Will and Elizabeth found themselves alone on the cliff overlooking the sea after two days full of life-threatening adventure, newly aware of their affection for one another. Elizabeth had never kissed anyone in her life the way she kissed Will that evening. He looked especially dashing in the light of the setting sun. Her father having disappeared into town to find the Commodore, all her attention and thoughts were focused on the person she gazed at so lovingly. When she was about nine, she had thought she found true love with a boy who claimed to have met a pirate. The youngster was aspiring to be one himself at the time, and she fell for him. Little Christopher had no care for girls, though, and disappeared shortly after Elizabeth had planted a kiss on his cheek. Recently, he had emerged to be a successful businessman in England, unmarried and content. This man standing before her, though, was exactly what she needed; and she was finding that all she truly wanted was just what she needed anyway. His deep brown eyes glistened now as he spoke to her, and they themselves spoke words that the mouth knows not how to say. These words, both those from his mouth and his soul, were like cleansing water to her, and she drank them in as such.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her softly. He loved her with all his heart, and he hoped just as much that she felt the same way about him; but the situation seemed too good to be true. She was the kind of woman he had always dreamed of courting, but also one he thought did not exist beyond his imagination. He was not lying when he said he would die for her, and he wanted nothing more than to be with her. Her wishes, though, commanded his actions for now. He did not want to pursue a relationship with her if she was not 100 interested in pursuing one with him.
"Yes," she replied. "What reason would I have to want anything else?"
"You could marry the Commodore," Will answered. "You have already promised him that much and broken his heart by turning back on it." He worried slightly that Elizabeth did not understand the volume of the circumstances; but he came to understand as she explained herself.
"The Commodore? He's a fine man, I suppose, but he has a bit of an ego. Besides, he's a military man. If I married him, I don't think I could be happy. He'd always be away from home, I'd be expected to be involved in politics and such, and my life would be so controlled! All eyes would be on us, and where's the fun in a relationship like that? No strolls through the park, no running across the beach, no midnight excursions to the lake…"
"But you'd be wealthy and respected –"
"Rich! I'd be rich and esteemed. I'd have money, sure, but not the wealth of a husband I love with all my heart; and I certainly wouldn't respect myself for straying from my true desires. Besides, you came looking for me when Barbossa kidnapped me! Commodore Norrington, not the wiser of you two, stayed behind and waited for somebody to find me! You put your trust in a complete stranger and followed your heart to me; you deserve to have the one you love reciprocate your passion. That I would be more than honored to do for you; I only ask one thing of you."
"Anything."
"Would you accept my love? No matter what happens, I will care for no one more than you!"
Will's heart skipped a beat, trapping his voice in his throat for a moment. "Yes," he whispered. "I love you, Elizabeth." He could not say it enough. "I have nothing to offer you. I don't make much and my home is small, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"
Elizabeth smiled, noting that she had never known a greater happiness than that which she felt at the time. She wanted to say yes, but one thing kept her from it. All of a sudden, she wanted desperately to be young again; to run down the hill to the edge of the ocean and watch the tide come in. "I'll bet my hand in marriage that you can't catch me before I reach the water!" she announced playfully, taking off running.
Sure enough, Will followed suit, grinning, "I'll bet as much that I can!" He shot down the hill after her, laughing along with her like they did not long after they first met. His heart tumbled as he caught her in his arms, nearly knocking her over. When they regained their balance, he turned her around in his grip so their faces were nearly touching. "I take that as a yes," he hypothesized.
Life could not have been more perfect for Elizabeth Swann. Soon she would be Elizabeth Turner, married to the most amazing man on the planet. As the enormity of the imminent change washed over her, she choked up and tears of joy slowly traced her cheeks. "Yes," she managed. He pulled her into a strong embrace, silently thanking her for her consent and calming her tears. For a long time, they remained on the beach, holding one another as if they would never meet again; yet knowing and reveling in the fact that from that day forth, they could never truly be apart.