Rose of the Sea

Keep an Eye on the Horizon

Drew's POV:

I take a deep breath of the salty sea air and close my eyes, letting the warm, morning sunlight wash over my face. No one else is above deck, the crew is pretty wiped after the maelstrom victory toasts. I guess a good night's rest will get them back on their feet.

Or maybe a night and a couple hours, they drank their way through every hold we had. Of course, Sparrow drank himself under the table trying to hold more than anyone else, I left him passed out in his cabin early this morning.

I'm still brewing over yesterday. The one time where I actually needed him to do what I asked, and of course he does the opposite. If only Jack had done what I said, Will wouldn't be tied to the Dutchman right now. And poor Elizabeth...

I couldn't sleep last night thanks to those bloody drunk pirates, so I just stayed up thinking. In the midst of my thoughts of the witching hour, I remembered a legend that Blackbeard once told me, it might be a solution.

"Morning Captain Rose. "

I look down to the Pearl's main deck and see Barbossa staring up at me. "Good morning Barbossa, have the men slept off that rum yet?"

He scoffs, "What do ye think lass?"

I shake my head and laugh, "You're right, do you know if Elizabeth is up? She seemed alright last night but Will... Barbossa, what are we going to do?"

He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "I don't know Drew, they have today to be together. I don't really think there's anything we can do. Unless you've thought of something."

He turns sideways and looks at me. "You haven't, have you?"

My grip tightens on the Pearl's wheel. "Maybe I have."

Barbossa straightens up. "Well then let's hear it."

I take my hat off and run my hand through my hair. "It's a simple solution but I don't know if she'd go for it."

"It doesn't matter lass, we should at least tell her."

"Well, you married them, didn't you? During the maelstrom?" Barbossa nods and gestures for me to continue. "They're husband and wife now, there is no reason for them to be separated. Why doesn't Elizabeth just go with Will on the Dutchman?"

Barbossa scoffs. "Drew, don't you think people would've thought of that?"

I roll my eyes, "Well, this is the first time the Dutchman has changed captains, Jones and Calypso were too scorned by each other to see the truth and get past it. Will and Elizabeth are strong and they don't deserve to be separated. They're married so why not? She can go onboard the Dutchman with him."

Barbossa raises an eyebrow. "Do you really see Miss Elizabeth living the rest of her life at sea?"

I shrug "Well there's no knowing until we ask her."

"Ask who what?"

I look down and see Elizabeth walking up the quarterdeck stairs.

"I'll let you take this one," Barbossa mutters in my ear before walking back down below.

Elizabeth stops next to me and shrugs. "What? Was it something about me?"

I take a deep breath and nod. "Yes, it was. Actually about you and your new husband."

Her face immediately falls. "We only have today."

"Actually no, you two can be together." I pause and wait for her reply.

She scoffs, "No we can't, Will is the new captain to the Dutchman and he's allowed one day on land every ten years. For him to be released from his curse, someone else has to take his place, and for that to happen his heart has to be stabbed. There's no hope, so I've just accepted it."