A/N: Damn, that's long.
Disclaimer: For this chapter, I used both the Black Flag game and book as reference. There is also many differences between this Edward Kenway and the canonical Edward Kenway from the game. This is normal. The Edward Kenway of this story is more mature and has a greater heart. The lessons he learned late in the game, he learned them early in this story.
For this chapter, I suggest you ignore Edward's story in the original game. While they are very similar characters, it might be a problem for a few canon 'zealots' to enjoy otherwise. :P
"You are now in the skin of Edward James Kenway in Great Inagua, March 1716." came Heywood's voice in the Animus.
"Are you sure it's working?" asked Harry worryingly. After the machine had synchronized with Edward Kenway's memories, everything around him had turned black.
"Yes, it's working." confirmed Heywood.
"Why is everything black, then?"
"I believe Edward is currently sleeping." said his cousin. And, sure enough, Harry felt something hit him – or rather hit Edward – in the face. He opened his eyes to find a clear, blue sky. From what he could tell, he was currently laying on a tree. He turned in the direction he'd been hit. He found the face of a young man – or was it woman? - with dirty black hair attached together with a red bandana. That person was wearing a yellow-brown coat and had a scar on their right cheek.
"Kidd..." Edward groaned.
"Wake up, Kenway." said Kidd, going for another hit. Edward managed to catch the tree branch with his hand before it hit him in the face a second time. Not giving Kidd time to fight back, he took the branch and threw it away. Knowing Kidd was not about to stop annoying him if he did not do as the man said ('It's a man, then?' thought Harry.), Edward decided to reluctantly raise from his comfortable spot and jumped down the tree, landing on his feet.
"Is Thatch about?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
Kidd answered with a shake of the head. "He left this morning with the galleon. He has faith we'll discover a good use for this old cove ourselves..."
So Thatch had left them with the island? He could work with that. "Aye. We'll make something of it in time." He had a few ideas himself what to do with the island. He turned his eyes toward the empty harbour. "We could keep a fleet here, if we liked. And with a bit of fixing up, it'd be a decent place to call home. Might even make a good place to raise a family, eventually..." he said, turning back toward Kidd who was now leaning on the tree branch he had just vacated.
Kidd looked at Edward with a raised eyebrow. "Raise a family?" he asked with amusement. "Didn't know it was your endgame."
Edward hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure what to tell Kidd. Pirates with greater commitments than the pirate community were not very well received. He didn't want his crew to know about his married life back home, not wanting to make them fear he would turn his back on them if it meant helping his family. However, he knew from his few encounters with Kidd that the man would not have a problem with this, and would keep it to himself. So, he decided to tell him. "Yes – and no. Before I came to these seas, I was settled down and married. We'd talked about having kids, but it never happened."
"What happened to her?" asked Kidd with a kind voice.
"Divorced." answered Edward truthfully. He looked away from Kidd, loosing himself in his memories. "She was raised in wealth while I came from humble beginnings. When we were married, I sought a way to bring gold to the household, hoping I would manage to give her the life she had known with her family. By the time I found a way, it was too late. She had decided to leave me, not liking what she called my 'delusions of grandeur'. I realized too late that Caroline wanted none of the wealth, just me. And I couldn't even offer her that." He then chuckled and looked back at the man. "Look at me, telling my life story to the first pirate who asked."
Kidd chuckled back. Walking away from the tree, he came and gave a pat on Edward's shoulder. "You should keep that fact away. Most pirates don't respect a man with higher commitments than rum and plunder."
"That, I was aware, Kidd." said Edward, amused that Kidd's advice mirrored his earlier thoughts. Then, he asked "Why did you wake me up anyway?"
"I found something that might interest you." he said. "Want to come?"
"Sure." Edward shrugged. Having nothing better to do for the moment, he decided to what Kidd wanted. Kidd led Edward away from the small village by the harbour and toward a cliff side. Inside was a forested passage that led... somewhere. What somewhere was ended-up being a small clearing with some strange looking stones. From afar, they looked like a collection of rubble but, when you looked more closely, you could find an arranged formation of carved blocks. It was far from natural and was clearly something build by the natives.
"Odd looking things, aren't they?" said Kidd with amusement.
Edward let out a small grunt. He was looking at the strange blocks more closely, putting the palm of his hand on them for curiosity-sake. "Is this what they call Mayan? Or is it Aztec?"
Kidd did not answer him. Rather, he looked at Edward. From where he was, Edward could see clearly the Hidden Blades under the man's forearms. (Considering their name, it was rather ironic.) For a long time, Edward had wondered whether he had met James Kidd because the man had been sent to kill him for what he had done in Havana a few years earlier. It was only recently that he realized the man wished him no harm. Edward had also believed that Kidd had been sent to learn what he had discovered about the Observatory though, so far, Kidd had not really mentioned it. It was his third theory that seemed the most probable.
From what Edward could figure out, Kidd was interested in recruiting him or, at least, make him an ally of those Assassins. The man had been subtle about it, but Edward was one of the sharpest cutlasses in the ship. Kidd seemed most interested in testing him first, though, most likely looking for whether he would make a good Assassin or not.
Speaking of tests...
"Are you good with riddles, Edward?" asked Kidd. "Puzzles and ponderings and the like?"
"I'm no worse than the next man..." he answered carefully. If his theory about Kidd was right, then he did not wish to show all of his cards at once. It was rather suspicious, though. Kidd had never been that forward before. "Why?" he asked.
"I think you have a natural gift for it." he answered. "I've sensed it for some time, in the way you work and think. The way you understand the world."
While Edward usually loved to brag, he knew that now was not the time for it. "I'm not sure about that." answered the pirate captain. "You're talking in riddles now, and I don't understand a word." he feigned. In actuality, it was obvious Kidd was about to give him another test of his.
Kidd nodded. Then, he pointed toward the top of the biggest block formation. "Clamber on top of this thing here, will you? Help me solve something."
'Now we're getting to it' he thought. Edward nodded back before he climbed the blocks. Kidd then began to speak. His voice sounded a lot more serious. To Edward, it felt like he was now talking to a holy man deep in contemplation.
"Concentrate and focus all your senses. Look past shadow and sound, deep into matter, until you see and hear a kind of shimmering."
'So that's what this is about...' he thought again. Edward was now well aware what Kidd was trying to make him do. While he hadn't been very clear before, only giving Edwards suspicions, the pirate could now tell that the other man wanted him to access his sixth sense.
This sixth sense of his, he had never fully figured out what it was, but he had learned to control it a long time ago. In fact, he had been using it repetitively back home to avoid bar fights, detecting those with ill intent before they could do anything. Of course, it didn't not stop him from starting most of the fights but, then again, he was a Kenway. Apparently, from what his father had told him years before, the Kenways had a thing for brawling.
Edward snapped his attention back to the present. Perching on the weird-looking stones, he thought rapidly about what to say. While he might believe Kidd held no ill intent toward him – and his sixth sense supported it – he still didn't want to reveal everything about himself to the man, especially if Kidd was just going to report it back to the Assassins. So, instead, he pretended to be surprised, as if he had never learned how to use that gift.
"I think I know what you are talking about." he answered, jumping down from the stones. "I've had this thing since I was a lad, I just can't control it." Kidd looked only slightly disappointed. Maybe it was the norm to learn how to control the sense when you were young and, by pretending he still hadn't, he made it look like his sixth sense was very weak?
Edward felt bad for Kidd, though. The man seemed rather put down at his 'lack' of power. He decided to add "Maybe if I train myself, I could learn how to control this sixth sense?"
