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Kink Meme - Assassin's Creed pt. 5
Assassin's Creed Kink Meme pt.5
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Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 34
(Anonymous) 2013-06-18 03:57 am (UTC)(link)In Pursuit of Happiness
Chapter 35 - Futile
The woman’s expression softened slightly. She looked satisfied and gracious.
Charles thought she never looked more dangerous.
“You have done what I had desired you to do. My descendant is now separated from that commander of men who cannot give him viable children, and you yourself are unable to bring about the situation that would cause the death of my line.”
An incredulous and self-mocking laugh burst out of Charles.
“So the first time I made Connor my wife, that was you trying to separate Connor from Washington. And you didn’t care what it would do to Connor until he killed himself and set in motion the eventual ending of your line.”
Charles shook his head and felt himself shake. Whether it was with fury or disbelief or fear, he did not know.
“And now you have spun events so that both the obstacles in your way are gone.”
Tears stung his eyes. He put a shaking fist against his eyes and laughed out loud.
Ridiculous. It was all ridiculous.
“I was being generous to you.” Her voice was sharp, irritated.
“Generous? You planned this entire debacle, this torture of a second chance and now warn me away from my wife—“
“I gave you a legitimate second chance. I had thought you strong enough to sire children on my descendant and help him continue my line, but you proved incapable of escaping from your mistakes.”
Charles lowered his fist and stared at the woman in disbelief.
“Incapable? I may well have separated Connor from Washington as you so clearly desired!”
“But I did not desire that you do so in a way likely to affect my descendant’s ability to ever trust again. And trust is a very necessary part of courtship.”
Perhaps it was Charles’s imagination, but the woman looked strangely wistful then, as if her mind was anywhere but here.
“If all you wanted,” Charles fumed, “was that the child grow up well, then why did you not just send me back to when I first thought to kill Washington?”
“It would not have made a difference.”
“Bollocks. I would not have planned to kill Washington. I would have simply kept him under house arrest, and—”
“It would not have made a difference.”
Charles started to grow frustrated.
“Connor wouldn’t have felt the need to protect Washington then! He wouldn’t have gutted himself with a steak knife—“
And Charles would not have had to see his beautiful wife so. Of all ways to die, it was the most painful and the most reliable.
“It would not have made a difference.”
Charles felt like sobbing.
“You would have pulled his son away from him to remove all traces of influence my descendant may exert on the boy, for fear that he would turn to my descendant’s Brotherhood, and it would have driven him mad.”
The world shifted again. They were outside, near the edge of the woods, and Charles looked at the woman in confusion.
She pointed towards one of the trees.
Charles followed her gaze and...
His knees buckled. He felt to the ground in shock.
“How—?”
“You would have gotten my descendant with child again, and he would realize that his fate would be to keep giving you children and keep having those children taken away. He would have been four months pregnant when he snuck out of the room you kept him locked in and hung himself on a tree.”
Charles stared vacantly at the bedsheet wrapped securely around Connor’s throat. He still looked so young.
“He would die at 22.”
Charles held a trembling hand to his mouth to hold back his nausea.
“Why here?” he asked. “Why escape only to—?”
“I believe he never felt quite at peace unless he was amongst the trees he loved. In your attempts to keep him secured as the prize you saw him as, you would have never let him leave the security of your home.”
Somehow, that sounded even worse.
“Not once?” Charles whispered.
It seemed so unthinkable that someone quite as spirited and free as the Connor he’d seen over the past several days be locked away so.
“You would have come to fear losing him too much.”
Shouts in the distance.
Charles looked up to see himself, white-faced and with a look of fear, dash towards the body of his wife, still hanging limply from that makeshift noose. He saw Master Kenway on his heels, the calm strength so natural to him completely and utterly gone.
“My descendant would have left you a note, asking that you spare the commander of men as his last dying wish. It was the only promise you ever kept to him.”
She fell silent, and Charles did not fill in that silence.
There was too much to think about. There was too much to not think about.
“I do not mean to be cruel.”
A snort.
“Indeed, I care very little for your fleeting lives either one way or the other.”
“All you care about is having that final descendant of you and your enemy make that choice.”
