Prologue

Elizabeth Swann was, to all who met her before she became involved with a certain pirate, the definition of propriety; a well-spoken, well-mannered governor's daughter who had never had a bad thought in all her life. At least thats who she appeared to be!

In reality, Elizabeth's mind was anything but proper as the little voice constantly present inside her head always seemed to remind her. It is that voice that acts as our impulses, our basic instincts, some would call it our heart's desire. And it was this voice that made her run to the edge of Port Royal from her governess when she was twelve, shouting curses she had overheard from sialors over her shoulder, the same one that caused her to spend many of the summer nights in her sixteenth year creeping out of her home for some very un-ladylike skinny dipping in a salt water lake on the otherside of town. This voice was the one that would constantly echo back to her during her three years she spent at sea; as a fiancee, a Captain, a King and above all, as a pirate.

"freedom lizzie" it would call out to her. "freedom."

She couldn't breathe. Her corset was so tight she could feel it crushing her ribs, squeezing all the air out. Then, black.

Elizabeth did not know how long she had been unconscious, all she knew was that the thing that choked the life out of her had been removed and she could breathe again. Or rather she took one gasp and promptly choked as sea water filled her lungs.
"Clearly you've never been to Singapore."
She heard the voice of her rescuer, an accent she could not place but obviously a man who did not stumble over words. And so she turned to face him, eyes widening as she saw the beads and trinkets adorning his hair, the red banadana, the kohl rimmed eyes. Jack Sparrow. He said something about the medallion around her neck but she was not listening. A pirate. Hard-drinking, hard-fighting, a serial woamniser his legend preceded him. Elizabeth had seen his name and face in several books she had read about piray in the Caribbean yet never dreamt of meeting him. Never wanted to either, after all why would a govrnrs daughter want to meet a pirate?

"not just a pirate, lizzie, your rescuer." The little voice reminded her.


"Pirate or not, this man saved my life."
What was she doing? James was right, he deserves to hang for his past crimes, even if not for this one.
He is a pirate after all.
saviour.
Scoundrel.
hero.

Before Elizabeth could debate the issue further she felt cold metal around her neck, the infamous Captain pulling her backwards, towards him. With a pistol pressed against her forehead she did as he instructed, putting his hat and belt back on while giving him a glare that could kill. But he only stared striaght back with his dark, unfathomable eyes, refusing to even blink it seemed, an action which only infuriated Elizabeth.

"entranced." The voice corrected.

He had pulled her closer still, his arms around her, the closest she had ever been to a man who wasn't her father and it was this abomination that was touching her. And his smell; he stank of rum and the sea and years of managing a ship through strength alone.
She despised him, how dare he threaten her and then suggest that they were even.She had been shaking the whole time, she had been that scared.

no lizzie, it wasn't fear you were shaking with was it? it was excitement.

"To Freedom!"
"To the Black Pearl..."

Elizabeth watched as Jack drank greedily from his bottle of rum, every gulp bringing him closer to the sand. Rolling her eyes she took a swig from her own bottle, removing the unconcious pirate's hand from her hair. Although she had been careful to drink very little, pouring most of it on the fire, Elizabeth suddenly becmae very aware of just how drunk she was. Dutch courage she assured herself, of course she had not enjoyed dancing around the fire with him, singing with him, drinking with him.

liar.

And now he was out cold, just as she had planned.
"Sorry Jack" Elizabeth said, looking over her shoulder at the Captain as she took the bottle from his hand. He really did look a mess she concluded, with his bandana was wonky, his kohl smudged and his shirt hanging off him, showing his chest and accompanying scars. His tanned, strong chest... Elizabeth shook her head to clear her rum-soaked thoughts of Jack from her mind and unsteadily started to walk back towards the rum cache.
She only hated pirates.
But she abhored Jack Sparrow.

adored. adore lizzie.