"If you spend time practising, I guess you should be able to." said Kidd. "It's rather impressive. Most never find their sixth sense. Others, it takes years to tease out. But, for a rare few, it comes as natural as breathing." So, he was in the last category, then, despite what he pretended to be. "What you feel is the light of life. Of living things past and present. The residue of vitality come and gone. Practice. Intuition. Any man's senses can be tuned well past what he is born with. If he tries." he finished, looking at him meaningfully.
"And I will, eventually." said Edward with a grin. Kidd rolled his eyes.
Edward and Kidd decided to continue exploring the island. Since they had already been following a path in the cliff side when they found the native stones, they decided to continue to follow the way. What Edward had not expected to find at the end of the road was a cavern that led to an empty cellar.
"What do you think?" asked Kidd.
"I think Monsieur Du Casse was a man of many secrets." answered Edward.
"Aye... look here!" said Kidd, pointing toward one end of the cellar. From where he was, Edward could see a set of stairs leading up toward something – a house most likely. "What do you suppose lies at the top?" he asked, walking toward the stairs with excitement. Edward followed him, hiding his amusement. He supposed it was normal for Assassins to be excited at the prospect of raiding a Templar stronghold.
"From what I know of Du Casse, I wouldn't be surprised to find a collection of instruments of torture and villainy. An iron maiden or a collection of thumbscrews." he shared.
They arrived at the top of the staircase and found the inside of a manor. The manor looked rather well lived. It was obvious it had been occupied quite recently before it was evacuated not long ago. Most of the furniture, plants and even chests were still there. "Cozy." he murmured.
Kidd sent him an amused glance before he walked toward the desk not far from them. As for himself, Edward decided to look around. He quickly found something that interested him. A skeleton wearing a very nice outfit was attached inside a metal cage. The front of the cage had five locks keeping it close. It was, in his opinion, rather excessive. However, the challenge to find the keys to open it interested him. It was a puzzle with a nice prize at the end.
"Not a nice way to kick off, but that's some damn fine gear." he said to himself.
Apparently, Kidd had been listening in as his voice rang from the other side of the room. "Try the key you took from Du Casse!"
That was not a bad idea. Grabbing the key from one of his pockets, Edward shoved it in the first lock it reached. Unfortunately, it was the wrong one, so he put it inside the lock over it. The key managed to fit and Edward unlocked the first lock.
"That's one. Only four left." he said, walking away from the cage. He turned and walked toward Kidd. The other pirate was currently perched over what appeared to be a map, though Edward couldn't see it well from the distance.
"Aye. It might be that these four Templars have them. See the names here?" said Kidd, pointing at the map. "They've been sent to kill these four targets."
Now close enough, he gave the map a proper look. He felt his heart miss a beat. He recognized this map. "Damnation!" exclaimed Edward, full of guilt.
"What?" asked Kidd, looking at Edward. He had a feeling Kidd already knew the answer so Edward did not even attempt to lie.
"I know this map. That's the one I sold to Governor Torres in Havana."
Kidd looked like he was thinking. "You think maybe you ow them a bit of a warning, then? If you have any kind of heart beating in that chest?"
Edward did not even glance at Kidd, his eyes fixed on the map. Across it were the names of people targeted, including their locations. These maps, they would be used to kill Assassins! While he personally had no interest in them or the Templars, he hated that his own actions could potentially lead to the death of innocents.
"You're right." said Edward with conviction. "It's my fault if they are targets of the Templars. I might not care about the Assassins, but I reckon I should be the one to fix the shit I caused." Kidd looked rather surprised at his answer. Edward even thought he could see some awe in his eyes. "What? Did you expect I would ask for a price in return?" he asked with a grin.
"Yes." answered Kidd unabashedly. "That's exactly what I expected."
"Well, believe it or not, I am well aware that not everything is about money, or rum, despite me being a pirate." said Edward before he turned toward the exit. "Still, it will also lead me to the other Templar keys. It will be a nice price to help the poor Assassins." he said jokingly.
Behind him, Edward heard a snort. Smiling to himself, he walked out of the manor, and everything turned blue.
"That was interesting..." said Harry. He was now back in the Memory Corridor, though he could still see himself in his ancestor's body.
"Indeed. I'd wrongly believed that Edward was only interested in making money at the time. I'm quite surprised he was willing to fix the problems he had caused without expecting a reward." said Heywood.
"What interest me most is the map. Edward said he had sold it to the Templars? How did this happen?" asked Harry.
This time, it was Sirius who answered. "I do not know much about Edward Kenway but I believe his first contact with the Assassins and Templars was when the British Assassin Duncan Walpole attempted to kill him following a naval fight between the pirate crew Edward was part of and the ship Walpole had been travelling on. I believe Duncan was an Assassin traitor who was planning on joining the Templars while selling them information."
"It was not his first contact with the Templars – that had happened in Wales – but it was his first with the Assassins." said Heywood. "I researched the life of Edward Kenway when I was younger, wanting to know more about my famous ancestor. After retiring from piracy, Edward told his daughter Jennifer Scott – his first born – about his life story, including his adventures in the West Indies. Jennifer later wrote her father's story in a journal. The journal, while very lacking on some parts of Edward's life, still offer a great insight. In it Jennifer told how her father decided to impersonate Walpole in the hope of getting the money for the information on the Assassins. That's what he and James Kidd were talking about, I suppose."
"So, Edward decided to sell maps on the Assassins and came to regret it. Nice to know but what does this have to do with what we are looking for?"
"That, I don't know, Harry, but I believe the Animus sent you there for a reason." said Heywood.
"Is there another memory?"
"Yes, plenty more to go."
"Play the next one, then."
"As you wish." said Heywood before Harry's vision changed.
"This memory takes place a month after the previous one in the former Mayan city of Tulum." said Heywood.
Edward was cursing mentally. He was really regretting deciding to meet Kidd here. He had a feeling it was another one of his bloody tests.
Where was Edward? Well, he was currently deep inside the Assassin base somewhere off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. When they had left the island of Great Inagua a month before, Kidd had told him to meet him here on this day. Using the free time he had before this meeting, Edward had decided to help the Assassins targeted on the map they had found in Du Casse's manor.
While he hadn't been sure if he had enough time to help all targets in time before his meeting with Kidd while also worrying about taking treasures for his crew to keep them happy, Edward somehow managed to do it.
None of the four Master Assassins leading the 'Bureaus' had welcomed him at the beginning. All four times, Edward had to make himself heard so that he would be given a chance to atone for his mistakes. Fortunately, it seemed to have done the job as the Assassins all allowed him to help. Within a few days, Edward would manage to help defend the Bureaus while assassinating the Templar leaders in their respective cities. Along the way, he managed to find the remaining four keys, which he stored somewhere in the captain's room of the Jackdaw.
With the four Bureaus rescued from their threat, Edward had set sail toward his new destination, the meeting place with Kidd. Edward had believed he would simply find Kidd's ship anchored near the coast and one would board the other's ship for their meeting. Of course, it was too good to be true.
What Edward really found was an Assassin stronghold. It was when he realized Kidd was crazy enough to ask him to meet inside Assassin lines. Since he doubted he would be welcome in their base after his experiences with the Bureaus, he decided to sneak in. It was probably what Kidd had wanted anyway.
This was the reason why Edward was cursing mentally. He was currently inside a thick bush, waiting for a patrolling Assassin to walk past. From his calculations, Kidd should not be too far away. Well, as long as the coordinates the man had given were the right ones. He'd been sneaking in for the last hour and was getting more and more impatient.
Finally, after jumping out of the bush, he found Kidd, who was leaning back on the wall of a strange native temple. Edward ran toward the man. He was very angry. "Christ, Kidd." whispered Edward angrily once he reached him. "What the hell were you thinking? Did you try to get me killed!?" He'd begun doubting his rejection of the assassination theory in the past hour. Him sneaking in their base seemed to be the perfect motif to have him killed without looking like the aggressors. It hurt that it could be their goal too, especially since he had just spent the last month helping fix the problem he had caused them. "That's what it's been about all along, was it? Your endgame? Befriending me just to drag me in the Assassins stronghold to get me killed, hoping I'd be naive enough to trust you?"
