Chapter Text
Through gritted teeth, her trembling lips muttered a single word: "Bastard."
At the port of Martinique, Narissa stared at the sea, still searching for black sails in the horizon. Her fists shook with anger. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to contain the tears that were threatening to flood. A single one rolled down her cheek and reached the corner of her mouth.
The Black Pearl was gone. And with it, the captain and his crew. She had woken up alone in the bed that she had shared with Jack the previous night. Thinking that she'd find him back on the ship, she left the inn and headed to the port, but instead she found a much different reality.
It wasn't a surprise that he left her; what actually surprised her was that she hadn't seen it coming. Jack was like that, his reputation was not unjustified; he never stuck to one woman and he had kept her around for way too long. But he finally did it. He abandoned her, and for the third time in her life, she found herself alone in a town she didn't know.
The knot in her throat and the pain in her chest were hard to ignore to think clearly for a second and figure out what to do next. First things first, she had to leave Martinique, go to Tortuga and maybe join a crew. From there, she could restart her life, again.
~●~○~●~
~ 10 years before ~
"What?" Narissa asked Ragetti, holding back a smile as he nervously held one of her books.
It had been a few weeks since Jack had accepted them in his crew and the captain, noticing her interest in reading, had acquired some books for her.
"Could you teach me to read, miss Narissa, please?" he asked once again. "Pintel tried to help once, but he just isn't patient enough." She couldn't say no to his begging eyes - well, eye -. Terry Ragetti was a smart man, he could learn to read easily if he wanted to, but Pintel was probably not the adequate person to help him.
"Why do you suddenly want to read?" she wondered, intrigued by his sudden interest, while standing up from the stairs that she was sitting on.
"It could come in handy one day, right?" She nodded in reply. "Why did you learn to read?"
"Uhm... I don't remember much. I was a kid when my mother taught me to read and write." Images of her mother holding a book in front of her at the dinner table flashed through her mind, and Narissa couldn't help but smile at the few memories she could grab onto. "Alright, I'll help you. Mother always said it's important to write letters. You never know when you'll need to write a letter."
~●~○~●~
Containing her tears, her hand trembled slightly as the quill reached the paper.
"Dear William & Lizzie,
I'm sorry I'm writing to you in such circumstances. I don't know why you didn't reply to any of my letters, I don't even know if you've read them, but you're the only people I can count on right now.
JS has left me at Martinique, I don't know why, he didn't say. He just left with the ship and I don't think he's coming back.
Mastinique
isn't too far from Port Royal. I'm begging you to come find me, I don't have enough money for transportation.
Maybe Governor Swann could manage to acquire a ship for you to come find me. He's a good man and I've never asked anything from him. Please, Lizzie, try to convince him to help. I won't set foot in Port Royal if he
doesn't want me to;
I just need passage to Tortuga, and then I'll start over again.
Please, help me. You're my only hope.
With love,
NB.
"
Another tear ran down her face and fell on the paper, blurring the ink of her signature at the bottom of the page.
In the solitude of the small room where Jack Sparrow had made love to her the previous night, Narissa finally allowed herself to cry. The tears burned on her skin, but not more than the ache in her heart. She had been stupid enough to believe in Jack Sparrow when he said he loved her, and even more stupid for letting herself fall in love with him. She tried to comprehend why he had abandoned her, and a thousand possible reasons crossed her mind. Maybe he never really forgave her for her part in the mutiny and this was his way of getting revenge, or maybe he simply played with her until he got tired of her. Every possibility hurt as much as the others and, as much as she tried, she couldn't contain the sobs.
It took her a while to calm down a little; she gave herself some time to collect her thoughts, taking deep breaths and focusing on the sound of the chirping birds and the rippling of waves which were coming from the open window. Once she had managed to find a steady breathing rhythm, she walked towards the basin near the door and washed her face, finding some relief in the refreshing cold water on her skin. Narissa looked for a second at her reflection on the small circular mirror and almost laughed at how pathetic she looked. Red-faced and red-eyed.
All this because of a man? Not her, not Narissa Barbossa. She had to forget Jack, no matter how hard it was, keep her head up high and keep walking as she always did. She would have time to bury herself in sorrow as soon as she found a solution. She had survived 10 years without him, she'd survive at least 10 more.
So, determined to find a way out of that town, Narissa left the room to send her letter to her friends in Port Royal. The thought of seeing William again finally brought a smile to her face and she began to imagine their reunion. He'd hug her tightly, the way he always did, making her feel like she was at home. And she'd cry tears of joy on his shoulder, hiding her face from him. Then, he'd pretend he didn't notice her crying because he knew she hated to be seen so vulnerable. That's what he always did.
