Hello folks! Deeny here again!
So here's a new chapter. I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd leave a comment as I'd love to hear what you think about it. Also, check out my other AC story "Between the Times" if you have some spare time going.
Shout-outs for Nkarsia and EatYourSoul, you guys rock!
So please comment if you have a minute and more importantly, enjoy! :) xx
DISCLAIMER: Assassin's Creed and its characters are owned by Ubisoft. Original Characters are of my own creation.
The night was drawing in ever closer. Lamps and fire pits were lit in the garden where the party was being held and illuminated the guests and the entertainers; a group of jesters, musicians, contortionists and jugglers. The crowd would gasp and clap at their performances enjoying every spectacle and some would dance to the mellow music being played. Eloise thought this may be an opportune moment for Altaïr to use the poison on Perronet as everyone was distracted by the performers or occupied by dancing. She took herself away to somewhere a bit more private so she could reach down under her bust and retrieve the small poison vial. She quickly hid it up her sleeve where she could easily reach it again and give it to Altaïr when he needed it. Eloise quickly made her way back to be by Altaïr's side. She reached up on her tip-toes to whisper to him.
'I have the poison, do you want it now?' She asked him quietly. He simply nodded in reply.
Eloise drew her arm back up in to her sleeve slowly and slid the vial in to her palm. She used her other hand to re-arrange her sleeve as if it had moved out of place, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Altaïr knew what she was doing; he brushed up beside her making it look as if he was guiding her like the gentleman he was, toward the performance just in front of them to get a better view in amongst the bustle of the other party guests. Perronet had left the table he was sat at some time ago and was busy mingling with the other guests. Whenever the servant girls went past with their jugs of wine ready to refill any empty goblets; Perronet would grab the jugs off them and refill his own goblet to the brim with wine. He'd thrust the jug back to which ever girl was carrying it then send her on her way.
Altaïr had eventually found his moment. Perronet was dancing away with a young girl who was one of the entertainers. He forced his goblet on to a party guest to hold while he danced away; taking his handkerchief out of his pocket and blotting his sweaty brow with it as he spun and twirled with the dancing girl. Altaïr positioned himself directly behind the man who Perronet had given his goblet to. He tugged Eloise in to position just at the side of him so what he was about to do would not be seen. The person in front had his own wine and was busy sipping away at it whilst he watched the entertainment. Altair took his chance when the man held the goblet with his fingers round the rim and let his arm hang to the side. Altaïr quickly popped the small cork off the vial and crouched down to Eloise who was still beside him; making it look like he was crouching down to speak in her ear but in fact he got himself closer to Perronet's goblet. In a few seconds; he had managed to empty most of the contents of the vial in to the goblet without the man holding it noticing.
The music soon ended. People began to clap and cheer whilst Perronet grabbed his goblet off the man he gave it to and swiftly drained it of its contents to quench his thirst from the vigorous dancing. Perronet soon made his way back over to his seat at the table full of food and began eating again; getting another re-fill on his wine on the way over. Altaïr's job was done; all he had to do now was wait. He hid the poison vial up his sleeve in the meantime. He glanced down to his side to talk to Eloise but noticed she had gone. She had disappeared in a matter of seconds. He scanned the party trying to find where she may have gone to and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her dancing with a slightly older man just as the music had started up again. She looked a little drunk; she had been drinking a lot more than what Altaïr had but she still seemed pretty together. He wanted to keep himself clear-headed and alert just in case. The man who Eloise was dancing however must have had a fair amount to drink. He was red in the face, flushed from the alcohol and dancing. Altaïr watched closely as when the music stopped and everyone began to clap; he drunkenly lowered himself down to whisper something in to Eloise's ear. Altaïr saw when the man raised his hand up to her breast and tried slipping it down the front of her dress. Altaïr was just about to burst through the crowd in front of him to pull the man away when all of a sudden; Eloise pushed the man away from her and landed her palm right across his cheek. The distinct sound of skin smacking skin carried out over the sound of the party guests chattering.
'Get away from me!' Eloise growled at the man. 'How dare you touch me like that in public!'
The crowd in front parted for Eloise who stormed her way back over to Altaïr. They all stood and watched the man she had just hit as he scurried away with his tail between his legs and his head down. Eloise had received one or two nasty looking glares from people but she just shrugged them off, she was used to it. Most people would say that what Eloise had just done was a rather undignified way for a lady to conduct herself in public. But Eloise was not most people and she certainly was not having some drunken fool physically harassing her like that. The glares soon ceased and everybody went back to enjoying the party.
Altaïr and Eloise were sharing a comfortable silence together as they watched everything that was going on. People were getting more and more drunk, more people were dancing together and singing. A normal noble party. Perronet had returned from his seat at the table, downing more wine as he went making his already red face even redder. He grabbed one of the ladies in the crowd and began to dance with her to a quick, jumpy tune the musicians were playing. They would spin around with great speed, laughing and smiling and having a lot of fun. Until Perronet suddenly stopped. The woman he was dancing with looked worried as she watched the colour drain from his face. Perronet began to cough, sweat poured from his face as he haphazardly tried to wipe it away with his handkerchief. He waved one of the servant girls over to bring him a glass of wine as if it would help subdue his coughing fit. He grabbed the wine goblet off the servant girl and nearly poured the wine down his throat. The liquid did not help his coughing though as it got significantly worse. His breathing became shallow as he desperately tried to get air in to his lungs. Perronet dropped to his knees clutching his chest with his right arm, his left arm went limp and he could barely keep the wine goblet he was holding in his grasp; dropping it to the floor spilling its contents. The musicians had stopped playing and people gathered around Perronet wondering what was happening to him. Claudette however came rushing over from a young group of men tucked away in a corner and flung herself down by her father, screaming at him; 'What's wrong father?'
Perronet's breathing was still shallow but quickening. He had rolled on to his back, still clutching his chest as he writhed about in pain. Claudette placed her hand over his heart; its beating was erratic and so fast she could barely keep up with it. She cried out for somebody to get a healer to him. Perronet clung on to his chest as if it would help his situation. His breathing was slowing down but was still rather shallow. Within seconds; his hand fell from his chest and his eyes shut as his head slumped to the side.
Perronet was dead.
Altaïr and Eloise watched the whole thing. Both of them knew that it wasn't the poison as it would never work that quick plus there would be more symptoms. Perronet died of an obvious natural cause, hours before the poison would even take effect. His heart had failed him. Altaïr and Eloise did not know whether to feel relieved or not. Though in reality, Perronet dying the way he did right now did them a favour, at least poisoning could not be suspected now.
Guards were rushing in to the garden now and were ushering people out, telling them to return home. Claudette was still slumped down beside her father; tears streaming down her face and an un-godly wail escaping her throat. Altaïr and Eloise did not need to be told twice that they had to leave, so they quickly made their way out along with the other guests and set off on the short walk home. They barely spoke to each other, both exhausted and well and truly surprised by how this evening had turned out. The walk home was short indeed and soon they found themselves trudging through the cold stone vestibule of Eloise's home, parting ways to go to their bed chambers. Only simple 'good night's' were exchanged between them.