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

Ch. 19: The Truth Comes Out [Part I]

That Morning...



June 20, 1191



The rays of the morning sunlight entered into my bedroom, causing me to stir a bit in my sleep. As much as I did not wish to wake up from what seemed like a wonderful, never-ending dream, sleep would not return to me. Groaning slightly, my green eyes slowly began opening, watching the sunlight's rays enter my room from the closed balcony windows and brighten everything around me with a dim glow. I did not remember how exactly I had returned to my room, but frankly I did not seem to mind all that much anymore. Last nights events continued to cloud my mind, causing me to blush profusely at the thoughts that raced through my mind. Although it seemed hazy, I could remember almost everything that had happened. The emotions I felt were heightened to a point where I just wanted to cry out in pure ecstasy. I had never experienced anything like last night before. Even with that fact in mind, though, I knew it was the best feeling in the world; a feeling I would love to feel over and over again.

Sighing contently, I moved slightly to become more comfortable, but immediately felt something around me and keeping me in one place. Blinking, my gaze moved downward, since my mind could barely think straight so early in the morning, as I moved the blanket that laid over top of me. My eyes soon fell upon another hand, one that warmed my bare skin despite not having moved in a rather long period of time. Knowing just who it belonged to without even thinking of it, I smiled and released the blanket, allowing it to shield my nude body from view once more. Shifting again, I looked up as I placed my hand against the warm body of another person lying with me, causing it to rise and fall at a calming pace. My smile grew even more as I gazed upon the face of my newfound lover, whose eyes were still shut and his breathing was calm. He remained asleep, undisturbed by my stirring. Closing my eyes once again, I nuzzled into his chest, my smile still playing against my lips.

"You are awake," said the familiar voice of Altaïr. Reopening my eyes, I looked back up at him, noticing his dark colored eyes staring down into mine. Without a word, I silently nodded. "You look beautiful while you sleep..." He went on.

I smiled as my face darkened a bit.

"Thank you…" I replied, my voice feeling a bit hoarse, but barely noticeable. He simply smiled and pulled me into his arms even more. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since you started moving," he responded. "Assassins are very light sleepers."

My smile grew slightly at his words.

"I will have to remember that when you wake me up at the crack of dawn." He chuckled at my words before kissing the top of my head. "We need to get dressed," I said, sitting up but holding the blanket over my bare chest, "before someone walks in and sees us in bed together."

Altaïr sat up as well, wrapping both of his arms around my waist.

"Since when has anyone seeing us in bed ever mattered before?"

I looked over my shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Since my friends think that I must remain a virgin until I am married," I responded in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. He shrugged as he released me, allowing me to move off the bed and sit on the edge, searching for the clothes Amal had laid out for me before "heading to bed" last night.

"Do you think they will be upset to know that you are not married, as well as not a virgin?" He questioned as I spotted the clothes on the dresser across the room.

"Alexandra might be," I explained as I got up, wrapping the blanket around my body before walking over to it, "but Ada...not so much. Diana has no idea about you, but I am sure she would be livid to know this."

"You have not told her?" I felt his gaze on me as I picked up the clothes.

"Not yet. I was worried about your safety all week that I must have forgotten." I turned to look at him, clothes in hand. "Besides, what good would it be to tell her without you here?"

He shrugged as I motioned for him to look away, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"I have seen you without clothes, Cynthia," he pointed out.

I began blushing profusely as he turned to sit on the bed, grabbing his pants that lay near it.

"I know, I know," I responded as I dropped the blanket and began putting on the undergarment to shield my breasts first before slipping on the red blouse that was left for me, "but I am very, uh, uncomfortable with my body."

I heard him chuckle.

"So that was why you were blushing so much while I undressed you."

I jumped at his words, my blush darkening even more, before picking up my boot that was nearby.

"A-Altaïr!" I exclaimed in a low tone, throwing it at him. Without even looking up, he caught it with one hand and glanced over at me, smirking slightly. Realizing I still did not have any pants on, I dropped to the floor and wrapped the blanket around me, my face about as crimson as my blouse. "S-stop looking!"

He laughed at my flustered state before he continued getting dressed.

"I never realized how embarrassed you became while talking about your own body," he commented as I quickly slipped on my clothes before he could turn around again.

"It is not everyday that a man gets to see me naked," I muttered loud enough for him to hear as I finished getting dressed. I turned to him while I put a purple sash around my waist. "Besides, I am not the most attractive woman in the world."

He looked back at me as I picked up the boot that was near me and slipped it on.

"You seem to be lying to yourself, my dear.”

I raised an eyebrow as I approached him, eyes on the boot I had thrown at him, which was conveniently placed right next to him.

