Eternity

12.

                                                                         

I call out his name repeatedly, but I hear no response.

As I panic I begin to stroke the water to give the boat momentum, the plank of driftwood gone with my husband.

We move at a slow pace and as the blistering sun grows stronger I become weaker.

After maybe three hours we come across another shipwreck, I look around for survivors, mainly Edward but am not so fortunate, I do however pick up a strong piece of wood that allows me to move faster.

I am scared for my life, scared for my sons life, scared for my people, scared for Cesare and Luca. I feel as though i cannot go on,but I must.

We spend hours out here under the hot ocean sun, I keep him under my chemise, where he is protected from the sun, being virtually alone out here gives me time to think.

I decide to name him Miles, being that he was born miles from land. I also think about my other family, we would’ve docked by now, I wonder if they are looking for me. I wonder if they are as scared as I am.

I grow tired as the day goes on , I drift into slumber, but wake up soon after and I do this ten or so times before I am definitely asleep, face down protecting myself from the harsh sun.

I wake up to here someone gently calling my name. ‘Catalina, is that you?’ The man is now shouting. I am surely hallucinating,I am alone here.

I sit up and see an entire fleet of galleys in the on the horizon, as they sail closer I can make out, what I think is the Dakraghi flag flapping in the sea breeze. I begin to row faster towards the fleet. The boats soon catch up to me and a man dives from the ship into the crystal waters and swims for me.

As the man reaches my small boat he lifts his head up, his hair hanging in eyes, but I see that crooked smile that I cherish. I clutch his face with my hand that isn’t holding my son and kiss him, I don’t care who sees, now we could finally be together.

Cesare asks if I am strong enough to swim back to the boat, I tell him that I am, but wouldn’t be able to carry the child. He smiles as I tell him the name. He then swims over behind the boat and propels it along until we reach the tall galley. I hand my son over to him as I climb the ladder that has been thrown over the side; he climbs below me, clutching my baby tightly.

As I climb aboard, the sailors bow to me. Cesare soon climbs aboard and ushers me into his room below deck. He leaves me with the child as he brings me food and warm water for a bath. The food is disgusting and tastes as if it has been pickled for months. But I am just grateful to be alive.

Cesare fills the wooden bath in the centre of the small room to its full capacity I undress and climb in, with my son in my arms.

Firstly I wash the blood off Miles, and for the first time I see how beautiful he really is. He has a lighter tone than my skin but darker than his fathers, his thick hair a light brown and his eyes, brown like mine but with the golden flecks of his father’s.

As I finish, I hand him to Cesare who swaddles him and rocks him to sleep, as he does this I clean the blood off my legs, and begin to relax as I am safe now. The boat is headed back to Dakragh, where I will be reunited with those I love.

Cesare places my sleeping son on the end of the single bed in the corner of the small room. He then climbs into the bath tub. I move my legs out of his way as we share the small bath. I then outstretch my legs again as Cesare begins to rub them, while he does this he asks me questions.

‘ What exactly happened to Edward?’ I tell him that he just vanished during the night, I do not know where he is or if he is even alive.

I then asked Cesare how he knew to come looking for me. ‘The storm found Dakragh before it found you, I knew you would most likely be caught in the storm, so I used the navy to spread out and search the waters, from Dakragh to Rhyde, to see where you had been swept.’ I took my feet back from him and moved my body next to his, we lie uncomfortably in the narrow tub, but we lie safely in each other’s arms

‘You Catalina, are the strongest, bravest and most beautiful woman that has ever lived and I am glad that you are safe with me now.' I kiss Cesare’s cheek and taste the sea salt in his beard.

I step out of the bath as I am now clean and full, something I could not say an hour ago. Though it is only three in the afternoon, I am tired, no I am exhausted and I go to sleep naked in Cesare’s small bed, with my child asleep in an open drawer stuffed with blankets.

As I sleep Cesare attempts to wash the blood out of my dress, but has no luck. I am awoken by the cries of my son, I guess that it is around midnight. The light of the moon creeps through the cracks in the doors and gently lights up the room.

As I go to get up, I see Cesare pick him up and rock him till he stops crying and lays with him in the now empty bath in which Cesare was sleeping. I

fall back to sleep quickly thinking about how gentle Cesare is, but am awoken only hours later by the gentle cries of Miles once more. I pick him up, being careful not to wake Cesare as he sleeps peacefully, using my blood-stained dress as a pillow.

I feed my small son as I estimate that I had been asleep for over twelve hours. I place my son, swaddled in a blanket back in the drawer where he originally slept. I wrap the blanket that covered the bed around myself as I decide to stay awake until we reach land.

I kiss Cesare’s forehead before I go up to the deck. I am so glad to see the deck to be quiet and not afloat with drowning soldiers. As the moon shines upon the boat, I smile up at the sailor steering it. The ocean breeze flows gently through my hair as I approach the bow of the boat. There I stand looking out at everything the moon casts its light upon. I stand there for half an hour staring at the beauty of this night, before someone stands behind me. ‘Almost as beautiful as you isn’t it.’ I can tell it is Cesare from the slight brassiness in his voice.

He wraps his arms around me as I lean on the railing and we look out into the distance, he occasionally kisses my neck. As it grows closer to dawn I see land ahead.

As we sail into the bay I excuse myself from the deck in order to change into my bloodied dress. Cesare follows me back below deck and helps disguise the bloodstains on my dress by giving me his cloak that barely reaches the hem of the dress but it will have to make do.

‘I’m sorry I did not keep my word to you. Your husband did not die by my hands like I promised he would.’ Cesare said out of nowhere.

‘You may still have your chance yet, my love.’