She looked away, and Charles saw a flicker of emotion cross her face.
“Yes. My husband worked very hard to help me in my goals, and I now owe it to both him and myself to do my best to reach those goals.”
“Your husband?”
Charles was not sure he could think of this woman married. She seemed wholly devoid of almost all feeling.
“One of your kind. Perhaps the only one of your kind that I have ever respected. He gave himself for my goals and withered away despite everything I did.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“He is the only one I care for, the only one worth my care.”
Charles looked to Connor again. He still hung from that tree.
“You and I are much alike. We would both sacrifice those we love the most for other goals and other ambitions.”
That’s not true, Charles wanted to say. That’s a lie!
“Had you been able to let him go, had you been able to accept my descendant’s for who he is, for what his own thoughts and feelings are, then you would never have come to this pass. To any of these passes.”
Charles stayed silent as the magnitude of that statement sunk in. Letting Connor go...
“I can’t give up on him,” he whispered. “I can’t—“
The woman’s golden eyes flashed. “You must! This last part of your task is for you to leave my descendant be. Let him go. And do not darken his life again.”
“No,” Charles shook his head stubbornly. “I cannot. I—“
“You have no choice.”
And Charles woke up to Connor staring coldly at him.
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 34
(Anonymous) 2013-06-18 04:16 am (UTC)(link)I wonder if Charles will be hesitant in returning the amulet to Haytham now, cause Juno could just show him all the horrid memories of Charles' marriage with Connor and the outcomes - and that would have certainly stopped Charles.
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 34
(Anonymous) 2013-06-18 04:34 am (UTC)(link)Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 34
(Anonymous) 2013-06-18 05:17 am (UTC)(link)Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 34
(Anonymous) 2013-06-18 05:20 am (UTC)(link)Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 34
(Anonymous) 2013-06-18 09:45 am (UTC)(link)Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 34
(Anonymous) 2013-06-19 05:20 am (UTC)(link)In Pursuit of Happiness 36
(Anonymous) 2013-06-19 07:02 am (UTC)(link)Chapter 36 - Truth
“Connor, listen to me—“
Charles realized he had woken up right in the middle of a conversation.
“I have nothing to say to you, father. You have violated my trust—“
“What trust?” Master Kenway seemed uncharacteristically angry. “You only began to trust us after we found Church again. Do not claim the moral high ground on my keeping a single detail from you—“
“Detail?” Those amber-brown eyes flashed. “I do not count keeping the identity of the man who ordered my village’s destruction a mere detail!”
Master Kenway scoffed. “It was because I knew you would act thus and think upon us suspiciously.”
“And do I not have cause? If you would hide something like this from me...”
Master Kenway pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Postponing the delivery of said intelligence is hardly the same as hiding something. We could not afford to be suspicious of each other while on a mission. It would have endangered all of our lives!”
“That was not your decision to make!”
“It is my intel. Of course it is my decision to make.”
Charles closed his eyes again.
That was not the way to gain Connor’s understanding. He knew his wife well enough now to know that.
There was silence for a moment before...
“I have asked you this earlier, and I ask you this now. Leave my ship.”
Charles’s eyes suddenly snapped open. Leave the ship? Was Connor planning on stranding them?
“Not until you see sense—“
“You have no choice,” Connor eerily repeated the phantom woman’s words. “We are docked where we should be. I desire you to leave.”
Charles watched as Master Kenway pursed his lips.
“Connor,” his mentor began, “it is hardly helpful for our alliance for you to drop us off in such a state and with Charles in the state he is in—“
“I did not indicate him. You must leave.”
That struck both Charles and his mentor speechless.
Connor continued. “During this trip, you have offered little beyond insults and interfered where you ought not have. You actively concealed information pertinent to me from me and ordered Charles to do the same.”
Charles blinked. What?
Master Kenway’s eyes slid over to him, and his mentor gave a minute shake of the head.
“I must ask you to leave. Please.”
Master Kenway stood for a moment longer before turning on his heel and storming out.
Charles lay in his sickbed, unable to believe what he’d just witnessed.
Master Kenway had given him an excuse? Master Kenway had transferred some of the anger his wife justifiably felt to himself?
