A Commodore

Mornings

           
The Commodore awoke with a sigh and rolled over. Then he smiled as if he
just remembered something that he had forgotten only a moment until he had woken
a bit more. Reaching under the covers, he sought out his new bride. Yet it was
after a moment his smile faded when he found that he just kept reaching and
there was no one to be found. He was in bed alone. Opening his eyes, he sat up
and looked over to see that he was right, the other side of the bed was empty.
Looking around he frowned a bit not sure where she had gone to, and reached over
to the table rummaging around to find some clothing to pull on.

           
Once out of bed, he walked through their bedchambers, into the adjoining
room to find that Heather was awake, fully dressed and sitting at the window
sill, just looking out with her head on her hand. His eyes were half opened as
he had just woken up and he looked around not sure what time it was, but the sun
hadn’t quite come up yet, that much was evident.

           
Walking towards her he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. “Heather?”
He questioned. “What’s going on? Is everything alright?” He said coming to
stand next to her looking out the window before looking back at her again. She
didn’t say anything and just continued to look out the window. “What on
earth are you doing out of bed at this hour? Come back to bed before you catch
your death of cold.” He said reaching for her arm. However she quickly
snatched it away out of his reach.

           
James sighed and could see that she wasn’t in much of a mood to speak
with him right now. It seemed that the reason she was up was because she
wasn’t interested in sharing a bed with him at this moment. “Are you
experiencing that much discomfort?” He questioned.

           
“What do you care.” She said starring out the window. “This is my
life from now on isn’t it. I took vows, a contract was signed, and I must
honor them. I’m a woman of my word and I shall do so without complaint.” She
said simply.

           
“You can speak to me about this, Heather. I don’t want to hurt you; I
want you to enjoy our intimacy. I don’t want you as a brood mare for Christ
sake. The worst of it is over now. Things will become better when we’re
together, I promise you.” Heather sighed as she pushed herself up from the
window seat.

           
“Do you enjoy flaunting my ignorance and naivety in my face? Did you
know that it’s human nature that we learn from our mistakes? Children learn
that fire is hot, because they get burned when they try to touch it. It hurts,
so they don’t do it again. They learn to leave a dangerous animal alone when
they get bit by it, or even not to pick roses because they’ll be stabbed by
the thorns. That’s what pain is for, James Norrington. To deter the human race
from repeating certain things that hurt so that we DON’T repeat them!”

           
James starred at her for several moments, “But that isn’t the case
this time, Heather. It really isn’t. This isn’t the same as those examples
it’s a completely different plain of comparison.”

           
Heather sighed and put her hands on her hips, “Just how many virgins
have you had, Commodore Norrington!” She exclaimed. “To have such extensive
knowledge of this subject!”

           
James sighed and sat down on the window seat looking at her, “Do you
always fall into hysterics when a subjects that makes you uncomfortable comes
up?” He asked plainly. Heather’s eyes went wide and her jaw dropped
slightly. He could see she was about to burst into another shout of utter
disapproval and rage and he raised his hand to halt it. “I’ll take that as a
yes. You needn’t give me a demonstration. But this particular subject is going
to be mine until you become accustomed to it, apparently and start enjoying it
yourself. As soon as you let your self trust me, and allow yourself to relax,
you will find the experience most pleasurable. I promise you.”

           
Heather narrowed her eyes, “How soon can I expect to have a room of my
own?” She demanded to know. James looked at her.

           
“What?” He asked.

           
“My mother had her own room. She didn’t have to share one. When may I
expect to have my own room so that I may have privacy when I desire it.” James
looked at her darkly with a sigh.

           
“Heather . . . I believe that if you ask her, it was long after you
were born before your parents decided that they should have separate rooms. Even
then I doubt that it was something either of them truly wanted.”

           
“So I’m to understand that I must bare children before I may have my
own room again?” She said with her hands on her hips, finding this to be most
disagreeable completely missing the point he was trying to make. At the moment
she just did not want to share a room with him and wanted a place she could run
and hide to. With a door she could close and lock if she wanted.

