The room cleared and the Queen said goodnight to her daughter. The bath was drawn and Elizabeth stood from her bed and came over to the vanity. An oriental screen divided the area from the general room and afforded the Princess some much needed privacy. Elizabeth walked over to Jack, dressed as a nursemaid and turned with her back towards him, waiting for him to unfasten her corset. She held her hair up to reveal the base of her neck. Jack was noticeably uncomfortable and hesitant. "Well?" Elizabeth asked harshly. Jack began the cautious unwinding of her corset. He did not want to be here right now and that bothered him most of all. A beautiful, soon to be naked woman, and he wants to run away, what has the world come to? If this is what happens when you feel something more than a passing fancy for someone, then he wasn't sure he wanted any part of it.

"Oh, Nurse..?"

Jack muttered a "umm?" Finishing unlacing her corset and as his fingers grazed her soft skin he used all his strength not to give in, and winced as he backed his hands away. Elizabeth felt the looseness and raised her arms to have him remove the garment from her. Jack thought to himself, "Whatever I have done, whatever the sin, I am paying for it now…" the torture of a woman standing before him was one thing, but Elizabeth was a whole other story. He closed his eyes and held his breath for it to be over. Elizabeth thankfully left his grip as he helped the corset fall to the ground. She slipped behind the divider and Jack heard her step into the tub.

"Nurse, why is the enemy of princes the affairs of the heart?"

Jack was puzzled at her question, and listened intently.

"If God intended us to live without love and only in service to the people of England, then why give us a heart at all? I have yet to understand why the richest and most powerful princes in the world go devoid of that which is the richest gift of all."

Jack couldn't help himself, and in a high pitched voice asked, "And what would that be?"

"True Love." She paused, Jack wondered what or whom, she meant. "All my life I have longed to love completely, to feel so enraptured by someone that I would surrender my life to them without even a moments consideration. To lock those feelings away and pretend they don't exist but for what? Some manner of duty? Honor? Responsibility?" Jack closed his eyes and hearing every word she said, understood completely what she meant and felt the pain in her voice. " To never allow yourself to give in and let passion drive you and lead you where it will, to be completely vulnerable. To love whom you choose because you choose?! Where is the wealth in that?" Elizabeth began to speak with some anger in her voice and realized she was speaking to someone who couldn't hardly care less, she thought. " I don't suppose you even have the slightest understanding of what I am speaking of…"

"I think I do.." Jack said in his own voice softly.

"What was that?" Elizabeth heard something but couldn't distinguish the words.

Jack readjusted his voice, "Yes ma'am."

"Well then I am sorry for it." Elizabeth said as she climbed from the tub. She wrapped herself in her blue velvet robe, walked around the divider to the other side where Jack stood and he turned quickly to move into the shadows so as not to allow her to see his face. Elizabeth sat at her vanity staring into her mirror at herself. "A glass of water, nurse." She commanded. Jack went over to the pitcher and searched for the goblet. Elizabeth looked at herself and imagined Jack next to her, close to her, near enough to feel his breath on her neck and she began to imagine herself in a life without boundaries. She wandered into a daydream and lost herself in that moment. "Maybe it is that I love someone," she said softly, "maybe it is that I wish I knew if it was love at all? He has never said such a thing to me, If he had I would put him in the tower before he could mutter the last syllable. Would I though? Maybe it is that I long for him to say something, anything, that would confirm what his eyes have hinted and release me from this most retched of sins – to be forced into marriage to a man you don't love. To be trapped by the very thing that is supposed to give you the greatest joy of all. It is shear torture, to think on the possibility that I may never know. What else could it be I ask you? His pain, is my pain, his triumph, is my triumph. His every breath, every word, every movement is my most treasured possession. I hate his being so wonderful, and for making me want him, I hate him so for making me long to be free of this birthright and wishing myself to be just a woman." Elizabeth fought back emotion, and one tear strained down her face. Jack moved closer to her with every word she uttered. "So I ask you, what else could it be other than that I love him?" Her voice was so strained and it was as if her heart was bursting right through her chest.

Jack had never seen her like this. She was always the stoic pillar of strength among the silly courtiers she ruled. No emotion, only vanity and rarely mercy, no great confirmation of her humanity, especially when it came to love. For the brief seconds they were forced into each other's arms, he saw her as she wanted to be seen, but he had dismissed it to a fleeting moment destined to live in his memory and haunt him for his lack of spontaneity. No, she was real, the thought, the woman he had always wished she was, there was an innocence within her, she was there.

Elizabeth, catching herself in this state, remembered the nurse in the room, and stood quickly to her feet keeping her back to the woman and brushing the tear from her face motioned with her hand for the goblet of water.

