" … And that's why, miss Moreno, you're the perfect match for this mission. "
Felicia nodded. She had barely listened to the orders of her next mission in Tampa Bay. It was always the same. My dear Felicia, you're so beautiful, go distract some men to take some important item with your charms, and so on, and so on. The inside of the governor's palace were beautiful, especially the bureau of the governor Woode Rodgers who was sitting in front of her, looking for something in his paper as she was standing still, waiting for more. She let her eyes fall on a beautiful painting depicting an epic scene at sea. Whose ship would it be? Was the painter on one of those ships during the battle? Any stupid question was good to distract her from thinking about the men training in the courtyard. Anything to distract her from the sound of swords clashing outside. T
he window next to her was half open. Just enough to let in the scent of the roses warming in the sun… And the sounds of the warriors. "Well played, Renardo !" said a voice with a laugh.
"Miss Moreno ? Did you hear me ?"
"I'm sorry Sir, I was distracted by your picture here." She said politely trying her best not to feel affected.
The governor smiled and gave her a paper.
"I was telling you to give that paper to the Captain of the Santa Muerte. He will accept you onboard and ensure your safety."
"There will be no need for this, sir." She said with a smile, her eyes glowing behind her mask.
"Very well, then. Prepare everything you need, you will leave at night."
She bowed to her templar master and left the bureau. As she was wandering in the corridors, she went to a window opened on the courtyard. She looked on her left, then on her right. No sign of any other templar, guard or servant. She lifted the curtain and hid as she could to watch outside without being seen. Chills went up her skin, slightly lifting her hair tight in a bun. He was the same man. He only looked a bit harsher… No need to ask why.
Their breakup was still fresh in her mind and she knew every time his sword hurt the lay figure he was thinking "this is for Lucia Marquez!" When she had come in the governor's palace, she wasn't thinking of him, for once, and it was a shock to see him training with that red-haired aristocrat. She did her best to ignore his presence but she had heard that Flint boy asking him if he had hurt himself. Maybe his sword had slipped in his hand seeing her… She had fought an urge to look back and when she finally managed to reach the inside of the walls, she was able to breathe again. Now he had taken his coat off. His black outfit suited him so well… But wasn't such a blessing with the warm sun of the Caribbean. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up his forearms and he wasn't wearing gloves. She could see the signet ring of his family shining in the sun as he was making a few movements to show the red haired man how to wield a blade. His hands, his arms… Blessing of the gods. She felt so good in his arms, felt so safe…
After years of begging and thievery she had finally found herself a good and rich man to spend her life with… And a miracle had happened: she wasn't even caring about his gold and properties. Being with him was the only thing that mattered… Well this, and Lucia, of course. Her sister in thievery and mischief. That was the problem. It had always been Lucia. She couldn't chose between them and when her sister was down, she couldn't just stay in her lover's arms, ignoring Lucia's pain. The first time, he hadn't said anything. Just a grin. Next time she had fled from his bed in the night because of a message of Lucia, he had spent half an hour complaining. Lucia was living a period of troubles because of her father's disappearance. The old man was said to have established himself with the Tainos (before robbing them of their lands, sadly for them) and people even said he had found himself a Taino wife and that children with golden skins in that tribe were his. And meanwhile Lucia was trying to stand bravely in that storm, Felicia was torn between her and her lover.
Her beautiful, dark haired and dark eyed lover, the dark sun of her life.
After a year of living in that situation, she finally found a note on the door, as she was coming back from another night away from him.
"I cannot cope with you and her. I cannot have problems in my couple in addition to the difficulties the templar order is meeting, trying to rise in the new world. I need stability to fulfill my mission. If you can't choose between me and her, then the next time you'll come back, this door will be closed, and so will be my heart. If you choose me, meet me at the William Kidd statue at midnight."
She couldn't believe it. The Aguilar seal was signing this letter, proving it wasn't just a joke. A moment before midnight, she had come to the statue… But she had stayed in the shadows. He had come and stayed for a while, and she could see his face slowly turn to an infinite sadness in the cold moonlight. She had cried silently, unable to move, unable to turn her back to the woman she loved the most for the man she loved so much. And when he had finally risen to get away from that cursed place, she had fallen on her knees, letting all her tears and pain flood from her eyes and throat. She put the curtain back at its place and went away. She knew she would have to cross the courtyard again and she couldn't find the strength to look away again. They had not meet since that last night and even though her situation with Lucia was now a total wreckage - and she knew Renardo knew it – she couldn't just pass by without looking at him. T
he sun was now warming her black mask. Would It be enough to hide her fears ? She could hear shots now, apparently the red-haired man was now teaching his science to Renardo. With all the strength she could find, she went to them, and stood patiently behind them until they stopped shooting. He knew she was behind them, she had seen him miss a shot because of his hand shaking. The red haired man turned to her first.
"Oh hello miss Moreno. Renardo, your fiancée is here."
"Former fiancée." He said reloading his gun without a single glance.
"Oh. Awkward."
"Good morning, Renardo." She said in a sign of peace.
He looked at her with a studied disdain… But as soon as their eyes met, the spark of spitefulness died in his eyes. Feeling something was wrong, the other man left without a word, leaving the two of them looking at each other.
"I'm sorry for Lucia." He said. His town was a bit warmer.
"Yeah, me too." She had a pain in her throat as she was about to sob. "I missed you." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.
She had broken him with a sentence. She saw his shoulder sag as he looked away. He took a deep breath and when their eye met again, there was nothing but determination in them… And what was left of their passion.
"I missed you too, my love. But it's too late now. You chose your path. I chose mine."
He looked tired. And now she was seeing him quite closely, she could see he had been through the same sleepless nights of despair .
"I know. And I'll leave you to your business. I was just… Stopping by to say hello."
She came toward him, unable to resist, knowing the tear from her eyes would be stuck and visible on her black mask and she kissed him quickly but firmly at the corner of his mouth, caressing his cheek one last time. His facial hair was as warm as his skin and she felt his hand around her waist as she was walking away as fast as she could.
The warmth of his fingers would last longer than ever and burn her in the loneliness of her night on the ship.
