Edward sent a search party to the Patriot, consisting of Anne, Christina, William, and a few crewmates from both Freedom and Le Pandore, but they returned soon after with confused looks.
"There are none aboard, Edward. The ship has a ghastly silence within, as if the crew were plucked away in the midst of great activity," Anne yelled from shore.
"Thank you, Anne. Stay there, we will be searching the island next," Edward replied, then he turned to Dominique. "I will take some of my crew to the island. Could you stay in case something happens here? If we are attacked, we need at least one of our ships able to retaliate."
"I would be happy to oblige. I thank you for your assistance today, Edward. I know my son has been in good hands from the way you have offered yourself so fully to our cause."
"Sam is my family as well. When one of my family needs help, I will not hesitate to stand by him. I would do the same for any in the crew, no matter the cause."
"Well spoken."
Edward gathered the crew together and they set out in teams to explore the island. Edward and Henry, Anne and Christina, William and Sam, and John went into the island along with the majority of the crew, with Jack and Herbert and Freedom's remaining crew staying behind.
Edward commanded the teams to remain at most ten feet apart due to the fog. As the crew walked further into the island they were still able to see the people close to them. Edward was walking with Anne, and Henry and Christina were ten feet ahead of them.
The grass was wet with dew and the smell of fresh rain saturated the surroundings. Aside from the crewmates talking, and the grass being trod underfoot, it was silent on the island.
"So, what do you make of this, Anne?" Edward asked.
Anne pursed her lips and gazed around at the fog and the unnaturally flat terrain of the island. "I am reminded of one of the first things I said to you: There are some things in this world that cannot be explained."
Edward nodded in recognition. "Yes, I remember. That was when you were still pretending to be a man to hide your identity. You were referring to the locks on Freedom being magical as an explanation for why they could not be picked, were you not?" Anne nodded. "So, you believe Dominique is from the future?"
"I don't think I'm the authority on what is happening, but I believe in the possibility. I have seen many things which, if I told you, you may not believe. What do you think of Dominique's story?"
"As with many of the wonders we have seen, I don't particularly care. Perhaps he is from the future, perhaps Sam, Dominique, and his crew were tortured into believing this fantasy, or perhaps they are insane. Our goal is this Alston woman, and that will bring us one step closer to the key I seek. That, and helping Sam's family, are all I care about."
"Perhaps that is the best way to think of this occurrence. If we cannot explain what is happening, what is the use in pondering over it?"
"Exactly." Edward smiled to his lover, but when he opened his eyes his happiness faded. His head darted back and forth. "Where is everyone?"
Anne spun around, searching for their friends. "Hello? Christina? Henry?" she yelled. Anne looked at the ground. "The fog is thickening, I can barely see the grass beneath our feet."
Edward joined in yelling for their comrades, but no matter how loud their plea, there was no reply. Edward and Anne were alone.
"Come," Anne commanded. She grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him into a run.
The two ran forward across the grass through the pale mist, yelling as they went. The island turned colder with each passing minute, but the exertion kept their bodies warm. The silence of the island became oppressive, with the only sounds being the soft crunch of their boots against the moist grass. They ran for what felt like ages, cold sweat passing down their faces and exhaustion taking over.
Edward thought he heard a voice behind him, a voice he hadn't heard in a long time, and the suddenness of it loosened his grip on Anne. Her hand slipped from Edward's, and she disappeared into the vapour.
"Anne?" Edward called. "Anne!"
"Hello, Ed."
Edward turned, the same voice from before beckoning him to its source. Edward saw the face of one he never thought he would see again, and it brought tears to his eyes.
"Dad?"
…
"Don' gimme that look."
William stared down at Sam, daggers raining from his pupils.
"Stop it," Sam commanded, to no effect. "Dad damn ye, William, stop starin' at me! Yer face is like a Catholic priest during a Sunday sermon: ye could make the most hardened man's sugar stick go limp with a glance." Sam waved his arms and turned to walk away.
