He did his best to control his heart from pounding so hard in his chest. The Assassin thought that it would burst from his flesh at any given moment. The letter.. it was from England! Was it Maria? He blinked his eyes for the better part of a minute to grasp the situation. He had not heard from her in a year, and now this? Now he has a letter from her?
'Don't be foolish, Altair..' His mind raced far ahead of him, thinking of what the letter could possibly say. What if she found someone else? What if she was killed? He couldn't think that way- no. It would merely cloud his thoughts.
'Damn fool! Get a hold on yourself and read the damn thing!' He clenched his teeth together and shook his head vigorously. He had to read this letter. Altair inhaled deeply, holding the air within himself for what seemed an eternity, then exhaled. Regaining his posture and mind, he began reading the letter.
To whoever this may concern,
I know what you're thinking. I know that the first thing you saw was that this message came from England, and I know you think it's her. But, please, do not mistake me as your woman. I am not Maria Thorpe.
Altair felt his heart slump in his chest from the text. 'Well, who are you then?'
...My name is Hildegard. I am a good friend of her, I assure you. I am risking my life to write you this message because you need to know. You need to know what has been happening over the past year. Maria has fallen into a state of nothing. She sees nothing, she feels nothing, she is nothing. We both know how she was as spirited as a rebellious stallion. You and I remember the fire in her eyes, the determination and beliefs surrounding her like a shield, and her personality toward justice. You can imagine how that has all changed.
If you cannot imagine, then I shall tell you. She no longer has spirit. She no longer is determined- if anything, she is determined to kill herself. She cares not for justice anymore. She is as pale as bone and soon will be nothing but. You could compare her quite nicely to a doll: all she does is sit there. She sits, and stares off into space, the memories she has of you burning her inside and out. Do you care? Do you care that she mourns for you every night and day? If you do, whoever you may be, you show no sign of it. You show no effort to write back to her messages. You show no effort to pay her a visit- no sign of love for her. Is that what's to be expected of an Assassin?
Did you know that there was life inside of her? Three months ago, that life died once it exited her womb. It was a boy. You could have had a son- you DID have a son- but because of your absence she refused to eat for two people, let alone for herself. There was no nutrition to support the baby. But, rest assured, he is in a better place. He is above the clouds in an eternal sleep. Does this bother you? Does it tug at your heart knowing that you almost lost everything that we believed you held most dear?
His breath caught in his throat as he read the paragraph. He had a son? He recalled that he did enter Maria on the tower- but to think he impregnated her? Whoever this Hildegard was, her last sentences of the paragraph were true. Altair felt something clench tightly around his heart. He could have been a father.. Anger toward his oath to the Brotherhood swelled inside him like a mustang preparing to bolt. The feeling vanished as quickly as it came. It was not the Brotherhood's fault. It was his fault for leaving her.
But do not fear. She is safe from the Templars- our enemies. I am not a Templar, at least, not anymore. We are known as the Order of the Rose. We are completely against the Templars, but do not mistake us as your kind. We are not Assassins, and we will only kill if necessary. In fact, all the members of the Rose are former Templars, and we are all friends of Maria in some manner. I know that your killer instincts are kicking in, telling you that this is a trap. Well, it is not a trap. I am telling you this because I sail for Masyaf to meet with you in person on Friday, and I expect to arrive at your territory on the following Tuesday. My quill pens this message on Wednesday evening.
I would bid you farewell, but I do not know if I am writing to a dead man. Maybe I am writing to a ghost or a spirit of some sort. Maybe this message will never be delivered on time. Perhaps it will fall into the hands of Templars. If so..
You bastards will pay.
-Lady Hildegard
He let out the air that he did not know he had been holding in. Absorbing this letter was a difficult task for him. The news of Maria, the Templars, this 'Rose', and the fact that he was to expect this woman on Tuesday was overwhelming. She had not asked permission to visit him- she had insisted on it. The fact that Maria had never mentioned his name to her allies startled him, yet soothed him. His identity was not compromised, but yet he could not help the thought of her not trusting him enter his mind.
Altair tightened his hands around the letter as they began shaking. Never in his life had something like this shaken him so. 'Fool.. you promised her you would never hurt her that night.. You promised her that you would always be there for her..' He gulped as he recalled how he had never said he had loved her- at least, not in front of her. Once he had leapt off the tower, both of them deeply satisfied with the other, he had looked up at the location they had occupied for an hour or so. He then breathed his love for her: words she never heard. Words that killed her.
To think Maria no longer was as threatening as a cobra only made his heart ache more. Before he met her, the one being that he had admired for strength and leadership was Al Mualim. Once he had met her, though, that all changed. He thought she was an annoying blind Templar, but soon discovered it was only a disguise. She was not like the others in her Order. He knew that she knew deep down that what the Templars were doing was wrong. But yet, she never left them. He had always wondered why, and had failed to ask her. Maybe she was afraid? Perhaps she didn't have anywhere else to go? What if she was Robert's prisoner, as he himself was a prisoner of Al Mualim?
Sworn by words, ruled by blood.
He imagined her without her bold attitude. She would not be as harsh as his throwing knives, yet as lovely as the feathers used as proof of his assassination successes. Moving on to the next thought that prickled his mind, he thought of this Hildegard's words.
'I know that your killer instincts are kicking in, telling you that this is a trap. Well, it is not a trap.'How was he to know of this? This would not be the first time the Templars had tried to act as innocents to gain access to Masyaf. To further urge his decision not to trust this woman, he did not even know her. All he knew was that she was part of this 'Order of the Rose' and that she was Maria's friend. She had not told of how she knew Maria, had not told him what she thought of the Templars, and she had failed to write words that encouraged her disposition toward him. Furthermore, why hadn't Maria told him of Hildegard if they were friends?
Now that he thought about it..
'She never mentioned any of her allies besides Robert.' He ground his teeth together and clenched his fists as he recalled the trouble the Frenchman had caused his Brothers.
'Why hadn't she ever mentioned the Order of the Rose?' He had never heard of such an organization- perhaps it was recently founded? He could not say for sure, and he was not about to assume things to be true. Malik's words in Jerusalem haunted him still.
'You cannot know- can only assume!'
