#elise request

Élise jumped at the sound of my boots hitting the wood of the balcony. Lowering her blade at the sight of me, she turned back to the window.

“Well it’s good to see you too, Élise.” My tone was harsh, something that was now normal between us. Though one would think with her being a Templar and I an Assassin, that would be normal regardless. But that was not the reason so.

She merely looked up at me, her eyes plagued by dark circles and red veins. She clearly hadn’t slept in days. Élise’s gaze drifted down to my hands.

I flicked my blades to show them absent of blood, my sign to show I was no threat to her. She walked over and placed her own sword on the table by the fireplace. As she took a seat on the couch, obviously exhausted, I held out a neatly folded piece of paper.

With a soft touch, she grabbed the paper, “What is this?”

“A list of names. Of assassin targets. One of which happens to be your father’s.” I knew this was against the Creed, to help a Templar, but Élise was not just an enemy, she was a friend. Perhaps if our paths hadn’t diverged when we were young we would have stayed close forever. But Bellec promised me too much.

“And what you plan to take him out?” Her gaze, though tired, weighed heavy on me.

I only shook my head, “Thankfully, no. Bellec and I have been doing some ‘side work’ if you will. And simply put, your Father will never meet his end at the end of our blades.” I took my place right next to her.

“You say that as if the other Assassins will agree with you on this.” She rested her head on my arm, passing the paper back.

Sighing, the weight of what I was doing began to set in, “No. They won’t but your father was far too kind to me. I would never betray his kindness that way.” I rested my own head on her’s, “Templar or not, he is a good man, that I can’t deny.”

Élise sat up, “I have to ask, why are you and this Bellec character so dead set on saving my father?”

I glanced over at her, regret apparent in my face, “I can’t say. It would put you at risk and I swore to your father that I would help keep you safe.” My hand rested on her knee, squeezing softly as we stared at each for a moment.

“And what? Helping Templars doesn’t have you in a more dangerous situation?”Rising from her seat, she looked down at me, disappointment evident in her face. “You are betraying everything in your life, you will lose everything if you are found out.” Shifting her expression, it was as if she was trying to scare me into spilling what I knew.

I scoffed and grinned back at her, “I’m not worried.” I reached up and grabbed her hand, intertwining our fingers, hoping to distract her and lighten both of our moods.

A once stern face turned into a soft playful one, Élise rested her hands on my knees, bending down to be face to face with me, forcing me to react by sinking back into the couch. “You should be worried. You are in a Templar controlled house. Who know what horrible things will happen.”

I smirked deviously, “Trust me De la Serre,” I quickly scooped up her wrists in my hand and flipped her using my other arm and left leg, “There’s not a damn thing you can do to scare me.” I released my grip and extended a hand to help her up, she grabbed my wrist and pulled herself upright.

She rose to her feet and prepared to speak, but a knock at her door caused us both to jump. “You need to go. Now.” She whispered harshly as she began to push me back out the balcony.