William gripped Sam's clothes at the back. "I specifically instructed you to stay close to the others. We are now separated because of your ineptitude. Do not make the same mistake and go off on your own."
Sam pulled his clothes away forcefully and let out a sigh. "Fine, fine, dammit. I'm following orders now, your majesty." Sam cackled. "No… your majesty's dog."
William gave Sam another look, but this time Sam laughed it off and began walking again, with William following closely behind. The white wall on all sides seemed as much a physical barrier as a wall, shutting out most of their previous sight and sounds. William's normally silent footsteps were as loud as a person talking, which made Sam's dragging feet deafening in the void.
Several times while walking gradually forward, William placed his hand on Sam's shoulder, but Sam kept shrugging it off. After a few occurrences, Sam snapped.
"William, put yer hand on me one more time and I swear…"
"Well, if you insist. I thought you could use the support, however, as I noticed the fog closing in on us."
"What?" Sam spun around, staring at the ground. As he confirmed what William said, perspiration formed on his forehead. "Dammit, dammit, dammit." Sam's eyes flitted back and forth, and he kept running his fingers through his straight black hair. After a moment, he looked William up and down. "How can you be so calm at a time like this?"
"I feel you carry enough hysteria for the both of us. Hold yourself together, man."
"We're goin' ta die here, in case ye hadn't noticed."
William placed his hands behind his back, straightening his spine. "If we were going to succumb to the fog, it would have happened already. We have been breathing it in since before we landed on the island."
Sam didn't have a response, so instead he paced around in a small circle, making audible groans growing in volume. As the grunts reached a crescendo he covered his face with his hands and wiped vigorously, finishing with a flourish.
"Why did ye join me anyway, mate?"
William arch his brow. "Could you repeat that?"
"Why did you come wit me when ye coulda went wit yer princess? We both know ye don't care fer me none, so why?"
William paused for a moment. "Contrary to what you may believe, I do not hate you. While we may disagree on methods of accomplishing tasks, we are part of the same crew. Camaraderie builds trust, trust keeps us working as a team, and teamwork keeps us alive."
"Do ye hear yerself, mate? Yer such a ninny I can't stand it. Git the stick outta yer butt sometimes, would ye?"
"The fog is touching you."
Sam jumped and circled around frantically until he noticed William grinning on the verge of laughing. "Oh, very funny, ye git. Come on, let's…" Sam paused, peering behind William.
William's gaze was drawn over his shoulder when Sam yelled, "I see a woman!" before rushing past William and towards the figure he'd noticed. William reacted just in time to begin running before Sam disappeared into the mist.
William could not see the woman Sam noticed, and because of the headstart Sam had, he could barely see him. William was fast on his feet, and routinely proved himself to be the most agile amongst the men aboard Freedom, but conditions were stacked against him: Thick fog which was becoming denser, Sam's natural agility, distance advantage, and changing his direction, all made William gradually fall behind. No amoun
t of yelling for Sam to slow down helped, and Sam was beginning to disappear. First his arms, then his head, then all William could see was Sam's back.
William leapt into the air and reached for Sam, his fingers inching closer. The white smoke was overtaking Sam's clothes. William gritted his teeth as he fell. His fingers grazed the fold of Sam's tunic, and then William fell to the ground.
The force of falling caused William to close his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again he was no longer surrounded by fog, and he could see Sam as clear as day in front of him.
William rolled over, rose to his feet, and a brick building greeted his eyes. After glancing about at the whole mansion in front of him, he recognised where they were. "London," William muttered.
Sam turned around, not noticing William before now. "How did we… what's happenin' right now? William? William!" Sam yelled, bringing William out of his stupor.
"This is Kensington Palace. Though I do not know how we have been transported here."
William and Sam examined their surroundings. To their left, a hundred feet away, was the palace itself, a two-and-a-half to three-storey mansion of red brick. The front of the building extended two hundred and fifty feet, and had several annex buildings on the sides going farther back. William noticed that fog surrounded the palace, allowing sight of the gates and perimeter, but not beyond.
