Embracing The Light (Arno Dorian x OC), an Assassin's Creed Fanfiction

Chapter 32 : Old Wounds

Later, in Saint-Denis, Shay knocked the door of an old red house. A moment later, a mature woman opened the door and scrutinized both the Templar and Rosalie with a curious look on her face.
"Madame Margot ?" Shay called her and the woman locked her gaze on him. "I heard that you were looking after orphans. This child just has lost her parents, she has nowhere to go. Could you take her with you ?"
When Madame Margot's eyes fell on Rosalie, her face softened. "Of course." she murmured and leaned towards the little girl with a soft little smile. As she offered her her hand, she said. "Come, my child."
Rosalie raised her eyes to stare back at the woman with a neutral look on her face. After a few seconds, she finally took her hand and let Madame Margot take her inside.
"What is your name ?" the mature woman asked.
As the little girl remained silent, Shay responded for her from the doorstep. "Rosalie."
"Rosalie." Madame Margot echoed without glancing at the Templar, keeping her eyes on the child.
When she made her sit on the couch nearby, Rosalie silently stared ahead like a statue. After she analyzed her for a moment, Madame Margot frowned. "She's not very talkative. What happened to her ?"
But when the woman turned back towards the entrance, she noticed that the man who had accompanied Rosalie was nowhere to be seen. With a confused look, Madame Margot approached the doorstep and glanced outside.
"Monsieur ?" she said loudly as she searched for the Templar, but to no avail.
Shay was long gone.

- End of the Flashback -

"I suppose you didn't even remember how you had ended up in that orphanage, did you ?" Shay wistfully asked.
Rosalie remained speechless after Shay's monologue. She only partially remembered what had happened that day, but when she listened to the Templar telling her every single detail about her parents' deaths, it all started to make sense. The young woman kept silently staring ahead, still in shock from what she had learned. The man standing before him was actually not who she thought he was and now Rosalie was doubting everything she knew.
Then, Arno's father came to her mind. She thought that Shay was his murderer as well, it was also what she had told to Arno. But now, she was unsure and she did not want to give her partner false hopes.
She finally stared back at the Templar. "What about Charles Dorian ?" she broke her silence for the first time.
Shay first frowned, probably had he not recalled the name. A moment afterwards, his gaze darkened.
"Charles Dorian was the one entrusted with the Precursor Box, so I had to kill him in order to steal it."
"How did you know that it was him ?"
"At first, I only knew it was somewhere in France and in the Assassins' possession. So I seeked help from the French Rite, but their Grand Master back then made me understand that they were in a time of peace with the Assassins and, therefore, helping me to steal the Precursor Box from them would have amounted to break their trust."
Rosalie had no idea that the Templars and the Assassins had tried to make peace by the past, but she decided not to interrupt Shay when he added. "But then, one of their agents secretly came to me and said that he might tell me where the Precursor Box was, but in exchange, he wanted me to help him find an Apple of Eden hidden around Paris. The one your parents were trying to keep hidden." he sighed the last part.
The young woman then realized that the Templar's path was never supposed to cross hers in the first place and this very idea was enough to upset her. "What for ?" she whispered.
"Hm ?" Shay said in a questioning tone.
"Why was he after that Apple ? Why did he disobey his master's willingness to make peace with the Assassins by helping you to find the Precursor Box ?"
The old man then thought for a moment before he spoke. "He told me he did not believe that any form of agreement with the Assassins would be possible and sustainable in the long term, and I was not disagreeing with him, honestly."
When he saw the questioning look on the young woman's face, he explained. "The Assassins and the Templars are defending ideologies that are too contradictory to coexist. The first ones want a world with free will, whereas the latters wish to establish an Order controlling everyone. There is no world in which those two realities could become one."
As he resumed his walk inside the gardens with Rosalie silently listening to him by his side, Shay continued with a severe look. "This man, however... he was a true fanatic, and it took me some time to really see how dangerous he was. The first time he came to me and told me about this Apple, he had said that it would help him to « renew the Order, then renew France ». He thought that the French Rite had lost its true purpose by cooperating with their biggest enemies and I could understand why he was thinking that. He wanted a revolution within the Templars, but also within the country."
He then glanced at Rosalie and she noticed that his gaze had darkened.
"And this was what made him so dangerous. When you listened to him, he was convincing and sounded lucid as he was describing his purpose. He was one of those people who could easily rally a vast amount of people to his cause because he had the ability to make it seem like it was a noble and just one. That was why I had accepted back then to help him in exchange of the location of the Precursor Box. Once I got it, we started to seek the Apple and the clues we found eventually led us to your parents' house. It was there that I realized his true purpose as he completely turned into a different person : the Apple of Eden was supposed to help him start a revolution, yes, but not a controlled one. He wanted chaos and destruction, and your parents seemed to have understood this way before I did since they wanted so much to protect the Apple from the French Templars."
