Chapter 14

"The sun's up, let's make way!" said Will Turner, more anxious than ever to pursue the pirates that invaded Port Royal the night before.

"Wait! Let me see that medallion." ordered Governor Swann.

Will reluctantly handed it to him and watched as he turned it over in his hands.

"Where did she get this?" Norrington asked, worriedly.

"I don't know" Will replied anxiously "I found it in her bureau drawer." he looked away from the governor, unable to hold his gaze.

"I think I know" Weatherby Swann replied as he walked over to the open window and looked out to sea.

"Governor?" Norrington questioned, Will shifted nervously.

"I thought she was safe enough when I sent her to care for young Mr Turner, but I guess he must have gotten to her without me realizing. I tried to protect her as best as I could! That medallion was a warning for me and I failed to heed it! Oh Elizabeth, please forgive me!" the governor collapses into a chair, shaking his head, still holding the medallion in his grasp. "What if he hurt her? Oh what if he..."

"Married her." Norrington spoke up.

"What?" both Will and the Governor reply.

The admiral holds up a certificate, Weatherby and Will both hurry over and begin to read.

"A marriage certificate. Jack Sparrow? Why, this is dated 8 years ago, on Elizabeth's 18th birthday. I don't understand." the governor said, shaking his head in confusion.

"Perhaps, it's hiding place might shed some light on things, governor" Norrington said as he handed Weatherby a copy of a book he had found laying in the same drawer as the medallion. He takes it and looks at the title "The Odyssey" by Homer. Opening the book he finds one particular page with it's corner folded down and as he begins to read the passage, he recognizes it as the story Odysseus returning to his beloved wife, Penelope after many long years of her waiting for his return. He recalls the story from when he was young and remembers that Penelope put off making a decision of which suitor to marry by weaving a buriel cloth for Odysseus' father, saying that she'd have a decision when she completes cloth. Unbeknownst to them was that each night she'd unravel a portion of the cloth and start again the following evening, thus putting off her decision as long as possible, in hopes that her husband would return. Thinking back, he realizes that this is exactly what Elizabeth had been doing for the past 8 years. Often times he had encouraged her to choose a suitor, but she always side-stepped the decision and steered things off course. The governor had marked it down to immaturity, but now he knew the truth. Turning to the inside front cover he saw this simple inscription:

Dearest Elizabeth,

I shall return for you, darling.

Forever yours,

Jack

"They loved each other" he said with resolve. "This marriage was a choice, not a condition."

"What do you mean?" said Will, not fully realizing what the governor was trying to say.

"It all happened many years ago, I was young and foolish and very much in love. I was captain of a ship of the fleet from the East India Trading Company. It was during a passage to Ireland when I first spotted her swimming off the starboard bow. She was beautiful, and she had the voice of an angel, I just couldn't resist. She was...a mermaid, and her beauty called to me like nothing before ever had.

"Captain Swann!" the young sailer cried out. "It's a mermaid! She appears to be caught on our tow lines, what should we do?"

"Bring her onboard...GENTLY. We musn't harm her in any way" the captain replied.

"But sir! Tis bad luck to even SEE one, if we bring her aboard we'll be wrecked for sure!" the young sailer pleaded, the others standing behind him in silent support.

"Do as I command, sailor, lest this voyage will be your last with or without a mermaid on board, is that understood?"

Looking at the captain as if he's mad, the young seaman reluctantly agrees. "Aye, Captain. Haul her aboard!"

The captain watched anxiously as she was brought up and over the edge of the railing, her tail thrashing in resistance.

Once on deck she looked about at her surroundings, terrified, quite literally a fish out of water. Her eyes flashed wildly and she tried to wiggle her way overboard but she was wrapped too tightly in the rope. Weatherby slowly approached her and was instantly captivated by her beauty. Her hair was long and blonde, her breasts concealed by two half seashells the colour of coral and around her neck she wore a beautiful gold pendant with an oval shaped, green stone. The captain knew about mermaids, was quite familiar with their legends, and was well aware that in order to keep this creature as his own, he must steal and hide an object of hers that represents her magic. Eyeing the pendant around her graceful neck, he knows he has found what he seeks and quickly tugs it off of her neck, breaking the chain easily and causing her to cry out in fear and shock. He decided the only way to hide this object from her so that neither she nor anyone else would ever find it, would be to toss it over the ships side and into the depths of the sea. She cries as she see's him walk away with her necklace, and it just about breaks his heart. He can see this item is far more precious to her than merely a magical object that will cause her to forget her past once it is hidden from her, and for one brief moment he reconsiders. He continues to hold the necklace, dangling it over the edge while watching her reach for it as a trail of tears stream down her face, eyes pleading with him for it's return. But before he comes to his decision, the ship crests an unexpectedly rough wave and the pendant falls overboard and into the depths below.