The fact that a woman besides Maria had the courage to write to such a man had the Master of the Assassins eyebrows furrow together. He knew it was reckless of him to think that Maria was the only edgy woman out there. He was taken aback with the thought that there were other rebellious women out there. 'Is this an English trait amongst females?' He shook his head from the thought. Maria had once told him she was scolded many, many times as a child for being so outgoing and bold. Like the women in Altair's homeland, women in England were taught at a very young age to know their place in life. Their place in life was on their back with a male kneeling his manhood between their legs, bearing children that would hopefully be boys. The thought had disgusted the woman deeply. Her will and dreams were too wild and adventurous to remain at home tending to all the needs of a husband. She wanted glory.
Noting how straight forward Hildegard was with her message, he paced back and forth in his study, unconsciously stepping over the neglected books. He expected Hildegard to be nothing more than snoot: the same word he used to describe Maria when he ripped the helmet off of her in Jerusalem.
He had no choice. He could not tell his Brothers about this letter. He needed to know for himself what was happening, and in order to know that, he had to let Hildegard enter Masyaf. 'Malik would highly disapprove..' Altair sat in his chair and rested his head in his hands. He felt the unwanted ripping of nerves in his forehead and knew that a headache was soon to follow. He had no idea that he had caused so much damage- that he had almost killed his woman. He rubbed his face with his palms and tried to wipe the worried features from his face. If someone were to walk in..
"Altair!" The sound of the novice echoed from the walls of the fortress and had the Leader sit bolt right up in his seat with an expressionless mask on. His gaze followed the youth as he bounded up the stairs, tripping as he did so. He quickly got back up on his feet and jogged his way to Altair, stopping to give a small bow in front of him. "Altair! Your horse-"
"- is meant to be taken care of by the stable hands." He narrowed his eyes at the boy, his look sending bolts of fear up the boy's spine. He refused to meet the superior's gaze and instead looked at the ground.
"Y-yes, M-Master, but..." His voice trailed off as he tapped the floor with his foot and flushed light red.
"Speak up, boy. We cannot hear your words if you do not project."
Burning a brighter ruby, the words finally stumbled out of his mouth. "... Your horse is gone.."
"What do you mean?" Venom protruded from Altair as his eyes narrowed even more and his features grew as cold and hard as stone.
"It broke the stall... and... and... ran away.."
"Then ready a horse just as great as that one for me."
"Y-yes, Master!" The novice gave another short bow and turned to leave when Altair called him back.
"When did this letter get here?" Altair held the closed letter from Hildegard in his hand and kept his expression blank, but all the while felt his heart pump erratically in his chest.
The novice looked confused. The Master wasn't concerned about his horse, but was brooding over a piece of paper? "It arrived at Masyaf about three hours prior. A falcon carried it, and well... It wasn't exactly a docile bird." He risked a glance at Altair's eyes and found nothing in them. Lifeless as his son.
Nodding, he dismissed the boy with a wave of his hand when the youth spilled more information from his trembling lips. "M-Malik! Malik wasn't in the bird observatory to deliver the letter to you himself, as is his job, so... so I delivered it for you, Sir!"
His eyes widened when realization finally crossed him. Maria had supposedly written him letters, but he did not receive letters. He had written letters to her, asking why she had not written to him, and she had not received them as well. Malik was in charge of delivering and receiving letters. Could the armless man-
Remembering that the apprentice was still in his presence, he nodded and thanked the boy. He had never seen a student look so grateful for being dismissed by him in his life as he watched in silent amusement as he ran as fast as he could out of the study and out of the fortress.
'Malik.. you heartless bastard..' Anger once again snaked through his body and his eyes held a spark of fury. He couldn't believe it! Malik- his right hand man and best friend- had been destroying letters! Altair would have to speak to him privately about the matter later. Right now, he still had pondering to do over Hildegard and Maria.
All the Leader of the Assassins could really do was wait for Tuesday to come.
The grumpy Templar sat across from the understanding man at his dinner table with maids bustling back and forth, bringing new dishes every time. Roasted chicken with gravy, rice, salads containing many ingredients, specially cut slices of steak, mutton with lemon sauce decorating it, and a delicious tomato soup was the two Templar's course for dinner.
Earl was quite pleased with Christopher's estate. It was far better than his own, that was a fact. For one, Christopher's food was of higher quality, although the man mainly only ate salad. Another benefit of his land was that the maids were very.. appealing. Low cut bodices, hair tied up above their slender shoulders, and skirts revealing their legs' flesh. Earl was pleased with their company and how when they bended over, their mounds would protrude from their tight shirts.
"So," interrupting Earl from his thoughts, Christopher spoke to his friend. "You leave for Acre, I presume? After all, your daughter has fallen ill, hasn't she?" He played around with the chicken sitting on his plate. He loved chicken, but had already had his share of it. He was a healthy man, after all- he knew that taking in too much protein was bad for a person's body.
Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Earl continued to greedily eat his food. After finishing one whole chicken leg in a matter of minutes, he replied, "Ahh, yes! She's very sick- my wife believes that her hour is approaching- and my cousin is in need of my assistance around the house. Her husband had just passed away, so she needs me to do the man's work for a while until the funeral arrangements are made." He took a swig of wine from his goblet and smiled at Christopher. "This is really nice- what kind is it?"
"It's a concoction from Spain- I believe they call it Deseo Rojo*. How is it?"
"It's very appealing; nothing like our own wine." Admiring the glass, he took another drink from it and licked his lips afterwards. "So, Christopher, now it's my turn to ask a question. Do you trust Clarence?"
Gently dabbing his mouth with his handkerchief, the other looked at Earl with an amused expression; partly because of his liking in the wine and the fact that it was obvious he did not trust Clarence. "Well... his actions seem questionable, at some degree, of course. But he is one of us, and therefor I have no choice but to trust him, now do I? Not trusting our own kind may seem suspicious, my dear Earl." A small smirk played across the corner of his mouth. He knew what Earl was thinking. It was written all over his face.
Sampling the steak, Earl paid him little attention while he thought of a creative answer. The sampling soon turned into wolfing as the man was satisfied with the taste and texture of the meat. He cleared his throat, "Ahh, the reason that Thorpe girl was removed, is it not? Surely the woman will pay dearly, no?"
