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

Ch. 21: Three Tense Weeks Later

Three Weeks Later...

July 11, 1191

Three restless and anxious weeks went by at a rather slothful rate, the tension still in the air but not as prominent as before. Since the argument, there was no sign of Diana nearby, nor did I have a feeling that she would return any time soon. My mind continued to linger on the argument as an enormous amount of guilt loomed over my conscience, affecting my supposedly enjoyable time in Damascus. Fortunately, Altaïr had decided to stay with us, wanting to make sure I was going to feel better. I did not protest, as I wanted him to stay with me. Since I was still in a bit of a haze from the fight, I needed someone to try and distract myself from it all and think of the future. Ada and Alexandra also did their best with distracting me, always taking me out and spending time with me outside for a while as Altaïr kept watch of the guards both on the ground and on the rooftops (which was usually why he was never around me in public). Unfortunately, although I appreciated the help and the thought, I still found myself scanning the streets for the auburn haired French woman, hoping I would find her and attempt to bring her back home. I wanted to make amends with her, let her know how sorry I was, but I did not know if apologizing would be enough to bring her back.

Amal and Bernard had heard of the situation a few days after Diana left. Apparently, Amal had left early that morning after dropping off my clothes in order to do something. She had travel to Acre for something important, but I did not question it, as my mind was still a bit distracted. Unfortunately, she was not really sure as to what to say on the matter either. Thankfully, she did not have to experience everything that had occurred, as I did not want her to see everything that had happened between us. When she asked about what had happened, the room went silent, and the tension returned once again. Not wanting to press the matter even more and upset me, she simply left it at that and changed the subject immediately. Instead, she decided to converse about Altaïr's close bond with me. I helped get my mind off the matter fairly quickly, but it still remained in my mind no matter how much I tried to keep my mind off everything. Bernard, on the other hand, tried to converse with me, trying to help me as much as he could.

"Maybe she is having trouble coping with all of this," he told me one day.

I looked over at him as I lied on my bed, while he stood near the balcony.

"What makes you say that?" I questioned, folding my hands on my stomach.

He looked over at me, smiling warmly in my direction.

"Well, you say she is not a fan of the Assassins, correct?" I nodded. "Maybe she is just having a hard time accepting Altaïr. He did hurt her after all."

"But it was an accident, Bernard." I spoke up, turning to face him. "He did not mean to do it."

"That I respect, as he would not go around hurting innocent people, but she is having difficulty accepting that."

I sighed and fell back onto my bed.

"She's not a bad person..." I stated, closing my eyes. "Maybe you are right. Maybe she is having difficulty trying to...cope with all of this."

"If she was your friend," he pointed out as he looked back out the windows of the balcony doors,"she would accept Altaïr as someone who makes you happy, not just as an Assassin."

Those words continued to plague my mind for days, but only one question arose in my mind: Was she really willing to accept him as such, or still see him as an Assassin?

~*~

"Do you think...Diana is alright?" questioned Ada while she, Alexandra, Altaïr and I sat in my bedroom. Ada sat near the bed, her back against the edge of it. Alexandra stood near the balcony doors, staring out at the city, while Altaïr and I were on the bed. He sat on the edge of it, and I simply had my head on his lap, looking over the assortment of weapons that presented themselves. "She has been gone for so long; I am actually starting to worry about her more than I anticipated."