Je Suis Prest || Outlander

Chapter 16

"Sir, I would like to speak to ye on behalf of James Fraser, my father."

The man watching over the ship's prison looked me up and down. "Aye?"

"My father has experienced a great shock in the separation from his wife. Now that it has passed, I am sure he will give the captain his solemn word that he will not rebel. He is an honest man, and you can trust his word is true."

"Why would I believe that's true?"

"My father is an honest man. Once he gives his word... he'll never break it. Yer a Highlander, are ye not? My father fought on by the Bonnie Prince's side, and served him well. Ye canna let such a man go to waste, locked up in a cell when we need all able-bodied men on deck," I grimaced, hoping Fergus would forgive my use of the word.

"Let's see what Mr. Fraser has to say about this. Fraser!" I stepped down into the dark room. Water dripped from the beams above, making everything feel damp and cold. "We need all good and able men to navigate the shores.

"So I'm good and able now?" Daddy turned around and saw me. My heart broke seeing him grabbing at the bars, but I kept my arms crossed in front of me to appear unaffected.

"She's persuaded me ye'll not rebel."

"Aye, asked him to give ye yer word. Once he gives it, ye never break it."

"What are ye doing here lass?" I made my way to the cell and grabbed one of the bars between us.

"Just give him yer word, and he'll set ye free. Ye canna see what he's done for ye, can ye?"

"Raines?"

"No..." idiot. "Fergus," I hissed.

"What Fergus did, he did for you."

"If you believe that, ye dinna deserve to be let out of here," I turned on my heel and rejoined my husband, knowing Jamie would do the right thing. Only a moment or two passed before Jamie was standing before us a free man, his head brushing the wood beams above.

"You have my blessing. Ye can be married in Jamaica, by a priest. Prove yerself to her, as much as to me. And then—"

Fergus cut him off excitedly, but I wished he hadn't. "First, let us get to Jamaica."

"Thank you, mon fils". Fergus was beaming. My son. After Jamie was called away, I pulled Fergus into me. He kissed me, breathlessly.

"Thank you, Marsali, thank you."

"I knew my plan would work, you Highlanders are all alike. Stubborn as rocks, ye are." We made our way back to deck. I could feel Fergus was still beaming from being called "son". It was something he had been craving for years, but needed to hear in full before he accepted it for himself. The dawn began to break on the horizon, and Fergus urged me to get some rest, but I did not want to leave the deck. With Dad's blessing, I was more eager than ever to catch my first glimpse of land. Nothing could tear me from the deck.

With renewed vigor, Fergus took to his responsibilities on the ship. He never allowed anyone to make excuses for his hand—he was an able-bodied man the same as Daddy, and so he hardly left his side. They chatted amiably again as they worked the rigging, or whatever it was they were doing. It just looked like a lot of toying with ropes to me. I was just glad to see the tension between my men was gone. 

Now accustomed to the ships' constant motion, I was able to unpack some books from my trunk. Robinson Crusoe seemed a fitting title to read on this adventure. Daddy always said it was a favorite, but he admonished me to put it away on deck, so that the sailors who could read would not know what I was reading. In a cruel twist of fate, our ship followed the plot of the novel and we became a group of Scottish castaways.