"You guys may remember that I have been meaning to rebuild the Kenway Mansion into a Hotel. .. The hotel has been running well already for a couple of weeks. It's actually quite fun and we get guests from high society. So, here's the deal. I managed to talk to some of them and it seems that Queen Victoria is holding a ball real soon.
Furthermore, Starrick will attend this ball. ... it's awfully close to the vault where the shroud is.", Edward explained. "He may not have the key, but it would be an opportunity for him to try and strike anyway."
"Great, now we just have to go there too.", Jacob smiled. That would be their opportunity to get to Starrick. "When's the ball?"
"It should be tomorrow night, do you have anything fancy to put on?", Edward pulled out some invitations he had managed to get... and noticed, they had soaked through! Oh damn! He cursed. "I wanted to give you these invitations, but now they're soaked.", he eventually said and sighed.
"Can't you draw out the water?", Evie asked.
"I could .. but the ink has become runny.", Edward looked frustrated. "Ugh .. we'll find a solution. Somehow..."
He still tried to use his waterbending from the Trident to push the pigments of the ink around. It didn't really work, so he stopped.
"I didn't think I would ever use that old suit again.", Jacob had rummaged in some compartment on the train where he'd keep his private stuff and clothing. "Good thing I kept it though."
Evie rolled his eyes. Yea, right... fancy dress code. That meant for her that she'd have to put on an actual dress. "Edward, can you perhaps help me getting a room at the Palace where I can change clothes if there's need to?"
"Of course.", Edward nodded. He had helped Jacob for most of the time, it was only fair he did the same when Evie asked him.
Edward gave them the tickets. Even though they were pretty smeared, they were maybe still recognisable as such.
It was a lovely evening in the Garden just outside Buckingham Palace. Royal and rich people flocked together to have some fun. There was a small buffet on one side, and musicians on the other. Small lights illuminated the scenery just enough to make it look enchanted.
Edward had taken some refreshments from the buffet and waited for the Frye twins to arrive. He also looked out for Starrick. Just how would it unfold now? He felt reminded of his showdown with Torres, so many years ago. It seemed indeed like a whole different lifetime to him.
"Good evening, Mr. Kenway.", a fine young lady in red dress moved up to him.
"Evie! I would not have recognised you.", Edward smiled and greeted her properly. "I know you may feel uncomfortable wearing this, but it does suit you, if I may say so."
He saw that Evie was carrying a bag with her. "Let me help you with that.", he took that bag from her and escorted her to the Palace, where she would have free passage to a dressing room.
"Thank you, Mr. Kenway."
"Call me Edward. Where's Jacob? Don't tell me he needed extra time for styling.", Edward said.
"No, he should be there soon. Have you seen Starrick?", they moved back down after Evie had set things into place.
"Not yet. We'll keep looking. I am quite certain he should be here."
Evie nodded.
"Hey. Sorry, I'm late. I kind of.. got lost on the way.", Jacob also looked fancy in his suit. "Did you find Starrick yet?"
Edward shook his head.
"Of course we found him. That's why we're standing here, all calm.", Evie remarked, also shaking her head.
"We'll find him, sister dear.", Jacob smiled. "I'll go look a bit this way."
"Yes, we should probably split up...", Edward looked at Evie and only noticed now that she wore the necklace with the vault key on there. "What the hell, Evie? Do you want to give it to him? Take that off."
Evie pouted. "I thought if I give myself as bait, he'd come right here."
Edward sighed. "That's brave of you, but we can't have that. ...A decoy would have been better."
"I didn't have time to make one.", Evie defended herself and took off the key. After a bit, she did give it to Edward, who put it into one of the pockets of his suit.
"Keep yourself ready. We do this together. You said it yourself. ...By the way, should I have organised an invitation for Henry too?"
Evie looked up, a bit surprised. "What? No .. no, he said he would be near, but he is fine with not being here. He said he wouldn't have had anything fancy to put on."
Edward nodded. He was pretty certain, Evie would have loved for Henry to be here. And now that he noticed, there were not many foreign... guests. Just British Empire at its finest. Well, what can you do?
Jacob in the meantime felt rather out of place. So many fancy and rich people... uwah.
Suddenly, something bumped into him!
"Whoops, sorry.", it was a young lady and she looked at Jacob for several heartbeats. Then she moved around him. She pulled a bit at Jacob to make sure he would cover her right. "Could you hide me? My fiancé is after me and I don't like him all that much."
Jacob looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Okay, uhm .. I should hide you? Wait, we can find a better spot.", he grinned. He could join in on that fun. Jacob made sure she was hidden from view among some bushes.
"Thank you, you're my hero.", she giggled.
"Alright. And when your fiancé asks, I did not see you.", Jacob winked.
Not long after, a man came by to ask where his fiancée was at. He was old. Old enough to be the young lady's father.
"This was him.", the girl in the bushes told Jacob, once the old man was gone. "Lawrence Dundas, first Marquess of Zetland. My father has given me to him. ...This is so old fashioned. We're in the 19th century."
Jacob grimaced when he had seen the old man. Really?
The young lady stepped from the bushes. "I did not introduce myself yet. I am Lady Lilian, daughter of the Earl of Scarborough. And who might you be?"
"Jacob Frye. It's a pleasure.", Jacob bowed a little. "A real Lady...well, how's that? And, do you enjoy yourself here?"
"Lady.. Pff. You could be a Lord for all I care. On the outside, we are all more or less the same. On the inside... that is where the differences start. Even for twins.", she said.
