Connor fiddled with the small ring on his finger. He wasn't much of a jewelry wearer, really. The only thing he ever wore was his necklace, but that had some special importance to him. Of course, so did the ring – simple and plain enough, with an eagle engraved into the gold – but that didn't made it any less comfortable on his hands.
Often times, he even removed it, stashing it away in a safe place. He usually reserved that for the harsh winter months, full of freezing temperatures and the looming threat of frostbite from the ring if not worn on top of his gloves.
However, comfort or lack thereof aside, he liked to wear it. It had a special meaning to him, even if the meaning gave into this nonnative side more than most of the important things in his life. After a long day of dealing with templars, redcoats, and revolutions, looking at the band of metal would almost always bring a small smile to his lips. And for someone who didn't smile much, such as Connor, this meant a lot.
He always thought of her... Aveline de Grandpré. They had met sometime ago. She had, at first, been a nuisance, but he had to respect her as much as he could. She was not only another member of the Assassin's brotherhood, but also outranked him by a little.
That didn't keep her from being a bother, always trying to get some kind of reaction out of him. Rarely, she got anything above making him a little more grumpy. However, she would often tell the story about when he burst out laughing while dressed as a woman (that was a story for another day, indeed,) or the time he stole her hat in a fit of childlike mischief. Though, he also gotten angry at her; actually anger, not the usually glare and annoyed whine she usual received.
But with time, like any other thing, they grew closer. Much, much, closer.
She was the closest he had ever let someone be since he was young. Years of bloodshed and living mostly on his own made him wary of others. Not only that, but Aveline was a complete outsider from his land; one side she came from Africa, and on the other, Europe.
Connor couldn't help his feelings though. He often tried, and thought himself good at least not showing them when vital, but in the end he gave into them, as did Aveline. He noted that she too, had a slight reluctance to admitting that she cared for him that much. Though she always tried to excuse herself by saying he'd become too over protective. Which, he always said defensively, was something he was not!
Officially, they weren't really married by the standards of the colonists. He also wasn't sure if the colonists would allow it under their churches' rules. But he didn't care. He wasn't a christian, anyways, so he figured none of that mattered.
Connor's eyes ghosted over the blood caked into the engraving. He often scrubbed at it, trying to remove it, but it stayed; reminding him of just what he and his wife did with their lives. Aveline's was also like that. He often cracked a smirk at the time he ran into her washing blood off it in a stream.
He didn't see her as much as he would have liked. They knew they had missions to attend to and goals of their own, but despite that he missed her greatly.
He would often catch himself day dreaming of a much calmer life with her on his down time. Maybe they'd have children, get some dogs... he sighed to himself.
Maybe someday, he thought, as the sound of guards that had been pursuing him grew closer. But not today.
