Epilogue
Philadelphia, Massachusetts, 1945
A scant few weeks after Katherine returned to Bradford, she was called on by Joseph Hall to attend the hearing and trial of the Assassin-hunter Sara Taylor. Hall asked her to testify what had happened during her mission with Mary MacKenzie in their hunt to exterminate the Assassin-hunters, and how Mary had died. Katherine hardly felt ready to speak about Mary's sudden death, let alone face Hall with the knowledge she'd armed herself with.
Emily Prince would be accompanying her daughter to the trial, and she did so with an organized briefcase of the documents Katherine had brought home. The film reel was tucked away in her private safe. Even Katherine had no idea what combination her mother used. But Emily rarely attended Assassin hearings. Katherine had asked her once why she didn't, and Emily had promptly responded with how boring they were, how the Council already had a bias and were pre-dispositioned, and how Templars put on trial were executed anyway, unless there was a sure-fire chance they could make the Templar a mole, which rarely happened. So seeing her mother in a proper dark dress with gloves and a sunhat not unlike Katherine's own was a shock in itself. Emily's intention to attend the trial nearly made Katherine wonder if her mother's body hadn't been snatched up and a different person controlled it.
"I have some things I need to say to the Council," Emily had said sternly as she sat across Katherine on the train to Philadelphia. "And to Joseph. When you testify, do try to avoid mentioning what you saw on that film."
Katherine could scarcely believe her own eyes when she saw. Her ears, even less so. Her mother had told her a great deal about Sara Taylor, more than she thought she wanted to learn. And both Katherine and Emily suspected Mary knew about Sara, as well. But she'd taken her knowledge to the grave, as Katherine assumed many before her had. As had Richard Cole, or he wouldn't have worked so hard to keep Sara compliant.
The trial was held underneath the museum. It wasn't uncommon to see so many well-dressed people enter, considering there were more than enough offices that shuffled employees around regularly. So Emily and Katherine blended in extremely well until they discovered the basement elevator. From there, they walked through the resistance tunnels from the Revolutionary War that hadn't yet been rediscovered by the city. They stopped at an unassuming, solid wall. Emily pushed a marked brick inward. The wall opened to an empty antechamber decorated with the Assassin insignia on hanging banners. It was quite a murky place, but it was clean and well ventilated. Katherine had to check around the room twice before she noticed the men in sinister robes and cowls leering at them suspiciously.
Emily strode forward confidently through the antechamber and into the corridor that would take them to the council chamber. The Assassin-hunters were an issue for all sects of the Brotherhood, so the Council would be comprised of Master Assassins from all over the world. The five chosen to preside over the trial and issue judgement were Master Kenshin Souji of Japan, Master Josephine Dubios of Canada, Master Adolphe Laurent of France, Master Kurt Schwarz of Germany, and Master Nikolai Goraya of Russia. Joseph Hall had volunteered to act as prosecutor. Sara Taylor had issued a statement days earlier that she would represent herself. In all honesty, Katherine couldn't decide if it was because of her guilt, or that no one stepped forward to defend her.
Hall's British system is different than the American, Katherine noted as she marched behind her mother. Sara has more opportunity to be heard by the Council here.
They finally emerged into the council chamber, which was lit brightly with electric lights in place of where candles had burned decades ago. The two Prince women weaved their way through a cluster of Assassins and towards the long benches that would eventually seat everyone watching. Katherine counted barely seventeen heads, including her own, her mother's, the Master Assassins who would execute judgement, and Joseph Hall himself. She recognized Masters Dubois and Laurent from Mary's meeting when she proposed infiltration into Auschwitz. They seemed to recognize her as well and offered half-hearted nods of the head.
"Miss Prince." Hall extended his hand politely. Katherine shook it. "And Missus Prince." He did the same with Emily. "Thank-you both for coming. Katherine, your presence is welcome among the witnesses."
"I'm happy to be here," Katherine replied as her mother excused herself to a nearby bench. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."
