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Post by ~~*Buffy Bloom*~~ on May 1, 2007 22:08:34 GMT
Henry stood up, just as shocked as the woman before him. He opened his mouth, but no words would emerge. His eyes glistened, apologetic and helpless. It had all happened so quickly, what was Evelyn doing here?
Evelyn gritted her teeth, she was searing with outrage. Tears began to form in her eyes, she couldn't stand it. She let out a quick breath. How dare he? She hadn't even noticed the ceremony that had taken place. She took a step forward, looking at him straight in the eye.
Henry lifted his head a little, what could he possibly say...?
Evelyn slapped him harshly across the face. She turned and walked out hurriedly, wanting to escape the nightmare she had just walked into, not caring that she has just caused a scene.
Henry turned his head back, the force of the strike had certainly hurt him, but not as much as he was hurting emotionally. He put a hand up to his face, which had already turned red with the impact. He scampered after her, crying out, "Evelyn, please!"
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Post by ~Charlotte~ on May 1, 2007 22:13:34 GMT
Will's mouth opened in shock! The King gaped. The Duke of York gaped. The Duke of Monmouth cried aloud and the Queen gave a horrified gasp. Victoria stood up...she knew that look for it mirrored her own, only a few months before when a man had bundled her onto a ship. If only she had the courage to slap so hard! So this was Evelyn's first love...the one she had spoken of...
Brushing past Jack with a withering look of annoyance she jogged after the pair, not really knowing where Evelyn would go...
Will blinked rapidly...
"Who was that?" he asked aloud to the room.
"Henry Morgan...a pirate...a bloody good one too...did many things for England and now has been rewarded in the same way as you..." Charles spoke calmly, laying the sword down...then smiling he asked
"Do you think they knew each other?"
Will remained silent, looking at Jack for answers...
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Post by ~~*Buffy Bloom*~~ on May 1, 2007 22:21:42 GMT
Jack lifted his hands, "Hey don't look at me, I don't know! But something tells me they know eachother all right..." he turned his head and saw Victoria go after him, without even thinking about it, he followed suit.
Henry ran up behind Evelyn and grabbed her arms, "Evelyn please just listen to me! I swear I-"
"Get off me!" Evelyn screamed, throwing him off and causing him to crash against a table, the vase on top of it smashed to the ground. "Don't touch me!" she cried.
Henry approached her again, "Please, Evelyn I beg of you, I didn't know, I swear it...they only released me today! I was brought here under arrest, I was going to walk the gallows! It wouldn't have even crossed my mind that this would have happened, you have to understand!" he spoke quickly but firmly, he was in a terrible situation but he still kept his commanding manner.
Jack and Victoria were now behind them, they'd stopped dead still and were listening to the two argue.
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Post by ~Charlotte~ on May 1, 2007 22:24:42 GMT
Will had appeared behing the pair, watching curiously. The door to the privy chamber was closed...nobody else emerged.
Victoria whispered to Jack...
"I think he and she...they had relations...perhaps he was her first love..." she glanced at her own lover, her dark eyes brimming with worry. Will listened intently, and watched the woman he loved with sorrow...and the unrelenting ache of envy...another man...but no ordinary one. Her first. And it had been...or was Love.
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Post by ~~*Buffy Bloom*~~ on May 1, 2007 22:35:42 GMT
Tears began to roll down Evelyn's cheeks, she was completely broken. "No! No you have to understand you bl**dy b*stard!" she sniffed, pushing him away again, "Henry Morgan is dead! Yer no one! You...are a ghost." she said coldly.
There was a pause as Henry swallowed thickly, his own heart broken at the sight of her. He cared for her so deeply and couldn't bear for her to think of him like that. His voice was deep, "Evelyn...my love, I have been a dead man, I was rotting in that God forsaken cell, and only the thought of you kept me going. There was no way you could have known...I swear to you, I've been locked away all this time. I was only released today, honest to God I didn't know..." he slowly walked forward, and as she tried to push him away, to hit him, he held her tightly by the wrists.
