January 7th, 1795
Dear Madamoiselle de la Serre,
A vote has been cast within high ranking members of the French Rite of the Templar Order. With a vote of 7-1, the French Templar Order has voted to banish Elise de la Serre from the Templar Order, for the act of treason. May you live your life cast out in silence, and if you come for us, we will certainly come for you.
Sincerely, Louis de Gaulle.
Elise crunched up the letter in her hand and threw it to the ground, and began to tear up. Arno, her husband, walked up from behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"What's wrong, my love?" Arno asked, wiping away tears from her face.
"I've been cast from the Order I grew up in." Elise replied, with anger in her voice. "They want nothing to do with me anymore. My destined path is gone." Elise picked up the letter, and threw it into the fire, illuminating the room they were standing in.
"Your path may be gone, Elise, but you can always start a new one." Arno told her, while flicking out his hidden blade. Elise gave Arno a stern look.
"You want me to join the Assassins?" Elise asked her husband.
"I can ask them tomorrow when we arrive at Cafe Theatre." Arno replied. "I am sure they will understand."
"I hope you are right, Arno." Elise said, as she crawled into bed. Arno followed suit, and crawled into bed with her. He planted a kiss on her forehead, and both of them fell asleep.
Elise and Arno arrived at Cafe Theatre in the early afternoon hours of the next day. Elise smiled and waved as the people in the theatre greeted her with delight. The couple then made their way down into the lower levels of the theatre, past the armour room. Arno opened a door that led to a long cave. Elise remembered the last time she was here, she was a Templar, pleading with the Assassins to accept a truce with her. After a few minutes of walking, Elise and Arno reached the Council, who turned around to see Elise and Arno, with mixed reactions upon seeing Elise.
"Hello, Arno." Trenet greeted. "Why have you brought this Templar with you?" Elise scoffed at the sound of Trenet's voice.
"I'm sure they will understand, Elise." Elise told Arno, sarcastically.
"Quiet, you!" a gray haired man shouted from his seat.
"Peace, Quemar." Arno told the man. "She's been exiled from the Templar Order, she is no threat. A letter was written stating her exile was final. I wrote a copy of it before we came here." Arno placed the copy of the letter on the table. Beylier picked up the letter, and began to read it. He nodded his head, and passed the letter to Quemar. He gave Elise and Arno a look of disbelief, and passed the letter to Trenet. She read the letter, and placed it on the table.
"Interesting letter, Arno. But that doesn't answer why you've brought her to us. Again." Trenet stated. "I'm going to ask again. Why did you bring her to us?"
Arno looked up at Trenet, Beylier, and Quemar.
"Elise is seeking refuge, and I know the Brotherhood can provide it." Arno began. "She asked me the question of joining the Brotherhood. I was wondering if it would be acceptable if she were to join our ranks."
Trenet and Quemar gave Arno looks of disbelief. Beylier was about to say something, before Trenet cut him off.
"You're saying we should add an ex-Templar to our ranks?" Trenet scoffed. "Why in the hell would we..." Beylier returned the favour, and cut off Trenet.
"She is an ex-Templar, Sophie." Beylier stated. "She may have important Templar secrets and leads to Templar associates throughout the city. She is a valuable asset, and helped Arno slay Germain."
Quemar gave Beylier a disgruntled look. Trenet sat and thought for a moment.
"Now that you bring that up, I am in agreeance with you." Trenet replied to Beylier. "But we must perform the initiation ceremony."
Trenet turned back to Arno.
"Arno, bring her down to the chambers in an hour. There, the ceremony will begin."
Arno nodded his head, and Elise bowed her head as a sign of respect. The three Master Assassins went to go get ready for the initiation ceremony, as Arno escorted Elise to the couch not far away from the table, to help Elise prepare for her initiation into the Assassin Brotherhood.
Elise watched as Arno opened the gate, leading to the internal Assassin Chambers. Elise walked alongside Arno, noticing that torches lit up the rocky walls. Elise and Arno arrived in the main chambers, and saw the three Master Assassins donning white hooded cloaks, with beaks on the front of the hoods.
"The candidate may step forward now." Trenet's voice ordered. Elise approached the podium, and knelt at its base. "The daughter of Francois de la Serre has come into our arms once again, this time not as an enemy. Why?"
"The Templars exiled me for my beliefs. My father was killed for his. I want to avenge my family by doing the right thing." Elise stated.
"Are you sure joining the Brotherhood is the right thing for you?" Beylier asked. Elise looked up to her right to match the Assassin's face.
"I am positive." Elise replied. She could see Arno flash a smile out of the corner of her left eye.
"Very well." Trenet began. "Out of the dark, you will come to the light. From the light, you will return to the dark. Are you prepared to travel the Eagle's path?"
Elise looked up at Trenet.
"I am." Elise replied.
"Then drink, Elise." Trenet ordered. Elise picked up the chalice on the altar, and picked it up. She drank from the chalice. Elise immediately fell to her knees, and held her hands up on her head, and returned to the ground, reliving her past.
Arno could only imagine what Elise was going through. The death of her mother. The death of her father. The death of Lafreniere. Her lapse into unconsciousness at the hands of Germain. Arno observed Elise talking to the people in her memories. Deep down, Arno knew Elise was doing the right thing. As Elise was starting to come out of her hallucinations, the three Master Assassins, still draped in their hooded cloaks, surrounded Elise. Arno grabbed the hidden blade bracer and robes that were soon to be Elise's and joined them at his wife's side.
"Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine." Trenet spoke, in Arabic. Elise remained on one knee, and looked up. "These are the words spoken by our ancestors, that lay at the heart of our creed."
"Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent." Beylier stated. Elise bowed her head.
"Hide in plain sight." Quemar added. Elise returned her face to Trenet.
"Never compromise the Brotherhood." Arno stated. Elise looked back at her husband, and flashed him a smile before looking back at Trenet.
"Let these tenets be branded upon your mind. Follow them, and you will be uplifted. Break them at your own peril. Rise, Assassin." Trenet raised her arm, beckoning Elise to stand. Elise rose to her feet, and took off her vest, overshirts, and Templar pin. She placed the pin in her right hand while she placed her shirts and vest on the ground. Arno handed Elise her black apprentice robes, and helped her put them on. Arno beckoned Elise to hold out her left wrist. Elise obliged, and extended her left arm. Arno fit Elise with a hidden blade bracer. Elise looked down at her newly fitted blade, flicked out her blade, and flicked it back in.
"Elise de la Serre is dead. She has been removed from this world, with her past sins turned to dust. Tonight she is reborn, a novice of the Assassin Brotherhood."
"Thank you, mentor." Elise bowed her head. Elise realized she had an object in her hand. Upon looking down into her right hand, she saw her Templar pin, the cross looking so familiar. She thought of her father, and those that she lost due to the coup within the Order. Elise dropped the the Templar pin she used to wear so elegantly onto the ground. Elise lifted her her right foot above the pin, and stomped on the pin, grinding it to bits. Arno approached his wife, and placed his hand on her shoulder. Elise turned around to look at her husband.
"Welcome to the Brotherhood, my love." Arno said, with a smile. Elise responded by hugging her husband. Her new life, reborn as an Assassin, has now begun.