Assassin's Creed: Chronos (Ezio x OC)

64 - The Ruler, The Killer

They'd summoned their allies in Firenze as well, though it was much the same; no word for the ships, and no machinations by the Templars. Indeed, Rodrigo was proving to be a patient man, content knowing his prize would come and he would go unmatched. Catherine only wished she could be confident in her own abilities, but she knew she was weaker. He had not been hurt as she had by the device, and he knew more of what lay in Cyprus than she. Some manuscript or ancient knowledge passed down that the Assassins didn't know—that perhaps even Altair did not know. No Codex or book in Mario's library held clue, and there was nothing in the Auditore's villa back in their former home. There was nothing to aid them, and so they could only wonder and fear and try to plan for all things.

And so there had not been much good in the passing years, but there was, at the very least, some solace—in family and friends, mostly. In the love they shared and the precious moments they spent together. Claudia's sons were growing strong, and the couple were considering adding another child perhaps. Later, at least. There were yet still more improvements to the city to come, and Ottavio was busy leading and training the men with Mario. That, and the worry of things to come in their war was enough to delay the thought. Catherine, too, had decided with Ezio to delay adopting their own child. After all, there was no guarantee of survival, although they told themselves it just simply wasn't safe until they had stopped Rodrigo. Only after the madman was gone could they consider a family.

It was those kinds of thoughts that kept Catherine going—the idea of the life with her husband. They'd married, after all, and that had been one of those goals. Now they needed to survive and live together. It was enough to keep her from succumbing to it all.

That, and the memory—one which had returned to her; the one of her purpose. Her reason for being brought here, to the past. The "god" of the Clock had told her she was to stop something—to protect Ezio. She could only believe it was to stop Rodrigo now—to stop his Clock. She had briefly wondered if the Templar had seen the god, but he made no mention. Surely he would have, though, if the god had spoken to the man, so that, too, gave the redhead some hope. Rodrigo had not been meant to be given a Clock. The man from the future he'd met was perhaps proof of that. She, though, had been given hers to save the man she loved. It was up to her to stop this madness, and surely it wouldn't let her fail? It had kept her from acting too soon, and it had a purpose in its machinery, so it had to have the means to save everyone—right?

Catherine could only hope and pray it was so. It was possibly the most prominent thing keeping her strong, and even now as she walked with Rosa, it helped keep her head high.

"You are quiet."

Catherine blinked and looked to Rosa, whose concern was palpable. The redhead sighed.

"It's... the waiting is hard," she admitted, smile forced. The thief opened her mouth in an "ah" shape, and hummed thoughtfully.

"Well... perhaps I can help with that, but first," she replied, holding up a finger, "we need Ezio here, too—you'll both want to know what I have."

The redhead raised a brow, "Oh? Well, then let's hurry and meet him at the pier—that's where he said he'd be."

They followed along the edge of the city as they were then, passing into the main courtyard of the Doge's palace and then towards the pier where various ships were docked. There they spotted the young man, sitting upon one of the many benches lined along the pier's edge. He wore a dark garb now, as opposed to his former traditional white robes. It was Altair's armor, to be exact, finally freed from the bars in the Sanctuary once they had acquired the final seal. It was a powerful armor, and he wore it with pride, although now it served to make his dour look all the more so. Behind his hands with fingers tightly entwined, his lips were pressed firmly together as he thought.