"That's very true. .. In fact, I do have a twin sister. We are very much different."
"Really? Heh, a real Twin. This must be my lucky day. Come.", she took Jacob by the hand.
Lady Lilian was enthralled. If only she could swap this fine young gentleman for her fiancé... "I used to be here often. Ever since my childhood days, during the summers. Lately it has been rather dull. But this evening, you did save me."
"Every day a good deed is my motto.", Jacob said. And yet, he had not forgotten why he had come here, even though he was a bit distracted. Still, he could not spot Starrick.
"Jacob!", Evie came running to him. "Something terrible happened. I saw Starrick ... he had kidnapped Edward. They went in this direction. To the vault. Go!"
"Just like that? No plan?", Jacob was surprised.
"No time for plans. I'll catch up as soon as I'm rid of this infernal contraption."
Jacob ran ahead. He was glad he had put his weapons in a good place. He rearmed himself and moved to the entrance of the vault, where he found Edwards body. He was basically lying face-down in the mud. .. but at least he was alive.
"I'll make him pay for that.", Jacob gritted his teeth and moved into the vault.
Unfortunately, Jacob was soon enough met with some resistance. Starrick had already gotten to the Shroud and used its power against Jacob.
"What... What are you doing?", Jacob asked as he fought against that power.
"Exploiting. I warned you, my boy. But you do not listen."
Soon enough, Evie joined in on the fight. "Jacob!"
Starrick had Jacob by the throat.
"You're a monster, Starrick! Jacob, resist him! He doesn't know how to use the artifact.", Evie hurried towards the two men.
The vault's defense mechanism got activated. "Evie, stay back.", Jacob warned his sister.
When Evie came close enough, Starrick threw Jacob back to take care of Evie.
"London will soon be rid of your chaos! This city was a safe harbour, a light for all humanity. What alternatives do you propose? Bedlam?"
Evie charged at Starrick, giving her everything and at first it had looked good, but then Starrick overwhelmed her and threw her back. Jacob in the meantime recovered and got back onto his feet to take on Starrick. "Evie, I'm coming! Don't die!"
"Another Frye to feed on! First you will fall, then the Queen.", Starrick effortlessly took on Jacob. They battled for a while, Jacob tried his best to get a good grip on Starrick, he had to go down!
Jacob managed to stab Starrick, but what? The man healed himself just like that. That must be the true power of the Shroud. "London deserves a ruler who will remain vigilant, who will prevent the city from devolving into chaor.", Starrick tossed back Jacob.
"Chaos that you are about to cause!", Evie was back on her feet and pressing towards Starrick.
"You two have generated quite enough on your own already.", Starrick scoffed.
"And we've mended it.", Evie replied.
"We did?", Jacob looked at his sister.
"We did.", she confirmed. The siblings were now closer than ever, thanks to the adventures in London.
Evie stabbed Starrick again, but with the same result. As long as Starrick wore the Shroud, they could prick him like a pin cushion. And Starrick couldn't be less bothered. He grabbed both Fryes by the throat and held tight. He grinned evilly, feeling his victory literally at hand.
"Get. Out. Of. My. City!"
Two throwing knives struck Starrick in each arm and he was forced to let go of the twins. It was Henry Green and Edward Kenway, now ready to take on the Grandmaster of Templars.
"Evie!", Henry shouted, feeling worried.
"Jacob!", Edward shouted, but they had to watch out for Starrick.
They took on Starrick and managed to give him some mortal wounds, but the Shroud healed him too quickly. Starrick somehow managed to play the two Assassins against one another, knocking out Henry and throwing back Edward.
But the two at least had distracted Starrick enough for the Frye Twins to recover and come back at Starrick. They ripped off the Shroud and dealth the final blow, stabbing Starrick for good!
"No! London was mine!"
The Twins stood over him.
"Yes... it /was/.", Evie said.
They dipped their handkerchief in Starrick's blood. The mission was done.
"Henry!", Evie moved to Henry and knelt down next to him. The Indian man was recovering but a little shaken.
"Did I ... Did I jeorpardise the mission?", he asked.
"No, you saved it.", Evie kissed him.
Edward also felt a bit shaken after this fight. It really had been something. He did consider working out a little more, so he would be more fit for stuff like this.
Jacob looked at him.
"What...? No kissing!", Edward warned. Jacob laughed.
Jacob went to pick up and fold the Shroud to put it back into its casing. "It was good we came in time to stop Starrick.", then he stopped and looked at Evie. "Would you wear the Shroud and run London?"
"Whatever it gives, it takes from someone else. You'd continue to age without me. You'd become like father.", Evie replied and gave Edward a glance.
Yes, it was no fun, being immortal, she thought.
"Would you wear it?", Evie asked Jacob.
"After you sorted out the boroughs? The chaos I caused? I couldn't compete. And I also would not like to see everyone around me age."
It stung Edward a bit. He had hoped that either of the Frye Twins would also claim a piece of eden and join the legendary Assassins that lived, very scattered and unseen, across the globe.
The twins continued to chatter for a bit as they moved out of the vault. Edward would seal it for good now. There was no coming back in after this...
Then Evie made an announcement. "I have decided to move to India. With Henry. ...I am sorry, but it seems we have to move apart, Jacob. But I feel that... in India I could do so much more."
Jacob looked taken aback for a moment, but then he nodded.
"Don't give me that look, Jacob. I ... we will stay in contact.", she promised.
At least they were not parting upon a bad situation.