To Join The Dying Breed

Chapter 15: Liars and Pirates.

Chapter 15 - Liars and Pirates.

*Elizabeth's POV*
Juliet and Jack have become quite close over the weeks to save me, and I honestly thought at this rate they'd be a item despite how much I didn't want it to happen. I didn't want Juliet to get hurt because of Jack, I've read so many tales about Jack, how he's never kept faithful with a woman. It would break Juliet's heart if her lover wasn't faithful. However, Juliet had reassured me that herself and Jack would never be together when we were marooned. She said that Jack is simply an old friend because of her brother she recently found out she had, when she told me that I bit my lip. Almost everyone at Port Royal knew about her brother and we had sworn never to talk about it. To be fair, I only found out because I heard our fathers talk about her brother when I came downstairs from sleeping when I was little, before I was good friends with Juliet, to get a glass of water. Mr Nickel explained how it was 5 years since Louis had left the home in search for the treasure. I guess when I was small I shrugged it off thinking they were talking about government things, however at the time I was too naive and young to understand what they were talking about.

***

"But we've got to save Will!" I protested, the three of us (myself, Jack and June) were on board the Dauntless thanks to my smoke signal that the other two strongly disliked. "No, you're safe now." My father replied as he stopped walking, "that's all that matters now. We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates!" I was so mad at him I was about to scream. How could they let Will die to save me?! "Then we condemn him to death." Juliet explained, "the boy's fate is regrettable, but, then, so was his decision to engage in piracy, as well as yours. However Juliet you should be glad that you're on your way back to Port Royal, I'm sure your father will be glad to see you home. He's been sick out if his mind with worry!" "To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me!" I said as I kept trying to convince them to change their mind. I was not losing Will.

"If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion." Jack said putting his input in, "the Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it." He walked over to Commodore, "the Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up?" "By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself."

There was only one way getting them to listen to us,

"Commodore, I beg you, please do this. For me." I said then gulped mentally, "as a wedding gift." I kept eye contact with James. "Elizabeth. Are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?" Father asked as I glanced at him then Juliet who looked very upset, and then looked back at James. "I am." "A wedding!" Jack said smiling and walking about, "I love weddings - drinks all around!" He then looked at James and extended his arms, "I know. 'Clap him in irons,' right?" "Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with the bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?" "Inescapably clear."

***

Hours passed on the ship and I walked over to Juliet who was at the head of the ship, "hey." I said gently. She didn't even look at me, just stared out to the ocean. "What's wrong?" "Liz, my father." She spoke quietly, "I'm not sure if he's even alive." "Of course he is June, he's a strong man!" I said wrapping my arm around her trying to cheer up. "No Liz. You don't understand. I could feel something was wrong in my gut when he was hit, I just don't know what it was." She reached for something under her shirt, and brought it back out. "He gave me this, it was my mother's." She whispered as she took it off and opened the locket. "Its the last thing I have of my mother." She said stroking her thumb over one of the small pictures inside. "I can't lose my father as well, Elizabeth." "Can I have a look?" I asked reaching my hand for the locket as she handed it to me. The pictures inside were of her mother, before she passed, and her father. It was a rather beautiful locket, crafted with white gold and a emerald on the front of the heart shaped locket, it definitely suited her. I handed it back to her, "Juliet, you still have someone else you know." I was ready to let the secret slip of her brother, "I know Liz." She knew? Who told her?

"I know, I still have Louis, but stories are told he's dead." Juliet explained. "Oh, I didn't think you knew." I whispered, "Jack told me. All the pirates kept asking me how my brother was and I had no idea what they were talking about until I asked Jack about the apparent brother I have... Had." Juliet said and stood up walking under the deck and I'm assuming to go to sleep.

I was left sitting at the head of the ship for a good few minutes when Jack came and sat next to me. "Elizabeth, worried about Juliet aye?" I nodded. "She can't lose her father Jack, he's the only man who actually seems to care about her." I explained. "Who's to say she hasn't got someone else looking out for her?" Jack asked, "I'm sure you've heard of Louis. Port Royal's pirate?" I nodded, "yes I've heard of him but Juliet said he's dead. Plus, he left her when she was just a baby so he can't care for her much either." I explained, surely her brother didn't care much about her if he went to find the treasure. "Ah, now that is where you are wrong my dear, you see what I have heard quite recently is that Louis is looking for Juliet. Well that's what I've heard from Mr. Gibbs at least, he said that he heard word about Louis in Tortuga before Will, Juliet and I found him. Louis is apparently traveling the seas in search for his sister. He had found the treasure but he lost half of his crew in a tornado heading back to Port Royal. He isn't dead, just keeping a low profile from the East India Trading Company." Jack explained. Louis is coming back?

"We need to tell Juliet right away then!" I said started to get up until Jack pulled me back down, "I can not let you do that love. See, if word gets to Norrington I can assure you that they will hunt him down and send him to the gallows for piracy. He's a good man and I can not watch a fellow pirate get hung because of someone's careless actions." He said before getting up and heading under the deck leaving me to my own thoughts.

I guess I'll have to lie to Juliet again.