A flash of hurt crossed Kidd's eyes. Before he could answer his accusations, another voice from behind spoke. "Captain Kenway..." Angry and feeling betrayed, Edward activated his left Hidden Blade while grabbing his pistol with the other. He swung in the opposite direction and attempted to cut down the throat of whoever was there to kill him.
Someone caught his arm and pushed him back. It was an Assassin wearing orange-brown robes. Behind this strange looking Assassin were two others in white robes. Using his other arm, Edward pointed his pistol toward the Assassin in orange-robes but, before he could fire, Kidd grabbed the pistol by the barrel and disarmed him.
Taking a few steps back, he activated both of his Hidden Blades and stayed in a defensive position, waiting for whatever move the Assassins would do. But no attack came. In fact, the one with orange robes raised his empty hands in the air almost in surrender. "We do not want to kill you, Captain Kenway." said the man with a soft voice.
"What do you want, then? And who are you?" asked Edward, still on the defensive. For a brief moment, he could not help but compare himself to a wounded animal, an animal who could not escape but was ready to fight to his death.
"That's my mentor, Ah Tabai." answered Kidd.
"Wasn't asking you." snarled Edward in his direction. He did not care if he acted childish, Kidd's betrayal really hurt him. Along with Adéwalé and Ed Thatch, James Kidd had been one of the few pirates he had ever considered friends. To see Kidd potentially be part of a plot to lead him to his death was heart-wrenching.
"I want information." answered Ah Tabai. "I want to know where the Assassin Duncan Walpole is."
"Dead and buried, after he tried to kill me." said Edward truthfully.
"We are not sorry to see him gone. But it was you who carried out his final betrayal." said the Assassin Mentor. Edward winced, remembering what he had done all those years ago. "Why?"
Once again, Edward answered truthfully, even if he knew it wouldn't be well received. "I was an idiot. Back then, I didn't care about anything but myself. I wanted the money."
"Should I find comfort it that!?" yelled Ah Tabai, taking a step forward. Edward immediately raised his still activated Hidden Blades, which made the orange-robed Assassin stop. Behind the man, Edward saw the other Assassins – excluding Kidd – reach for their weapons, though they did not unsheathe them. Ah Tabai closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if convincing himself not to strike him down where he stood.
"I know it was wrong." admitted Edward to the Assassins. "I spent the last month visiting your bureaus to help the Masters defend themselves and defeat the Templars in their cities."
The only reaction he got from Ah Tabai was the man raising an eyebrow. In the corner of his eye, Edward noticed the surprise on Kidd's face before he schooled himself down. "It was you, then?" asked the mentor.
Edward shrugged. "I don't know what you heard but I did what I could to help them... to atone for my mistakes."
Ah Tabai took a step back. He looked much less threatening, now. "James told me you treated with the Templars there. Did you see the man they call the Sage?" It seemed his theory on the Observatory had been true. The Assassins had sent Kidd toward him to get information on the Observatory. Edward sent a small glare toward Kidd before nodding to the mentor. "Would you recognize his face if you saw it again?"
"I reckon so."
"I must be certain." said Ah Tabai. Then, he nodded in Kidd's direction. "Follow him, we will get our answer." Then, without saying good-bye – not that Edward had expected one – Ah Tabai turned and walked away, his Assassins following him, leaving Edward alone with Kidd.
"Follow me, Edward." ordered Kidd. Edward only grunted in answer. With a small sigh, Kidd turned and opened the door of the temple before leading them inside.
The path toward whatever destination Kidd and Ah Tabai had in mind was long and perilous. Most of the inside of the temple was in complete ruins, having long been taken over by mother nature. Some parts of the floor were outright missing, forcing the duo to jump and use their freerunning abilities to clear the obstacle. Edward and Kidd did not talk while on their way to their destination, though not by lack of trying on Kidd's part.
Edward refused to speak to him because he was still feeling betrayed. He had trusted the man and decided to help the Assassins and fix his mistakes. He'd hoped he would be done with both factions and be free to continue his career as a pirate of the West Indies. Instead, Edward had trusted Kidd, which resulted in him being dragged back in the war against the Templars. And he still wasn't sure the Assassins weren't going to kill him once he gave them the answer on the Sage.
When they arrived to their destination, the duo were forced to complete a puzzle to uncover the face of the Sage. The puzzle had been relatively easy, prompting Edward to complete it in a few minutes max.
"Impressive." commented Kidd. "You're more intelligent than I thought." he said. Edward did not answer. Instead, he was looking at the statue. The face of the man was indeed very similar. It was the exact same as that of the Sage, except with a very few minor differences. What stood out the most was the man's eyes. The two eyes did not share the same colour. They were different, just like those of the Sage.
What perplexed Edward the most was the age of the statue itself. The thing must have been centuries-old, if not more, yet it was the perfect representation of the Sage. How was that possible? "Well, is this the Sage you met at Havana?" asked Kidd, bringing him out of his musings. Edward simply nodded. "You still aren't going to talk, are you?"
Edward sighed tiredly. "What am I supposed to say, Kidd?" he said before looking at the other man. "I trusted you! I thought we were friends! How could you simply drag me into your Assassin mess?"
Kidd raised an eyebrow. "I believe you dragged yourself into this 'mess' – as you put it – by pretending to be one of us in Havana. You deserve scorn for prancing around like one of us and bringing shame to our cause, Edward."
"And I did the best to fix my mistakes! I don't want to be a part of this! I didn't ask for it, yet you tricked me into coming here!"
"Look, we needed to talk to you, we needed answers, and we doubted you'd be willing to talk to us after the stunt you pulled in Havana. We had no idea if you supported the Templars or not. We couldn't – what?" he asked at the snort Edward gave him.
"There's no way I'm supporting the Templars. Not after what they did to my family." he said. He was still feeling bitter about his last night in Wales. That night, Templar agents had burned down his family farm, which had resulted in Edward being disowned by his father.
"Why did you help them, then?" asked Kidd.
"I wanted the gold, and I was an idiot. I thought I'd already explained that."
"I guess you did." said Kidd.
"What's your cause anyway?" asked Edward. He wasn't sure why he asked – it would have been easier not to be included in their mess if he didn't know their objective – but he was also very curious.
Kidd activated one of his blade, making Edward take a step back. For a moment, he had believed Kidd was about to attack him. "To be blunt, we kill people. Templars and their associates. Folks who'd like to control all the empires on Earth – claiming they do so in the name of peace and order."
"Sounds like Du Casse's dying words."
"You see? It's about power, really. About lording it over people. Robbing us of liberty."
Edward hummed. He agreed that liberty was something very important that everyone should have. Still, he didn't know if Kidd told him this because it was the truth of the cause of the Assassins, or if he was just trying to win over Edward's pirate heart.
"How long have you been one of these Assassins?" asked Edward, trying to fish for answers. He really wanted to know the real James Kidd – if that even was his real name.
"A couple of years now. I met Ah Tabai in Spanish Town. There was something about him I trusted, a sort of wisdom."
Edward chuckled darkly. He looked away from Kidd. "Is it wise to trust someone at face value? Sometimes, those you trust don't always turn out to be working in your favour, and can betray you."
Kidd sighed. "Look, man. I'm sorry, alright?" he said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't my intention to hurt you. If it can reassure you, I do genuinely care for you."
