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"𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀?"
"what?" bella shouted down the stairs from her bedroom.
"are you getting ready?"
"yes, mother," she lied, filled with dread as she remembered the ceremony she had to attend.
"i'll send up the maids," came her mother's response.
"fantastic," grumbled bella. she hurried to hide the new sword will had given her a few days ago.
soon, a few maids bursted into her room with a dress.
"isn't it beautiful, miss stevens? just arrived from england!" one of them chirped.
"yes, gorgeous," bella said stiffly as they began assembling it on her. quite soon, it was apparent that she wouldn't be breathing today. "if you wish to break my ribcage, please do so without hesitance," she huffed.
"sorry, miss, but you'll be the finest woman there!" one of them answered.
"oh, spectacular," she said, struggling. finally, after tying her hair up, they were done. the maids left her room, and bella immediately searched her closet for a pocket knife or something.
she found a little dagger that she stolen from the armory years ago, and quickly felt around under her dress for the stitches in her corset. she slit them slightly, and was able to breathe.
"mirabella! time to go!" her mother's voice echoed through the house, and bella hurried down the stairs.
"i'm ready," she said, reaching the door.
"oh! you look beautiful," her mother beamed. "the carriage is waiting outside."
"brilliant," bella muttered. "have you thought about my offer yet?"
"yes," answered her mother. "you are not becoming a marine, mirabella."
"why? it's a perfectly sensible career!"
"for a man! you are a young woman," her mother sighed. "if you're so fascinated by the profession, you can marry one."
bella glared at her mother as they climbed into the carriage, then stared out the window for the rest of the ride. it wasn't like she actually wanted to be a marine, she just wanted to sail, and get out of this port! if anything, she had considered running away and becoming a pirate like her father, but pirates never seemed to land in port royal.
bella had never told anyone she knew the truth about her father's past, especially not her mother. she was unwelcoming enough to the thought of bella becoming a marine, not to mention becoming a pirate! bella slumped in the carriage, feeling sorry for herself as they drove to the fort.
they soon arrived.
"stand up straight, shoulders back!" her mother hissed as they climbed out.
bella rolled her eyes and picked up her fan, then joined the other young ladies. among them was elizabeth swann, who knew will. it was obvious to everyone but the two of them that they were smitten with each other.
"hi, elizabeth," bella greeted. the two weren't very close, more acquaintances than friends.
elizabeth nodded at her painfully.
"hard to breathe?" asked bella, reaching into a fold of her dress.
"mmm-hmm," said elizabeth quietly, since the ceremony was starting.
bella pulled out the small dagger she had used to slit her own corset strings. "just loosen it. that's what i did."
"you didn't!" elizabeth gasped.
bella smirked. she offered the handle of the dagger to elizabeth, who shook her head.
"come on, you have something against respiration?" bella whispered. "suit yourself." she slid the dagger back into the folds of her dress.
* * *
the ceremony ended, and everyone seemed to be gathering and talking to one another.
bella stood alone, leaning against a pillar and wishing she wasn't there.
just then, her mother approached her, followed by a marine officer of some sort. "mirabella, this is lieutenant leiman," she introduced.
a man in a wig stepped forward and took her hand, then raised it to his lips. bella tried not to laugh. "charmed," she said, snatching her hand back as soon as he had finished.
"the pleasure is all mine, miss stevens," he offered her his arm. reluctantly, bella took it.
"is it?" she muttered.
"you're a beautiful girl," he looked her up and down in a disgustingly hungry way. "i'm surprised you haven't married yet."
"you are?" she examined him. "well, seeing as i'm only a girl, i doubt you'd want to converse with me, so i'll be on my—"
"no, no!" leiman pulled her back his way. "this may be forward, but you are of marrying age, and i am an officer of high position—"
"yes, i'm terribly sorry, lieutenant, but that's much too forward for me," she tugged her arm out of his grip. "and men in wigs aren't my type, to be perfectly honest."
with that, bella hurried away, losing him in the sea of dresses.
after what seemed like an eternity of pretending to socialize with the other women, bella's mother found her.
"how did you like the lieutenant?" she asked as they made their way back to the carriages.
"oh, he's a very respectable man," bella said, then dropped her voice to a mutter so that her mother couldn't hear. "if you don't count his nympholepsy."
they rode back to the house in silence, bella's mother probably fantasizing about her daughter marrying well and being shipped away.
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