THE SAILS OF THE HIGH SEAS

- Chapter 5 -

The following day felt like the longest eternity Sandokan endured in the recent years. Not because his body paid him back in its sweetest sourness of the most imaginable sort for leaving the bed when he was perfectly aware of the fact that he was still too weak for it. No. It was because he willed himself into pretending that he was asleep the whole day. The entire day.

There were moments throughout the day when he slept, overcome with exhaustion. That much was true. But the hours he laid awake in his bed with eyes closed shut, pretending to be sleeping, far outweighed the moments he actually spent in the land of dreams. And when he did sleep, there was only one person he dreamed of. One woman. One beauty with spunk and sass in her delicate voice. Lady Marianna. Marianna. And the dream that kept returning was of the image of their joined hands. Her hand in his. Steady and confident in the strength they offered one another.

The fact that Sandokan convinced others that he was asleep also worked to his advantage. One he had not anticipated. Once those who visited his room figured he was asleep, they would speak of matters related to him, or not. Regardless of who visited him. Whether it was a servant to change his bandages, a doctor to check his wounds, or the astute Lord Guillonk himself. It baffled Sandokan at first that Lord Guillonk spoke with the doctor about his progress as if he were a noble man, a man of riches, a man of their... status. And then he recalled Marianna's words regarding this ring.

The ring... The level of ignorance of the British nobility stupefied Sandokan. It also angered him. To think that they treated him well above his current livelihood based only on the ring on his finger left Sandokan speechless. Figuratively speaking, since he kept silent on purpose. And yet... It brought out in him the kind of indescribable rage and resentment he worked hard to overcome for many years. His parents were murdered. Not because they committed crimes. Not because they acted out of their way to make their subjects suffer. No. They lost their lives because they were of royal blood and lineage. And because of this single deciding factor they were considered outlaws in the eyes of the humane and forward-thinking British...

Many hours had passed until he hand calmed the storm that battered his restless heart. The physical pain, mixed with the pain in his heart because of the vivid memories of his parents' murder, as well as the void he felt because of Marianna's absence, could have brought many to delirium. But not him. Not Sandokan. Not the pirate he had become, and definitely not the man his beloved mother raised him to be.

Fueled only by Marianna's words that she would return to his side, Sandokan waited, and waited, and waited. The moment he heard her delicate voice far off at the other end of the hall, his heart moved. Damned if he was, but he had to acknowledge that fact. His heart already knew what his mind tried so hard to avoid. They lived in two very different worlds. They were destined to live two very different paths. They were meant for two very different outcomes of the choices they would make in their lives. And yet...

"Lord Guillonk, uncle, is it really true that Our guest had not woken up all day?" Sandokan heard Marianna ask her uncle right outside the door to his room. The concern in her voice almost made him rise out of bed and rush to her.

"Correct, my child," Lord Guillonk replied in his usual dry British accent. "The doctor's been, but no one knows why the man sleeps. He neither muttered a word, nor did he hiss from pain."

"Could it be that his pain had intensified?" Marianna asked, very much worried.

"The doctor could not confirm that. But how could the man relapse back into pain if he made progress already?" Lord Guillonk pondered out loud. "It is not as if he rose from the bed and disregarded his injuries."

"You do have a point," Marianna replied, filled with so much guilt that her eyes filled with tears.

"Worry not, my child," Lord Guillonk raised his hand, placed it under her chin, and brought it up a bit higher. "Soon the man will wake up, and we will find out who we have invited under Our roof."

"I hope so. I cannot bear to see him like this. Not after the way he looked on the beach..." Marianna cut her words at half sentence.

"I know. Believe me, I know. Not a day goes by that I do not recall the way Your father looked when he dove into the waters hoping to save Your dear mother's life. Shipwrecks may be common, but NEVER when it comes to one's own family." Lord Guillonk sighed.

"I miss my parents so much. The wounds on this man's hand and face remind me of Father as well," Marianna wiped her tears away. "We must save his life, uncle. We simply must."

"You have my word that I will do all that is in my power to ensure his recovery. We will return him to his family in the best possible health." Saying so, Lord Guillonk walked into Sandokan's room. He stood by the bed, and watched as Sandokan slept.

"He sleeps so peacefully," Marianna spoke softly as she sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"He does, doesn't he. I just wish we knew who he is," Lord Guillonk narrowed his eyes.

"He must be someone quite important. The ring on his finger speaks of status," Marianna pointed out to emphasize that detail, yet she dared not to reach for Sandokan's hand in her uncle's presence. "And he speaks English. Not many men in this country can afford such luxury."

"You do have a valid point. I am sure his family must be looking for him. We will see who he is, and will send word to his family as soon as he feels better," Lord Guillonk nodded.

"I do hope he recovers soon," Marianna said and looked up at her uncle. "I shall keep him company until then. It is important for me, uncle."

"As You wish," Lord Guillonk replied, turned around and began walking toward the door. "As long as it does not take forever."

"Thank You, uncle," Marianna smiled at him, yet she was anything but pleased on the inside. She waited until Lord Guillonk closed the doors behind him, and sighed heavily. She rose from the chair and walked toward the window. How free and boundless the world outside looked to her. How limitless, how immeasurably out of reach...

"You are sad again," Sandokan said once he ensured they were alone and the doors closed behind Lord Guillonk.

"You are awake!" Marianna rushed back to his side, and tried to whisper but the relief she felt in her heart won over caution.

"Of course. How long could a man sleep before he bores himself to oblivion?" Sandokan smiled at her.

"You were... pretending to be asleep? All this time?" Marianna smiled back with so much gleam in her eyes that he barely noticed that she also reached for his hand.

"What else could I do to pass time?" Sandokan chuckled lightly.

"You did that as a form of amusement?" Marianna raised her eyebrow.

"Not at all," he kept smiling, pleasantly aware that she kept her hand atop his.

"Then why?" She asked, puzzled.

"Why should I have spoken with anyone else if it is You that I wanted to speak with?" Though he kept a smile on his face, his eyes conveyed anything but amusement. And there was no doubt in Marianna's mind what his eyes were telling her.

"You must be careful," she whispered with worry.

"My dear Marianna, You have my word that I will do everything in my power not to jeopardize my stay at Lord Guillonk's estate." He turned his hand around, so that their palms met, and linked their fingers together.

"Sandokan," she whispered his name.

"Please, whatever comes, let that be decided upon Fate. But for now, let this be something we could look back at one day and smile at the memories." He sighed. "Life is full of sorrows, big and small. That is why split seconds of peace and happiness matter so much."

"You do have a soul of a poet," Marianna leaned in ever so slightly and touched his left cheek, keeping in mind to be gentle because of the scar that healed rather slowly.

"Only when You are around, my dear Marianna," Sandokan replied and turned his head toward her, thereby deepening the caress of her hand against his wounded cheek.

"Does this imply that You will sleep all day long tomorrow as well, until I come back to visit You again?" she grinned from ear to ear.

"Since You requested so sincerely..." he smiled at her with a pirate's mischief in his gaze, and sent flares of desire and longing all the way to her heart...