The Redhead of the Sea (Jack Sparrow x OC)

Chapter 1: A Ceremony Gone Wrong

She held on to a nearby chair for some support, needing a moment to catch her breath; although that was a challenge itself with whatever was restricting it in the first place. She managed to look above her shoulder and focus on her maid, who was holding the strings of some sort of bodice, responsible for this new uncomfortable feeling.

"What... is that thing?" she asked as she tried her best to breathe.

"It is a corset, my lady. The fanciest thing in London; all women of high status wear it"

"Well then, when those high-status women start falling like flies, we will see how many people will fancy it" she replied as the woman finished tying the strings.

The maid didn't reply to her snarky comment, used to them by now. She simply pushed the young woman to sit on the chair as she started making her hair. She would always compliment her about the unique colour and try to push her to take better care of them, saying how many men would love it. However, Artemis never truly cared much about it and she was also not in the mood to spend hours looking after them. If it was up to her, a simple brushing would be more than enough.

However, while she remained under the care of the Governor, she had to give up on her hopes of free hair and allow the assigned maid to style it based on each occasion.

After some time and a lot of patience, she was handed a small mirror. The fierce main was braided and pulled into a bun with a layer of hair falling gracefully on her back, stopping a little after her shoulder in natural curls. Only a bang was let loose framing her face and covering the left eye.

"Thank you Mary" she replied as she stood up, grabbed the white eye patch from her nightstand next to her bed and quickly put it above her left eye, before tying it to the back of her head.

She had done it so many times over the years that she needed no help anymore. The maid never commented on it or offered to help, having been cleared from day one that the eye patch and the story behind it were off-limits.

Once Artemis was finished, she fixed the hair to ensure her little personal accessory was covered by them and no one could truly see it unless they tried hard enough. She did not care about it but the men of higher class and society did and the Governor had advised her to hide it as much as possible, to have a chance to attract a man to be her suitor.

"Of course, Lady Artemis," Mary said and bowed before exiting the room.

Artemis let out another sigh, adjusted the matching small hat on her head, grabbed her blue fan and quickly placed something inside the dress, between her female upper parts, before exiting the room. She tried her best to ignore the pain from the corset and headed towards the door next to hers, which was wide open.4

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"Well, women in London must have learnt how not to breathe!" a voice said from the room and Artemis chuckled slightly before entering.

The room, similar to hers only with white curtains was occupied by three people. A young woman with beautiful blond hair that was curly at the edge and gently brown eyes, her maid who was behind the changing panel and the governor of Port Royal, who was dressed in a fancy outfit accompanied by the white wig many men of his status wore at that era.

"Or they have already died from the lack of it," the redhead said, earning laughter from the woman behind the changing panel.

The Governor hearing her voice, turned to face her and a smile formed on his lips; seeing her all lady-like and proper, "Artemis, you look beautiful"

"Thank you governor" she replied with as much mannerism as she could muster so early in the morning and even bowed her head in respect and gratitude; not truly mattering what she thought of the dress. It was a gift and the man in front of her had already done more than enough.