The Target of His Heart (An Assassin's Creed Fanfic)

Ch. 8: The New Escape Plan

Two Weeks Later...



May 26, 1191



Two weeks had gone by a lot quicker than I had first anticipated. It never really crossed my mind until I asked how long it was since the near escape had taken place. Not only that, but I had also realized the wedding was in just about two week or so. That could only mean that our was still on and Abel had finished planning it all yet again. When it came down to it, I knew I was, once again, unable to stop it as I had planned from the beginning to do in the beginning. I was still in its grip without ever thinking of escaping again, not with all the guards watching over me nearly every single day. It became stressful at times, and I was unable to take it. However, there was a bright side in these dark times. Not only had been able to see the others – Diana had healed and had returned to her duties – on some days, I had been able to see Altaïr during the two week time period as well. He would arrive at least a day or two later, trying his best to make sure no one would become too suspicious. Nevertheless, his presence made my days a lot better than if he was never around.

When he would arrive one night, he would take atop the same rooftop he brought me to that night two weeks ago. It was there that we would just talk about everything, just to keep my mind off the busy schedule. We would talk all night long – from what had happened during the day to our own childhood memories. I could not remember much about mine, but I had learned so much about him. He told me how he had been an Assassin all his life along with his father, who had died when he was still very young. He never knew his mother, and I did not pressure him about it. When he asked about myself, the first thing that came to mind was my mother and how much of an impact she made on my life.

“She was never around when I was a child,” I told him as I sat on the edge of the building, looking out at the city.

Altaïr looked over at me.

“Did she leave?” He asked.

I shook my head.

“No, she...she died when I was born,” I explained. “That was what my father told me. I never really knew her that much, but from what I heard, she was truly an amazing person.” I smiled. “In a way, she was exactly the way I am today. Always putting the well-being of others before her own. She saw only the people first before she worried about her own problems.”

“She was selfless,” he stated.

I looked at him and nodded.

“Veryselfless if you ask me. It was...strange, really, when I first heard that.” I looked forward. “It was as if the traits that made her who she was back then came into me when I was born.”

He, also, looked out toward the city, placing his hands on his lap.

“I suppose the rumors about you were true.” He said, making me look back at him again. “You truly are more your mother's daughter than your father's.”

Afterwards, we would change the subject to something else, yet those words stuck to me. They truly meant something, something that never really occurred to me before until that moment. How was it that I was able to be more like my mother when I was never able to meet her personally? I still thought about it today from time to time, curious as to why such a thing could have been possible.

On another note, I was finally able to tell Ada and Alexandra the truth about what had really happened the day we tried to escape the city. They were surprised by the fact that I was so accepting of death, but were glad to know the reason why Altaïr voted against killing me. At first it did not click, but after a bit of explaining, they were able to understand it...sort of.

“I understand the fact that he knew you were innocent,” Alexandra stated, “but why would the Assassins in general have a rule against killing the innocent? I thought they were cold blooded killers?”

“That was what we had been told all our life, but it is not true,” I said, staring out at the city, which shined under the rays of the sun. “He says the innocent have done no harm to anyone and are the victims behind the brute force of the Templars. Therefore, it is the Templars that bring the most force that are eliminated.”

“But isn't that the point of being called Assassins?” Ada questioned. “Assassins are killers, are they not?”

I nodded, turning my head in her direction.

“We have only been told what they were like on the outside,” I told her. “What we did not know was the reason behind it. That reason is because they, like the Templars, seek peace.” I smiled. “The Assassins are just going about it in a different manner, one that, I believe, makes a much more powerful effect.”

That was just the other day, and slowly but surely they are starting to see the truth behind the rumors about the Assassins. However, just as they left to continue their duties, there was something that I suddenly remembered. It was something that was of great importance to all of us, but had slipped my mind. I had realized that the wedding was just around the corner (although I had known that for some time), but there was no escape plan in order for us to escape the wedding for the second time! There may have been more guards keeping an eye on me every day, but they were much too distracted on other things, like the civilians and keeping their power, than noticing my friends and I attempting to escape again. That meant Ada, Alexandra, possibly Diana (since she did not know the whole situation that was going on), and I needed to put our minds together once again and think of something soon, or I was going to be standing at the altar, forced to mutter an "I do" to the man who was going to bring the Kingdom to its knees.