Hm...I've been meaning to add in some fluff, but I must be incapable of it. All that comes out is angst. But at least it's Clipper time? :)
Master of the House
Chapter 6 - Clipper
As Clipper followed one of the maids to his temporary quarters, he found himself both excited and anxious at the prospect of seeing his old mentor and friend again. His last glance of Connor was when he, Stephane and Deborah had been marched out at gunpoint by Templar agents.
He had been struggling, they had all been struggling, shouting and straining to get back inside, to not leave their dear mentor behind. He remembered the look of shock painting Connor’s face. He remembered Templars seizing Connor and holding him to the ground. He remembered Charles Lee undoing his trousers with too-clear intentions on his face before the butt of a rifle met his temple, and his vision blurred and darkened as he was thrown over a Templar’s shoulder and carried away from his beloved mentor...
He remembered when Connor screamed.
Shakily, he held a hand to his mouth and tried to hold back his nausea. One year since he had seen him. One entire year of wondering. Of trying to catch snippets of news no matter how small, of not knowing even when Lee ordered him dragged from his cell and gifted him to James, of pleading with James (who valued him and gave him much more freedom and choice than he had ever dreamed of a Templar but would still not speak of Connor’s fate). Of finally believing his beloved mentor to be dead, only to overhear the Templar Matthew speaking with James about Connor’s miscarriage (miscarriage!).
One year since he had seen Connor, and now he was to see him on Charles Lee’s orders, on Charles Lee’s behalf, to save Charles Lee’s child and keep Connor alive so that Charles Lee could continue using him.
Charles Lee’s child that was also Connor’s child. The second child that Lee had forced onto his beloved mentor.
He felt ill.
Clipper hurriedly bolted past the surprised maid, grabbed the nearest bedpan and began heaving over it.
The worst thing was that he couldn’t even claim Charles Lee had tricked him into helping. He was selfish. He was too selfish to let Connor die, he was too selfish to let Connor go now that he finally had the chance to see him again.
He wished he was strong enough to free Connor the way Connor had been strong enough to free the young boys from service three years ago.
-----
Half an hour later, Clipper was feeling only marginally better, but resolved to ready himself for the long-awaited meeting. James and that—that Charles Lee were still closeted away discussing ‘business,’ no doubt something Templar related.
He turned towards the maid (a different one as the one who had accompanied him before was now preoccupied with cleaning the bedpan).
“May I see Mr. Connor Kenway, please?”
The maid blinked.
“Master Lee has given explicit instructions that Mr. Lee,” Clipper felt like gagging at the name, “is not to see anyone without him.”
Clipper stared at her, uncomprehending.
“But Mr. Lee asked for me to accompany Mr. Kenway.” He was not going to refer to his friend and mentor by the name of his rapist.
“Master Lee never gave us updated instructions for Mr. Lee,” the maid stressed.
Clipper ignored her hint.
“Surely your master would not want you to keep the man he personally requested to help with Mr. Kenway away from him?” he reasoned.
The maid frowned.
“I am not in the business of second-guessing my master. If he wishes for you to see Mr. Lee without him, he would have informed us so.”
“Mr. Lee seems to be a busy man.” Clipper was getting just a bit irritated. “Perhaps recent events kept him so busy it slipped from his mind that I am to be allowed access to Mr. Kenway.”
“Master Lee is a brilliant and organized man. He would not have forgotten,” the maid glared at him, “such a thing. If you want to see Mr. Lee, you will wait for Master Lee to accompany you.”
Clipper opened his mouth to argue with her, but then closed it in thought. From the mulish cast of her face, he could see that he would never convince her otherwise. And could he blame her? If she went against Lee’s orders, and Lee was displeased, she could lose her position within the household, the income that no doubt supported her family and loved ones, the measure of respectability from having a master quite as famous as Charles Lee was after the war with England.
He’d have to try a different tactic.
“I understand, madam,” he looked contrite. “And I am sorry to have caused you trouble.”
She looked suspiciously at him, but, seeing his sincerity, softened her expression. She patted his hand.
“I am sure the Master will be here soon to escort you. And you can ask him for permission to see Mr. Lee as you will when he comes.”
The maid paused, but, as Clipper still looked rather unhappy, she began again.
“Would it help if I described my knowledge of Mr. Lee and his experiences here?”
Clipper turned to her, yearning etched onto his face.
“Are you sure? Will Mr. Lee be angry with you? Will you get into trouble—“
The maid grinned at him suddenly and held a finger up to her lips. She leaned into him to whisper conspiratorially in his ear, “Master Lee never forbade us from sharing information about Mr. Lee from concerned friends.”
Then, straightening back up and with a more kindly, seriously air, “You seem like a nice young man, and Mr. Collins seems so taken with you. I know you won’t do anything to harm this household. And...“
She grew more serious, almost solemn. “Mr. Lee has been in a bad way for a couple of months now. I admit that we did not get along with him in the beginning, seeing as how he was so rude and disobedient to Master Lee, his own husband, but he did not deserve what has happened. He wanes now, and it causes the Master grief, particularly if the child were to be lost again.”
She turned toward him suddenly, earnestly.
“I know it is not my place, but, promise me. Promise me that you will do all that is in your power to help restore this household.”
Clipper found himself struck speechless, and, as he was struggling to come up with an answer, the door to his room opened and Charles Lee entered.
