His Pirate Bride

His Pirate Bride

Barbossa, Elizabeth gasped, and awoke to find herself in a foggy haze. I was dreaming, it was all a dream she found, a strange dream indeed she thought as the tingling sensations she had felt settled within, and her beating heart slowed down to it’s normal pace. It all seemed so real , just as it had the night she first saw him, the dreadful captain of the Black Pearl. He was an intimidating figure, one that she looked upon with disgust yet with curiosity. He had looked at her that night the way a predator looks at its prey, lustful and hungrily. So many things had happened since that fateful night and in some ways it seemed her life would have been completely different if not for their meeting. Would she still be the proper governor’s daughter tied to manners and social graces?. Would her name be Ms. Norrington instead of Turner? Would her father still be alive? For all the suffering she had been through of late, Elizabeth decided that her former life may have put an end to her earlier than this one. At least her fateful meeting with the Captain had brought her adventure and a knack for survival. It also had given her a chance to throw away the chains of her stifled life in Port Royal. Yes she thought, if she had it all to do over again she wouldn’t change a thing. Except for, …maybe one thing ,and she looked at the box she had treasured for the past six years. No, she quickly assured herself. She had made a promise to keep his heart and cherish it forever, and she would. She wouldn’t change a thing. She was his, and only his, she said to herself. But on this afternoon for the first time in a long while the longing she had felt had briefly subsided, and she had slipped into a moment of passion. She had felt alive again, her senses awoken, and her womanhood rediscovered, and by whom, …Captain Barbossa? A funny feeling crept in her stomach as she realized how much she had enjoyed his affections. The deep tones of his voice, the tender caress of his touch, and the power behind his kiss had set her heart aflutter, and she was now beginning to regret her awoken state. She desperately wanted to slip back into unconsciousness and pickup where it had left off, to make sense of it. After all it was the sight of Barbossa himself that had startled her so and brought her back to reality. The image of him and his piercing eyes peering at her as if he could look into her soul shook her to the core. She had never even once thought of him before in a manner such as this, not a romantic one. His rough demeanor and rugged, worn looks were certainly in stark contrast to what she usually found attractive in a man. No, to her he had always seemed a dirty old pirate in need of a good scrubbing. But there was one thing she had admired in him, his wisdom. He had an almost sixth sense when it came to predicting people, he could plot their next move before they themselves were aware of it. This natural ability along with his commanding presence made him a formidable foe. His years at sea had given him knowledge that others could only dream of. His navigational skills and the maps he had acquired were to be the envy of any seafaring man. Maybe she had overlooked something in him, something that was more attractive to her than just a pretty face. And she began to wonder if maybe she had misunderstood the man, maybe even underestimated him. They had put aside their differences once to achieve a common goal, to rescue Jack and to defeat Davy Jones. But they never really spoke of the past and the things that had took place on the Pearl or his own death, partly brought upon by she herself. The night she had seen him slowly descend from the stairs with an apple in hand at Tia Dalma’s had sent a shiver down her spine, he was alive, truly alive. What would he have in store for her now she had wondered, now that he can feel. But there was nothing like that, no hint of anything un proper, not even an unkind word. For that matter not much of anything was revealed or spoken of. She had her agenda and he had his, she thought, and when he once briefly tried to approach the subject to explain his past behavior she blew him off as if none of it mattered. As if she would expect nothing less than cruelty from a man like him. No none of it mattered, because he didn’t matter. So why now did he invade her dreams and her thoughts, she wondered. Maybe she was more like the Captain than she realized. Her desires, her spirit , and her lust for life were still as alive as his were in those days of the curse, but now like he she felt caged by them. And so she began to realize the irony of it all. It seemed as if they had indeed changed positions. She wondered if he was out there somewhere indulging in all of the pleasures life could offer as she sat in an empty room with only the heart of a man whose face she could now barely remember.





