They had been riding for what seemed like hours. Amelia just looked to the ground, feeling numb inside. Her family, her own flesh and blood betrayed her in the drop of a hat. She felt a tear fall from her eyes. She tried her hardest not to seem weak in front of these monsters. She bit her lip, so hard that a metallic taste filled her mouth.
"How much longer until we reach camp?" Tavington demanded as he slowed his horse down. Borden pulled up next to him.
"Not that much longer Sir." He replied, giving a reassuring look. William could feel the girl behind him tense up. He smirked, he knew she was afraid but wouldn't dare show it. He admired that, and that also aggravated him. He always liked getting a reaction out of people.
They suddenly stopped. Amelia felt her adrenaline pump as Tavington pulled her from the horse. Amelia thought about running away, kneeing the Colonel in the balls and running for her life. She was fast, faster than all the boys in the town actually. But as of now, she knew it was hopeless. There were Redcoats everywhere. And they were all looking at her.
"We have a new prisoner." A Redcoat said, as he forcefully pushed Amelia forward.
"Not necessarily." Tavington said. Many men raised an eyebrow. William smirked, he never intended on her becoming a prisoner, she could become of some use. Maybe a nurse or could deliver information of the militia.
"Miss Harland." William said, purposely mispronouncing her last name.
"Hartland." She snarled, and then glared at him. William couldn't deny it, even with mud, and her hair in a rats nest. She still was stunning.
"My apologies. You will be sleeping here." He said, motioning to the tent that was hardly standing up. Half of the tent was falling down while the other was rotting. Amelia bit her lip from retaliating and killing all of these men.
"Is that to your liking?"
"Fuck you." She replied coldly. Then felt a hand wrap around her neck, she turned around to see a Redcoat with a sword pointed at her side.
"Watch it, bitch." Another Redcoat yelled. She said nothing, just glared.
"She is a pretty thing isn't she?" The man holding the sword said huskily.
"That will be enough." Tavington ordered, making him release the girl.
"Can we use her to our personal advantage?" Borden leaned over and whispered in Tavington's ear.
"Rape is beneath us." He replied, his eyes locked with Amelia's.
"Escort her to her rooms." He told Wilkins. Wilkins grabbed Amelia's arm and led her towards her tent.
"Of all people James, I thought you would have tried to protect me." Amelia said.
"You are a rebel, anyone who betrays the king deserves a traitor's death." He replied.
"This is not like you, please. Help me escape." Amelia said, turning to face him. He said nothing, just looked down at her.
"If you still have any affection in your heart left for me, please. Help me go home." She said softly. She and James were the best of friends growing up. Then, once he declared his love for Amelia it changed everything. Their friendship was never the same. They hardly spoke since. James still cared deeply for Amelia, but he could not change the path he had chosen.
"I cannot Amelia." He said sadly. She looked at him with her beautiful blue eyes, they were filled with tears. He had never seen Amelia in such a state.
"Please James, I want to go home." She cried as she put her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair. His heart ached at what he had to do. But he could not betray Colonel Tavington. He would have him hung with in a blink of an eye.
"They don't want you Amelia; your own family does not want you. Your home is here now. Now you can make the worst of it or try and make the best out of the situation." James said sternly. Amelia composed herself and looked at him.
"You're not the same boy who was my best friend, not even a year ago! You changed James. How could you." She said as she backed away and ran into her tent. James heart hurt. He loved Amelia, but he knew she could never love him. Amelia could never love anyone. She was not responsible enough for love. He slowly backed away from the tent, and left Amelia alone to suffer.
Amelia walked into the tent to find there were only a cot and a desk. She lay down on the cot and cried. She hated crying, she hated feeling so weak. But she could not keep herself together at this moment. She eventually forced herself to sleep. Maybe once she awoke she would realize she was only dreaming, that none of this was even remotely real.
"Wake up." Tavington said as he stormed into Amelia's room. Amelia opened her eyes and looked at Tavington and glared.
