*Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or themes from the Assassins Creed franchise. Dialogue from the game is used in this story and has been altered and modified*
Cicero folded his hands behind his back and paced the lengths of the cabin, "This is a magnificent ship," he said , breaking an awkward silence. He stopped and studied a crooked piece of timber, "I see the rebel, Kyra, has yet to pay you for your services." He swept his hand along the ledge of the wooden walls frowning at the collected dust.
You would think that he wouldn't want to speak with Kassandra after the pain she caused his Commander. While this was true, he had some words of his own he wanted to exchange with her and there for gladly accepted her invitation. . He and Kassandra weren't exactly acquainted and based off of her actions and her company, he would rather it remain that way.
Kassandra leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest, " I didn't invite you here for your criticism, Cicero." In truth, she was hesitant to face him. It had been days since the incident at the tomb and while it was still fresh on her mind, she had done nothing to rectify it, and instead sought Kyra's company as a distraction.
Cicero rolled his eyes as he turned towards Kassandra. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, as though prepared to use it. "I'm not a patient man when it comes to conversation," Cicero began, " So speak your mind Misthios." He kept himself calm but his poise was intimidating non the less.
Kassandra chuckled, she couldn't help but find some merriment in his words.
"Does my forwardness amuse you?" Cicero growled. He narrowed his gaze and hid his gritted teeth behind his frowning lips.
"Only your hypocrisy," Kassandra laughed, " you claim to have no patience and yet you tolerate Aleera's articulateness with ease." She rocked back in her seat and continued to mock him, knowing that her words would not provoke him into rash action.
"You know," he breathed, " Years ago, your taunts would have given me just as much cause to kill you as if you were an Athenia soldier in battle." He took a deep breath and relaxed his tense muscles, "Since we are on the topic of it, have you ever bothered to think that it's the Commander's affections that merit a painless conversation?"
Kassandra ceased her laughter and met Cicero's cold grey stare. "She speaks in riddles, and dances around the truth with a silver tongue. How does that imply affection?" She asked in a sarcastic voice.
Cicero's mouth curved into a salacious smile, He turned his back to her and looked out the shallow window, "to you she speaks in riddles. Personally, I find that she has much better uses for her tongue."
Kassandra fell silent, she finally understood why her efforts to bed Aleera had gone without reciprocation, " I didn't realise that you two were involved." She curled her nails into the wooden chair, channeling the jealousy with the pain of the splinters.
"Yes," Cicero replied in a low groan, "although it's not like you don't have experience getting in the way of a relationship." He gave her a quick glance from over his shoulder and then returned his gaze to the horizon, "It's a shame really. I wonder if Kyra realises that your lust for her is simply a product of repudiated love, or could it be that her shallow heart has strayed for you rather than Thaletas." He paused and scratched his short beard, " Either way, hearts will be broken in the end."
Kassandra didn't say a word. She sat in silence as she raked through the countless emotions that filled her brain. "Why do my relations matter to him?" she thought to herself. It felt as though Cicero had taken control over their meeting, manipulating her with pure wit and emotion. But for what purpose? She could see why he and Aleera made such a perfect match, the parallels were numerous and it only discomforted Kassandra further.
"How did you know about me and Kyra?" She asked finally.
" You're not as cautious as you think, Misthios, emotions become more obvious when you try to conceal them." Cicero tapped on his silver armor just above his heart, and offered Kassandra a cunning smile.
"You truly are a man of many talents Cicero." Kassandra said with a sigh, " I can see why Aleera trusts you." She folded her hands on the desk in front of her and looked up to meet his gaze.
"Hmm" Cicero smirked, " That's why you called me here, you want to know if what Aleera told you was true." He waded over to the seat adjacent to Kassandra and lowered himself into it.
Kassandra looked at him and blinked rapidly. This was the first time Cicero had referred to Aleera by name and it came as a shock. There was a long silence before she gained the courage to answer. But the vacant noise was already too defining, and before Kassandra could ask her questions, Cicero spoke again.
"It's bold of you to assume that she shares her private conversations with me," he confessed.
"I was hoping she would." Kassandra rolled her eyes and leaned back with a frustrated sigh.