"What do you mean I am lying to myself?" I reached down to pick up the boot. Suddenly, his hand fell upon my wrist, grasping it firmly yet gently, before pulling me onto the bed. I gasped as my back collided with blankets while Altaïr simply lied above me, one arm wrapping around my waist while the other supported him upward. He had most of his outfit on, like his robes, while the rest of his things, such as his sword and knives, were placed somewhere else where I could not see them. I stared up at him as he ran a hand through my hair, brushing away the few strands that had fallen in my face.

"Because I know you are beautiful. To me."

I blinked a few time before smiling up at him, placing a hand on his cheek.

"I find that hard to believe," I spoke in a bit of a teasing tone.

He smirked.

"Then I will just have to prove it to you," he muttered before placing his lips against mine once again.

I inhaled deeply, enjoying how passionate his kiss was. It stole my breath away so easily, and I felt speechless. Without hesitation, I returned the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me. All the love we felt for one another was expressed in that kiss as it had been the very first time. To know he had loved me as much as I had loved him made my heart skip a beat more times than it should have. I knew it did so because it was overjoyed to finally say he was mine, I was his, and we were together. He loved me and saw me as a person. Not as the Templar I was once, but for me. I knew for a fact that nothing in the world could change his mind no matter what the circumstances happened to be thrown at him, and vice versa. Well, there still was one problem, one I failed to acknowledge until now.

Suddenly, a knock came from my door, causing us to both break the kiss. I looked up toward the door, staring at it at an upside down angle, yet remained silent. Altaïr also stared at the door intently, wondering who it could have been that caused us to break our romantic moment between each other. However, he remained silent as well as we waited for the person to speak up. After another moment of silence, the door sounded once again, only this time, the person spoke, a person I did not expect to hear.

"Cynthia, are you awake yet?"

Diana.

My jaw dropped as I quickly moved Altaïr out of the way, sat up, and frantically began putting on my other boot. What the hell is she doing here, I wondered. Usually, it was Amal who woke me up in the morning. I had no problem with Diana waking me, as Amal might have been busy, but this was horrible day to let her wake me up!

"Not good, not good, not good," I muttered frantically before turning my head toward the door and answering her in a calm tone, "Yes, Diana. I am awake."

"Is it alright if I come in?" She spoke, her voice slightly muffled due to the door being shut. "Amal told me I should come wake you up."

My head shot over to Altaïr, who had just put his hood on, got up, and began putting his weapons on him.

"Um, just a minute!" I told her, finishing up with my boot before getting to my feet. "I have to…" I trailed off as I looked around the room to stall her. Then, my eyes landed on the unkempt bed, giving me an idea. "I have to fix my bed!"

"Since when do you do that?" Diana asked. "Bernard offers to do that for you, does he not?"

I cringed at the sound of Bernard's name as I turned back to Altaïr, whose eyes shot over to the door. I could see his eyes narrow from under his hood as his hidden blade appeared. I ran over to him and placed a hand against his while the other went to his chest.

"Don't…" I whispered to him. "He is a friend, and only a friend."

"How do I know that?" He whispered back, his voice clearly not appreciating the mentioning of another man. "He could be falling for you, and you may not even notice."

"He has not done anything to me, my love," I responded, placing my hand against his cheek to calm him. "Besides, he is much older than I, and is in love with my aunt. He sees me as a daughter and nothing more. I swear."

He visibly relaxed as his hidden blade disappeared before he looked down at me, staring into my eyes intently.

"Alright. I trust you."

"Cynthia, who are you talking to?" Questioned Diana, who sounded suspicious.

I cursed under my breath, nearly forgetting about her, as I pulled Altaïr off the bed and began pushing him toward the balcony.

"No one! No one is here!" I told her.

"But I heard whispering," she said. "I am not stupid, you know."

"I was...talking to myself," I tried to tell her as I opened the balcony doors. "I was making sure everything was in order and nothing was out of place before letting you inside."

"Ha ha…" She laughed in a sarcastic tone of voice as the door knob began to turn. "You never talk to yourself, ever, especially when you are trying to keep things in order. Obviously, someone is in there with you."

"Do not come in yet! I am changing!" I exclaimed, quickly pushing Altair out the doors. "Go, Altaïr! Please!" I whispered to him quickly. However, instead of continuing, he turned back around and wrapped his arms around me.

"If she is to find out," he whispered as my hands landed on his chest, "then she will find out today."

I sighed as I slowly moved back, but held onto his hands tightly.

"I will tell her, and since this is happening, I will tell her today! Immediately!" I responded. "Now, go! Please! She will surely try to kill you if you do not go!"

He shook his head at my words.

"She cannot kill me," He gripped my hands firmly but gently, "and she will not."

"There you go again. Someone is in there talking to you." Diana spoke up, turning the doorknob and letting herself inside.

"Do not come in here yet!" I turned Altaïr around again and began pushing him out.

However, it was too late as the door opened completely.

"Who else is in-?"