“I will not drive you off. Not in the condition you are in. But know this, I am reconsidering this alliance between us.”
Charles gulped.
“I—“
Connor held up a hand.
“I do not know if I can trust you to give me relevant and vital information. I understand that you withheld your belief in the commander’s involvement—“
Belief? So Connor did not believe him.
“—based on my father’s orders—“
And Charles was continuously surprised by that. He silently vowed to thank his mentor when he caught up with him again.
“—but keeping this secret when you knew how important it was to me...I cannot know if you will do this again in the future. I cannot know if you will let my father dictate your own common sense.”
Charles’s ears burned at the rebuke. But it was an unfair judgment. It was unfair because of what his wife believed had happened, and it was unfair even if what he described had happened.
“I’m sorry, but it was because of my own prerogative that I did not tell you sooner.”
Connor was silent at this, but his eyes told Charles everything he needed to know.
He had never seen someone look more hurt and betrayed.
“My father said,” Connor began, his voice a whisper.
“Master Kenway is wrong. I imagine he wished to protect me, and I am grateful to him for it. But you are right about one thing: this is no time for more secrets.”
With difficulty, Charles raised him from the bed and caught his wife’s hands in his own.
“I was concerned about how you’d take it. I know you care for Washington, I know you love him.”
And here, his wife’s eyes grew large and round.
“So I kept his involvement a secret because I did not know how to tell you.”
Connor pulled his hands away and rubbed them uneasily.
“You seemed to have no trouble announcing it as you did.”
Charles lowered his head in shame.
“And there is no excuse for that. I was jealous for the high opinion you always seemed to give Washington. The thought of him gaining your confidence so easily when you had despised me for years. And he guilty of the crime you accused me of!”
His voice softened with guilt.
“I lost control. I do that a lot. I did it 12 years ago—“
“When you came upon me in the forest,” Connor muttered.
“Yes.” Charles sounded miserable. “I do it on almost a daily basis with Washington’s continuing idiocy. And now I—“
He hesitated.
“I am sorry for the pain I caused you.”
Connor began pacing.
“I still do not understand why you would feel the need to keep this from me. And why my father would feel the need to protect you from my judgment of you.”
His wife paused in his pacing and whirled around to face him.
“What do you possibly have to gain from this? What does my father possibly have to gain from this? All these lies...”
“I like you.”
Those amber-brown eyes looked at him in confusion at first, then widened as their owner began to comprehend his meaning.
Charles took a step forward and grasped a hold of his wife’s shoulders. His expression was earnest, almost begging.
“I like you, and I did not know how to tell you without hurting you. I did not know how to tell you such that you would believe me.”
Charles took a deep breath. “You were so blinded by your regard for Washington, and I cherished this new lack of animosity that you held towards me so much that I could not bear to jeopardize it.”
He looked away towards the door that his mentor had so recently walked out of.
“Master Kenway knew of my—regard—for you. I believe he wished to help me, misguided thought it may be.”
“You do not approve?”
The tone was suspicious, doubting.
Charles tried not to let it sting him too much.
“I know that I was wrong. I know that Master Kenway is wrong. And I regret that. I let my own personal insecurities get the better of me, and they ended up threatening my ability to be near you.”
Charles swallowed.
“I am sorry.”
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 36
(Anonymous) 2013-06-19 07:15 am (UTC)(link)So the Aquila has finally docked, and they're on land now to deliver the supplies. Wonder how Charles is going to deal with finally meeting with clueless Washington, and how Connor brings up the whole village burning incident.
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 36
(Anonymous) 2013-06-20 03:45 am (UTC)(link)That would actually be Haytham's fault. He took full responsibility for the intel not being in Connor's hands earlier. :)
In Pursuit of Happiness 37
(Anonymous) 2013-06-20 05:14 am (UTC)(link)In Pursuit of Happiness
Chapter 37 -
Connor was not sure what to think. He had believed that his father had been the one to make the decision to withhold such information from him. The grandmaster had even intimated such, not three hours ago. To learn now that it was all Charles Lee’s idea, and for such a reason...
It was confusing.
Did not Charles Lee hold illicit feelings for Connor’s father? Had he not admitted his feelings himself?
