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Spoiler; ?!?!???!!!

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

Chapter 39

"I have a premonition that I will not be getting that ring back", a calm voice resounded in the room.

Elizabeth and Jack broke their kiss, and looked at the owner of the voice. Poseidon smiled faintly. Elizabeth slid her hand under the blanket, hoping that Poseidon has not noticed the ring.

"I hope you're alright miss", he said, approaching them slowly. He had his hands intertwined behind him, and he had no trident. Although he was obligated to carry the trident with him at all times, he had decided to brake that rule, and make an exception, due the unique circumstances.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but Jack beat her to it:

"As alright as a person who has been stabbed with a trident might be", he said matter-of-factly, with a slight sneer.

"Jack!", Elizabeth hissed under her breath, squeezing his hand warningly. She did not think that it was the best time for being arrogant just yet.

To her surprise (and relief) the god of the sea did not seem to mind. He just arched his eyebrows at Jack, and then looked again at Elizabeth.

"I am being hot-tempered lately with all those troubles", he said with slight annoyance in his voice. "And I'm overtired. And I'm trying to keep my balance, but your-", he waved his hand at Jack.

"Fiance", offered Elizabeth, looking at Jack smilingly.

"Fiance", picked up Poseidon with a nod, "threw me off balance by...", he hesitated, "by...", he knitted his eyebrows, "by whatever he had done", he said at last with a sigh. "I can't remember. I'm exhausted."

Jack and Elizabeth exchanged meaningful glances.

"Controlling the seas is a very demanding duty, I'm sure", stated Elizabeth diplomatically.

Jack chuckled. Elizabeth patted his hand impatiently.

"No, it's not", countered to their bewilderment Poseidon. "It's all those irritating troublemakers sailing the seas that cause problems. There should be no one at sea", he said after a pause in a thoughtful tone of voice. "Only the immensity of sea green, blue, silvery waters, the light of the sun, the rain, the wind, and the sound of the waves crashing against each other." He sighed. "But it's not possible", he observed astutely. "Unless everybody would die off", he added half-dreamily.

Jack cleared his throat, taking a quick look around. Elizabeth smiled nervously.

"I am not going to kill you", announced Poseidon impatiently. "I'm just sharing my thoughts with you."

"Oh", Jack and Elizabeth muttered simultaneously.

"I am sorry for what had happened", he said, looking at Elizabeth seriously.

"That's fine", reassured him Elizabeth, keeping in mind not to do or say anything that might throw him off balance again...

"What can I do to make up for it?", he asked unexpectedly, staring at her intently.

Elizabeth glanced at Jack in search of a hint.

"Maybe", continued Poseidon, seeing as they were rather puzzled, and at loss of ideas. "I will start by offering you and your crew some refreshment, and rest in the palace. There are bath quarters that you can use. It looks like you haven't had much luxury as of late", he added scrutinizing them both briefly.

Jack and Elizabeth automatically looked themselves over, and while Jack saw no significant difference between his current, and his usual appearance, Elizabeth noticed with some distress the appalling state of her skin, her hair, and her dress. She quickly counted the days that have passed since the day that she had run away from home... And she shuddered.

"That would be lovely", she accepted Poseidon's proposition enthusiastically.

Poseidon nodded, and called his seaweed-haired secretary, ordering him to go with Jack to get the rest of the crew from the Black Pearl. Asked by Jack about what has happened to Beckett, he waved his hand dismissively, muttering something about locking up, crocodiles, and being tired.

Nevertheless, Jack was rather reluctant to leave Elizabeth alone with Poseidon.

"If you can marry somebody who killed you, I can talk for a moment to somebody who almost killed me", whispered Elizabeth into his ear. "I'll be fine." She smiled, and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

"Just don't give him the ring", whispered Jack, having no time for a further explanation right then.

Elizabeth nodded, and smiled. "It's mine. I would have never given it away", she whispered.

Jack kissed her hand, and left the room in the company of the seaweed-haired secretary.

"Why is the black pearl so important?", asked Elizabeth as soon as the door had closed.

She was not going to give away her ring, or even mention that she had it, however, she wished to know something more about the story, the truth behind the legend. And since Jack was only a beginner in the art of truth-telling, she decided to gain some information from other sources.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes, and kept silent for a moment. "It depends what you mean by the word important", he said pensively.

"That it has some meaning", answered Elizabeth timidly. "Or power. Or both."

"Or neither", cut in Poseidon, with a quizzical half-smile.

"How come?", asked Elizabeth, quite intrigued.

Poseidon sighed, and stared blankly into the distance.

"My mother gave it to me. But she had never said why, or what for. I had kept the pearl in a separate room in this palace", he paused. "Until one day someone had stolen it."