"Nor would I." Cole led Katherine to some seats on the left of where the Council would be seated. There was a stand on the right, Katherine deduced for the witnesses speaking against Sara, because who would speak for her?
Master Goraya called the meeting to order. His fellow councilmen found their places at his side, and the spectators found their seats. There were very few seated in the chairs beside Katherine. Not many witnesses, but just enough to attest to the Assassin-hunter's cruelty and killing efficiency. Emily Prince was seated at the edge of one of the benches, briefcase on her lap.
"Bring the accused," called Master Goraya.
A few moments later, the two Assassins in the antechamber emerged with the sounds of chains following them. Sara Taylor stepped rhythmically into the council chamber following the two men. Unlike how Katherine had seen on the film, there was no resistance here. She looked tired, resigned, defeated. Her hair had been completely shaved off, the rags she wore probably hadn't been swapped in weeks, and there was dried blood flaking on various parts of her body. Some looked like there had been cuts there. But Katherine could distinctly see fresh bruising around the left side of Sara's face.
She was chained to a link on the floor but still made to stand. The Assassins stood on either side of her. The one on her right held her shoulder, but Katherine saw the way his leading arm tensed. He was ready in case she made a move. His hidden blade would kill her before she could kill anyone else.
"Sara Elizabeth Taylor, you are accused of treason, espionage, murder and attempted murder of your brothers within the Assassin Brotherhood. How do you plead?"
Katherine's throat caught. Sara said loudly enough for everyone in the chamber to hear, "Guilty. I do not contest the accusations against me."
"Stop."
Katherine glanced, almost reluctantly, towards her mother, who stood with her briefcase. She saw Hall glance between the two Prince women. Sara flinched.
"I have something to contest."
"Missus Prince, the trial has already started—." Master Goraya looked to his fellow councilmen. It was Master Dubois who acknowledged Emily.
"We would hear her before this trial truly becomes underway," she said softly. "Missus Prince, if you would speak for a moment."
Emily inclined her head at the Assassins. Sara didn't even offer Emily a glance over her shoulder. Emily stepped up beside the Assassin on Sara's left and regarded the Council.
"Miss Taylor has no one to represent her or witnesses to call on the stand. In my hands I hold evidence to contradict Miss Taylor's guilt. I hope in this trial you will allow me an opportunity to prove Miss Taylor did not act by her own will." Emily bowed to the councilmen. "I also have reason to believe Miss Taylor chose to represent herself due to the overwhelming amount of Assassins hostile to her, who would allow the persecution to do as they pleased, and would not defend Miss Taylor to their greatest capacity. Miss Taylor, herself, affirms her guilt, but by admitting it now in the court without a proper representative, I am concerned the penalty of execution will be doled out without thought. Please consider this."
Hall settled a dark glare on Emily, who ignored him completely. Everyone stared at her, either with betrayal in their eyes or confusion. There was no compassion or understanding. The Council was bewildered, and spent a few moments debating amongst themselves before Josephine Dubois regarded Emily again.
"In light of the circumstances, Missus Prince, this alleged evidence you claim you have is intriguing. We will allow you to represent Miss Taylor in direct conflict with Mister Hall."
"Thank-you," said Emily softly. Katherine saw Sara's mouth move, whisper something furiously at Emily. The older woman merely shrugged.
"Then we will start again," said Master Goraya. "Sara Elizabeth Taylor, you are accused of treason, espionage, murder and attempted murder of your brothers within the Assassin Brotherhood. How do you plead?"
Emily spoke up over Sara. "Miss Taylor will plead not guilty, sir."
"No!" Sara glared furiously at Emily. "I'm guilty! I plead guilty—!" The Assassins beside her shoved Sara down onto her knees.
"Furthermore, she will plead no responsibility. Sara was a weapon. We would not convict a rifle for murder or association with a traitor."
Master Souji smirked and leaned back in his chair. It was the first expression the stony-faced Assassin had made since Katherine had been seated.