           
James stood from his seat and walked to her looking down at her. He was
somewhat taller then her and it made her a bit uncomfortable knowing that he was
stronger then her and if he truly wanted to overpower her, he could, easily.
“You are not your mother. We are not your parents. You and I will be sharing a
room, and indeed a bed Heather. It is the way things are to be in our home
Heather. That is not going to change. Make some sort of effort to become
accustomed to it. Otherwise you’ll find the only one who will suffer from your
resistance to this fact of life will be you.”

           
Heather frowned as her arms dropped to her sides seeing the serious look
in his eyes. James sighed having to be so firm with her this soon, but it seemed
that they were going to have a daily struggle of wills and they might as well
get it out of the way as soon as possible. “Now back to bed with you. It’s
hours before sunrise.”

           
“I’m already dressed.” She said walking back over to the window
sitting back down resuming her viewing at the night sky as if she was now
willing the sun to come up. James looked at her arching a brow. Obviously she
was going to argue about something regardless of the hour but he was simply in
no mood for it right now.

           
“Suit yourself.” He said simply rubbing his eyes a bit not wanting to
let his frustration show. Turning he walked back into their bedroom and slammed
the door shut behind him. The sound caused Heather to shutter as she closed her
eyes and covered her face with her hand. Nothing felt right, it was hardly a
wedding or a wedding night that any girl would dream of. Regardless of choice or
arrangement.

 

Issues Already

           
Heather sat on the stairs with her back against the railing and her elbow
resting on her knee with her head cradled in her hand. She’d been sitting in
the same place for nearly an hour hardly moving in inch in any direction.

           
James was in his study signing a few documents that had been sent up from
his office making sure everything was in order when a maid came in with his tea.
When she poured some into his cup he looked at her, “Where is she?” He
questioned thinking it was rather quiet in the house expecting more racket since
it was the first day and he was sure she would want to explore her new
surroundings and make some changes right away.

           
“She hasn’t moved sir. She’s still on the stairs.” The maid
replied.

           
The Commodore wasn’t quite sure he understood that, “On the
stairs?” He questioned, “What do you mean she’s on the stairs?” The maid
cleared away the documents that he had finished so they could be sent back to
his office immediately, offering sugar for his tea but he raised his hand
passing it over this time.

           
“Lady Norrington’s been sitting on the stairs for quite sometime,
quietly. She hasn’t moved, hasn’t stirred, hasn’t breathed a word.”
James looked towards the main hallway and sighed. “Would you like anything
else sir?” Norrington shook his head. “Thank you.” He said dismissing her.
“See that those are sent out immediately.”

           
James sat back in his chair rubbing his chin for a moment still looking
towards the main hall. Tossing his quill down he stood from his desk and blew
out his lamp heading for the next room.

 

Late Night

           
James came down the stairs seeing the Heather had not moved from where
she had been sitting for hours now. He slowly descended towards her and stopped
just behind her. “I take it you have found the single most fascinating seat in
the house?” He questioned.

           
Heather didn’t reply and crossed her arms with a sigh. James moved down
a few more steps and sat next to her. “Wouldn’t it be simpler all the way
around if you stopped fighting me. Maybe even attempted to adapt to your married
life?”

           
“We were only married yesterday.” Heather pointed out.

           
“Strange, it seems much longer then that doesn’t it.” He said more
to himself then to her. Heather’s eyes darkened.

           
“I don’t like it.” She said bluntly. “Do you even care to hear my
opinion on the matter?” She looked at him as Norrington sighed and clasped his
hands together resting his arms on his knees.

           
“Of course your opinion matters, would you prefer to believe that I am
not concerned about them?” He answered seeing that they were back on the
subject that had been the cause of the entire upset to begin with. “You seem
to want to view me as some sort of tyrannical unfeeling monster.”

           
“Neither you, nor my mother gave me complete details on what marriage
would require and consist of. Of course I know that men and women have to be
together if there are to be children . . . . but perhaps someone could have told
me of the act itself. It was a rather large bit of information that was
neglected . . . . indeed hidden from me until last night.” Heather said
wringing her hands together and looking away before crossing her arms again.

           
“And you feel betrayed, as if you have been tricked. Led blindly into
something you weren’t properly prepared for. Feeling as though everyone knew
about what lie in store for a newly married young woman except you.” He said
looking at her. She didn’t look back at him, and it answered his question.
“Well, there’s nothing that can be done about that now, Heather. Why your
mother didn’t tell you of your duties, as a wife to her husband is a mystery
to me. It most likely had something to do with your parents having separate
rooms.”

