Haytham walked to his usual room in The Green Dragon, shutting and locking the door before pulling out the letter, the intense curiosity as to what the contents of this second letter contained causing him to almost tear the letter in his eagerness.
Haytham,
I hope that this letter finds you well. I thought about sending you another letter sooner, but did not want to seem overeager. You are a truly fascinating person – as well as very handsome.
Your hair shimmers in the sunlight, and glows in the moonlight. When you do smile, you can light a pitch-dark cave and anyone who earns such, is truly blessed and should know that it is such a gift you give them.
With love,
Your Secret Admirer
p.s. your eyes shine a brighter blue than the sky on a sun-lit day.
This letter was shorter than the first – something that would have dismayed Haytham somewhat – as it gave him less to guess who this mysterious writer was. The writing seemed a bit messier than the first letter. A little bit of checking found his suspicion correct. What reason did this mysterious letter-maker to rush this letter? It was the same person as before – whoever this was wrote the same way. Either this person was someone he did not know well enough to see their handwriting, or someone he did know was paying someone else to write the words in their hand that they felt.
Who this person was, the Templar Grandmaster still did not have a clue. Still, this mystery was an entertaining diversion, when he had so much to contend with. He finished the correspondence and paperwork that he had made certain to hide securely, lest anyone try to spy on his room. The alliance – if it could be called that – was still very tenuous and new. Haytham stretched and decided to deliver the letters to trusted couriers himself, as it had taken him a couple of hours to complete all of the bookwork, and a stretch of the legs sounded delightful.
Haytham had finished delivering the letters to his couriers and they had set off to where they needed to be, when he caught a flash of blue that drew his attention. He blinked in surprise as he spotted Connor in one of Boston's main marketplaces, dressed in the outfit he wore as Captain of The Aquila. It was the first time he had spotted the Assassin in the mercenary outfit when Connor was not aboard his beloved ship, and Haytham was very curious as to what the other was up to.
Besides, it was his duty as the Grandmaster of the Templar Order to see what Assasisns were up to, the truce notwithstanding. The fact that Connor was fractionally more approachable while wearing the outfit was part of it as well. The fact that the younger man was handso- where had that strange thought come from? Haytham mentally shook himself as he ambled over to where his tentative ally was and called out after Connor had finished speaking with a merchant. "Good afternoon Connor. It is a pleasant surprise to see you here in Boston."
Connor jumped a little in surprise, turning swiftly as one of his hands flew to the handle of his tomahawk. His eyes widened a bit as he recognized the speaker, hand slowly leaving his weapon. "As it is a surprise for me to see you here. I thought that you might be at your plantation a bit further to the south, during this time of the year."
"Oh, and why do you say that? The trees are being tended to, and I have other matters to attend to here. There is little that I personally must oversee in Spring." Haytham responded, an amused lilt in his voice as he tried to ascertain what it was that Connor had been purchasing.
"I suppose that might be true, but it is warmer there, than it is here in Boston. Most years the rain is less relentless and the days have more sun." Connor answered back.
The merchant returned, a piece of parchment attached to a thin wooden block.' "Thirty barrels of water, fifteen barrels of salted meats and fifteen barrels of hard tack. If you would like to count and check the contents, it would not offend me, Captain Connor. The other items you have requested are being heavily rationed on account of the rebels causing more trouble. You will have to go up to the fort and request the gunpowder and cannonballs from them." There was an apologetic note in the merchant's voice as he explained.
An irritated sigh escaped Connor as he answered "Very well. It is unlikely that the British will sell to me, but I understand why they are doing so. Take me to what you intend to sell me."
The merchant nodded, beginning to show the sea captain to where he stored the listed items when he spotted Haytham. One glance at the well tailored and rather costly dyed clothes had the merchant freezing up a little as he stuttered out "I d-did not intend to ignore you sir. I h-have a prior contract to fill out with this man here, but it should… Should be concluded soon, sir."
The reaction garnered a subtle glower from Connor was wholly unwarranted. A touch of mischief filled Haytham as a subtle smirk graced his lips "No offence has been given or taken. I was simply curious as to what Connor here was up to, is all. My son has been at sea for some time now, and I have missed him." It was a bit disconcerting how true that was. That Haytham had missed Connor – whether the other had been at sea during the two week interval that the two of them had not seen one another was true or not, Haytham was uncertain, beyond the provisions and the outfit that Connor was wearing.
Connor's eyes widened a little in surprise at the fact that Haytham had acknowledged their blood relation in front of another person in a public place where they might be overheard. Claiming him as his son to get past a couple of treacherous Templars who ended up dying not even an hour after learning that information was one thing. This situation was completely different that what he was hoping for. "I have missed you as well, father." That earned Connor a small, but genuine smile. One that warmed his heart and causing it to skip a beat as well. He was glad that he was able to elicit that kind of response from Haytham.
"I shall leave you to your business, as it is not raining, I think I shall be looking for a few things to purchase." The templar remarked, still smiling softly as he wandered away.
Connor blinked after Haytham uncertain as to how to react to that. Hope and a bit of happiness flickered in his chest as he realized that not once did they argue or insult one another during the (admittedly short) encounter. Perhaps taking the advice of the Homesteaders and beginning to court the person he had romantic feelings for was going to work out well. Connor had an idea for a gift- and one he was fairly certain that Haytham would like. It was a useful gift, rather than flowers or sweets as some had suggested.
