Carolyn closed her eyes and focused on the sensations of Connor's return; the weight of him on her body, the taste of his skin in her mouth, the smell of him against her. When it became too much to bear she cried out, arching up against him, clutching at his shoulders. His hand over her mouth muffled her and she opened her eyes, her senses just starting to return in time to see the door of her room start to swing open .She swallowed quickly and tried to call out, "Haytham, wait!" but Connor's hand spasmed on her mouth and it was not Haytham who opened the door.
Jonathan was backing into the room, his eyes still on the hall. "Maggie told me you weren't feeling well so I thought I'd bring you some tea." He turned and saw them on the floor. Connor's hand clamped over her mouth as he shuddered and spilled months' worth of frustration into her. Jonathan dropped tray with the pot, the crashing drawing Connor's attention at last and pulled his sword, his eyes full of rage. "Get off of her, you monster!" Connor scrambled to his feet followed by Carolyn positioning herself between them. "No, Jonathan. It's alright." He lowered the sword, his eyes searching her face. "You're alright? Who is he?" She swallowed but Connor adjusted his clothing and eyed him. "I'm her husband. Who are you to be entering her bedroom?" He flushed. "I knocked. There was no answer. Carolyn, isn't he dead?" She shook her head. "No, not dead." Haytham having heard the commotion appeared at the door, entering the room and barring it behind him while eyeing them angrily. "You were to bar the door." Carolyn gathered up her robe and wrapped it around herself. "I did. But Maggie came. I must have forgotten to relock it."
Jonathan turned to Haytham, blew out a sigh of relief and sheathed his sword. "You knew he was here?" Haytham nodded. "I brought him in last night." Jonathan frowned at him. "I was here and I had no report of any visitors." Haytham studied the wall. "I did not register him. We came over the wall." "But why?" His eyes fell on Connor where he adjusted his belt and noted his outfit and markings. He grabbed at the handle of his sword. "He's an Assassin!" Carolyn closed her eyes and reached for Connor's hands. Haytham's voice overrode Jonathan's. "He is my son, her husband and the father of her child. It has nothing to do with the Order. It is family business." Jonathan shook his head. "I'm sorry, Haytham. I have to tell my father. You've brought an Assassin into our fort." Haytham nodded and Jonathan went for the door. As soon as he left leaving the door hanging open she turned to Haytham frantically. "Go. Take him and go. You have to get him out of here." He shook his head. "There is no way to the water from here. They would pick us off the walls. Governor Roberts is a fair man." He ran his eyes over her attire. "Though I suggest you should get dressed. They'll be back shortly."
She moved to the trunk and pulled out a dress, changing into it quickly and took a brush to her tangled hair. Haytham moved to sit on the couch and eyed Connor angrily. "I admit I had hoped nature might take its course, but were you in such a hurry you couldn't take basic precautions? I meant for her to teach you patience, not you teach her rashness." She sighed and joined them, sitting by Connor and wrapping her arms around him, burying her face against his shoulder as he curled his arm around her shaking frame. "It was my fault. What are we going to do?" Her voice was full of fear and Connor's arm tightened on her shoulder. Haytham sighed and stood walking to her table and removing his weapons before rejoining them at the couch. In very little time a group of armed men stormed the room. They focused on Connor but surrounded them all. Haytham eyed them wearily. "We are all three unarmed. We're ready to go." He stood and Connor and Carolyn followed his lead. The guard pulled Connor away from them and had him surrounded. He pulled his hood up and walked between them. Jonathan who had arrived with the group eyed Haytham sadly. "You'll come with us as a gentleman and a brother, won't you? " Haytham nodded and followed Connor out the door, his own retreat flanked by two more guards. Another guard stood waiting on Carolyn. Jonathan offered her his arm. "I'm truly sorry." She nodded and accepted it as he walked all three of them to his father's office.
As tired as she was her pace fell behind and the crowd of people parted before her to show Haytham and Connor already kneeling yards apart before the governor's desk. She walked to a space equal distance from them and lowered herself slowly to her knees. She did not meet his eyes as she knelt, head bowed. He considered the three of them. "So who do we have here? I know you, Haytham but I'm not happy to be told I don't know the others." Haytham nodded to Connor. "He is my son and the father of her child." Governor Roberts eyes fell on him. "Ramirez?" Connor shook his head. "Connor…" he glanced at his father and sighed. "Connor Kenway." The Governor's glance fell to Carolyn. "And who are you?" She took a deep breath. "Carolyn Kenway. I really was Carolyn Blair though. I did not lie about that." His gaze returned to Connor. "And you're an Assassin?" He nodded once sharply. Roberts sighed. "Really, Haytham. I've never held your past against you, you know that. I've always trusted you but you've gone too far. You snuck an Assassin in past the guards right into the heart of the fort. You have to realize what this means."
