On the ship for the third day on the Atlantic Ocean, Emily looked around and tried to figure out what had happened at the Opera House just days before. Did Haytham really kill that man? If so, why would he do that? Emily would never know until she talked to him face to face. He knew her now as Cassandra after he bumped into her, but would he remember her if she came out with her real identity? Wearing her only gown from the Opera House, she gazed out onto the vast sea.
“Excuse me, who are you?” she recognized the voice and turned around slowly, “Huh? I thought I told you already.”
“At the Opera House, you never told me who you were?” he asked, crossing his arms behind his back.
“Oh, I am sorry. I am Miss Cassandra Milner.” holding out her hand, she waited for him to take it.
“Haytham Kenway. I thought I knew you from when you were younger.” taking her small hand in his, he kissed the knuckles. Once she took her hand away from him, he thought that she did look like her mother.
“Well, maybe you did, but don't know where.” she pulled her hand close to her body. He could not be trusted. It is Haytham, but that means... “Mister Kenway, when you told me that your father is dead, were you only kidding?”
“No, I was not, Miss Milner. He died a few days after our family friend was found dead at her home and her daughter taken. The daughter, I do not know what happened to her, but I am guessing now that she is dead as well.” He walked away and Emily was close to tears. Her own mother... Nora with her graying brown hair and her thoughtful blue eyes now closed from the world forever. She couldn't forget the cry her mother gave when the man shot her. The cry scares her when she is in the darkest of nights and she looked at his retreating form, “If.. if you had found the girl, what would you have done?”
“I am not so sure. Three years after her disappearance, I would have hugged her and told her I was sorry for teasing her so, but now, I am not hopeful that she will ever turn up.” he continued and she followed, going to the cabin she shared with him to write a note that she had learned to talk to him about just like she was a little girl.
Haytham,
So much is happening and the girl you are looking for is not dead, she is alive and right in front of you. I wish you could call me out so I can run into your arms and cry into them. I also wish I had not left all those years ago so I could be the one to keep in your mind. If only I was older and better at hiding my own selfish wants. I was never fit for a princess. You were right. Now I am paying for that mistake. I hope you can forgive me.
Emily.
It was now past midnight when he went to his cabin to retire and found Cassandra in his bed, hogging a book to her chest, a tearstain covered her left cheek and he felt a little bad. He took her against her own will, he made her take this trip to Boston with him. While feeling bad, he only took her up in his arms and properly put her under the blankets. The book that was in her hands had fallen onto the floor and he picked it up, seeing the name Haytham, he assumed she was not talking about him and placed it on the desk next to his journal that he writes to his sister Jennifer, or Jenny. Taking off his cape and jacket to only be in his tunic, he slipped into the bed and covered himself with the cape, holding Miss Milner to him.
He knew right away when she stirred that it wasn't morning yet and she was thrashing about in the midst of a nightmare.
“Mama, no... Don't take me, she needs me... Mama!” once she bolted up, Haytham got up as well to comfort her. She was having a nightmare about her mother... yet, the way she said it, it was almost like she was... a child.
“I'm here, Miss Milner. Do not worry.” patting her back awkwardly and felt her relax more and fall asleep soundly again.
In his mind, he couldn't think of her as a little Emily Price, the brat who got away with hitting him because of his views. But his heart, funny thing as he didn't know this chit's lifestory, thought of her as Emily. He will get his answers sometime later as he fell asleep as well.
Now, the next few weeks went by without Emily waking in the midst of a nightmare, and she had found a smaller cabin for her to sleep in. Haytham didn't object to it as she had no where to go if she wanted to escape. And since she had nothing to change into, the captain found her a pair of trousers and a tunic to wear when she can find a way to clean her dress, but since she had no training for that in case she had to fend for herself, Emily didn't know how to wash her clothes. Walking out of the cabin she gave herself after talking to the captain, she walked onto the deck and wasn't surprised that Haytham was fighting with three crew members. What surprised her was that she went in and started fighting the men as well.
“Miss Milner?!” he questioned, startled that she even got into the fighting with him. With fighting off Graves, she watched him beat up Quill. Once the bloody bastard hit her and she kneed him in his groin, a howl of pain coming from him. Then she had the man, Mills she heard Quill say and he whispered, “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”
“Where did you-”
“Word travels. Don't worry, he will not know.”
“I'll kill the bloody bitch.” Graves looked at her and Mills before directing his attention to Haytham. “But I think I'm ready to go again if you are.”
Haytham looked at him, “This is unwise.”
“Why's that? Ya think I'm afraid of ya?” he gestered to Haytham to come at him. Emily still thinking that the captain would be very unpleased to see them fighting.
“No. But you should be.” and he went after Haytham, he got Graves on the ground, “Do you yield?”
Haytham heard Emily gasp when he pulled out a knife on the Templar. “Never! Now how do you like these odds?”
When she looked up, the captain was on his way over and sighed in relief when Haytham disarmed Graves.
“What is the meaning of this.” he stormed over and both Emily and Haytham said, “Captain.”
“Explain yourself at once, Mister Kenway!” Emily gave a mental sigh when he didn't call her out on her error.
“You see, these fou-” And then Mills interjected, “We were simply passing the time with a bit of sport, Captain.”
“How about you pass the time by doing your god-damned jobs instead?! I wasn't aware I was paying you to loll about! A word please- Mister Kenway? Miss Milner can join as well.” Right before Haytham said anything, Emily took the knife and went over to Graves, knelt down and whispered like she was the Angel of Death, “Try to fight me or Mister Kenway and I will kill you myself.” before stabbing it close to his crouch and walked back to the two into the Captain's quarters.
“I don't care for you, Mister Kenway. I've had nothing but trouble since you came aboard. Miss Milner is the only one who I haven't seen get into any fighting.”
Emily blushed and looked at Haytham, “Not too innocent now, eh? And your problems have nothing to do with me.”
“I beg your pardon?!” he stood up and looked at the two.
“You're a poor leader; ill-tempered and cruel. And it's clear your crew has no respect for you.”
Emily punched his arm and glared, “ And you're no better, Hankie?” This made him pale and look at her, “Where did you hear that from?”
“No where, it was a guess.” she looked away from him and began to play with the fabric on her shirt.
“Look- I don't want to argue. In fact, I need a favor...”
“Oh? This is rich.” he grumbled and got another punch in the arm. Emily walked over to the captain and asked, “What is this favor you're asking us?”
“I suspect some of the men intend to mutiny and as I cannot trust any of them, I am compelled to turn to you.” He looked at them and after Haytham's sarcasm remark, he asked almost in a sneer, “And why should I help you?”
“Because if they do intend to betray, I'm the only hope you have of reaching America alive. Well? What will it be?” Emily nodded in agreement with the captian and Haytham sighed. “If what you say is true, what other choice do I have?”
“Thank y-”
“But let me be clear, should you ever dare to insult or threaten me again, I'll not hesitate to cut off your head myself. Are we understood? Excellent! Good day,” he walked out of the room before Emily and she looked at the Captain, “And he says you have a temper? What a punny little man.”
“Did he threaten you as well? And what was it of?”
She looked away before answering, “More likely he was going to expose me to my family of carrying his child. And I begged him to take me with him.”
“Well, go get plenty of rest then. Having a child is not that lovely on a ship. Heard of others dealing with that and I do not want to join their ranks with that one.” he let her leave and went back to his desk, writing more about the voyage.