And yet...
And yet...
And yet now he claimed that he liked Connor and wanted to be near him.
It was confusing.
How could he?
They did not know each other so well. Connor may have spent most of his life hunting the Alpha, but, until recently, Charles Lee did not even know who Connor was! His knowledge of Connor now notwithstanding, he could not possibly be sincere about his claim.
“I cannot believe you,” Connor said. “I cannot believe that you are truly sorry, and I cannot believe that you would use such an excuse for yourself.”
“And why can you not?” Those blue eyes regarded him solemnly.
Connor ran an impatient hand through his hair.
“You cannot believe such a thing credible! You, who have clearly desired my father, now suddenly turn your eyes to me? And that consideration of how I would react, consideration of how I would feel about such information and my sentiment—“ and here, his voice stumbled slightly, “—for the commander...that led you to keep your silence...”
Connor shook his head. “It is incredible!”
The Alpha leaned forward earnestly. “It is the truth—“
“Spare me the lies.” Connor had had enough.
He turned to leave the man in the bed, let him recover under the watchful eyes of his crew and then have him sent on his way, before his hand was seized by a strong grip.
Startled, Connor looked back at the gasping and wincing Alpha, who, no doubt, should not have tested his shoulder in such a way just yet.
“Wait,” the man gasped. “Please just wait and give me a chance to explain.”
There was no reason to. Connor ought to wash his hands of the entire affair and leave it in the capable hands of Faulkner. His dear first mate had already offered to resolve everything for Connor.
And yet...
Connor turned to look at those pleading blue eyes.
He owed the man his life. He owed the man this at the very least.
“Speak,” he ordered. “I shall listen. But take of your words. I will only listen once.”
And he promptly pulled up the chair he normally sat in and waited.
----
Charles looked into those suspicious amber-brown eyes and knew that he had one chance.
His wife was stubborn and if Charles did not manage to salvage things, he would have lost Connor.
And that woman would have won.
The thought was unpalatable.
“You are right in that I used to care for Master Kenway in that manner. I had not admitted it to anyone, and I do not believe that Master Kenway knows, but I found him very striking. I looked up to him for a very long time, I wanted to be by him, and I think that even I did not know why. Not fully.”
Charles took a breath. It was difficult, speaking of such. He was not used to baring his soul so.
“It wasn’t allowed, of course. Two male Alphas—I would have been hung.”
Connor’s eyes softened somewhat at that, and he murmured, “I don’t really understand that about your culture. To despise and seek to kill someone simply because their union with another cannot bring forth children seems very strange.”
Charles shrugged. He did not fully understand himself, and he counted himself English by origin and culture!
“It is of little matter. I did not seek anything from your father besides companionship, and I am loyal to him. But then I learned of you...”
Charles chuckled at this.
“I despised you at first.”
Connor raised an elegant eyebrow at this, clearly surprised at the declaration.
“I hated that your existence meant that Master Kenway had fallen in love, I hated that you are half-Native, I hated that you were an Assassin.”
“And yet you declare you wish to be beside me,” Connor muttered.
Charles ignored this.
“I watched you. I had my men gather information on you. I tracked your movements.”
Connor looked more uneasy now, no doubt wondering just how skilled Charles and the Templar organization was if they had done all of that without Connor realizing it.
He could have no way of knowing that these events happened in a different future, and that Charles had learned more from keeping him captive in his manor than from the reports.
And more from these couple of weeks hunting Church together than those nine months.
“I learned that you were honorable, skilled, intelligent, capable.”
“And you desired me.” The words came out without a shred of emotion, but Charles had no doubt that Connor did not believe a single word of it.
“No,” Charles murmured.
He took pleasure from the momentary surprise he fostered before he continued. “I respected you. I respected your abilities and what you could do, and after watching your movements and learning about your motivations, I came to realize that we were not truly enemies. We ought not be enemies.”
Those amber-brown eyes looked away for a moment. Charles bit his lip. To lose even the alliance that they had...
It could not be tolerated.
“And you let me go at Bridewell.”
“Yes,” Charles agreed. “I wanted to prove to you that we could be generous and set aside our grudges. I wanted to make the first step towards reconciliation.”