Hall leapt to his feet, unable to contain himself any longer. "Members of the Council, I beg you reconsider her plea. No responsibility is like a plea for insanity!"
"We will listen to what Miss Taylor's representative has to say. Mister Hall, you represent the Assassin Brotherhood's best interests. You will have your time." Master Souji nodded to Emily to continue. Katherine saw Sara's lips move again. It looked like she was pleading.
"Thank-you. I will start from the beginning. We all know about our strike team's ill-fated mission to Berlin, where they were killed in action and failed to assassinate Adolf Hitler. At the time of the attempt, a man named Richard Hall was there to hand a Piece of Eden off to Hitler, on behalf of the Templar Order..."
Emily spoke every detail she knew about the mission, about its aftermath, how Richard had allowed Sara to live since he had enough cadavers with the other bodies. She went on to explain how her mind was broken by the use of the Apple and used as a slave, a remorseless killing machine eager to bring death and destruction to the Assassins. The Council asked questions, in the meantime. No witnesses were to be asked forward until both sides had told their side of events. When Emily mentioned the deaths associated with Sara's exploits, Katherine bit her lip.
"Missus Prince," interjected Master Laurent, "you mentioned your two sons were among the dead, killed most likely by Miss Taylor's hand. If this is the case, why defend the murderer of your children?"
"I believe Miss Taylor is innocent, Master Laurent," said Emily simply. "Her body was used and her mind was trapped. I would no sooner blame a baseball for striking me when there was clearly someone controlling it. Besides, she is a family friend. Her mother and I were close. You may remember her: Sara Margaret Taylor."
"That name has been spoken, yes." Master Laurent leaned back and gestured for her to continue.
Then Emily touched upon the events in Auschwitz, omitting Sara's beheading. "The shock of Mister Cole's flight severed the Apple's connection with Miss Taylor, as though her head had been chopped off." Katherine fought the urge to roll her eyes. "She was found barely alive a few days later, free of the Apple's control, but she was not discovered by allies. Instead she was recaptured and sent back to Mister Cole for reconditioning. She remained under control of the Apple, guarding both Mister Cole and Hitler, until the successful assassination of the latter. Mister Cole was meant to hand the Apple to Mister Winston Churchill, but thanks to Miss Lydia Frye, the Assassins discovered their meeting place and set up an ambush. Mister Cole was assassinated. In retaliation and still under the Apple's influence, Miss Taylor killed Miss MacKenzie before she was stopped by Miss Prince."
Hall was clenching his fists on his lap. Katherine could only imagine what he was thinking. And if she hadn't seen that reel, she would have been in the same position. It made Katherine wonder if her mother would have stepped up to help Sara at all if they hadn't seen what they'd seen.
But then it was Hall's turn. He stood, straightened his jacket, and stepped past Emily, who excused herself and took Hall's former seat (and a bit smugly from the expression Katherine read on her face).
"Fellow Assassins," said Hall, "I suppose it goes without saying why I am here in opposition to the accused and her... representative. Many of my friends and many of yours were cut down by Miss Taylor's hidden blade, most recently Miss Mary MacKenzie. It is a cruel irony today that I am opposed to Miss Taylor for the deaths of our fellow Assassins, as well as those she personally trained. Miss Taylor's ill-fated mission in Berlin was a disaster, but a disaster we could have prevented, had we seen the signs. You see, Miss Taylor struck a deal with Mister Cole and delivered an entire team of Assassins to him for his experiments..."
Hall made his case. Sara allowed them to be tethered to the Apple to control some strong members of the Assassin Brotherhood while simultaneously granting herself greater power. Sara had become disillusioned with the Assassins and was convinced by her former pupil of the Templars' righteous cause. For years she served as their chief assassin, eliminating the Brotherhood's presence in the war to give the Templars a leg up. As the war turned in the Allies' favour, she began focusing more closely on those sent after herself and Cole; namely Mary MacKenzie and Katherine Prince.
