t he talking? Then, she heard him clear his throat, as if to speak.
“What is it my dear lady?” the voice finally replied. Elizabeth thought long and hard what the rites she had to say before actually confessing.
“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been seven years since my last confession,” she finally replied. It was true, she had confessed not too long after they found Will and she stole his necklace. A few days later, after a service, her father had encouraged her to go to confession for the first time, even though he knew nothing of her stealing.
“Seven years?! What was it that made you come here all those years ago?” the voice asked. Elizabeth smirked a little, amused at the fact that the one thing that brought her to confession those years ago was the same thing that brought her here today, Will Turner.
“I…I…Stole something from someone back then,” she answered.
“Stole?” the voice questioned. “Why on earth would an innocent girl like you steal?”
“I thought the trinket would do him harm, sir. So, I took it,” she confessed, yet again. “However, that is not why I am here, Father. I have something else to confess,” Elizabeth continued, “something worse than stealing.”
“Oh, and what would that be?” he asked her.
---
Will knew he shouldn’t have been pretending to be the minister, but he couldn’t help it. His curiosity gnawed at him, wondering why Elizabeth felt the need to confess. So far, all he was able to find out was that the woman he was secretly in love with was a thief. A notion that amused him more than shocked him. So he pressed her further, hoping that she wouldn’t detect that it was him. His voice was cracking, and he wasn’t sure if she was convinced that he was really the minister. What if she found out it was really him?! She would hate him for sure. If Will really wanted to commit to the role of “minister”, he would have to sound convincing. He just hoped his cracking voice wouldn’t give him away.
---
Elizabeth took a deep breath, she was about to really confess.
“I…I…” she stammered.
“Yes?” he asked, hoping she would continue.
“I broke one of the commandments,” she exhaled. “I dishonored my father.”
Will’s brow furrowed, “How?”
“I-I…I had impure thoughts about a man,” she confessed. There, she said it, although it hardly felt therapeutic. If anything, she felt even more pent up. The pit of her stomach was in knots the whole time, and the sudden silence was not helping. She suddenly regretted ever opening her mouth and thinking that this would be a good idea.
---
Will himself had to take a deep breath after he’d heard her confession. Impure thoughts about a man?! Will silenced the voice of his conscience, he had to know more. He wanted to know who this man was, that was filling his Elizabeth’s head with impure thoughts. Then, he snapped to himself. When was she his? Certainly this didn’t qualify for him to claim her. He pulled himself together and decided that he needed to press her further. Curiosity was a dangerous thing; it made people do things that they wouldn’t normally do for the sake of satisfying themselves. For Will Turner, his curiosity wouldn’t be satisfied until he found out the identity of the man who had captured Elizabeth Swann’s mind and perhaps even her heart.
“If I may inquire, who was the man?” he asked nervously.
---
Elizabeth sat back for a moment and let her head rest on the wall. Would it matter if she divulged the identity to the minister? Would he judge her? Then again, he didn’t know who she was. She could have been some harlot off the street in need to confess her darkest desire or her latest conquest. Certainly he would never think the governor’s daughter would be capable of such things. She took another breath and exhaled.
“Mr. Brown’s apprentice, Will Turner,” she replied quickly. She still didn’t feel relieved.
“And what exactly…Went through your mind, about Mr. Turner?” he stammered. Was the minister suddenly uncomfortable? Ignoring the minister’s sudden falter, she continued.
“Anything and everything, one thought in particular lingered in my mind throughout the service…” she started. Elizabeth suddenly felt very shy about saying this next piece out loud, and to a man of the cloth. But if she wanted to get this over with and have the entire weight lifted off her shoulders, she would have to be completely honest with the minister.
“I envisioned us on a beach somewhere. He was all over me. Touching me, kissing me, pleasuring me. It was like nothing I’d ever felt before.” There, it was said and done. Now what? She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and suddenly took out her fan to ward off the heat that seemed to be coming from her face.
