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Fantasy Caught in the Waves (Closed)

Mr. Sinclair put a hand to his forehead and leaned with his head propped up against his desk. Being a father was exhausting for anyone, but he had somehow got stuck with the two most headstrong women in town. He'd be proud of them for that had the circumstances been different than what they were. "That's not up to me or you. The trial will decide, and I have little say in the matter no matter what I believe." And right now, he wasn't sure what exactly that was. His girls had been lying to him from the moment they returned, Josephine from even before that when it concerned Alec. His trust was entirely broken. All he knew was what he had heard behind closed doors, from a conversation that had meant to be held in private. If they lied to his face, maybe the truth was only spoken behind his back. It was all he had to go on.

"Not a good liar? Not even a good pirate? And yet... he became first mate?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He couldn't be too angry with Ella for how she was reacting to all of this. If she'd been in love, it was understandable. And maybe she really did believe she'd been manipulated or taken advantage of. That didn't mean she hadn't been. It didn't necessarily mean she was wrong about any of this either, but with all that was going on, it was difficult to tell what bits of information were real and what wasn't. He only wanted to protect her, but he visibly stiffened when she answered his question with a vague maybe.

God help them if Ella was pregnant. Finding a suitable husband for her then would be especially difficult. "Ella Sinclair, if you're pregnant, you most certainly will not associate with that man whether he lives or not. And I will not support an illegitimate child, either. You'll give it up and hope nobody finds out, or else ruin your chances at finding a suitable husband. Had they not be ruined enough, that is. I swear, between you and your sister... no man has ever had this much trouble trying to set his daughters up for success." If Ella was pregnant, she was almost certainly doomed to a life alone.

"And please, Ella, your sister is not that malicious. Even if Josephine has tried to... to be with Alec," he said, stumbling over the strange words at the thought of either of his daughters engaging in that sort of activity before they were married, "At least Alec has had the good sense to not indulge her. That's more than I can say for Peter. You should be kinder to your sister, for even if she was jealous, she still neglected to tell me anything until I found out entirely too late. At least now that I know, we can undo this whole mess and move on. You're upset now because you believe you are in love, but time will pass and you will learn to forgive me and your sister for this."

Josephine crossed her arms. How had this all gotten so messed up? Though maybe Alec was right. Ella would probably not go so far as to forgive Alec and not her out of spite, but she still thought the possibility of Ella ever forgiving her was pretty slim. "Yeah, you're probably right," she said, then after a moment, "She loves Peter more than me." Somehow she honestly believed that. Maybe it was because Ella had never been all to interested in men before Peter came along, so she didn't really know what it was like to share her, but a lot of what Ella was currently saying to father back at the house was true. Josephine was jealous. For a lot of different reasons. Not least of all was all the time the two of them spent together.

She felt like screaming just to get all of her frustration out, but instead she let go of a long sigh. In all of her worrying, she had almost forgotten to breath properly. Wandering back over to him, she leaned against the wall next to Alec. Well, at least one thing he said was true. She did have to smile slightly when he mentioned the pirate ship being the main reason they were even allowed to be together. "I suppose that's true," she said, taking hold of his hand. And she did want Ella to experience love. She just didn't know why it had to be with a pirate of all people. "And he did help us. If... if nothing else, I want to help him to repay him for that. I don't like him, but he doesn't deserve to die. I just wish... I wish it didn't have to be this way. It's ridiculous that it had to take us getting kidnapped by pirates to be allowed to be together, and for Ella to finally experience love, and... and that I had to ruin it all with my stupid mouth."
 
Ella pursed her lips. Ah, so Josie had been specific. That might have been a nice little detail to know when they were trying to formulate their story. "Tom liked him," she said. "The captain, I mean. I don't know why, probably because he kept his head down and did what he was told. He was a very controlling person." She didn't know if that was a good argument or not, but it would have to do. Ella didn't know what else she could say about that particular issue.

She wasn't pregnant, but she still tensed considerably when he told her what his reaction would be. Well, there went her hopes for a shotgun wedding, and it didn't seem like making that claim would help her case any. "I guess it's a good thing I'm not pregnant, then," she replied, glaring at him. "I'm sorry we're such burdens for you."

As for Josie...Ella didn't even know what to think. She felt furious and betrayed, not to mention heartbroken. Peter's arrest, it seemed, had the potential to cost her the three most important relationships in her life. Peter was gone, and it was the fault of her father and her sister. Ella had at least thought that Josephine would be on her side, but now...she had never felt more alone in all the world. If Peter died, she could never forgive them. How could she? "Of course she's not malicious," Ella replied, her tone biting in an effort to fight back tears. "She's just petty, and you know how dramatic she is. You really think she couldn't have exaggerated her little story, and I'm the one telling the truth? You know us, Father. Isn't that more likely?" But then he had the audacity to claim that she only thought she was in love, and Ella wanted to scream. No, she wouldn't forgive them. She would sooner die herself than see Peter executed on her family's account, and if that wasn't love she didn't know what was.

"If I don't love him, then I don't love Josephine," she responded, standing up. "Or you, for that matter. Do with that what you will, but I swear that if Peter dies because of what you and Josephine have said, you're both dead to me. I will never forgive you." Deep down in her heart Ella didn't mean that- she loved her family, but she was so angry. She'd never been angrier in her life, and she didn't know if she would be capable of forgiving them for this. Not if Peter lost his life. Lesser sins had torn families apart. With that, she turned on her heel and marched out of her father's office, not hesitating for a moment before she started to make her way to the stables.

Alec sighed, shaking his head. "No, she doesn't," he disagreed. He didn't think it would be encouraging to say so, but Ella would kill Peter if his and Josephine's positions were reversed. "You know that's not true. But she does love him. I know you miss her, but think about it, too. You've got your father, a sister, me. She's all he has in the world." It was easy to relate to Peter in that respect, because it was the same for him. Without Josephine, he had nothing. He knew that Josie had struggled with the amount of time that Ella and Peter had been spending together; he knew that it felt like Peter was stealing her sister from her. And it was a little different than how their relationship had started out, because Josie could only come and see him at night- but it didn't mean that Josie was right. Ella loved her, too.

It seemed that his suggestion to try and change her perspective might have helped a little bit, but he still knew how hard it was to accept. He squeezed her hand and kissed the top of her head, trying to be as comforting as possible. "Maybe you didn't ruin it," he suggested. "Peter's not dead yet." But by the looks of Ella storming down the hill to the stables, he might as well be.

The younger sister was in a fit of rage when she made it down to the stables. She didn't know what she was going to say, but it was going to be...something. "How could you?" she cried, coming inside and standing in front of the couple. "How could you lie to me? Father knows he was the first mate and we slept together and now he might die, and it's all your fault! You think it's okay to just...just tell your boyfriend about my personal life and then not even have the guts to own up to it? Did you really think I wouldn't find out? I can't believe you, I can't...ugh!" Ella didn't have the words to express herself.
 
Mr. Sinclair didn't know who Tom was until Ella clarified. He made a small noise and nodded his head, not finding such a statement unbelievable. "Yes, I'm sure that's true," he said. Captains had to be controlling by nature to do the job - even if that job was stealing things and trafficking young girls, holding them for ransom. He still didn't really see how any of that had much to do with Peter, though.

He really didn't like that Ella thought he was implying her and Josie were burdens to him. "You're not burdens to me, Ella. I love you girls very much. I just want what's best for you, even when the two of you don't know it yourselves. That's my job as a father." After a pause, he added, "But I'm glad you're not pregnant. One day I'd love to have grandchildren... But I'm too young to be a grandfather, and it's better for everyone if you wait until marriage. To a proper man as well."

It was hard to have a logical conversation when feelings were involved, though. He knew Ella was hurting, and he didn't blame her. Heartbreak was hard, whether it was losing your wife to an illness, or having the man you love be arrested for piracy. Ironically, in the moment, it seemed Ella was the dramatic one as she accused Josephine. To be fair, Josie had her moments, but both girls could be that way when they didn't immediately get what they wanted. "I do know my girls, so I know that Josie would never intentionally hurt you out of jealousy, Ella. It also doesn't seem likely to me that she would be exaggerating when she didn't even know I was listening. Don't be too hard on her. If you want to be angry with someone, be angry at me."

