𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐞 | 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫 ✅

26 - My Beloved

"Yes," the captain turned to smirk at me over his shoulder, "here we are..." he reached into his pocket and took out a set of keys. He rattled through them until he found the one to the cell and then he opened it, pulling the door open and allowing me inside.

There were four men in the cell and a bundle of rags in the corner. I quickly inspected each of the men from the doorway of the cell using the little bit of light which was shining through the small window at the top of one of the walls. "He's not in here," I said to myself, turning around to look at Captain Randall, "there must be a mistake, Jamie's not -"
"Eira?" My name. Pronounced wrong. Eyr-Ra not Eye-Ra

"Jamie?!" I exclaimed, dashing to the pile of rags in the corner of the room which I now realised were my soon-to-be husband. "Jamie?" I fell to my knees at his side, gently reaching out and moving the material covering him until I realised that he was laying on his front, and that his back was -

I gasped. 

"What happened?" I demanded, "they said ye were not to be flogged yet -"
"Aye, well," he grunted in pain as he tried to sit up, "that's the second time."

"They're flogging ye again?" I turned my head over my shoulder to see the door to the cell shut and Captain Randall watching through a square in the wood, a window. "Why?"

"The first for stealing, and the second for -"
"Trying to escape." I looked at his wounds. They were quite deep, still bleeding and, I reached out to put one finger to the torn skin, hot to the touch. I frowned. A fever was setting in.

"Oh, Jamie." I breathed, my eyes tearing up as I imagined the pain that he must be in.

"Dinna fash, Mo Chridhe," he reached out for one of my hands and squeezed it tightly, "it doesna hurt as bad as ye think -"
"But they're going to do it again." A tear rolled down my face, "I canna even bear to think of -"
"Then dinna think about it." He ground his teeth together as he once again tried to sit up, this time succeeding. I think that he didn't want me to see his back for any more time than I already had. He looked down at her joined hands and then asked, "ye dinna come here by yeself, I hope?"
"Yer father is in the commander's office," I promised him, "I was given permission to visit ye." I gestured behind me subtly so Randall would not be able to see, "he's listening to everything we say."
Jamie was silent, looking at my dress. He frowned, "ye're ruining it," he gestured to the fabric, "ye shouldn't be here, Mo Chridhe, tis no place for a lady -"
"Tis no place for anyone." I looked around, the four other men in the cell watching us with interest, though they tried not to openly stare. "Christ, the goats at home have better than this -"

"Aye, I ken. When I get home, I'll build them a house as grand as ours -"

I frowned, once again thinking of the hot flesh on his back. To be truthful, I wasn't sure that Jamie would make it home.

"Jamie..." I looked down at our hands, "I love ye."

"I love ye more, Eira, I promise ye -"
"Time's up!" Randall once again unlocked the door, the metal in the lock grinding against itself as the key turned.

"Dinna stay and watch." He begged me, "I dinna want ye to see what they will do." He paused, glaring now directly over my shoulder at Randall, who was smirking at Jamie and I, "what he will do -"
"He does it?" I asked in disbelief and horror. "But -"

"Eira, promise me."

"But Brian -"
"Let him watch if he must, but promise me that ye will not."

"Lady MacCraig, I will come and get you myself, you know." Captain Randall sounded deadly serious.

I shivered and looked at Jamie. "I can't make ye that promise, Jamie." I leaned forward and pressed my soft lips against his dirty cracked ones. "I love ye."

He was silent as I rose and left the cell.