Elizabeth dried herself off and was now more determined than ever to rediscover her lost feminity. Once dry she wrapped her wet hair in a towel and threw on one of her old button up shirts, and began to sort through her things. She had collected many treasures and trinkets through her travels, and many things for a lady like herself to pamper herself with. Mostly with the intentions of using them to charm her lost lover one day, but on this day she decided to indulge her own curiosity. A return to her days as a fair maiden in Port Royal. Many changes had occurred since then, not just inwardly but on the surface as well. She had only been nineteen the day she had first laid eyes on the Black Pearl and it’s gruff Captain.. Only twenty two when she fought along side him against Davy Jones and that bastard Beckett, only to find herself in a makeshift wedding to her beloved Will. Now six years later she was twenty eight. She was a woman now, no longer that naive girl. Her once boyish frame had filled out and in its place was the body of a woman. Her silhouette was now a little more curvy, a little more rounded and her breasts a little more noticeable. Her hair had grown long again and her brief time away from the sea had darkened it back to it’s light golden brown hue. Despite the life she had lead time had been kind to her. Her skin had not lost its youthful appearance and was still soft and smooth. Her face had a more mature appearance now giving it a mystery that only added to her beauty. She was now, beneath all the bravado and unflattering clothes a more softer more beautiful woman. As she sorted through her various things she found some of the scented oils she had acquired along the way, and began to work them in slowly into her skin. Their fragrance filled her senses and soothed her thirsty flesh. It had been a long time since she had pampered herself, and she rather enjoyed the feeling of it. Her freshly scrubbed face was where her attention would lie next. It had been void of any artificial enhancements for so long, and she knew from her years as a curious adolescent just how to enhance her natural beauty. So she looked at it now as an artist would look at a blank canvas, and created something like that of a beautiful picture just waiting to be discovered by someone. Her lips stained with just enough red to show off their lush fullness. Her cheekbones highlighted just so, to bring their rosy warmth back to life. Her brown eyes lined ever so lightly to bring out the flecks of gold in them. Yes, she was starting to look like Elizabeth Swann again. And now last but not least the dress. She looked at it lying on the bed as butterflies filled her stomach. She desperately hoped it would fit so she could fully admire herself. As she unbuttoned her shirt she felt quite silly fussing over herself like this. What difference would it make if it did fit? What if there was a beautiful woman staring back at her in the mirror? There was no one to appreciate her and no way of her to reciprocate even if there was. Even so she picked it up and slipped it on over her head and held her breathe as it slid down her svelte frame, and she slowly placed her arms through the slim sleeving. The fabric against her skin felt foreign to her now and unusual. Her pirate garb certainly was more comfortable than this she thought. So far so good though she said to herself as she tried in vain to zip the back of the dress up. Tried and tried she did, reaching as far as she could without success. Dammit she thought, I’ve got this far and now…. Suddenly she heard a knock on the door. “Who is it,” she breathlessly called out. “It’s me dear, it’s Grace”. Grace she thought, what could she want. “Just a minute”, she called out, and hopelessly tried to take the dress off. Now what do I do she wondered, not wanting to be seen all prissy and overdone. One thing was for sure it was coming off or getting zipped without a little help, so Elizabeth swallowed her pride and yanked the towel from her wavy hair and peeped through the door. “Yes Grace, is there something wrong”? “Oh no dear I just have something to tell you”. “Oh yes of course,” Elizabeth answered, but first I was wondering if you could give me a little help with something. As Elizabeth slowly opened the door the sight of her made the little old lady excitedly push her way through. “Elizabeth”, she exclaimed “why look at you, you look as beautiful as a porcelain doll.” “Oh, well thank you” she said, nonchalantly, trying not to draw any more attention to herself. “I was wondering if you could help me zip this awful thing up in the back, I was just trying it on you see and… “Well of course I can” Grace interrupted, “ now turn around and stop being so modest.” She quickly zipped up the dress and turned Elizabeth back around to face her. “Well what do you think,” Elizabeth nervously asked? “What do I think” she replied, “well I think you’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever set eyes on, and who would of guessed underneath all those rags you been wearing.” Elizabeth