Before exiting the inn, she stopped for a second to talk with the innkeeper. "How much money is it to stay for the night?" she asked, wondering if she could sleep there for at least two more nights with the little money she had left. Most of her belongings where at the Black Pearl.
The innkeeper looked at her, trying to remember in which room she was staying. "The man that arrived with you payed for a whole week before he left last night."
Narissa felt a wave of relief, but at the same time was angry that the bastard had shown one last kind gesture before abandoning her.
~●~○~●~
It had been a year since Narissa left Port Royal to explore the world and its wonders. One year of adventures, treasures, fights, alcohol, ups and dows. One year since she abandoned her second identity to become herself again.
After one year, she set foot on the town she had hoped she'd never see again. Only this time, her wrists were chained.
She had tried to escape from the redcoats in Martinique, but being caught off guard in an unknown town didn't play in her favor, so she had been inevitably arrested and thrown into a cell in the darkest and coldest spot bellow the deck of a navy ship.
She barely noticed the twisting sensation of her hungry stomach and the shackles around her wrists didn't feel so heavy because there was only one thing occupying her mind: Why didn't they come to find me?
Two redcoats urged her out of the cell and she was escorted off the ship and towards the town, where dozens of familiar eyes stared perplexed as "Miss Murphy" returned to Port Royal at gunpoint.
They arrived to the East Indian Trading Company's headquarters, a building that only rised two floors above the ground, but the closer she got to it, the bigger and more intimidating it seemed. Her stomach twisted with every step she took towards the two soldiers that guarded the front door. She was sure that, if her wrists hadn't been restrained by handcuffs and her arms weren't held firmly by two men, her hands would be shaking in fear.
They reached the front door and the man holding Narissa's right arm told the guards "We have the pirate Lord Beckett wants."
Narissa froze in place as she recognized that name: Cutler Beckett; Jack had told her about him a few times. The man held a high position in the EITC, he was Jack's employer more than a decade ago, before he owned the Black Pearl, and they didn't end their business in good terms. Beckett branded Jack as a pirate, leaving that nasty mark on his forearm that she knew hurt him so much, even after so many years. He didn't like talking about those times much, so she never asked about it, but he had explained enough for her to know that Lord Beckett was not to be understimated. He was powerful thanks to his position in the EITC and the nobility.
She had expected to be hung, so Narissa wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or afraid that Beckett wanted to see her. What would he need her for?
After being dragged through the big doors and up a staircase, Narissa and the men that escorted her ended up in front of a door. She became tense when one of the guards knocked on the door in front of her.
"Come in" said a man with a British accent from inside the room.
Narissa was yanked into Beckett's office. With wary eyes, she quickly inspected the vast room - a tall ceiling, big windows that faced the sea, a detailed mural of a world map on the wall to her left, a fancy burning fireplace... - but her attention was immediately caught by him.
"William!" The word came out desperately, but there was a taint of happiness in it.
The boy turned his head immediately, recognising her voice instantly. The small smile on his face didn't last long. What was she doing there? She shouldn't be there, handcuffed and on her way to meet the man who had destroyed what was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. She should be on the Pearl, enjoying the life she had desired for ten years.
He rushed towards her and Narissa noticed the nice dark blue suit that he was dressed in. They were both teary-eyed and unable to find anything to say, the combination of emotions in one single day was almost too much to handle.
It was Will who finally said something just before he was pushed away by one guard. "I missed you," his voice cracked as he contained the tears. And just like that, he managed to pull a genuine smile out of her. It was only a few seconds that they could spend together, as Will was pushed out of the door and she heard him yelling in the distance "What will you do to her?! What are you doing?!"
The door was closed and Narissa was left alone with Cutler Beckett and two soldiers in the office. She finally had the chance to take a look at man himself. He didn't seem that scary, just another Lord with his fancy clothes and his white wig.
Standing in front of his desk, he ordered the sodiers that guarded her "I don't think Miss Murphy will need those handcuffs." While she was released from her restraints, Lord Beckett added with a smirk "Or is it Miss Barbossa? Or... Mrs. Sparrow already?"
Narissa was tired, hungry and furious, especially after being separated from Will, so she really didn't have the patience to stand the mockery.
"Lord Beckett," she started, taking a few steps towards him while looking him up and down and rubbing her sore wrists. "You're shorter than I expected."
His clever smirk was replaced by a frown and Narissa almost laughed at the reaction. Showing hints of her fear and anxiety would play against her, so Narissa chose to show confidence by messing with the fact that he only stood a couple inches below her.
Cutler Beckett had heard things about Narissa Barbossa; her name was spoken about all around the world during the last year. Towns and ports flooded with rumours about her long history with Jack Sparrow, about her skill handling two swords, even legends about her summoning a hurricane. He didn't know which rumours were true, but he wouldn't risk not believing them.
