Disclaimer: All characters from Pirates are owned by Disney and all those people. I just "own" Sarah….and maybe a few others.

AN: So this is my second fanfic. Please read and review since I absolutely LOVE PotC! Thanks!!!!

Prologue

July 19th

Sarah Caelan Hornwell awoke to the sounds of her parents arguing down the hallway. What is it this time, she mused angrily. At least once a week now, with her father working all the time down at the ship yard, her parents would argue loud enough to wake her up. As she opened her door and began to walk down the hallway to ask them to be quiet, she realized this was no ordinary argument.

"But Patrick, why do they want you to go now? With you not here the suitors for Sarah will become even worse," Lady Catherine Hornwell pleaded with her husband, who was a General in the British Royal Navy. Oh no, not another argument about THIS, Sarah thought with disgust. Ever since she turned 18 two years ago, her mother had been trying to marry her off to any eligible man with a title and some money, but no amount of pleading could make Sarah go against her own convictions. Although this could be considered stubborn, her father didn't help any by catering to her every need.

"Catherine, why must you always bring up Sarah and what you see as her need to marry? She's a happy young woman and I don't want her marrying a louse YOU choose just because he has money and a title! And that's not the point I was getting at," General Hornwell articulated, pushing the subject away from Sarah's pickiness with men. "Well what is your point darling?" Catherine questioned.

"What's going on?" whispered a voice behind Sarah. "Mother and Father are arguing again about me," Sarah answered to her inquisitive little brother Eric. "Wish they'd stop so I can sleep," he responded, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Sarah just smiled and turned back towards the door to spy some more.

"My point, dear, is that we will all be going. I can't afford to leave my family here. I'd miss everyone too much," the General cooed. But he didn't get the reaction he expected as two very unhappy children of his burst through the door into his study. "WHAT?!?!?!" exclaimed Sarah and Eric, surprising both of their parents with the ferocity that they burst through with.

"What is going on in here?" Margaret, Sarah's younger sister announced as she entered the room. "I was having an amazing dream about ballroom dancing with a prince!"

"You and your silly dreams Maggie! Why can't you wake up and smell reality once in a while!" quipped Sarah, who was now even more annoyed with her sister. Being annoyed with Maggie was now a daily occurrence for Sarah. Because of Maggie's up and coming proclamation and announcement to society, that's all she could think about and Sarah was not one for formality...or being paraded around either.

"Well, now that the whole family is here..." the General joked with a scowl on his face.

"Father, what is going on?" Sarah questioned, not one for beating around the bush on important matters.

"Well, I've been asked to go to Port Royal in the Caribbean and review not only the commanding officer's technique but also how well all of the officers have been trained. There's also a few other reasons that I've been asked to go, but those are for me to know. Now, before any of you start talking, let me say this. I want my family to come with me because I will be gone for a long time. They're saying two years at the least because of all the problems the fort there has experienced in the past six months. I have to get these gentlemen there up to par and I want my family there to support me. And not to mention that it's the Caribbean. I've heard it's extremely beautiful there all the time," the General explained in a calm, soothing tone.

For several minutes the three children were silent. "Father, will we have to leave everything behind?" Eric pleaded with his blue puppy dog eyes. The General laughed. "No son, we won't. There are some things we will have to but your toys can come with you." "Good. I would miss my toys a lot," Eric said with a big smile.

"How long will we be at sea?" Sarah asked, again going straight to the question that she was dying to find the answer to. Ever since Sarah was little, she always longed to be at sea. The ocean was the most soothing thing in the world to her, one that she wished she saw more. She always felt at peace with everything when she was at their family's cottage on the coast. "The average trip there is about three months, munchkin," her father answered with a wink, knowing the real reason for the question.

"Three months? That's an awful long time. And an awful lot of clothing. And what about all the unkempt and unruly men on the ship, Patrick? What about our children's safety at night, especially Sarah and Margaret's purity?" Lady Catherine probed with a look of horror on her face at the thought of having to deal with dirty ship hands for three months.

"Catherine, they aren't slobs. They are men of the British Royal Navy and they will behave themselves or deal with me. Look, I know this is a big change for everyone, but I know it will be the experience of a lifetime...for all of us," the General said with a smile as he looked in Sarah's direction. "Just go back to bed, all of you. We still have a lot to talk about, which we can do in the morning."

"Good night, Papa," Sarah cooed as she kissed her father on the cheek. As she fell asleep that night grinning from ear to ear, not even the sound of her sister crying in her room next door or her parents still arguing down the hall could destroy the happiness and peace within her. All she could think about was the spray of the sea, the wind whipping through her hair, and everything that the voyage would entail. A real ship on the sea. I could get used to this.