The Ottoman Empire in the late 1830's was undergoing a traumatic change. New reforms ushered in by Sultan Mahmud II began to spread all over the Empire. Meanwhile in the underground, the Assassins and Templars waged war behind the scenes. In the early 1830's, the Assassins lost their grip on the city, and lost vital documents that were placed in the Yeteraban Cistern shortly after Elise de la Serre left the city in 1808. Celim Alona, the lone Assassin in Constantinople, wrote to France, pleading for the help of two Assassins. France asked British Assassin Mentor Leonard Frye to send his best Assassin to France to assist in the mission. Frye obliged, and sent his best Assassin to Paris.
Juliette Dorian awoke from her nap in the Assassin sleeping quarters, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Juliette stretched, and reached for her kukri. She grabbed a cloth and polished the obsidian blade. Placing the kukri into the scabbard on her left thigh, Juliette reached for her Assassin Gauntlet, and slid it on to her right wrist. After fastening the fasteners on her wrist, Juliette extended her hidden blade, and flicked it back into the bracer. Her brother, Francois, walked into the room.
"Hey there, Juliette. Good to see you are awake." Francois said, with a smile. "Ready for Constantinople?"
Juliette returned a smile to her brother.
"I sure am, Francois." Juliette replied, leaping up from her bed. "Is the carriage here?"
Francois looked down at his pocket watch, smiled, and looked back up at Juliette.
"I think it is, yes." Francois informed Juliette. "I heard Mother talking about a carriage arriving. Let us head up to the Cafe and see."
Juliette nodded her head, and accompanied her brother while her walked through the Assassin Headquarters. Juliette and Francois walked down the right flight of stairs and approached the door halfway down the main hallway. Juliette and Francois walked down a long cave lit up by torches, up until they reached a golden door. Juliette picked the lock with her hidden blade, and pushed the door open herself. Juliette darted up the stairs rather quickly while Francois took his time climbing up the stairs. Upon Francois' arrival at the top of the stairs, the pair walked into the Cafe, to see their parents Elise de la Serre and Arno Dorian, sipping on their evening coffee.
Elise looked up from the table to greet her children.
"Good Evening Francois. Good evening Juliette." Elise greeted them. "Your carriage is here. Are you both ready?"
Juliette nodded her head.
"Yes we are, Mother." Francois informed his mother. Elise looked over to Juliette.
"Juliette. I hope you succeed in the mission. Hopefully it will open Trenet's eyes to see what a wonderful Assassin you have become."
"Here's hoping so." Juliette replied to her mother, as Elise set her coffee down on the table. Arno got up from his chair, and with Elise walked to the carriage with their children. Francois got into the carriage, but left the door open.
"Best of luck in Constantinople, you two." Arno told the both of them. "Bring those documents back into Assassin hands."
"Celim Alona will guide you upon arrival." Elise added, as Juliette got into the carriage, sitting across from her brother. "Good luck, you two."
Juliette and Francois nodded their heads and waved, as the carriage driver closed the door. The carriage trotted across Pont Rouge, through Le Marais, and out the Eastern gate of Paris, following the road down the Seine. Francois looked out the window, the sun shining into the carriage.
"Constantinople is huge, Juliette." Francois stated. "I've only seen a small portion of it, and I remember chasing butterflies around the courtyard of Topkapi Palace. Those were the days."
Juliette looked up at Francois.
"That was quite some time ago." Juliette replied, with a smile. "I remember being told that we picked up Mother from Topkapi, and that Father had a difficult time keeping us in check in the courtyard. I've even heard stories that I was conceived in Mother's belly in Constantinople."
Francois returned a look of confusion to his sister.
"You serious?" Francois asked, a confused tone in his voice.
Juliette smiled, and let out a little laugh.
"They're only stories, Francois. I don't believe them myself, actually." Juliette replied.
Francois smiled, and let out a deep breath.
"How are things in Crawley?" Francois asked.
"Things have been well in Crawley." Juliette replied. "We've begun to train new initiates in the ways of the Brotherhood. Leonard has taken his son as his personal apprentice, much like I was when I first arrived. Samuel has himself an apprentice named Cecily Alexander, but I have chosen not to take one."
"Why not?" Francois asked.
