Prologue

Alyssa Miller hurried over to the drunken man who was waving his hand in the air for more rum. She poured the rum into his mug and moved on to the next customer in the growing crowd of drunken pirates, whores, and men. There were fights here and there but in a rowdy place like the Faithful Bride, it wasn't uncommon. There were numerous puddles of rum and other drinks on the floor from the drunks trying to aim at their mouths.

Alyssa had worked at this tavern for over 2 years. She was 25 years old and was going to turn 26 in a couple of months. Ever since her mother, a former whore, died from unknown reasons, she had to take refuge and find herself a job. She wasn't about to sell her body on the streets of Tortuga, so the only other choice left was a barmaid. Her father had left her and her mother long before she died. And ever since then, Alyssa hadn't seen hair nor hide of Richard Miller.

Men were shouting all over the place for more refills. She did the best she could assisting them without stumbling over the passed out men on the floor. Suddenly, a half-sane looking man waved his hand to her and she walked over with a smile plastered on her face. The odd-looking man had on the normal pirate gear, but with his own unique style to it. He had on a red bandana, tri-corn hat, beads and trinkets braided into his matted, raven hair and he had weapons surrounding him on his holster. He smiled back at Alyssa and raised his mug while talking to an old, grubby looking man with salt and pepper colored hair.

"Thanks very much, love."

The man was none other than Jack Sparrow himself. Most women would just swoon at the sight of him and his handsome smile, but Alyssa wasn't about to fall for his charms that quickly.

Her pendant seemed to catch his eye because he kept on staring at it. She grabbed it in her hand out of sight and walked away. Alyssa hardly knew much about the pendant. She had found it a mere 6 months ago on a table after a drunk had left. She decided to keep it because the drunk man had probably forgotten about it. It was a medium sized sapphire gem with silver diamonds encrusted around it and hung around her neck on a silver chain. She always had to remind herself to tuck it into her dress but sometimes it would slip out. If any one of these pirates got a real good look at her necklace, she would surely be hunted down and mugged, or worse. No doubt about that. The men that resided in Tortuga had no mercy for women. It also had an odd engraving on the back which Alyssa could not understand. It was most likely in a language she couldn't read. Luckily for her, she had the opportunity to scarcely be taught how to read. She could do basics and sound things out but she wasn't able to pick up a Shakespeare book and read the whole thing through without stopping.

Alyssa wasn't the prettiest girl in the world, either. She was an average looking woman. She had a pale complexion to her skin, mostly from staying out of the sun even though she lived her entire life in the Caribbean. She had simple, gray eyes and blonde hair that stopped right above her shoulder. She wasn't skinny nor fat, just normal. She was about five feet, three inches. Not the tallest person in the world. But no one is ever perfect and her imperfections are what made Alyssa, Alyssa!

Jack Sparrow kept on stealing a couple glances towards Alyssa now and then. She thought for second, maybe he knows what my pendant is. But she brushed off the subject when another one of the barmaids handed her a letter. It was signed elegantly on the front, 'Lana Fields'. Alyssa smiled as she saw the name. It was her friend from Port Royal. One of the few friends she had made in her entire life. It was a long while ago when she was about 15 or 16, when her father was still living with her and her mother. He had taken her on his little ship on a trip to Port Royal and met her at the docks. They were the same age and got along right off the bat. Alyssa also found out Lana was Elizabeth Swann's cousin.

The letter read:

Dear Alyssa,

I don't know if you remember me from time long ago when we met at the docks in Port Royal. It's been quite a while but I have not forgotten you. You were such a sweet person to me and a great friend. That is why I'm inviting you to my wedding which will take place on the 14th of September. I will be getting married to Lieutenant Burgess to which I will become Mrs. Lana Burgess. Since I'm not sure about your budget or situation, I have arranged a ship by the name of 'The Interceptor II' to pick you up on the 10th of September. I look forward to seeing you there and when you do arrive, please come straight to the governor's house. Just tell them you are a friend of mine and they will let you in.

Sincerely,

Lana Fields soon-to-be Burgess

Immediately, Alyssa squealed with joy. She finally had a chance and reason to get out of Tortuga. It was the 8th of September so she had 2 days to get herself ready until the ship was here. With the thought of the wedding running through her mind, she finished her shift quickly an headed straight home to start packing for her voyage.

TBC...