"Because if Mister Cole was the one controlling Miss Taylor, would his death not end the connection between Miss Taylor and the Apple?" asked Hall as he looked around the room. "If Missus Prince argues that Mister Cole's sudden departure with the Apple severed the connection, would his death not have done the same?"
Katherine saw the Assassins discussing amongst themselves as Hall found his seat, which Emily had vacated. The Council bade a quick recess while they deliberated each side of the story. Sara was removed from the room and back into captivity. There was much to consider. Was Sara really a traitor?
Would a traitor plead guilty?
Emily was organizing the files she'd brought along in her briefcase on a table near where Sara had been made to stand. Hall was doing the same nearby. He didn't even look over at Katherine. Perhaps he though Katherine knew what Emily was going to do. But Katherine thought Emily would have just handed her briefcase over to the Council to consider, not rise to Sara's defense.
The recess ended when the Council returned to the chambers. Emily and Hall stood almost beside each other. Sara was escorted back in and chained to a chair between them.
"Mister Hall," said Master Schwarz, "you will conduct your examinations first. You may call upon any witnesses you'd like. Missus Prince, you are permitted to object a line of questioning if it has no pertinence. The same goes for you, Mister Hall, when Missus Prince is conducting her cross-examinations."
Hall nodded curtly. "As you wish," he said solemnly. "I'd like to call my first witness."
Katherine sat through the next hour with each of Hall's witnesses, the people she sat beside, rose to have their say. Each one locked eyes with Sara. Sara returned their gaze. They each spoke of a loved one lost to Sara or the other Assassin-hunters, but they were holding Sara responsible. Some believed Hall's story, that Sara knowingly betrayed the Assassin Brotherhood. The others still seemed unsure and answered all of Hall's questions with trepidation. Then Emily would swoop in, ask them more questions, make them even more uncertain.
"My last witness," announced Hall, "is Miss Katherine Prince, who aided Miss Mary MacKenzie in hunting down the Assassin-hunters."
Katherine felt a knot in her gut but stood nonetheless. In a few brief seconds she'd crossed the floor to the stand and faced her mother and Hall. Now his eyes were on her. Katherine saw his malcontent.
"Miss Prince, please regale us with the details of your mission and your encounters with Miss Taylor."
Katherine looked at the woman on trial. Her liquid-gold eyes were set firmly on the ground. She would not meet Katherine's eyes, the only one of all the witnesses.
Katherine spoke loudly and clearly about the mission, that Mary was in charge, that they'd only been tracking one Assassin-hunter, and they'd discovered there were more based on Mary's hunch. Of course, Mary's was an educated hunch. Their meeting with Andrew Lee, Auschwitz (Katherine noticed Master Schwarz avert his eyes shamefully), all the way to Madrid and Beelitz, where Mary died. Every detail she could remember, save for omitting the beheading, was spoken. Hall listened, his eyes locked on Katherine's.
"You spent a great deal of time pursuing Miss Taylor then," said Hall.
"Yes. But we were also concerned about the Piece of Eden. Mary was convinced it was causing the Assassin-hunters' abnormal strength and resilience."
"The Piece of Eden Mister Richard Cole possessed?"
"Technically it was under the possession of Adolf Hitler. Mister Cole was acting as a liaison between him and the Templar Order to serve their interests. Mister Cole possessed the Sight, so he could use the Apple to its greatest capabilities."
"And you also have the Sight, Miss Prince."
"Yes."
"You know how dangerous a Piece of Eden is then, I assume. Even those with the Sight have fallen prey to its power."
"I know its danger. I avert it as much as I would a common Ouija board."
Hall smirked, entertained. "So someone drunk on its power could certainly act like someone hypnotized? Like an addict desperate for another fix?"
Katherine raised an eyebrow at him. Why would he jump to that conclusion? "The Apple has a hypnotic charm about it, I suppose."
Katherine saw her mother's face fall. Hall grinned.
"So would I be within appropriate boundaries to assume that Miss Taylor was enthralled by the Apple for its power, and not because she was under its control?"