"I want to train one of my own flesh and blood in the ways of the Brotherhood. Like Mother and Father did with us." Juliette replied, with a smile.
"The world could use more Dorian Assassins." Francois replied, with a chuckle.
"I'm pretty sure Mother and Father want grandchildren, don't they?" Juliette asked, with a smile.
"I'm sure they do, Juliette." Francois replied, returning a smile. "I'm sure they do."
Juliette chuckled, as Francois reached into his pocket, and pulled out a biscuit. Juliette looked out the window, as the sun reflected off of the waters of the Seine. Juliette smiled as she saw fishing vessels dot the water, only to disappear when the carriage drove past them, down south on the way to Marseille.
One Day Later
Juliette and Francois Dorian arrived at the port of Marseille in the early afternoon. Juliette opened the door to see her brother marvelling the ships in the port. Francois turned around to see his sister step out of the carriage.
"Good to see you, Juliette!" Francois greeted. "By the looks of it, you had yourself a good sleep."
Juliette smiled at her brother, and nodded her head. She turned over to the carriage driver.
"Thank you for getting us here, sir." Juliette said, with a polite tone of voice, and a bow of her head.
"Not a problem, Madame." The driver replied, bowing his head towards Juliette. Juliette took off her left glove, and walked over to Francois. Francois looked down at the scar on Juliette's hand.
"What the hell happened to your hand, Juliette?" Francois asked, sounding concerned.
"Long story." Juliette replied, with a chuckle. "On our way out to Crawley from London, an Assassin Hunter took control of our carriage, and threatened to run Leonard, myself, and his infant son, Ethan, off the road. I had to break a window to get to the Hunter, and breaking the window left a huge gash on my hand. It's the scar you see now, Francois."
Francois whistled, as they began to walk towards the docks.
"My God, Juliette. That must've hurt like hell." Francois replied.
Juliette looked back down at the scar on her right hand.
"Damn right it did." Juliette said, as she put her glove back on. "It hurts even when I talk about it."
Juliette and Francois approached a sailor, who seemed like he was waiting for them.
"Excuse me, sir." Juliette began. "Are you sailing this ship to Constantinople?"
The sailor smiled, and nodded his head.
"Yes I sure am." The sailor replied. "Supposed to be sailing a couple of people who go by Francois and Juliette Dorian to Constantinople."
"We are Francois and Juliette Dorian." Francois stated. "Mademoiselle Elise de la Serre sent us here from Paris."
The sailor nodded his head, and extended his hand out to the deck of the ship.
"No pass needed. You are free to board."
Juliette bowed her head as a sign of thanks before boarding, and Francois did the same as soon as Juliette got on to the deck of the ship. Francois joined up with Juliette at the helm of the ship as the sailor ordered his men to set sail and leave port. The sun shined over the port, its rays touching every ship in sight. Juliette looked out to the sea.
"Supposed to be a five day trip, according to Mother." Juliette stated, as she cracked her knuckles. "Hopefully the weather won't be too bad."
Francois smiled as the ship left the Marseille port.
"Here's hoping." Francois said, looking back at his sister. Juliette returned a smile to her brother, as both of them turned to the south, and looked on into the endless waves of the Mediterranean Sea.
Four Days Later
The ship that was carrying Francois and Juliette Dorian arrived in the Ottoman capital of Constantinople. Juliette awoke, and noticed her brother had awoken, and went up to the main deck of the ship. Juliette strapped on her overcoat, and slid on her hidden blade bracer. Juliette fastened the straps on her bracer, and grabbed her obsidian kukri. She slid it into the scabbard on her left leg, and walked up the steps leading to the main deck. Juliette walked out onto the deck of the ship, holding her hand up to her face, blocking the sun. Juliette looked out onto the docks to see if she could spy Francois. After looking for a few minutes, Juliette walked out onto the docks, and began to browse through the shops along the docks, and took in the city of Constantinople for the very first time. Juliette stopped to have a look at a stall that was selling blankets, only to feel two fingers go into her hips. Juliette whipped around, to see her brother grinning.
"Damn it Francois!" Juliette exclaimed, as Francois began to chuckle.
"You should have seen the look on your face Juliette!" Francois said, with a smile. Juliette looked at her brother sternly.
"Moving on." Juliette replied. "We should find this Celim Alona fellow. The headquarters aren't very far from the Hagia Sophia."