smiled “well it has been a long time since I’ve looked quite like this” she laughed. “Is it to much, you know… too red.” “Well if it were on anyone else I’d say yes, but on you it’s perfect”! “It fits you like a glove and well if you’ve got it flaunt it honey”. Elizabeth laughed at the older woman’s boldness, and thought perhaps she herself had been quite a firecracker in her day. “What is it you wanted to tell me Grace”, Elizabeth asked. “Oh my goodness, I almost forgot,” she gasped. “You have a visitor, dear”. “A visitor”, Elizabeth barked. Those were words she never expected to hear, especially not on this night. “Well who is it” Elizabeth chirped, almost afraid to find out the answer. “ He’s an older gentleman, a Mr.Gibbs I believe I heard him say. “Mr. Gibbs” Elizabeth loudly repeated, “well what could he want, how would he even know I’m here,” she wondered aloud. Elizabeth felt her heart beat a little faster as she thought of her old friend, and she was dying to see a face from the past. “Send him up,” she quickly blurted out before realizing what she had done. “Of course dear,” and with that Grace walked out the door and headed down the stairs to find the stranger. Elizabeth quickly checked the mirror and gasped when she saw her sexy image staring back at her. Oh no, she thought what am I going to now? She quickly rushed to find a cloth to scrub her face with when she remembered the scarlet dress that was stuck to her body. Well there’s no way this things coming off without any help, and I look like a bloody tart she said to herself, as she heard a knock on the door. “Just a minute,” she called out as she stood frozen trying to figure out what to do next. There was only one thing she could do. She reluctantly strolled to the door and took a deep breathe as she reached for the knob. As she slowly opened the door she saw on the other side the friendliest face she could ever recall seeing, and in an instant her insecurities were forgotten. “Mr Gibbs,” she loudly announced and before he could respond she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as if he were her own father. The sight of him made her feel as if she were at home again and his presence gave her a warm comfort. “Elizabeth” he gasped “let me take a look at ya,”and with that he pulled away and stared at the woman in front of him. “You look even lovlier than I remember ya” he smiled. “A sight for sore eyes.” Elizabeth blushed at his comments, and had almost forgotten how at ease she felt around him. And so the two old friends set down to talk about time lost. Mr. Gibbs explained how he had heard of her whereabouts and how surprised he had been to hear of her departure as Captain of the ship that was once Soa Feng’s. He had heard through mutual acquaintances of her hardships, and he was clearly concerned about the rut she had found herself in of late. Elizabeth brushed off his concerns as if they were nothing to worry about, and quickly changed the subject. “Alright, Mr. Gibbs, by way of what ship is it that led you here on this glorious day?” “Well that be the Pearl Ms. Elizabeth.” “The Pearl” Elizabeth quickly answered, “you mean Jack is the Captain of the Pearl again? “Well not exactly ya see”…. well who is she eagerly prodded? “Well that would be Barbossa ya see” Gibbs responded. “Captain Barbossa,” she spoke aloud, and she felt her heart unexplainably jump to her throat. “He’s here” she asked. “Well he’s not here, but he is on the Pearl which just happens to be docked a short walk from here.” Suddenly Elizabeth felt some of that old spark again, her lust for life peeking through the gloom.. “So what in heavens are you doing sailing under the command of Captain Barbossa,” Elizabeth balked. “Well, that be a tale for another day dear,” he responded. “And Jack”, what’s become of him. “Another tale, another day.” he grinned. “I’m almost afraid to ask,” she coyly smiled. “And the captain does he know I’m here,” Elizabeth asked, hoping to hear the word yes. ‘Well not exactly, you see the Captain and the crew had some unfinished business to take care of here ,and I decided to see about more important matters,” he smiled. “So to answer your question”….. no the captain doesn’t know I’m here she quickly interrupted, “and the unfinished business I’d guess is a little more pleasure than business I’d wager.” “You always were too smart for your own good Elizabeth,” Gibbs joked. “And what be with all these questions about Captain Barbossa, I thought you two settled your differences long ago.” “ Oh just curious about the old rogue, should have known his reasons for being here anyway,” she snapped. “Well six months at sea does strange things to a man you see, Elizabeth.” “Oh well I guess I wouldn’t know about those things would I since I’m not a man, Elizabeth added. “You know things like feelings and needs and desires.” “Alright girl point taken,” Gibbs conceded. “Well take me to him,……. I mean the ship… take me to the Pearl I want to see it once again, please, and whatever you do don’t let the Captain know I’m here. I want to surprise him.