Sebastian had clung to Ariels dress, well hidden, as she boarded the Dauntless. Scuttle flew about above them and Flounder was beneath the boat.
Jack had walked on like a scolded dog with his tail between his legs. He claimed there was no living with Elizabeth after this, with her having been so right.
Ariel was mesmerized by the number of people around her. Albeit, she was a little frightened, nervous, but still numb with excitement.
When she boarded, there was a man there, he had white wig and a handsome face. He seemed rigid and strict. Ariel admired him from afar, self conscious of her state.
Ariel had immediately gotten the attention of said man.
"Who may you be?" He'd asked.
Elizabeth came to the rescue, saying, "A friend of mine, she's mute."
"I see." He held out his hand to Ariel and she shyly took it. "I'm Commodore Eric Norrington." Ariel blushed furiously as Eric kissed her hand.
He let her go slowly, watched her carefully.
Eric had thought Ariel a gorgeous young woman. Even with her tattered clothes, Ariels face was clean and fresh, like she'd come out of the ocean. She seemed sweet, in a way he'd never encountered before. He was used to Elizabeth's harsher tone, her bare rejections. He was also used to the desperate young ladies that called upon him every day. But Ariel wasn't a shameless flirt, he saw it in the way she only allowed him to kiss her hand, but hadn't grabbed to him or smiled like a mad woman.
Now, Ariel was flattered by Eric. Truly. But she felt much more cautious due to her previous let down, courtesy of Jack. Then a little thought appeared. Did her true loves kiss have to be from Jack, or could it be from someone else? She didn't know, for there was a lot of suspicious small print in the contract she had signed.
Then again, Ariel could only smile at Eric's kind gesture. She could only look into his light blue eyes. But she could never say a single word to him.
However things weren't smooth sailing afterwards. The Governor, Weatherby Swann, opposed the idea of going after Will.
"But we've got to save Will!" Said Elizabeth.
"No," said the Governor. "You're safe now. We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates."
"Then we condemn him to death," argued Elizabeth.
"The boys fate is regrettable. But then so is his decision to engage in piracy."
"To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me."
"If I may be so bold as to interject my professional opinion," interjected Jack. "The Pearl was listing after the battle. It's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it. The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up, eh?"
"By remembering that I serve others, not only myself," answered the Commodore.
He went to walk away but Elizabeth said, "commodore, I beg you, please do this. For me. As a wedding gift."
"Elizabeth?" Said the Governor. "Are you accepting the commodores proposal?"
"I am."
Oh, Ariel thought. She hadn't realized they were a couple. She was then, after all, doomed to find a a way to love Jack.
As she wallowed in self pity Jack said, "A wedding. I live weddings. Drinks all around!" Eric gave a him a look so Jack held up his wrists. "I know. 'Clap him in irons,' right?"
The commodore approached him. "Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with the bearings to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meaning of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?"
"Inescapably clear." Jack was then taken but two officers. They were Ponytail and Chubby, also known as Murtogg and Mullroy respectively.
As Jack was carried away, Ariel was once again uncomfortable. She tapped Elizabeth's arm and pointed to her clothes. Elizabeth smiled and nodded, taking her to Norrington.
To him, Elizabeth said, "Might we trouble you for something to wear? Or will it be bare breast and ankles all the way?"
Norrington coughed, glancing down at their improper clothing, and called for help in getting them clothes.
Ariel squeezed Elizabeth's hand in thanks and Elizabeth said, "you're welcome. If you need anything, just say so. I don't suppose you know how to get home. Oh! Can you write?"
Ariel shook her head. In Ursulas lair, she had said it was "no talking, singing, zip." Zip included writing her thoughts. Body language was all Ariel had in terms of communication.
"Well... do you want to go home?"
Ariel thought about it, she did want to. But couldn't or she'd belong to Ursula. Ariel shook her head again.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you now."
Ariel smiled gratefully, giving Elizabeth's hand another squeeze before being led away.
Gossip about Ariel spread through the boat in a matter of seconds. And they say women liked gossip. Due to Ariel point at the sea when asked how she'd gotten to the island, it was decided that it was a disastrous shipwreck.
Eric and Elizabeth had decided that she would hold a high position on society. She certainly did have the looks for it. Not many agreed, saying that she could have been a murderess for all they new. But the decision was already made.
Now, Jack was left to be "silent as the grave." Once again Ariel was the object of his thoughts. The idea that it was Ariel who had saved him did cross his mind. However, a part of him begged him to be reasonable. Nice young ladies just don't swim around rescuing people in the middle of the ocean and then flitter off into oblivion like some... well, he didn't know. At least he had quite decided that it was real.
And that's when Jack saw her walk out with an officers uniform. Of course, it wasn't the tight or revealing dresses he was used to seeing. But there was something he found awfully attractive in seeing her in uniform. Only the red coat over her shoulders was a big, the rest fitting her form perfectly.
She was a vision. Well, he hoped not literally.
Then he watched her walk around, curiously inspecting everything she saw. It was such genuine actions, she seemed to have no secrets despite her whole being there was a mystery.
Jack, in fact, as she passed by, had said, "My, My, don't you look wonderful."
