A/N: oh geez, it starts here! The darkness, I mean. This chapter is pretty much dialogue from the game, with some extras tossed in. Enjoy!
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(AltairPOV)
"Hold a moment," Amai said, interrupting king Richard, "it's words we bring, not steel."
"You come bringing words of your surrender? It's about time."
I stepped forward. "You misunderstand. It's Al Mualim who sends us, not Saladin."
He narrowed his eyes. "Assassins! What is the meaning of this? And be quick with it!"
Amai's voice was flat and blatant. "You've a traitor in your midst."
Richard remained unfazed. "And he has hired you to kill me? If you've come to gloat about it before you strike, I won't be taken so easily!"
The thought did cross my mind, but... "It is not you we've come to kill, but him."
"Speak, then, that I may judge the truth. Who is this traitor?"
Amai walked forward, narrowing her eyes. "Robert de Sablè."
"My lieutenant?" he asked, then broke into laughter.
"He aims to betray," she hissed.
"That's not the way he tells it. He seeks revenge against your people for the havoc you've wrought in Acre," he explained, "And I am inclined to support him. Some of my best men were murdered by some of yours."
She snorted, looking up into his face with a sneer. "It was us who killed them, and for good reason."
"William of Montferrat," I began, "He sought to use his soldiers to take Acre by force. Garnier de Naplouse, he would use his skills to indoctrinate and control any who resisted."
Amai, finally catching on, added the name of our last target before Robert. "Sibrand. He intended to block the ports, preventing your kingdom from providing aid. They betrayed you, and they took their orders from him." With the last word she turned and fixed Robert with a golden glare that would've stopped me.
"You expect me to believe this outlandish tale?" he sure sounded like he did.
"You knew these men," I said, walking up to stand beside Amai. "Better than I. Are you truly surprised to hear of their ill intentions?"
Richard turned to Robert. "Is this true?"
He took off his helmet. "My liege, these are assassins that stand before us. These creatures are masters of manipulation. Of course it isn't true."
Richard looked pensive, and Amai looked like she was going to explode. "We've no reason to decieve."
"Oh, but you do," Robert smiled. "You'r afraid what would happen to your little fortress. Can it stand the combined might of the Saracen and Crusader army? Besides, I'm sure your friend here would like some revenge for what happened down in Solomon's Temple."
Amai spoke then, malice dripping from her voice. "My concern is for the people of the Holy Land. If I must die for there to be peace, so be it."
I couldn't help but look curiously at her when she said this. She met my gaze with a level gold stare - she was serious.
"This is a strange place we find ourselves in," I was growing tired of his voice. "Each of you accusing the other."
Robert began moving away. "There really is no time for this. I must be off to meet with Saladin and enlist his aid. The longer we delay, the harder this will become."
"Hold a moment, Robert," Richard stopped him. I mirrored Amai's mocking grin.
"Why? What do you intend? Surely you do not believe them."
"It is a difficult decision, one I cannot make alone," he mused. "I must leave it in the hands of one wiser than I."
"Thank you," Robert bowed.
"No, Robert, not you." Amai snorted. Robert's pride looked hurt.
"Then who?"
"The Lord." it was my turn to snort. These Crusaders and their religious superstitions. "Let this be decided by combat. Surely God will side with the one whose cause is righteous."
"... If this is what you wish."
"It is." Richard's voice hardened.
And Robert's dropped to a mumble. "So be it. To arms, assassins!"
Richard moved away as the Templars surrounding us drew their swords. I drew my own, and heard Amai bring forth her short blade. We fell into our usual fighting stance, back to back, and before long the guards were all dead. All we had left was the target.
"Allow me a few words before you attack, Amai," Robert said, sheathing his sword. We both halted for a moment, confused.
"You never were one for religion, but don't you believe it is at least unethical to murder your own father?"
Her eyes widened and she took a step back. I narrowed my eyes.
At her expression he smiled evilly and continued. "Yes, it seems as if it only takes one night of drunken celebration and a tavern wench to begin a lifetime of regret. Honestly, Amai, I believed you were going to take my place when I became too old and senile to command the Templars myself. But I suppose some children refuse to follow the path set for them..."
Damn straight, I thought, looking over at Amai. She was hanging her head, so I couldn't see her face under the shadow of her hood's beak, but I did see the slight glint of light reflecting off of a tear. I saw her body quivering. Oh no, she believed him.
"...Bastard," she hissed, her voice low and angry.
"Non, I believe that is you," Robert laughed. I swore to myself that I'd kill Richard if he smirked again.
"I'm your daughter..." she said, and it sounded like she was talking to herself. "You... You locked your daughter in chains under an abandoned temple? You sent your daughter as bait for an assassin? You don't deserve to command the Templars."
"Neither do you." he drew his sword.
"I don't want to, Robert. My life is with the assassins now. And yours is about to end."
I fell back into my offensive stance, ready to aid her, when she hissed, "Altair, get out of my way."
There was venom in her voice. She wanted this fight to herself. I backed away and she engaged him after swiping furiously at the wet lines on her face.
Never before had I seen her fight with such emotion, such... Fury. She moved like a snake, calculated yet unrelenting. Every strike of her dagger was hard and fast, and more than once Robert staggered backwards. Until once it took him a little too long to recover and she sank her blade in between his ribs.
After the fight we spoke with Richard for a few moments. She was stressed, and for good reason.
As the sun was setting we stopped at a small abandoned village.
"Altair, we don't have time for this..."
She trailed off as I grabbed her wrists and forced her to sit in front of me.
"Amai, don't believe him." I said, brushing away dirt from her face. There was a cut across the bridge of her nose.
"But I do," she sighed, her eyes different from the sarcastic, mocking Amai I knew. "Some part of me knew he was telling the truth. You were right about Maria and I looking alike."
"I was joking about that."
"But it was true."
"Forget it," I said, doing my best to clean the wound on her face with my supplies. "Let's just get back to Masyaf so we can tell Al Mualim that Robert is dead."
"Yeah," she breathed. Her eyes were dull and she leaned against the hand that was cleaning her face. She must have been tired from the physical and emotional stress.
Eventually we fell asleep on that bench, me leaning against the wall, holding Amai in a loose hug.
I just wanted to get back to Masyaf so everything could return to normal.
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A/N: yeah, Altair, good luck with that...