Maria was sitting on the bed that Aisha had separated for her, with her back leaned on the wall, thinking on what had happened earlier: Altaïr had kissed her...
She sighed, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes were still red from crying... after Robert's death, she had made a deal with herself to not crying for anyone else, but here she was... crying precisely for the man who had killed Robert...
Why life had to be so complicated? She thought, closing her eyes.
At this time, Aisha came in to see how she was doing.
"Maria?" Aisha called. Maria opened her eyes and looked at her. "May I come in?"
As Maria didn't say anything, Aisha understood that as a yes.
"What's wrong?" Aisha asked.
"Nothing..." Maria said, looking down.
"This doesn't seems to be nothing for me..." Aisha said. "Had something happen? I saw you entering crying..."
Maria was quiet.
"Has anyone said something to youas anyoneH ?" The other woman asked.
"I wish..." Maria muttered.
"So the mater did something to you?" Aisha tried.
Maria gave her a small blink.
Tell me what happened, Maria..." Aisha said, picking her hands.
"I can't..." Maria said. "No one here is supposed to know..."
"Maria, I won't tell anyone what you say to me here..." Aisha said. "I promise!"
"Even if I'm considered part of the enemy?" Maria asked.
Aisha was quiet for a while, then sighed and nodded...
"I won't tell..."Aisha said.
"Altaïr and Iwere in the garden talking when suddenly, he kissed me..." Maria started. "No problem at that, but until a while ago I considered him a mortal enemy..."
Aisha sighed...
"You are a Templar?" She asked.
"Was..." Maria said. "Robert De Sable was my mentor and I was his protégée... but now... I'm nothing besides being a cloggyness for them... so I left them behind…"
Aisha knew the whole truth about the hunt for the nine and had heard rumors about a Templar woman of the own Altaïr... but she knew that Maria didn't need to hear it, only advices…
"I understand your dilemma, Maria..." Aisha said. "Tell me, do you love him?"
Maria looked at her, surprised.
'Tell me the truth…" Aisha said.
"I don't know..." Maria said after a few minutes. "When Altaïr took me to Cyprus, I... I was his prisioner, but after I discovered the truth about the Templars, we became friends... we even saved each other and he was with me on the trip to the Orient, but we had to come here…
Aisha understood...
"Maria, I want you to calm down now..." the other woman said. "Being in love isn't easy..."
"But I'm not..." Maria tried.
"Maria..." Aisha said. "You wouldn't be this way if you're not in love…"
Maria was quiet.
"Let me tell you something… I know that Altaïr is quite reserved, because the woman who raised him raised me too..." Aisha said. "Just trust me when I tell you that if Altaïr weren't in love too, he wouldn't have done what he did…"
Maria looked at the woman in front of her.
Smiling, the other woman got up and left Maria alone, to think in what she have heard.
X ~ X ~ X
Maria cleaned her face with her hands. She knew she didn't have many options... if she could believe in anything Aisha told her, she had to be sure…
Sighing, Maria got up from her bed and went to look for Altaïr...
X ~ X ~ X
Maria entered into the garden, walking silently in the direction of Altaïr's room, when she saw with the corner of her eye, two men walking side by side, talking with each other. Before they saw her, Maria hide herself and listened:
"Everything is ready, Simas..." one of the men said. "The men are in position..."
"Brilliant, we will attack when they least expect it..." the other man said. " Wait for my signal at midnight…"
Maria widened her eyes... Altaïr needed to know this, but before that, she needed to get out of her hiding place...
She waited until the two men had left to exit her hideout, but a hand in her shoulder made her jump.
"What are you doing?" Malik asked.
Maria looked at him, trying to catch her breath.
"I asked you a question, Templar! What are you doing here?" Malik asked again.
Maria glared at him.
"Don't call me that ever again, I'm not a Templar anymore..." She said, crossing her arms on her chest. "And what am I doing here it's not your business…"
"Insolent..." Malik said.
"Whatever..." Maria said. "Now, I have an important message for Altaïr..."
"If you think you can fool me, you're wrong…"Malik said. "I won't let you kill him…"
Maria widened her eyes again.
"If I wanted to make something to him or kill him, I would have dome that already..." She said. "Can't you be less dense?"
Malik scowled.
"I don't like you!" He said.
"Good, I don't like you either..." Maria said. "If you want to follow me, do it, but don't get in my way…"
Maria turned on her heels and let, Malik alone...