'Changing the subject, eh? Two can play at that game.' Christopher smiled a devil's grin at his friend as he played his cards carefully. "Have you heard of any other types of exotic wine? Mm? No? Although it is still a messy mob of villages, Spain is a great source of this beverage, don't you agree?"
Scowling from his change in topic, he simply nodded and finished his meal. "Indeed, nothing quite like this.." His eyes flicked to his right as a maid with a particularly large bosom entered the room to take his plate away. "Christopher, you do not have a wife?" Upon hearing these words, the maid took her time clearing the table and looked at her master with curious eyes.
Taking a sip of his wine, he answered, "Ahh, no. The thought of being tied down by a woman and serving her for my entire life frightens me. I'm much happier with my maids here."
"So, they not only tend to your meals, eh? But to your desires?" Earl laughed as the girl's face flushed pink with embarrassment.
The other Templar smiled at his friend. "Please, do not confuse them with whores or prostitutes. They're just my servants."
Earl laughed more from the statement. "Ahh, of course, of course! For what man could want women with a rear this curvy," he reached out with his right hand to grope the back of the girl's skirt as emphasis. "...and breasts this ample?" With his free hand, he grabbed the maid's left bosom and squeezed it. She shrieked from his subtly and rude behavior and looked pleadingly at her master for help. "Surely any man wouldn't turn down an offer as generous as this?"
His smile faded and he glared at Earl. "Leave her be. She did nothing to deserve such rash behavior from you." His glare deepened as his friend did not listen. "Has the wine gotten to you? I said leave her!" Christopher stood from his seat and made his way over to his friend. Earl slowly slid his hands off of the maid. She gave a small bow to Christopher and finished clearing the table. The understanding Templar's expression was hard to decode. It looked as if he was half smiling and half scowling at the same time. Earl compressed himself with his arms across his chest and tilted his chin defiantly in the air.
"I was just seeing if she was fit to serve your needs."
"You wish to see if Maria is fit to serve your needs."
"Pah! No, no, I wish to see her suffer for betraying us. You misunderstand, Christopher. That bitch can't just get away with things so unjust."
He closed his eyes and pondered his friends words. "You were never curious of what she looked like underneath the armor?"
"Nay, I wish not to see that woman's body. If anything, I want to see her head on a pike, while the rest of her body mutilated."
"Mutilated? In what way?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. Arms cut open, stomach acids emptied, legs dissected, all that good stuff."
"Nothing more?" Christopher raised an eyebrow as an evil smile crossed his guest's lips. "Earl.."
A disgusting grin was becoming even more repulsive by the second. "I wish to see her vagina turned inside out for ever considering a relationship with that Assassin." His voice was barely audible as a glint of mischief called his eyes their home.
Christopher looked at the floor, then at Earl. "I understand." He didn't understand at all. Torture was understandable, but... that? No one deserved that- did they?
"Please, Earl, stay the night. Your mind is affected by the wine, and I understand your body to be tired as well."
He laughed at what the other Templar had to say. "No, brother! I shall not stay anymore. I believe I have already worn out my welcome. I'll be returning to my estate and tend to my bed there. I thank you for your hospitality. The food was excellent." He rose from his chair and clasped his friend on the shoulder. "May the Father of Understanding guide Us."
"May the Father of Understanding guide Us," Christopher whispered back to his friend and watched with a sullen expression. He closed his eyes and sighed in relief when he heard the door of his house click shut. He made his way over to the window and watched as Earl saddled up onto his horse to return to his home. "And may He be with you, brother.."
Earl rode at a brisk pace back to his territory. The night had been a complete lie to his friend. And Christopher had believed him. The thought amused Earl and he shook his head as he chuckled at how gullible his friend was. 'Always so literate..'
Earl wanted to torture Maria, true. He wanted to torture her body with his own. He was tired of Clarence constantly taking credit for his 'genius' plans. Well, it just so happened that Clarence had failed, for the first time ever, to think his plan through. No doubt the wedding on Friday wouldn't end well. So, Earl had made plans to sail for Acre. He knew that Maria was bound to escape marrying Clarence. He knew the first place she would go in order to run back to that God forsaken fortress, Masyaf, would be Acre. From there, she could easily ride for two or three days to reach her beloved Assassin. He wouldn't have it.
Earl's daughter had died two years before. The woman that Christopher was talking about that had recently fallen ill was in fact Earl's wife. Earl had her poisoned for this event. It wasn't that he didn't love his wife, it was that he found her boring. Her body was not sexually satisfying, she had no temper, and she always agreed with him. He wanted a reason to whip the woman and to scold her for something she did wrong, but she had never given him a reason for such acts. Maria, on the other hand..
He was curious to know what she looked like under the armor. He had seen her without her helmet on and immediately was infatuated with her. He was infatuated with the evil and corrupting thoughts that sprouted inside his mind once he saw how much Robert protected her from the other Templars. She was the only active one that was a female, and that only made Earl try harder to penetrate through Robert's invisible shields.
'Probably why that damned Assassin found interest in her. He probably wanted to know what figure was hiding behind that annoying armor as well.' He laughed into the night, his horse mimicking him by a shrill whinny. The steed's hooves echoed off of the cobblestone as Earl galloped merrily onto his property. Already stablehands were rushing out to greet him and to take away his beastly burden. They all knew what happened last time when they didn't tend to their master immediately..
It was partially true that Maria's mystery had lured Altair in. Her charms, nonetheless, were very different from other women's. While normal ladies would bat their eyes at men, Maria would glare threateningly at him. Where a normal lady would spend hours cooking a meal to satisfy the man they cared for, Maria would spend hours creating a poison to spill into his drink to kill the man that loved her. Earl's mind was corrupted, though. He only wanted Maria for the pleasure of sex. And then, after sex..
'I am going to kill you, Maria Thorpe. I am going to turn you inside out and ravage your rotting body.' The stablehands shivered in fear as they heard their master's devious and devilish laughter echo off of the halls of his estate.
Things were not looking good for Maria.