"But the revolution still happened." Rosalie then whispered. "Although he never got the Apple, he still succeeded. They... they died in vain." she added with a hint of sorrow as she glanced down and thought about her parents.
Shay turned to her and frowned. "They did not, believe me." he said and the young woman looked back at him. "The revolution happened, but he never got the chance to rule over France. If he had obtained the Apple back then, maybe things would've been much worse now."
Rosalie sighed wistfully to these words. She had not expected Shay to reassure her by saying that her parents' death was far from being vain.
"He maybe could have known where the Apple was hidden," she added, "if you hadn't burned my parents' notebook where the location was indicated."
Rosalie then saw for the first time a little smile enlightening the old man's face. "I thought it was the best thing to do. I couldn't take the risk to let him get ahold of the notebook." Quickly, his ephemeral smile vanished. "Once I
understood that your parents wanted to keep that artefact hidden, I told myself that I could not interfere in their work since they were doing what I would've done too."
Soon enough, they approached a majestic fountain and Shay took a seat on a bench nearby. Rosalie found herself joining the Templar without fearing him. After the conversation they had and now that she knew Shay was not the monster she thought he was, Rosalie was not as afraid of him as she used to be any longer. Still, she was not forgetting that he was the murderer of Arno's father but also, and most importantly, a Templar. However, the young woman saw that the old man was not completely a bad person and she was aware that he had helped to keep the Apple safe in the past, as her parents did.
As Shay glanced at her, trying to read her mind, he said. "When I've told you earlier that I needed you to prove me something, I was talking about this." When he saw her frown with an expression of confusion, he added. "I needed to see if you were following your parents' footsteps. If that was the reason why you decided to track down the Apple, coming thus far."
Rosalie's face relaxed and she affirmed. "It was." she then glanced down with sorrow. "I refused to give up on it after everything I lost. I wouldn't have forgiven myself."
Shay silently stared at her for a moment before he spoke. "You know, the day your parents died, I actually considered bringing you with me to the American Colonies."
Rosalie quickly gazed at the old man with an expression of surprise on her face. "The... American Colonies ?" she murmured.
He nodded. "But then I thought it would be better for you to remain in your homeland."
Rosalie looked away as she tried to imagine how her life would have been if Shay had taken her with him. She would never have met Madame Margot nor Léon, but neither would she have known misery and poverty. She would have been raised by a Templar and she would even possibly have become a Templar herself. Perhaps she would never have met Arno either, or worse, she would have been his enemy.
"Still, I didn't know that you thought I was your parents' murderer." he added in a softer tone. As the young woman stared back at him, she could swear that she read a bit of sadness in his eyes.
"I actually didn't quite remember the day my parents were killed." she said as if she was trying to justify herself. "I suppose, because of the shock I felt, as soon as I saw you near my parents' bodies, I immediately believed that you had done it, and I forgot all the rest."
Shay nodded again. "Well, at least now, you know the truth. And I'm glad to see you decided to walk on their paths, even though I wish you did not have to become one of them."
Rosalie frowned with a confused expression. "I don't think I follow."
The old man sighed. "The Assassins might appear to you like a good way of carrying on your parents' legacy. But I can assure that, sooner or later, they will use this same artefact for their own selfish goals and you won't be able to stop them. They will deceive you, as they deceived me in the past."
"What do you think I should do then ? Join the Templars ?" she sarcastically asked in a dry chuckle. But when she saw the serious glare Shay was giving to her, her face dropped. "You... you want me to become a Templar ?" she said in a lower voice.
"I could help you to keep the Apple safe, as your parents did in the past." he answered calmly. "Since they day I heard about you, you impressed me with your ability to neutralize most of our agents and not giving up on finding the Apple of Eden back. You came all this way to Austria and you even got it back. Now, I'm giving you the opportunity to actually keep it, and keep it safe."
Rosalie was speechless. She did not expect Shay to actually propose her to join the Templars. "You're saying that the Apple with be much safer with you, but you're planning to use it yourself !" she remarked.
"This is the only exception."
"And how many exceptions are you planning to allow yourself ?" she became hostile again.
"Only this one." he did not respond to her insolence. "It is to limit the damage caused by the Revolution. If we don't act now, more people will die for nothing."
"If you reinstate the monarchy, all of those deaths would have been for nothing !" she exclaimed as she stood up. "You must stop playing with people's lives and let France heal on its own !"
"How long will it take for it to heal ?" he responded back as he got on his feet to directly face the young woman. "Years ? Decades ? And how many more families will be torn apart until then ?!"
Rosalie did not answer anything. She felt her heart beating faster inside her chest as Shay regained his usual severe look.
"Those agents that you killed," he continued, "you had no idea who they were, what they were named, where they were from. But do you know what their common point was ?" he rhetorically asked. "They all lost someone during the Revolution. Parents, siblings, children. They lost their home, they could've even lost their own lives if they hadn't fled here."
