Piracy

45. Battling for Him

I had finally succumbed to sleep, despite my intense desire to continue watching Harry all night. I had hoped for the chance to say at least two words to him before he woke up in the morning. But my efforts proved futile - when I awoke, he was no longer in the room.

I sighed deeply, realizing that my desire to speak to him would have to wait to be fulfilled until after the siege, which was to commence late in the day. I could only hope and pray that it would be quick and that no one would be injured. 

Not knowing what I would be expected to do, I thought it reasonable that I should dress in pantaloons instead of my dress. I wanted to be able to move quickly if necessary, and wearing a dress in the jungle or anywhere else was not the most effective way to advance. I dug into Harry's clothing chest - from which I'd taken several items in the past - and found a small-ish pair towards the bottom. I assumed that they had fit him when he first came aboard the Rebellion, but now his hips would be much too wide. I also donned a lightweight shirt and an old jacket made of cowhide. Finally, I found one of the hats that Harry had let me wear a few times. I placed it on my head and hoped that I could pass for a man since I was planning to fight alongside them.

With Harry's locket still around my neck - tucked inside my shirt - and the sword he had given me fastened to my side, I was ready. I ventured out on deck to find out if I could be of any assistance in the preparations. I reached the highest portion of the ship and looked up. The cliffs above us were so tall, they seemed to reach into the heavens. I could just barely make it out, but I finally located the small cave which would afford Harry and his men entrance into the castle. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Harry's flat voice sounded next to me. 

My heart began to race as I replied softly, "Yes, it is." I stood, frozen, hoping he would say something else, but he simply walked away. I shook my head, clearing it of any lingering thoughts about Harry and me for now. I had to focus, and I couldn't very well do that if I was pining away for him.

The ship was buzzing with anticipation. The Vengeance was moored quite close in case Harry's ship ran into trouble. They were already operating with a skeleton crew, seeing as all able-bodied men were either poised to enter the castle through the cave with Harry, or they'd been sent ashore to serve Niall, who was leading the attack using ladders along the castle wall, or Louis, who would be leading the second wave of attackers through the little-known entrance which was also buried by the underbrush. 

The day raced by, with everyone receiving instructions from Harry; everyone except me. Harry finally gave my orders to Zayn, who in turn communicated them to me. 

"Stay on the ship," Zayn ordered. "Defend it if necessary. Liam will stay on board as well."

"Why?!" I shouted loud enough that Harry could hear me. I was furious! I felt belittled by Harry's judgment of my abilities, that I was only a last resort for defending the ship when it was most likely never going to be threatened, that I wasn't capable of anything truly important. If the enemy came back through the cave, we simply had to pull the ladder and sail away. How difficult was that? Perhaps Harry still believed me a traitor and didn't trust me to help in any significant way.

He raced over to me and responded with a shout of his own. "You will stay here because that's what I've ordered you to do!" His face was inches from mine, but I felt like I no longer recognized the man standing before me. This was the brutal Captain Styles, the man who had first made me his captive, shoving me around and demanding my obedience. There was none of Harry, my lover, to be found in his hardened face.

I set my face firm and replied through a calculated whisper, "Yes. Sir." I was working very hard to keep my emotions in check. I couldn't stand this cold side of him, but I didn't want to appear weak. I also chose not to fight back in public because Harry's men needed to see that he was fully in control. It would do him no good to have an insolent woman snapping at him.

When I found a brief moment alone, I burst into tears, sobbing miserably. What had I done to turn him against me? Beyond that, there was an even more frightening question looming. What if all of the tragedy he'd encountered finally took its toll on him? What if I never saw my Harry again, only this savage pirate who had once scared me to death?

I hadn't much time to think as dusk was rapidly approaching. The men who were ready to wage their attacks from the top of the cliffs would be sending messages to us below once they were engaged, and they would sound an alarm if there was an unfortunate turn of events. We all became deathly silent when Niall sent a red flag sailing over the side of the cliff, the signal that his men were underway, climbing the hidden ladders to infiltrate the castle. Hopefully they would be able to kill or apprehend as many guards as possible before being detected.

We lit a few small lanterns, silently waiting for something - anything to happen. Harry wanted to be certain that Niall's crew had secured part of the castle before Louis advanced. It didn't take long because before we knew it, Louis' flag came sailing down over the cliff, just barely visible in the dark, but Harry and all his men were keenly watching for it. 

As soon as the flag fell to the deck, the men began to scramble up the ladder with Harry prepared to bring up the rear. I couldn't stand it, so I ran to Harry, not caring what he might do to me for distracting him. "Please be careful!" I begged him. And then, "I know you can do it." I hopped up on my toes and kissed his cheek.

Before he mounted the ladder, his eyes roamed over my clothing - his clothing - and he stopped when he caught sight of my neck, specifically the locket secured around it. His mouth parted in shock, then he yanked the chain harshly from my neck and stuffed the jewelry in his pocket.

I remained fixed to the spot while he climbed speedily up towards the cave. I'd been hoping that the locket would inspire him somehow, that holding on to a piece of his past would remind him of what he was fighting for. Apparently my plan had miserably failed, judging from how ruthless he'd been in tearing it from my neck. I tenderly rubbed the abrasion caused by the chain, and I watched as Harry ascended into the darkness and finally disappeared into the cave. 

I choked on everything inside that was threatening to come out - all of my fear, anger, and heartbreak. Now was simply not the time to break down. I calmed myself by gauging everyone else's attitude. They all seemed quite focused, ready for action. A few of the men began to hoist up the sails, which surprised me since we weren't planning on going anywhere. But then I noticed that the sails were dark, black or perhaps dark blue, and there was a design on the largest one that I couldn't quite make out. When the main sail was raised completely and billowing in the light breeze, I realized, by the light of the moon, that the sail bore the Styles Coat of Arms, and the smaller sails had a simple HS on them, signifying that this was the fleet of Prince Harry Styles of Elinshire. 

A chill went through me and my breath became shallow. This was it. It was really happening. Harry was going to overthrow his evil stepfather and take his rightful place as king. As long as he wasn't killed in the process. I refused to let that thought take root in my mind, and I commenced praying as hard as I could that Harry and his men would emerge victorious. 

Soon, the sounds of battle erupted overhead, after a raucous shout of "Long Live King Harry!" My heart began to race and I felt acid rising in my throat. There was no way to determine whose side was winning and whose was losing. None of the noise seemed to be coming from the cave, so I hoped that meant that Harry's team hadn't encountered trouble.

With the din of battle raging overhead, I could barely hear his voice, but I heard it. Harry appeared at the mouth of the cave, illuminated slightly by the moon. "Wren! I need you!" 

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Only a few chapters left, y'all. Just giving you a head's up. :D