The Captain's Fancy

Summary: Engaged to be married, Madeleine finds herself weighted down by guilt of the lost love she was betraying and faced with a threat much more real, a merciless pirate captain.

Warning: Mild swearing and extreme cheesiness

A/N: So here's the promised prize one-shot for Freedom Kiwi. They asked for a Pirate!England and Fem!Canada story, and I was more than happy to oblige. I also must apologize for my absence as well...anyway, enjoy!

"Madeleine," was the soft whisper that penetrated the silence of the chapel. Sun filtered in through stained glass windows, casting patterns onto the altar at the opposite end of the modestly sized church where a young man, barely past his fifteenth summer, delicately clasped the hands of a young woman, just younger than the boy. "We don't have to go through with this if you don't want to."

"No," she replied immediately shaking her head and making her golden curls catch the sun and the wild white flowers woven into it threaten to tumble out. She tightened her hold on his hands. "I—I want to."

The young man, his choppy blond hair beginning to fall back into his eyes despite his best efforts, searched her indigo eyes for truth and honesty with his own piercing emerald. Madeleine felt her heart thump in her chest, just as it always did when she looked into those green pools. They were captivating, there was no limit to their depth, like the sea he loved so much and would vanish into.

She knew she had to do this. She couldn't allow him to leave without it being done. No one would approve, they both knew, but then again, no one would know. She would stand on the shore's edge where he had left her and watch him sail away. She feared that she would never see him come back. A watery grave would be his final resting place and she could not bear the thought of permanently losing him until the end of her days. But, her treacherous mind thought, what was the point of throwing away her life like this? If her actions that day were ever found out, she would live with the scandal hanging over her the rest her life if he never came back and would forever dishonor her family.

And then, he smiled. She loved his smile. One side would quirk up, a dimple forming while the other corner stretched into a smirk. It was an expression that only he was capable of wearing on his face. He wore that same smile when he first gazed upon her all those months ago when he had come into town to help his father sell their crops. She hadn't recognized the boy she used to play with, but then he smiled. It was at that exact moment that she knew it was him and that it would be he that she would give her heart to. It hadn't been very long afterward she came to realize he had it for quite some time.

"Then, shall we?" he asked, offering his arm to her. She accepted it readily. When they reached the altar, all doubts that lurked in Madeleine's mind had dwindled with every step they took, hand in hand and walking in perfect rhythm with one another. They were natural together, a perfect match. She knew this was the right thing to do, if not socially, but for her heart. She would face the scandal and dishonor, she would sacrifice it. Love was too rare and great a thing to give up simply because of such petty things.

They were married on that late August afternoon by their village's priest, only after swearing his secrecy. She was married in a plain white gown with no bouquet but flowers in her golden curls. He was married in a loose white tunic and breeches, no socks or shoes on his feet. But they were married nonetheless and they were happy.

But then, he left to fight on the seas to protect their country and she was left alone without his smile, his kindness, or his deep, captivating eyes and only with a promise that he would return for her.

She couldn't breathe. Her throat was betraying her as she clawed helplessly at the invisible force that crushed it in a vice grip. Her vision was blurred by darkness as she sunk farther from the water light above. Her hands swept about her, cutting through the icy water, struggling towards the surface and ignoring the burn about her throat. She was dying. She was drowning.

She couldn't remember anything. Not how she got to be twelve feet under the surface of the waves and was steadily sinking, how her feet felt like lead that dragged her down to her death, or how, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull herself up through the water and to the sweet, saving air above.

Her mouth opened unwillingly, a silent cry for help, a final pray, or a longing for a breath of air, she didn't know, but her lungs filled with the salty taste of seawater, her throat gurgling at its taste. She clawed at her throat again, trying to rip away the tightening hold the seawater seemed to have on her. Then, something seized around her wrists and yanked her hands away.

A gasp escaped from her lips as her violet eyes slammed open and she bolted upright. She was in a darkened carriage that rumbled along an even darker lane. She breathed a sigh of relief. It was all a dream. Just a dream.

Blinking at her from across the carriage was her pretty blond maid, Tana, her hands still about her wrists. "Milady," the maid began, "You were clawing at your neck in your sleep. Forgive me, but if I didn't waken you, you have broken your necklace."