Things were not looking good for the youngest member of the Rose, either. Zaina, Aden's younger sister, sat cross-legged on the roof of Hildegard's estate. It was early in the morning, the sun just rising and sprinkling its rays across the land. The girl had a book in her lap and attempted to read it. With her right hand, she toyed idly with her short choppy black hair while her left hand unconsciously rubbed her right arm up and down. She wore britches that only covered up to her knees and was barefoot. Just like her brother, she had the same tanned skin. She flipped through the pages of the book with little interest. She could read, but she didn't feel like it. She wanted to know what was happening. There was a growing feeling of tension inside of her, and she just knew evil was at work. But, what this evil was, she could not tell for sure. It just didn't feel right.
She sighed and contemplated herself. She was a thief; not a very good one at that, either. People looked at her like she was different in England because she was different. What was so bad about being different? Many things, it seemed. Her green eyes were something uncommon amongst Arabs, and the Englishman looked at her with a glint in their eyes. But, that glint often vanished when big brother Aden would come and wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her in closer, and give the devil's glare at the men. Not only was Zaina inferior in age and skill, but she was inferior to the other members of the Rose in height as well. She was the shortest of them, barely reaching five feet and two inches. Aden had always told her that she would grow, but she was eight and ten years now, and that miraculous growth spirt had never happened for her.
She was also a coward. She was not afraid to admit that fact out loud, but she was afraid of admitting it to herself. Whereas Damiel, Hildegard, Aden, Maria, and Benjamin would readily charge into battle, she would run away from it. But, who could blame her? She was trained in the arts of stealth and thievery, not combat. She wasn't good at stealing because she didn't believe in herself. Her confidence had dropped tremendously over the years, and it seemed that there was no cure to bring it back. She kept a good façade around people though: always appearing to be the happy-go-lucky girl. She sighed and squinted as the sunlight was aimed directly at her eyes. It was the beginning of Thursday. That meant it was her turn to do the chores around the house once the twelfth bell rang.
Zaina rested her head in her left hand as boredom crawled across her body. Her eyes followed the text on the pages, but her mind would not. There was so much commotion lately that year, and she was curious about it all. First, a woman named Maria joined the Rose. Then, she learned that Aden had fallen for Hildegard, a good friend of the two of them. Next, barely even a man yet, a boy named Damiel had taken interest in her. And now this. She barely knew herself anymore. Why was she even with the Rose? Because her brother was a part of it? Because she had nowhere else to turn to? She shook her head at the thought. She didn't want to go back to the days of stealing food in England's marketplaces. It was a terrifying and hungry way of life that often required much patience. The other children weren't as lucky as Zaina had been. The other children..
She blinked and shut the book. 'There's no point in dwelling in the past. Look to the future, Zaina.' She wondered why Maria could not do the same. She had heard that the woman was hurt deeply by her lover. Well, couldn't she just find someone new and move on? Was it really that hard? Zaina never had the opportunity to get to know her. She had met her, yes, but only briefly. Mainly, she knew her from Hildegard. The way she described her friend made it seem that Maria was a beautiful, strong, intelligent person. But, when Zaina had met her, she had met a broken and frail girl. Although, that was to be expected. She was only accustomed to beautiful Hildegard and thought all ladies of high status were like her. After all, she had known Hildegard for three years, her brother seven years, and the two females had grown very close. They knew almost of each other's secrets and history.
Zaina glared at the sun, annoyed that it was still shining in her eyes. It was a futile effort at a staring contest, and she knew it. A soft laugh interrupted her from her invisible game and the Arab woman looked over her shoulder at the figure standing there.
Olivia, the fourth and final female Rose, stood with an amused expression on. She was a German woman and had a strange accent to her voice, unlike Zaina, who had an English accent. Her hair was short, but not as short as the other girl's. Her golden-walnut mane reached her jaw in a slick curve and her bluegreen eyes accented her looks further. Zaina had admitted to herself that she was jealous of Olivia and Hildegard. Both of them were gorgeous, while Zaina was normal looking. At least, she was normal to herself. Apparently, she was a jewel amongst rocks to Damiel. His comparison had earned him a punch in the nose from the girl.
Olivia's dark thick lashes swayed up and down as she looked at her friend. She made her way over to her and smiled kindly. Olivia wasn't known as a conversationalist, but whenever she did speak, many things were said in the smallest phrases. One thing Zaina was thankful of was that Olivia was almost as short as she was, if not shorter. They had their days when the other would be taller and vice versa. Zaina found it even more pathetic on Olivia's behalf, seeing as how she was two and twenty years old, same as Maria.
But, unlike Zaina, Olivia was good at the work she performed. She was a spy, and whenever she was sent on a mission, she would always return successful with new information.
"Forgive me, friend, but I could not help to ponder your posture. Your body speaks of how troubled you are," the German sat down next to the Arab and mimicked the way her legs were crossed over each other. "Would you like to talk?"
Zaina huffed and played with the ends of her short britches. "Olivia, I feel that something's happening. Do you feel that way? Don't you think that something is going on right under our noses and we have no idea?"
Olivia made no effort to reply quickly. After all, the news she had to deliver was not to be delivered to Zaina, but to her brother. But the scoundrel had left for the chapel of Saint Mary... Her job was to eavesdrop, receive the information, tell Aden of the news, and he was to tell Benjamin, and from there, decisions were made on what actions they were to perform. Normally, in Aden's absence, she would tell Hildegard instead, but..
"Zaina." The woman's words caught the younger off guard and she looked with big green eyes at her superior. "Zaina, I know what's going on. I will tell you if you promise to listen and ask questions afterwards." The thief nodded and the spy continued. "I believe the Templars are planning something disgusting for Maria. I saw Clarence roaming the streets with a triumphant look on his face and it made me suspicious. So, I followed him to his destination: a chapel. He conversed with the priest, but I could not make out what they were saying. I did not enter the church myself- it'd be much too risky on my behalf- so I watched from a window. Whatever it is they are planning, we need Benjamin to find out quickly."
"Why not tell Aden? It's his job to-" Zaina shut her mouth and looked guiltily at the roof as the other woman's expression reeked of annoyance.
"Aden is not here. He left for the chapel yesterday and has not returned."
"And Hildegard?"