Francois nodded his head with approval.
"Very well, Juliette. Lead on." Francois said, extending his arm.
Juliette nodded her head, and began to walk south towards the Hagia Sophia. Juliette spied the mosque, dominating the skyline of the Ottoman capital. Francois caught up to Juliette. Juliette looked around, and marveled the Ottoman architecture. Juliette heard two feet land behind her. Juliette and Francois whipped around to see a masked young woman with long black hair, and a hidden blade on her wrist.
"Bloody hell!" Juliette shouted.
"Who are you?" Francois asked, with a tone of confusion in his voice.
The young woman removed her mask. Francois smiled with approval.
"I am Celim Alona, the daughter of Haran Alona." Celim greeted, as she walked up to Juliette and Francois. "And who might you be?"
"I am Juliette Dorian, and this is my brother, Francois Dorian." Juliette replied, with a bow. Francois bowed as well. "We are the children of the Assassins Arno Dorian and Elise de la Serre."
Celim smiled as soon as she heard Elise's name.
"You two must be the Assassins I seek. Follow me back to my headquarters, if you would be so kind." Juliette and Francois followed the young female Assassin past the Hagia Sophia, and to a small building. Celim opened the door to the small buliding, and held the door open for Juliette and Francois. Juliette entered the building, and saw a small table in the middle, with several documents sprawled on the table. Several rugs adorned the walls and the floor.
"Have a seat, you two." Celim said, pointing at the seats in front of the table. Juliette and Francois sat down in front of the table. Celim sat down in front of Francois and Juliette.
"Your mother, along with my Father and uncle, helped Sultan Mahmud II ascend to the throne of the Ottoman Empire. But his brash action handling the Janissary corps eleven years ago nearly cost my father his life." Celim informed, as she spat on the ground. "I was taught in the ways of the Assassins by my father Haran before his passing three years ago, and my uncle, Dashan, who passed away last year. Coincidentally, the Templars made their move for documents my uncle placed in the Yeteraban Cistern, where the former shop of Sofia Sartor stood. It is the main reason I wrote to your mother to send you here to lend me a hand in recovering the documents."
Francois and Juliette nodded their heads in confusion.
"Recovering?" Francois asked confusingly. "The letter said they were missing."
"They aren't. I know where Sartor's shop stood. Accompany me, if you would be so kind." Celim continued, as she opened the door of her house, and let Francois and Juliette out. Juliette, Francois, and Celim walked down the road towards the former shop of Sofia Sartor.
"Since the Templars have taken the city, they have been looking for the documents that once belonged to Sultan Mahmud II. They contain precious information on the mysterious Piece of Eden, called the Ring. We are to get the documents back."
Francois looked off into the distance, nodding his head with approval. "Carry on."
"I've heard my father's stories about your mother." Celim stated, as they walk past the Hagia Sophia. "I was told she assisted my father and uncle in bringing down the corrupt Sultan Mustafa IV."
Juliette smiled, as they continued walking.
"That's a story that Mother has always told us growing up." Francois replied, with a smile of his own.
"Your mother is an incredible Assassin, and is truly devoted to our work." Celim added, as they walked through the winding streets of the city. Juliette would look up and marveled at the Ottoman architecture each time they passed a building. The three Assassins approached a small stone building that was elaborately decorated, but looked abandoned. Celim opened the door. Juliette and Francois followed Celim inside. Juliette looked around at all the scrolls, which were labeled alphabetically.
"What are these scrolls, Celim?" Juliette asked, examining a scroll. Celim turned around, and looked at the scroll.
"These are vital Assassin documents, Juliette." Celim replied. "Many of these were written by Ottoman Assassins before us. Some were written by one of my ancestors, Levi Kizi Alona, and is believed that there are some documents written by Ezio Auditore himself."
"Incredible." Juliette replied, as Francois and Celim walked to the back of the building, and came across a small doorway at the base of the room on the right hand side. Juliette rolled up the document, and put her document away correctly, before joining her brother at his side. Celim got down to her knees, and flicked out her hidden blade. Celim inserted the hidden blade into the small sliver on the door, and turned it to the left. A small rumble filled the room, and watched as the small door opened before them. Celim turned around, and extended her arm towards the entrance.
