listen to Ship To Wreck by Florence + The Machine for this chapter.
it's always darker before the dawn friends, our story is taking a turn.
let me know what you think.
-G.
As Liete rounded the corner of the market to the city center just a few leagues off from the Old Avery, she ran right into the chest of a man that smelled of tobacco and gunpowder.
Her mind so clouded and frantic drew her up short as she looked into a familiar face, one she hadn't seen since she'd been a young girl although it now held a ghastly scar.
Dressed in a fine leather duster with stark white breeches, purple sash and black ascot, the man smiled at her with a look that held recognition and an arrogance that seemed a little less than friendly.
Woodes Rogers had grown up from last she'd seen him at the age of twenty and five, fresh off his own father's death he had inherited the shipping company her father had worked with to bring cargo from the new worlds plantations. He'd visited their home for dinner once, and he'd been arrogant then too.
She became hyper aware as she stepped back to take in the ten other men staring at her. Four guards dressed in bright red English uniform, one older man with white hair and an unkind sneer plastered to his face, and five of the pirate republic captain; Burgess, Cockram, Vane, Rackham, and Hornigold.
It would have taken an idiot to miss the heavy tension that enveloped the group, like a cloud of gunpowder. Any match set to blow them all to bits.
"My, this is truly a surprise gents. Miss Beckford, this is unprecedented. Nearly a decade it's been since I've seen the most beautiful woman in all of the aristocracy" Turning her attention back to Rogers, he bowed with a flourish of his hand.
Liete knew he expected a courtesy in return like the proper lady she was but instead she simply stood staring at him, eyes spinning in treacherous circles.
When she gave no response, and made no move at all, a look of concern that would have convinced anyone but her passed over his visage as he moved forward either of his hands reaching to take hold of her elbows in a show of concern. Gerald who'd been behind her gave a growl but stopped slowly when his mistress gave no sound.
"Are you well Miss Beckford? Last I heard from the gossip you'd been kidnapped and thought for dead! To think you were taken prisoner by Pirates!"
Behind him, the pirates intake of breath was nearly simultaneous as they waited for Liete to attack.
This man, was different than the lad she'd met that once so many years ago. Confident and strategic in his movements, the danger from this man was different than those of the pirates she'd been surrounded by. Death and turmoil she could deal with. This man practically oozed gentry, the very thing that brought rage and disgust forward within her.
Just as she prepared to strike the man for his audacity as a lashing bubbled up in her throat, a quickening flutter went through her stomach and she stilled.
How could she? How could she when there was something more than her life poised to lose if she fought now?
True, four guards were outnumbered between them here, but even now soldiers and guards filed into the surrounding area's shouting and shoving drunkards and inhabitants into their homes.
The English had come to put an end to them.
She realized Woodes had begun speaking once more, and pulled her mind back from the horror she'd been assessing around her.
"You must be traumatized to have come running at our landing. You will come with us at once, Miss Beckford. You are under our protection now." Liete made to pull away, but the man's hands tightened to the point of pain, holding her in place.
She'd walked right into a mess and she would lose if she tried to unstick herself now.
A perfectly prim smile came from her then, perfect breeding glowing through the simple peasants dress as she spoke formally. There were other ways to survive, and she had to now that she had more to lose than herself.
"A most kind offer, Mr. Rogers. One I am in no need o-" Again she tried to pull away but his grip tightened further, and if she'd been any lesser human she might have cried out or at the very least gasped in pain. It may have been his very object to make her appear cloying in front of the other men, bending to his will. Either way, he held her tightly, and maybe in his mind he held tightly to a woman bound to hysterics over such an ordeal.
She'd not give this man the satisfaction.
"I will send word right away that the true princess of the Beckford fortune has been found at last. Come, you will be my guest as Governor until we can return you to your rightful place in society. In good conscience I can't let you out of my sight. You've been through enough."
Releasing one elbow, the man grasped her other arm tucking it into his own patting her hand as if she grasped into his own elbow now before keeping his hand on hers. To any other eye, it would look like a dance of royalty, so fluid and formal. It was nigh impossible to see the true stiffness in Liete's limbs, the squeeze he gave her hand that was a clear warning.
This was the men she'd known as a girl, men who took with force and polite smiles. Their way or no way would be used. She could fight now, push tooth and nail rather than be taken back to that life. Of restriction and order, freedom a passing thought. If she did now, she'd be restrained. She'd be taken away and labelled hysterical. They'd shoot Gerald…
She knew what they did to women under that title. Tied to chairs, whipped, thrown, poked and violated all in the name of a cure to the hysterics. It was her travelling womb they'd say. It would be easy for Rogers to do it with all the witnesses about for him. They'd hurt her, which was all fine, but in doing so… they'd kill the life she was responsible for now. She would nary hurt an innocent.
