Attention! Okay, just to inform, as I can't write out accents to save my life, when the twins are emotional. Example angry, they tend to let their Italian accents come forth heavily. When just speaking normally, they have a mixture of switching between an Irish to British accent with some words.
"Italian speaking"
When speaking select Italian words and Names
Merci glared at the dress that had been laid out at the foot of her bed by Haytham while she slept. Since it had been decided that she was to stay on land, Merci went to her little home that was located just a little bit into the woods of the Frontier. It was only thanks to Marge Middleton that her little home was still livable while she was away at times. She really needed to give that woman some coin for doing that for so long.
She wasn't even going to question how Haytham entered her house knowing the man had secrets for his secrets. Merci was just glad this was the last day he was making her to wear one. Slowly she wiggled out of her bed, letting her body stretch in different directions before slumping once that was done. Sounds of feet moved from the kitchen alerted her to that fact her mentor was still in the house.
A smirk formed on her lips as she looked down at her undergarments. They consisted of loose blue pants and a half, long-sleeved shirt with the end being scrunched up tightly to her body by a string tied at the front. It left her half her stomach free of the shirt and it had only been thanks to Philo for having sown the end like he did when she had cut it after being too hot one day on the ship.
Living on a ship for most of her life, Merci grew to not care if a man saw more. That and the crew members knew of her for so long that they thought her as another member. Most of the time in the warmer waters she would wear one of her button up shirts with the lower half unbuttoned to be tied at her waist. During those times she would go barefoot, forgoing her knee length boots and stockings.
A yawn forced itself out as she stood and walked into the living room area, rubbing her eyes as she went to try and get the gung out. "Dear lord woman! Have you no shame!" her smirk returned on her lips that only grew larger when she spotted Haytham quickly turning away. "Go get dressed!"
"But I just got up." She replied slowly making her way over to her kitchen. Merci then heard him give a sigh before picking up a green throw blanket, that had been set on one of the table chairs, and threw it at her without looking towards her form. Reflex made her grab it from the air making her scowl at the object. "Get dressed, now young lady." Haytham ordered putting an arm up that pointed towards her room while still not looking her way.
"Fine, fine. I just don't see why I have to wear a dress." She grumbled all the way to the door and closed it. Her eyes fell on the dark blue dress that had a gold and white decorative apron of ivy vines along the edges. Letting her head thump on the door she quickly pushed herself to get it done with as she tossed the throw blanket on the bed.
She switched what she had on with a white shift and dark blue stockings. Then she worked on lacing the stay in the front making sure that it was not that tight like some she knew did. The stay was tight enough to hold things, but Merci still made sure she would be able to move more than it would allow if done tighter. Following that, she tied the bum roll to the back of her hip before tying two layers of white petticoats with the third being a creamier color.
Next came the redingote that was the dark blue piece with gold embroidery lining the edges of it. The back length stopping just a few inches from the ground like her layered petticoat. The last thing needed was to put on her knee length boots even though they didn't go with the dress. Taking a brush, she worked to untangle her hair to style it in a french braid, ignoring the cap by placing her tricorn on her head in its place.
Merci felt naked without her weapons and getting past the layers of her dress to her boot for her stiletto dagger was just a nightmare. So, she took a few of her throwing knives to slip them in-between her stay and shift.
Walking out of her room she greeted her mentor again now that she was dressed for the day. "Ah, much better, you look like a lady now." He replied with a small smile.
"I'm a lady no matter what I wear." She stated gathering her fur coat, making sure it was one designed to go with a dress, to put it on. "Where are we heading today?"
"We are going to gather some information. I have pinpointed one of Church's men and that is where you come in." Haytham informed following Merci outside. "I took the liberty of saddling your horse while you were dressing."
"Thank you." Merci replied heading for the large black percheron standing at just shy of eightteen hands high. He had been stabled at a building that Haytham owned near Boston while she was gone. "Hey there, Macchie!" the horse gave a nicker in return to her petting.