By this point, it didn't really seem to matter what he said, however. Ella was using her heart to think, not her head. She was angry at the both of them, and before he could even say anything more, she had stormed out. He sighed, feeling a migraine coming on. He didn't know how to sort through this right now to find the real truth of it all.

No, Peter wasn't dead yet. That was their one saving grace, and Josephine was glad she had at least Alec to lean on right now. She moved closer to rest her head on his shoulder, savoring the last few moments she could before Ella's wrath came down on her. Unfortunately, it didn't take very long before that happened.

She had to fight the urge to completely hide behind Alec. She already felt guilty, but being confronted by it felt a million times worse. She struggled for the words to respond. "Would telling you the truth have made it any better?" she asked. "I was just as shocked as you were! And I didn't mean for him to find out, Ella. It was an accident." How would she know father would overhear them? It was supposed to be a private conversation, and Ella knew she told Alec everything.
 
Ella just didn't know what to say to her father anymore. It seemed to her like he had completely lost it, but then again it was entirely possible she seemed like that, too. She narrowed her eyes at him slightly and turned away. "Well, it doesn't sound like you would have been a real grandfather even if I was pregnant." At least, he wouldn't have acted like one. Ella couldn't say for sure what she would do with a baby if she actually was pregnant- she didn't want a child, at least not at this point in her life, but she also wouldn't have taken kindly to being forced to give it up. Especially if it happened that the child was the only thing she had left of Peter. But she wasn't pregnant, so it was mostly a moot point.

And she wasn't saying that Josie intentionally tried to sabotage her relationship; she knew that Josie wouldn't do that, and if she'd wanted to it would be very easy to do. No, Ella knew that it was an accident, but that didn't excuse her sister from not being trustworthy, and for betraying her and Peter by saying something in a place where anyone could have overheard. And someone had. Ella knew that Josie wouldn't try to hurt her out of jealousy, but she would complain to Alec because of it. Then there was the lying. "I am angry at you," Ella assured her father as she stood. "But I'm angry at you as well as Josie, not instead of her." Josie wasn't the only one who'd done wrong. Her own father had sent the man she loved to jail based on an eavesdropped conversation, apparently without even checking for any sort of verification. "Don't you know how easy it is to misinterpret things heard out of context? Think about that next time you accuse a man of something that could get him killed. Maybe more than one highly emotional source should be consulted."

Ella was so full of so many emotions right now, she didn't even know where to start with Josephine. "Yes, it would have!" she responded. "Or at the very least, lying makes it worse. How can I trust you? You can't keep your mouth shut! It's none of Alec's business what I do with Peter, first of all, and you could have been more careful, Josie!" Ella turned around and ran her hands through her hair, unable to figure out what to say. "It's just...this is bad. Really bad. Do you know how much harder it will be to make our plan work if Father gets up on that witness stand and recites everything you told him? Are you going to be prepared to respond to it? Because if you aren't then Peter will die! I know it was an accident, I know you didn't mean it but I...this isn't okay! I can't tell you anything, I can't trust you with anything! I just don't know what to think, and if that wasn't bad enough then you lied to me about it!" That was almost the worst part.
 
Mr. Sinclair took a deep breath. He had never heard quite so many hurtful words come from Ella before. He knew she was hurting, and he was sorry for that, so he tried not to take it too personally. As a father though, he had to try very hard not to let his personal emotions get in the way of parenting. "I would love any grandchild of mine. Which is why, if you were pregnant, I would want it to go to a family who could love and raise it respectfully. Not here, to a mother who has no husband to support her. Where it would suffer the cruel label of a bastard for all of its life." But why even argue this? If she were not pregnant, it didn't matter anyway. "I don't know how you could expect to raise a child acting like one yourself. So I suppose it's a good thing you're not pregnant after all."

Ella could be angry all she wanted. She would get over it eventually, but he had to admit, it didn't feel good to have her talk or look at him the way she was now. Ella had always been a sweet girl. He wondered where that girl had gone, and why his children had to grow up so quickly. It was times like these he thought he had failed as a parent, and he didn't take too kindly to that. In any case, it wouldn't matter what he said now. Ella was too angry to see things from his own perspective, too young to know what it was like to worry about a daughter. All he wanted was to protect his girls and give them a good life. If Peter was not a pirate, then he didn't have a thing to worry about. And neither should Ella. He attempted to say so, but Ella was already leaving. It was probably better that way. There was no way a conversation feuled by so much emotion could be productive.

Josie didn't know what to say. She already felt awful about it, and just because she was expecting this sort of reaction, it didn't make her any more prepared. "I didn't know what to do, okay?" she said, fighting more tears. This was a strange sort of heartbreak she was feeling, mixed with guilt. "I panicked! I didn't know Peter would be arrested... I..." She didn't think it was entirely fair to blame her for telling Alec. She shared everything with him, and Ella knew that. Maybe she had messed up at the wrong place and time, but Ella knew her relationship with Peter was a huge source of stress and worry for Josie. She had to vent to someone, and there was no one else to listen to her but Alec.

But what was done was done. She couldn't undo it. She could only hope she could get Ella to understand, that they could fix this, and that Ella would forgive her. "I'm sorry I lied... I just... I already hate myself. I feel awful. And I didn't want you to hate me, too."
 
Ella didn't think that her father was really helping his case, and his tone now was very different from what it had been a few minutes ago. But it was a pointless conversation; she wasn't pregnant, and she had no intention of becoming pregnant any time soon, either by Peter or by some other man that her father deemed "proper." But she did have one more question. "What happens if Peter goes free?" she asked him. "If he's found innocent. Will I get to be with him or not?" Ella had a suspicion of what the answer might be, but she needed to know for sure. It would matter when Peter was released. Maybe he would allow them to be together if Peter's name was cleared, but...Ella wasn't feeling overly optimistic about it. "Is it true you're going to arrange another marriage for me?"

It was almost harder to stay angry at Josephine than Ella had anticipated. She knew that her sister hadn't meant to cause any harm in what she'd said, but she had. She'd caused the unthinkable to happen. But really, the unfortunate consequence of Peter being arrested wasn't even the whole thing. Ella understood that was an accident and that her sister never could have predicted something so horrible happening. But everything else... "But why did you have to say anything, Josie?" Ella asked. "Why did you have to say anything in the first place? You think I'm some kind of whore for being with Peter, and you just had to gossip about it..." Ella turned around again, feeling trapped in the stables. She thought it was perfectly fair to be upset about her telling Alec. Her boyfriend didn't need to know the private details of Ella's life. And maybe she didn't know exactly how it had all gone down, but she knew that it wasn't any of Alec's business. "I'm sorry that my relationship is so upsetting for you that you just had to run off and tell," she snapped. It shouldn't be that way, and it was endlessly frustrating for Ella.

She softened slightly at her sister's words, glancing away. "I don't hate you," she murmured. "I don't hate you, but I...I just don't know what to think. Father's in there upset because he thought I could be pregnant and Peter's in jail, and I'm so scared! I'm so scared he's going to die."
 
Mr. Sinclair had not thought about what would happen if Peter went free. He simply didn't think that Peter would walk out with his life. The crime of piracy was punishable by death, and before either or his daughters talked to him about it, he had had no doubt that Peter was a con. A pirate. "I don't know," he answered honestly. Could he allow Ella to be with a man that lied to him, that disrespected his rules, even if he wasn't a pirate? "He still broke a few rules of mine, so no, I can't say that I would be comfortable letting you continue your relationship." That wasn't to say it would be completely irredeemable. Alec had also broken his trust, and it had taken time to build that back up, but he had done it. Still, it seemed like the best option was to just arrange something. So he nodded. "Yes. If I have to." He would have done the same for Josephine - actually, he had tried. It was a failed effort, but it worked alright in the end.