"There she is!" Sam pronounced, pointing.
William followed Sam's finger to see a woman glancing about in the same bewildered way as they were. Sam ran towards her, and William followed behind briskly.
With the sound of William's and Sam's footsteps, the woman turned to face them. She had short black hair tied into a bun, with curls spilling down her forehead. Her red cheeks and small facial features could only be described as "dainty." She wore a simple white travelling dress flowing to her ankles.
Her eyes widened at Sam's forceful approach, but before she could back away Sam grabbed her by the arm. "Whut's yer name, woman?"
"What is the meaning of this, gentlemen? Are you part of the King's guard?" the woman asked.
"Answer the question!" Sam demanded.
"Sam, release her!" William said.
"But—"
"But what? What if this is the woman your father seeks? What will you do with her? We are stuck in an unknown area, we do not know how to leave, and we may need her if this occurrence is by design. Whatever you plan on doing, it can wait until we find our way to exit this illusion."
"Tch." Sam threw the woman's arm away.
William turned to the woman. "I apologise for the actions of my comrade, miss."
"Thank you, sir," the woman said with a curtsey. "My name is Theodosia Burr Alston. From your speech to your friend, I judge that you too were unfortunate enough to land on an island covered in fog, and now you find yourself here?"
"Yes, and if you were on the ship known as the Patriot, you will know us as the crew of the Freedom, which you hit a few days prior."
"Yes, yes, I recall that happening. My apologies for not stopping to introduce ourselves, but we were being chased by pirates, and entered the Bermuda Triangle in an attempt to escape. At first I thought the fog that appeared a blessing, but I fear now it is the opposite." Alston paused for a moment. "Are you with the pirates who were chasing us?" Alston asked Sam.
"No, but my father is the captain. Once we get outta here, I'm takin' ye ta him."
Alston turned to William. "You look to be an upstanding gentleman, so I will tell you this in the hopes you will do the right thing: I am on a diplomatic mission of aid to the United States of America. The ship I travel on carries medical supplies for soldiers."
William considered the woman's words for a moment. 'United States of America' was confusing to William, but he quickly gathered that it represented the North American colonies who were at war with Britain in Dominique's explanation. Alston's position from Dominique's account, however, was not the same. "We were told differently," William said eventually.
"I assure you I am telling the truth, but, as they say, actions speak louder than words. Let us find our way out of here, you can judge my actions until then, and we will see if you believe me trustworthy." Sam snorted, but William and Alston ignored him.
"I have one question which may seem odd but will help with another matter. What year do you believe it to be?"
Alston peered at William queerly. "The year is clearly eighteen-thirteen…" Alston glanced from William to Sam, who in turn looked at each other. "Is it not, gentlemen?
"Before we delve into that subject, we should examine our surroundings. If this is an illusion, we need to find the source."
"And if it be real?" Sam asked.
Then we have far bigger problems than simply finding our way out of here." William allowed his words to sink in. "This way," he commanded.
William guided the others to the side of the long brick building. Though one would think the home to the royal family would be swarming with guards, the grounds of Kensington Palace were surprisingly empty. Coupled with the fog just in the distance, there was a haunted feel to the mansion.
Despite the emptiness, William was no less cautious in walking about the premises. He stepped behind tall decorative bushes and trees as much as possible and peered out behind them to ensure the coast was clear before venturing further. At two-thirds of the way across the side wall, William approached the wall and touched a specific brick, pushing it into the wall.
The brick being depressed caused a portion of the wall to open, creating an entrance. "Inside," William suggested, pointing the way.
After Alston and Sam entered, William followed and flipped a wooden lever to close the opening behind them. After a moment, their eyes adjusted to the dark interior.
They found themselves in a small, plain corridor with a low ceiling and no windows. Lanterns posted every twenty feet provided soft illumination. The only discerning features were the brick walls and wooden floorboards.