He paused.
“I did not expect you to disappear for quite so long.”
It was now Connor’s turn to look abashed.
“Not everyone is pleased to be working with our ancient enemy.”
No, Charles would be very surprised if they were.
“But you appeared again and saved our lives.”
Connor blinked. He had clearly forgotten all about it.
“Church was about to kill us,” Charles reminded him. “You came to Master Kenway and I, and you saved us. And then you offered us an alliance. It was—“
Connor looked distinctly uncomfortable now.
“I hope you did not convince yourself of your feelings for me simply because of that.”
“No! Of course not!”
But if Charles were to be honest, if he had not already loved his wife, then there was a good chance he would have begun to fall for Connor then.
“It was during our journey. Now. You are—very amazing. Your crew trust you with their lives, and I can see that not a single one would not gladly die for you. You took on 20 Alphas while at Bridewell. You lead battles and turn the tide of war. And you saved our lives.”
His wife fidgeted here.
Charles hurried on. “It added to what I knew of you before. I added to what I saw of you at Bridewell and everything else. And yes, to your saving me too.”
He reached out to grasp his wife’s hand again. He stopped right before touching him.
“Master Kenway knows of my feelings. I will not say I love you—“ because that would only scare his wife away from him “—but I have grown very fond of you now. And I like you. I enjoy speaking with you as we have done during this journey as much as I enjoyed Master Kenway’s company, as much as playing with my dogs.”
And wasn’t that a revelation? He had thought nothing more important than Spado for a long time.
“And it is clear that you feel for Washington, even if you do not admit it to anyone.”
A sudden blush bloomed on Connor’s cheeks.
Charles pursed his lips.
“When our agents uncovered his role in your past, when Master Kenway gave me proof of it—“
And here, Connor turned pale.
“—I did not know what to do.”
He looked his wife in the eye, then.
“What would you do, Connor? What would you do if the man you began to care greatly for was in love with the very Alpha who burned his village? What would you do?”
Connor looked back at him.
“I would not have kept it a secret.”
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 37
(Anonymous) 2013-06-20 05:31 am (UTC)(link)I'm curious to know what Connor is going to do now. If his romantic feelings for George will change. It's clear he doesn't despise Charles anymore, but he is wary and distrustful of him... which may be difficult if Charles still wants to be his partner.
Then again, now that Charles is wounded is he going to recover in time in order to be a General and Second in Command of the army? Might be interesting if Connor feels obligated to fight at his side rather than Washington's
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 37
(Anonymous) 2013-06-20 05:42 am (UTC)(link)Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 37
(Anonymous) 2013-06-20 08:49 am (UTC)(link)Anyhow, my musings aside, I really enjoyed the chapter. Easy for Connor to say, though... Charles didn't have the intention of /keeping/ it a secret, only prolonged its revelation. Even a wise man would at least hesitate or consider his options, it's not that fair to accuse Charles outright, he stalled for a reason, even if for one he thought to be reasonable. Hope Connor will understand his good intentions with time.
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 37
(Anonymous) 2013-06-20 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)In Pursuit of Happiness 38
(Anonymous) 2013-06-21 07:06 am (UTC)(link)Chapter 38 - Closed Door
Connor felt disappointed.
Jealousy.
This was what it had all been about.
Simple jealousy.
“You can somehow convinced yourself that you like me—“
“I had no need to convince myself. I like you.”
Connor ignored this.
“and, in the fear of losing the ability to, in your own words, be near me, you decided that the best course of action when receiving critical information was to keep it from me. Despite knowing how much I sought the man who destroyed my life, despite knowing that finding the man who thought it acceptable to lay waste to an entire village is of utmost importance to me, you decided to keep silent.”
Charles Lee did not speak.
“You decided to keep silent, so that I would not be upset with you for bringing it to my attention that a man that I admired was responsible for the most heinous crime against my people. Against me.”
The man still did not speak.
Connor clenched his hands in frustration.
“And all,” he continued, “for the sake of being near me.”
He pursed his lips.
“You are selfish, Charles Lee.”
Charles Lee made a noise of protestation.
