Title: The Curse of the Black Diamond
Summary: The owner of the Black Diamond, Katherine, is a gem like no other, like her necklace. But when she meets Jack Sparrow, she discovers a past she never knew, and a future she can't forget.
Chapter OneAuthors Note: This is my first POTC ffic, so please don't kill me! I like constructive criticism, so please, give me as many helps and ideas as u see fit… and please keep the torches to a minimum! Thanks! Here we go… off with my fanfic!
Disclaimer: I most unfortunately, do not own POTC… but I *really* want to own Jack Sparrow, or Will Turner…
I could feel my abdomen, my arms, and my thighs complain as I awoke. The day previous, I had been practicing my sword skill with Will, the blacksmith. I had been learning diligently for the past three weeks, determined that I would not grow to my twentieth birthday, which was the next day, to find I would be wed to a stuffy-faced Governor's assistant, and be shut away from the outside world and from all thrilling things for the rest of my life. I had seen such things happen to other girls just like me over the years.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my arms. Even though I had grown accustomed to the movement involved in sword fighting, my body still protested to the unusual steps involved, for it differed from my normal walk and talk, no other movement routine.
I stood slowly, and walked slowly over to where the maids had lay out my daily outfit. It was a blue dress, with a low neck, and a long, belling skirt. I slipped on a white shift. I stuffed a pair of breeches, short black ones, black boots, a white shirt, and a belt into my bag I always carried.
Today, I would be practicing my blades further with Will. He told me, if I was good enough, I might be able to fight an expert sword fighter. I had just laughed, but I could not help feeling excited. For some reason, whenever I would pick up a blade, I would forget all my pain, and I would fight like my life depended on it.
My stomach jumped. My father, who had been dead for three years, had re-married to Charlene, five years ago. Charlene, who had been "too heartbroken", had not yet remarried. But I give her another month before she did. She did not marry sooner because she did not want to appear disrespectful. My stepmother forces me to call her 'belle-mère', which was French for stepmother, and Charlene was French, and she was a bitch.
I pinned my hair up in a way Charlene loved, and I hate. My arms ached as I did so. But today, I would need to be on Charlene's good side. I did not know why, but I felt that she did. I do not have any maids to help dress me, for Charlene had taken them all for herself.
I pulled on a corset that I owned, and tied it as tight and as well as I could over my aching stomach and abs. It made my thirty-inch waist shrink to twenty-eight inches. Charlene was always complaining that I was too fat, and too ugly to ever catch a man. Those comments would pierce my heart, and they always left their mark, and they would torture me to no end.
I pulled on her blue dress, and tied up the front. The neck was low, and it showed of my chest, which had been pushed up from the corset. I smoothed out the skirt, nervously.
I picked up a hat and tied it on, and I picked up a fan. I walked out of my room slowly, and painfully, trying to not show the pain on my face. I arrived in the parlor, where Charlene was waiting to see me. Her face broke out into a grin as I walked out. "You, my dear, are so stupid looking."
"What on earth do you mean, belle-mère?" I raised one eyebrow.
"You look as if you think you can fit in. But you must know that you are too ugly to ever fit in. No man will ever have you, and I cannot keep you. You might as well pack up and go join the whores over in the Tortugas. They're all ugly enough. You'll probably be the prize of them, for being the ugliest." She smiled her ugly toothy grin.
She was not so beautiful herself. She was over-weight, and she wore clothes that were so low, that she nearly spilled out of them, for she wore her corsets very tight. Her hair was thinner that parchment, and it was always an oily blonde, which made her appear to be blonde.
"You're not so beautiful yerself. Tu es très mouche et bête!" I said, glaring at her. (*Translation: You are very ugly and stupid! This is said in a disrespectful way, since she did not use the pronoun vous, which should be used for people older then the speaker.*)
Her face transformed into an ugly glare. She grabbed my skirt and pulled it towards her as she slapped me sharply. My eyes filled, but I blinked them back. I would not cry until I saw Elizabeth. "Tu es une chienne et je détester tu!" I snarled. (*You are a bitch and I hate you!*)
She rose her hand again, but I pulled away from her, and ran out of the house. I snapped my fan in half, and threw it on the cobblestones. I dashed in and out of the people standing be the merchants' stands. I pulled off my hat, and threw it on the cobblestones. The horse pulling a carriage soon trampled it.
