System in Assassin's Creed

Chapter 76: Chapter 75: Romance?

[Current Balance: 1,494,706,244R]

---

”KYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

”AH! MA’AM I’M SO SOR-”

Reuben wasn’t able to reply as a dagger was thrown at his face, specifically towards his eyes, with great precision.

”How dare you, you damned pervertito!” The woman screamed and immediately sprinted to where her clothes were, and grabbed another dagger and lunged at him.

”Ma’am, I didn’t mean to do this!” Reuben grit his teeth as the woman began to attack.

Reuben instinctively jerked his head back, the first dagger whistling past his ear and embedding itself deep into the wooden wall behind him.

*THUNK!*

He barely had time to register the near miss before the woman was upon him, the second dagger flashing in a vicious downward arc.

Still clutching his stack of books, Reuben clumsily raised his left forearm... the one obscured by the books, to block. The dagger struck the thickest volume, ’A Treatise on Maritime Law’, with a dull thud, failing to pierce the dense pages. The force of the impact, however, knocked a few books loose, sending them scattering across the floor.

”Wait! It’s a misunderstanding!” Reuben protested, sidestepping another quick thrust aimed at his ribs.

He tried to parry with the book still impaled on the dagger, but the woman was fast, fluidly transitioning into a series of slashes.

Alaric leaned casually against the opposite wall of the narrow corridor with his arms crossed, watching the spectacle with undisguised amusement as a wide grin stretched across his face.

”Having fun, Reuben?” he called out cheerfully.

”Shut up, ’Laric!” Reuben snapped back, ducking under a wild swing. ”Ma’am, please listen! You’re in the wrong room! This is our cabin!”

The woman didn’t seem to hear him, or perhaps didn’t care, her face flushed with fury and embarrassment.

She pressed her attack, with her movements skilled and efficient despite her state of undress.

Reuben, hampered by the remaining books and his reluctance to actually harm her, was forced into a purely defensive dance, constantly backpedaling and deflecting.

He managed to block another strike, this time knocking the dagger from her hand with an awkward sweep of his book-laden arm as the dagger clattered harmlessly away.

Undeterred, the woman lunged forward, attempting a punch. Reuben caught her fist easily, but his grip, stronger than intended, made her wince and stumble back.

”See? I don’t want to fight!” Reuben insisted, holding his hands up placatingly, the remaining books finally tumbling free. ”Just... stop attacking!”

The woman glared at him, breathing heavily, momentarily weaponless but still radiating hostility. Her eyes darted to the dagger embedded in the wall, then back to Reuben as her chest was heaving.

Finally, seeming to realize she wasn’t gaining any ground and was still mostly undressed in a corridor, she pointed a trembling finger towards the open doorway behind Reuben.

”Get the hell out!” she yelled, her voice tight with anger.

Reuben didn’t need telling twice. He scrambled backwards out of the cabin doorway just as the door slammed shut with a BANG, narrowly missing his nose.

Alaric pushed himself off the wall, still grinning broadly. ”My, my, Reuben. Didn’t know you had it in you. Barging into a lady’s room like that... quite the pervert, aren’t we?”

Reuben shot him an exasperated look and let out a long sigh, running a hand through his already messy hair.

”It was an accident, ’Laric. And she was in our room.” He bent down to gather his scattered books.

Before he could pick them all up, the cabin door creaked open again.

The woman stood there, now fully dressed in her assassin attire, though her hood was down, revealing her striking features. A distinct blush colored her cheeks, contrasting sharply with her otherwise composed expression.

She cleared her throat, avoiding Reuben’s gaze initially. ”My apologies...”

”It seems I... miscalculated the cabin location.” She finally looked at Reuben, her expression hardening slightly. ”However, that does not excuse you forcing the door open while I was... indisposed.”

Reuben’s mouth fell open slightly, caught completely off guard by the shift in blame. He sputtered for a moment, unable to form a coherent response.

”I shall take this up with the ship’s purser,” she stated coolly, adjusting one of her pauldrons. ”I specifically requested a great cabin similar to this one.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned sharply and walked down the corridor, her polished boots clicking on the wooden planks.

Alaric watched her retreating figure until she disappeared around a corner, then let out another hearty chuckle, shaking his head.

