Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
TWO MONTHS. That's how long James had been away at sea chasing after the Black Pearl with no luck. He'd write Nerissa any time he was at a port, but she couldn't write him back as she didn't know where he'd be next. She saved each of his letters in her nightstand, reading them late at night when she missed him most.
Now, as Nerissa sat reading his latest letter, which was two weeks old at that point, she couldn't help but smile as he described all the trouble he'd run into while sailing. It was hurricane season, and as per her request, he didn't leave out how difficult it was to sail in the rough weather. It reminded her of her time on the Interceptor.
Night had fallen long ago, and most everyone in Port Royal was asleep. Nerissa was sitting on the stone bench in her garden, carefully thumbing the edge of the letter from James while Nash curled up at her feet. The collie was missing a certain Commodore as well.
Nerissa was expecting a new letter any day now, as it'd been so long since his last. Wishing that the postal system was a bit quicker, she sighed impatiently and looked up at the clear sky. The stars were shining up above, and she smiled, remembering that she and James were looking up at the same sky.
Nash barking brought her out of her graceful trance. She looked down at him and then at the garden gate where her uncle was standing. His powdered wig was gone, telling her that he was finished with his Governor duties for the night.
"Hello, Uncle. Shouldn't you be in bed?" she asked, sending him a joking chastising look since he liked to get on to her so much about staying up late.
"I, um," Weatherby cleared his throat and let himself into the garden. As he came closer, she noticed a troubled look on his aging face.
"Is everything quite alright?" she asked, worried about him. "I know you must be stressed with the wedding coming up, but you still have two whole months with Elizabeth in the house."
While Nerissa couldn't quite marry her true love yet, Elizabeth and Will weren't wasting any time, having a short engagement period of only a few months.
Weatherby remained silent as he took a seat next to her. Then he carefully reached for Nerissa's hand. "I must tell you something troubling, My Dear."
"What is it?" she asked, scrunching her eyebrows up. It was rare that Weatherby was so serious around her.
The silence that hung over them was deafening almost. Finally, he got the courage to speak again.
"I'm afraid that we've received reports from our station in Port de Paix. Shortly after the the last hurricane, remains of a ship washed ashore. Documents found suggest that... it was the Dauntless."
Nerissa froze, it taking her brain a moment to realize what he was saying. And so he kept talking over her silence.
"We've received no word for weeks from any of them. Those on board have been officially declared Lost at Sea," he whispered. "Commodore Norrington... included."