She screams.

He watches her, horrified at what he has done.

She lays down on the deck and surrenders herself to him, her tail slowly transforms into legs and scales turn into flawless, silk-like skin. She closes her eyes and falls into unconsiousness.

"We lived...3 years together as man and wife." The governor turns and faces Will. "She did grow to love me, you know. She gave me a single child and it was the best gift I could have ever received from her. I like to think that gift was her way of forgiving me, even if she couldn't recall her past." Tears began to form in his eyes but he quickly blinked them back.

"Elizabeth" Will whispered.

The governor nods then continues. "We were a happy family, I took good care of them both. Her name was Grace, I named her that because it described her perfectly. Both she and Elizabeth had the finest gowns, servants at their beck and call and as many gifts and trinkets as I could possibly shower on them. Grace was an excellent mother, doting upon Elizabeth, telling her stories and singing her songs, she had a wonderful childhood. Yes, Elizabeth was quite happy...but her mother...well...there were times when I think she did remember her past. I often caught her gazing out to the sea, lost in thought, of course she always had a smile for me and told me she was thinking about me and Elizabeth, but I could see something more, something that not even she was aware of.

It was a dull and dreary afternoon that I found her sitting at the window, once again gazing out over the horizon. She looked particularly lost that day and I thought perhaps a voyage aboard my ship might be the answer for her. She jumped at the chance and quickly began to pack hers and Elizabeth's things for the trip. Little did I know, I had sealed all of our fates.

The first few days out went smoothly. Elizabeth was only three at the time and was quite mesmorized by the rise and fall of the ocean's waves. Her mother encouraged this along by telling her tales of pirates, something I questioned the propriety of. But Grace was a strong, determined woman and she assured me that this was exactly the type of stimulation young Elizabeth needed. She was right, of course, Elizabeth thrived on the stories and songs, but I often wondered where Grace gained knowledge of them. Soon I would get my answer.

The fifth day into the voyage and the first signs of things beginning to go badly started to surface. This was supposed to be a short trip from England to Italy, but word got sent that we were to deliver our cargo further afield...to Singapore. I could have turned around, should have turned around and left Elizabeth and her mother back in England, but I didn't want to lose any more time than we already had. I had a fresh group of recruits onboard, but a few were well-seasoned and didn't take kindly to not getting their shoreleave as promised. So, a quick stop in Venice to stock our ship with more provisions and we were off again.

The night before we were due to arrive the men decided to celebrate, I being the captain, allowed it to take place when really I should have thought about who exactly was onboard. One of the older sailors, I believe you know him as Hector Barbossa, took quite a shine to Grace, often taking the time to speak to her and point out the constellations in the night sky. She told me she was quite fond of him and very much enjoyed his company and sharing of knowledge. During this evening however, he pushed things too far with her, cornered her in the galley of the ship and tried to...well...you can imagine what a drunken sailor has on his mind in the presence of a beautiful woman. I never trusted Barbossa alone with her, and made a point of telling Grace that if she insisted on having these conversations with him, she at least keep a blade handy. Once again, this was a poor decision on my part, for when she was cornered in the ship by Barbossa she did infact reach for the blade she had secured in her boots.

I don't know exactly what happened, but I heard a scream and when I arrived I found my darling Grace lying on the floor, her own knife plunged into her heart. Her dress, the very one I presented to Elizabeth yesterday morning, had been removed and tossed aside and she was left to bleed to death in only her shift. It was her favorite dress. I knelt down and tried to warm her shivering body, assuring her that she'd be fine, but I could see in her eyes that I was losing her. She spoke a single word, "Barbossa" then locked her gaze on me and smiled, closed her eyes and slipped away. It was the first time I had ever seen her truly at peace and my worst nightmare had come true.

I carried her back to our cabin and lay with her all night, Elizabeth slept quietly in her own bed in the corner, never knowing the true fate of her mother. Just before dawn I gathered some of the crew and arranged to have Grace wrapped in the finest silk that we had onboard. I wrapped her body myself and had the men carry her to the edge, then, I put her back to where I first found her...to where I should have left her. I surrendered her body to the sea."