---
Will sat completely still in his seat, mouth nearly open. Elizabeth fantasized about him?! He didn’t know whether to laugh or just be plain embarrassed. If only he wasn’t masquerading around as the minister, he’d confess to her right there that he would’ve gladly made her fantasy a reality. His face turned a deep shade of red at the thought itself. He found himself speechless, still unable to shake the fact that he was the cause of her coming to confession. If only he could tell her his reason for being in the same exact spot himself. However, he desired to be sure of one more thing; before this got out of hand and she found out that he was not the minister after all.
He swallowed, “Was he like any previous lover you’ve had before?”
---
Now it was her turn to have her mouth hang open. Did the minister think she was some wanton woman who shared her bed with more than one man?! The absurdity of it all! But then she realized, the minister could have very well thought that, since, he didn’t know who she was. Had this been someone who did know her, she would’ve been offended at the question and refused to answer. But this was from someone connected to a higher power, and if she didn’t finish this confession, damnation (or severe guilt and longing) would be her fate.
“No, Father,” she answered. “I have never been with a man.”
---
Will released a quiet sigh at this. Even though he had no real claim to her, he felt relieved that she remained untouched or “tainted” as society would brand her. But even if she was, he would still love her. He didn’t love her because she was pure; he loved her because she was Elizabeth Swann, thief and subconscious harlot. He could no longer resist in playing this game and egging her on, cruel as it was.
“How did the thoughts make you feel?” he asked.
There was a slight pause before her answer. “Warm, feverish,” she replied, sounding as if she thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the thought.
He smiled before asking his next question, “Lustful?”
---
Elizabeth sighed, was that what that was? Lust? Perhaps. She just knew that whenever she saw Will, her body would tense and warm up, and her stomach filled with butterflies at the mere thought of him. It couldn’t be lust. Lust was…sinful. Then again, the thoughts of her and Will on the beach was just that, sinful.
She nodded, “Yes, lustful.” Silence.
---
Will couldn’t believe his ears. He had to end this now, even though another side of him nagged him to keep questioning her. But he couldn’t do it anymore. This wasn’t meant for him hear in the first place and he soon started to berate himself for even daring to do this. What Elizabeth said in a confessional, whether it involved him or not, was not his business. He had no right to ask her the things he did, even if he also felt relieved. It was a small hint that Elizabeth also harbored feelings for him and that she too was reluctant to act upon them. Then he realized why. In another year or so, Elizabeth would be presented to society, as a lady. She would have suitors who were not him. Men, who were wealthier, more sophisticated and could provide for her future. What did he have compared to them? His filthy smithy where he didn’t even get credit for his work? Pigs would have to start flying before he could even think to court her. Governor Swann was a stickler for propriety and everything that went with it.
“Forgive me?” she pleaded. Will looked at the screen, her face still shielded, but he could see the faint outline of her eyes, nose and lips. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her. He rested his head against the wall of the confessional and breathed…
“I forgive you.”
----
Elizabeth smiled. She’d been absolved of her sins. She finally felt relieved.
“Thank you, father,” she said graciously.
“You’re welcome,” he replied softly.
Soon, Elizabeth began to hear footsteps near the confessional, and from underneath the curtain she could see the person’s shoes. It was her father! It must have been half past already. Elizabeth inwardly panicked. If he saw her coming out of the confessional he would certainly ask her why she felt the need to confess. She peeked from underneath the curtain and saw her father’s feet move away back towards the exit of the church. She breathed.
“Father, I’m afraid I must go now. But I do thank you for listening,” she quickly replied, hurrying out of the confessional. Once she got outside, she quickly found her father and was at his side in an instant.
“Father!” she chirped, striding up next to him, towards their carriage.
“Ah, there you are,” he said. “I thought you had disappeared somewhere with the minister and were looking to join the convent,” he teased.