"It's rude to come into a ladies room without knocking, you are no gentlemen." Amelia snickered.
"Well, you Miss are no lady." Tavington said with a smirk. Amelia said nothing, just glared.
"Now, I would like you to put this on and come attend to our wounded soldiers." He said, throwing Amelia a dress with blood stains all over it. She frowned.
"I know very little about medical training." She said.
"Not to worry, you will catch on." Tavington said, then threw her a hairbrush. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He did nothing, he just took his leave.
She removed her gown and put on the uniform. She felt the need to vomit, the dress smelled terrible. She walked out, to find Colonel Tavington standing there waiting on her. They walked in a tent to see men laying on cots, their arms and legs missing, bleeding profusely, and horrible burns. The smell was overwhelming of rot and decay. They men were moaning and screaming out in pain. They cried for their mothers, or they prayed for the end. Amelia had never seen such a sight. She never wanted to. She felt tears fall from her eyes, looking at these men.
William glanced over at her, he saw the tears fall from her face. He almost felt sorry for her. He knew she had never been exposed to such a sight. He traumatized the poor girl.
"My god." She cried, as she turned to run out. Tavington blocked her exit and forced her to stay.
"Please." She cried. Tavington couldn't help but feel pity on her. She looked so helpless. But she was not helpless; she was not the damsel in distress type. He has seen that first hand when she shattered the Calvin boy's nose. He watched as he cried, he watched the joy come across her face as she saw his pain his agony. Oh yes, Tavington knew she was fire.
"Get in there and help my men, or die. Those are your options." He said coldly, she glared. Amelia had never so angry in her life, but had to contain it if she was going to make it out of here alive. She composed herself and turned around and smiled.
"Of course sir." She said with the sweetest smile she could give, and walked over to one of the men, leaving William confused. He watched her for a moment before leaving.
"Please help me." A young boy croaked. Amelia walked over to him and looked at him. He had to be around her age. He had sandy blonde hair, and dark brown eyes. He had a huge hole in his cheek, and his hand was completely gone.
"Oh my god, Can anyone else help me?" She screamed. She had no previous medical training, so she had not the slightest idea what to do. Nobody would reply so she went on instinct. She sterilized the wound, and began to wrap it. She put gauze in his mouth and gave him a shot medicine. It seemed to relieve some pain, because he was able to go to sleep. She went on to the other patients. Many died of bleeding out. But she was able to help most. Once everyone was asleep, Amelia ran out of the hospital and back into her tent. She immediately noticed that there was a new night gown on her bed, with a note on the side.
"You needed something to sleep in, as well as other clothes. There is also a bath waiting. It might be cold by the time you get back. Better hurry –Colonel Tavington."
She looked on the floor to find a trunk of gowns. She smiled, and ran over to her bath. It was ice cold, but she did not mind. As long as she could scrub the blood and puss off of her. Once she got out, the put on the night gown and laid her head down on her cot and quickly fell asleep.
She awoke with the sound of footsteps outside of her tent. She quickly jumped up, but only to find it was just an animal of some sort.
She grabbed the mirror and looked at her reflection. Her long white locks needed brushing. And she also noticed the bruises on her neck from when the man tried to choke her. She lightly touched them, and flinched in pain. She decided not to look at anymore, so she ran a brush lightly through her hair, then put a gown on.
"Amelia?" James popped his head in. Amelia looked up, and then looked back down.
"Don't estrange me!" He said harshly. His expression softened as he took a seat next to her. He looked at her. James had never seen a woman as beautiful as her. He truly loved Amelia. He wished so much she could return his love.
"Amelia, after this war we can be happy. You and I can be.." She cut him off.
"James please, don't." She said sadly.
"Why? Amelia I have known you since birth. You are my best friend, we used to everything together. How can you not feel the same? Can you not learn to love me as I love you?" James asked softly, lightly brushing her cheek.
"We could not be happy, James. I cannot return your love. Why can't you understand this? Why do you make this so hard on me? Have you no compassion?" Amelia cried.