"Locked in her room. I knocked, but she dismissed me.. I don't know what she's doing in there, but I presume it's important, else she would not have commanded my leave." She looked over at the self-conscious girl and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders. "Please, I'd like to know what you think of this."
She gulped and leaned into Olivia's embrace. "I think it's suspicious on Hildegard's behalf. She's never like this.. right? Why would she suddenly be so secretive?"
"I don't know, but what worries me is Maria. Zaina.. I think.. I think Clarence is planning to marry her."
"What? Don't be ridiculous, Liv! He's a Templar, and she-"
"- is a very powerful woman with much wealth. Think about it, Zaina. Because of that Assassin, the Templars lost many followers. They believed their organization to be weak, which it is at a certain degree. Maria owns her father's and her uncle's estates. She owns a big piece of London and most of Canterbury. Sounds very promising, doesn't it? If the Templars were to get their hands on that land, Zaina... The Rose, the Assassins... we'd be exterminated one by one. I believe this is what Clarence wants."
Zaina scowled and crossed her arms. "We can thank that damn Assassin for this happening."
"Don't go blaming people, Zai. It's an unhealthy habit. No matter whose fault it is, we still have this problem to deal with. Maria's life is in jeopardy, along with the Rose. I need to get the news to Aden.."
She was speechless. She knew not what to say or do. They had to keep an eye on the estate and watch for Templars. If they were to leave to go to the chapel, then that would leave Hildegard defenseless. Not that Zaina doubted her abilities, but she was deeply distracted by whatever she was doing in her room. "We have to go, Olivia.. we have to tell them.."
"And if Hildegard finds out?"
Zaina laughed and gave a toothy grin to her friend. "Then I'm telling her it was your idea."
The older woman laughed and they both left the roof and went back inside of the estate. "I'll write her an encrypted letter explaining things." They both nodded at the thought and began preparing to leave.
Damiel and Aden looked blankly at the woman sitting across from them taking small spoonfuls of her porridge. They were exhausted from the night before. She would not stop screaming and crying and had even attempted to murder herself when she broke a vase and tried to use one of the shards to slice her neck. They felt sorry for her, yet the two of them were just about done with her behavior. Maria took small bites from her breakfast, black smears encircling her heavy eyes. Her body was even more exhausted than Damiel's and Aden's since she had not even in what seemed like years. Her stomach growled in deep hunger as the food touched her lips.
Benjamin had assigned the two to look after her. He came down with a fever and was tired. The old man was still sleeping, and unlike most men, he had insisted that he rest. He knew his limits better than the two other boys, and he knew that if he did not rest he would have reached his limit. He couldn't do that to Maria- she already suffered the loss of someone she loved leaving her, and for Benjamin to permanently leave her would kill her. He had held her that night and fed her as she cried in pain and loneliness. Although she knew all of his tales of war and his childhood, he repeated the stories to her. They seemed to soothe her and her sobs soon became small wheezes. The only sign that she gave that she was listening to him recite these tales was her occasional, "And then what happened?" Benjamin knew that she knew what would happen next. Was she taking pity on him? Or, was she taking pity on herself? It was times like this when he wished he was young again. At least he'd be treated as an equal.
Some progress had been made with Maria's looks, though. A night had only passed, but her skin held more color in it. It wasn't a ghostly white anymore, but more of an extremely faint cream. Her cheeks were still slightly hollow and deathly white, but over time, she'd return to normal. This hope kept Damiel and Aden by her side. They had Templars to fight and they couldn't be distracted with the duty of 'babysitter' when it came to Maria throwing a tantrum. It bothered her that she was so dependant now. She hated how much of a ninny she had turned into.
"I'm glad you're finally eating," Aden whispered as he leaned his arms against the table, head resting on his makeshift pillow. "We thought you'd never taste food again."
If she had heard him, she made no effort to reply. She finished the bowl of porridge and stared at its emptiness. She had no more tears to shed; all her tears had shed over the year. Yet there was a loneliness about the bowl. It used to be full of food, but now there were only small remnants of the porridge remaining. She used to love him so dearly... Yet the love has faded..
Maria was not the only female torn away from her lover. On the corner of the 'kitchen' of the church, a white furry being with black ears and black paws lay on the floor, whimpering quietly. The dog, Belle, was also a Greyhound-Whippet, same as Bayo. The two of them were part of the same 'doggy regiment' in Robert's army. She was actually Robert's dog, but when he had died, she was given to Maria to look after. Instead of neglecting her, she continued training her in hopes that she would be as loyal as Bayo. It was futile, though; no matter how much discipline and order she tried teaching to the dog, Belle would never listen and never quite grasp commands. Bayo was Maria's favorite and best war-dog she had ever trained.
Maria was happy, though, when she found out Robert was going to purchase a dog to fight alongside Bayo in the Crusades. She was infuriated when she discovered Robert named the dog 'Belle' after his opinion of Maria. When the former Grandmaster of the Templars had told her this, a well aimed punch to his face had his nose broken in a mere second. But, Belle was Bayo's mate. The two of them were inseparable, and she was his 'second in command'. Robert once made an analogy comparing the two dogs to Maria and himself. That earned him another broken nose. Bayo and Belle were the last of their regiment, though. Their brothers and sisters had all died in combat, and they were the two lonely ghosts that remained of the canine army.
Belle, although she was just a four-legged creature, knew why Maria was sad. She could see that she was mourning over her lover. Belle missed Bayo just as much as Maria missed Altair. She got up from her resting and walked slowly toward Aden. The dog liked Aden and Aden appreciated her company. He was used to thieving, disgusting dogs from his childhood, but this war-dog had changed his opinion of them. She nudged his hand with her wet nose and he softly scratched her behind her ears. It seemed everyone was tired that morning.
The distressed woman slowly got up from her seat at the table with emotionless eyes and walked off. Damiel's gaze followed her as she entered the 'library' of the chapel. "Em.. Aden?"
"Hmm?" The Arab was still spoiling Belle with attention that he was hardly paying attention to Damiel.