Pirates couldn't save her if it came to that, Kenway couldn't save her…
Play the part, he'll come. He'll come.
"Come gentleman." The command was clear, and the party began to move forward, the pirates staring with little unabashed view at their back as Woodes Rogers lead them with Liete at his side.
It was daring, and egotistical, a show to the pirates that he thought them so little a threat as to show him his back.
Liete forced her panic to trickle away, every instinct in her body telling her to dig her heels in and bite, even as she strode eloquently her hand clammy under the strangers.
"Now as I was saying, Commodore Chamberlain please see that all merchants, masons, and carpenters are rounded up and brought to me this afternoon. We must see about repairing this fortress." Eyes scanning back and forth as the inhabitants of Nassau slunk into their homes watching the parade with anger and fear, Liete looked for any sign of Edward or Drew.
As they strode up and towards the hill that held the fort of Nassau, she could find not a trace of them in any corner or dispersing crowd.
She held it together, a cold veneer as the man partly dragged her with him, his grip on her hand stern.
"You should be confiscating weapons governor. Give these pirates a strong message that the kings emissary's are not to be trifled with." The words were growled by the white haired man, pure venom dripping from them. If looks were shovels, each man would be six feet under.
Liete looked to that man now, cool acceptance sinking into her skin. This man truly hated them, these men who had thrown the rules away, the ropes of society that he could not escape. How dare they be free where he had not the chance.
Woodes on the other hand didn't miss a step as he continued up the path as they came alongside the fort, which now held a guard every five paces, brimming with activity as cannons were cleared and posts long forgotten cleared.
"I have no wish to stir up animosity here Commodore. They are well armed, and we are outnumbered by a decent margin. Slow persuasion is our most vicious weapon. " Pure arrogance. This man was not afraid. Was he like she'd been, nothing left to lose? Or had he never truly failed and so could not imagine the fall?
"Twaddle Govenor, we should sink every damn ship not flying the kings colors. To do otherwise shows a type of weakness in our bearing."
The change in the man beside her was nearly instantaneous as he swung from his lead position as the group to face the older man, eyes blazing and voice barking. It was sure to intimidate others, but to Liete she felt a bile begin in the bottom of her throat that had nothing to do with her being in the family way.
Anger was not unheard of here or around any of them, but this wasn't anger. This was the wild flame of a man who would burn anyone who opposed him. There was no madness in it, just destruction.
"Silence Commodore. I am the god damn governor here. Serving at the kings pleasure, and I will make the bloody decisions. Is that clear sir?"
Cowed, the older man sneered once more, rolling his shoulders, and even before he'd answered Woodes tugged her arm rather viciously once more moving towards the forts entrance.
"Aye, sir. Your wishes are as clear as crystal." Both men remained silent as they came to the door of the fort, and Woodes didn't even bother to pretend to move towards requesting it open.
Although the older man clearly detested Rogers, he knew what his position called for him. Moving forward to rap on the wooden doors, one hand tucked behind his back rigid and strong in his position.
Liete still slowly turned her head side to side, for anything, any hint of Kenway. She'd spotted him from leagues off on Cat Island, but now, now she saw nothing. It was deafening to her mind. Was he safe? Did he get captured or caught up in the landing?
He'll come, soft it came to her.
As one of the doors creaked open, a guard slipped through the hand a roll of parchment to the commodore and although they spoke to each other low the words caught in her ear and gave her a sense of foreboding even in all this.
"These are the charts commodore, we are in position."
"Govenor Rodgers thinks he can make men of these monkeys yet. I do not, return to your posts and await my orders." With his words, the man disappeared back into the fort, and the door opened wider as the commodore stood waiting for all others to pass.
Woodes moved to enter first, and Liete was pulled along with him.
As she passed through the archway, Liete nearly lost her breath but held firm refusing to swoon. It felt like a death sentence.
Motioning to a captain and a lowly guard that patrolled just within the doors, Woodes brought them to a stop even as the pirates continued on following the commodore who motioned to them.
All of them, especially Vane, looked at her then, and although each of them held a look of expectance, Charles's was a hard stare of disgust. He'd never been friendly to her, but he looked to her now like scum, a filthy deserter to a cause he believed in.
As they rounded a corner past training yards full to the brim with fresh soilders, Liete was now alone, no pirate republic of Nassau at her back.