"Why somebody would have stolen something with only sentimental value?", asked Elizabeth, sitting upright in the bed, and listening attentively.

"Because it was beautiful", replied Poseidon, looking at her smilingly.

"And you have never discovered who had done it?"

"Oh, I have", nodded Poseidon to Elizabeth surprise. "And you may be sure he had received his punishment."

Elizabeth said nothing.

"Accidentally, I had nothing to do with that punishment", said Poseidon, correctly anticipating Elizabeth's assumptions. "He had stolen the pearl for a woman, and that woman had died."

"That's cruel enough", whispered Elizabeth.

"Yes. And then the man turned into a monster. Misery turns people into monsters more quickly and skillfully than any magical spell", he added thoughtfully. "He had been cursed, and he lived his ghastly ghost-life, causing more misery to others that it had been ever caused to him. But now he is gone. He has been defeated quite recently, I heard", concluded Poseidon indifferently, in a shockingly light-hearted tone of voice.

Elizabeth wrinkled her forehead, thinking about the story for a moment, and then asked of the man's name, and was only partly surprise to learn that the name of that man was Harness. It explained quite well why Jack had found the black pearl on the Black Pearl.

She was so deep in thought confronting in her mind the feelings of dislike and compassion towards captain Harness that she failed to notice a gradually intensifying stare fixed on her.

For somebody living in the sea, surrounded permanently by the sea, and all the strange creatures in it, a sight of a beautiful woman was a rare one.

And here was a beautiful, distinguished, charming, brave, and impetuous girl, which reminded him of the sea.

The thought has never entered his mind before, but now it was very clear that it was fate that had brought that ship to his palace once again. He was startled and enchanted by the idea.

"I'd like to compensate you for that unfortunate incident", said Poseidon, breaking the silence.

His voice shook Elizabeth out of her thoughts. "Oh. That's alright. It would be enough if we and the crew just rest here for a while, as it has been already established... It is a beautiful place", she said with a smile.

"That's not good enough", replied Poseidon resolutely.

"No, it really is", countered Elizabeth politely with a forced smile.

She was still rather distrustful towards the god, and the only reason she did not want to leave immediately was the insurmountable temptation to finally wash herself, change to the fresh clothes, and look again more like a standard governor's daughter. She was sure that her father would appreciate that.

"You said it's beautiful in here", continued Poseidon. Elizabeth nodded smilingly. "It would be a perfect place for a wedding, don't you think?"

Elizabeth's eyes flew wide open. A wedding in the ocean!... What a splendid idea, indeed. A wedding in the god of the sea's crystal glass palace, or even better, perhaps on the deck of the Black Pearl?... Surrounded by those spectacular waterfalls!... A perfect pirate wedding – in the ocean. She smiled to herself. She certainly would love that! And she was certain that Jack would love that either. And apart from such a beautiful setting... the most important thing was that they could at last get married, and begin a new life. Now, with her father's consent... Everything seemed to be wonderfully simple. Elizabeth's imagination was glimmering with thoughts, and ideas. She found it difficult to shake off her dreams, but she made an effort to concentrate, and thank properly for such a marvellous offer.

"Thank you very much! It will be absolutely wonderful, indeed!", she exclaimed, happiness sparkling in her eyes.

"I'm glad to hear that", said Poseidon, very pleased with her reaction. "I do hope that becoming the goddess of the sea is a fair compensation for what had happened."

Elizabeth smiled, taking his words as a poetic compliment. "Thank you", she repeated. "Thank you on mine, and on Jack's behalf."

Poseidon raised his eyebrows. Elizabeth smiled, blinking. The silence fell.

Having the experience in all kinds of adventures, cursed treasures, chests, ghost-ships, dead people, dead-but-alive people, alive-but-dead people, alive EITC people, curses, legends, prophecies, betrayals, deceptions, half-truths, spells, and what not, Elizabeth was able to deduce for sure at least one thing at the moment:

Something is wrong.

"I am sure that you will be very happy here", he said with a smile.

Elizabeth stared at him, bewildered. What is he talking about?!

"It is the most beautiful place in the world", he added, heading for the door.

Elizabeth shuddered. He can't be serious.

"I will go now to arrange everything. It should not take too long. I will send somebody here to help with your preparations. I have a beautiful dress", he said with a melancholy in his voice. "It was my mother's. I will have it brought to you too."

Elizabeth was speechless. She stared at him in disbelief, shocked, and frozen to the spot.

She glared at the door for some time yet after he had left. She tried to understand what was going on. She refused to believe that what was going on was really going on.

But there was no time for astonishment.

"Bugger", gasped Elizabeth, throwing the blankets on the floor, and hectically jumping out of bed.