Haytham drew a sharp breath. "It has nothing to do with the order. It was personal business. He's the father of her child. He had the right to know." Robert's eyebrows rose. "He didn't know?" Carolyn shook her head. "I did not tell him. I left and came here and when Haytham found out who my husband truly was he brought him here so he might know he was to be a father. Would you have done any differently?" "And you really married him? Did you know?" She nodded. "I knew. He didn't know about me. That is why we fought before I left. But yes, I married him. We even had a candle though he did not know the significance of it." The governor sighed. "Still an Assassin caught inside the fort. His life must be forfeit." Carolyn gasped and rocked on her knees but Haytham surged forward before his guards grabbed him and wrestled him back to the ground. "It is not Order business. I captured him. I brought him here as my prisoner. Surely if anybody is to be punished for that it must be me. He is not one of ours and he has committed no crime here. Let them leave and punish me." The governor considered him. "Do you offer yourself in his place?" "Yes." Carolyn's breathing grew ragged, her mind easily substituting Haytham's body struggling in place of her father's. Connor shook his head. "He is one of you own. I am your enemy. Let them stay."
The governor looked between the two of them and then turned to Carolyn, his tone oddly curious. "What say you? Which do you think should bear the price; father or son?" She took a deep breath and asked quietly. "Would you wait?" she wrapped an arm around her stomach. "For the child to be born? For the execution perhaps but not for the choice, no. That must be today." She tried to calm herself and met his eyes. "Haytham is right. Connor was brought here against his will and for all that he is an Assassin he has broken none of our laws. But Haytham had little choice but to do as he did. I'm the one who married an Assassin. I'm the one who left him, not letting him know I was carrying his child; who came here and lied to you. My actions brought this to be and I must pay the price for them. Nobody else should pay for my mistakes." She swallowed. "I just ask that you wait until my child can be born and let it leave with its father or grandfather." He considered her. "Have you quickened?" She nodded. "Maggie can confirm. She felt it this morning." Her eyes locked on the governor and tried to block out the shouts of protest beside her. He nodded once sitting back in his chair. "Agreed. The assassin and Haytham will be free to leave. You are here by sentenced for treason to the Order. Under the plea of the belly the sentence shall be delayed until you are delivered of your child at which point it will be surrendered to its father and you shall by hung by the neck until dead." He rapped his fingers on the desk and nodded to the guard beside her who helped her to her feet.
She looked over at the two men and back to the governor. "May I say goodbye first?" He nodded cautiously. She approached Connor first as he was closest. He struggled but a guard on each arm kept him levered to his knees as she stood before him. She pushed back his hood and bent to kiss him. His jaw was set, his eyes full of fear and rage before he turned his head. "How can you do this?" She ran her hand under his chin, turning him back to her. "It's for the best. Connor, listen to me!" He wrenched his arms loose from the guards and wrapped them around her waist, pressing his cheek to her stomach. She felt their child move within her and knew that he felt it too. He stiffened against her but she took his hand and slid it over the movement. "This is what's important, Connor. You heard her this morning. The child is large, it will not be easy. What if I don't make it? What if the child survives me and they've hung you? Would you have it born an orphan?" She pressed his hand hard against the movement, her heart pounding. "Promise me that you'll take care of it. I know you're a fighter but I need you to be something more for this. I'm trusting you to care for our child. It will not be easy but I need you to be there for it." She swallowed. "Please, promise me? If you do I won't be afraid." His voice was rough. "I promise." His hands tightened around her waist but she pulled them lose and bent to kiss his forehead as the guards reclaimed his arms. She turned to Haytham next and bent to wrap her arms around his neck. "You should have chosen me." She shook her head. "How could I? I just got you back and you would ask me to see you hung like my father? I couldn't bear it. I'm sorry but I'm not that brave." She swallowed. "Go with him? He'll need all the help he can get. And I'd like to know that you were a part of my child's life." He nodded and she stood suddenly aware of the mass of people in the room. She took a breath and blinked back tears. The guard behind took her by the elbow and led her away from the room.
Jonathan followed behind as she was led to the side of the building in an area she was not familiar with. They led her past rows of jails filled with sailors and drunks to an empty one on the end separated from the rest by a sturdy brick wall. She entered and surveyed the cell. At least it was fairly clean and a pile of straw in one corner offered some cushion against the hard stone floor. The guard locked her in and Jonathan appeared at the bars. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it will just be for a little while. I'm sure my mother will convince him to move you back to your quarters shortly. This is no place for you." She sighed. "I'll be fine. It's unimportant." "Can I bring you anything?" She laughed and blushed. "Well to be honest that tea would not have been amiss. Though if I'm to be here for a while my sewing from my room would be most useful. I've fallen behind on it though now I suppose I'll have time to catch up. " She didn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about Connor. You've been very kind to me but I knew he lived." He nodded. "You've never given me any cause to think you felt anything more. I will do what I can for you." He left and she approached the pile of hay sitting on it carefully resting her back against the hard stone wall. He returned shortly with a tray bearing a pot of tea and some bread as well as her basket. A brief argument with the guard meant that she was allowed to keep the small scissors inside though a guard pulled a stool over by her cell to keep an eye on her. He entered the cell and placed them beside her on the floor. To her surprise he also handed her a blanket. "I'm afraid it will be tomorrow. He's agreed to let you go back to your room but says the windows and door must be barred from the outside first." She accepted it gratefully. "Thank you." She took a drink of tea feeling its heat sooth her churning stomach. She reached for the basket and pulled out a tiny jacket and resumed work on the delicate stitching.