Jack, too, remembered himself and was startled back into reality by her request. He walked slowly to her and placed the goblet in her hand. He could stand it no more and untied the bonnet from his head to reveal his face. He began to speak, "Eliz.." The tower bell tolled twelve, and the door opened to reveal Bess with Elizabeth's nightdress. Jack moved quickly to secure his disguise.

"Good night, Nurse." Commanded Lady Bess, who took the liberty of dismissing the servant and shooing her – eh – him, out of the room.

As he walked out, he looked back at Elizabeth one last time and smiled to himself, victorious and excited. She loved him.

Jack spent many days in the company of his good friend, Bill Turner, and as the grandson of the esteemed former head of the British Navy, and naval officer himself, Jack was enchanted by the lure of the sea. He has been reading his grandfather's logs since he could speak and knew that one day he too, would be a great explorer. He found great solace in the vision of the sea, and through many sunsets passed his cares – and feelings – away in it. On this bright, beautiful morning and as the sun rose higher in the sky, the dock hustled and bustled with deck hands scurrying about, loading cargo, laughing and preparing the merchant ships for the long trek across the sea. One ship in particular, The Merry Widow, was having it's mainsails repaired for its voyage to the Caribbean in eight weeks. Its first mate barked orders with haste at the crew of young men. "The main sail, main sail…" he sighed loudly.

"Trouble abounds, Mr. Turner?" Jack asked. Bill Turner turned around to greet his friend.

"Ahh, it's the pride of the royal navy, then?" Bill said, shaking Jack's hand. "And none too soon, would you help me with the tack line there?" They began their work together and discussing the events of the night errant. Jack loved the smell of damp rope and hot tar atop a wooden deck, he noted to himself. He felt some kinship to the sea, although he dismissed much of it to childish dreams and embellished stories. There was something off this morning though, as Bill noticed, Jack was not his usual sarcastic self. He was relatively quiet and his discontent showed. "How did she take the news?" asked Bill.

Jack was quizzical, how did he know about Elizabeth? He was sure he didn't mention that part of the story to Bill. "Who?" Jack said somewhat surprised as if he had no idea who Bill could be speaking of.

"Your mother?" Bill replied with an emphasis as though to say who else could it be?.

Jack fastened the tack line, pulling it tight. Not immediately answering Bill. "And when will we have the pleasure of welcoming to the world the new young master Turner?" Jack asked. Continuing his work on the ropes of the ship. Bill along side working as well.

"August, while we are at sea, my wife tells me. Maybe he'd come a month early, Jane feels, but that'd be all. Besides, should be back December time, this should only be a 7 month trip. Means too you'd be home before the year's out."

"Aye, 7 months at sea." Jack thought. 7 months is a long time. Not so bad though if all you would be doing is fancying the Princess' favor, following her every whim and better still, watching her marry a wart faced, slimy, cow hearted git like Cutler Beckett. His stomach turned to think on it, so he changed the subject. "And the women abroad?" Jack asked in a rather scheming way.

"As beautiful and exotic as the day is long. They love a sailor they do." Bill answered, smiling. Jack just smirked and kept working. Bill stopped, and came closer to his friend. " You know, we are planning a trip to the orient for spices in the early part of next year?" Bill has known Jack for many years and one thing was for certain, although he could hide his true feelings from the rest of the world, he couldn't hide them from the people who knew him best. He knew very damn right well Jack loved Elizabeth, he always has, he also knew that Jack would never do anything to compromise her position, so he would never tell her. But, the pain was so evident on Jack's face. Bill thought to go out on a limb. "You should settle down, find yourself a good woman, have a family…" Jack didn't like where this was going. "I have heard that the Countess de Chevalier and her brother arrived at court yesterday.." he paused, "she is quite beautiful, …..and French."

"What do I need with a wife? I have all I need without complicating it with a woman."

"aye, but it seems you have already done that, eh?"

Jack turned to face his friend.

"Did you think I didn't know?" Bill laughed, Jack turned away. "Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me.." Bill put up his hands in surrender as if to reassure his friend that he would not say a word. "And what if she feels the same?"

"And what if she does?" Jack spoke abruptly. "What then, eh? Throw caution to the wind? Defy the King's order? Marry her and live happily ever after? Nonsense. She couldn't even if she wanted to."

"You underestimate her." Bill replied.

"Do I now? And who am I to ignore her duty? Who is she, eh?" Jack sarcastically lectured.

"I thought she was the Princess of England?" Bill snapped at his friend. He was angry that he was giving up that easily on something so rare and wonderful. He turned and walked away from Jack, leaving him with his thoughts.