Her lips began to tremble, she tried to hit him, but his grip was strong and she had no strength left in her to fight him. "All this time...I thought..." her voice quickered.
Henry loosened his grip and took her into his arms, "Shhh...I know..." he whispered. He'd breathed in, the sweetness of her smell, the warmth of her touch, the softness of her hair, how he had missed her....
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Post by ~Charlotte~ on May 1, 2007 22:41:13 GMT
Victoria put a hand on her heart and turned away from the scene. She came face to face with a transfixed Will, whom also looked on the verge of tears...though his eyes glared out with the cold green stare of jealousy...
Putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, the little Duchess spoke quietly...
"Come on Will...let's go..."
"No." He barely muttered it. He didn't move a muscle...
"Please...Will..." she pressed gently against him, urging him to move, glancing at Jack helplessly, pleading with him to spare his friend from this, "Let's go...we'll come back to make sure she's ok in a little bit..."
She gave his shoulder another squeeze and gently pushed him. He stepped back as though he weighed nothing...and then turned on his heel and marched away, practically running down the corridor, not towards his room, but towards one of the palace exits. Victoria bit her lip and turned back to Jack...
"Oh hell Jack...what do we do?" She glanced back at the re-united pair, then turned her dark gaze back to her own pirate...
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Post by ~~*Buffy Bloom*~~ on May 1, 2007 22:50:11 GMT
Jack gave out a sigh, he looked at her for an answer, then sighed again, "Oh bl**dy hell..." he took her hand and went after his friend.
Evelyn lifted her head to look at her once-husband-to-be, "It's really you..."
Henry wiped her tears and caressed her cheeks gently, he nodded, "And it's really you...look at you, you're still the beautiful young woman that stole my heart all those years ago."
Evelyn rubbed her nose and pulled away from his embrace, "I can't...Henry I can't do this, everything's changed..."
Henry gazed at her, then looked down. He nodded with acknowledgement, "Of course..." he said quietly. He lifted his head to look at her again, "I wouldn't have expected you to wait for a dead man..."
There was a silence. It was still there. Love. Everything was still the same, yet nothing would never be the same again...
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Post by ~Charlotte~ on May 1, 2007 22:59:26 GMT
Will had scurried out towards the park...hoping to clear his thoughts...half heading for the harbour...ready to head home or to save his Father...but he was leaving half of himself behind with her, and got no further than Charles' fantastic sun dial made of glass which shimmered in the light, each seperate bit tinkling in the wind. He looked up, and thought he saw that hideous priest stood before him. He blinked...nobody was there. He leaned against a nearby wall and breathed deeply...too many questions buzzing around his head like a swarm of sharp tailed wasps, each one piercing his heart. He wiped his eyes and looked up.
At the top of some stone steps, Jack and Victoria stood regarding their friend. Victoria's cream petticoats were dusty from the run, her hair coming loose from it's clips. She reached up and began to take them out, letting her hair loose in the slight breeze, sighing deeply the whole time...
"It's such a shame...for he loves her so...and she...well I think she has so much love to give, and yet needs loving so dearly...someone like Will could care for her..." she spoke half to herself and half to Jack, removing the last clip she added, "well...not that she needs anyone to care for her. She can look after herself..."
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Post by ~~*Buffy Bloom*~~ on May 1, 2007 23:07:02 GMT
Jack smiled a little, "I know what you mean, Victoria..." He looked at Will, "And Will...he's a good lad, a real good lad..."
"Rory? Rory Doran...?" Henry asked quietly. He remembered the dark and handsome Irishman.
She explained it all to him, quite briefly, she just wanted to go to her room, to get away from all this, even for a little while. "Henry...we'll talk later..." she almost leant in to kiss him, but decided against it and walked away.
Henry stood motionless for a moment, watching the very love of his life walk away.
As soon as everyone dispersed and fell into a trance of their own thoughts and troubles, the time seemed to pass by and the bright blue skies began to darken...