The young woman looked away as she thought about what Shay just confessed to her. "So, this is all about getting revenge ?"
"No, this isn't about vengeance." The Templar responded in a calmer tone. "Those people actually joined our cause because they wanted a better future for themselves but also for all the French. The monarchy we're planning to establish won't be anything like the previous one : equality will prevail with the abolition of classes. There won't be any distinction between the citizens based on their wealth or their title anymore. The monarchy's main role will be to make sure that this equality is respected and that France is a safe place for everyone."
His face then softened and he took a step towards Rosalie who carefully watched him back.
"You saw with the Revolution how dangerous it can be to live in a country with no rulers." he explained. "We're not trying to bring back an absolute monarchy either. I'm aware that change must be done and, this time, it will be different. The French don't necessarily have to choose between oppression or chaos. What I'm proposing is a third option, and it will be the best outcome for everyone."
After a brief moment of silence, he finished : "So yes, I'm planning to use the Apple, but not for myself. I'm doing this for all those who suffered because of the Revolution. And I'm sure you agree with me when I say that this has to end."
Rosalie listened seriously to everything Shay told her and she could hardly disagree with anything he had said. Actually, she thought that the cause he was fighting for was a noble one, even though she was unsure about why he was so involved in the French Revolution. For a moment, she even saw herself accepting to join him and becoming a Templar in order to save France once and for all.
But she quickly came back to reality when she remembered that Shay wanted her to betray the Assassins, but also, and most importantly, Arno. And this, she could never accept. Besides, the Templar's plan also involved working with the Austrians which would immediately define her as a traitress to the French.
The young woman finally broke her silence after she thought about the right words to say. "You are right. France can't go on like this. Though, I cannot accept your offer either." she briefly paused before she continued. "I could never turn my back on those who were there for me, who gave me a purpose. I couldn't live with myself."
Shay's face relaxed with compassion. "That's what you may think now, but..."
"No." she stopped him, which surprised both of them. But she had anticipated what he was about to say and decided that she needed to be more precise. "This isn't only about the Brotherhood. This is about my life." She then took a deep breath and explained. "I used to work as a barmaid in a tavern to survive. When Louis, the owner and the man who had been like a father to me, died by the hands of your agents," she accusingly insisted on those last words as if she meant that this was another reason why she could never join Shay, "Arno, Charles Dorian's son, he was the one who gave me a new home. He took care of me. He was good to me. He made me feel safe."
Shay's face darkened as she was speaking. He understood why Rosalie was refusing his offer and he felt quite disappointed.
"He's the one who introduced me to the Brotherhood. He and the Assassins gave me a new purpose, following my parents' footsteps. They helped me to take control of my life, to defend those who I care about." she said, and then looked away as she added, thoughtfully. "I don't have lots of memories with my parents, but I do remember that they were truly bonded, they were always working together. They were... in love. I like to believe that I share this same bond with Arno, since we are fighting for the same Creed my parents and his father used to defend." she then stared back at Shay. "You've said that your agents had joined your cause in order to build a better future for themselves and their families. Well, my future is him. I killed for him, and I'd die for him. But never would I ever betray him." A sad expression appeared on her face when she finished. "I've spent my whole existence losing so many people that I stopped counting. Arno is the only person I have left and I refuse to give up on him."
Shay kept a severe look as he gazed at her. Rosalie did not expect him to understand, nor had she said all of this to make him understand why she could never be a Templar. She actually could not explain why she had told him those things.
"Perhaps I might have overestimated you." he finally said as he looked down on her.
"Maybe you have." she admitted softly.
A long silence then settled during which Shay pensively stared at Rosalie and the young woman could not tell what he was thinking of.
"Who was him ?" she then asked out of the blue.
The Templar frowned.
"The man who killed my parents." she added. "You haven't told me who he was."
Shay's face relaxed as he realized he did not even mention the man's name. "François-Thomas Germain." he responded.
Obviously, Rosalie had no idea who he was. "And where is he now ?" she then said.
"After your parents' death, I heard that he had been exiled from the Order. I don't know if the fact that he helped me to find the Precursor Box had anything to do with it, but it sure must have pushed his Grand Master to think that Germain could not be trusted. Especially since he was starting to have some radical ideas concerning the Order." he then paused before he continued. "Apparently he found a way to start the French Revolution that he wanted so much, but he died before he even got the time to finish what he started."
Rosalie's face dropped. "Wait, he... died ?" she murmured in disbelief. She did not know how she felt about the fact that her parents' murderer was no longer from this world, but she knew it did not make her feel any better.
After he silently stared at her, he mysteriously said. "Maybe your partner can tell you more about him."
Rosalie frowned, wondering how Arno could have ever known Germain. But before she had the time to speak, a guard joined them and brought Shay's attention on himself.
"Mr. Cormac," the guard called him, "He's here."
Shay then nodded firmly at him, then gazed back at Rosalie who still looked confused.
"Speaking of the devil..."