“I did what I thought best so as not to bring you grief—“
“You did what you did because you were too cowardly and selfish to bring this to my attention!”
“That is not true. I thought of how it would affect you in the midst of a dangerous mission—“
“You kept it from me long after we had hunted Church! If it were not for your own jealousy of Commander Washington, then I would never have known!”
The Alpha looked sullen.
“I would have told you.”
Connor glared at him.
“Really?” He decided to push. “When?”
The Alpha looked away, not meeting his eyes.
“When it would not cause you to despise me.”
Spirits above...
Connor took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.
“I believe,” he began again, “that you may have truly thought you were being—kind—to me.”
Or so Connor hoped. It seemed unfathomable to him otherwise.
“But your words are of little else but fear of losing something you wanted. That that thing is my company makes it all the worse.”
Because was it not worse that the Alpha professed that he liked Connor? Liked him and wanted to be near him, but, despite all the claims of respect, clearly did not respect him or value his opinions.
Because if he did, he could never have thought that betraying his trust was worth so little...
Wanting to be near him? Was that all his trust was worth?
It felt bitter to Connor, to know that this man who professed to like him could disregard him so easily.
“That isn’t it. I was trying to spare you—“
Connor had had enough.
“In what possible way did it spare me anything? If, as you say, you were going to tell me later on, then how could that have spared me anything?”
Charles Lee fell silent at that.
Then, “I would have slowly proven to you that Washington was not to be trusted. Little by little. And I would have told you after you were well acquainted with the idea.”
Connor stared at him.
That was...
“That is not waiting not to be despised,” he whispered.
Charles nodded.
“I know.”
----
Charles was nervous. He could feel that Connor was so close to turning away from him. And he could feel that Connor was close to believing him.
It was maddening, knowing that, once again, he was turning what should have been a relatively painless affair into a mess.
“You are right.” He rubbed a tired hand across his eyes.
“I was selfish, and I did not want to jeopardize my own time with you. And I was largely influenced by my own reasons.”
And it galled that it was even true. He had wanted to use the evidence to destroy his wife’s attraction to Washington. He had just been too afraid to lose his wife’s regard himself.
He’d work so long and hard for it. He’d finally managed to get his wife to a point where Connor didn’t hate him or despise him. After losing his wife and never having his good opinion, he was desperate not to lose it again. He couldn’t give it up.
And so, he was selfish.
“But,” he added, “that was not the only thing that I weighed. I feared losing your regard, because I knew that it was a likely outcome. You would be hurt by this. You are hurt by this. And I—“
He trailed off, uncertain suddenly. His head dropped onto his hands as he struggled to find the words.
He took a deep breath.
“I was under orders to reveal it to you. I will not obscure that truth. I was under orders to show you the truth, because Master Kenway could not bear for his only son to remain in ignorance.”
Connor frowned at that.
“But I did not want to hurt you too much. I valued your companionship, I valued being near you. I value your happiness.”
And here, his wife looked shocked.
“And I thought that knowing this in such a way would hurt you. You love Washington—“
And Connor looked as if he wished to refute that.
Charles held up a hand.
“—Please, I know. I know you care deeply for Washington, beyond that of mere friendship.”
He took a painful breath. It was still hard to think of the relationship his wife had had with their current commander-in-chief. It was painful to remember that his wife chose death to save him then.
“And I know that it would hurt you to learn of this so bluntly. And so I waited. I was waiting for the right time, hoping to change your mind about Washington first so that it would not hurt you so much. I wanted to wait until I wouldn’t lose the things I valued so much. And I know I was selfish in doing so.”
It was for selfish reasons but, it was to protect Connor. So that he would not hurt his wife again.
He was always hurting his wife.
“I am sorry.”
And he meant it.
“I think...” Connor began.
Charles looked up.
“I think that I need time to reflect on all of this. I think,” here he paused. “I think that you should leave.”
Charles felt his eyes growing wide. Despite everything, he hadn’t believed—
“Connor,” he pleaded.
“I think it best that we not see each other for a little while.”
The breath left Charles’s lungs in a surprised whoosh, and he was left speechless.
This...this couldn’t...
“I need time to think.”