"After you." Celim said, with a smile.
Francois chuckled, and crawled into the entrance, and slid downwards. Juliette looked down through the entrance.
"How far down is it?" Juliette asked. Celim looked down beside her, and smiled.
"Not very far." Celim replied, smiling. "Your turn."
Juliette approached the entrance, and swallowed. She sat down, and scooted up to the ledge before a steep drop. Juliette let out a deep breath, and slid down the steep slope. Juliette leaped up from the bottom, and dusted herself off. Francois approached her and helped her up, as Celim came sliding down. Celim, Francois, and Juliette looked down into the cistern.
"Welcome to the Yeteraban Cistern." Celim stayed, with a smile. "Last visited by my uncle Dashan twenty-nine years ago."
"An incredible feat of architecture." Juliette replied, looking around into the cistern. Francois, Juliette, and Celim descended down into the cistern, and began to walk through the cistern.
"Where are the documents, Celim?" Francois asked, looking around the rock walls. Celim looked back at Francois.
"They aren't very far, Francois." Celim replied. "They are with the Masyaf Keys at the end of the cistern. We have got to get to them before the Templars..."
"Templars?" Juliette whispered sternly. "There are Templars down here?"
Celim sighed.
"Yup. They have been here for weeks." Celim replied in a hush tone. "Hunting for the documents. They got down here by using explosives. They are under the lead of their Grand Master Alain Chemar."
Celim pointed down into the section of the cistern before them. Juliette looked down and spied a squadron of Templar soldiers sticking to their patrol routes.
"Best keep to the wooden supports. It's the only way for us to evade their line of sight." Celim leaped out onto the wooden supports, and navigated her way across the supports onto the other side. Francois and Juliette followed suit, and joined up with Celim on the other side. Juliette looked down at a tall gate, with rusted spikes on the tops.
"Ready to jump?" Celim asked, nodding her head towards the gate. Juliette watched as she grabbed a rope, and leaped down from the support, and landed on a stone support, the middle of the three, and leaped again, this time over the rusted bronze gate. Francois looked over towards Juliette, grabbing onto a rope. Juliette followed suit, and grabbed a rope.
"Ready to jump, Youngblood?"
Juliette looked back at her brother, and smirked.
"Jump!" Juliette replied, as Francois leaped onto the support in front of Juliette. Juliette copied her brother, and landed on her support, still grasping the rope. Juliette nodded over to her brother, and the pair swung through the air and landed beyond the gate, the both of them performing a combat roll in order to soften their fall. Celim watched as the Dorians dusted themselves off, and clapped her hands approvingly.
"Well done." Celim replied, as she stopped clapping. "The vault holding the documents is this way."
Francois and Juliette followed Celim down the winding corridors of the cistern.
"How do you know your way through here, Celim?" Juliette asked.
"My Father took me down here to practice my free running skills." Celim replied. "I'm still confused as to why my Father never told me about the vault down here."
The three Assassins arrived in another large room. Juliette looked around the large open room, and determined that the room could have been used as an excavation area. Celim led Francois and Juliette through a rusted gate, which led to more corridors. After a few moments of walking, the three Assassins arrived in a room with smooth, bleak stone walls. Celim began to walk towards the back of the room. Francois and Juliette followed. Celim waved her hand in front of a small Assassin Insignia etching in the rock face. Celim backed Francois and Juliette up, as they watched the wall rumble, and then lower, which revealed a large room with a statue of an Assassin. Francois, Juliette, and Celim approached the statue, and looked down at the documents. Sitting on top of the documents, was the Ring of Eden.
Juliette reached out for the Ring, and in doing so triggered a holographic projection. The three Assassins watched as the projection began to manifest. Juliette made out ghostly figures, some figures looking like men leading a large group of women, children, and elderly out into a desert. The three Assassins watched as a voice echoed through the small chamber.
"The Great Cleansing under the Crescent Moon shall begin under the thirty-fifth Sultan of Osman's blood." The voice bellowed, before the projection quickly disappeared. The three Assassins looked around, dumbfounded after what they had just seen.
"What the hell was that?" Francois asked, looking around the chamber.
"I'm...not sure." Celim replied, as she placed the documents in the pocket of her breeches. "Perhaps a future omen, or a foretelling of doom?"