Elizabeth laughed, “No, father. I…found absolution.” She smiled at him as the approached their carriage and was escorted inside.
---
Still inside the confessional, Will took a moment to collect himself again, to absorb everything that had just happened. Elizabeth was fantasizing about him, just as he did about her. Could they act upon it? Most certainly not. Could he hope for a chance with Elizabeth? Sure. Would he get it? No. Were the thoughts he had about her inappropriate? Yes. But it was all he had. In his mind, Elizabeth belonged to him, and he to her. In his mind, they could do anything they wanted without society’s rules and judgments. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he heard shuffling again from the other side of the confessional again.
“I’m sorry my son,” the (real) minister began. “The elderly woman I was helping had difficulty walking and needed to rest in my chambers,” he explained.
“Now, what is it that brings you to confession?”
Will sat for a moment before speaking. It was his turn now. “I’ve had impure thoughts about the governor’s daughter.”
---
THE END.
Rating: T
Pairing: Will/Elizaebth
Summary: After seeing a certain blacksmith at mass, Elizabeth suddenly feels the need to confess. Pre-COTBP.
Fanfic Link: Fanfic.net
Disclaimer: I own NEITHER plot and/or characters. Hard to believe, eh? Also, any lines from either movie (Pirates and/or Mask of Zorro) are also not mine.
Author's Note: The premise of this is fic actually came from 'The Mask of Zorro', from when Elena is in the confessional, and accidentally confesses to Zorro himself that she's been thinking about him. I thought it'd be fun to put Will & Elizabeth in this little scenario. I also realize, that this is completely historically inaccurate, since in POTC time, they were probably Church of England, and not Catholic. Then again, this is a fic, so historical accuracy can be suspended for about 15 minutes. And that ends my AN. ENJOY!!
x-posted to turningpirate
---
Elizabeth Swann squirmed uncomfortably in her seat in the pew during mass while the minister went on and on about how everyone was supposed to love one another in hopes of getting into heaven once they all passed on. However, her main concern at the moment was her dress, the embroidered lace that clung to her like a second skin. The unbearable heat wasn’t helping matters either. She stopped squirming when something caught her eye in the corner of the church. There he was, tall, nearly dark and completely handsome; it was Will Turner, standing in the side isle of the church, listening to the sermon of the tired old minister. She never thought of Will as a religious man, but seeing him at the service just made listening to the sermon a little bit more bearable. He must have come straight from the smithy. He had a little bit of soot on his face and clothes, his hair tied back as neatly as possible, with only a few strands sticking to his forehead. His shirt was clinging to him, no doubt from the heat, accentuating muscles that she’d never seen on him before. Suddenly, her uncomfortable dress wasn’t the only thing that had her squirming.
As the minister’s homily went on, her mind began to wander. She began to think about the weather and the unbearable heat, and then quickly realized she didn’t need to be thinking about that. It would only make it even hotter in church, so instead her mind wandered to things she knew she shouldn’t be thinking about while in church. She thought about Will and the changes she instantly noticed. He had gotten taller, some facial hair was evident on his chin and upper lip, and if possible, his hair was even curlier. She figured those curls must be very soft. Soon, she started wondering what Will looked like without his shirt on. Elizabeth shook her head lightly, realizing how inappropriate that was, and yet, she couldn’t help but smile and immediately bit her lip to conceal it. Lest someone think she was laughing at the minister’s sermon. Suddenly, she envisioned a beach, with only Will & herself…her body temperature quickly began to rise and she took out her fan while attempting to focus on the sermon being delivered.