Josephine's face twisted with Ella's words. Was that what she thought Josie thought of her? "I don't think you're a whore," she said firmly, crossing her arms. How hypocritical would that be? Yes, she worried about Ella. Yes, she thought Peter was far from a good match. And yes, she thought they were taking things too fast. But she could never think Ella was a whore for sleeping with one person, who she loved, when Josie was willing to do the same in a heartbeat if Alec would let her. She couldn't' say this though, not in front of him. "And expressing worry is hardly the same thing as gossip. I'm allowed to talk to my boyfriend, Ella. It's part of his job description to worry about me, which includes listening when I'm frustrated with you. You would have done the same thing had you walked in on me with a boy you don't like." There was no use trying to mask that she didn't like Peter. She'd given that up a long time ago.

She let out a frustrated sigh of her own now, though she was glad to hear that Ella didn't hate her. That was a relief, but she was still worried that their relationship would be damaged. She understood why Ella was angry, and she had a right to be. But Josie needed Ella to understand that this was hard for her, too. Nothing about this was easy for any of them, and Josephine didn't need Ella to make her feel even guiltier than she already did. It helped nothing, and she couldn't just erase the past. "I know you are," she said after a moment. "And I'm sorry. I really am. I don't know how many more times I can say it, because I'm scared, too, Ella. I don't want him to die anymore than you do. I just want to fix this..."
 
Ella listened to her father carefully. It was hard not to overreact because she was so upset about everything, but she was relieved that it wasn't an absolute no. They would have to figure it out when this was all over, when Peter was safe. That was all that Ella could worry about thinking right now. "I hope you change your mind," was all she said. "I hope for poor John's sake you don't choose him." She wasn't sure what man in town would be willing to give her a chance after everything; the Sinclair girls definitely had developed a reputation by now. Father would figure it out, but if she couldn't be with Peter...she'd promised him that she wouldn't settle. Ella didn't see the point, but she would keep her promise if it was the last thing that she did. No need to get into that now, though.

She turned red listening to Josie, turning her head away. She didn't like talking about this, but she knew that they had to. "Well I'm sorry you're always frustrated with me for things that are none of your business," she said bitterly. "You can talk to your boyfriend, but you don't need to gossip about me. Especially when the information is so sensitive! Why couldn't you at least have done it at his house, or in the stables? You're not a careless person, Josie, I just don't understand how you could do this." She definitely felt like Josie thought she was a whore, too- she was too wild, always doing things that she shouldn't with Peter. Taking things too far. Ella wished that she could escape with him, sail away to the ends of the world and be free from the judgments they faced. "I'm just...I'm tired of you disapproving of me! I can make my own stupid decisions, so why don't you just keep your mouth shut next time. Assuming Peter actually lives to see next time."

"Ella," Alec spoke up. He'd been leaning against the wall, silently berating himself with guilt. To Josephine it had been concern, but to him it had been gossip. Ella was right, at least where he was concerned. "We're both sorry. We were concerned about you, and we didn't mean for any harm to come to Peter. That's why we're both going to do everything we can to make sure he gets out of this alive. And after that I promise, neither of us will say a word." He came forward and put his hand on Josephine's shoulder. "We're going to get Peter out, that's how we're going to fix our mistake. Alright?" Ella bit her lip and stared him down.

"But what if he dies?" she asked.

"I don't know," Alec admitted. "I guess that'll be up to you. But it would be a shame to lose Peter and your sister, who loves you very much. We're going to do everything we can to make sure that Peter doesn't die, but that's the best we can do. Can you accept that?" For a moment, Ella was quiet. If Peter died, she didn't know if she could accept it. But she didn't want to lose her sister. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked away a few paces, thinking about it all.

"I guess I have to," she said. "But the story, you...you need to believe it. You most of all."
 
It was really too soon to tell just what would happen. One thing was clear though, and that was that Mr. Sinclair was no longer sure he could trust his daughters to make their own decisions. Despite that, if he had to make one for Ella, it most certainly couldn't be John. "Well of course not. Your sister ruined that one." And just about all of the other good matches he could think of. Their options were running out, and honestly, that stressed him more that what would happen with Peter.

Even though this time was obviously different, Josephine couldn't help but feel like they've had this conversation a million times before. The two girls just had trouble seeing anything eye to eye, and usually it ended up with a fight like this. Josephine, well meaning but perhaps mistakenly, took her concern for Ella a step too far. And Ella, who let her passions get the best of her at times, found it difficult to see things from Josephine's point of view. There had been small moments here and there lately where things had gotten tense, but it seemed like right now things had come to a boil. Josie, already feeling guilty and upset, couldn't handle the way Ella was yelling at her. She crossed her arms, red in the face with a mix of emotion, she blurted "I'm sorry, Ella! I'm sorry I'm such a terrible sister to you, that I care about what's going on in your life. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, alright? And I already feel bad enough about it without you telling me how stupid and wrong I am. I can't change anything that already happened, so please just.... just stop yelling at me."

At least Alec took that moment to speak up. He was as mixed up in this as they were, but he was better at remaining calm. She was grateful he was there to act as the voice of reason and a mediator between the two of them. It was all they could really offer to Ella, anyways. Nothing they could do would change the fact that he got arrested, but maybe the could at least save his life. If nothing else, if Ella never forgave her, then Josephine knew she would only be able to forgive herself if she at least tried.

With a sigh of relief, she leaned against Alec's shoulder. There was nothing that would really make her feel normal again after this, not tonight, and not while the trial hung over their heads, but it felt better just knowing that at least they had a consensus. "It's not me you have to convince," she said. "Even if we are all on board, father needs to believe it, too."
 
When Peter's life was at stake thanks to the words her sister had spoken, it was pretty hard for Ella to see things from her point of view. Not that she was great at that on a good day to begin with. Ella and Josephine were so different. It was hard to imagine two sisters who had a shared experience in being captured and held for ransom by pirates having such a different long-term reaction. Even though Ella didn't see Peter as a pirate, when she'd met him that's what he was. It hadn't stopped her from falling in love with him. But Josephine couldn't get past the horrible parts of the experience. Ella wondered if, even if Peter was set free, things would ever get better. She didn't want Peter to be hated by her family forever, but that was definitely the way things were looking like they might turn out. Ella knew that she couldn't force Josephine to like Peter or get along with him, but because she loved him so much it was hard for her to comprehend why she didn't.

She didn't say anything in response to Josephine, merely narrowing her eyes and glaring at her sister, her arms folded tightly across her chest. She loved Josie, but sometimes she was infuriating. All Ella wanted was a little bit of freedom to be herself without worrying about other people's reaction to it. "Fine," she grumbled after a moment. Yelling wasn't going to do anything, she was right.

Alec was glad that they'd managed to get Ella to calm down, and she'd actually had a slightly better reaction than what he'd been expecting. That might not be saying a whole lot, but it was something. He thought that she would be able to forgive Josephine eventually, but the importance of saving Peter could not be overstated. He slid his arm around Josephine's shoulder and rubbed her arm gently, trying to be comforting as Ella pouted.

"No," the girl disagreed. "We don't need to convince Father, we need to convince the judge. But its Father's testimony about what he heard against the two of you, so you have to be convincing. My witness won't be worth nearly as much." With she and Peter combined, maybe they could one-up their father just based on sheer numbers, but it was expected that Ella and Peter would say anything to get him out. The witness of an emotional woman who was in love with the accused was decidedly weak.

"We'll do everything we can, Ella," Alec assured her calmly. "We won't let Peter down. Promise."
 
Josie frowned, her eyebrows pulling down into a frustrated "v". There was no use in arguing anymore. Nothing she said would change anything. Only getting Peter out of this alive would, and even then... she was unsure what would happen after. Things would never be quite the same. They hadn't exactly been the same as they used to be since before the kidnapping to begin with. How much could things change in one year? It was amazing, but also terrifying.