Madeleine looked down at the glittering diamonds strands that rested on her chest. They pressed down on her as she breathed in and out, heavy from the gems, while the fastenings was tight about her throat. That must have been what was choking her in her dream. The necklace was like a shackle collar, the way it weighed upon not only her neck and chest, but her heart as well.

It was a reminder of her treachery. A reminder of the unhappiness she would soon face and the joy that had been cruelly ripped away from her.

Tana blinked worriedly at her mistress. She did not know what occupied the younger woman's thoughts, but she knew it involved her betrothal to the merchant's son, Antonio. It was hard for her to imagine a reason this would be the case, though. Mister Carriedo was the wealthiest man in the shire and Antonio was heir to the vast family fortune. It was true, Antonio wasn't of gentle birth like the lady, but he seemed to be a charming gentleman, nonetheless. Or so Tana had heard from her friend, Berwald, a footman for the Carriedos.

The maid did not prod her mistress. She knew her place and it wasn't to bother her. She turned her attention back to the window to watch the port town's lights blink in the distance as their carriage made the journey up the winding road to peaks of the cliffs that over looked the bay, docks, and homes below. The Carriedo's family manor commanded an impressive view of the harbor and it was generally agreed that the home was the finest in the shire. Madeleine would soon be the lady of the house and certainly the envy of every young woman.

"Milady, we are to arrive soon," Tana commented as the carriage pulled from the road and onto the drive that led to the mansion's main entrance.

Madeleine silently nodded and gathered her ivory skirts in her hand, preparing to descend from the carriage. Despite the heaviness of her heart, she couldn't help but be in awe of the house that they neared, every single one of its large glass windows aglow with lights. The gardens were trimmed and the rose bushes obscuring candelabras that gave the grounds a magical glow. Had it not been for the guilt that weighed her mind, she would have felt like Cinderella arriving at the ball to meet her prince. But, her prince was lost in the merciless waves of the oceans.

The other guests floated down from their own carriages as Madeleine's came to a halt, queuing up, and she smiled slightly at the sight. She spotted her best friend Lizzie with her slightly disgruntled husband, Roderich, who much preferred the quiet of their home to the clamor of parties, and the mayor's twin daughters, Felicia and Lovina, both matching in olive gowns. There was even the elegant Lady Ivana and her sisters, Antonio's cousins, all dressed in deep velvet the color of amethysts.

Madeleine glanced self-consciously down at her ivory gown. It was pretty enough, with pale gold lace trimming the neckline and cuffs, but all the other guests wore vibrant colors that caught the eye and seemed immensely fashionable compared to the relative simplicity of her own gown. It was a gift from her lord father. He had said it was an ideal betrothal gown, to symbolize purity. Everyone else was lost on the irony of this sentiment except for her.

"Milady," Tana called softly. Madeleine blinked. They had reached the front of the queue and Tana was already out of the carriage, both her and the footman blinking questioningly at her.

She forced a smile on her face. She had to remember she needed to be happy. Any young woman would be ecstatic if they were in her place. She had to make her father proud and bring honor to their family. She glided easily down from the carriage, a practiced feat, thanking the footman before sweeping up the candlelit walk. She was a noblewoman of high birth; she didn't let nightmares, unwanted betrothals, or the ache of lost love hinder her when it came to her duties. She knew her place.

Upon reaching the arching entrance doors, they were swung open to reveal a glittering hall packed with flashing silk, glittering gems, and feathers that flitted when their wearer moved in the slightest. It was like a scene from a storybook but Madeleine's smile never gaped or wavered. Ladies did not let anything surprise them.

"Lady Madeleine Bonnefoy," the footman at the door announced to the room in general. The chatter died and the guests seemed to turn to blink at her in unison. She was the reason for the party, after all. Officially, she wasn't betrothed to Antonio Carriedo. It was true that her father had signed the marriage agreement, her dowry was agreed upon, and the wedding day had been set, but they weren't officially engaged or betrothed. That was the reason for the party and everyone in the bustling port town was aware of it, becoming obsessively excited about it.

