December 1st, 1191:
We arrived back at Mosul camp in late morning, after having cavalcaded for the most part of the night… we decided to make a reunion to decide what would be our major plan to attack the Templar fortress… it was decided we were going to follow to enter the fortress hiding and Maria was going to guide us…
Now, she was resting… she deserved to sleep, because what she went through and I… shit, this is difficult…
When I saw her, I already knew what had happened… I'm not stupid…
She denied it… but I knew it and her behavior… I let her do it because she is a strong woman and wouldn't like me to treat her like she's a victim…
For me, I feel so guilty… I shouldn't never let her do it… the pain of regret is consuming and I don't know if I will be able to hide it for long… but like her, I'm good on hide my feelings…
Damn…
If the man who did this was here, I don't know what I would do to him… gladly, he was luck that she killed him, because otherwise… and…
I can't do this right now…
X ~ X ~ X
Altaïr stopped writing and looked at Maria, sleeping. He sighed and knew he was too wired up, so he decided to exercise himself.
Getting up, he just took of his mantle and shirt and started to do pushups…
X ~ X ~ X
When Maria woke up later, Altaïr was still doing exercises… now it was abdominals…
"Careful…" She said. "You shouldn't be doing this… your ribs…"
Altaïr stopped.
"They are fine…" He said, hiding the pain.
However, she knew he was lying.
"You a terrible liar…." She said, getting up.
Altaïr smirked.
"Yeah, well it isn't just me…" He said, getting up also.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.
Altaïr looked at her, anguish started to appear in his face.
"Maria, we both know what that… that… man… did to you… I know" He said. "And it wasn't just your face that Templar… it was your body also…"
Maria looked down.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Altaïr asked getting loud while approaching her.
"I…" Maria said, feeling her eyes get wet.
Altaïr sighed and hugged her as she started crying...
X ~ X ~ X
"I'm not a victim…" She said looking in front of her. She was sitting with her legs bended by the knees and she was holding them. She still had her eyes wet.
"I know…" He said, painfully. "I should never let you go there by yourself… It's my fault…"
She and Altaïr were on the mattress, side by side.
"Don't…" Maria said, looking at him.
However, his face was indescribable.
"I'm sorry…" He said.
"It wasn't your fault…" Maria said. "I could take more care… I knew this could have happen…"
"He was one of them, right?" Altaïr asked quietly. "From eight years ago?"
Maria nodded.
They remained quiet for a while.
"How did you find out?" She asked, quietly.
Altaïr sighed.
"By your behavior…" He said.
She nodded… he was just too damn smart.
"Look, we will go through this together…" He said. "I won't treat you as a victim, I promise…"
Maria looked at him.
"But for what we have to work, we can't hide anything from now on…" He said. "Never…"
She nodded.
"No more secrets…" She promised.
"No more lies…" He promised.
Maria nodded.
Altaïr sighed and getting to his knees, kissed her forehead.
"Stay as long as you need…" he said. "I have to take care of things…"
Maria nodded and she saw him putting on his mantle and exit the tent.
X ~ X ~ X