"I won't let you down," Josephine added after Alec spoke. She cared more about Ella than she did about Peter, and that wasn't something she was ashamed of. Not that she wanted him to die, but it would be a lie if she said her reasons for cooperating in the trial weren't driven more by a desire to reconcile with her sister. "Not again."

Now that they had all come to agreement, there really wasn't much else to say. Given a few more minutes alone in the stables after Ella retreated, Josie turned to Alec and gave him a tight hug around his torso and a kiss goodnight. She wished he could stay the night like he used to, especially given how difficult of a time this was. The hardest part about this deal with father was not being able to just have him around when she needed him, but she had to remind herself that as soon as this was all over, there would be a day soon when she would spend everynight with him. "Thank you," she said simply, on top of an "I love you", and then she was leaving the stables herself to go to bed.

The trial was set for two weeks after Peter's arrest. The girls spent most of that time not speaking much to each other. Understandably, Josephine knew Ella was upset. She figured if she tried to say much else about it, Ella would probably be more upset. So she just waited it out, occasionally going to see Alec, trying not to stress or worry too much. Of course, that was impossible. She knew her father was already inquiring around about possible matches for Ella, and was only waiting for the trial to be over with. It didn't seem like he had changed his mind about Peter, and maybe he never would. She wasn't sure. But soon enough, the fateful day arrived. The girls, their father, and Alec all piled into one carriage that would take them to the site of the trial.
 
Ella had never been more afraid in her life than on the day of the trial. She knew that her father had been asking around, trying to set up a potential husband for her but Ella knew that now, it would be much easier said than done. He'd probably have to look outside of their little town, and thankfully communication was slower if you had to use the post. But Ella was hardly thinking about the possibility of an arranged marriage. The only thing she cared about was getting Peter through this day, alive, and then after that if their father still wanted to arrange something, then she and Peter would figure it out together. Maybe. She hoped so. But the first order of business was getting him out alive.

It hadn't been an easy couple of weeks. Ella had lived in Peter's room during most of it, until her father realized she was sleeping there and made her move back to her bedroom. She was still too angry with Josephine to fully reconcile with her and forgive, but there was no telling what might happen when the day was over. It made Ella nauseous thinking about the fact that when she went to sleep tonight, she would know whether or not Peter was going to live. Ella wanted to know, but she was terrified of the answer.

Alec had come over to ride with the family, mostly to support Josephine. He was nervous about today, but he knew that she was ten times more nervous. They had gone over their story repeatedly over the past few days, making sure that they knew every detail, but he was scared it might still not be enough. All four of them would have to witness, and Mr. Sinclair's was crucial. It would all come down to their contrasting witnesses.

They rode to the courthouse in silence, and Ella led the way inside, separating herself from Alec and her family. Alec reached for Josephine's hand as they went inside, giving it a squeeze. This was going to be a hard day for everyone. Inside, there was a small audience of random spectators- an accused pirate was a very interesting kind of trial. Ella marched up to the front right behind the accused table, where she knew Peter would be sitting. They had to wait several minutes before the trial would start, but Ella was so nervous it seemed like no time at all before the judge entered, followed by a few other officials and then Peter, escorted by the prison guards. Ella's heart almost stopped when she saw him. Two weeks in that dark, cold place and now he looked similar to how she and her sister had after a couple weeks in the belly of a pirate ship. She wanted to say something to him, but she knew that anything she said could be held against him. She didn't want that to happen. Growing more and more anxious by the second, Ella twisted the fabric of her dress in her hands, trying not to appear panicked as they waited for the court to be called into order.
 
As much preparation as they tried to do, it still felt like you could never prepare enough when somebody's life was on the line. That fact, and Ella's possible forgiveness, hung over Josie's head like a heavy rain cloud. It didn't go away on the day of the trial, and probably wouldn't until all of this was over. When they arrived at court for the trial, she had never been more grateful that she and Alec could finally be public. The only comfort she was able to find was in the feel of his hand in her cold one. She knew what ending she was hoping for, but even if Peter lived, it was impossible to say what this trial could mean for his future, or Ella's for that matter.

Meanwhile, as Peter was escorted in by the guards, he spared a passing glance at Ella. It was the first time that he'd seen her in weeks, and she looked just the same if it were not for the worried set of her mouth. He, on the other hand, was almost embarrassed by the state he was in. He was thin - thinner than he used to be. He used to be fit and healthy, but the lack of food in prison and the worry he felt for his life and for Ella had eaten away at him. He'd lost a bit of the sun kissed tan he'd acquired over the years of working out on the water, and his eyes were a bit more hollow. He was... scared. He was really, really, scared. Today was the day he learned whether he lived or died. He could pretend to be brave, but the truth was he couldn't stop thinking about how a rope at his neck would feel - about the face Ella would make if things didn't go their way.

"Peter Thomas," the judge spoke, causing him to look away from Ella and up at the man who would help decide his fate. "You have been accused of piracy and the kidnapping of the two Sinclair girls. How do you plead?"

It took a moment for Peter to find his voice after weeks of not talking to hardly anybody. He cleared his throat, remembered the plan. The story he would need to tell to survive. Lying was something he'd hoped to never do again, but he couldn't let Ella down. If he made it out of here after today, he'd never tell another lie for as long as he lived. "Not guilty, sir."

(I have no idea how court usually works, so excuse any shitty rping for the next few posts. lol)
 
((Haha, same. I also think it would have worked differently in their time period than it does now. I feel like they wouldn't have had lawyers at this kind of trial? Oh well, idk haha :P ))

Ella felt like she was going to have an anxiety attack, watching everything happening before her. There was a moment when she locked eyes with Peter and ever part of her body ached with fear. He looked terrible- weren't they feeding him anything? It took everything Ella had to stay in her seat instead of running to him right then and there. She wanted to take him away from this place, away from everyone who wanted to hurt him. And she would- if they got through today. If he did, there were still so many things that were up in the air. She had a feeling that her father wouldn't allow them to be together, and then there was the problem of where he would live. Alec had already planned to offer Peter the spare bedroom in his house if he wanted it; it was the least he could do, after everything, but even that could cause complications with Mr. Sinclair.

The trial began, and suddenly a new fear entered Ella's head. What if Peter had decided not to use their plan? What if he'd decided not to lie? Ella knew that he was trying to turn things around and she admired him for it, but this was not a good time to be noble. She hoped that his insecurities about himself and their relationship hadn't negatively influenced him, either...but no, he had promised her. He'd promised he would try. But there was still an overwhelming sense of relief that came over her when he pleaded not guilty. He was going to do it.

"Very well," the judge replied with a nod. He looked a bit surprised, but went on. "You may approach the stand for your defense." There was a small swearing in of sorts, where the witness, or in this case Peter, was made to promise to tell the truth. Ella knew that each of them would face the same thing, and it only heightened her anxiety. But as long as no one found out they were lying...everything would be fine. She didn't know what the penalty was for lying in court.

"If you are not a pirate," the judge began, looking at his notes, "and did not kidnap the girls, how did you come to be on the same ship and what was your relationship to the Sinclairs?" Ella's muscles tightened a bit; they hadn't talked about the details about their relationship to Peter in the plan. But thankfully it didn't seem like a question where he would have to stray too far from the story or the truth; he was pretending to be a pirate and brought them their food. Then he got to know them. Ella closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing him to say the right thing. This was going to be a long, horrible day.

On the other side of Josephine, Alec was also nervous. He kept a tight hold on Josephine's hand for comfort, but just looking at Ella he could tell she was on the verge of losing it. Gently, he nudged Josephine and nodded his head towards her sister, who wouldn't take her eyes off Peter. Josie was so scared that Ella wouldn't forgive her, and rightly so, but maybe being there for her today would help.
 
(True, true. I hope you had a good Easter weekend, btw.)