Beckett turned around and walked to his desk while he spoke. "You're reputation precedes you, Miss Barbossa, I've heard many things about you. And honestly, it's admirable how you hid under the Navy's nose in this town for 10 years without raising suspicion." He opened a drawer and grabbed a couple of paper sheets that he placed on the table. "But it's funny. In the end, your affection for mister Turner is what got you caught."
Narissa was petrified. She recognized her signature on those papers. Those were the letters she had sent to her friends, letters which she had poured her heart and soul into. Had William given them to Beckett? Was that the reason why he was in his office? No, no way. He would never do something like that to her. But he had acquired the letters somehow, and he had read them, and now he knew things he could use against her.
"It's fascinating the amount of information you can find when you know the right people and have enough money." Beckett said while walking back towards her. "Tell me, why were you all alone in Martinique when we found you?" She didn't reply, she only gulped. "Oh, did dear Jack abandon you like a dog? We shouldn't be surprised."
It didn't go unnoticed by him how Narissa took a deep breath through her nose to calm herself down at the mention of Jack. "What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Why do you assume I want something from you?" Lord Beckett said while pouring some rum into a fancy-looking glass, his eyes still scrutinizing her every gesture and reaction, studying her body language intently.
"If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead already," she answered while taking the glass and gulping its content quickly. She was thirsty after spending days in that cell at sea. "You wouldn't bother taking me to your office to talk to me if you didn't need anything."
"You're right. The East Indian Trading Company is in need of some information you can provide to us," he admitted.
Narissa didn't like this conversation at all, she didn't want to negotiate with this man or help the East Indian Trading Company in their hunt for power and territories.
"If you want me to help you somehow, it's going to cost you more than a couple coins."
"I am well aware that everyone has a price, Miss Barbossa. Your friend, Mister Turner, already agreed to grant us his services to ensure his and his fiancée's safety." Her heart jumped at the word fiancée, and the tiniest smile escaped her lips. "I know this is not about money. That's why I am offering you something far more valuable than riches." She raised an eyebrow at this, her curiosity growing with every word of his. "Your freedom."
Narissa let out a short laugh and shook her head. "You can't bargain with that, mate. I'm already free." Beckett furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what her words meant. "You already let me out of my cell and released me from my shackles. You did all the hard work for me. Now all I need to do is climb out of that window behind you that you conveniently left open and I'll be free again." She smiled proudly, convinced that once she was out of the building she'd be able to hide in Port Royal and never be found. She knew this town like the palm of her hand.
Lord Beckett chuckled dryly. "Freedom..." he muttered with a mocking tone as he walked back to his desk. "One thing I've always wondered about your kind is: how can you claim you're free if you're always running away from someone?" He opened a small wooden box with the EITC logo engraved on its lid and took a document inside a leather cover. "This is a full pardon. No more running away, no more hiding from the Navy or the East Indian Trading Company. I intend to give you the liberty to sail the King's waters as you wish, you only need my signature and seal."
Now Beckett had a strong grip on her attention. It sounded tempting, too good to be true.
"What information exactly is worth such price?" she asked curiously and the Lord smirked. She was interested, she had taken the bait.
"About the Pirate Lords," he replied and her hand twitched as she almost absent-mindedly reached for the anchor shaped pendant that hanged from her neck, but she was quick to stop herself. "Who are they? What's their purpose? Where do they meet?"
Narissa knew this information. Of course she knew. Jack and herself were two of the Pirate Lords, and she had met the other seven pirates over the course of the years she had sailed with her father. She knew where they gathered, she'd been at Shipwreck Cove a couple of times. As for their purpose, she didn't know the details, but she knew that the Pirate Lords had the capacity to free Calypso from her human form, although she didn't know how it was done.
This was something Narissa would never tell Beckett. She had promised Calypso herself to free her when the time was right in exchange of bringing her father back. Giving this information away would compromise her deal with the sea goddess and her chance to have a father again and forgive herself for aiding to kill him. That was worth more than the freedom that Beckett was offering her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied, choosing to keep this information to herself. She'd accept the prison or the gallows, she could find a way to escape.
"You don't?" he asked, unamused, walking to the fireplace at the other end of the office. "Allow me to doubt it. Maybe you'll need some help to remember." He looked at the two guards by the door and, after a nod of his head, they quickly ran towards Narissa, grabbed her by her shoulders and forced her down on her knees. She resisted as much as she could, but they had a lock on her and she was unable to move her arms.
In that moment, Narissa expected to receive a beating to spit out the information. She repeated "I really don't know what you're talking about. I have no idea about the Pirate Lords, didn't even know they exist."
Lord Beckett grabbed a branding iron from the fireplace, with a red hot letter P at the end. "Consider this a punishment for your crimes, as well as a way to help you remember the information I need."