Master of the House - part 7
Master of the House
Chapter 6 - Clipper
As Clipper followed one of the maids to his temporary quarters, he found himself both excited and anxious at the prospect of seeing his old mentor and friend again. His last glance of Connor was when he, Stephane and Deborah had been marched out at gunpoint by Templar agents.
He had been struggling, they had all been struggling, shouting and straining to get back inside, to not leave their dear mentor behind. He remembered the look of shock painting Connor’s face. He remembered Templars seizing Connor and holding him to the ground. He remembered Charles Lee undoing his trousers with too-clear intentions on his face before the butt of a rifle met his temple, and his vision blurred and darkened as he was thrown over a Templar’s shoulder and carried away from his beloved mentor...
He remembered when Connor screamed.
Shakily, he held a hand to his mouth and tried to hold back his nausea. One year since he had seen him. One entire year of wondering. Of trying to catch snippets of news no matter how small, of not knowing even when Lee ordered him dragged from his cell and gifted him to James, of pleading with James (who valued him and gave him much more freedom and choice than he had ever dreamed of a Templar but would still not speak of Connor’s fate). Of finally believing his beloved mentor to be dead, only to overhear the Templar Matthew speaking with James about Connor’s miscarriage (miscarriage!).
One year since he had seen Connor, and now he was to see him on Charles Lee’s orders, on Charles Lee’s behalf, to save Charles Lee’s child and keep Connor alive so that Charles Lee could continue using him.
Charles Lee’s child that was also Connor’s child. The second child that Lee had forced onto his beloved mentor.
He felt ill.
Clipper hurriedly bolted past the surprised maid, grabbed the nearest bedpan and began heaving over it.
The worst thing was that he couldn’t even claim Charles Lee had tricked him into helping. He was selfish. He was too selfish to let Connor die, he was too selfish to let Connor go now that he finally had the chance to see him again.
He wished he was strong enough to free Connor the way Connor had been strong enough to free the young boys from service three years ago.
-----
Half an hour later, Clipper was feeling only marginally better, but resolved to ready himself for the long-awaited meeting. James and that—that Charles Lee were still closeted away discussing ‘business,’ no doubt something Templar related.
He turned towards the maid (a different one as the one who had accompanied him before was now preoccupied with cleaning the bedpan).
“May I see Mr. Connor Kenway, please?”
The maid blinked.
“Master Lee has given explicit instructions that Mr. Lee,” Clipper felt like gagging at the name, “is not to see anyone without him.”
Clipper stared at her, uncomprehending.
“But Mr. Lee asked for me to accompany Mr. Kenway.” He was not going to refer to his friend and mentor by the name of his rapist.
“Master Lee never gave us updated instructions for Mr. Lee,” the maid stressed.
Clipper ignored her hint.
“Surely your master would not want you to keep the man he personally requested to help with Mr. Kenway away from him?” he reasoned.
The maid frowned.
“I am not in the business of second-guessing my master. If he wishes for you to see Mr. Lee without him, he would have informed us so.”
“Mr. Lee seems to be a busy man.” Clipper was getting just a bit irritated. “Perhaps recent events kept him so busy it slipped from his mind that I am to be allowed access to Mr. Kenway.”
“Master Lee is a brilliant and organized man. He would not have forgotten,” the maid glared at him, “such a thing. If you want to see Mr. Lee, you will wait for Master Lee to accompany you.”
Clipper opened his mouth to argue with her, but then closed it in thought. From the mulish cast of her face, he could see that he would never convince her otherwise. And could he blame her? If she went against Lee’s orders, and Lee was displeased, she could lose her position within the household, the income that no doubt supported her family and loved ones, the measure of respectability from having a master quite as famous as Charles Lee was after the war with England.
He’d have to try a different tactic.
“I understand, madam,” he looked contrite. “And I am sorry to have caused you trouble.”
She looked suspiciously at him, but, seeing his sincerity, softened her expression. She patted his hand.
“I am sure the Master will be here soon to escort you. And you can ask him for permission to see Mr. Lee as you will when he comes.”
The maid paused, but, as Clipper still looked rather unhappy, she began again.
“Would it help if I described my knowledge of Mr. Lee and his experiences here?”
Clipper turned to her, yearning etched onto his face.
“Are you sure? Will Mr. Lee be angry with you? Will you get into trouble—“
The maid grinned at him suddenly and held a finger up to her lips. She leaned into him to whisper conspiratorially in his ear, “Master Lee never forbade us from sharing information about Mr. Lee from concerned friends.”
Then, straightening back up and with a more kindly, seriously air, “You seem like a nice young man, and Mr. Collins seems so taken with you. I know you won’t do anything to harm this household. And...“
She grew more serious, almost solemn. “Mr. Lee has been in a bad way for a couple of months now. I admit that we did not get along with him in the beginning, seeing as how he was so rude and disobedient to Master Lee, his own husband, but he did not deserve what has happened. He wanes now, and it causes the Master grief, particularly if the child were to be lost again.”
She turned toward him suddenly, earnestly.
“I know it is not my place, but, promise me. Promise me that you will do all that is in your power to help restore this household.”
Clipper found himself struck speechless, and, as he was struggling to come up with an answer, the door to his room opened and Charles Lee entered.