"I'm gonna go follow her.. Just in case." He looked at Aden who simply nodded, and with that, he followed Maria into the study. There wasn't actually a library in the chapel. They used the basement as a place to store their information, and all the books were lying on tables, shelves, pews- whatever they found suitable. He descended the stairwell and stopped once he reached the bottom. He found Maria staring at all the books, as if she was a little girl at a carnival.
"Maria..?" He called out softly to her, and she turned her head to the side, then resumed examining the books. She pulled out a beaten leather-bound book from one of the shelves and yet again stared at it. Damiel ventured over to the woman and put his hand on her shoulder when she began reading the pages.
"Damiel.. I know.. I know.." She mumbled her words to him, unable to speak louder. She was afraid she would begin sobbing like a fool all over again. Maria had embarrassed herself enough lately.
"Know what?"
"I know he loved me.." She breathed in heavily and exhaled. "It's all in these pages.. This.. this is his journal that he kept when I was travelling with him. I.. I managed to steal it from him- I think he noticed, but he never stopped me. He loved books, Damiel. He was very intelligent. He enjoyed reading about philosophy, history, languages- anything that held the slightest bit of knowledge. Often, he asked me questions about life. 'What is life? What is the world? Why are you determined fighting for what you believe in?' I thought that I knew the answers to those questions; I could feel the answers inside of me. But, I could not bring the reasons to words. I could not write them down for him. And, what scared me, was that he could not answer them either. Words weren't strong enough to tell our reasons for being alive.
The young man snorted and chuckled softly to himself. "Maria, was this man an Assassin or a scholar? Because from what you say of him, well.. I'm imagining a short, pudgy man in white robes mumbling insanely to himself in the middle of a city." The thought amused him and he continued chuckling.
Maria did not take the joke as Damiel wanted her to. She stiffened her back and inhaled deeply to control her emotions. "Damiel.. I still know he loved me. The question is, does he still? His love for the woman he travelled with is written in these very pages.." She flipped through several pages and shook her head. "I just want answers. I want to know if he still loves me. If he's dead, I want to know that. If he's found another woman- well, she'd better be packing her bags up and hit the boat. Maybe he isn't interested in love anymore? After all, he's a killer, and.. love would be trivial for him. Is he afraid of having a family? ...Afraid of commitment? Afraid of... me?"
He was tongue-tied. He knew not what to say to her, and she knew this. She did not expect a reply from him. No, all she needed was someone to hear her out, and Damiel was more than happy to do that. With his free hand, he wrapped it around her and pulled her back to his chest. He could say how much he supported her all he wanted, but it wouldn't change anything. He could tell her that he would help her find this man, but still, it would not change the fact that she was dying.
So there they were: alone in the library, one embracing the other. Damiel gulped. He had told himself that he had loved Maria as a sister, and that he liked Zaina as a lover. But, yet, he could not help himself from harboring deep feelings for the other woman. He felt guilty about all of it. It was clichéd that he would fall in love with the woman who had rescued him from slavehood and had brought him into a world where every soldier was equal. Maria had given him a chance at life and he would always be grateful for that. He recalled that when she was discovered to be a female, his mind became overwhelmed by hormones. He hated the fact that he was weak against himself. He thought he could control his emotions, but many times he had almost tried to take advantage of Maria while she was sleeping. Of course, he never succeeded because Benjamin had dragged him away from her and had talked sense to him. And, one time, Bayo was sleeping next to Maria, and the dog had growled and bared his sharp teeth at him. That had scared the foreign boy. He had seen how Bayo could tear a man's arm off of his body with a few tugs of his head.
He thought he had lost feelings for Maria. She was three years older than him, and he found her superiority admirable and astonishing. But yet..
Maria was the soft touch amongst a sea of needles for him. He had been whipped, beatened, neglected, and starved as a slave. She gave him food, a bed, warmth, and a family. The most disturbing part of it was..
He wished Altair to be dead.
He felt awful for thinking such thoughts. Maria loved the man, and to want him dead just so that she could be available sickened him. He was glad that the Assassin was not here for her, but yet he felt miserable seeing her wither from his absence. He wanted to be the one to hold her and to love her, just as she had held him and gave love to him by taking him in the Crusades. He wanted that man dead...
He sighed into her hair. All he could do was hold her. Any other action would mean that he was crossing the line.
"Olivia.. don't you think wearing these cloaks is a dead giveaway?" Zaina pulled the hood of her cloak down on her forehead. She felt like a beacon that screamed, 'HEY LOOK AT ME! I'M A MEMBER OF THE ROSE!' The cloak was just a normal black robe, but the fact it had a bright red rose stitched into the back of it made the thief uneasy. Olivia had told her that no one pays attention to what you are wearing if you walk with dignity. So, Zaina had tried to copy th way Olivia held her head high and kept an air of authority around her. The thief failed miserably at this feat.
"Zaina, calm down. We'll be at the chapel in a few hours, anyways. I doubt that anything will happen to us. Just walk like you're taking a normal stroll through a garden."
She whined and clung to her ally's arm. "But, Olivia.. why couldn't we wear normal cloaks?"
"It's just a rose- it doesn't mean that we're a part of the Rose, now does it? If anyone stops us, we'll just say that we like roses because they're pretty and they smell good." She shrugged the squealing girl off of her arm and continued walking as cool as a cucumber.
"Yeah, right. What guard is going to listen to us? I mean, we rarely show our faces around London, and just here we are, two new figures taking an innocent little stroll through town, wearing a rose on our capes, not causing any trouble, just, you know, walking.. And not to mention the fact that I don't look like an Englishwoman at all and the fact that you have a knife on your person.. Oh, yeah, no one will detect us." She sighed and hunched over and looked at Olivia. The other woman's eyes were wide and her pupils were extremely small to be considered normal. "L-Livia?"
"We're being followed." She hissed at Zaina and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. Her voice barely audible, she whispered, "Just act natural. Act like you're having a conversation with me. Just laugh and act as if nothing is wrong." She cleared her throat and a smile stretched across her mouth. "Oh, really? He actually said that to her? You must be jesting! Such a thing for him to do is.. well, unbelievable!"
Zaina quickly caught on. "Mmhm! I personally thought the dress complimented her nicely, but he thought it made her look as if she strapped watermelons to her hips! Do you believe that a gentleman would do such a thing? And he calls himself decent." She clicked her tongue in disapproval and shook her head as Olivia laughed merrily into the air.