---
After the service was over, Elizabeth stood idly while her father, Governor Swann, made small talk with some of the nobility in Port Royal. She was highly eager to get home, change into something more comfortable, and stare out into the blacksmith shop not too far from her home. As the voices of her father and some nobleman faded from her ears, she decided she needed to speak to someone herself. For the last few months, every time she saw Will, she would picture them in any kind of scenario her mind could come up with. Everything from the simple act of him kissing her hand to things much more inappropriate, especially for the daughter of the governor, seemed to enter her mind; seeing him at the service didn’t only furthered these imaginings. She wanted to find Will, to talk to him and ask him how his apprenticeship was going. Speaking to him would surely give her a way of relieving her mind from these thoughts, but as she looked around, he was nowhere in sight.
With no Will to help her find some sort of release for her pent up thoughts and desires, she decided to speak to someone who couldn’t completely judge her, the minister. It was said that ministers can be told anything and not be allowed to tell anyone, it was part of their vow as men of the cloth. Elizabeth was resolved; she was going to go to confession. She hadn’t gone since she was a young girl, and in that time she didn’t know what to tell him. She softly broke into her father’s conversation, to tell him that she wished to talk to the minister by herself.
“Did the man’s sermon move you, my dear Elizabeth?” her father asked, amused.
A small smile crept to her lips, as she answered, “Yes, father. He made me think.”
With another slight laugh, the governor gave a quick kiss to her forehead and let her go, reminding her to take no more than half an hour, so they could go home. Elizabeth walked back into the church, only to find it somewhat empty with people still lingering and talking amongst themselves. Perhaps the minister was inside the confessional already. They usually waited there after the service, in case someone wanted to come in and confess. Elizabeth felt that need right now. Her suspicions were confirmed when she approached the little booth, one curtain draped closed, while the other side was opened. She went inside and sat down. There were two options when you went to confession, face to face or to keep your identity a secret. Considering what she was about to confess, Elizabeth decided to keep her identity a secret.
---
Will sat nervously inside the booth, his leg shaking wildly. He had tried to mask his nervousness when he stepped inside, but it was no use. The minister had told him to wait, while he was called outside. Apparently, one of the elderly women had fainted outside the church steps and he went to assist. He sat quietly trying to call his emotions and steady his breathing, after seeing Elizabeth at the service fidgeting with her dress, he started thinking that he wanted to help her out of it. Then, he realized that he was in church, and shouldn’t be thinking that about the governor’s daughter in such a state, he really shouldn’t be thinking of her at all. As a young boy Will was told that confessing ones sins was the best way to cleanse one’s mind, body and soul. His mind needed the cleansing most of all.
After what felt like an eternity, he heard someone enter the space next to him in the booth, separated only by a small window that could be moved to show their identity or mask it. Will decided it best to keep his identity a secret, he didn’t know if he could face the minister once this was over.
“Is someone there?” the voice asked. That voice was most definitely not the minister’s, it was far too feminine. Will looked through the little window, trying to see if he could decipher the person’s face, but he couldn’t. The face was blurred out by the screen for him to see, yet the voice sounded familiar. Where did he know that voice from?!
“Father?” she spoke again. Will silently gasped, it was Elizabeth!
----
It had been a good thirty seconds since she spoke, and still no answer. She knew the minister was in the confessional, so why wasn’t he talking? Then, she heard him clear his throat, as if to speak.
“What is it my dear lady?” the voice finally replied. Elizabeth thought long and hard what the rites she had to say before actually confessing.
“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been seven years since my last confession,” she finally replied. It was true, she had confessed not too long after they found Will and she stole his necklace. A few days later, after a service, her father had encouraged her to go to confession for the first time, even though he knew nothing of her stealing.
“Seven years?! What was it that made you come here all those years ago?” the voice asked. Elizabeth smirked a little, amused at the fact that the one thing that brought her to confession those years ago was the same thing that brought her here today, Will Turner.
“I…I…Stole something from someone back then,” she answered.
“Stole?” the voice questioned. “Why on earth would an innocent girl like you steal?”
“I thought the trinket would do him harm, sir. So, I took it,” she confessed, yet again. “However, that is not why I am here, Father. I have something else to confess,” Elizabeth continued, “something worse than stealing.”