Edward didn't know why he found comfort in the man's words. He was a pirate, for Christ's sake. Why was he sulking because someone else had done something he was unaware of? It was part of the job. He shouldn't act like a ten-year-old kid. Edward turned back and gave him a smile.
"Why don't you tell me more about the Assassins?" he asked, trying to change the subject. "Was this all Ah Tabai's idea?"
Kidd chuckled. "Oh no. The Assassins and Templars have been at war for more than a millennium all over the world. The natives of this land had similar philosophies for as long as they've been here. When Europeans arrived, our group sort of... matched up. Cultures and religions and languages keep folks divided – but there's something in the Assassin's Creed that crosses all boundaries. A fondness for life and liberty." he said passionately.
"It remind me of Nassau."
"Close. But not quite." he said. "Anyway, we should probably go back." added Kidd, glancing at the statue of the Sage. "Ah Tabai is most likely waiting for us."
"Are you sure they aren't going to kill me?" asked Edward with a bit of a joking tone. He followed Kidd behind the statue, the completion of the puzzle having revealed a way out.
"They won't." said Kidd firmly. "The worse they could do is ban you of Tulum and escort you out."
"If you say so." said Edward. They continued walking for a few minutes in silence. It was broken when Edward asked another question. "You mentioned a creed. What is it?"
"Nothing is true – everything is permitted."
Edward frowned a bit. At first glance, the Assassin's Creed sounded like it denied the existence of rules and laws – something that would appear perfect for a pirate. Of course, he knew there must have a deeper meaning behind it. One you had to find yourself. "It is certainly an interesting philosophy." said Edward a minute later. "A confusing one."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, if nothing is true, then why believe anything? And if everything is permitted, then why not chase every desire? I believe this might simply be the beginning of wisdom, rather than its final form."
Kidd stopped and looked at Edward. "I'm impressed!" he said.
"Yes, you've been saying this a lot." said Edward, rolling his eyes. Did everyone really believe him to only have a mind for gold and rum?
"I underestimated you, Edward." said Kidd with a chuckle before they continued their walk.
They exited the cave on a cliff side where they found Ah Tabai crouching. He looked like he was observing something in the distance. When he heard them, Ah Tabai turned in their direction and made made a sign of the hand to stay quiet. This was rather concerning. Sure, the sky up ahead was now black, but he doubted the Assassins kept quiet to allow the others to sleep. Something must be going on.
"Quiet!" hissed Kidd. Edward rolled his eyes. As if he couldn't figure out Ah Tabai's gesture!
Ah Tabai raised on his feet and went toward them. "The statue in the temple." he whispered. "Was that the man you saw in Havana?"
"Spitting likeness, aye." said Edward quietly.
Ah Tabai nodded. "It seems another Sage has been found, the race for the Observatory begins anew."
"What's going on?" asked Edward, wanting answer to his own questions. "Why are we whispering?"
A flash of anger crossed Ah Tabai's face. Not saying anything, he turned around and pointed down toward the Assassin base. Edward was horrified to see Assassins bound and captured. Not far from them, a British soldier had his rifle pointed at the head of an Assassin. Just as he was observing, the solider fired, blasting the Assassin's blood on the wall in front.
"Damnation." cursed Edward. "I thought I'd fixed this."
"You missed the most obvious one – Tulum. Now, the agents of two empires know exactly where we operate."
Edward cursed himself for his stupidity. While he had no qualms over killing British or Spanish soldiers to steal their gold or resources, he hated that his own actions led to the deaths of others. The soldiers had signed up their lives to protect the interests of greedy kings. In Edward's opinion, if they wanted to die to protect the gold of someone who didn't need it, then so be it. The Assassins, however, were people who fought to make the world a better place. He hated that his own actions led to them being held at gun-point in the middle of the night.
"I'll take care of it." said Edward, putting his hood and covering his face.
"If you succeed, I will absolve you of your errors in Havana and elsewhere." said Ah Tabai.
"Thank you, Mentor." said Kidd.
"It does not mean he will be welcome here." added Ah Tabai before leaving the two alone. Then, everything turned blue.
"Well, that was interesting." said Harry once he was back in the Memory Corridor. "Still don't see how it's related to our quest to find more about Edward's second child."
"I believe it is related." said Heywood through the Animus. "I believe the Animus is showing us these memories because the woman who he had his second child with was an Assassin."
"So we're seeing him interact the Animus because it's paving the way for his relationship with whichever woman is the mother?"
"Yes."
Sirius then spoke. "Am I the only one who think there's something strange going on with James Kidd?"
"What do you mean?" asked Harry, confused.
"I don't know how to explain it, but it feels like Kidd is hiding part of himself... I really can't explain better. It's just confusing."
"I agree with you." said Heywood. "And I think I know the answer." Harry could hear the smile in his voice.
"Which is...?"
"Well, why would I spoil it for you?" said the older man with a chuckle. Harry pouted. "Now, are you ready for the next memory?"
"Yes. I am."
"Then I'm launching the next memory. It's taking place in Kingston, 1917."
As Heywood had said, Harry – or rather Edward – found himself in some large town somewhere in Jamaica. He was currently walking toward a man with black skin and his face was covered by his dirty white hood.
The man – Adéwalé – was looking at someone with a look of anger. Edward recognized who he was looking at. It was Laurens Prins, a Dutch slaver and the man Edward had been tracking for the last few months.
After helping rescue the Assassins, Edward and Kidd discovered that Laurens Prins had been the one behind the attack on Tulum. Later, while searching for the Sage, he had also discovered that Prins had found him and enslaved him. It was the reason why he had set sail to Nassau, hoping to find the man. And, just like he had predicted, there he was, meeting with none-other than Governor Torres. Now, Edward's goal was to get the Sage one way or the other.
He turned back toward Adéwalé. "Here's how it goes." he said quietly. "Torres meets with Prins carrying a portion of the ransom, saying the rest is close behind. When we see the Sage, you bring the rest of the gold, make the swap and get out. I'll be watching from close by." He started moving away when Adéwalé stopped him. He looked even angrier.
"No, Kenway." he said. "You run this scheme alone, at the risk of losing the faith of your crew. It makes me ill to think of you bartering with that wretched slaver."
"Look, mate." said Edward. "I don't like working with scums like Prins any more than you, but it's necessary if we want to get our hand on the Sage. Once we got him, we'll have the road to the Observatory open!"
Adéwalé looked behind Edward. "Not if young Master Kidd gets to him first."
"What? Kidd?" exclaimed Edward, turning around. And, sure enough, Kidd was there, hiding within the crowd. There went Edward's plans for the Sage. He had no doubt Kidd's mission was to kill either Prins or Torres – probably both if he could. "Jaysus, that lad's here to kill him."
Edward walked away from Adéwalé and in direction of Kidd. Once he was behind, he grabbed him and dragged him in a narrow alleyway between two fishing huts. "Edward, what the hell are you doing here?" hissed Kidd, trying to get out of Edward's grip.
"I'm tailing these men to the Sage." answered Edward simply. "Do you think you can stay your blade until he appears?"
Kidd's eyes shot up. "The Sage is here?"
"Aye. That's what Prins and Torres' meeting is all about. Torres want to buy the Sage off Prins."
"Jaysus." said Kidd with frustration. Knowing he had convinced him, Edward let go of the slender man. "I'll stay my blade for a time – but not long."
"Good enough." said Edward, looking back at the Templar and slaver. "That's all I'm asking for. Then, you can do as Assassins do." He noticed Prins and Torres were moving away, so Edward made sign to Kidd to follow him.
Together, the two men followed Prins and Torres for nearly an hour. Edward followed Kidd's lead, getting Assassin training in the art of stealth on the spot as Edward tried to do like his friend and remain inconspicuous. By staying at a certain distance, Edward was able to pick up on snippets of the conversation. For instance, Torres seemed to be as tired of this as Edward, if the man's words were anything to go by.