The whole town had been abuzz about it. It wasn't very often anything of interest occurred in town other than the occasional exotic merchant making port, and the women had taken a particular relish to it, thinking it terribly romantic. Antonio, during the course of the party, would get down on one knee before Madeleine, proclaim his love for her and ask for her hand in marriage. She would, being her duty, accept and they would be officially engaged to be married. She was dreading it.

Her smile not wavering, she glided into the crowd, not minding as they parted before her. It only made it easier for her to pass under the gaping archway and into the ballroom. If the façade and the entrance hall of the mansion were impressive, the ballroom was stunning. Crystal chandeliers hung glittering from the ceilings, lighting the marble floors and walls, casting a magical glow on the dancers in their vibrant colors. Across the ballroom were massive windows that overlooked the harbor far below.

"Boring party, huh?" asked a voice from her side and Madeleine turned, a smile wide on her face, to see her best friend Elizabeth—or Lizzie, as she was more commonly referred to—standing beside her, amusement in her green eyes.

"Absolutely, it's putting me to sleep," Madeleine replied, feigning a yawn as Lizzie linked her arm with hers and the two glided across the ballroom, expertly avoiding the dancers and musicians at its center.

Lizzie laughed, delighted. "Yes, naps will need to be had soon," she nodded in agreement before adding, "I sent Roderich off to procure me a drink—I feel like I'm going to need some alcohol in me to handle what is going to happen."

Madeleine flashed a grateful look to her friend as the two stopped by the windows, their backs to the view as they watched the dancers glide by. Lizzie was the only one who knew of Madeleine's secret marriage and the heartbreak that soon followed. It had been because, three months after the ceremony, Madeleine had found herself with child, and, in a panic, turned to the one woman she trusted to keep her secret and help her—Lizzie. The two had become extremely close since, especially with the miscarriage and then the news.

It was Lizzie who had received word from the docks about the Spanish Armada and the great sea battle that was waged on the Channel. She was the one to deliver the news that Arthur's ship had been set ablaze and that there were no survivors and it was her to hold her friend as she spilled out her sorrow. And now, it was Lizzie who shared in Madeleine's guilt and dread of the party.

"You haven't seen him yet, have you?" questioned Madeleine.

Lizzie didn't need to ask who she was referring to as she shook her head. "No, but I just arrived before you did."

As if summoned, Antonio appeared before the two women. Had not Madeleine been in love with another, she would have thought him a handsome man. He was elder of the two Carriedo sons and arguably the more dashing of the two. His blond hair was slicked fashionably back into a ponytail and he was dressed smartly in coattails and tanned breeches.

"Good evening Lady Madeleine and Lady Elizabeth, I hope you are enjoying yourselves," Antonio said politely, bowing to the two. "I was wondering if Lady Madeleine might accept my invitation to dance."

Madeleine forced her polite smile towards him to widen in delight as she replied, "It would be my honor, Mister Carriedo." She took his offered hand and he led her onto the floor. It was a slow waltz, which Madeleine had a suspicion was completely his doing so as to be able to talk with her freely without the need to focus on steps and rhythm.

"My lady," Antonio said as he placed a hand on her waist and the other capturing her hand. She felt like she should shove him away, to slap him across the face. She was married, the only man that should dance with her was her husband. But, of course, no one knew that. No one knew about the farm boy that married the noblewoman. Of how she had carried his child or of how he had gone to sea only to fall victim to it. Of how his promise to return to her was broken. "I hope you are enjoying the evening?"

"Very much so, thank you for asking Mister Carriedo," she replied, trying to keep her voice light but knowing it sounded stiff.

Antonio frowned at her, saying, "My lady, you can refer to me simply as Antonio. We have known each other far too long for such formalities." She knew what he really meant. They would be sharing a bed soon, they would need to become familiar with the usage of each other's first names. She did not like the notion.

"Well, Mister Carriedo, I don't think that's entirely appro—" Madeleine began to say but then he was down on one knee before her, cradling her hands in his. Her heart stopped for a moment, and it wasn't due to the adoring look he had on his face or the sudden silence throughout the room.