"Aha! I knew the man was a twit- ohh, look, you have a bug on your ear." Olivia leaned in and whispered to Zaina, "There are four of them. We have no choice but to go back to Hildegard."
Zaina gulped. "Is.. is it gone?"
"No, it's still there.." Her eyes found an ally and she quickly pulled the girl and walked hastily through the narrow corridor. Footsteps were heard behind the two girls. 'Shit! I have to tell Aden and Benjamin the news!' It was almost noon. Maria was running out of time.
They exited the ally into a somewhat busy street. As if they were leading her on, two more Knights of Templar joined the group and began pursuing the girls. "Zaina.. they know who we are. They must have seen me spying on Clarence.."
"W-what do we do..?" She looked fearfully at the woman and gasped when she grabbed her hand and pulled her into a crowd.
"Take your cloak off. Now!" Olivia ripped the garment off of her when Zaina failed to comprehend what she was saying. Grabbing a random girl in the crowd, she smiled sweetly at her. "You know, this would very much compliment your eyes and hair, friend." The German held the cloak out to the woman who took it and threw it over her shoulders.
"M-my thanks, m'lady!" She nodded her agreement.
"Do walk with me? I'm a very troubled woman and need someone to talk to." Olivia knew that the women in London could not resist gossip. This news was all too delicious for the random lady. She nodded and the two linked their arms together as they began walking away. Turning her head to look at a dumbfounded Zaina, she whispered the words to her friend, "Run, Zaina!"
The green-eyed Arab didn't need to be told twice. She took off away from the crowd and away from the Templars that were stalking Olivia and the other woman. She snaked her way through more people and came to a sudden halt when she spotted two Knights of Templar eyeing her curiously. Zaina looked around frantically for an escape. That's when she saw the merchant...
She jogged her way over to the man and collapsed on her hands and knees, bowing deeply to him. "I'm sorry I'm late, Master! I promise, I will never do it again!" She praised him by swaying her arms up and down. He looked at her like she was mad, but made no other fuss. After all, Zaina was a cute girl, and he wasn't about to order her away.
"Err.. R-right.. Don't let it happen again, alright!" He swatted her head with his hand and shoved an item into her face. "Your job is to display these, worthless girl!" She nodded and took the item, a goblet, in her hands and began showing the crowd. She babbled on and on how the item was so unique and how it would add to an excellent dinner set. The Knights of Templar shrugged and walked away from the scene, no longer interested in a mere merchant's girl. As soon as they were out of sight, Zaina shoved the item back to the merchant.
"My thanks, mister merchant! Bye bye!" She waved to him and bolted away from the man. He stood there completely confused and gave her a small wave. He looked to the sky and mouthed the word 'why'. Free from the Templars at last, Zaina turned her direction back to Hildegard's estate. There was a growing feeling of dread in her stomach. 'Please let her be alright...'
"Let's see.. I have my clothes, money, food, toiletries, knives... This should be all." Hildegard locked herself in her room and was packing up her bags for tomorrow's departure to Masyaf. She was bustling to and fro her closet and drawers, looking for everything she needed. She hoped Masyaf wasn't scorching hot- she hated heat. Hildegard was the type of woman who would gladly take a stroll in the dead of winter and laugh at the men who preferred to stay inside sheltered from the cold. She quickly packed everything into her satchel and bags, not wanting to spend any more time in the room. Olivia had already paid her a visit, and Hildegard had no doubt that the German woman was suspicious of her secrecy. 'Perhaps she's spying on me this very minute..' She shook the thought out of her head. She had no plans of telling her friends where she was going. If she told them she was going to see the Master of Assassins, Maria would never allow it. Furthermore, if she was killed there, the Rose would assault the fortress and risk their lives trying to avenge her. She didn't want her friends dying for such a petty cause.
But the fact that if she never returned from Masyaf she'd be pronounced dead scared her. She'd be a ghost amongst the living and would have to change her name- maybe even her looks. She had gone through so much to be where she was now that the idea of starting over from scratch was an unwelcome guest in her mind. She scowled and ran her hands through her hair. No, she would not allow herself to be trapped at Masyaf. She would find a way home.
If she didn't... Hildegard sighed. She knew that once Aden learned of her absence, the man would panic and raise all Hell to find her. That would cause Zaina to become nervous and uneasy due to her enraged brother. And, if Zaina was to be in that condition, Damiel would be stressed and not know what to do with the girl. Thus, Damiel's suffering would only make Benjamin suffer, and from Benjamin suffering, Maria would suffer. Hildegard thought about Aden many times. She knew that he fancied her, but she did not know if she fancied him. She loved having him around since he was quite the gentlemen. He was unlike the other men involved in her life. The other men..
Memories of a child flooded back to Hildegard. She was separated from her family when she was only three years of age. A woman had found the baby nearly dead on the side of the road. She took the child in as her own. Hildegard liked the woman as a small girl, but once she turned seven years of age, everything changed. The woman was no longer caring or nice. She whipped and hit Hildegard for being more beautiful than her other daughter. She tried so hard to mar the blonde's beauty that one day Hildegard could no longer take it. She ran away from home that very night. She had no money, no food, nothing. She was on her own. Hildegard remembered that her 'sister' had told her that she was very pretty. Ideas swarmed into her head. Perhaps she could persuade men to take her in and take care of her?
She was too young to understand the disgusting thoughts of men. She did not know that their kind faces would soon turn gross and corrupted as they pinned her to the bed and claimed her virginity. Thus, Hildegard became a prostitute. She would walk the streets of London, and every man knew her. They knew her as 'that woman'. Other men had claimed she was beautiful and satisfying, so she made her living that way. She would gladly satisfy that sexual desire as long as they fed her and let her bathe.
That all changed when a man named Sibrand had decided to take her into his house. As usual, she ate and bathed, and then waited in his bedroom. Upon entering his chamber, she stripped of her clothes and beckoned him forward. Instead of taking advantage of her like the others did, he threw something at her feet. The metal clanged as it hit the floor. She had no idea what it was, but could only guess that it was a weapon due to its lethal edge. He commanded her to dress and to meet him in his courtyard. The four and ten year old girl listened to him. She was about to put her gown back on when he handed her a different set of clothes. Why, they were a man's clothes!