"I grow tired of this walk, Prins." said the Spanish Governor. "We must be close, by now."
Thankfully, they were indeed close as, a few minutes later, the duo stopped. To Edward's surprise, they did not stop at Prins' plantation, as he had expected, but what looked like the entrance of a graveyard. Both he and Kidd hid in bushes nearby. Kidd looked ready to jump at the two men but Edward stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.
"Not now. Not until we see the Sage." he whispered.
Kidd huffed. "He's at the plantation. Why would he be here in a graveyard?" he said before they looked back at the two men. Edward had to agree with Kidd. It was indeed rather strange.
"Here's a quiet spot. I'll see the money." said Prins. Torres went for his belt and grabbed a red leather pouch. The pouch was about as big as Torres' hand. The governor presented it to the slaver.
"This is but a portion of the ransom. The rest is close at hand."
Prins grabbed the pouch, though somewhat reluctantly. He began slowly pacing around. "It pains me to traffic a man of my own race for profit, Mister Torres. Tell me again, what has this Roberts fellow done to upset you?"
Torres seemed surprised at Prins question. It was – Edward had to admit – rather a strange one. He doubted slavers cared about people's opinions of who they wanted to buy, so why did this man do? Torres seemed to think the same as he said "Is this some form of protestant piety I am not familiar with?"
Prins looked back at the pouch before tossing it back to a gaping Torres. "Perhaps another day."
"What!?" exclaimed Torres.
"Next time, see to it that we are not followed!" said Prins, pointing straight at him and Kidd. "Deal with this!" he ordered to his guards. Torres glanced at them with wide eyes before running away.
"Christ." cursed Edward, raising on his feet. Prins had been more observant than he had believed. He had no doubt he had been the one the slaver had seen. Kidd was just much better at stealth.
Four guards with heavy axes walked around the entrance of the graveyard, ready to kill him. Kidd also shot up to his feet.
"I'm going after Prins. I should have killed him long ago." before he ran toward where Prins had last been seen.
Edward was very tempted to stop Kidd, but he doubted it would do any good. He was pretty sure now that the Sage was at the man's plantation, and he would go there no matter what. Kidd could have his kill. He would just get rid of the guards before going for the Sage himself.
Nighttime fell a few hours later. After having disposed of the guards, Edward had made his way to Prins' plentation, where he hid in a bush and waited for nightfall.
Once the light of the sun had stopped lighting the plantation, Edward came out of his bush and stretched. There, he began making a plan. From where he was, he could not see much about the plantation. He would need a higher ground to take note of everything. Looking around, he tried to find somewhere he could go. There, he noticed it. An old windmill close to the plantation and only a few minutes walk from him.
When he made his way to the windmill, he was surprised to hear another voice. "Psst – Edward!" said the voice quietly. Edward recognized it as Kidd's, but he couldn't find the man anywhere. "Up here!" came the voice. Edward looked up and was only slightly surprised to see Kidd perched up the windmill. Kidd made a shake of the head to tell him to climb, so Edward did.
When he arrived on top, Edward sat down next to Kidd. "Did you get Prins?" he asked. Kidd snorted.
"No. The bastard escaped. I've been stalking that pig for a week now, charting his moves..." he said angrily. "And here I find not one, but two of my targets – and I fail to kill both because of your interference."
Edward raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Didn't Ah Tabai say 'The race for the Observatory begins anew.'? Isn't it in the Assassins' best interest to get a hold of the sage before the Templars? If it is, then it's rather stupid to kill the two men who hold the information on the Sage." he said.
Kidd looked back at Edward with surprise. "You might just be right." he said.
"We could work together on this, you know?" said Edward. "It's Laurens Prins you're after, and I want his prisoner."
"We're after the Sage as well, Edward." said Kidd. "You could work with us, you know? Help us find the Observatory."
Edward did not answer right away. While he did himself believe it would be no good for the Templars to find the Observatory – and that the Assassins would not abuse it – he wasn't sure if he should help them find it. His reasons were not purely selfless.
"I'll think about it." he said. Though he did not seem much pleased about his lack of answer, Kidd nodded none-the-less.
Kidd looked at the plantation. "There's guards patrolling that property from end to end. Looks to me like they use bells to signal trouble." he said. Then, he gave a nod toward one of the bells. "See there?" Edward nodded. "We'll want to disable those before pushing too far. With so many men about, we can't rely on stealth alone. So," he said, pulling out a small knife. "I'll do what I can to distract and draw their attention."
Kidd used the knife to cut his finger open, making it bleed. He then rubbed the finger on his lips, turning them blood red. Next, he removed his red bandana and detached his hair, letting them loose. Edward blinked. Now, in front of him, Kidd looked much more like a woman than a man. He was starting to put two and two together. Edward was a man who was rather observant, yet he had missed this. Kidd was not a man – he was a woman!
"I knew it!" said Heywood through the Animus.
"That makes so much sense!" came Sirius' voice through the Animus.
"It certainly explain why I couldn't figure out if she was a man or woman the first time I saw her." added Harry.
Kidd then pulled up his – no, her shirt and began unlacing a corset, which she pulled from within her shirt before tossing it on the ground, revealing what were unmistakably a pair of breasts.
"Your name is not James, is it?" asked Edward, feeling slightly light-headed.
She smiled. "Not most days." she said before raising on her feet. While she stood, Edward noticed that her posture had changed. While before she stood and walked like a man, now there wasn't any doubt. She clearly was a woman. "Come on." Then, she jumped down into a hale of hay. Still feeling confused, Edward pulled his hood on his face and jumped after her. All he could think of was 'How did I not notice?'.
"Damn it, man. How is it you're a woman?" he blurted once he rejoined her on the ground. He was still feeling very confused.
"Christ, Edward, is it something that needs explaining?" said Kidd – if that even was her name – with hidden amusement. "Now, we're here to do a job. I'll let you be amused later."
Edward wasn't much amused, though. In truth, he understood how this woman had come to pass herself for a man. Sailors hated having a woman on their ship because of strange superstitions. Because of this, if they wanted to be seamen, then they had to be just that – seamen. He couldn't help but think at the pure guts of it. She must have been bloody courageous to make a decision just like it.
"Edward!" hissed Kidd, sounding less amused. "Snap out of it!"
Edward blinked before he looked at Kidd. Right, she was a woman and they were on a mission. He could think about her later. "Right. I'll go hide, then." he said.
"You do that." she said.
Edward managed to sneak his way in the plantation up to the gates of the small manor, disabling the bells along the way. While he waited, Edward overhead the two guards guarding the gates talking. Apparently, Torres had managed to slip away and was now out of town. He doubted Kidd would appreciate the info.
Then, she showed up, limping and holding the side of her stomach. She looked injured, despite the fact he could not see any blood. Edward had to hand it to her. She was a very convincing actor. Then again, she had the entire West Indies convinced she was a man.
"Help!" she cried once she approached the gates. The first soldier who spotted her unsheathed his sword.
"Hold!" yelled the British soldier. "Stand your ground!"
"Please... I've been shot." she rasped weakly. "I need aid!"
The other guard made a sign to his colleague to stand down. "Christ, Thompson, look at her. She's hurt."
"Deadfully, sir! I'm poorly, and faint." said Kidd, her voice becoming more and more weak. A very good actor indeed.
"Alright!" said the second guard, unlocking the gate.
"Take an arm, lass!" said the first guard, walking toward her to hold her steady.
"Bless you, lads." said Kidd gratefully.
