otruaighe:

        The stones crunched
underfoot as James approached the Governor’s house, part of him
wanted to stay away… the wound.. the humiliation was still fresh in
his mind and heart.

But he only had one day
before he left to pursue Jack Sparrow and there were questions that
needed to be asked—whether or not James would want to hear the
answers was another matter entirely.

He prayed he did not
see Elizabeth there, nor Turner and that thought alone caused him to
stop in his path.

What was he doing? He
had an expedition to plan and a notorious pirate to capture he should
be back in his office pouring over maps instead of standing stone
still in the cooling evening air on the path to the Swann
residence torn between personal matters of the heart and his duty.

Weatherby had always
been good to him and James did not think he’d purposely set him up
for humiliation by the hands of his daughter.

Just the thought of her
was like a blade to the heart—an almost physical pain that caused
him to tense and clench his jaw so hard his teeth hurt.

No.. he needed
answers..and he needed them before he left.

He forced himself to
move, a controlled pace as he strode up to the door and knocked,
waiting to be received by a member of staff.

“I’m here to speak to
Governor Swann.” James said, and then added as a polite
afterthought. “If he is available to speak to me.”

@oceanfoamed // james norrington for weatherby swann

Against all the odds in the wake of such scandalous affairs, matters in the Swann household had managed to return themselves to something resembling normalcy. In spite of Elizabeth’s adventures with pirates and her decision to marry a blacksmith over a celebrated commodore, the staff seemed content to keep rumors from spreading beyond the home itself with little prompting from Weatherby. 

Thankfully with the sheer fantastical nature of matters and the way of sailors and their sea tales, there tended to be a great deal more to focus on than the governor’s daughter and her peculiar taste in men. While Weatherby held nothing against young Turner, he would be lying to claim that he particularly trusted the boy or truly believed him the right choice. 

However, it was as beyond him now to deny Elizabeth what she truly desired as it had been when he had pointed out to her that a good decision made for the wrong reasons – could still be wrong. Though it had ultimately been the end of his hopes for Elizabeth and James – if nothing else it also assured that the two would not end up miserable in their marriages, which was not a fate he desired toward those he disliked, let alone two of the most important elements of his life. 

Indeed, Weatherby’s high opinion of James had not been altered by these events in the slightest – if anything his esteem had only grown. So when the man himself came calling, the maid who answered was quick to invite him in and have him wait in the hall while the head of the house was informed he had a visitor and the study was made up to receive them – for there was no doubt that this visitor would be welcomed, despite the governor turning away most visitors of late in favor of focusing on arranging his daughter’s wedding. 

Sure enough, Weatherby had been delighted enough to abandon his project with the event coordinators ( leaving them to do work in peace for a time ) in order to make his way to the study and greet James warmly. As soon as he saw the young man, it was difficult not to feel regret once again that things simply hadn’t worked out in his favor, but it was no matter. Weatherby smiled and welcomed James as he would a son, regardless. 

“It’s been some time since you’ve been by,” He observed, after initial pleasantries had been exchanged. Of course, he understood why, so he did not press that and simply inquired, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”