"Perhaps we should leave before the Templars catch wind of our presence..." Francois began, as a loud explosion shook the open room. Walking through the hole in the wall came three guards wielding axes, and a sharply dressed man, with long black hair and beard, sporting a Templar cross. His men raised their axes, just as Francois, Juliette, and Celim pulled out their weapons.
"Arms down, men." The man ordered. The men obeyed his command.
"Ah, if it isn't the little pest. Celim Alona. Impeding our plans again, are we?"
"Not impeding, Preventing. Why are you after these documents, Chemar?" Celim asked. "You have no reason to posses them!"
"The Ring, you little runt. We are here for your little documents and the Ring. You won't be able to prevent anything once we have the Ring." Chemar retorted. "Men, end her and her friends. Make it quick. We have a Ring to acquire."
Chemar pointed at the three Assassins. His men charged at them, while Chemar began to walk towards the chamber where the Ring resided. Francois ducked the heavy swings from his opposition, and sliced his assailant's wrist with his hidden blade, causing him to drop his axe, and clutch his wrist in pain. Francois quickly ended his life with a hidden blade to his jugular. Celim dodged the axe swings of her assailant, and landed a shoulder shot which knocked her man down. She quickly plunged her hidden blade into his throat, and quickly launched a throwing knife towards one of Chemar's men heading for Juliette. The knife landed flush between his eyes before Juliette struck with her kukri. She immediately spied Chemar enter the room.
"Juliette! After him!" Celim shouted. Chemar quickly turned around.
"MEN! ON THEM!" He ordered. On his command, more Templar soldiers came out from the entrance, and engaged Francois and Celim in combat. Juliette rushed for Chemar. Chemar ran from Juliette. Juliette countered by throwing her kukri at his left knee. Chemar screamed in pain as the kukri hit him, slicing into his skin. He turned around, and scrambled backwards on his haunches, trying to reach for the Ring. Juliette knelt down, and thrust her hidden blade into his throat. Chemar's eyes rolled into the back of his head, as Juliette caught his head, and gently laid it on the ground.
"Rest in Peace, Grand Master." Juliette began, as she closed his eyes. "This is not your fight anymore."
Juliette walked out of the chamber, to see Francois and Celim overwhelmed by Templars. Juliette quickly pulled a smoke bomb off of her belt, and lobbed it towards the cluster of Templars. The bomb exploded, engulfing the Templars in smoke. Francois and Celim darted out of combat and through the smoke.
"RUN!" Juliette shouted. Juliette darted through the smoke, and joined Francois and Celim as they darted through the corridors, and quickly climbed up the rusted gate, and leaped onto a stone pillar, where all three Assassins climbed up the pillar in single file to reach the wooden supports. As Juliette got up to the supports, a Templar soldier spied her navigating her way across.
"FIRE!" He shouted, as the men around him fired at the Assassin. Juliette managed to make it over to Francois and Celim, and quickly descend with them. The three Assassins meandered their way through the corridors, with Templar soldiers in hot pursuit. Celim turned around and started backpedaling. Juliette turned around and spied around twenty Templar soldiers behind them, not far from the end of the corridor.
"There's too many of them!" Celim shouted, as the Templar soldiers marched towards them.
"Hold on a moment." Francois said, as he stopped and pulled a poison gas bomb off of his belt. Francois tossed the bomb towards the Templars, and watched it explode. Juliette watched as the Templars began to choke on the gas. Juliette looked over, and spied a keg of gunpowder. Juliette pulled out her pistol, and aimed it towards the powder keg. Juliette shot the powder keg. The keg exploded, knocking Celim, Francois, and herself back, and dislodged some large rock chunks, which separated themselves from the Templar soldiers. The three Assassins got up and dusted themselves off. Francois looked over to his sister.
"Well played." Francois said approvingly, with a smile.
"Francois! Juliette! Hurry!" Celim shouted, pointing towards the way they had come earlier. "Some rocks that fell from Juliette's explosion gave us an easy path up."