"Captain, can you please escort Miss Beckford to the east tower? There is a secondary chamber across from my own. I need two guards to her door, she'd been captured by the pirates on this island, and I'd hate to leave her feeling unsafe in anyway. I assume the mutt is hers, I have no objections to it remaining." The captain immediately stood at attention, nodding to every word that came from Rogers, while the other man stared eyes wide open in a stare of reverence to him.
Woodes Rogers turned to her then with what she was sure was supposed to be a charming smile, but it looked ghastly in comparison to looks Kenway had given her. Liete remained straight faced as she met his eyes, and found pure satisfaction.
Why was he so adamant? So sure she required his saving? True she'd been a girl of the aristocracy, or practically royalty….
Slowly it dawned on her that a Rogers had been named to her by Kenway.
He'd been spoken of, under the name Templar.
Something in her bearing must have tipped him off to her realization as his charming smile sharpened into something cruel.
As two more guards came closer, swords and pistols on both of their hips, Woodes reached forward grabbing her hand to kiss its back.
She wanted to remain calm and cool, but she couldn't any longer and yanked her hand back with a hiss that startled the captain just to her right as her fists clenched and teeth nashed in disgust.
"Let go of me."
"Of course. Time for you to see your new chambers, Miss Beckford." Nodding to the men, the man turned from them then his smile never wavering.
Liete jerked around to face the captain, making him jump once more and as she raised her hand to punch him square in the face, a group of six more soldiers came from the training yard, to look at them in interest.
In all of her bluster a soft whimper escaped from between her lips as her arms went limp falling to her side as she stood quiet as a doe.
For everything, she was powerless once more at the hands of a man.
"Follow me Miss. We'll make sure your safe."
Liete looked at him with eyes of silver that seemed to harden and wilt and snarled nastily.
"Unfortunately, that is not possible."
"What are you rambling on about Vane?"
"You're damned prize couldn't have dropped her skirts faster than a wench after two bobbles Kenway."
Taking care to stay away from the railings of the tavern, Kenway pinned the dirtier man with an angry glare.
Rogers had swept through Nassau in little under a day, and with it had thrown the pirate republic into mayhem.
Ben, Josiah, and John had taken the pardon right away, with no hesitation at all. A handful of their crews followed foot as well, seemingly beginning an alms line to the fort to sign their name on the dotted line for pardon from the very king they'd cursed not a night before.
Vane and Rackham had slunk back to the Old Avery, drinking and licking their wounds where Edward came upon them.
He'd followed them, heard as they'd been offered the pardon, watched as Liete took the arm of Rogers and walked freely into the fort.
It had confused him, her face as emotionless as ever but his Liete hadn't fought when this man touched her. It had hit him like a bullet to the chest to see.
No one but himself had been able to grab her like that and even when he'd done it the first time, she'd laid him flat to his back.
He'd watched like a hawk then from above on rooftops and tree limbs, uncertain and anger in the pit of his stomach.
There had be a reason, had to be answer why she'd do this.
So, as he'd made his break after stealing the commodore's plans, he'd made his way straight to the tavern to await any of the captains who'd been in closer proximity to try and glean some further information. There had to be something he'd missed being too far to see their faces.
Liete had been distant from him the past few weeks sure, since he'd told her of the Templar fate that had brought her here, but he couldn't fathom this. Even as he'd come back to Nassau to tell her of Blackbeard's defection, she'd been quiet. Watching him closely, keeping something close to chin. Drew had been equally as quiet, nervous and fidgeting each time he'd come close to him.
Now it seemed to Kenway that she'd been preparing to leave, she'd grown sick of him.
And yet… it seemed almost traitorous of him to think it. The way she looked at him… and only him. How could that have been a lie?
Vane threw a glass bottle bringing Kenway's attention back to him, as the man growled in annoyance grasping at his dirty neck tie to wipe at his upper lip full of sweat and rum.
"You're speaking in riddles, Vane. Speak plainly now, what happened to Liete?" Kenway slammed his fists against the table Vane sat at, as he leaned into them now glaring at the man.
Charles shot air out of his nose before speaking, his voice throatier than usual as he'd clearly been yelling and going about.
"Yur' wench came barreling into that poppycocks arms like he'd been the second coming. He grabbed hold of her like a damn prince, spouting on about her safety and how he'd save her from the likes of us filthy pirates." Vane hocked a spit ball in disgust, clearly shaken and angry.
