Morning dawned bright and clear on the harbor town of Port Royale. The brilliant orange and scarlet rays of the rising sun painted the sea in fiery hues. The light reflecting off the ocean sparkled in the intense green eyes of a solitary man silhouetted against the sky as he stood on the docks gazing out to sea.
The young man wore the uniform or a Naval officer, and from the looks of it, one of some distinction, a Captain to be precise. His expression was serious and thoughtful. He was aware of the fact that his heart was beating more rapidly than usual as he allowed his thoughts to focus on the day ahead.
That afternoon held tremendous significance for him! He was to be promoted to the rank of commodore at an official ceremony. All the finest people in Port Royale would be in attendance, including the governor and his daughter. Elizabeth… she was the one that was to make this day truly exceptional!
His promotion to commodore was quite an achievement; in fact it was the culmination of all that he had worked for! In truth, the young man now had attained virtually everything he desired for himself, except for one thing… a marriage to a fine woman. That was where the governor's daughter fit into his plans. He was going to purpose to her that very afternoon after the ceremony.
He closed his eyes for a moment and let the image of the beautiful young woman fill his mind. Her glorious long hair, her beautiful brown eyes, her lips that could so easily melt a man's heart with a smile or torture him with just one frown… every detail of the lovely Elizabeth Swann was etched in his mind as clear as crystal! She was so exquisite! Oh how she'd changed since he'd first met her eight years ago on the crossing from England! He could remember the day of that first meeting so clearly…