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Post by ~Charlotte~ on May 2, 2007 19:46:32 GMT
As the evening progressed, the twinkling stars came out to play, though a cool breeze nipped the air and chilled the night. This did not stop the festivities in the palace from taking place though...
Ribbons of royal red were strewn on the walls of the banqueting hall, the tables moved to the side of the room covered in food, seating areas arranged and a large central area put aside for dancing. Crystal and chandeliers twinkled in the light of thousands of candles...The King wandered about checking this and that, hope to make a merry evening with his courtiers and family. Something troubled him...partially the Lady O'Malley's reaction to Henry Morgan, and the guilt he felt for deceiving her...but another phantom worry plagued his mind...
~~
Meanwhile, in his chambers, Frederick de Bourbon dressed smartly. Reginald bit his nails, as troubled as the monarch in the grand hall...
"This is wrong..." he muttered. He received a dark glare from his companion.
"No. This is the way things are. Tonight shall be an excellent occasion for all...and perhaps I shall find myself a new lady..."
"But Amy...?" began Reginald, watching cautiously as his friend plucked a magnificent diamond choker from a box nearby...
"Amy is nothing. That woman is magnificent and was destined for me. I will have her...as a wife....or as a wh*re."
~~
Victoria was making final alterations to her dress of deep royal blue, tucking a peacock feather into her illustrious curls, half done up, some draping over her shoulders, and giving her cheeks a final pinch to make them pink. She was waiting for Evelyn...though she wondered if the girl would even show her face at all...
~~
In another part of the palace, Will stared at his smart appearance in a mirror. He looked like a real gentleman, though inside he felt as poor as a beggar...he hoped to get through this night with some dignity, and he had one more trick up his sleeve which made his heart flutter with a glimmer of hope...
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Post by ~~*Buffy Bloom*~~ on May 2, 2007 20:00:53 GMT
Evelyn was in the bathroom, tending to Rory's swollen knuckles after the hefty punch he'd given Henry. They'd had quite a brawl when Rory found out about the situation. She held a towel onto his hand, damp with ice cold water. "You shouldn't have done that Rory..."
He looked up at her, his dark eyes twinkling. He stayed silent for a while, but he couldn't bear it anymore, he had to ask her. It was burning him up inside, knowing the man she had given her hand in marriage to had returned. "Are you leavin' me, Evelyn...?"
Evelyn looked at him straight in the eye, "No. How could you even think that?" she replied instantly. It was true that this...complicated things, but Rory wasn't just some man she was having fun with, she was devoted to him.
Rory nodded slowly, "I just...y'know..." He stood up, taking the towel from her and holding it onto his hand himself, "You should start gettin' ready, love. I'll be with yer when I'm fixed up a little bit." He raised his eyebrows, indicating she should go, knowing that after what had happened, she had no intention of going to the ball.
With a heavy sigh, Evelyn complied, "Fine...fine, I'll go, but only to see you all dressed up..." she smiled and kissed him gently on the lips, "Love you..."
"You too...". He stroked her cheek and started to take his shirt off. Bow ties, fancy shirts, jackets...he would look like a complete tw*t.
Evelyn arrived at Victoria's door and knocked three times, "Victoria? It's Evelyn..." she waited, immediately regretting her decision to go to the ball.
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Post by ~Charlotte~ on May 2, 2007 20:11:38 GMT
Spinning around quickly, Victoria gave a small smile...
"Come in...I'll get your gown. Just strip down to your underwear..." And the Princess dashed off to get the gown, which some master tailor had altered to bring the red satin into a deep ruffle at the back...unusual and exotic like the lady who would wear it.
~~
In the ballroom, guests were beginning to float around...the Admiral Charles Laurence was shaking hands with the Duke of York, his commander and the King, laughing jovially with them. Louise was at his Majesty's side, back in favour, whilst Nelly and the little Queen sat quietly chattering about anything but the King and his mistress.
Catherine liked Nell for her honesty, and her love of Charles, and not the love of his wealth power or glory. Other courtiers milled around as dominant figures arrived with their servants and friends. Buckingham, Monmouth, Barbara and Shaftesbury had taken their places in a corner seating area, muttering darkly though intending to enjoy the festivities.