"You name your horse spots? His coat is solid black!" Haytham sighed at the woman as she hopped into the saddle being forced to sit side-saddle with her dress. "Its not like many colonists know Italian, to them it would be a pretty name and not think twice." Merci stated.
Haytham only shook his head before turning his leaner horse around to set the pace at a trot. They rode is silence for a bit before Merci went about gesturing her hand as she talked. "Good morning sir!"
"Good morning, my lady. Fine weather we are having today." She replied with a deeper voice.
"Oh, certainly. It seems that snowfall throughout the night has made much of the land quiet."
"That is because many animals are fast asleep, my dear. Say, would you be busy later this evening?"
Here Merci gave out a giggle, letting her hand cover her mouth. "Oh, you cheeky man! I am sorry to inform you, but I have prior engagements to be at."
"Talking to oneself shows you are not right in the head." Haytham stated breaking up Merci banter to herself. All she did was smile. "It is my job to annoy you, dear mentor. Besides, this is your just reward for making me wear a dress."
Haytham let another sigh out. "What happened to the girl that loved wearing them? Who would beg me to go look at all the pretty dresses in the tailoring store?" he asked turning his head towards her with an brow raised.
"Easy, she grew out of it and focused on wearing more practical clothing that was needed when sailing and fighting." Merci supplied though Haytham heard the smallest bit of sadness in her voice. "I sometimes miss those days."
"How so?"
"I miss having Philo with me. You know, he looks to you as a father." She said turning to him. "We both do." Merci then looked forwards. "As far as I can remember, you were the one to be there for us. Shay was too, but he was more of our Uncle in feeling. He taught us to sail a ship and to captain one should a need arise. He also showed us how to shoot a pistol."
"You gave us the education not many would have the opportunity to be given. Helped us to sharpen our sword fighting skills and gave us a place to call home in Virginia while we grew." She looked to Haytham with a small smile. "Any time I think of who my father was, I get you instead. All the times you were patient with us when explaining something, or scolded us when we were bad. I would never change that for anything in the world."
Haytham continued to look forward while she talked. "There was a time the two of you would call me father." Merci glanced to him with a knitted brow. "I don't remember that."
"It was a long time ago, before Shay told you of your mother and father when you were eight." He replied.
"Oh, Philo and I had gone with Uncle to sail for a few months during the warmer season. I remember now. He explained to us that we were without a mother and father, orphans, but had been taken in to be raised. That you weren't our real father." Merci let a frown appear on her face. "Afterwards, he led us to this cabin and showed us a painting of both of our parents."
"That was how you arrived with a violin." He stated thinking back to those days. "You had informed me that it had once been your mothers." Merci nodded. Silence surround the two as they made their way into Boston. "Do you miss having a mother?"
The question made Merci jerk out of her thoughts before letting the question be repeated in her mind. "If you mean to ask, if I blame Shay for having killed both of my parents, leaving us without them?" Haytham gave a small shrug at her words. "It does make one wonder why you would join the Templars when a member of the Order had been the one to end them."
"I was angry, yes, but after a while I thought about it. That my parent's brotherhood continued after something that could kill thousands in seconds, It had only been because of Uncle that so many lives had been saved. I do mourn the fact I will never know what it would have been to be raise by her. Only then, I begin to think of all that I would miss if she did live."
"The trips with Uncle on the Morrigan. Learning all that I have from you and Uncle. Sneaking into your room, whether you were home or not, just for comfort from things that made me fearful in the night. I would not have been made a Templar if she had raised us in her ways. I would have looked to you as an enemy, instead of a father."
Haytham turned to her. "I did not think I would have been father material, but seeing how the two of you have grown. Turning into fine young individuals. It does fill one with pride knowing you were apart of who they grew to be. Though, the shenanigans I had to put up with you two were awful."