The first guard held her by the shoulders before they slowly began walking their way toward the manor. Then, she pushed the guard away and activated a Hidden Blade. She immediately stabbed the guard in the throat before grabbing he man's sword. Then, before the second guard could react, she used the sword to slice off the other guard's head. Then, she dropped the bloody sword on the ground and made a sign to Edward to follow, not longer looking remotely weak.
"Christ." said Edward and Harry at the same time. Raising from the bush, he entered the grounds of the manor. Together, they began walking toward the building. Edward had no doubts they were seen by slaves, but he hoped they wouldn't raise the alarm. Thankfully, they didn't, and both were able to reach the entrance.
"I'll take the inside. You take the grounds." whispered Kidd. Edward nodded and turned around to walk around the manor. Edward doubted that a man like Prins would walk far from the safety of his home this late at night.
The manor was not that big, so Edward did not have a hard time walking around it. When he arrived at the back, he found a gazebo in the middle of the rear yard. There he was, standing with his back to him, his hands on his stomach and looking out over his grounds, pleased with his lot in life. He was a fat slaver, someone who had built his fortune on the suffering of others. It made Edward's wrist itch.
Quietly, he walked toward Prins and hid behind one side of the archway of the gazebo. He activated his blade. The activation was so quiet that Prins did not even hear it. Edward then jumped and thrust the blade in his throat. He heard a small gasp of surprise before everything turned blue.
Harry looked around in shock. He was back in the Memory Corridor yet, he was sure the memory was not over. Then, on the ground in front of him was Prins, who was looking at him. Harry caught on what was happening.
"Limbo..." he whispered. "Edward managed to access it."
"And so it seems." said Heywood. "It's strange the way the Animus displays it, though. It's like it can't comprehend what to display around, so it just show the Memory Corridor instead..."
Edward crouched on one knee and watched as the slaver slowly lost his life. "Why hang over me like a leering crow?" asked Prins. "To see an old man suffer?"
It angered him that Prins was trying to make him feel guilty over his situation while the man himself had done much, much worse. "You've caused no small portion of suffering yourself, Mr. Prins." he hissed. "Retribution, I suppose..."
"You absurd cutthroats and your precious philosophy..." Prins said mockingly. "You live in the world, but you cannot make it move."
"You mistake me, old man." said Edward. "I'm no Assassin, just someone who share similar ideas." Then, he leaned forward. "I believe that, sometimes, we just need the good men and women to fight for what is right to change the world for the better."
Prins chuckled weakly. "I once believed that, until I saw the truth of the world. It was much more profitable to work for my best interests. I wonder, what will be your choice, pirate? Gold, or selflessness?" Then, he died.
Edward raised back on his feet. He turned around and walked away. Then, the Animus began displaying Prins' backyard once again. He was about to make his way back to the front of the manor when he heard someone shout at him.
"Head's up, Kenway!" shouted Kidd. Edward looked in her direction. She was on a balcony of the manor hold hostage by none-other than the Sage – Roberts. It was the first time Edward saw him since Havana. He looked just as he remembered. "I found your man!" called down Kidd, not sounding remotely concerned.
"I remember you... the Templar from Havana." said Roberts.
"I'm no Templar, mate." called back Edward. "That was just a ruse. We've come here to save your arse from this slaver!" he said, pointing at Prins' corpse.
"Save me?" asked Roberts, amused. "I work for Mister Prins!"
"Well then, he's a poor man to call Master." said Edward carefully. "He meant to sell you out on the Templars earlier today."
"Oh you can't trust anyone, it seems." said Roberts angrily. His anger served to distract him from Kidd, who used the opportunity to her advantage. She elbowed him quite hard in the stomach before jumping down the balcony. After recovering, Roberts pointed his flint-lock at Kidd but she was already out of his sight. Quickly, he changed targets and fired on the single alarm bell in the backyard. Then, he turned around and walked back inside the manor, most likely to make his escape.
"ROBERTS!" shouted Edward. A gate nearby crashed open, revealing a dozen soldiers entering the grounds. Not wishing to stay any longer, Edward ran toward where Kidd had landed and, together, they escaped the grounds of the manor.
They continued running until they reached the windmill they had started from. Edward began cursing himself loudly for loosing Roberts. It was a good thing they had lost the guards earlier, they would have found them easily otherwise.
"I suppose you aren't happy to loose your man again, are you?" asked Kidd. Edward snorted.
"Aye. Roberts is a devil with a queer aversion to kindness. I suppose that's two men I lost today." he said, thinking back at what he had overheard about Governor Torres. Then, he looked at 'Kidd'. "What's your real name, lass?" he asked with a smirk.
The woman smiled. "Mary Read to my Mum – and those I call friends."
"I thought we were already friends." joked Edward.
"I am... but could I trust you with this secret?" she teased.
"Of course."
Mary smiled before she activated her Hidden Blade, pointing the tip at Edward's crotch. Edward gulped. "Not a word to anyone, now that you know – or I'll unman you as well."
Edward and Mary stared at each other for a few seconds before Mary's smile grew. Then, she turned away, deactivating her Hidden Blade. He stayed still as he watched Mary Read walk away. Just before she turned a corner and disappeared behind a building, the looked at him one last time and winked.
"Jaysus..." murmured Edward once Mary had disappeared from his vision.
"Bloody hell." exclaimed Harry once he was back in the Memory Corridor.
"She's a spitfire, isn't she?" commented Sirius with amusement.
"Hey, its not funny! I was Edward Kenway during that memory! It was terrifying!" he said. He heard Sirius' laughter through the Animus. Harry rolled his eyes.
"I believe my theory is right." said Heywood.
"What theory?" asked Harry.
"Do you not see it? Why the Animus has been showing us memories of Edward's encounters with Mary Read?"
Harry's eyes widened. "She's the mother of his second child!?" he exclaimed.
"I believe so. There's only one way to find out."
"Play the next memory, then!"
"This memory takes place in 1718, a year and a half later, in Great Inagua." said Heywood.
Similarly to the first memory they had played that morning, all Harry could see was darkness. Edward was currently sleeping. He then felt someone push his right hand away, jerking Edward awake.
He blinked. He was slightly confused. He could feel someone draped over him – but he was pretty sure it wasn't Mary. In the year and a half since Prins' death, Edward had done more than a few missions with Mary, both pirate and Assassin. Thanks to this, they had both become quite close to each other. In fact, Edward was beginning to feel for her what he had once felt for Caroline.
A lot more had happened since Prins' death than his own changing feelings for his only female friend. Early in the year, the British had visited Nassau, offering pardons to any pirates – as long as they were willing to go back home penniless. The pirates had begun to talk about whether or not it was a good thing.
Meanwhile, at the same time, the living condition in Nassau were deteriorating. To help the city recover, Ed Thatch – also known as Blackbeard – made it his mission to find medicine to help their citizen. Unfortunately, Thatch had been reckless in his quest and attracted more than his fair share of trouble, pushing Edward to help his friend more than once.
Once they had recovered the medicine, Edward had gone back to Nassau while Thatch had retired from pirate life. While he was at Nassau, the British came back a second time, this time blockading the harbour. British Governor Woodes Rogers himself visited the city to talk with the pirates considered in charge. A few of them had accepted while others – like Edward and Mary – had refused the pardon. With the help of Charles Vane, Edward had managed to break the blockade. Vane had gone to see Thatch while Edward had gone back to Great Inagua, where he made himself home.
Now, here he was, sleeping outside of Du Casse's old manor with a stranger draped over him. For a brief moment, he wondered if he'd had sex, but he remembered falling asleep alone – that and the fact he was still dressed helped calm himself down. He then looked for the person who had waken him.
It was Mary, who was sitting on a chair, not looking very amused. Edward sighed. Of course it was her who had to find him in such a position. "Ahoy, Kidd." he greeted with her male name. She was in her disguise and he didn't want to break her cover. "You missed quite a time."
