Song of the Sea: Sunsets and Black Sails

Chapter 3: Nine Years Later

Aria sat bolt upright in the bed, her breath coming shallow and quick as fear coursed through her veins. It had been eight, nearly nine, years since the image of that ghostly shade of the Wicked Wench had been burned into her memory forever, and it was still just as bone-chilling to think about, let alone dream of. The sun hadn't even risen yet, and she knew that no more sleep would come after that nightmare, so she got up and went to her writing desk. The dark, polished wood was cool against the length of her arms that the night dress didn't quite cover, and the soft tickle of the quill greeted her wandering hand. Lighting the lamp beside the inkwell, Aria began her daily vigil, slowly penning yet another letter to her dead lover.

When she was finished and the ink had dried, she carefully rolled the parchment and slipped it into the bottle she picked from her collection of empty, green glass. Just as she pressed the stopper into the top, her maid walked in, all business and no-nonsense in her stride.

"My lady, your father wishes to see both you and your sister in her room this morning..."

Aria nodded. "Thank you, Lily." She turned and slowly wandered along the hall until she reached Elizabeth's door. It would have been more proper and polite of her to knock, but at the moment, she didn't care. When she opened the door, Elizabeth jumped and quickly tried to hide something in the folds of her night dress until she realized who it was.

"Aria, you frightened me..."

"You're lucky it was only me, Liz," she replied sternly, nodding at the medallion her sister had failed to conceal. When they had pulled that boy from the ocean on the crossing, he had been wearing that medallion. Elizabeth, knowing of Aria's hatred for pirates, was reluctant to tell her, but had had no one else she could trust with the secret. The elder sister had taken pity on young Will Turner and concluded that it must not have been his fault, if he were indeed a pirate.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. "Elizabeth? Aria? Are you decent?"

Throwing a shawl at her sister, Aria snatched the medallion, hissing, "Give me that!" Quickly, she clasped it around her neck, hiding it under the neckline of her dressing gown along with Jack's ring. Despite her repulsion towards pirates, she'd rather be the one to get in trouble if they were caught with something like this than to let Elizabeth be scolded.

"Do come in, father," Elizabeth called.

The governor walked in with two boxes tucked under his arm, chuckling when he saw them. "Just now out of bed, my dears? It's a beautiful day!" The maid that accompanied him, Estrella, went to draw the curtains, revealing the beautiful blue sky and the bustle of the port down below. "I have a gift for the two of you..." He set the boxes on the bed and opened them, unveiling two beautiful dresses, one gold, and the other, pale blue.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Elizabeth exclaimed, holding hers up.

Aria, however, was slightly less thrilled. It was a beautiful dress, but she suspected an ulterior motive.

"Might I inquire as to the occasion, Father?"

"Why, Aria," he chuckled, "Does a father need an occasion to dote upon his daughters? Go on, then."

The two girls moved behind the screen to have the maids help them dress. Elizabeth, suddenly realizing the undertones, exchanged a glance with Aria.

"Actually," their father continued suddenly, "I, uh... I had hoped you might wear them to the ceremony today..."

"The ceremony?" Elizabeth questioned innocently.