Merci grinned at that. "Your life would have been dull without us running amuck around the house." He let a half smile form. "I would have had a quiet house to read a book with." To that Merci stuck her tongue out at him. "That is not proper ladylike reaction, my dear."
Merci let out a laugh, both knowing she would never be that of a lady. "We should dismount here. Church's man is in a tavern near here."
"What did you need me to do?" she asked seeing her mentor become more serious. Her boots landed on the ground before moving to lead Macchie to a wooden horse rail.
"We need to lead the man away from the populace and out of the tavern. Do you think you will be able to do that?" he asked her.
"I am a woman." She stated with a roll of her eyes. "I know how to flirt."
"Do you now?" he returned in jest before pointing down a narrow path. "I will be waiting down this alleyway. Look for a scar on the man's neck." Merci nodded as she walked a few feet to open the tavern door. With a quick sweep of her eyes she gathered the layout of the pub and made her way to a corner.
Once she sat down a barmaid came over. "Do you need anything Miss?" Merci gave her a smile pulling out a few coins. "Red wine would be fine." The maid gave a nod taking the money and left. Barely a minute later, Merci held her glass of wine letting her sight change.
The world turned muted around her slowly looked around for her target. Once she found the color of gold she let the muted world come back into focus. The man was alone in a corner near the bar and after a few minutes of watching him discreetly she found him to be nursing his mug. With a deep breathe she stood up to make her way over to him.
"Salve signore. I saw that you were alone and thought you could use the company." Merci said sitting in the empty chair next to him. He looked to her from his mug giving Merci a smile. "A man can never turn the company of a woman away. The names Mark."
"Greeting Mark, I am Verona." Merci replied letting her hand be taken in his and kissed. For the next couple of minutes, she talked with the man, letting a few flirts slip out as she pretended to look flustered. "You charmer!" she giggled as she stood up. "I must be going now."
"Wait, just a few more minutes." He pleaded.
"I am sorry, sir, but I need to meet with my father." Here Merci paused as if she was in thought. "Maybe you can walk with me? To know no trouble will come after me, as I go to meet him, with a strong looking man at my side?"
Mark let his chest expanded in pride as he stood. "It would be an honor to escort such a beautiful young lady." Another giggle was let out to which Merci internally groaned. Pretending to be smitten with a man was not something she liked doing at all. So, she led the man outside and to the area Haytham was waiting. "It was a good idea for me to accompany you Miss. Going into alleyways always runs the rises of being robbed.
"Oh yes. Then there's that other fact of it being used to confront people." At her words the man glanced down in confusion before being shoved into a wall and a blade to his throat. "You did well, my dear." Haytham congratulated Merci while keeping his eyes on the man. "Now, tell me where Benjamin Church is."
"Why should I say anything to you?" Mark growled before it was stopped by the blade being pressed into his neck. "Just tell us what we want to know about Church and he will let you go." Merci stated sitting on a couple of barrels. Mark glared at her only to grimace in pain when Haytham's blade nick him.
"Fine, Church is gathering a couple other defectors of the Order to raid a convoy for the Continentals that holds weapons and medicine. That's all I know. I wasn't told where the raid was going to happen." Haytham turned to Merci giving a 'hmm' before letting go of the man.
Mark glanced between the two before making a dash for freedom. He gave a shout of pain and his back arched up. Stumbling he turned to see Merci holding a throwing knife and knew the other one was buried into his back. "Y-you said…"
"I said he would." She pointed at Haytham. "I didn't say I would let you go." With that, she threw the second knife at the man hit him in the chest right over his heart. His body fell in a heap on the ground making the dirt turn red with blood. Slipping from the barrels Merci followed Haytham out of the alleyway. "Do you know where this convoy is going to be?"
"I have an idea, but that would require a trip into the Frontier." He supplied. "It would be a couple of days ride in order to reach the area I suspect the raid would happen." Half turning to Merci he gave her a nod. "I shall meet with you later today once you have changed into your usual attire. I have to meet with Lee to inform him of this news."
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