Leicester:

During the next two weeks, the wedding was planned and the necessary authorizations given. The families didn't let Altaïr or Maria see each other, but Umar and Vivien knew the two adolescents had secrets meetings... sometimes Altaïr and Maria met in her bedroom at night, after all went to sleep, other times, they met on hidden places, like now:

Maria moaned Altaïr's name, as she felt her orgasm in her body. He then lifted his strong chest from her body, balancing himself in his arms as he looked at Maria. Her expression made him to start moving more quickly and deeper inside her.

Maria looked at him then, sighing as she locked her legs around his waist and wrapped her hand in one of his arms, caressing it up and down as she tried to get more of him inside her.

It didn't take long to him to feel that delicious sensation of his orgasm. Closing his eyes, Altaïr moaned her name as he "fell" on her. Maria smiled and held him closely.

Seconds later, while still trying to get his breathing in order, Altaïr laid his head on her chest.

"Wow..." Maria said.

Altaïr nodded and looked at her, smiling.

"Wow indeed…" He said.

They kissed again, before he slowly exited her and sat up on the arranged bed below a small tent, on a dark spot in her backyard.

As he got up, Maria looked at the completely naked body of his and smiled as she thought on what had happened... if every time would be like this one, she wouldn't regret being forced to marry him at all...

Altaïr looked at her, lying on the bed and smiled as he was dressing a shirt.

"What are you looking at?" He asked gently.

"You…" Maria said.

"I can't wait to marry you, you know?" He asked after a few seconds. "Then we will be doing this without secrets…"

Maria nodded.

"I won't regret either..." She said. "After tomorrow, you'll be mine..."

Altaïr raised an eyebrow. Maria sat on the arranged bed.

"Don't look at me like that, Altaïr …" She said serious. "You're still owe me, like 20 days…"

"You won't let me go off the hook, uh?" He asked.

Maria denied.

"Ok…" said Altaïr, finishing dressing up.

X ~ X ~ X

Boston, Lincolnshire, southeast of England:

The night was quiet and the moon and stars surrounded by grey clouds. On the small port, a ship, coming from Belgium, was approaching, but with every intention of passing through there, contrary to what the Captain, Jean – Luc Aumont, told the Commander of the English fleet.

Without anyone knowing, the ship passed through the port, going in the direction of a small bay, where it anchored. The crew – mostly Belgians but there were a few French soldiers among them – immediately began to unload the cargo.

The ship's Captain was looking at his men and stopped beside the French Commander on this mission, Robert De Sable.

"Is everything going according to the plan?" Robert asked. "Where are the horses?"

"Our man was bringing them..." The Captain said. "He must have arrived on the bay..."

Robert nodded and turned to look back at the working men. Two crew men were carrying a wooden box and another one bumped on them, making the box almost fall on the floor.

"Hey, be careful mate!" One of the crew men said.

Robert walked over them, followed by the Captain.

"Men, I don't want any problem with these guns!" The French Commander said, but his accent was clear.

"Sorry, Commander!" said the three men.

With this, Robert turned to the Captain.

"Who is getting married tomorrow?" Robert asked, knowing very well when they were set to strike.

"Sir Arthur Thorpe's daughter, the personal assessor for the King..." the Captain said. "Make sure to strike them where they deserve Robert and help us to be free from the English hands…"

Robert nodded, quietly.

X ~ X ~ X

A man stood on the edge of the bay, waiting for the arrival of the French soldiers. Soon, he saw four small rowboats approaching. The man spat the tar that he was chewing on the dirty floor and waited...

As the rowboats arrived, their occupants got out, regardless the water reaching their shins.

"Are you Maddoc?" one of the French asked. "I'm Robert De Sable..."

The English nodded.

"Yeah, I am…" The English said. "I hope I won't regret this..."

Robert just ignored him.

"How are we with the plan?" The French Commander asked.

"We were just waiting for you..." Maddoc said.

"Good!" Robert said, passing beside the Englishman, without saying anything. "We have to go to Leicester tonight... I don't want to lose more time than we already have…"

Maddoc nodded.

X ~ X ~ X

Leicester:

Back to home, Maria entered silently on her bedroom. After hiding the things Altaïr and she used earlier, she sat on the bed and sighed, thinking on her future husband... she only hoped that Altaïr didn't expect much from her... she knew him well to know what he wanted, but even so, couldn't stop thinking on this... she also knew that who was going to teach her from now on was Vivien… from foods to how she would behave towards guests and such.

Maria sighed again…

Tomorrow... she thought, before lying down on the mattress, on her side.

She would miss her brothers... she was still going to be there, but now would be living with the Ibn-La'Ahad's, until their home became ready… one thing she had discussed with Altaïr , maybe their first decision, was that, after the trip to Masyaf, next year, they would be coming back to England…

Maria sighed once more and lay on her back. "What is Altaïr doing now?

X ~ X ~ X

In his home, Altaïr was also thinking, laid on his bed, in the room that he shared with his brothers… Maria, the wedding, the responsibilities… and then he realized: he was going to be responsible, not only for himself, but for Maria as well…

This thought was scary and too much for a seventeen year old lad like him to endure… he only hope he was ready for that...

"Altaïr?" his father called, from the doorway.

Altaïr sighed and got up, exiting his bedroom.

His parents were just standing there, side by side, looking at him. Now, he was more scared than eve.

"What's wrong, Altaïr?" his mother asked.

"Nothing, just thinking…" Altaïr said.

Vivien and Umar didn't ask anymore. They knew he was scared about the wedding and saying anything would just worsen things…

So Vivien approached him and said instead:

"We know we weren't the best parents, but...

Altaïr interrupted her:

"Mom, I know the situation isn't easy for you…" He said, looking at both. "But, you tried hard to be the best parents for us..."

Vivien and Umar looked at him. Altaïr continued:

"I didn't want the best, only for you to be my parents, which you were and I thank you for that…."

Umar approached him. The older man didn't say anything, just looked at him, then hugged him… Altaïr was surprised, but hugged his father back…

Umar wasn't a man who talked about his feelings, but this hug meant everything to him specially because of how he was feeling in that moment…

"It's ok, dad..." Altaïr said. "I love you..."

Umar separated himself from his son and looked at him.

"Me too, son..." Umar said. "Me too…"

X ~ X ~ X