Peter approached with permission, but he was filled to the core with nerves about how this would go. His life was now dependent not only on how well he could tell this lie, but how well Ella, Josie, and Alec could too. And what would their father say? He spared a passing glance at Mr. Sinclair, whose expression was unreadable. One of the more challenging things about this was probably not knowing what he thought of him. Once he got up on the stand himself, what would he say? The truth, probably. His truth, anyway. But seeing as Peter had no chance to talk to Ella since the last he saw her, Peter was still in the dark about how Mr. Sinclair had learned about him.

He turned his attention back to the judge. "Same reason as Alec, I suppose," he answered, trying not to sound desperate, but also trying not to sound like he was lying. "They - the pirates, that is - took somebody I loved from me. Nobody ever did anything about it, and so I thought the best way to find out where they might have taken her, or what they might have done, was to gain their trust and become one of them for a while." He didn't mention how long exactly he'd been a pirate. It was less likely they would believe them if they knew he'd joined the crew at such a young age. "The girls just happened to be Tom's next victims, but I... I didn't really have anything to do with that." It was true at least that Tom was the one who made those decisions. The Sinclair girls weren't even necessarily targeted specifically, they had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have been anyone.

The judge was quiet for a moment while he considered what Peter had just said. "So who was it that they took from you?" he asked.

"My sister, your honor."

"And the girls. How did you come to know them so well?"

That was something he could also tell the truth about as well. "I brought them food and water. Tom put me in charge of looking after them."

"And Tom was the captain of the ship?"

Peter nodded. "Yes, sir."
 
((I did! I hope you did, too! I hope it's okay I just did a whole little witness, I feel like it might be super slow-going otherwise! Definitely add more to Peter's if you want :) ))

The whole thing was hard for Ella to listen to. Not because he was wrong or saying anything that might get him in trouble, but just...just this whole thing. She hated him being in this situation, having to defend himself with his life on the line when he was a good man. She didn't know how today would go, but she hoped desperately that the judge would see through the accusations. Peter couldn't be a pirate. He was too kind for that.

"I see," the judge replied, making some notes. "So Peter, tell me how you got off the ship, and why did you come here? And then finally..." he leaned forward a bit, looking directly in Peter's eyes. "Tell me why I shouldn't believe you're a pirate. Tell me why you're innocent."

Once Peter's testimony was concluded, much to Ella's surprise Mr. Lawrence was brought up as the next witness. She supposed it made sense; he had been the one to receive her father's letter and would have been the one to arrest Peter. He'd also been working closely with him the past month or so, seeing him almost more often than Ella did. But his witness wasn't one that Ella had even thought about.

After taking the same oath to truthfulness that Peter had, Mr. Lawrence sat in the witness stand to testify. Ella snuck a glance at her father to see how he was reacting to everything, but his expression was just as unreadable as always.

"Mr. Lawrence," the judge said. "Do you confirm that this man was employed by your company as an apprentice?"

"Yes, your honor," the man responded.

"Why did you hire him?"

"Peter came back with Miss Josephine and Ella, after they escaped the ship," Mr. Lawrence began. "Mr. Sinclair threw the girls a party and Peter was there. He was honored as one who had helped save the girls from the pirates, along with Alec, of course, and Mr. Sinclair was hoping to help him find a job. I needed an extra set of hands and believed him to be an honorable man who had done my friend a great service."

"How did you find his work?"

"Excellent. Hardest worker I've ever had, and eager to learn."

"Not what you'd expect from a pirate?"

"Not at all, your honor."

"He never stole, cheated...?'"

"No. He was always very kind, and spoke very highly of the Sinclair ladies. Miss Ella, in particular. It's hard for me to picture him kidnapping them."

"Then why did you call for his arrest?"

"I received a letter from Mr. Sinclair," Mr. Lawrence answered slowly, wanting to get all the details right, "claiming that he overheard an incriminating conversation between Alec and Miss Josephine where he learned that Peter was the first mate of the ship they were held captive on. The first mate."

"And you believed his claims with no further evidence?"

"I trust my friend," Mr. Lawrence explained. "I trust him and I trust that he would not send such a letter if he were not convince of its veracity. I take piracy very seriously, your honor, and thought it best to have him investigated."
 
(That's fine. Mine was short because I only had a few minutes before I had to leave for work. I also totally forgot to write for Josie. lol. This week has been so exhausting. I'll just add it into this post.)

The real story of how they escaped the ship was obviously as unbelievable as it was true. There was no way the judge or the people come to watch would ever believe they'd killed Tom with the help of a mermaid, that they'd successfully essentially committed a mutiny and a murder. So understandably Peter had to play down the story as much as he could, but tell enough of the real one that it still made sense. "The girls were on the ship for weeks, sir," he explained. "And Tom... he wasn't used to waiting for what he wanted. I did what I could to make them comfortable on the ship, but... when the ransom didn't go through after so long, Tom decided he was done with them. He said he'd... he'd get what they were worth one way or another. Hearing the way all those men talked about the women, sir... what they would do to them if they had a chance... I realized then what must have happened to my sister. I decided I couldn't let that happen to them. So..." Peter shifted uncomfortably on his feet. There was at least one crime he had to confess to. Pirate or not, he did commit murder. Whether they believed his story and decided to punish him for that he wasn't sure. But would they punish a man for getting rid of an evil one? "I killed him. Made it look like an accident. The others, they trusted me. So I took over from there and steered the ship back home. We stepped onto the docks and never looked back."

The next question took him a little by surprise. It was the hardest one yet, because he had been a pirate no matter what he tried to say otherwise here. But if he could convince Ella that he was no longer a pirate, then... maybe he could convince the people here that he had never been one in the first place. "A pirate would have done what Tom wanted to do. A pirate would have taken advantage, then sold the girls into slavery for profit. I did neither. And I never expected to be welcomed with such open arms when I got back, either. I... I found a family with these people when I no longer had one. And I found the strength and courage to move on from the loss of sister and forgive myself for what happened to her knowing that it wasn't my fault after all."

Peter stepped down from the stand. Josephine rose an eyebrow. He'd given an interesting testimony that, if she hadn't been there herself, she would have believed. She was shocked he admitted outright to murder, and it did take her back to that unpleasant and traumatic day of Tom's death and Nora, of what could have happen, and what did happen. Even more, she had to wonder how much of his lie was laced with truth. She could read it in his face, such as when he mentioned forgiving himself for what happened to his sister. She knew nothing of that, but she did look to Ella. Despite how fragile their relationship was at the moment, she still slid her hand over wrist and gave it an encouraging, hopefully somewhat comforting squeeze, especially now since Mr. Lawrence as being called. Somehow, she hadn't expected that. Her heart further sank when he mentioned the such "incriminating conversation". As if she didn't feel guilty enough. It took everything she had to hold her tongue.

"As does the law, Mr. Lawrence," the judge agreed before dismissing Peter's former employer. Would Peter ever be able to be a merchant after this? "We'll hear now from the girl's father then, as he's the one who wrote the letter that led to the arrest."
 
((Haha, same...I've had seven interviews this week! I'm so tired I can hardly think straight lol.))

Ella was on the edge of her seat listening to Peter's testimony. Unlike Josephine, she wasn't surprised that he admitted to Tom's murder. She knew that he might have to, and if it came up Ella would readily confess to her involvement in it as well. If anything, she thought that it actually strengthened his testimony. Not only did it show that he wasn't afraid to be honest (in theory), but it demonstrated the lengths he'd actually gone through to save her and her sister. He'd killed someone, to make sure they could get home safely. That was true.

Mr. Lawrence's view on it was interesting, too. Ella wasn't angry with him; he'd just done his job, and he'd given a testimony that spoke to Peter's character. Even better, it was also true. Ella was upset that they had to lie...but she would lie for the rest of her life if it meant that Peter could get through this day. The sobering part was that if he did, she would have to lie for the rest of her life about this story. So would Peter, and Josephine, and Alec. But it was a price she was more than willing to pay for his life.

She glanced towards Josephine when she felt her grab her wrist. She didn't smile or anything, but she was grateful for Josie's presence. She felt so alone with Peter up there, and estranged from her family after all that had happened. It was hard. Even if she was furious with Josephine...it didn't change the fact that she loved her. And if Peter made it through today, Ella knew that their relationship could be repaired. If not, that remained to be seen, but Ella felt like she was on the verge of losing everyone. She didn't want that to happen.

