Pirates: The One Where Lord Cutler Beckett Wins (& There's Romance)

Chapter 14

As the wedding preparations took place, rumors began to sweep through the scattered remnants of pirate circles like wildfire— one of the dual invitations Lord Beckett surreptitiously had created bearing the name "Anna Cortez" surfaced during the pirates' quest to find weaknesses in Lord Cutler Beckett's empire. The invitation, ornate and elegant bearing Lord Beckett's signature style, circulated amongst the pirate factions.

The atmosphere of the tavern become thick with tension and whispered conspiracies as the news of the wedding invitation circulated among the group.

Jack Sparrow, lounging nearby, observed the growing tension with his usual intrigue. "A wedding invitation under a pirate's name? It seems our dear Beckett's weaving a tale full of curious turns."

Captain Barbossa squinted at the invitation, his bushy eyebrows furrowing in suspicion. "Anna Cortez? Last I recall, she be sailin' in our ranks. What business does she have going with ol' Cutler?"

Gibbs took the luxurious invitation in his hands. "Anna? Ain't that the Spanish lass who's been sailing with us? What's she doing with Lord Beckett? And is this wedding invitation even real, or some sort of crafty ploy?"

Jack, with a glint of mischief in his eye, remarked, "Aye, a wedding—perhaps a little celebration before another hangin'."

Elizabeth Swann stormed in, seizing the parchment. "Anna Cortez is the woman who orchestrated the siege at Tortuga bringing the British to take control of our last and only controlled port! With advanced tactics like that, she must have been some kind of double agent in league with Beckett all along! This is no ordinary wedding. It's a trap, a taunt from Beckett," Elizabeth asserted, her fury palpable. "He's flaunting his triumph right in front of us, celebrating his victory over us all."

Captain Barbossa grunted in agreement, tracing his finger along the parchment. "Aye, he be dancin' with fate, showin' off his prize."

Gibbs exclaimed, "Why in blazes would a Spanish lass side with the English?"

Marty shook his head. "Who knows? Last I saw her was on the Pearl the day the Endeavour was destroyed. It seemed Beckett had met his end then. Or so we thought."

Elizabeth interpolated, "But he didn't perish. She must have rescued him. Maybe this is indeed a sincere wedding. Yet, in all our interactions with her, she never seemed aligned with him in any way."

She looked down at the invitation. The address—the familiar Governor's mansion—awakened fury within Elizabeth. Her mind whirled with strategies, knowing the mansion like the back of her hand. Memories of her thwarted wedding to Will surged painfully.

"A year ago, I was to wed there, until Beckett's meddling," Elizabeth reminisced with a tinge of regret. "He stopped my wedding; I'll put an end to his."

Their animosity surged, fueled by the recent raid that took Tortuga from the pirates—a betrayal they couldn't ignore.

"Now is our chance to strike the heart of the East India Trading Company," Elizabeth vowed, her resolve strengthened against Beckett. "We'll reach the Governor's mansion by veil of night. At dawn, we crash that wedding and end his reign."

Jack Sparrow interjected, "This is all yours, mate. Hijacking a wedding of such an influential person as Lord Cutler Beckett is sure to get us all captured and hung."

Elizabeth turned to Jack, determined. "I know my way around the mansion; I'll manage. I'll take a few of you to support me. Marty, Gibbs, you sail with me tonight. Tomorrow, we'll ensure that Beckett faces the consequences of his actions."

With that, the Black Pearl set sail in the dark of the night, charting a course toward the Governor's Mansion where an inevitable clash awaited the morning light.