           
“It’s most likely to do with she thought it would be a fitting
revenge.” Heather said with a frown starring off towards the wall. “I knew
she never liked how well father and I were together. How close we were. I think
she was jealous of me for taking up so much of his time when he was alive.”
Heather’s eyes turned downcast. “We were the best of friends, father and
I.”

           
The Commodore listened for a moment and gave a nod, “I know how much
you loved your father Heather, and I know you miss him terribly. But you are a
young woman now, a married woman. You can’t let yourself be stuck in the past
all of the time, and must bring yourself here in the present. It doesn’t
matter whatever reasons your mother had for what she did. What’s done is done.
You and I are wed, I am your husband and you are my wife. That is what is
happening right now. Your mother has nothing to do with that.”

           
“Then the fact that I don’t like it doesn’t make a difference . . .
does it.” She said looking over at him. James looked at her a moment wishing
there was a more diplomatic answer to say but honestly there wasn’t one. Not
about this particular subject anyway.

           
“I understand your concerns, and your opinions Heather. I’m not going
to ignore them. I’ve heard them. We shall work on them together.” He said
honestly.

           
Heather frowned and sighed, “Which means you intend to go on taking me
anyway. Even though I don’t like it.”

           
“But you will. In time, you will.” Norrington said looking at her
again.

           
Heather clinched her jaw shaking her head as she looked away feeling as
though she was being completely ignored in her protests. Norrington felt like he
was ramming his head against a deaf wall who refused to listen to him. “Do you
really, and honestly expect that after one night of relations between husband
and wife I would agree to end them?”

           
“I suppose not.” She said under her breath.

           
“Then what exactly are you hoping to accomplish here?” He questioned.

What is it that you want . . . besides chastity which you already knew wasn’t
possible. There must have been something else you wanted in that head of yours
since you knew you couldn’t have that. What was it?”

           
Heather was quiet for a moment before she swallowed the lump in her
throat, “My dignity.” She said outright not looking at him. Norrington
arched a brow not sure how she felt it had been violated the pervious night.

           
“Your dignity?” He said wishing for her to expand a bit more on just
what it was she was requesting.

           
She folded her hands together in her lap, “Yes.” She stated. “I
wish to keep my dignity . . . and remained clothed. If you allow me to keep my
nightgown on my person, then you shall not hear another protest or complaint
from me.” She said keeping her hands folded together.

           
James just starred at her for several moments, a bit confused and
dumbstruck. It sounded rather silly to him, and rather . . . . odd as well. The
only thing he seemed to be able to say was, “Why?”

           
Heather sighed, “It’s not a drastic horrid request is it? What’s
wrong with my wanting to be decent, and to have decency . . . as much as there
is to be had in all situations.”

           
“I’m not sure I understand, Heather. Is it because you don’t want
me to look upon you? . . . . are . . . are you ashamed of your body?” He said
trying to understand why she was making this request.

           
“If this is to difficult a request for you to grant then I shall sleep
on the floor of your study until arrangements can be made for me to have my own
room, Commodore Norrington!” She said quickly not really wanting to discuss
further details about the matter. It seemed to be embarrassing enough without
having to drag the conversation out longer.

           
James realized by now that there was no civil conversation left to be had
with her once she began to fall into hysterics like this about something they
were discussing and sighed. “Alright. Alright.” He said looking about
becoming rather uncomfortable himself. “You needn’t raise your voice.” He
looked at her knowing that he was going to have to make this compromise for a
little while at least, even if there didn’t seem to be any logical explanation
for it. “Your nightgown.” He repeated. Heather nodded letting him know those
were her terms. Still thinking it odd he gave in and nodded. “If it is what
you wish, that would make you feel more at ease . . . then fine. You may keep
your garment.” He said in agreement.

           
Heather nodded as well feeling as though she’d gotten a little bit of
what she wanted even though it wasn’t nearly everything she had hoped for.
“Thank you.” She replied after a moment.

           
Standing James looked at her, “Now come to supper, before it gets
cold.” He said offering her his hand to help her up. She took it and he let
her go before him. Still he thought it was perhaps the strangest request, but
followed after her.