History Has Its Eyes On You ~ A Hamilton Fanfiction (Book 1, Act 1)

Knight In Shining Armour

!!Warning!!

((My sincerest apologies to anyone who is vegan, pescetarian, etc.))

°~8:22a.m.~°

(Y/N POV)

The migration we were to undergo meant that letters couldn't be sent or received. In conclusion, I wouldn't hear from Charles, Emily, anyone until this battle came to an end.

I had doubts that I would hear from Charles regardless. I should never have sent that last letter... He must have been driven away. He didn't write any longer; I couldn't hear his compliments. His reassurements. His... His words. All because I was afraid, he has been driven away. Because of me.

Every night, I dreamt that I could come back to him. Hold him tight and tell him that I am sorry for everything. Act as though nothing had ever happened. He could do whatever he wanted with me, for I planned to redeem myself. I loved him and I should have told him sooner. I should have told him everything.

...But I was afraid.

I wiped my face dry and exited the tent. For an odd reason, it smelt like... burning flesh. I scratched my hair- invaded with flies- and followed the smell. "You're awake!" Alexander jogged over. In his mouth was some meat attached to the end of a stick.
"What's that smell?" I questioned.
"Soldiers were sent out this morning to hunt for wild boar. Brought us back a batch!"

Carcasses of around seven boars were discarded behind a tree. Men were sat around a campfire, turning the meat around the flame until it was good enough to eat. "What did I say about the fire?" I questioned, following the smoke into the trees.
"It's not that bad, Miss!" a man at the fire overheard me. "Only travels up a couple metres. The British probably know we're here anyway!"
"...I'm sorry what?"

"Captain!" Washington strolled along and put his hand on my shoulder. "Was your sleep restful?"
"Yes, Sir... Have I missed something, Sir?" The man was still watching from curiosity; Washington glared at him and he instinctively turned away.
"Why don't you take a seat?"

Washington took my hand and helped me to a rather unsturdy log placed alongside the campfire. Alexander sat next to me. "Here, take some hog. You will need your strength." Washington cut a portion of meat from the fire, handing it to me.
"Thank you, Sir." I dug into it, scrunching up my face at the indescribable taste.
Washington chuckled. "Do you like it?"
"Yes, Sir..." I murmured with the urge to spit it back out.

"So..." -He cupped his hands together- "The French infantry were sent to the west last night, I am unsure if you will remember."
"Not a moment, Sir, I was exhausted." I joked.
"Yes, well, we've had search parties scout the earthworks and we feel like they can be bombarded into submission. Their batteries are lined across the York River and the seven redoubts are linked. Work parties were sent to build bridges out across the marsh this morning, at approximately 0130 hours."

"Was anyone hurt?" I asked.
"No, nobody was hurt. We may have been detected, it is likely, but the one thing they will not suspect is our Frenchmen." Washington smiled, seeming to take pride in the scheme.
I gulped down another bit of food. "Then we will attack today?"
"Yes, I suppose we will. Primarily, we must find a way to keep you as safe as possible."
"And how will you do that...?"

"You see--"
"GET ON WITH IT, YOU LAZY ARSES!!" General Wilson bellowed at a distance. "WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY, THIS IS WAR, GET A DAMN MOVE ON!!"
"...General Wilson hopes to find somebody... inviolable to protect you out there."
"And I can't do it because I'm on the front lines." Alexander complained.

I didn't need protecting. Alas, I had no choice. Some glorious man would skip along and become my 'saviour'. My 'knight in shining armour'. Horray.

"He has gathered the most robust men from all of the soldiers and forced them into a series of tests."
"Forced?" I repeated. "Sir, s-"
"Wilson is a firm officer, but he knows a man when he sees one. He is the most skilful of us all."
"There it is! There it is!!" Wilson chirped. He emerged through the bushes and thrusted none other than Cornelius towards us.

"Miss Hamilton, may I present to you Lieutenant Colonel Jackson."
I grinned at him and stood. He looked around with confusion. "I believe that we have already been acquainted." I greeted, shaking his limp hand.
"As we have, Miss." he replied.
"Jackson's the perfect man to partner with her!" Wilson exclaimed. I swear, I'd never heard him this excited in my life. "He's fit for the job, qualified in various forms of weapon handling, I m- Look here, Sir!"

Wilson gripped Cornelius' biceps. "Firm. You don't see that much anymore, Sir!"
"Yes, yes, I can see..." Washington contemplated. Whilst they inspected him, Cornelius rolled his eyes at me. I giggled, showing off my own muscle by clenching my fist. For the first time, Cornelius tittered and shunned his face down.

"Sir, can I speak to you privately about this?" Alexander asked. He was glaring at Cornelius from the side.
"Hamilton, I-"

!!!

Gunfire.

Wilson retreated from the scene, yelling for everyone to equip themselves immediately. "Sophie, stay here with Alexander and Mr Jackson!" Washington warned. He fled to the origination of the sound, passing by a wounded man. Two soldiers scuttled through to carry him to safety.

Shots were fired, back and forth. I huddled against Alexander; this was a sound I didn't want to hear again. I'd forgotten how dreadful it had been. Alas it didn't last for, as the final shot was fired with a piercing scream. "Are... Are we safe...?" I wondered.
"...Yes, I am sure that we are." Cornelius trailed off to find out what had happened. I let go of Alexander and followed.

"Oh no no no, you are not going out there!" he cautioned.
"But Cornelius says that it's safe-!"
"I don't care what that man says, I forbid you to--"
"We're safe!" Washington announced. I ran after Cornelius and appeared from the woodlands. On the open field, a group of six Redcoats had been slaughtered.

"Listen to me, men, we shall make an instant attack!" Washington concluded. "They are sending spies and if we don't act now then we'll be forced into a retreat, do you all understand?!!"
"Yes, Sir!!" roared across the woodlands and field combined.

"Get the artillery, we are moving out!!" Washington fazed past me like a ghost. I stared at the bodies aside Cornelius. Unexpectedly, Alexander dragged me around by my shoulder, forcing me to look anywhere else but there.

And so it began.

~~~~~~~~~~

Update on Phoenix!

(Sorry for the bad quality, thought I'd quickly take it because she looked cool lol)