"Compassion? My dear, it seems to me you are the one lacking compassion. I come her e to confess my love for you and you deny me. Why? Do you love another?" He asked, angry now.
"No James, I do not love another. I do not think about you in such ways." She yelled.
"Oh, but you give your affection to Calvin, your sisters fiancé right?" He yelled. James knew she did no such thing, but his anger and hurt were to overwhelming.
"You know that's not true!" She screamed, and slapped him hard in the face. James's anger boiled at this point, his hand hit her so hard it sent her flying back, and her head hit the back of her cot.
"My god Amelia. I'm so..." He was cut of my William storming in.
"What the bloody hell is this?" He asked, then his eyes found Amelia, her hand on her head and blood pouring from her face. A sudden concern came over him.
"What happened here?" Borden asked, coming in the tent.
"I hit her Sir." James said sadly.
"Why did you hit her?" William said angrily.
"She upset me, and I.. I am sorry Amelia." James said, falling to his knees.
"That's quite alright Captain." Borden said.
"She is unconscious." William stated, pointing at the bleeding girl. William picked her up and brought her to his tent. He has a professional nurse look at her. William did not know why he was worried, she was just a girl. A rebel girl who he hardly knew, but he somehow felt a connection with her. That never happened with him before. He loved the fact that she was so daring, so carefree. As much as he hated himself to admit it. He actually admired her in many ways. He did not want to hurt her, but to test her strength. He wanted to see how long it took that beautiful fire to burn out. Or if it ever did burn out. He was interrupted by his thoughts by Amelia moaning.
"Miss Hartland?" William said, lightly shaking her. She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Please let me go, I won't do any treason. I promise." She said.
"I cannot do that Miss." He said sharply.
"Where am I?" She asked, trying to sit up. He grabbed her shoulders and lightly laid her back down.
"Not yet." William said. She bit her lip in frustration. To Amelia, everything was a complete blur.
"Keep him away from me, please. " She said sternly. William raised an eyebrow.
"I am assuming you're referring to Captain Wilkins?" William replied.
"Yes, keep him away from me."
"Why?"
"He hurt me; why else would I want him away from me?" She replied coldly.
"Why did he hit you?" He asked.
"I denied him, like I do each time." She said, looking at the ground.
"Refuse him?" He asked, she looked at him and William realized what she meant.
"Ah." William said. He looked at her. He understood why Wilkins wanted her, I mean what man wouldn't. William looked to the ground as well. There was a very awkward silence for a moment before William spoke.
"I am sure you are hungry."
"I am famished." She replied.
"I will bring you something to eat." He said, she smiled at him, he enjoyed her smile.
"Thank you." She said. He said nothing and grabbed an apple and bread and brought it to her. She ate very quickly.
"May I have some whisky?" She asked. William was taken aback by her question. He remembered Wilkins saying she was wild. But he didn't think she would drink. He poured her some bourbon in a glass, as well as himself a glass. He watched her as she downed her drink as if it were water.
"Are you surprised?" She asked with a smile. William chuckled a bit.
"It is not every day you see a lady down a glass of hard liquor." He said, as he took a sip of her drink. She smirked.
"I'm not very much of lady. Never have been, I prefer the wild side." She said as she took another huge gulp of liquor.
"I don't think you should be drinking with your concussion." William stated, before she drank another glass of bourbon.
"What the hell do you care?" She said before laughing and leaving his tent. He jumped up and ran after her.
"Where pray tell are you going?" He snapped. She giggled.
"Back to my tent. To sleep?" She said before walking off. He grabbed her shoulders.
"You will show some respect." William said harshly. Her smile faded into a scoff.
"Respect? You kidnapped me and made me doctor half dead men and you want to talk about respect? Take your own advice and shove it up your ass!" She smarted off as she walked off.
William just stood there in shock. He could not believe she had said something so foul to him? Did she realize he could have her executed tomorrow? Of course she did, she was a smart girl. But William also enjoyed watching the fire come out of her. The light come into her beautiful blue eyes.