A/N: Now, it has been approximately 10 years since the last chapter, but we are still before the Curse of the Black Pearl (the 1st movie)
Chapter 7
Sea Mistress
“Are you alright, Madame?” a young browned haired sailor, with a short patchy beard, said as he helped me up onto the ship.
“Yes,” I nodded with pretense gratitude. “Thanks you, kind sir.”
He smiled as he wrapped a wool blanket around me. “May I ask what happened to you, Miss?”
“Shipwreck,” I muttered shuddering. “I believe I am the only survivor.”
“Sorry to hear that,” he consoled. “But no need to worry. You will be safe with us.”
“John!” Another older sailor, with short auburn hair just starting to grey, appeared on deck. “A word?”
“Be right back, Miss.” John scurried into the private room after the other man.
I quietly crept up closer to the door so I could listen.
“What’s the problem, Billy?” John demanded.
“Do you not realize that it is tremendous bad luck to have a woman on board?” Billy warmed him.
A sly smile formed across my face. There is a good reason for that.
“Ah, come now, Billy. The poor girl was the sole survivor of a ship accident. What was I supposed to do, leave her in the ocean?”
“No, I suppose not,” Billy consented. “But you do realize what could happen, do you not, John?”
“Oh, Billy, always so superstitious. You know those are just rumors. I am sure nothing bad will happen to us,” John assured. “Now, let us just focus on getting this ship to land.”
As I heard their footsteps move closer to the door, I rushed back to the spot I was sitting at and gaze out upon the ocean.
“You will have to excuse Billy,” John said as he sat down beside me. “He gets a bit nervous around the ladies, especially pretty ones like you. Never could bring himself to say much to them. That’s why he’s never married.”
Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I instead smiled bashfully turning my gaze downward. I have been to Tortuga on several occasions. That place contained plenty of girls much more beautiful than me, but there were also a significant amount there more ugly as well. I suppose that would make me average in appearance. My sandy blonde hair was always a mess as it laid down to my mid-back in waves. I stood at about average height with deep tan skin and hazel eyes.
“Is there anything I can get for you?” John asked kindly.
I looked at him and smiled. “An apple would be nice. Do you have any?”
He nodded saying, “I will be right back, I will.”
I turned my gaze back to the sea, wondering how much more time this doomed ship has left. It seems to be taking longer this time than usual.
John returned with my apple along with a broad grin upon his face. “Here you are, Miss.”
I thanked him taking the delicious juicy apple. At that moment, I felt a jerk from bellow. It’s here.
“What was that?” John exclaimed immediately rising to his feet. “Did you feel it?”
After the next jolt, the whole crew shared the same panic. Billy rushed out, glaring at me.
“This began once we brought her on board!” Billy declared, pointing his finger at me.
John immediately stood up in my defense. “You cannot blame her, Billy. How could she have possibly caused this?”
Billy, not taking his eyes off me, demanded, “Who are you?”
“Aurora Barbossa,” I answered standing up straight, taking another bite of my apple.
“Barbossa,” John repeated clearly horrified. “The Black Pearl. He’s the… the…”
“The man so evil Hell itself spattered back out,” I finished for him, sneering. “Yes, that man is my father.”
“So you are from the Black Pearl?” John squeaked nervously backing away from me.
I inched closer to him causing him more panic. “Oh, no. Where I come from is much worse than that.”
At that very moment the Kraken’s tentacles burst out from the waters smashing violently on the ship. The sailors began to panic and scurry like mice desperate to escape their predator.
“You are Her, are you not?” John panted, crawling over to me. “The one they see before… before this. You are the Sea Mistress.”
I grinned as I bent over, gently brushing his cheek. “Right you are. But not to worry. When the time comes, you will have your chance to postpone the judgment of the afterlife.”
Before he could say anything more, the Kraken snatched him up thrashing him across the ship.
As soon as the attack was finished, the Dutchman’s crew came to gather the survivors on my orders to await Davy Jones. As they sat crouched, their entire bodies shook vigorously. I spotted both John and Billy among them.