Cicero made a "hmm" and crossed one leg over the other. While Aleera didn't share all the details of that night, he knew enough to answer Kassandra's questions, if she were to ask them. "I can not answer the questions that you don't ask, Kassandra." He kept his voice low, "But I can tell you that there is truth in Aleera's words, and it's up to you to accept them or not."
Kassandra shifted her gaze slowly, "What does Aleera want with me, Cicero? Why did she find me in Phokis?" She tried to hold some of her thoughts back, but she couldn't stomach them any longer. From the moment she and Aleera had met, she felt as though she was an actor in some sort of play, although she didn't know her lines.
It was hard for Cicero to look away from her. Her honey brown eyes were full of confusion, pleading for answers. For someone who was as strong as Kassandra to be begging for answers meant that she was truly at a loss without direction, and for a moment she reminded him of himself years ago, when he too pleaded for answers. But no matter how much he tried to push the thought from his mind, all Cicero could see when facing Kassandra was the mark that she left on Aleera.
"when Aleera set off for Phokis, she wasn't searching for you," He mocked, "She was searching for Elpenor."
"Elpenor?" Kassandra repeated, "Why would she be looking for him?"
"She believed he had something that belonged to her," Cicero explained, "it turns out he passed it onto Poldarkes while passing through Delos." He uncrossed his leg and rubbed the length of his exposed thighs, watching as the wheels in Kassandra's mind began to turn.
"I will protect what has been stolen from you," she whispered, repeating the words she heard Aleera say in the tomb. She looked down, as if searching for what that meant. "She mentioned my brother, Alexios, she said that he wanted to protect her, why?
Cicero's movements stopped, he wrapped his hands around his thighs and squeezed the muscles tightly. He took a few breaths, swallowing his envious emotions. "That is a question that I still don't have the answer to." His eyes grew dark as he continued and his tone became more sinister, "From a man's standpoint, it appears as though he's in love with her. But she possesses a great power unlike any other, it's possible that he may be trying to control her, use her power for himself. Just as the cult did."
Kassandra raised her hand to her mouth. She bit down on her nail as she thought, "Aleera is a smart woman, wouldn't she realise that Alexios was using her for his own gain?"
"Mhmm" Cicero nodded in agreement, "That's if he was using her. However, I don't see why any of that matters to you."
Kassandra felt her aggression rise up inside her, she didn't welcome Cicero's hostility, but if she didn't expect it, she would be a fool, " It matters because the cult is hunting my family, I need to know what they are planning." She answered in an assertive tone.
"Well, then you shouldn't have made an enemy of the one woman who could have helped you." Cicero's glare intensified as he continued, "I've only met your brother a few times, but you both share an unmatched strength, and the inability to control it. If Deimos was controlling Aleera, he would certainly use his strength to do so." He rose from his seat and placed his hand on his sword, "However, she has never once returned to me bloody or bruised after meeting with him." he turned on his heel and headed for the exit, hoping their conversation had concluded.
But Kassandra was not finished, she shot up from her seat and slammed her hands on the desk. "I never meant to hurt her!" She shouted "I just.."
Cicero stopped just before the door. He tightened his grip on his sword and slowly turned around. "You just wanted answers," He growled. His blood boiled, flooding his muscles with adrenaline. Despite this, he kept his voice calm as he spoke, "It's been five days, Kassandra, when were you planning on visiting her?"
Kassandra remained silent, she bit her lower lip as she searched for the right words to say. Guilt and anger stewed inside her. Cicero had a right to be angry and it was then when she realized that she would act the same if anyone harmed Kyra. Her mind flashed back to the battle on the beach, and she remembered how she felt when she saw Eros galloping towards the Rebel leader, and the anger that flowed through her as she lunged at the beast. She could only imagine that that's how Cicero was feeling at that moment.
"I know there's nothing I can say to make this right, Cicero. But trust that I will do everything I can to rectify my actions." Kassandra pleaded.
Cicero's nostrils flared and his fingers tapped on the hilts of his sword. He was tired of talking and wanted nothing more than to run his blade through her, but he was stronger than that, " You worry about the Cult using power to control others, when you use your strength to do the same." He turned his back to her, but before exciting left her with a promise, "If you have more questions suggest you ask them elsewhere, Misthios, or you will find yourself at the wrong end of my blade."
Stick around for part 2 of this chapter where we get some Thatelas action!