When Altaïr woke up in the next day, it was still early. Putting his shirt and mantle, he exited the room.
"Good morning, master..." The rafiq said.
Altaïr looked at him, surprised. He was about to asked the rafiq why he up, but remembered that it was a habit from the Assassins, to be up before their guests.
"What are you going to do today?" the rafiq asked again.
"I intend to discover more why the Templars exited from the city..." Altaïr said. "Do you have any suggestion where I can begin my search?"
"In the central market place there is a blacksmith that made several works to the Templars from Safita..." The rafiq said. "Maybe he knows something…"
Altaïr nodded and was about to exit when the rafiq stopped him again:
"And what do I do with our guest?"
Altaïr sighed exasperated. He knew she was going to arrange a way to go outside and follow him, even if he forbade her.
"Tell her to meet me in the city..." He said to the rafiq. "Just, try to tell her to be careful with the guards…"
The rafiq nodded, as Altaïr exited.
X ~ X ~ X
Maria was taken to one of the cells of the Assassin's prison. The group she was with Robert was attacked by Assassins. Robert and she were the only who survived on the attack and now she was here…
The Assassin with her opened the cell and pushed her inside. After she was in, he closed the grid again and left without take the hopes which were bound her hands together...
Maria sighed... what she would do now? She was in a lot of trouble... and besides that, where was Robert?
From nowhere a hand picked her shoulder and turned her around roughly. Disturbed, she tried to say something, but was prevented by a mouth kissing hers desperately and she knew by the force used it was a strong man…
Maria tried to get away from him, but with her hands tied up it was impossible. Seconds later, the man stopped and went to her neck, but not before speaking:
"You're mine..."
Maia realized she knew that voice... she couldn't remember from where, but she knew... looking inside her memories, she soon discovered the owner of that voice: the Assassin that had defeated her in Jerusalem!
But instead of being disgusted, she accepted his kiss on her neck, giving him space and groaned…
"Oh, Altaïr…" She said.
X ~ X ~ X
Maria woke in a fright, quickly sitting up on her bed. She passed her hands on her hair, still scared by the dream she had. Sighing, she put her hands on her face and tried to calm herself…
This was just a dream, wasn't it? Did she had feeling for the Assassin? She couldn't... he had almost destroyed her life before...
Maria took her hands from her face and sighed. She couldn't help but think about him and how he was yesterday… bare chested and just with his trousers…
Why he was especial? She always had train and lived among men since she decided to join the Templars... it was difficult for her to hide and to impose herself on the group, but she soon highlighted herself and rose ranking...
When Robert discovered the truth about her, he was furious at first, but soon he saw her potential and made her his personal steward... and this included having sex with him… at first, he picked her by force, but one day when he had returned wounded from a battle, she took care of him and they began a quickly romance...
Even with that, Robert continued to apply punishment on the men and sometimes on her... the men under her command knew the truth about her, but respected her even if they didn't like it… She felt her feelings for Robert changing from love to hate because of the punishments…
The appearance of a new enemy, an Assassin who had several wins against Robert's men changed all of this, since she became curious about him. This was two years ago...
When there was the reunion of the tem in the Grand Temple of Alamut, to discover the piece of Eden and it was decided that Robert was about to guard it in Jerusalem, she saw an opportunity to meet the Assassin. When the piece was stolen and the others leaders started to die, she had convinced Robert to let her to pose as a bait to the Assassin as he tried to save their plains...
Obviously it was a mistake… She thought. The Assassin and she had fought a lot and in the end he was able to wound her, to mark her with his hidden blade and at that moment, he could see a young, but dangerous man…
Maria sighed at the remembrance… if she was truer with herself, she had had feelings for Altaïr for some time now and her dream just confirmed that… what she was going to do?
X ~ X ~ X
When Maria left her room, Amim was finishing putting some clothes for her in the table.
"What is it, rafiq?" Maria asked.
"The master went look for clues in the central market and said that if you wanted to join him, to use these clothes so you don't draw the attention of the city guards..." The rafiq said. "If you need anything else, I'll be in bureau..."
Maria nodded as he exited the living room. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying not to think much of her dream…