Slowly yet dramatically, Davy Jones came out to increase these poor souls’ torment as he prepared the same speech I have heard many times in the past. I looked each man in the eye trying to predict who may join. John seemed to be a fairly likely candidate. Billy on the other hand, did not seem so eager as he kept exchanging glares between John and me as he attempted to conceal his fear.
“So,” Jones finished. “Which of you will join my crew and avoid the harsh judgment of the afterlife?”
“Cowards,” Billy mumbled, his voice shaky. “Only cowards will join you.” He shifted his stone cold eyes in my direction. “I sensed the devil the very moment that girl was brought on board.”
Chucking, Davy Jones, briefly glanced at me as he said, “I bet you did.”
Jones then nodded to Angler, who then immediately slit Billy’s throat and tossed him into the sea. He then leaned in towards John who appeared as fragile glass about to shatter.
“And what of the rest of you?” Jones demanded looking particularly at John. “Will you join?”
Still shuddering violently, John moved his petrified eyes until they met mine. I nodded towards him, hoping to help give him the confidence he needed to accept, or at the very least, say something.
He attempted to look Jones directly in the eyes, muttering, “I…I will. I will join.”
Only a few others choose to join us. The rest, Jones sentenced to immediate death.
xXx
As the sun fell to the horizon, I could here Davy Jones begin to play his organ. Before leaving to join him, I looked about the ship to assure that everything ran smoothly.
“Bootstrap,” I called spotting him on deck.
“Yes Mistress.”
“I want you to be in charge of the new recruits,” I explained. “Show them how everything runs here and what their responsibility is as part of the ship. You are probably the only who can handle this without feeling the need to constantly threaten them or actually beat them.”
He nodded but as I began to walk away, he added, “Don’t you ever get sick of all this, watching soul after soul give up everything to be slave to the Dutchman?”
“Sometimes,” I admitted turning just my head to look at him. “But what choice do I have? What choice do any of us have?”
Seeing that he was unable to provide an answer, I continued on passing a still petrified John on my way. If there remained any humanity in me I would pity him, but growing up on the Dutchman tends to suck that out. I still only appeared human.
I found Jones enchanted by his own music he played and remembered how I used to climb into his lap to join him. Not that I have grown up, I would simply sit on the bench next to him whenever I desired to join as I did now, for instance. Together, we played out the rest of the song.
“You seem to be in a good mood,” I commented as we came to a finish. “We did not get that many new souls for the Dutchman.”
“True,” he agreed but still grinned. “But the day draws nearer that I will finally have Jack Sparrow aboard my ship. His time to repay his debt is coming.”
“I thought there was still plenty of time before that,” I muttered then adding louder, “It will be hard for me to obey your orders. Remember, years ago when I snuck off to meet him, you forbid me from ever going near him again?”
“Yes, I remember. But, When he is mine that will no longer be a concern.”
“Maybe I can help lure him,” I suggested. “Since I am no longer a child, I am less subject to fall victim to his deceits.”
He gently brushed his craw against my cheek. “Now that you have grown up, I fear even more that you will be a victim to his charms.”
I could not help but laugh at this. “You are afraid I am going to fall in love with him, are you not? That is utterly ridiculous!”
Jones turned his head and muttered, “You say that now but you may find resisting him to be more difficult than you expected.”
Determined, I urged on, “I am sure I can handle it if you would just let me have a ch…”
“Aurora! Do not argue with me!” he interrupted, fury building up in his tone as he rose up. “You are not to go anywhere near Jack Sparrow and that is final!”
Before I had the chance to argue, Davy Jones stormed out leaving me sitting alone by the organ. I do not understand why he is so determined to keep me away from Jack. I am not a foolish young girl, naïve to a man’s charms. I thought I had proven that by now. I suppose, once again I must convince Jones of where my loyalties lie. Despite his orders, I made up my mind. I will, once again, seek out Jack Sparrow.