A Pirate's Love

Hope for the New Day

Elenor's POV:

The carriage came to a sudden halt, knocking me out of my daydream. I looked out of the window and a sinking feeling settled into my stomach. The clouds were dark with ravens flying above large walls of masonry, small flickers of light hidden in stone alcoves. The driver opened the door, holding out a hand to lower me down. The walls of the gaol drew me in, every stone bleeding with unsettling energy. I made my way to the front gate and met two guards there. They looked at me with annoyance, undoubtedly wishing to send me away.

"Your business here, Miss?" one of them asked, his tone piqued. His brow was furrowed, belittling me as he looked over his nose.

"My business is on behalf of the Governor," I pleaded, hoping they would let me in easily.

"We'll need proof of that, Miss," he responded, removing his eyes from my gaze. Frustrated that they didn't recognize me, I sucked in an angry breath.

"I'm the Governor's daughter," I spoke bitterly, "and I can have both of you thrown in one of these cells with a single word if you do not let me in." Their eyes became wide as they glanced at each other and shifted in their place, obviously uncomfortable. One of them swallowed hard as he fiddled with the door handle, letting me inside. I swiftly made my way through the doors, to a small hallway with a desk at the end. Another guard sat there, shocked at my arrival.

"How can I help you, Miss?" He asked, his voice also hinting at notes of irritation.

"A man was just recently brought in, from the Governor's office," I spoke straightforwardly, hoping he would catch on. "I must speak with him."

"We had many men come in today, Miss, I'll need you to be more specific than that," he replied.

"This man was arrested on charges of piracy. Medium build, dark hair, and eyes, tattered clothing, riddled with jewelry," I described him, expecting him to know who I was speaking of. The man looked up and to the left in thought, then scratched his chin.

"Ah yes," he said as he turned to me, "prisoner 213. Yes, he is on high restriction of no contact, deemed incredibly dangerous. What is your business?"

"I'm here for private business on behalf of the Governor," I insisted, annoyed by the untruthful nature that Jake was assumed with. The guard looked at me with amusement, a large smirk across his face.

"By all means, let me lead you to him," he said, getting up from his seat.

"Thank you," I said in relief, allowing him to walk in front of me. He fumbled with a set of keys at a door, unlocking it quickly. We entered a hallway and immediately my senses were hit with a putrid stench, making my eyes water. I tried not to gag as I covered my nose, unable to imagine the source of the smell. We walked past cells of men, and I hesitantly looked inside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jake. Men were seen inside urinating, toying with themselves, and beating each other. One charged at the bars and began whistling at me, calling me horrid names and begging me to come closer. I hastened my pace to stay closer to the guard, picking up my dress so I would not trip. He glanced behind him and scoffed, annoyed by my presence. We reached another door at the end of the hallway on the left-hand side, which he unlocked and opened slightly.

"This is no place for a lady," he muttered under his breath, opening the door. "You call for me when you're finished," he said as he let me inside, then closed the door behind me, locking it in place. Fear hastening my heart rate, I slowly made my way down the quiet hallway, careful to peek inside the cells. Most were empty on the left side, so I turned my attention to the right. I peered inside the first cell, and to my relief Jake sat there, his hands bound in chains and head hanging low. I approached the bars, catching his attention. His eyes became wide in shock, his body slowly rising to stand.

"Elenor," he spoke in disbelief, my name perfectly gracing his lips. He looked tired and worn, his left cheekbone and undereye sporting a brand-new purple-red bruise. My heart ached to see him in this position, clearly hopeless.

"Jake," I called out, reaching my hand through the bars, desperately trying to be his relief. He walked forward, only to be held back by a heavy chain connecting to the stone wall. He fell short by less than a half meter from my reach, and we both gazed at each other in defeat. Thinking quickly, he turned his body so his arms were facing the wall, then walked backward, sitting down on the floor and turning his left side to face me. I crouched down with him, finally able to comfort him. He winced slightly as he tried to pull the chains further to move closer, only to fail. I reached out and removed his hair from his eye as I brushed my thumb over his bruised cheek, saddened by the sight. "My God, what have they done to you?" I let out, my worry taking over.

"I'm fine, really. I'm okay," he breathed out, melting into my touch. "You shouldn't be here," he whispered in a low voice, his eyes pleading for me to leave. I shook my head, placing my hand down to his arm.

"I needed to speak with you and see that you're okay," I started, not allowing him to continue. "I'm going to speak with my father about getting you out of here. You do not belong here." I looked into his eyes, his expression blank and holding back thoughts. "What is it?" I asked, squeezing at his arm.

"I've done many wrong things, Elenor, more than you know," he spoke quietly, his eyes drifting to a dark place. "I've killed men. I've disobeyed orders–"

"You're not that man anymore," I cut him off, shaking my head again. "You've grown. You've gone through many pains to get here, but you've grown."

"I deserve to face the consequences for my actions. A hanging would suffice," he let out, his voice low, yet slightly cracking.

"Don't say that," I said, my nose burning as I held back tears, not wanting to accept the thought of his death. "Everyone deserves a second chance," I said in reassurance, reaching out for his cheek again, trying to stifle the distressing thoughts from his mind. "Shake your old ways of thinking." He looked deeply into my eyes, searching them desperately.

"What about conspiracy? It's dangerous for you to be here." His gaze turned from distress to worry, anxiously looking through other cells.

"I am not conspiring with you over anything," I stated, pushing his hair behind his ear, revealing sparks of gold. "I'm simply telling you my plan. You don't have to agree to anything."

"Then I won't say a word," he said as he turned his focus back to me, allowing me to continue.

"I will plead with my father to offer you a trial," I started, catching his full attention. "He still owes you what he promised before you took The Mountain of the Sun, as well as a reward for returning me home safely. My father is a politician, and with that comes pride. I hope that he will negotiate to protect his reputation. He won't allow misconduct on his account to resurface to prevent an investigation, and negotiation will hopefully lessen your offenses," I finished quietly, looking for any ounce of hope in his expression, yet it remained blank. He suddenly looked down and furrowed his brows, deep in thought.

"It may not work," he whispered, turning back to me. I placed my fingers at the back of his ear through his hair and swiped my thumb across his jaw, desperately trying to extinguish his doubt. I worried about his emotional distance from me, wishing he would show any sign of hope I could hold onto.

"But I will try," I whispered back. "Have hope, my love. I have hope." His eyes spoke many silent words of admiration, putting his full trust in me. He dared not speak, still fearful I would be accused of conspiracy. He gazed down at my lips and then closed his eyes, furrowing his brow once more. He turned his face into my hand and kissed my palm, giving me a sense of relief in his compliance. "By tomorrow I'll have you speaking with my father," I said confidently, the sensation of his stubble rough against my skin. He blinked at me softly, still silently responding.

"You should go," he let out quietly, his voice slightly breaking once again. I nodded to him, pulling my hand away. I briefly kissed my fingertips, then pressed them gently against his bruised cheek, causing him to let out a sigh.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said as I stood. He watched me intently and shuffled to a more comfortable position, loosening the tension of the chain binding his wrists. "Guard," I called out, and soon the door was unlocked for me. I looked behind me as I left, Jake's eyes never leaving me. They watered with many emotions, pleading me to stay. My heart pained as the door shut, blocking my view of him. Walking through the gaol and to the carriage, I reassured myself that tomorrow would be a new day. It would all be worth it in the end.