"Assume what you wish. It doesn't change what I saw." Katherine set her jaw. "In Madrid, Mary and I fought off two Assassin-hunters that ambushed us when we attempted to spring a trap on Mister Cole. Mary knew both, as I imagine you did—Mister John Wessex and Mister Rav Donovan, the latter Mary had a hand in training. In Mister Donovan's final moments, he managed to break free of the Apple's control."
"That seems convenient."
"I'm not finished," said Katherine sharply. "Mister Donovan maintained he and his fellow Assassins were under the Apple's influence, that Mister Cole used the Apple on them when they'd been shot. He also spoke for Miss Taylor's innocence."
"And where's the evidence of that?"
"Unless you want to besmirch both mine and Mary's reputations, Mister Hall, I am your evidence."
That put Hall in a corner. Either pursue the issue and paint both Mary and Katherine as untrustworthy, or relinquish his line of questioning. Emily leapt in then, sensing Hall's hesitation.
"Miss Prince," said Emily, walking until she was standing beside Hall, "was there ever an occurrence between yourself and the accused that convinced you without the shadow of a doubt that Miss Taylor's mind was under control of the Apple?"
Katherine thought long and hard. Only one real scenario came to mind, but she decided to give as many examples as she could instead. "It's difficult to determine. There was the time I was captured in Auschwitz. Mister Cole ordered Miss Taylor to torture me in the secret base, but she hesitated. He had to pull the Apple out to command her to do it. And while the other Assassin-hunters walked and moved stiffly, she was the only one who was lithe and utilized her skills. She never spoke once to me, never taunted me, never insulted me or prattled on about how the Templars were in the right and the Assassins were fools." Katherine stopped. She remembered Beelitz. "I was cornered in the sanatorium. Mary had slipped me my brother's dog tags, so I was hiding from Miss Taylor, wondering if I was going to go like my brothers. Then I heard her coming. I stepped out to face Miss Taylor. She stopped far away from me. I stood my ground when she threw the dagger she'd disarmed from me at my head. I don't doubt it was her exceptional skill with weapons that made it strike the wood beside my head, not pierce my skull. And she waited until I'd grabbed the weapon before she even considered attacking me again.
"I believe even under the Apple's influence Miss Taylor had principle. She was the only member of her team who could breathe on her own to have her mind broken by the Piece of Eden, so she retained her skills, which is why she fought me like an Assassin. She'd only been warped about who her enemies were. And each time she struck me, it was to whittle down my energy, not to torture me, which is why I'm nearly healed from our last encounter."
"So, Miss Prince..." Emily folded her hands in front of her. "Please answer yes or no; do you believe Miss Taylor is responsible for the murders of the Assassins during the war, including your brothers Nathaniel and Henry, and Mary MacKenzie?"
Katherine hesitated and looked at Hall. His eyes were like stone, looking through her, trying to determine how what should have been a sentencing trial had become a fight for the Assassin-turned-Assassin-hunter Sara Taylor.
"No, I don't believe she's responsible."
_/-\_
Toronto, Canada, 1945
"No, I don't believe she's responsible."
After Katherine Prince's words, the council chambers were thrown into chaos. Joseph Hall's best supporter to his case, both sharing wounds over the death of a beloved fellow Assassin, had turned on him and thrown her lot in with Sara Taylor. Emily Prince had handed over the files she'd brought to the Council, not bothering to call the accused to the stand, and after three days' deliberation the Council came to an agreement.
It was Master Assassin Josephine Dubois who read their verdict. All who were present listened intently, with the exception of the woman listening in on the trial through a bug she'd planted on the files themselves. She sat in her lounge, puffing a cigarette and dabbing the ashes in the tray on the nearby end table. Thankfully she'd not been terribly vague in her message to Emily and Katherine Prince.
"After much deliberation," came Master Dubois' voice, "the Council has come to a decision. We find Sara Elizabeth Taylor not guilty of her crimes and not responsible for her actions."
The room was in uproar. The woman smiled.