"Aye." she said, her eyes narrowing. "Pity about Nassau. And Blackbeard flying the coop."
"Oh, we'll see about Thatch." he said, pushing the woman draped over him away. He then raised and sat on the table. "Vane's off to see him now, and I'm following soon." He heard footsteps and looked up. He found Adéwalé who was walking toward them.
"This is what's left of your experiment on Democracy?" asked Mary, pointing at a pissing man.
Edward sighed. Such was obvious. With key leaders pardoned, arrested or retired, what was once the Pirate Republic was now only the remnants of a dream long past. "Nassau might have fallen, but I still hold hope on the ideas of freedom. I'm not ready to put myself back in the hands of greedy kings."
"Well, why not join the Assassins then if you love freedom so much?" she asked. Edward sighed again.
Mary had asked many times he join the Assassins since they had worked together to kill Prins. Edward had always refused her offers, not because he didn't share the ideals of the Assassins, but because he quite liked being his own man without having to report to anyone or answer anyone's wishes. It also did not help that, as far as he was concerned, he was still not welcome in Tulum.
"Like I said the last ten times you asked, I'm not interested."
Mary huffed in frustration. "For Christ's sake, Edward. Don't anything but the stink of riches wrinkle your nose?"
Edward blinked. 'What?' he thought. He was hurt that Mary assumed all that interested him was gold. He thought she knew him better than that by now. "What's got into you, man?"
"Reality, mate. Reality." she said, raising from her chair. She then turned toward Adéwalé and said "See that you ain't pulled into the drink by this drowning rat." Then, she walked away, taking the first set of stairs she found to climb down toward the rest of the island.
With a last sigh, Edward jumped down from the table and ran after her. He wanted to know what was bothering her so much. And he wanted to make it clear that his reluctance to join the Assassins was not for purely selfish reasons.
"Oy, Kidd – Mary, wait up!" he said, climbing down the stairs behind her.
Mary stepped on a landing before she turned back to him. "I don't want to talk to you, Kenway." she said firmly.
"Mary, what's wrong?" he asked softly.
"Nothing." she said shortly.
Edward waited, but Mary did not speak. Since she wasn't willing to talk, Edward decided to explain his decision once again. "I'm not refusing because I'd rather gather riches." he said.
"Then why are you still a pirate, then? If you not care about gold, why do you still seek to make yourself a fortune through stealing and murdering?"
Edward thought about her question. Why indeed. The reality was that Edward was a pirate because he was a pirate. While, at the beginning, he had took to the sea to gather gold in the hope of winning back Caroline's heart, nowadays, there just wasn't a reason. He had nobody to support, nobody to use his gold for. "What else am I supposed to do? Being the captain of a pirate crew is the only thing I'm good at." he said.
"You could be much more, though." she said.
"I wouldn't be a good Assassin, Mary." he said. "I'm not good at being part of a chain of command. I'm too much independent and reckless to be an Assassin. I have no doubts I would only cause problems if I joined the Brotherhood. I agree with the philosophy and ideals of the Assassins, but I just can't see myself become one. Also, aren't I a person non grata in Tulum?"
"Not anymore." said Mary. "After the help you brought me and other Assassins in the few missions we did, Ah Tabai decided to welcome you in Talum, if you ever wished. He and I both believe you could make a good Assassin."
Edward looked at the black haired woman. "Mary, why do you care so much about me joining the Assassins or not? Why does it seem so important to you?"
Mary looked back right at his eyes. "I-" she started, but she couldn't speak. It was as if something was stopping her from talking. And, as he stared into her olive-coloured eyes, he realized the truth.
She was in love with him, just like he was in love with her. "You love me, don't you?" he asked. Mary looked away, her cheeks red. Deep down, he was amazed he had somehow managed to make Mary Read – of all people – blush! "You do, don't you!" he said with elation.
"Shut up." hissed Mary. She was clearly embarrassed about it. Edward raised his hands in surrender.
"Calm down, Mary." he said softly. "The truth is that I'm also in love with you." he said truthfully, hoping it would appraise her down.
"Really?" she asked, looking at him. Edward nodded.
"I'd always thought of James Kidd as one of my closest friends. When I learned you were a woman, I became attracted to you." he said, taking a step toward her. Mary did not move. "Spending time with you, I realized I really liked who Mary Read was. I fell for her just as I once felt for Caroline Scott. I love her." he said, speaking from his heart. Two two were now face by face, their noses only inches away from the other.
"You really do, don't you?" she asked, hope in her voice. Edward nodded. Then, just like that, both leaned forward and kissed.
It became obvious rather quickly that neither of them were beginners in the art of kissing and more. In the back of his mind, he remembered that Mary had once been married, just the same as his.
They kissed for a few minutes before they let go of each other, in fear things could go too far. Mary cleared her throat. "I'm glad you think that way." she said, trying to regain her composure. For Edward's part, he couldn't help but grin. The kiss... it felt like it had been much better than anything he'd ever had with his first wife.
"So am I." he said.
Mary gave him a peck on the cheek. "I still believe you could make a great Assassin." she whispered.
"I'll consider it." said Edward. Suddenly, becoming an Assassin seemed much more attractive. Mary smiled and gave him a wink before she continued walking down the stairs.
It took a few minutes for Edward to regain his own composure before he walked down the stairs. Soon, he would leave to see Thatch and he wanted the Jackdaw ready for departure.
Harry coughed. "Merlin, it felt so wrong." he said with a disgusted face. Since he was reliving Edward Kenway's memories, he had felt the kisses he and Mary had shared as if it were his own. Considering she was his ancestor – and that he himself was attracted to someone else – it was rather disturbing.
"Don't cry, Harry." came Sirius' voice. He was laughing. "I'm sure it wasn't so bad."
"Go kiss your own many-times ancestor and we'll see if you still think that." hissed Harry.
"Are you good to go for another memory?" asked Heywood.
"Yeah, sure." said Harry, taking a deep breath. "How many are there left?"
"For Edward? Only one. In fact, it seem to be the very last one in your D.N.A." his cousin answered with amusement.
The very last one? It took him a second to figure out what that meant. "Oh, god." he said, sounding even more disgusted. Both Sirius and Heywood laughed. "Promise me you'll pull me out once we arrive to the conception of their child?"
"I promise, don't worry, Harry." said Heywood, chuckling. "I won't make you go through that."
"Thank you." he said.
"The last memory takes place in May 1719." said Heywood. Then, the memory loaded, revealing the harbour of Great Inagua. For possibly the last time, Harry felt the consciousness of Edward Kenway take control of his body.
Both Edward and Adéwalé were drinking together while Jack Rackham was bound on a bench near them. The day was perfect.
It had been nearly a year since Edward and Mary had admitted their love for each other. Neither had known it would be the last time they saw each other in months. Like he had told her, Edward had sailed the Jackdaw where Thatch had set up camp. There, Edward had reluctantly joined the celebrations of Thatch's retirement. Unfortunately, the celebrations quickly turned into tragedy when the British Navy attacked. Thatch was killed and Edward only narrowly escaped.
Back in the Caribbeans, Edward and Charles Vain had set sail to find the Princess, the ship the Sage Roberts was part of the crew. Unfortunately, before they could decide their move, the crew of the Jackdaw, leaded by Jack Rackham, mutinied. Edward and Vane were dropped up on an island and left for dead.
Vane and Edward spent the next few months forced into exile. They worked together for a time until Vane became delirious and turned against Edward, blaming him for everything wrong that had happened. The two fought and, in the end, Edward had been forced to kill him.
A few days later, Edward was found by a pirate schooner. It turned out that the pirate crew of the schooner was composed of some of Edward's former pirates, those who had refused to mutiny against him. Happy to see their old captain alive, they sailed him back to Great Inagua.