"Let us go, then!" Francois exclaimed, as he began to run for the jagged rocks. Juliette and Celim followed suit, and watched Francois climb up to the top of where they had entered earlier, before doing so themselves. Upon reaching the top, Juliette looked back, only to see several dead Templars lying beyond the rocks. Juliette looked up, and saw her brother and Celim beginning their walk back up towards the tiny entrance at the top. Juliette began her long trek back up to the entrance. She was the last one up, and watched as Celim opened the door with her hidden blade. Juliette watched as the door slowly lowered, allowing Francois and Celim to pass. Juliette crawled through after Francois and Celim got to their feet. After Juliette got to her feet, Celim pulled out the documents from the pocket of her breeches.
"What will you do with these documents, Celim?" Francois asked. Juliette also looked at Celim. Celim returned a look towards Francois, and looked back down at the documents.
"Take them back to France with you." Celim replied, handing Francois the documents. "They will be in safer hands with the French Brotherhood."
Francois placed the documents on the pocket of his breeches.
"Thank you, Celim." Francois replied, as Celim beckoned them to sit down. Juliette and Francois heeded her word, and sat down.
"No, thank you two." Celim stated. "I couldn't have retrieved the documents on my own. I would have been cut down where I had stood."
"France and Britain are always here to help." Juliette replied, patting Celim on the shoulder, as the three Assassins got up and walked through the door, out onto the streets of Constantinople.
"Feel free to rest at my place, for you both look really exhausted." Celim inquired. "Let us go back to my residence, and let us rest."
Francois yawned, and opened the door of the archive for Celim and Juliette. Celim took the lead, and led Francois and Juliette back to her residence.
"That holographic message still lingers on my mind." Juliette stated. "The Great Cleansing underneath the Crescent Moon shall begin under the thirty-fifth Sultan of Osman's blood."
Celim looked over to Juliette. Francois turned over to Juliette as well.
"I don't think there'll be a thirty-fifth Sultan. Mahmud is going insane, letting power get to his head. If it continues in this manner, the Empire may be on the brink of collapse."
"I hope it doesn't come to that." Francois told Celim, as they approached Celim's headquarters. Celim opened the door, and let Juliette and Francois in. Celim lit a candle, and placed it on the table. She then looked up at Juliette and Francois.
"I pray it doesn't come to that, either." Celim replied, as she sat down in front of the table. "Lay down and rest. I will be accompanying you momentarily."
Francois and Juliette smiled at Celim, and then smiled at each other. Juliette watched as Francois' head hit his pillow. Juliette removed her Assassin Gauntlet, and placed it at her side. She gently placed her head onto the soft pillow, and drifted off to sleep, knowing that the documents were safe in Assassin hands.
Juliette awoke early the next morning, to see Celim pouring herself some tea. Celim looked up.
"Good morning, Juliette. Good to see you're awake." Celim said, with a smile. "Care for some tea?"
Juliette smiled.
"Sure." Juliette replied, as Celim placed a cup and saucer before her, and poured her some green tea. Juliette blew on the tea, and gently dipped her tongue into the tea. Juliette winced as the hot tea went down her throat. "What kind of tea is this? It tastes heavenly!"
Celim smiled. "I'm glad you like it, kadeshim. It is Sage tea. I learned how to make it from my Father. Would you like to take some home to France?"
Juliette returned a smile to Celim, as Francois woke up.
"Sure, that would be lovely." Juliette replied, as Celim gave her a bag of coarse sage leaves. Juliette placed the leaves in the pockets of her breeches. Both Juliette and Celim looked over at Francois.
"Good morning, Francois." Juliette said sarcastically, as Francois rubbed his eyes and yawned. "About time you woke up."
"Well, just you wait until you hit your late thirties." Francois replied, with heavy sass in his voice.
"Good to see that you are awake, Francois." Celim replied. "Before you two woke up, I walked over to the docks, and secured you a ship that will take you to Marseille. The captain is waiting for us as we speak."
"Then what is keeping us?" Francois asked. "Shouldn't we get going?"
Celim and Juliette finished their tea, and set their cups into their saucers. Celim walked up to the door, and opened it, allowing sunlight to flood into the room. Juliette and Francois walked out onto the street. After closing the door, Celim joined them, and the three Assassins began the walk down to the docks.
"What will you do now, Celim?" Juliette asked, as they walked through the winding streets to the docks. Celim looked down to the street, and looked back up at Juliette.