Connor got up from the chair and made to leave. Right before he exited the doorway, he stopped and turned to look at Charles.
Those amber-brown eyes regarded him sadly, disappointedly.
“I will not dissolve the truce on this. It would not be fair to the work we have put in to make our two organizations work. But...”
Connor looked away.
“But I need time to think if it is really advantageous for the two of us to work together. I will relay my thoughts to you before our next mission.” And he swiftly left the room.
Charles was left sitting there, contemplating his wife’s words.
Next mission.
It was not the end. He had more battles to fight.
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 38
(Anonymous) 2013-06-21 07:41 am (UTC)(link)Wonder what the next maybe-mission will be.
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 38
(Anonymous) 2013-06-22 06:56 am (UTC)(link)//pets the pretty men//
In Pursuit of Happiness 39
(Anonymous) 2013-06-22 06:55 am (UTC)(link)Chapter 39 - Confirmation
The arrow missed. The buck ran off. Connor lowered his bow in frustration.
Ever since he had last seen the Templars, ever since that conversation with Charles Lee, he had not been able to concentrate. His arrows went astray; his mentor often remarked that he seemed unfocused. Even his recruits seemed to notice that something was amiss and seemed to be extra considerate to him.
His hands tightened around his bow.
It was not right. Worrying his loved ones so...it was not how a good mentor ought to behave. And yet he cannot seem to banish everything he now knows out of his mind. He cannot.
He walked over to the tree the arrow had struck and removed it with a sudden tug. The fletching had struck something and was slightly torn. He would need to repair it or it would never fly true.
A thought occurred to him.
Perhaps that was why he had not taken down the buck as he had planned. If the fletching had been damaged before he released the arrow...
He was lying to himself. This was unacceptable. He was distracted, and he knew it. He even knew the cause of his distraction.
Connor ran a hand through wet, sweaty hair.
Everything was such a mess. Commander Washington’s potential link to the burning of Connor’s village, Charles Lee’s declaration of his...feelings, his own uncertainty over whether he ought to keep the current alliance with the Templars...
And that was the difficulty. A good mentor did not let their own personal concerns detract from the Brotherhood’s goals. A good mentor would be able to separate his own anger and frustration from his Brotherhood affairs and behave strategically and logically for the good of all Assassins.
Connor was not sure anymore what would be good for the Brotherhood. Should he allow this alliance to continue despite his own feelings of betrayal and bitterness and, if he was honest with himself, guilt? Or is he blinding himself to a terrible partnership because of his own partiality to his father and Charles Lee?
Because, in spite of everything, he was partial to Charles Lee. The man was loyal to his Order, brave and smart. And those qualities were appealing. He was not sure of Charles Lee’s declaration and especially not sure of how he felt, but he knew that he already thought of the Alpha in a better light than he thought of any other Templar. Even his own father.
Connor frowned.
It was not appropriate for him. It was not appropriate for him to feel this way for a man who did not even respect him. Who apparently may desire him in a way that he did not know how to deal with. Who may or may not have been telling the truth with regard to Commander Washington.
Connor shivered, suddenly unsure of himself.
He needed to discover if Charles Lee had been telling the truth. The Alpha had said that he had evidence, but Connor had yet to see that evidence. And he was not sure he would trust it even if he did see it.
It was uncharitable of him, he knew, but he could not believe that George Washington was the monster responsible for his mother’s death. It could not be true. It could not.
And yet, Charles eyes had nearly glowed with conviction and hate when he had said it. Those were not the eyes of someone hiding the truth, and they were certainly not the eyes of someone who is truly thinking about what he is saying.
But it did not mean that Charles Lee was correct. He may think he is, but Connor will not believe it until sources that Connor trusted confirmed it. Sources such as his elders or Commander Washington himself.
Anything else would be—
George Washington was such an admirable man in his temper, his morals, the way he brought out the best in the soldiers. How could he be responsible for the atrocity leveled at Connor and his people over a decade ago?
Connor whirled around and began heading back. He would need a quick bath to cleanse himself of the filth he was encrusted in after stalking that buck and failing to fell it. He would need to pack two weeks worth of clothes. And he would need to speak with Achilles.