"Are you sure Vane? Could it not have been an accident?" Kenway gripped the edge of the table, almost shaking from the effort and angry that the only source he had to pull information from was a raging lunatic who could hardly get two sentences out before having to do something repulsive.
"It took only a minute before she held onto his arm and he strolled her into that damned fort Kenway. Not a fight, not a blink. Come now man, we all knew the hell cat. If she didn't want a hand laid on her, she'd sooner die."
"It's true-" A very drunk Rackham's voice wafted up from the floor behind Vane but all Kenway could see was the calico print of his vest and a bit of arm thrown above him. "-she'd been a quiet as a daisy in spring, pretty as you please too. Like she'd found her savior the way he kept his hand on her own."
Kenway felt despair begin to build within his chest as he heard both men confirm his fears.
How had he read everything so wrong?
She'd been his, she'd lain in his bed night after night… How could that have meant nothing, how could she have felt nothing when he'd held her, shared with her his thoughts, aspirations.
"Before we lost all hearing of her, his majesty was ordering her set up in the fort. Giving her the quarters opposite his own Kenway. She'd not blinked an eye. I looked her straight in the eye myself, that witch felt no remorse."
"Shut your gob Vane." He couldn't, he just couldn't hear anymore. As he began to huff, trying to clear the anvil that landed right on his chest and lungs, he heard the voice of their esteemed Governor once more making Vane instantly rush to the railing, Edward following after a moment of hesitation to find the man strolling similar to how he'd think a king would walk, with Hornigold, Burgess and Cockram following behind like faithful dogs.
"Look at this turn coat, makes me bloody ill to think how many times I'd put up with Hornigold and his self-righteous shite."
As Rogers began to speak again, Edward felt his heart harden.
She'd left him, just as Caroline had. He'd been so consumed with trying to care for her, make her happy, and she'd gone without a second thought.
Now was his time to leave this place and her behind, he'd find the damn observatory and rule over her too.
Drew roared in anger as he picked up a chair from the kitchen table and slammed it into what had been his bunk.
Everything around him stood trashed, sheets torn from the wall, hemp tick ripped open feathers littering the floor.
They'd stolen her.
He'd been with Jane when he should have been watching her. This was his fault.
When he'd come back from the market after a large mob of guards had forced all inhabitants to go home, he'd found the shanty empty.
So there he sat, waiting for Liete to return, she had to if guards were making everyone. How could he worry? His captain was here, and Gerald was with her. Neither of them would let any harm come.
Yet, as the sky darkened and still no sign of his mistress came, Drew had grown scared.
When the shanty door had swung open, he'd been so happy she was home only to find his captain stood stone faced in the dark eye glittering as he took the room in.
"Cap'n, where be Liete? She's nary been hom-" Drew cut himself off at the look of anguish that passed over the man who took a few wobbly steps forward smelling of whisky.
"She's gone Drew"
He didn't understand. Gone?
"Gon' where Cap'n? Drew'll fetch her rioght quick!" Drew lumbered forward eager to head wherever it is Kenway told him. He was itching to stop by Jane's as well. Just to make sure both his girls were safe.
Kenway suddenly grabbed him then, hands reaching up on the taller man to his shoulders as he made to shake him. Drew moved just hardly, as even though the man held strength, his drunkenness halved it easily.
"You stupid guttersnipe, she's gone. Back to the royalty that birthed her! She chose them Drew…" Edward's voiced quivered as his shaking stilled but his hands remained on his shoulders as he met him eye to eye, the blue in Edward's flooding down his cheeks.
"She chose them."
Kenway sunk to his knee's then, no sobs or noises from him, just silent as he kneeled before Drew.
Something deeper than the thought of Liete gone was causing the man harm, Drew knew that.
But at the moment it didn't matter, and he felt anger at Kenway.
Never, his girl would never leave Kenway willingly. The fact that he gave up on her so easily, whatever it was that made him believe that, made Drew so made he felt like a cannon had gone off in his head.
He couldn't handle it, couldn't handle the anger, and with a roar he turned and slammed his fists into the table top behind him running a crackdown its center.
In minutes the home was trashed, all the while Kenway stayed to his knees watching the mayhem in front of him quietly.
Just as Drew released the chair he smashed into the now broken crates and tick that'd been his bed, he staggered back until his back hit the opposite wall breathing hard.
Both men remained that way, silent in the wreckage neither knowing what step to take next.
The only thing that kept them from complete darkness was the faint moonlight through the window just to Drew's left, and as he glanced at the window sill, Liete's two little bowls remained. One bowl of unsprouted wheat seeds, the other with tiny sprouts of green just breaking the surface of the seeds it held.