She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Both Altaïr and I froze in our spots as I turned my head to look at the young French woman who had entered my room. What I saw made my heart sink with fear. She entered the room and noticed us at the balcony doors. Her eyes were wide with shock while both Altaïr and I returned the stare, completely silent under her stunned gaze. Her eyes remained on Altaïr for a long moment, before looking at me, and then back at him. She seemed to turn pale at the sight of the Assassin standing there with me pushing him out onto my balcony doors, attempting to get him out of there before she came in. She was speechless, unsure of what to say to what she was looking at at the present time. I slowly smiled sheepishly in her direction. Well, I thought, she was going to find out the truth sooner or later...

"H-hello, Diana…" I spoke up, attempting – but failing – at breaking the awkward silence between us. She did not say anything as her gaze went from me to Altaïr once more. She was more surprised to see Altaïr standing in the room than she was to see me pushing him out onto the balcony.

"C-Cynthia..." She slowly spoke, pointing toward Altaïr slightly. "T-that...that is..."

I sighed as I took a small step toward her.

“Listen to me, Diana," I said. "I can explain...but only if you do not lose it."

She looked at me again before looking back at him. Unfortunately, she was unable to do just that.

"THAT IS AN ASSA-"

WHACK!

Diana was cut off by a loud whack resonating throughout the room. With widened eyes, she immediately collapsed to the ground, falling unconscious instantly. I stared at her limp and unconscious body for a long moment, bewildered and shocked by what just happened, before slowly looking up. The person I saw standing at the doorway was a wide-eyed and fearful Ada, the sheath of her sword in hand and raised slightly to eye level. She was panting a bit, possibly from running she had to do in order to get up to my room, but was more or less calm. Sighing, she looked back at me, stared at me for a brief second, before looking at Altaïr. She sent him a small smile before running a hand through her hair, allowing her arm that held her blade to fall to her side. Clearly, she was a little embarrassed for the action she pulled seconds ago, but did not seem to have any other choice in the matter.

"That...was not really necessary, was it?" She sheepishly asked. Not knowing what to say, I simply shrugged in response.

Footsteps were soon heard approaching my bedroom and, within just a few seconds, Alexandra had appeared behind Ada, panting from the running she had to do just to get up here. Before she could speak, she noticed Diana's unconscious body lying limply on the ground before looking at Ada, who still held her sword in her hand.

"What the Hell happened here?" The dark haired woman questioned frantically. "I heard Diana screaming before something hitting the ground." Without a word, Ada looked at Alexandra and pointed in Altaïr's direction, one she followed immediately. Her eyes widened slightly before she smiled and looked at him, uttering a "See, Cynthia? I told you he would come."

I was speechless, unsure of what to say at that point to anyone. Instead, I stared at Diana's limp body. What the Hell is going on, I thought to myself. Were we really desperate enough to keep Altaïr a secret from her that we resorted to knocking her out cold just to be safe? It was wrong; absolutely wrong. Yes, I wanted to keep the secret from her for a while longer until I knew for sure Altaïr was safe, but doing this just went too far, especially when I knew that everything was alright. Now I knew for sure that keeping the secret was too much stress on our hands. Besides, Altaïr was safe, so there was no point in trying to keep the secret away from her any longer. Today, she had to find out the truth of what was going on, no questions asked. However, we would be forced to have to wait a little while until she was awake in order for us to do just that.

A pair of arms wrapped around me, grabbing my attention immediately. Looking up, I noticed the calm gaze of Altaïr, wanting to make sure I was alright. I sent him a quick, reassuring smile before looking back at Ada and Alexandra, inhaling deeply.

"We need to tell her," I said, "today."

They exchanged looks between one another before looking back at me.

"Are you sure?" Ada questioned. "Do you even know if she is going to take it well?"

I slowly shook my head.

"No, she is not going take it well, but look at what we have resorted to in order to keep this secret hidden from her." Silence as the two looked down at Diana before looking back at me. "When she wakes up," I laced my fingers with Altaïr's unconsciously and possibly out of stress, "we tell her everything."

Alexandra sighed and walked over to Diana's body.

"Alright, whatever you say Cynthia."

With that, she picked up the unconscious body and walked out, Ada following her closely while putting her sword back in its original spot. I sighed and ran my free hand over my face, the stress taking its toll on me. Sensing this, Altaïr pulled into his arms again, making me lean against him with my back. I looked up at him, noticing the reassuring gaze he sent to me. It was enough to make me smile, but not enough to make me feel any better. Guilt was slowly beginning to take over, and it was starting to laugh at me. You should have told her, it said to me in a menacing tone of voice, one that sent a shiver down my spine. You should have told her from the start. As much as I wanted to do just that, I did not want to risk anything. Unfortunately, the one thing I was going to risk...was our friendship. Something I really, truly, did not want to lose.