"I don't know, Juliette." Celim replied, with a sad look on her face. "The Templar presence still lingers here, but I will find a way to fight it. I hope to free my city one day, and I know who to turn to if I am in need of assistance."
Francois patted Celim on the shoulder, as Francois and Juliette boarded the ship to take them back to France. Celim returned a smile from the dock.
"I wish you safe travels back to France." Celim said, waving. "Before you go, be sure to let your mother know about my father."
"For sure, Madame Celim!" Juliette replied, as she saluted Celim, and returned a wave, as the ship began to set sail into the sunrise over the Mediterranean. Juliette joined Francois at the helm of the ship.
"Marseille awaits, Francois." Juliette said, smiling at her brother. Francois smiled back at his sister, and watched the sunrise, as the ship navigated its way through the choppy waters of the open Mediterranean.
Four Days Later
The ship carrying the Assassins Francois and Juliette Dorian from Constantinople arrived in the port of Marseille in the early afternoon. Juliette and Francois walked off of the ship deck, and on to the dock. Francois turned to the captain.
"Thank you for the safe voyage, Monsieur." Francois said, with a bow of his head. The captain bowed his head, and shook Francois' hand.
"Not a problem, sir," The captain replied. Francois watched on as the sailor walked back onto his ship. Francois turned around to look for Juliette, who was talking to a carriage driver. Francois approached Juliette and the driver.
"You found us a carriage driver?" Francois asked, with a tone of curiosity in his voice.
"Yes, I did." Juliette replied, with a smile. "He's been saying he can get us to Paris from Marseille in less than a day."
The driver nodded his head, and tipped his hat.
Francois smiled.
"Let us go, then." Francois stated. "No doubt Mother and Father will be expecting us."
The driver opened the door to his carriage, and held his arm out, indicating that Francois and Juliette get comfortable in the carriage. Juliette hopped into the carriage, and Francois got in after her. He slammed on the side of the carriage, which alerted the driver. The driver hopped into the driver's seat, and grabbed the reins. He quickly snapped on the reins. The horses whinnied, and began to trot through the streets of Marseille, and on to Paris.
One Day Later
The carriage that was carrying Francois and Juliette Dorian from Marseille arrived in front of Cafe Theatre in the early hours of the afternoon. Juliette got out of the carriage first, and then held the door open for Francois. Francois nodded at his sister, and she closed the door of the carriage once he was past. Francois approached the carriage driver.
"Thank you for the ride, Monsieur." Francois said, handing him a small bag of coins. "Greatly appreciated."
"Not a problem, Monsieur." The driver replied. "If you need a carriage to get you anywhere in France, don't hesitate to find me!"
Francois nodded his head, and walked into Cafe Theatre, where he saw his sister watching a play.
"Is this one of Sophie's works?" Juliette asked, turning around to face Francois.
"Yeah it is. It's called The Power of the Princess and it's not one of my favorite plays." Francois stated.
"It's not a favorite of mine, either." Juliette replied, as she began to walk towards the stairs that led to the Assassin headquarters. "I've been spoiled by Shakespeare."
Francois smiled, and quickly caught up to his sister, who was halfway down the stairs. Francois opened the door, and let his sister go through first. After navigating their way through the long, rocky corridor, Francois and Juliette found themselves in the long hallway of the Assassin Headquarters. After walking up the left flight of stairs, Juliette and Francois turned to their left, and spied their parents, and Sophie Trenet , sitting at the round table. Elise looked up, and smiled happily at the sight of her children.
"Francois! Juliette!" Elise exclaimed, and hugged her children. "Welcome back! It is so good to see you!"
"Welcome back, children!" Arno exclaimed. "Please, have yourselves a seat."
Juliette and Francois nodded their heads, and sat down before their parents. Trenet looked up from her seat.
"Yes, Welcome back you two." Trenet stated. "Were you two successful in recovering the documents?"
"Yes we were, Mentor." Francois replied, as he pulled out the documents, and placed them on the table. Elise picked up the documents from the table, and read them over.
"These are the documents that were given to us by Mahmud all those years ago." Elise said, with a nod of approval.
"It is good to see these back in Assassin hands." Arno added.
"Also, Mother, I am supposed to inform you from Celim Alona herself, that her father Haran Alona passed away three years ago." Juliette informed her mother.
Elise nodded her head, a sad look coming over her face.