Soon the hall was vastly busy. Will and Jack stood in a corner, not saying very much, half enjoying the atmosphere, half sensing the tension that could be cut with a knife. They waved a little to Rory as he entered the room looking rather dashing in a half-tidy state. From his look, Will knew he was no longer and enemy with the emergence of this new man in Evelyn's life....he was now an ally in the war on Evelyn's heart that would take place this night. Or if not...well, Will thought it was better to keep your enemies close by...he also had an eye on the de Bourbon man.
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Post by ~~*Buffy Bloom*~~ on May 2, 2007 20:25:56 GMT
Evelyn took off all of her clothes and glanced behind her shoulder, "Maybe I shouldn't go tonight...I'm feelin' rather tired an' all..." She dropped her garments on the sofa and turned around to face Victoria.
~~
Rory took a glass of red wine from a passing servant and sipped at it, glancing around the room and seeing that Evelyn had not arrived. He looked uncomfortable, to say the least, but his casual manner was still present. He wandered over to Jack and Will, "Evenin' lads..."
Henry entered the room, his face a little battered from both beatings he had received earlier. He had tied his blonde hair back, and had a clean shave. He was wearing a navy blue jacket with gold buttons and embroidery, with a light cream pair of trousers and patent black boots. He looked refined, authoritative and respectable.
Rory straightened up a little, and narrowed his eyes at the man whom he had served, he had respected, even admired. All of that was lost now.
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Post by ~Charlotte~ on May 2, 2007 20:37:30 GMT
Will noted the Irish man's change in stance and glanced once again at Jack...
"Evening Rory..." he replied, then glancing at Henry Morgan he smirked and added, "Nice work..."
The Admiral waved Morgan over, shaking his hand, congratulating him on his achievement, Barbara and Rochester, whom had appeared out of nowhere were laughing in the corner as cards were dealt and money exchanged. Charles and Catherine, sat in their thrones, Monmouth and Nelly nearby, Louise at the King's shoulder, all chattering with apparent birghtness...the party had really begun...
~~
"Nonsense..." Victoria chided, "It's your party...and not showing your face wouldn't be very brave would it Captain?" Spinning her around, Victoria tied the petticoat around her slender waist, lacing it tight until it settled neatly on her hips. Then she wrapped the corset around her, tightly pulling at the silken cords to bind in Evelyn's frame, defining her curves even more. She pulled roughly but with speed and efficiency.
Once she had finished she began plucking at Evelyn's wild mane, taming it with a brush until it fell in glorious copper waves, which Victoria fixed with sharp little pins in place until it looked elegant, though still flowed loosely around her pale shoulders. She pushed the poor young woman towards her dressing table, applying a little powder and rouge to her face, then handed her ruby earrings to fix in place. She remained silent, waiting for Evelyn to finish the last touches herself. Once she had, Victoria span her around to face her and looked her up and down.
"Perfect. You shocked them as a pirate. Now stun them as a Lady, fit to be a Queen."
She stepped forward and gave her a little embrace, kissing her forehead lightly.
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Post by ~~*Buffy Bloom*~~ on May 2, 2007 20:45:50 GMT
Evelyn looked at herself in the mirror, then noted Victoria's comment, she looked at her with a delayed shock. "F*ck."
Lady Evelyn O'Malley. That sneaky b*stard! With the little reunion she had with Henry, she hadn't even registered it. She put her hand to her lips, "Sorry..." she muttered. She shook her head dismissively, "It's not been a great day..." she lifted her head to at herself again. In her reflection she saw...something quite different, but truly magnificent. She looked at Victoria again, "Thank you..." she managed a smile and sighed, "Brave, eh? I guess so..." she held her hand and squeezed it, "You've surprised me Princess..."
The hell with it. She might as well try to enjoy herself. And Victoria had certainly done some good work. She nodded her head toward the door, "Come on then sweetcheeks, I think we're fashionably late..."
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