I arrived at the Blacksmith's office quickly, and I pulled open the door. Will and Elizabeth stood there, waiting. I slammed the door, leaned up against it, and slid down, sobbing. I put my head on my knees and felt the tears soaking my dress.
Suddenly, someone was sitting next to me, and stroking my hair, which had fallen down in my mad running. It was Elizabeth. "Dear, what happened? Tell me, if you would like." I pulled my head up and looked at her pitifully.
"Charlene…she… said I was too ugly to ever wed…and that…I was too ugly for her to keep me…and she said that…I should go the Tortugas and join the whores there… for they are ugly as I am…and that I would be their prize…for I would be the ugliest there…" I gulped. I buried my head in her shoulder and sobbed again.
She patted my back, and whispered, "Dear, you are not ugly! Charlene is wrong! She is just jealous that someone she is quasi-related to is much more beautiful that she. You are even prettier than I!"
I shot my head up and looked at her. She pulled me up, and led me over to a mirror on the wall. I looked at her, her brown-golden hair curling around her face angelically, her pale skin shining. Then I looked at myself, with my black hair, all wavy and wild, my red, puffy eyes, my tanned skin, and my grey eyes. "How can I be more beautiful than you?" I asked.
"Your face is more radical and brighter than mine. Your hair is different from everyone else's. Your eyes stand out. I am just like everyone, and my personality is dull. Your's is out standing, and it get's noticed, which is a most marvelous thing!"
I just rose one eyebrow, and asked, "May I change now, so that I can practice?" She nodded, and got me the bag. She led me over to a stall made out of a folding curtain she had received from China when she visited.
I pulled off my dress, and untied my corset. I yanked off my shift, and replaced it with the breeches and the white button-up shirt. I stepped out, pulling on my boots, and tying my belt. I combed my fingers through my hair, untangling it. Will handed me a wooden sword, and he smiled. "Are you feeling better now, Katherine?" he said, smiling. We would only practice with wooden swords, for he did not want me to get injured, and cause Charlene to question.
"Yes, I am. Thank you, Will for teaching me." I nodded and we started to fight.
He brought his sword over to my side, and I blocked it. I slashed my sword to his chest, but he blocked, and stepped his right foot over his left. I stepped over as he did, to counter his movement. Then I moved towards him and spun around as he tried to hit me, and blocked it. He backed up slowly, as I moved forward, and I ended up cornering him quickly. He dropped his sword.
"I have never seen you fight like that before, Katherine! That was amazing. I suppose then, since you proved to be very good, and you have improved from yesterday, I will go get the expert sword fighter." He nodded to Elizabeth, who walked over to the spare bedroom, and knocked.
"Jack, dear, could you come out? Will thinks that you can fight his pupil now!" The door opened, and out stepped a tall man, dressed in only his breeches, boots, much jewelry, and a hat. My eyes opened widely, as he swaggered over to her, and nodded. He was quite handsome.
"Katherine Wolfe, this is Captain Jack Sparrow. He was here for our wedding a week ago, and he still hasn't left," Will said, smiling.
"It's a pleasure to meet yeh, love," he said, nodding. I saw a letter P engraved on his fore arm, and another tattoo of a sparrow flying across a sun setting. He picked up a white shirt which had been lying around on the chair, and pulled it on. My mind protested strongly.
"This is the man you will be fighting," Will said. "And I think, you will be fighting with real, metal swords this time, so you can grow accustomed to them." I blanched as I was handed a sword with a gold handle.
Authors Note: Thanks to all who reviewed! I've fixed it so there aren't so many me's… I guess it got kinda confusing!
Now, see that little blue button that says go?
Jack: Go? Go where?
DWA: To the little reviewer's spot… like a bar, but without the rum.
Jack: No rum? I CAN'T DO IT!
DWA: …right… but all of you can! Press the pretty blue button and please review!