"The power of a Piece of Eden," continued Dubois, "is immeasurable. As Assassins, we are sworn to the betterment of mankind and achieving peace. These artifacts are rare and dangerous, and we believe whole-heartedly that Sara Taylor, whose record was unblemished before the incident in 1938, worked to uphold the creed until she was placed under the Apple's influence, and all her numerous skills turned against her brothers.
"However, just because we find her innocent does not mean we can overlook how she was used. Missus Emily Prince was correct, we cannot punish a rifle for killing a man, but we can remove it from the equation. As such, the Council also decrees that Sara Taylor be exiled from the Assassin Brotherhood, turn in all her assets and weapons, and will be permanently barred from visiting the following countries for the safety of her brothers: France, Germany, Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Egypt, Japan, Denmark, Norway, the Soviet Union, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, China, South and North Korea, Greenland, and Iceland. Miss Sara Taylor will no longer be welcome in any Assassin base, headquarters, hideout, or bureau, and Assassins may not receive training, information, or aid of any sort from her. If she is seen consorting with Templars, she will be immediately killed. If she is seen utilizing her skills, she will be immediately killed. If Sara Taylor spreads rumours among the people of the war between us Assassins and Templars, she will be immediately killed. Any other, similar circumstances will be considered for punishment in the future if they are reported."
You'll hate that, won't you? the woman mused. There goes your entire life, everything you worked for.
"Master Dubois," said Emily, "I would ask that I have the chance to appeal in the future. If Miss Taylor remains a model citizen in the eye of the general public, I would ask for a chance to redeem her. Also, I have a request: Sara be released into my custody for the first year of her imposed exile. With an Assassin caretaker ensuring she transitions from her current state to one she will be able to maintain in the public eye, there will be less chance for danger of any sort, including if the Templars rediscovered her."
"No!" exclaimed Joseph Hall. "She should be put in a prison! She killed our brothers—!"
Just beneath his voice were murmurs of agreement, but Hall was silenced. The woman imagined it was one of the members of the Council other than Dubois. She took a long drag on her cigarette in the meantime.
"I second Missus Prince's motion," said Master Souji. "It would be dangerous and against our beliefs to release someone with Miss Taylor's skills into the world without reconditioning."
The Council murmured. And then, finally:
"The Council agrees. Missus Prince and Miss Taylor will be allowed to appeal her sentence in ten years' time, provided she is a model citizen and has received no premature contact from either the Assassin Brotherhood or Templar Order."
"And there you have it," said the woman as she snuffed out the last of her cigarette and flicked her radio off. "The debt's paid, Suna. Don't say I never did anything for you."
The woman stood, flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and sauntered to her washroom. A full-body mirror had just been installed the day before. She admired herself in it, especially the airplane stewardess uniform she wore. When she smiled, it was as though her liquid-gold eyes lit up.
"The great Suna Ibn-La'Ahad no longer an Assassin... This will be interesting." She clicked her tongue and played with the nametag on her uniform. Madeline Pryor. "Oh, she's going to be so depressed, but what does she expect? They're always so ungrateful, using her skills and then throwing her to the wolves. But then she always crawls back, beaten, bloodied, and begging for more. She always crawls back..." She left the bathroom and collected a martini glass, still full with drink. "Unless one knows how to properly utilize a Piece of Eden's lasting effects, they'll always suffer. Except me, of course. But Suna's never wanted to listen to me."
She took a sip of her drink. "Well, goes to show how much she knows. It's always the kids. She lives a few hundred years and she thinks she knows everything. Teenagers, really. It doesn't seem to matter if their attitude is temporary—they're always the same in every century. This one's just got an ocean of blood under her belt."
Madeline Pryor stepped towards the window of her apartment and admired the view. People were rebuilding their lives, reuniting with loved ones, and mourning their losses. She watched them, unfeeling, resentfully. She hated them all.
"The Isu are returning," she mused. "You can either be part of that new world, Suna, or you can die with the ants."
The End