Here is another chapter for you all! :)

! AC3 Ending Spoiler Alert ! Disclaimer: All characters (except Annora and Marie) belong to Ubisoft, as do the cover images.

As Charles confronts Haytham, the man finds out the truth he has long forgotten.

Enjoy! ^^

XII

'Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.'

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Her Father is dead because of us, Haytham."

"If you have something to admit to, go ahead, but I don't remember being involved in this mess nor in the activities you do not report to the Order."

"Do you not remember, 1771, you were the one who ordered me to kill all Assassins that were in hiding."

"Yet you failed to get rid of Achilles Davenport or my son?"

"You remember, you just hate to admit that it was you, you, who gave the order."

"I never named any Assassins for I never went out searching for them, that was your task."

"Yes you did! You clearly named Ann's Father, even sending me, personally, to execute him as you felt your power was threatened by one man!"

"Threatened? I do not recall such an occurrence," Haytham's voice wavered slightly, unable to defend himself any longer from the truth that stood right before him, the mistakes that he tried to forget, to run from, since meeting death face to face.

"Francis Collet. The only man in the continent, in the world, who possessed the Blades of Eden. Which you feared would let him destroy our whole Order," Charles explained, his hand raising and pointing at the man in front of him, spitting his words out like venom.

"Do you remember now? Or is your memory still foggy, Master Kenway?"

Haytham looked away quickly, his face pale with realisation, never before considering such a coincidence was possible. Charles knew all along, yet Haytham got involved by pure accident. How would he have ever known that the woman was related to the most powerful Assassin in Colonial America before his own son took over? It was impossible to predict, to see into the future, to know that somehow everything was connected. And yet Charles still bought him to her, as if to rid him of his power, as if to kill him when the time was right, using Ann as bait. For she was his only weakness.

"You planned all this you sick bastard!" Haytham shouted, Charles smirking at the man and walking over towards the door, Haytham looking at him, furious, wishing he had his hidden blade or a sword or anything to attack with. A knock resounded through the wooden doors, which Charles immediately opened, expecting the visitor. A guard stood in the doorway, his head held high, his voice monotone and without emotion.

"I followed the woman as you asked, Master Lee."

"Good work, Sergeant..."

"What is the meaning of this? What do you mean followed?" Haytham cut in between the men, noticing how the guard no longer held any respect for him, Charles may have taken a step too far, already promoting himself to the Master of the Order. Was his plan only to send him back to England and keep Ann for himself? He had no understanding of the true meaning of the Templars, their ideals or the New World Order. If Haytham knew, he would never have stepped in Charles' place when confronting Connor, he would've let his son kill the mad bastard. Charles completely ignored his questions, instead nodding his head for the soldier to continue.

"Do carry on."

"She retrieved the blades, however there was another man."

"Really? Now that is interesting isn't it Haytham?" Charles asked before clapping his hands and chuckling, evidently in high spirits. Haytham clenched his hands into fists, realising Connor met with Ann once again, and knowing his son he didn't hesitate to come out straight with what he felt and speak his mind, like he always did, just like his Mother. He was quick to act on his feelings.

"I would be most glad if you told me what in the heavens is going on?" Haytham said, struggling to maintain a composure of any sort.

"Our lovely Ann had the blades all along, they were buried in her Father's grave, and if she wears them, she will become more powerful than your son, she will destroy us."

Haytham frowned, he thought the blades were accidentally destroyed, but Charles evidently lied the whole time. "But, she knows nothing of their power from what I gather, so it will be easy to take them from her. And then Templar rule will spread over the whole world, and we will kill all the Assassins. Every last one of them. Or at least, I will. Her included."

"You will not touch her! I won't let you, never!"

"What will you do, powerless as you are? If she doesn't want me any more, she will face the same fate as her Father, no more pleading, I will not bow down to her. I will show no mercy, although I do want her to hear the truth before she dies in front of your eyes."

A silence overcame them, Haytham never having anticipated what was about to happen. The man he called Brother, the man he taught and trained, betrayed him. Everyone betrayed him. But what hurt him the most was that he could do nothing to defend the woman he had sworn to protect, Ann was powerless if she didn't want to use the blades, while Haytham had no weapons of his own, and Charles seemed to have bought an armed group of guards with him as well. He didn't care for his life, he could die a second time, but not Ann, he wanted her to live, he had so many plans for her, he wanted her to know that he not only desired her but-

"Haytham! Help!" They heard a scream from outside the cottage, the guard moving aside as two other men brought Ann inside, her feet above ground, moving around rapidly as she struggled to break free, they held her by her arms and Haytham could have sworn his heart stopped beating for a moment when he saw her pained and tear-streaked face. She trembled and her eyes shone with fear as she whispered his name. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"Let her go! Now!" Haytham shouted at the guards who ignored his commands, Charles raised his hand up in the air, silencing everyone, he had total control.

"Hello Ann, it's nice seeing you again," Charles welcomed, approaching her and taking hold of her chin, forcing her to look him straight in the eyes. It may have worked for a second or so, after which Ann threw her foot forward, kicking him in the gut, a gasp escaping the man's lips, his arms quickly catching onto his stomach in pain.