"My lady Madeleine Bonnefoy, daughter to Lord Francis Bonnefoy, you are the most enchanting, stunning, glorious, and passionate woman I have ever laid eyes upon. Your smiles are rays of light on my poor existence and your beauty the glowing sun to my life. I have loved since the moment I set eyes upon you," he proclaimed to the room at large, so that everyone could hear his declaration. Madeleine's eyes widen upon hearing his words and how genuine they were. How could it be that, this man forced to marry her, had come to feel for her this way? "Will you accept my humble hand in marriage?"

Before she could open her mouth to respond, there was a loud shriek from the entrance hall and a deafening boom that could only be from a cannon sounded from the harbor. The ballroom was in shock. No one moved and no one could quite process what was happening. And then, from the archways to the entrance hall burst a fearsome and terrifying sight.

At the head of a band of fearsome men that Madeleine had only ever heard of in stories was a tall, deadly looking man. His long captain's coat was a scarlet red, his hands studded with gems and his ears with golden loops. At his waist rested at least five belts with two pistol holsters each, a set of knives, and in his hand gleamed a silver cutlass. His black tricorned hat was lined with vibrant feathers. But, of his whole appearance, his ruthless smirk was the most terrifying. The ballroom's occupants blinked at him in silent shock as he strode in, followed by his band of fearsome pirates as more cannons sounded from the harbor below.

"'Ey, you, bastard," the pirate captain declared as he pointed to Antonio with his cutlass, still kneeling in front of Madeleine, "Get your hands off of her."

Antonio scrambled away from Madeleine, fear clear in his eyes, as the captain strode forward to take a hold of her wrists roughly, before turning to the room and his crew, "Oh and another thing, we're taking everything." That was when chaos broke out. The crew sprang towards the guests of the ballroom, the women screaming while the men shouted, attempting to defend their women and their jewels. Madeleine saw Lizzie, with a somewhat pleased smile, and Roderich slipping from the room but saw no more as she was roughly pulled away through the entrance hall.

"Get your hands off me!" she shouted, attempting to free her hands from his hold. Her efforts were all in vain, though. The man was weathered from the sea and made strong by years of labor. He didn't so much as look back at her as he led her. "I'm a lady! You have no right to handle me this way! Let me go! I—"

He turned to her then, moving faster than she could register in her shocked state. His lips captured hers, pressing earnestly onto her opened mouth, catching her in the middle of speech. The kiss was rough and hurried, fiery and passionate. He pulled away from her, his voice a low and dangerous growl. "I have every right." Then he turned and continued on, never relinquishing his hold on her. She could feel herself turning a deep red and she couldn't manage coherent thought.

She was forced into a carriage—looted from one of the guests—and it was sent off down the road. The captain hadn't come with her, instead sending her off with a low warning to the carriage driver before disappearing back into the mansion to aid his men in their looting, or so her muddled thoughts assumed. It seemed to be a short journey down the road of the cliffs to the harbor where the carriage was stopped and she was forced out.

From her position on the docks she finally caught sight of the cause of the cannons. Illuminated by the silver of the moon just above the harbor's waters, was a ship with black sails and with holds firing cannonball upon cannonball onto the port town, setting the buildings ablaze.

Madeleine opened her mouth to gasp, scream, cry out—she didn't quite know—but then she was cut off by the sudden appearance of blond haired man. "Hey there," the new arrival greeted, cheerily. "My name's Alfred, I'm going to take you aboard the ship." He gestured to the ship in the bay and then to a dingy that was moored near them along the docks. Ushering her to the bench of the little boat and taking the seat across from her and the oars, he said animatedly, "It sure is nice to meet you! It's been such a long time since we've had prisoners and they're always fun to chat with although…our last prisoners…didn't turn out so well. But, that's okay, I'm sure you'll be alright. The captain seems to like you."

She didn't listen to him as he jabbered. She was numb. She felt completely empty, confused, and scared. She was happy to be free of Antonio, terrified of her new position as hostage, and then completely hollow. If the wind were to blow, she would have been carried away, or so she felt. Alfred led her from the dingy up to a ladder and onto the deck of the ship, smiling at her in a friendly way her mind only barely registered. He guided her past the crew that barely spared her a glance as they ran for more ammunition to rain upon her home, and to a door just below the quarterdeck of the ship.