"Where are we?" Sam asked.
"We are in a secret tunnel known only to a close few to the royal family. They are meant to be a way to quickly escape in an emergency. These corridors connect to almost every room in the palace." William grabbed a nearby lantern and began walking through the corridor. "Follow me."
William led the group through long corridors and winding staircases for fifteen minutes. Every so often he opened a door a crack to check if there was anyone in the room, but throughout the whole search they could find no one.
The inside of the tunnels felt unused and smelled of rotting wood and stale air. Cracks showed on the brick walls, and cobwebs found their way inside as well as in each available corner. The sound of scurrying tiny feet, animals running away from their approach, could be heard far in front of them.
When they reached the royal apartments, William could hear noise in the King's bedchambers. He opened the door a small amount, as before, but could not see anything due to the poor angle.
Sam moved up beside William, who was just then lowering the lantern, and Sam knocked it with his knee. The lantern swung forward and hit the secret door, causing a clinking noise.
The three looked at the source of the noise, and their eyes widened. Before they could react, the secret door was flung open. A middle-aged man in military dress stood in front of them.
"William, we've been waiting for you. Come on in, son." The handsome middle-aged man was military advisor to William III, and former First Lord of the Admiralty, Edward Russell. He was also known as one of the immortal seven, who helped convince William III to take the throne through a show of force. He had jet-black hair slicked back, and dark eyes. Though he had been nothing short of jovial when speaking to William, William could not help but think the man a snake in disguise. Edward Russell turned his eyes to the other two next to William. "Who are these people, William?"
William was still in shock, but quickly regained his composure. He knew exactly when this illusion was taking place now. "These are fri
ends. May they join us?" he asked with a bow.
"Of course, my boy," Russell said, opening the door wider to allow them entrance. "Oh, but before that, it may be prudent to leave your weapons in here. The King's constitution is on the brink currently, and he could not handle the sight of weapons right now, I'm afraid."
William paused for a moment; he recalled having a similar conversation with Edward Russell in the past. The memory of the fateful day when he failed in his charge rushed back to him, haunting his movements.
"Are you well, William?" Russell asked. "You look pale."
"Fine. Perfectly fine," William said, then he took the sword and pistol from his belt and lay them on the floor of the corridor before entering the King's bedchambers.
Sam reluctantly followed suit in removing his weapons, and gave the man a glare as he passed over the threshold. Alston had no worry of weapons, and entered behind Sam, though with reluctance.
The King's bedchambers were lavishly decorated with red and gold touching all furnishings. At the back of the room in the middle was an extravagant bed with oak canopy, and the King sitting up in it.
William walked over to the King and knelt down next to the bed. After a few seconds, he urgently beckoned the others to join him. Sam and Alston played along and knelt down next to the bed.
The King laughed, which sent him into a fit of coughs. "William, you and your friends may rise. You know you do not have to be so formal."
"Yes, Your Majesty… I just…" William shook his head and rose to his feet. "I would like you to meet Mister Samuel Bellamy, and Miss Theodosia Burr Alston. Though Samuel's appearance is ragged, he is a loyal man, and Miss Alston is a visiting dignitary from the New World colonies. Mister Bellamy, Miss Alston, I present to you King William III of England, Scotland, and Ireland in this year of the lord seventeen-oh-two," William said, staring at the two of them.
"Ah, good, good. Thank you for bringing them personally. Gentlemen, and lady, we welcome you to our house. We apologise for the secrecy, but you can appreciate that for a King to have audiences such as this is not normally possible." Sam and Alston nodded woodenly, causing the King to laugh once more. "Oh dear, our grace has rendered you speechless. Rest assured, you may speak freely and your words will be taken with the strictest confidence. William has apprised you of our inquiry, yes?" the King said with arched brow.
Blackbeard's Revenge (Voyages Of Queen Anne's Revenge Book 2) Page 12