“Oh, and what would that be?” he asked her.
---
Will knew he shouldn’t have been pretending to be the minister, but he couldn’t help it. His curiosity gnawed at him, wondering why Elizabeth felt the need to confess. So far, all he was able to find out was that the woman he was secretly in love with was a thief. A notion that amused him more than shocked him. So he pressed her further, hoping that she wouldn’t detect that it was him. His voice was cracking, and he wasn’t sure if she was convinced that he was really the minister. What if she found out it was really him?! She would hate him for sure. If Will really wanted to commit to the role of “minister”, he would have to sound convincing. He just hoped his cracking voice wouldn’t give him away.
---
Elizabeth took a deep breath, she was about to really confess.
“I…I…” she stammered.
“Yes?” he asked, hoping she would continue.
“I broke one of the commandments,” she exhaled. “I dishonored my father.”
Will’s brow furrowed, “How?”
“I-I…I had impure thoughts about a man,” she confessed. There, she said it, although it hardly felt therapeutic. If anything, she felt even more pent up. The pit of her stomach was in knots the whole time, and the sudden silence was not helping. She suddenly regretted ever opening her mouth and thinking that this would be a good idea.
---
Will himself had to take a deep breath after he’d heard her confession. Impure thoughts about a man?! Will silenced the voice of his conscience, he had to know more. He wanted to know who this man was, that was filling his Elizabeth’s head with impure thoughts. Then, he snapped to himself. When was she his? Certainly this didn’t qualify for him to claim her. He pulled himself together and decided that he needed to press her further. Curiosity was a dangerous thing; it made people do things that they wouldn’t normally do for the sake of satisfying themselves. For Will Turner, his curiosity wouldn’t be satisfied until he found out the identity of the man who had captured Elizabeth Swann’s mind and perhaps even her heart.
“If I may inquire, who was the man?” he asked nervously.
---
Elizabeth sat back for a moment and let her head rest on the wall. Would it matter if she divulged the identity to the minister? Would he judge her? Then again, he didn’t know who she was. She could have been some harlot off the street in need to confess her darkest desire or her latest conquest. Certainly he would never think the governor’s daughter would be capable of such things. She took another breath and exhaled.
“Mr. Brown’s apprentice, Will Turner,” she replied quickly. She still didn’t feel relieved.
“And what exactly…Went through your mind, about Mr. Turner?” he stammered. Was the minister suddenly uncomfortable? Ignoring the minister’s sudden falter, she continued.
“Anything and everything, one thought in particular lingered in my mind throughout the service…” she started. Elizabeth suddenly felt very shy about saying this next piece out loud, and to a man of the cloth. But if she wanted to get this over with and have the entire weight lifted off her shoulders, she would have to be completely honest with the minister.
“I envisioned us on a beach somewhere. He was all over me. Touching me, kissing me, pleasuring me. It was like nothing I’d ever felt before.” There, it was said and done. Now what? She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and suddenly took out her fan to ward off the heat that seemed to be coming from her face.
---
Will sat completely still in his seat, mouth nearly open. Elizabeth fantasized about him?! He didn’t know whether to laugh or just be plain embarrassed. If only he wasn’t masquerading around as the minister, he’d confess to her right there that he would’ve gladly made her fantasy a reality. His face turned a deep shade of red at the thought itself. He found himself speechless, still unable to shake the fact that he was the cause of her coming to confession. If only he could tell her his reason for being in the same exact spot himself. However, he desired to be sure of one more thing; before this got out of hand and she found out that he was not the minister after all.
He swallowed, “Was he like any previous lover you’ve had before?”
---
Now it was her turn to have her mouth hang open. Did the minister think she was some wanton woman who shared her bed with more than one man?! The absurdity of it all! But then she realized, the minister could have very well thought that, since, he didn’t know who she was. Had this been someone who did know her, she would’ve been offended at the question and refused to answer. But this was from someone connected to a higher power, and if she didn’t finish this confession, damnation (or severe guilt and longing) would be her fate.
