A/N: danger, danger. The dark part of the story is coming up soon. I warn you that it might be a little OOC, and I apologise for that. It doesn't even start in this chapter, but I just wanted to warn you.

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(AmaiPOV)

Yes! Robert was ours, finally! At Majd Addin's funeral a whole hoard of Templars attacked us and he shied away from the fight a little. When we demolished his little army, the idiot actually tried to run! I followed him in the streets while Altair ran alongside me on the rooftops. He was as good as dead, and all three of us knew it.

The crowd thinned around me and I saw him, only yards ahead. I was going to get the kill! Just as I let loose my hidden blade Altair dropped down onto him. The shriek he let out was quite womanly as he was tackled to the ground.

Altair pulled off Robert's helmet and we realised that it wasn't him. It was his daughter. "Maria?"

"You are too late, assassins," she began, but I didn't listen. It wasn't Robert, so it didn't matter to me. Altair could listen to her if he wanted.

In the end he let her go. I didn't care; it was her father we wanted, not her.

"Come on," he said, grabbing my arm and leading me to a ladder before the guards could find us. We hid in the nearest roof garden. "We need to talk to Malik."

"Why? What did she say?"

He turned to me with surprise. "You weren't listening?"

"No."

He smacked me in the back of my head (NCIS, anyone?). "It was important."

"Tell me then."

"Robert set the whole thing up. He knew we'd be at the funeral," he sounded so disappointed. "And now he's gone to Arsuf to try and unite Richard and Saladin against us."

I thought about it. "We have to tell Al Mualim."

"I don't think so. We might be out of time by then."

I poked my head out of the roof garden to check for guards and made my way to the bureau, Altair following closely. He told me to wait in the anteroom while he spoke with Malik. My hearing sort of unfocused as they decided on a course of action about the mission, but then something piqued my interest.

"...because of me you lost your arm, and Kadar," was it just me, or did that sound like an apology?

Malik's response came. "I do not accept your apology."

"I understand." since when did Altair apologise?

"No. You don't," Malik added, "I do not accept your apology because you are not the same man that went with me to Solomon's Temple, and therefore you have nothing to apologise for."

I rolled my eyes and ceased to listen. I really didn't care about Altair's redemption with Malik, and it wasn't my business, anyway. They continued talking and my senses dulled to an almost comatose state...

"Come on," Altair's hand closed around my wrist, yanking me to my feet and effectively waking me up. "We're going to Arsuf."

"I thought you didn't apologise?" I asked, pulling myself up onto the roof after him.

He paused. "You didn't listen to the Templar woman, but you listened to that?"

I ignored him. "Who's Kadar?"

He ignored me back. "You two look a lot alike, you know."

"We do not," I argued, crossing my arms.

"You really do. But don't worry, I still like you better," he laughed and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Are you going to answer me or not?"

"It's none of your business, you little eavesdropper." he said with amused affection to his voice. "Let's go."

I shrugged and followed him through the city. It was no big deal; I'd get it out of him or die trying.

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A/N: ooh, foreshadowing. Whoever gets it deserves a candy^^