"He was a good man. May he Rest In Peace." Elise whispered to herself. After looking at Elise, Trenet turned her attention to Juliette and Francois.
"Well done in finding the documents." Trenet stated. "Did you encounter any Templars in the cistern?"
"We did." Francois replied. "They were led by their Grand Master, Alain Chemar, and had been searching for them for weeks before we got there."
"What of him, son?" Arno asked sternly.
"He is no more, Father." Francois replied. "As we were making our exit, we were detected, and a group of twenty Templar soldiers gathered upon us. I threw out a poison gas bomb, but they charged through it. Had it not been for Juliette, who shot at a powder keg, which dislodged some stones to separate us from our pursuers, we would have died."
Trenet's eyes grew as wide as saucers.
"YOU WHAT?" Trenet roared, turning her attention to Juliette. "You put lives at risk! You could have killed civilians, and you could have killed YOURSELVES! How reckless of you, Juliette! How sloppy! How poorly done! You are still a menace!"
Juliette got up from her chair, and placed her hands on the table.
"You cannot be serious, Sophie. Listen up." Juliette said sternly. Trenet returned a glaring look at her. "Call me what you want, but I did what I could to enable our escape with the documents, and my decision saved our lives. That's what you wanted, right? Or did you want us to do it another way?"
Arno looked at his daughter, and then back at Trenet.
"Must we rehash this argument again?" Arno asked, holding his arms out.
"It was a simple diversion tactic." Elise added. "I'm sure you've used it in missions before!"
Arno nodded his head in agreement.
Trenet got up from her chair.
"I have NEVER seen someone act this brash before! Had I been there..."
Juliette held her hand up, cutting Trenet off.
"But you weren't." Juliette replied snidely. "You had no sway over how things went in Constantinople. As a matter of fact, you have no sway over me. Period. I am a British Assassin, and I know why you're saying these hateful things to me. You just want to get under my skin. You never really wanted to teach me anything, didn't you? You wanted me gone, and out of your life. Thanks to the kind actions of my mother, Leonard Frye took me in, and trained me in the ways of the Creed better than you ever could."
Francois glanced over to his sister. Elise and Arno glared at Trenet. Trenet stared daggers at Juliette.
"I have heard enough!" Trenet shouted. "Juliette Dorian! You are to leave on the first carriage to Cherbourg today, and never return to assist the French Brotherhood again! Now be gone!"
Trenet waved her hand, telling Juliette to leave. Looks of horror came across the faces of Elise and Arno, and watched as their daughter left the table angrily. Francois glared at Trenet angrily, before leaving the table to follow his sister up to Cafe Theatre. Upon arriving in the Cafe, Francois could hear a woman outside shouting.
"I fucking knew that would happen!" Juliette shouted to herself.
Francois approached Juliette, who was standing outside, waiting for her carriage.
"I have never seen you that angry before, Juliette." Francois stated. "And I have never seen someone react so angrily to one speaking their mind."
Juliette spat on the ground.
"It had to be said." Juliette replied. "It also proves that she has something against me. I'm glad it finally got exposed."
Francois nodded his head in agreement, as the carriage arrived at Cafe Theatre. Juliette looked back at her brother, and gave him a hug.
"I'll miss you, Francois." Juliette said, with tears beginning to cloud her eyes. "Thank you for everything."
"Happy returns, Juliette. I will come visit if I am able." Francois replied, As he swatted a wasp away from him.
"Please write, brother!" Juliette shouted, as the driver closed the door. Francois slammed on the side of the carriage, as the driver got in the driver's seat. He snapped on the reins, and watched as the carriage carried his sister across the bridge, and into the horizon. Francois sat down at a table outside the Cafe, where a waiter greeted him.
"Coffee, sir?" The waiter asked him.
"Yes please. Black with some cream and sugar, please." Francois replied, nodding his head.
"Right away, sir." The waiter said.
After the waiter left, Francois tried to wrap his head around what happened between Trenet and his sister. His thoughts were interrupted when the waiter came back, with his coffee in hand.
"Thank you, Monsieur." Francois said, nodding his head. The waiter nodded his head back, and left Francois in peace. After sipping on his hot coffee, Francois looked off into the distant sunset, wondering how long it would be before he would see his sister again.