When their father was called to the stand, Ella tensed up all over again. Every person being called up made her nervous, simply because she didn't know what was going to happen. And her father was probably the worst one. Mr. Sinclair sat down in the witness chair and took the oath, and the judge began his interrogation.

"Mr. Sinclair, you wrote the letter that got this man arrested?"

"Yes, your honor."

"And why did you write it?" The man took a deep breath, looking at his daughters before formulating his reply.

"I overheard a conversation between my daughter, Josephine, and Alec Mason. They thought they were alone. Josephine was expressing her concern about Peter's close relationship with Ella, based on the grounds that he had been the first mate on the pirate ship that kidnapped them."

"Do you believe what you heard could have been heard out of context?"

"It's not impossible," Mr. Sinclair admitted. "Ella has sworn to me that these things were only said because of jealousy on Josephine's part. But I don't believe I am misunderstanding."

"Jealous of what?" the judge asked, making a note to remind himself to ask Josephine about it.

"Ella and Peter, being together."

"You mean courting?" It was there that Mr. Sinclair hesitated. He knew that it would strengthen the argument against Peter to reveal how the man had taken advantage of his daughter, but at the same time, telling that truth in a large courtroom would destroy her reputation. He couldn't do that to her, no matter how much he wished Peter out of her life. At the end of the day, everything he did was to protect his daughters.

"Yes, your honor. With my permission."

"And you never questioned his character?"
 
(Oh my! That's a lot! I hope they went well.)

Josephine wasn't sure whether they had made any progress with their father before he went onto the stand. The girls got their stubbornness from somebody, after all. That didn't mean that she didn't still feel sick to her stomach when he started to answer the questions the judge asked him, especially when he started to mention the conversation he'd overhead. Try as she might not to look at him, she could feel Peter's eyes burning holes through her from his place. This would all be news to him. Before now she didn't think she cared what he thought of her, or whether he would forgive her for what happened. Now, however, she felt she might want it as much as she needed Ella's.

From where he stood, just now finding out about all of this, Peter looked from Josephine to Ella in shock. From what it sounded like, anything Josie might have revealed about him, it sounded like an accident. He was still amazed that this was how it had all happened, though. No wonder Josephine had been acting so strange back at the prison. She had known and she'd been afraid of Ella finding out. As for Mr. Sinclair being the one who had turned him in, it now suddenly made sense why.

In answer to the judge's question, Mr. Sinclair shook his head. "No, sir, not before I'd overheard the conversation." He had actually been rather fond of Peter, but he was protective of his girls. "But when I hear one of my daughter's referring to the man my other daughter is seeing as a pirate, well... I have to take that seriously."

With a nod, the judge dismissed their father from further questioning. "That's understandable. Perhaps now we'll ask Josephine herself to clear up any possible misunderstandings. Josephine?"

Nervous, Josie slowly slid her hand out from Alec's so she could stand. She approached the judge, bowed her head politely, and tried not to look at anyone else unless she feel too nervous or guilty to speak straight.

"Do you remember the conversation in question?" the judge asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Can you explain what you and Mr. Mason were discussing the night your father overhead you?"

Josephine stiffened slightly, but she had the same thought as her father. There were some things best left unsaid, otherwise Ella's reputation could be ruined. Her future was at stake as much as Peter's was. "We were... we were talking about Ella and Peter's relationship. He'd just left for his trip, and Ella was pretty torn up about it."

"Your father claims you mentioned Peter was a pirate. First mate, even. Can you explain where that had come from? Were you, or rather, are you jealous of the relationship between your sister and Peter?"

Once more, Josie stiffened. She knew this was important, but it was also embarrassing to be talking about this so openly in public. "Not of their relationship," she clarified. "Just of how... easy it was for them. Alec and I were only recently granted permission, and I suppose I was jealous of that."

"I see," the judge noted. "And the pirate remark?"

She only glanced at the others then. "Taken out of context," she said. "I'll admit that I never cared much for Peter. I think him a bit reckless, and I maybe think there's better matches for my sister, but... I've also had a lot more trouble than my sister has separating Peter from what happened on the ship. You have to understand, when we first met Peter, we knew him only as a pirate. We didn't know much else about the rest of his story until he rescued us from Tom. Without him, I-" she paused. She realized she had never really thanked Peter for his help getting them off the ship before. He might die, and she had never given him her gratitude. She might as well do it now. "I don't know what would have happened to us. But I don't think it would have been pleasant. It's not really his fault what happened to us, and I'm to blame for my own feelings toward him. But he's not a bad person, your honor. And I'd never want him to die for something he's not, especially when he's the entire reason I'm even able to stand here today."
 
((Thanks! I think they went pretty well.))

Both Ella and Alec were tense as Josephine went up to give her testimony. Alec knew that he would be next, and then it would be up to Ella to finish everything out. But Josephine's argument for Peter was especially critical. Based on her father's testimony Ella thought that maybe they had a chance...but only if Josephine was convincing in explaining how what Father had heard was wrong. Alec would have to do the same. The more testimonies Ella saw, the more she realized that this was boiling down to a trial of character for Peter. There was no definitive, tangible evidence to show that he was a pirate, or to show that he couldn't have been. All they had was a few people's opinions of him. It was horribly subjective, but it was beginning to give Ella hope. She knew that Peter was a pirate, but she also knew that he was a good man, and she was not the only one to have seen that. Mr. Lawrence had seen it, Father had seen it, and Peter's own conduct and testimony today showed it as well. She was a little worried about what Josephine might say, but if there was one thing Ella knew, it was that she was terrified of their relationship never being reconciled. Ella doubted her sister in many areas, but she never for a second doubted that Josephine loved her and would do anything for her. That was why she was here, willing to lie in order to fix her mistake. Ella was grateful for that, more than she was able to express at the moment.

It also didn't pass her notice, listening to Josephine, that both she and their father had neglected to tell the judge about how far she and Peter had gone. Ella knew that they were doing that for her reputation- Ella cared little for her reputation, but she did know that it would make Peter look bad in this setting and so she was grateful for it. She was surprised to hear Josephine admit that she was jealous, but Ella could understand it. She would have been jealous of her and Peter's good fortune with their father, too. And in Ella's opinion...she did a good job. She didn't admit that she liked Peter, but Ella thought that her witness was strengthened because of that. And what she ended up saying was wonderful, save for one small detail that the judge narrowed in on.

"Thank you, Josephine," he said. "If he's not a pirate, the court certainly doesn't want that either. But can you elaborate for me on Peter's behavior that led you to describe him as reckless? You yourself are courting a man beneath your social status, so what leads you to believe Peter is not a suitable match for your sister?"

___

When Josephine had finished, Alec was up. He took the oath at the stand and sat down, glancing briefly at Peter before the judge began his fifth interrogation.

"Were you on the ship with the Sinclair girls and the accused, Mr. Mason?" the judge asked.

"Yes, your honor."

"Why were you there?"

"Well, the girls had been kidnapped. Due to the nature of my relationship with Josephine I was concerned, so when the pirates sent a ransom note to Mr. Sinclair I hunted them down and pretended to join the crew."

"Did you meet Peter at this time?"

"Yes. He was in charge of looking after the girls."

"And what was your opinion of him?"

"Well...I was under the impression he was a pirate. But he was different from the rest of them. I spent most of my time above deck and saw him interact with the other pirates. He was never as crude or as classless as the rest of them, and he never spoke of the girls in a disrespectful manner. He went beyond his duties for them, even negotiating with Tom to let them spend some time on deck, where they could have a proper dinner and get some sun."

"And the escape?"

"It's true that Peter killed Tom and made it look like an accident. He turned the ship around and went to the nearest port city, where he planned to leave as well. He could have stayed and been the captain of the ship, but he didn't. Then Ella got sick, and he used his own money to pay for a doctor to see her so that we didn't have to use what little we had to get home with. He kept on helping us instead of going on his way, and then when Mr. Sinclair came to fetch the girls he returned here as well."

