Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

CHAPTER ELEVEN
Pirates and Rogues
JACK WATCHED THE PRINCESS’S EYES well with tears as she realized her
father was dead. After a moment, Ayisha swallowed painfully, then
dashed them away on the sleeve of her dress. “I knew that,” she said,
finally. “He left five years ago. I knew he wouldn’t have stayed away so
long unless…unless…”
She looked at Jack. “He left to find a cure for my little brother,
Aniba. He was sick.”
“I know,” Jack said, as gently as he could. “He told me that. He
told me he’d found the cure, too. He was on his way home to Kerma
with it.”
Ayisha nodded. “Yes. He promised to come home with it.”
Jack hesitated, then said, “What happened…?” He let the
question trail off.
She sighed. “Aniba died three months and a few days after my
father left.”
“I’m sorry,” Jack said.
She nodded, and cleared her throat. “Thank you.”
They sat there cross-legged on the deck in silence for a little
while, both of them taking in these new developments. Finally, Jack
gave the princess an appraising glance. “How do you feel now? I
mean, physically? Still sick?”
Ayisha thought for a moment, then looked faintly surprised. “I
feel…better.” Her eyes widened slightly. “I actually feel a bit hungry.”
He smiled. “That’s good. Means you’re getting your sea legs. Your
Highness—”
She was already shaking her head. “Don’t, please. No one must
know.”
“Very well. Miss Ayisha—”
She was shaking her head again, and this time, smiled faintly. “I