"This is the captain's personal cabin. He wants you to stay in here," Alfred explained as he opened the door for her. "I'm the captain's first mate so I'm probably be up by the helm if you need anything." She nodded at him, blankly staring. Then the door was closed behind him and she was locked in.

The cabin was filled with fine silks from China, soft rugs from Persia, gold from the New World, and rich scents from all over the globe. The extravagance would have been breathtaking, even compared to the Carriedo mansion, but she barely noticed it. She gazed about it in silence, her mind beginning to function once more and she pondered her fate.

Madeleine could hear the far-off screams of villagers, the pounding of feet from the deck, and the calls for more ammunition, all of it punctured by the deafening blasts of the cannons. She knew she should cry for help, search for a way to escape, but her mind offered her nothing for a solution. So she simply sat on one of the cushioned benches tucked into a window, ignoring the view of the fiery port town across the blackened water, and waited.

She didn't know how long she sat there like that. It could have been five seconds, five minutes, five hours, or five days, as far as she knew. She heard shouts and the cannons stopped firing. The feet stopped their pounding and then started again, this time not running for weapons, but for the sails and ropes. She heard as there was a call, announcing the ship was on its way. The noise lessened after that. Crew retired below or to their night duties and then she was met with silence. Still, she sat, frozen.

"When I heard the tales of the beauty of the Lady Madeleine Bonnefoy I didn't believe them," came a rough voice. She jumped, blinking in surprise at the sight of the captain, leaning against the door of the cabin. She did not hear him enter the door and she wondered how long he had stood there. He looked her over, a small sneer playing on his lips. "And I still don't believe them."

Madeleine lifted her head definitely. "Then why am I hostage if you still don't believe those tales?"

The captain smirked. "I was intrigued to see the woman known for living without a heart." Madeleine opened mouth, found she could say nothing, and closed it once more. He continued, "I've heard of the tales of your beauty, aye, but also your cruelty. How a poor farm boy gave you his heart and all his love and how he sailed off to make himself into something for you. Then, as soon as he was gone, you cast his love into the ocean and pursued a richer man."

"How dare you—!" began Madeleine, outrage granting her voice back.

He didn't let her finish, as he pushed away from the door he leaned on, striding towards her. "How is it that you can sit there, breathing and talking, when you have no heart and only cruelty running through you?"

"You don't know what you speak of!" she said, defiantly, before biting her lip. "I gave my heart to Arthur the day I married him and it died with him when he drowned! I'll never love again. It is my father who forces me to marriage with Carriedo!"

"I, my lady," he began, spitting the title out at her mockingly, "am a pirate. I know a lie when I hear it." She stared at him for a moment before instinct came over her and, not thinking, she brought her hand up and across his face. The harsh slap rang through the air as the captain staggered back slightly, obviously taken off guard by this.

There was a moment of shocked silence, Madeleine feeling her heart plummet into her feet—she had just slapped the captain of the ship, she would surely be fed to the sharks now—as the captain blinked. Then, a slow smile spread across his face as he said, "Well, that's new." One side of his mouth quirked up, a dimple forming, while the other corner held a smirk. Her heart stopped.

She knew that smile.

"Arthur?" she whispered, her voice betraying the hope that tinged her words as her heart fluttered. His eyes met hers, those beautiful, captivating emerald eyes. How could she not have recognized them before?

"Hello, my love," he replied, his voice no longer rough but rather the smooth, tender one she remembered. Before she could think properly, she was in his arms, smiling and crying for reasons she didn't quite know but didn't particularly care about at that point. He held her close to him, hugging her to his chest. His muscles were leaner than she remembered and he had grown, but their bodies still perfectly fit into one another as he held her and that was that really mattered.

"I thought you were dead," Madeleine whispered into his chest.

He pulled slightly back from her, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek, rubbing a thumb against her skin, sending shivers down her spine, to wipe away the tears. Then he cradled cheek and brought his lips down to capture hers once more. Unlike before, this kiss wasn't rough, but rather long and sweet. It was a kiss that held more passion and love then any amount of words could ever convey. After what seemed like much too short a time, he pulled back only slightly to whisper, "I promised I would return for you and I intend on keeping that promise."

The End.