The seas were calm as we sailed onwards, the waves of the Atlantic breaking gently against the side of the vast ship, causing a gentle rocking effect- something I had missed fiercely since my time on land. It made the ache in my chest worsen at the thought of my beloved pearl and my lost husband, and made my determination to reclaim both of them even stronger.
I sat in the overly plush leather chair at the desk, beside Enrique who had pulled out the logbook given by the sailor in the nets a few nights ago. He had laid it flat on the desk, opened to the centre fold which held a drawing with scribbles all around it.
"He drew the chalices of Cartagena, a pair, and said that they were the key to the profane ritual. They were stolen many years ago from the city of Cartagena, east of Cadiz and the last anyone saw of them was onboard la Santiago destined for the fountain of youth." Enrique explained as his fingers traced the lines of the drawings, translating the handwritten text for me.
"He died at sea yes?" I asked, referring to Ponce de Leon.
Enrique nodded, "aboard his ship, la Santiago, though it was never found."
"Then the chalices must still be aboard the ship," I said, feeling as if we'd had a legitimate breakthrough. "On the Mao Kun map, there was a painting of a struggle, like a tug of war between an angel and a skeleton, just above the symbol of the chalice."
"So if we locate La Santiago, we can find the chalices," Enrique summarised. I nodded in reply, thankful we were on the same page.
"On the map, Ponce De Leon was marked between La Florida and Cuba, on an unmarked island, that's where Whitecap Bay is. Whitecap Bay is," I began to say, stopping once I noticed Enrique's negative reaction to mentioning the bay. His body had become rigid in his seat and his eyes were glazed and pensive.
"That was were..." I alluded.
"Si señorita, Whitecap Bay is where my life was nearly taken, the sirenas, they drowned my men, ensnared the boats. We must find another way around to San Miguel."
"San Miguel?" I asked, unfamiliar with this.
Enrique's eyes lit up as he gazed at me, before he turned to look down at the notebook, pointing to the rough drawing on the page that was surrounded by frantic writing.
Three words were outlined above the drawing, 'Selva', 'Castillo' and 'Rio'. "Here lies Fort San Miguel, on the grounds of Palm Tree Grove," Enrique read, his finger dragging across the Spanish text as he translated it for me.
"Selva means jungle, Castillo means castle and Rio is," Enrique explained to me.
"River," I added. Enrique's eyes widened at my knowledge and I had to hold back a small laugh as his bewildered expression.
"I know a few words, that is one of them," I shrugged. "So if we follow along the river..."
"We find La Santiago."
We smiled at each other briefly, the hope evident in both our eyes. Minutes passed as we quietly sat looking at the notebook before us and the map underneath it, each one of us trying to find the best course to sail straight through as the silence lingered around us.
"Why did Ferdinand believe that I had nothing to do with the man in the net?" I asked pensively, my voice quiet as if speaking loudly would break the calm atmosphere. I often thought back to the king's glance and understanding at my denial of the events. Enrique glanced over to me with the hint of a side smile, his eyes ghosting over my face.
"Your eyes, they say so much that is not spoken with words," he replies quietly, his eyes suddenly shy. "I saw it, then my brother saw it too."
I smiled softly at his reply, shifting a little at the sudden intensity.
"Apologies, my intention was not to make you uncomfortable Señorita, I respect you are a married woman but I cannot deny you are quite captivating. Perhaps I am just excited to be sailing again. After the incident, my brother forbade me to sail further than the family plot in Rota."
"That must have been difficult," I replied.
"Si, though I thought I made peace with it. Our uncle Armando basically raised us, then when he died and my brother took the throne, he banned all non essential travel by sea. I talked him around of course, but after the incident at whitecap bay, I thought it best to appease him."
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Fathoms Below: Captain Jack Sparrow
Fanfiction"Jack was like a Chinese finger trap most of the time, you had to carry on playing, delve a little further and accept your fate before you were able to pry yourself away." Jack/ OC reader pairing, following the course of the movies with mini-inserts...