And that was how Hildegard learned how to handle throwing knives and daggers.
She sighed. From what everyone could see, she was beautiful. The only person that she had allowed to see her naked form was Maria. There was something about the woman that Hildegard thought trustworthy, and she had to tell someone of her pain. She was diseased. She suffered many ailments to due the amount of sex in her life. She had scars everywhere on her body. She expected Maria to scream in horror and to hit her. But, to the woman's surprise, all she did was hug her tightly and whisper over and over, "I'm so sorry". It was the first time anyone had said those words to her. They both just stood there holding the other and sobbing like ninnies, but they didn't care. This was the side of the Templars that no one saw- at least, the side that the women had. In front of Robert, Maria was loyal and straight as a board. She listened to every command he gave her and she showed no sign of emotion except for obedience. However, alone with Hildegard, the two women would talk about how after the war they planned on living out normal lives. They would jest about how Maria was to sail to France with Robert to open up a baguette store and how Hildegard would travel with them to sell berets.
The memory brought a smile to her face. She and Maria were the best of friends, which is why she had to sail to Masyaf without her knowing. Aden still haunted her mind, though. She didn't want him to be worried, but at the same time, she wanted him to feel things for her. She knew that he knew that she was diseased and broken underneath her clothes. She had told him this when she first noted him looking at her with a small amount of interest in his gaze. She told him that she was not suited to be a wife nor a mother. And to her amazement, he had said that he didn't care. He had said that the scars would only add more to her beauty. She laughed at him when he had said this.
"You're a foolish man, Aden. What person would want something so disgusting?"
"The scars are proof that you've been through much, Lady Hildegard. They are proof that you are a strong woman and that you still have pride, even though many men had tried to take that pride away from you. Do you not see that scars aren't always bad, Hildegard? Sometimes... sometimes they're good." He smiled and walked away from her. She wasn't angry at him for outsmarting her. She was glad that he had opened her eyes to this new perspective.
She gathered her bags and let herself out of her room. "Olivia? Zaina?" She called her two friends across the hall. She waited several moments, but there was no answer. Since she was not wearing skirts but rather britches, she walked with ease across the corridor and into the dining hall. " 'Livia? Zaina? Where are you two?" She discovered no life but herself in her estate. What she did find, though was a note on the table. Making her way over to the paper, she set her bags on the floor and began reading.
Maybe As you Read this, you Insist that A-
Hildegard frowned. 'An encrypted note?' She noted that specific letters were capitalized. "M-A-R-I-A..." She spelled the letters out loud and frowned. "What's wrong with Maria-" She was interrupted when there was a sudden pounding on her door. Angry shouts were heard outside, and she had to make her decisions fast. Hildegard knew that if this note was caught on her person, she'd be accused of being a member of the Rose. But if she left it there...
She ran over to the fireplace and reluctantly let the flames eat away at the parchment. She sighed and her frown increased upon knowing that she will never find out what Maria was involved with. Her mind raced back to reality when more shouts were heard. They were trying to break into her estate!
Hildegard ran back to her bags and grabbed them. She raced through the dining hall, corridors, the recreation room, more corridors, and finally reached the back of her estate. She panted and breathed in heavily from the bags burdening her. She shook herself free of the fatigue and barged through the back door, leaving her territory in the hands of Templars.
Once she reached the outdoors, she ran across the roads and into busy streets of the Middle District in London. She ground her teeth together, angry at herself for letting Templars take over her home. She had planned to leave the following morning, but now she had no choice but to sail that very day. She was trapped. If she stayed, she'd be discovered. She couldn't go to Benjamin and the others because they'd be suspicious as to why she was all packed up and ready for travel. She had to leave and now. She took a deep breath when she reached the docks. She braced herself as the boarded a large vessel being packed with others leaving London behind.
Zaina ran as fast as her short legs could enable to her back to Hildegard. The world was a blur around her as she dodged people roaming the streets and barged through crowds of shoppers. She had the wind knocked clear out of her when she ran head first into Olivia's back.
"Ghh!" The German woman stumbled forward and turned around sharply to give a piece of her mind to the person who had just bumped into her. Her face was twisted in a nasty snarl, but that quickly disappeared as she realized it was Zaina. "Zaina! You made it! Good, quickly now! We must hurry!" Pulling the girl up to her feet, she partially dragged her to Hildegard's estate as she dashed further on.
"L-Livia! S-stop!" Zaina struggled to regain her balance as the German continued pressing forward through crowds. Finally, once they reached the estate, she listened to her friends orders and stopped. Zaina panted and rested her hands on her knees as she kneeled over. "Why... thank... God... you... stopped..." she managed between breaths of air. Olivia did not reply, though. Her eyes were fixed on the scene in front of her. Looking at her stressed figure, Zaina followed Olivia's gaze and gasped in horror. "No! That... Impossible!"
There were Templars ransacking Hildegard's estate. Fifteen, twenty.. There were too many to count. They broke through the door and ran inside, screaming all the while like madmen. When the men returned from searching the estate, they shook their heads, unable to find who they were looking for. Olivia grabbed Zaina and pulled her into an ally and they both watched from the safety of the darkness. It was horrible. Their home... their only place of peace was being destroyed. The Templars held torches and soon they were ablaze with red flames. They tossed their torches into Hildegard's estate.
The two Roses watched hopelessly as their sanctuary was being burned to the ground. There was nothing they could do. It was impossible for either of them to take on that many men.
"Zaina.."
Zaina sobbed and clung to Olivia's arm for dear life. "Livia.. our home.. it's gone.."
"Zaina." Olivia wrapped her arms around the younger girl and rubbed her back. "We need to get to your brother and Benjamin. Schnell!"
She couldn't understand German, but she could tell what she meant. Unable to find words, the eight and ten year old girl simply nodded and held Olivia tighter.
"We have two things to tell them, my friend. One: Maria is in grave danger. And two: Hildegard is either-"
She was interrupted by Zaina. "-missing, kidnapped, or..." her voice trailed off. She didn't want to finish her thoughts.
"Dead."