"And what do you have to say about the conversation in question?"

"Well, Josephine was concerned," Alec said slowly, "and I'll admit that I encouraged her complaints. It was difficult for me to see Peter succeeding so easily when my own path has been..." he hesitated, not really wanting to talk about this, "difficult," he finally settled on.
 
Josephine paled at the question. Maybe that had been a poor choice of words, but she hadn't really thought about it. At this point, she had had the same thought as Ella. That Peter's trial was really more a question of his character. "It has nothing to do with his status, sir," Josie said. Obviously, she didn't care that much whether Peter was rich or poor when she was able to look past those things to be with Alec. "And by reckless I don't mean anything too drastic. I just mean that Ella and I have different tastes, and I wouldn't have chosen Peter for myself. He's... adventurous. He takes risks. And maybe he has a taste for wine. Compared to my relationship with Alec, I just felt as though the two of them were going about their relationship too quickly. But then again, as I said before, I was upset that everything always seemed so easy for them. I can't say for sure that none of my opinions are clouded by my own jealousy."

Admitting that out loud was both somewhat a relief, but also somewhat embarrassing. She knew that Ella knew how Josephine felt about the aspect of their relationship they couldn't bring up in court - how finding Peter and Ella together had sparked a bit of her own insecurities and jealousies about Alec not having agreed to go the next step with her yet after two years. But beyond that, she doubted she had admitted the rest of it to Ella, although she was sure it was obvious before now. "When we returned and father found out about my relationship, it felt like Peter was treated as a hero, and Alec was being punished. I admit I'm a bit bitter about that. But Peter has treated Ella well. He's worked hard to make a name for himself, and he obviously cares for her. That's all that really matters."

She returned to her seat feeling like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. There was still the matter of Peter's life of course, but knowing that she had done something to show Ella that she wanted to make this up to her helped ease some of her guilt. Now that it was Alec's turn, it also helped comfort her to hear some of her own feelings reflected and confirmed. It made them both seem like horribly envious couple, but at least she knew she wasn't alone. Besides, the more she listened to his own side of the story, she more she realized that a lot of their testimony so far wasn't even a lie. Peter had saved them. Peter would have been on his way if Ella hadn't gotten sick, but because he stayed, she made it through that too. Maybe they hadn't been entirely fair to the man before, and now sadly he was paying the price of their reluctance to accept him.

From his own spot, Peter listened with some of his own shock. This was really the first time either Josie or Alec spoke about him in more positive terms, at least that he knew about. It was also the first time he really considered the double standard their father had created as a factor in all of this. He understood why Josephine had her doubts about him, Alec too, but for some reason it never occurred to him much that they might be jealous. And it was unfair. Alec had done just as much to get the girls off the ship as he had. Maybe he hadn't killed Tom, but he'd cared enough to disguise himself. He'd given them hope and hadn't given up. That mattered. He deserved far better treatment than what he had gotten, even if things had worked out alright for the two of them in the end.

He was happy for them. And honestly, he couldn't hold this against them. It was an accident, and he understood where they were coming from to have gotten here in the first place. Now if only he could get himself out of this mess and make it out alive, maybe they could all get a happy ending. It would ride on Ella's testimony now. And then it was up to the judge.

"I see," the judge said, jotting down further notes. "And can you confirm as Josephine said that Peter has treated Miss Ella well? That this has all been a misunderstanding due to a private conversation held out of contempt?"
 
There was a second where Ella was scared, but Josephine saved it nicely. Being adventurous and having a taste for wine didn't make him a bad person, and that was really what this trial was coming down to. Did Peter have the sort of character that could potentially belong to a pirate? If the evidence was overwhelmingly yes, then he might be killed. But Ella was beginning to think that it wouldn't be. She hoped so. Her heart ached through this whole process. It was sobering, too, to hear Josephine talk about her jealousy. Ella knew that she wouldn't want to admit that, but it was the truth. Unlike Peter, Ella had known the whole time that both Josephine and Alec were jealous of the way things had worked out for her and Peter, and she understood why, but it wasn't his fault. Peter couldn't help that- it was Father's doing. Ella had a harder time sympathizing because of the current circumstances...but she understood the jealousy and was grateful for both Josephine and Alec's honesty. His perspective was one she had no idea about, and she was shocked to hear him bring up the time she was sick. Ella hadn't known that Peter paid for the doctor, or maybe she did and had just forgotten. That whole period was a blur for her because she'd been so out of it, but she remembered the books that he'd gotten for her, and him reading them to her.

It was hard for Alec to admit to his own jealousy, and he was aware of the fact that he and Josephine weren't looking like the nicest people right now. But if it saved Peter's life then it was worth it, because he wasn't sure he could live with the guilt otherwise. He nodded slowly at the judge's question, contemplating his answer. "Yes, to my knowledge he has always treated her well. He respects her, far more than most men respect their girlfriends or their wives, I'd add. He's even encouraged Ella to attend the university. As for our conversation I would say it was held primarily out of concern, but maybe an imagined concern to compensate for contempt, yes." He didn't like saying that and Alec wasn't even sure if it was true, but it had to be said.

The judge nodded and made a note. "Thank you, Alec," he said. "And finally, Miss Ella." Alec left the stand and Ella slowly rose to take his place. After taking the oath she sat down, still tugging at the fabric on her dress nervously. She glanced at Peter, but she knew that if she looked at him too much then she would get emotional, and that wasn't helpful.

"Miss Ella, can you confirm that you were in a relationship with this man?"

"I am in a relationship with him," came Ella's response. "We haven't broken up."

"Of course. Were you aware of Mr. Mason and your sister's jealousy towards the relationship?"

"Yes...I assumed they were, anyways. I'm sure that's the reason why those things were said."

"I see, and what has been your experience with Peter? Examples of his character, especially."

"Well..." All of the sudden Ella had too much to say. "He was the only person on the ship who was kind to my sister and I when we were there, and he did help us escape. He took care of me when I was sick when he could have run away. He was respectful of my father and asked permission before we began to see each other, he's worked hard for Mr. Lawrence, he's-" Ella stopped herself. What was she trying to say? "He's a much better person than me," she decided, slowing down. "He's more honest, more forgiving, more careful, more humble, more selfless. He's never said anything mean about my sister or about Alec, even though they haven't accepted him. Only I've done that."

"What about the recklessness your sister mentioned? And the drinking?"

"Again, I'm more guilty of those things than he is, your honor," Ella replied. "And he's certainly no worse than any other man in this room. Is it a crime to enjoy a bit of wine?"

"Have you ever fought? Has he ever hurt you?" the judge questioned.

"We've fought once. But only because he worried he wasn't good enough for me. He was very wrong about that, and he hasn't hurt me. He's a perfect gentleman."

"So you confirm that he is not a pirate?"

"Of course he's not," Ella said. "Does he seem like a pirate? And really...what sane girl falls in love with a pirate who kidnapped her, anyways? I believed he was at first, but...Alec's right, he was different from the rest. It didn't take long for me to realize who he really was, underneath the act. He's a good man. The man before you is not a pirate, and you do the world a disservice if you condemn him."

"A bold statement, Miss."

"A true statement."
 
Peter knew that most of what Alec and Josephine were testifying was more for Ella than it was for him, but it did feel nice to hear some acknowledgement of all he had done to try and be a good, supportive boyfriend. He did love Ella with all his heart. He would do anything for her and support any endeavor she may have. Sometimes it felt like those little efforts went unnoticed by everyone but Ella and her father. So strange that it was now that her father suddenly doubted him and it was Josephine and Alec of all people who had his back.