"Don't touch me," she spat out.

"How was your meeting with Connor? I hope you enjoyed your last moments with him."

The girl's eyes widened and she looked towards Haytham, his eyes so disappointed she felt her heart break with guilt. She hated how much of a cheat she was, how much she must have hurt him, the man who accepted her and respected her. He looked away, battling against himself, he wished he could have prevented her meeting with Connor, but then again he wished she was different, devoted, faithful. Maybe he expected too much, especially when the woman was so unsure of his feelings for her in the first place. He showed nothing more than lust towards her. But it was so much more than that. Still, she went against his words, against his warnings, and she did God knows what with the man who wanted to kill him only a few weeks before.

"Its none of your business," she replied, turning to Charles who smirked when he noticed the exchange of glances between her and his previous teacher.

"Of course, you and Haytham are free to sort it out, in your afterlife."

"What the hell are you planning to do? I knew there was something wrong with you Charles, but not to this extent."

"Well, I'm glad you noticed. But there must be something wrong with your dear Haytham as well if he has been lying to you the whole time."

"What is he talking about?" Ann asked, glancing over at said man, his expression guilty as he discovered why Charles was so desperate for him to remember. He noticed everyone was waiting for an answer, so he nodded his head, looking Ann in the eyes, knowing he could no longer hide it from her.

"I ordered the attack on your Father, in 1771," he said slowly, and she felt her world shatter around her all at once, at first persuading herself he was lying, denying it, convincing herself that Charles may have forced him to say it.

"You're not serious are you?" She asked again, the guards letting her go, her knees colliding with the wooden floorboards as she felt her legs give way and lose their strength completely.

"I am, I ordered for him to be killed Ann, while Charles performed the execution."

"Why? Why did no one tell me before, why did you hide it?"

"I had no idea that he was your Father, at the time, I... I had to kill every Assassin that stood in the way. Do you think I could have predicted that I would meet the daughter of the victim ten years later? He was a threat to the Order, and he had to be eliminated. If I had known, I would have spared him, maybe. I don't know. If it were for you, I would have."

He then saw the tears drop from her eyes, and he knew it would have been wrong for him to attempt to console her at that moment. She may have hated him for it but he hated himself even more.

"Now that we've finished that," Charles cut in between the two, "I want you to hand over the blades Ann, and I won't ask twice."

She looked up at him, hate burning in her eyes, hate he has never seen before.

"Sir," one of the guards interrupted, grabbing the man's attention.

"What?" He snapped.

"She did not have any chest or compartment on her when we found her."

Charles was surprised, while Haytham approached the woman, kneeling down and carefully grabbing her shoulders. She didn't push his hands away though, like he had anticipated, she only flinched. He shook her slowly and she turned to look at him.

"Give him what he wants Ann, tell him where they are, maybe then he'll spare you."

"Haytham, you're angry aren't you? You hate me for what I did, for who I am."

"How can you say that?" The man whispered and gave her a weak smile, his eyes forgiving.

"Okay," Charles said all of a sudden, "I gave you some time to think, and now I want you to tell me where you hid the blades."

"I didn't hide them," she replied, holding onto Haytham's arm as he lifted her up onto her feet, her legs still wavering, however something in her eyes changing. She stopped crying, seemingly for once in her life, and stood up straighter, looking to the side, giving the man she loved a smile, before sighing.

"You didn't?"

"No, I neither hid them, nor threw them away, nor left them in my Father's grave."

She pulled up her sleeves, slowly, before turning to look Charles straight in the eyes, a glare of defiance and certainty glowing in her irises. Haytham took a step back, for the first time in his life, aware of the presence of the power of those who came before, a presence much stronger than the Temple key; the blades themselves.

"I've equipped them, and they have responded to me." She said, stretching her arms out for Charles to see, the man's confidence sinking as he too took a considerable step back, his eyes widening in fear and his lips opening to say something, however he found that he could not speak a single word. Ann made a motion with her fingers and the mechanism moved, the blades sliding out, polished, untouched, dangerous.

"Responded?" He asked, "What are you? Guards! Guards seize her immediately!" He shouted suddenly but no one made a move towards the woman, the men giving Charles a fearsome glance, defying him for the sake of their lives. He shook, looking around, his brows furrowing in confusion and fear at the same time.

"You really don't want to risk it Charles, not when she's in possession of the blades," Haytham spoke out, "you don't know anything about their power."

"To hell with you!" Charles spat out, "I will be back, forget your passage to Britain, you're not leaving this land, not until I see that you are both dead."

With those words he took heavy steps towards the door, the guards following closely behind him, his hands clenched as he never gave them another glance, his back hunched forward in defeat. The man would surely come back. Despite knowing Ann was no longer powerless he was still determined to steal the blades and rid her of her life, with his own hands. If not with her Father's own blades. It was only a matter of time. There was nothing they could do but wait. Wait until the end.

More chapters coming soon! :) Please leave a review/fave/follow if you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you! ^^

Till next time!

AssassinSuzy