“No, Father,” she answered. “I have never been with a man.”
---
Will released a quiet sigh at this. Even though he had no real claim to her, he felt relieved that she remained untouched or “tainted” as society would brand her. But even if she was, he would still love her. He didn’t love her because she was pure; he loved her because she was Elizabeth Swann, thief and subconscious harlot. He could no longer resist in playing this game and egging her on, cruel as it was.
“How did the thoughts make you feel?” he asked.
There was a slight pause before her answer. “Warm, feverish,” she replied, sounding as if she thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the thought.
He smiled before asking his next question, “Lustful?”
---
Elizabeth sighed, was that what that was? Lust? Perhaps. She just knew that whenever she saw Will, her body would tense and warm up, and her stomach filled with butterflies at the mere thought of him. It couldn’t be lust. Lust was…sinful. Then again, the thoughts of her and Will on the beach was just that, sinful.
She nodded, “Yes, lustful.” Silence.
---
Will couldn’t believe his ears. He had to end this now, even though another side of him nagged him to keep questioning her. But he couldn’t do it anymore. This wasn’t meant for him hear in the first place and he soon started to berate himself for even daring to do this. What Elizabeth said in a confessional, whether it involved him or not, was not his business. He had no right to ask her the things he did, even if he also felt relieved. It was a small hint that Elizabeth also harbored feelings for him and that she too was reluctant to act upon them. Then he realized why. In another year or so, Elizabeth would be presented to society, as a lady. She would have suitors who were not him. Men, who were wealthier, more sophisticated and could provide for her future. What did he have compared to them? His filthy smithy where he didn’t even get credit for his work? Pigs would have to start flying before he could even think to court her. Governor Swann was a stickler for propriety and everything that went with it.
“Forgive me?” she pleaded. Will looked at the screen, her face still shielded, but he could see the faint outline of her eyes, nose and lips. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her. He rested his head against the wall of the confessional and breathed…
“I forgive you.”
----
Elizabeth smiled. She’d been absolved of her sins. She finally felt relieved.
“Thank you, father,” she said graciously.
“You’re welcome,” he replied softly.
Soon, Elizabeth began to hear footsteps near the confessional, and from underneath the curtain she could see the person’s shoes. It was her father! It must have been half past already. Elizabeth inwardly panicked. If he saw her coming out of the confessional he would certainly ask her why she felt the need to confess. She peeked from underneath the curtain and saw her father’s feet move away back towards the exit of the church. She breathed.
“Father, I’m afraid I must go now. But I do thank you for listening,” she quickly replied, hurrying out of the confessional. Once she got outside, she quickly found her father and was at his side in an instant.
“Father!” she chirped, striding up next to him, towards their carriage.
“Ah, there you are,” he said. “I thought you had disappeared somewhere with the minister and were looking to join the convent,” he teased.
Elizabeth laughed, “No, father. I…found absolution.” She smiled at him as the approached their carriage and was escorted inside.
---
Still inside the confessional, Will took a moment to collect himself again, to absorb everything that had just happened. Elizabeth was fantasizing about him, just as he did about her. Could they act upon it? Most certainly not. Could he hope for a chance with Elizabeth? Sure. Would he get it? No. Were the thoughts he had about her inappropriate? Yes. But it was all he had. In his mind, Elizabeth belonged to him, and he to her. In his mind, they could do anything they wanted without society’s rules and judgments. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he heard shuffling again from the other side of the confessional again.
“I’m sorry my son,” the (real) minister began. “The elderly woman I was helping had difficulty walking and needed to rest in my chambers,” he explained.
“Now, what is it that brings you to confession?”
Will sat for a moment before speaking. It was his turn now. “I’ve had impure thoughts about the governor’s daughter.”
---
THE END.