As nice as it was to hear those two stick up for him, nothing mattered more to him than what Ella had to say. Of course he was still nervous, for her and for himself. He could see that she was feeling anxious. If he didn't make it out of this, what would that mean for her? It was one of the more terrifying questions he had to face given the fact that he might be executed. By now, he cared more about her life than his own. That was just the kind of person she had helped him become over the months of knowing her - he no longer thought so selfishly of himself. That was why, as she proclaimed he was a better person than she was, he had to feel a bit surprised. Certainly that wasn't true, but nonetheless her testimony only made him love her more. If that was possible.

Her answers were so classically Ella as well, that he had to give a smile. If he did die, at least he could go knowing she loved him with such ferocity and wasn't afraid to proclaim it with such fearlessness. Her boldness, he knew, would earn her a few stares. A few might judge such an attitude coming from a woman. But knowing she cared nothing about that and only about him filled him with a warm feeling. He hoped he'd have the chance to kiss her again.

The judge, obviously taken a bit aback by Ella, could only nod. He had gathered all that he could, heard all that he needed to hear. This case was certainly an interesting one. Clearly, the public thought so too as there were so many of them. Even now, the room was filled with whispers as men and women speculated whether what they heard today was the truth and took bets on what the verdict might be.

"Very well," the judge said. "The jury and I will review all the testimonies heard today. Miss Ella, you may return to your seat. We will have a verdict shortly."

It was just a waiting game now. The hard part was over, and now it was in fate's hands. Peter, unable to interact with anyone, stayed put, only glancing Ella's way to give her a hopeful look. Maybe she would be able to tell by his face that he was thankful for her, that he loved her, no matter the outcome. Meanwhile, Josephine focused her efforts on Ella. They may not have done much talking lately, but she did lean over to her sister to say, "You did well, Ella. It will be alright." It had to be. More than just a chance to live his life, Peter was Josephine's only chance at getting her sister back.
 
Ella knew that some of the people in the courtroom would be surprised at her behavior, but Ella didn't care what they thought about her. She wasn't going to be marrying any of their sons anyways, so she didn't need their approval. She didn't even need her father's, or Josephine's- Ella only cared what Peter thought right now, and she was encouraged when she saw him smile in her peripheral vision. She answered the judge's questions the best she could, and then returned to her seat beside Josephine. The nerves had disappeared when she was on the witness stand after she'd gotten started, but now they were back. Ella tugged on her hair and bit her lip as the wait began. She caught Peter's eyes when he looked over at her and she held his gaze, wishing that she could go sit with him, hold his hand while they waited. In moments, she would find out whether the man she loved would live or die, and the anxiety was unbearable.

She broke eye contact with Peter only to glance at Josephine when she spoke, nodding. "Yeah," she murmured uncertainly, trying to convince herself. The trial had gone well, everyone knew that, but there was still a chance. Still a chance that Peter might get dragged away without so much as a goodbye, and she would never see him again. But everyone had done their part, and...it had to be alright.

Almost a half hour later, the judge and jury returned to the courtroom. As the judge took his place, Ella was holding her breath. She felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack like she'd been all day, and she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"We have reviewed the evidence," the judge began after calling the court to order, "and there is not enough evidence to condemn this man. The court has found Peter Thomas not guilty. Mr. Lawrence will pay Mr. Thomas for his work and he will go free. No parole."

Ella's eyes went wide, and her heart stopped. Had she heard him correctly, or was she just imagining things? Not guilty. Not guilty...he was going to live. The court audience clapped, most of them believing Peter's innocence, but Ella burst into tears of relief as it began to sink in. Everything was going to be okay. All of her emotions released at once- she wasn't sad, of course, but the relief she felt at the news was indescribable. Nothing seemed real, but it was real. He wasn't going to die. Ella didn't know what was going to happen now, but there was one thing she knew for sure- no one was ever going to take him away from her again. Ella would break every rule in the book to be with him if she had to.

Alec smiled, squeezing Josephine's hand and looking over to her and Ella as joy overcame him as well. It had worked- they had done it. And they hadn't even had to lie that much. He let Josephine tend to her emotional sister and turned to Mr. Sinclair. "Peter can stay with me," he offered. "There's an extra bedroom, in the event you don't want him back at the estate." Even if Peter's name was cleared Alec doubted the older man would want him to stay in the same house as his daughter, given the circumstances.

Mr. Sinclair wasn't sure how to feel. He was happy that the man wasn't dead, but he wasn't sure he was as convinced as the judge was. Either way, he was happy that Ella wouldn't have to watch him die, even if he would prefer she had nothing to do with him. "Thank you, Alec," he murmured. "That's very kind." Alec just shook his head and sat back. He didn't think it was kindness, but it was the least he could do. After all, it was his and Josephine's fault that Peter was no longer welcome at the Sinclair estate.

The court was dismissed and the spectators stood to leave. Peter's guards unlocked his handcuffs, and he was finally free. Ella wasted no time in running to him, pushing past the gate to reach him. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she'd ever hugged anyone, completely unwilling to let him go.

"I'm sorry," she managed. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, but...it's okay. You're safe now...and you're never going on a trip without me again, okay?" She hugged him tighter, still trying to convince herself that this was real.
 
They were the most intense moments of Peter's life. He supposed, when he thought about it, this wasn't the first time he was in such immediate danger. As a pirate, there were countless things that almost killed him. Whales, mermaids, brawls with other pirate crews. But this? His entire life, the decision of whether he deserved to live, was in the hands of a few people who didn't even know him. And he could do nothing more about it. At least the other times he could fight, or run if he had to. This was entirely different. It put everything in perspective, but he was terrified.

As the judge returned to deliver his sentence, Peter held his breath. He could hardly bare to listen. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Ella. If they decided he was guilty, he couldn't bare to see her face. If he had to die, he wanted to remember her happy face, not her heartbroken one. His pulse echoed loudly in his ears, and then everything went quiet and dark with tunnel vision as the judge delivered the news.

Not guilty. Not guilty? A person would think he'd be hopping up and down with joy, but the whole experience was so surreal, all he could do was try to remember how to breathe properly and function like a normal person. This was real. He was alive. And they would allow him to continue to live. Which meant... He finally grasped what was happening when he felt the shackles on his wrists loosen and fall, and when he looked back up from them, Ella's beautiful face was right in front of his again. She was actually in arms reach for the first time in weeks.

A strange cross between a surprised laugh and a sob escaped him as she threw her arms around him. It felt so good to feel something solid in his arms. To smell her, even. He immediately returned the embrace, holding her tight and steady against him despite how weak and exhausted he felt. "I'll never let you out of my sight," he agreed, and then because it had been way too long, he pulled back only to pull her into a deep kiss. Anyone who watched be damned.

Josephine's entire body of course relaxed with relief as some of the awful guilt left her shoulders with the news. Peter would live. She hadn't unintentionally killed a person, and Ella may just forgive her now. She knew better than to think this fixed everything, but... It was a big help. The only sliver of hope she had at mending things with her sister. She almost felt like sobbing herself, just seeing how overcome with emotion Ella had become.

"I told you it would be alright," she said, although truth be told, she had never been that confident in the plan. "And I'm so, so sorry that you even had to go through this..." But this moment wasn't even about her. She could see that Ella needed to run to Peter, so she let her. Especially since she knew her father was still going to complicate things for their relationship now.

As Ella ran to Peter, she turned back to Alec and her father. Mr. Sinclair was clearly surprised. She doubted he'd thought about what would happen in the event Peter lived. He'd already done so much to prepare for Ella with the expectation he would be put to death. But how would he even manage to find a marriage for her now, anyway? He would have to let him back in. It was the only fair thing to do. However, she managed to overhear Alec mention the spare room. Her father agreeing. She frowned.

"Father, it was a misunderstanding," she started to say. But he shook his head and interrupted her before she could say much else.

"Regardless of today's turnout, he still disrespected my rules. He's not welcome in my house at the moment," he said, watching the recently freed man and his daughter reunite. "The rest I need to think about. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must talk to Mr. Lawrence quickly. Gather your sister, will you? We should be heading home soon."

Josie frowned, watching him go. But she supposed such a reaction was warranted, and yes, he probably did need to think. "What do you think will happen?" she asked Alec.
 
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