At this, Mullroy shushed him and then warned him that he'd tell the commodore. Jack only smiled and looked at Ariel flirtatiously. Ariel simply nodded in thanks and walked away, flattered.
That's when she was called to come eat. She was quite famished, having not eaten in so long.
There was a dining room, where only Eric, The Governer, Elizabeth, and Ariel were to dine. It wasn't large or grand, taking into consideration the ship, but it was beautiful. Dark with shiny gold all around. Smooth and polished was the table and chairs, fresh smelling and new. Ariel took it in before taking her seat.
"Now, quite comfy?" Asked the Governor cheerily. He, too, had grown to like Ariels quieter charms. "Yes. Well, it's not often that we have such a lovely dinner guest, eh, Commodore?"
Ariel noticed a dinglehopper on the table. She smiled widely at it, picking it up immediately. She then started to comb her hair with it, only to look up at the bewildered faces. Ariel stopped, embarrassed, and put the dinglehopper down. She bit her lip and placed her hand on her lap.
Then the Governer lit a pipe. Ariel gasped and grinned at it.
"Uh, do you like it?" Asked the Governor. He handed it to Ariel. "It's a rather fine one." Ariel blew into it, causing all the powder to blow off and onto The Governors face.
Elizabeth laughed at her fathers blackened face and Eric let out a snort. Although Eric apologized for it. Elizabeth found it rather weird, she'd hardly seen Eric smile. Let alone laugh.
"Ah, very amusing," said the Governor in an unamused tone. He sniffed. "Well, then, what's for dinner?"
One of the maids aboard said, "Oh, you're gonna love it. Chefs been fixing his specialty, stuffed crab."
Ariel made a face. But no one noticed, as conversation went by smoothly as was possible under the circumstances.
"You know, Elizabeth," said Governor Swann. "Once we're back on land, perhaps our young guest might enjoy seeing some of the sights of the kingdom. Something in the way of a tour."
As the Governor said this, the dishes were brought. They were on a plate with a cloche covering the food inside.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Asked Elizabeth. She had been in deep though about her future life. A life with the commodore. She did not love him, no. But it seemed that that was the path life had paved for her.
"You can't spend all your time moping about," said The Governor teasingly. "This way you can get out more, live your life."
Alongside the Commodore, thought Elizabeth.
As Governor Swann rambled on, he lifted his cloche. Inside lay none other the Sebastian. Ariel noticed, staring at him in shock, yet realizing he was alive. Sebastian held his claw to his lips, signaling Ariel to be careful and quiet.
"Alright papa, if she's interested I'll take her," said Elizabeth.
Ariel lifted her own cloche and gestured for Sebastian to hurry over. Sebastian bit his lip and ran across the table for his life, which it very much was. Just as Ariel slapped the cloche over Sebastian, Elizabeth turned to her and said,
"We'll what do you say? Would you like to join me for a tour of Port Royal once we get back?"
Ariel smiled brightly and nodded.
"Wonderful!" Said Governor Swann. "Now, let's eat before the crab wonders off my plate." He held up his fork but when he dug it into his plate found only lettuce, no crab.
Ariel opened her plate as well and discreetly got Sebastian out before offering to switch her plate with Governor Swann. She made a face at the crab, politely, as to say she disliked crab. So the switch was made and Ariel ate, a salad being brought in just for her.
Later on, when darkness had emerged, Ariel stood inside the room she had been given. It had a window that allowed her to look at the dock. Ariel found herself watching none other than Jack Sparrow. She didn't really realize she was doing so, it just sort of happened. Even as he was held in irons he looked as if he was in charge.
Ariel combed her hair, still using the dinglehopper. Jack did manage to stay quiet but had other ways of communicating. Ariel watched as he pointed to things and made grand gestures to get his point across. It was almost in the way Ariel had been learning to do so. She sighed and tilted her head at the man with a soft smile. He was, after all, fun to look at. At least it was, until his face snapped towards her. Ariel felt herself burn with embarrassment as Jack waved at her with a smug look on his face. He even did a curt bow. Ariel stiffened and waved back before retreating from her window.
Sebastian, who was still miserable and scared from almost being eaten, sat beside Ariels bed. He had stayed near the candle that was softly lighting the room.
"This has got to be, without a doubt," he said. "The single most humiliating day of my life."
Ariel placed the dinglehopper down, beside a comb, and patted Sebastians head.
Sebastian puffed out his chest and continued, "I hope that you appreciate what I go through for you, young lady. Now we got to make a plan to get that man to kiss you. Tomorrow you gotta look your best. You gotta bat you eyes, like this."
Sebastian batted his eyes but Ariel was distracted by touching the bed. It was dry! Well, of course, but the concept was still new to her. It was soft soft. She noted how it sunk a bit when she sat on it.
"You gotta pucker your lips, like this." Sebastian puckered his lips. But then he saw Ariel looking into the mirror. She was holding her hair up and letting it fall. It no longer floated around her. Her hair was fluffy and, yes, it was dry!
"You are hopeless child, you know that? Completely hopeless," Sebastian mumbled so that Ariel couldn't hear.
Sebastian smiled at her softly. He would let her enjoy herself for now. My, my, what he had become. A soft shell in the name of Ariel.