It was past time that he paid the commander a visit and put to rest all his doubts about the man. It was past time for him to make a decision on the alliance.
Somehow, he cannot still his quickly beating heart.
----
One week later, he stared at the commander, at Washington in horrified shock.
“No,” he whispered, unable to believe it.
Washington looked sad and guilty and reached out a hand to Connor.
Connor violently jerked back from the hand, as if it were a poisonous snake.
Washington lowered his hand slowly.
“I was not always a good man, Connor. I did some truly despicable things that I regret and—“
“Why?” The words came out in a raw cry.
If possible, Washington looked even more ashamed. “It was the French-Indian war. My orders were to remove all threats—“
“—We were neutral, joining neither the English and their colonies nor the French. How were we a threat?”
It was unfathomable. Innocent people had died that night. His mother had died that night.
Washington looked uncomfortable. “You were not with us,” he murmured.
Connor stilled.
Was that what this man truly thought? That if they did not join with his cause, that they were automatically the enemy?
He had advised his village to stay neutral in this current war. Would Washington burn them for not joining him as he did so many years ago? Would he slaughter innocents because they refused to die for him?
It was a chilling thought, and Connor felt all estimation he had for the man die.
The Alpha had done it once before. Who was to say he would not do so again?
“You—“ No word was strong enough. No word descriptive enough to contain Connor’s fury, his regret and the yearning stab of his heart.
How could he care for this man? How could he care for this Alpha who had destroyed his life so? What was wrong with him that he still wanted to believe the best of Washington?
“I am sorry.”
It echoed Charles’s words.
“I am sorry that I hurt you. You, I have never wanted to hurt. I—“
Washington’s voice lowered.
“I care for you, Connor. I care for you more than I should, and you are the last person I wanted to hurt and...”
Washington looked away, as if he was unable to face Connor anymore.
“I consider you a friend. More than a friend. I admire you. And I’m sorry that I hurt you.”
Connor’s eyes widened.
Once upon a time, he would have been ecstatic. Once upon a time, he would have offered himself. And while a part of him still wanted to, he was incredulous enough to listen to the other part.
“I cannot work with you,” he whispered.
Washington tensed.
“I cannot work with the murderer of my very own mother.”
“You would abandon the patriot cause?” Washington asked, horrified.
Connor shook his head.
“I will work with the other generals instead and with Master Lafayette. But not you.”
Washington frowned.
“Can you not find it in your heart to forgive me? It hurts me to think that I will never speak with you again, except on formal matters. It hurts that I will not enjoy the companionship I have come to cherish with you. It hurts—“
“What is it with you Alphas,” Connor spat scornfully, “that you apologize and declare your feelings at the same time? Trust and affection are not so easily gained. And I will favor neither you nor Charles Lee in this regard.”
Washington’s eyes grew wide.
“Charles desires you? Charles has hurt you?”
He stepped forward, reaching out to Connor. As if he wanted to take him into his arms.
Connor glared at him.
“He has, but to a lesser extent than you have! His offence is minor compared to yours.”
Washington flinched as if struck, and Connor felt immediately guilty.
Curse his soft heart. Curse his weakness against this man.
“I will,” Connor began again, “continue my activities against the English. I will aide the continental army. But do not expect me by your side. Not for a very, very long time.”
Or ever.
Spirits above, why did he desire the Alpha? Why did he love him?
“Farewell,” he whispered, turning to make his exit.
He needed to leave before his heart broke.
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 39
(Anonymous) 2013-06-22 07:22 am (UTC)(link)Other than that, I really want to hug Connor. He just can't find himself an Alpha with whom he doesn't have (bad) history... Poor baby...
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 39
(Anonymous) 2013-06-22 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)Yeah, poor Connor has terrible luck with Alphas...and terrible taste in them too. Lol! :D
btw, next chapter is to the left. I thought that this thread was getting too squished to the right.
Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 39
(Anonymous) 2013-06-22 12:33 pm (UTC)(link)Re: In Pursuit of Happiness 39
(Anonymous) 2013-06-22 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)Speaking of George, he has a bit of screen-time in the next chapter. Hehe. He's not too pleased with Charles.