He spent the next few days recovering and eating good food. Having lost his Assassin/pirate robes a long time ago, he decided to finally put on the Templar robes he had found so long ago in Du Casse's manor. He, of course, removed all the Templar insignias, not wishing to be associated with them. Then, he sat down and thought about what he should do.
The captain of the schooner had offered him a spot as quartermaster and Edward had been tempted to accept it. However, Mary's words had come back to his mind. Would it be so bad to retire and become something else? She certainly didn't think so. He thought about his future for quite a while. All he knew is that he wanted Mary to be at his side.
In the end, his dilemma was resolved for him earlier that day when Mary and Adéwalé returned to Great Inagua in the Jackdaw. He'd been very happy to see them, so happy in fact that he nearly jumped in Mary's arms and kissed her in front of everyone. The only thing that kept him from doing so was because she was disguised as James Kidd. It was especially harder when he met Mary's eyes and saw that she, just like him, wished nothing more than to kiss him.
Despite this, both kept it to themselves. Adéwalé walked out of the Jackdaw with a bound Jack Rackham. Then, the three pirates and their prisoner walked up the cliff toward Du Casse's former manor. They sat outside while Mary went to gather some rum from the reserves he had stored inside. In the meantime, he told his story to his quartermaster.
"So, the schooner with our old crew found you and sailed you here?" asked Adéwalé. Edward nodded. "Damn. I'll have to thank them when I next see them."
Edward did not answer right away, looking over at Mary who was walking toward them. She sat down on a stool and gave them their drink before smiling at him. He smiled back before he turned to Adéwalé. "I don't think they've sailed away yet. You can probably still thank them. However, I want to thank the both of you for taking my brig back from this pillock." he said, nodding toward Rackham.
They all drank before Mary spoke. "This billy-huff didn't last two months with your ship before he came limping back to Nassau. Took the pardon straight away." she said mockingly.
"I had to, lads!" protested Rackham with his annoying voice. "That Rogers was on to me from the first!"
Adéwalé raised on his feet angrily. "Hold your tongue, Rackham!" he said before he grabbed the snivelling man and dragged him who-knew-where.
Now alone with Mary, it became incredibly hard not to do anything. He began wondering why his emotions were so strong toward the woman. He really couldn't tell apart from the fact he loved her.
"I'm so happy you're back." she whispered. Edward grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
"So am I." he said with a smile. She smiled back.
"What do you plan to do next?" she asked.
Edward shrugged. "No idea." he answered truthfully. "These last few days, I've though about retiring and possibly join the Assassins."
"Really?" asked Mary, sounding pleasantly surprised. Edward nodded.
"Truly. I still want to find the Observatory, though. I don't really care about its possible riches anymore, but its a mystery that won't leave my mind until I find it. Since I have the Jackdaw back, I might just attempt to find the Princess once again. I heard its often sailing out of Kingston."
"Do you want to ask the Assassins for help?" she asked.
"I won't need their help." answered Edward. "But they can come if they want."
Mary beamed. "I'm sure Ah Tabai would take on the offer and send a few of his Assassins to help you crew the Jackdaw."
"I would certainly appreciate it. I don't have a lot of men loyal to me anymore." he said before he looked straight at Mary's eyes. "Why don't we go inside? It would be better to do so before we can't keep our attraction toward each other."
It did not take long for the duo to enter the manor. The moment they were out of view of the public, they began kissing furiously while attempting to undress each other. While Edward and Mary were loosing themselves in their lust, Harry was completely and utterly panicking.
"Oh no... please don't... Heywood! Get me you! Get me out!" he said very quickly. Just before Edward managed to remove Mary's shirt to expose her breasts, Harry's vision turned blue and he was thrown right out of the Animus.
The first thing he did when he was back in the real world was to take a shaky breath. "Oh my god." he said disgustingly. "That was horrible!"
"Why did you end the memory!" protested Sirius. "We were just getting to the good bits!"
"No way I was going through that!" exclaimed Harry to his godfather. He raised from the Animus. "If you care so much, go in the Animus and look at your ancestors shagging each other. I'm personally not doing that!"
"Hey, it mustn't be that bad." said Sirius. Harry raised an eyebrow. Then, he smirked.
"I'm sure Eileen would be so happy to hear you say that!" he joked. He began laughing when Sirius paled.
"Now, children," said Heywood, shutting them both. "Maybe we should discuss what we just saw before talking about sex with Harry."
"Fine." said Harry, taking a chair and sitting down on it. "So, we now know who is the mother of Edward's second child and how it happened." he said.
"Yes. Mary Read. I'm honestly surprised it's her."
"Why?"
"Well, historically, Edward Kenway and Mary Read were not known to be close. In fact, most stories from the time do not even mention them being together. It's usually Edward Kenway and Blackbeard or Mary Read and Anne Bonny."
"They must not have spent a lot of time pirating together, then." said Harry.
"Well, their relationship appeared to be much more personal than professional." said Sirius.
"What happened to their child, then? And how did we not know who the mother was? Shouldn't the child have know if his parents raised him?"
Heywood rubbed his eyes tiredly. "That's the thing, though." he said. "Edward Kenway never met his second child – not for lack of trying."
"Why? What happened?" asked Harry. He had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer.
Heywood sighed. "Shortly after the last memory, while Edward went to look back to the Observatory, Mary Read and Anne Bonny joined a pirate crew captained by Jack Rackham."
"Rackham? That idiot?" gasped Harry. Heywood nodded.
"Yes, him. I'm not sure what Mary thought about it but I assume she was not very happy considering her interactions with Rackham. However, Anne Bonny was apparently in love with him – if we believe the legends. Since both women were close, it's possible Mary joined the crew just to keep an eye on Anne.
"Unfortunately, within a month of the formation of the crew, they were all arrested, including Mary. At their trial, both she and Anne claimed leniency because they were pregnant, something we know it's true because of Edward's son. In the end, they got a delayed death sentence to be received after their children were born."
Harry felt his blood chill. "And?" he asked, scared of the answer.
"Well, we don't know much about what happened then, only that she died of a violet fever in early 1721 due to complications during the delivery."
Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. God, no wonder Edward had never met his child. He was most likely taken away right after the delivery and put into an orphanage – or the equivalent at the time – leaving Mary to rot in prison waiting for her execution. He couldn't believe that someone as good as his great many-times grandmother could simply die like that, alone in a cell, her heart broken because her child was taken away from her.
"The Animus still has some memories in bank on their child. Do you want to visit them?" asked Heywood with a kind voice. Harry shook his head.
"Not today – or tomorrow. Maybe this weekend."
"Fair enough."
That evening, after he had eaten something, Harry retired to his room. He decided to write a short letter to Hermione before going to bed.
Dear Hermione,
After you left, Heywood, Sirius and I visited the memories of Edward Kenway to figure out who the mother of his second child was, and why Edward was never part of his life.
What we found is that the famous pirate Mary Read was the mother. From what we saw, she and Edward fell in love in the late 1710s and conceived a child. I have a feeling you already know about Mary Read and her history, so you will understand why it's such a heartbreaking discovery.
This weekend, we might go and see Mary's memories until the child's birth, and some of the child's memories. I'm not sure yet, it depends on me. I want to know, but I also don't want to witness the end of Mary's life and how her child was taken away from her.
I'm not sure what to do.
Yours
Harry.
Once he sealed his letter, he gave it to Hedwig. "Bring that to Hermione, will you?" Hedwig gave a positive hoot before taking off from the window.
Harry changed into his sleepwear before leaning back on his bed. His last thoughts before falling asleep were him wondering what had happened to the child, and he had been raised.