Reuben just stared after her, still speechless, a single book dangling forgotten from his hand. Finally snapping out of it, he finished gathering his books and pushed open THEIR cabin door.

Alaric followed him inside, still chuckling. ”Well, that was entertaining.”

Reuben dumped the books onto his bunk with more force than necessary, his face still flushed. ”Entertaining? She almost skewered me! And then blamed me!”

”Ah, but you handled it,” Alaric said, flopping onto his own bed with a grin. ”Though, I must say, for someone I’ve made superhumanly strong, you seemed rather flustered by a half-naked woman with a couple of daggers.”

Reuben’s blush deepened considerably, reaching the tips of his ears. He glared at Alaric but the latter continued to have a teasing look.

”I was surprised, alright? And trying not to hurt her! It was a mistake! If I’d treated her like an actual enemy,” he gestured vaguely towards the fallen books, ”I’d have just grabbed the nearest heavy object, like that ridiculously thick law book she stabbed, and slammed it into her head. That would have ended it quickly.”

Alaric raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. ”Wow. You’re such a gentleman, Reuben. Resorting to blunt force trauma.”

Reuben scoffed, crossing his arms defensively. ”Like you wouldn’t have done much worse in that situation.”

Alaric just laughed, not denying it.

A minute or so passed in relative silence, broken only by the soft rustling sounds as Reuben carefully arranged his stack of books on the small table beside his bunk. Some covers were scuffed, a few corners bent from their fall and the brief scuffle.

Alaric watched him with amusement, noting the meticulous way Reuben tried to smooth out the damaged pages.

Finally, Reuben straightened up, turning towards Alaric with a thoughtful frown. ”Who do you think she was, ’Laric?” he asked, his voice quieter now. ”She dressed... well, it was almost the same style as Jonathan.”

Alaric chuckled softly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed but remaining seated. ”You finally noticed, did you?”

He leaned back, supporting himself on his hands, and yawned. ”She’s in the same organization as Jonathan... she’s an Assassin.”

Reuben’s eyes widened slightly, comprehension dawning. He let out a slow breath, processing the information. ”Assassins, aye?” he murmured, rubbing his chin. ”Like... the enemies of those Templa-”

Creak... thump.

Reuben’s words were cut off as a knock sounded at their cabin door. Except, it wasn’t quite a knock. The force behind it, combined with the already broken lock mechanism from Reuben’s earlier forceful entry, simply pushed the door inward a few inches.

Standing in the opening, hand still raised as if to knock again, was the woman.

Both Reuben and the woman froze for a second time, locking eyes again. This time, a matching blush instantly bloomed on both their faces.

The woman recovered first, quickly averting her gaze and clearing her throat awkwardly. It was only then that Alaric and Reuben noticed the small, woven basket she held in her other hand, covered with a white cloth.

”I, ah...” she began, her usual composure slightly ruffled. She held out the basket towards them, still not quite meeting Reuben’s eyes.

”I spoke with the purser. There was indeed an error with the cabin assignments.” She took a small breath. ”I brought these... Marzipans... as a token of apology. For the... misunderstanding... and the daggers.”

Reuben, still flustered, managed a small nod. ”Ah... yes,” he mumbled, awkwardly taking the offered basket. It felt surprisingly heavy.

The woman straightened up slightly, regaining a fraction more of her composure. ”May I know the names of the gentlemen I... encountered?” she asked, her tone formal. Before they could reply, she offered a small, polite dip of her head. ”My name is Flavia. Flavia Auditore, from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.”

Alaric watched from the bed, thoroughly enjoying Reuben’s continued awkwardness. Reuben cleared his throat, shifting his weight. ”Reuben,” he said, glancing at Flavia before quickly looking away again. ”From Bristol, England.”

Flavia tilted her head slightly, her gaze lingering on Reuben for a moment.

”No surname?” she inquired, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Reuben scratched the back of his head. ”Unfortunately... just Reuben.”

Flavia studied him for another second, then gave a curt nod before turning her attention to the figure lounging on the bed.

Alaric looked entirely too comfortable, hands laced behind his head, watching the exchange like it was a play staged for his benefit.

”And you?” Flavia asked, her gaze sharp.

Alaric remained silent for a second as a grin was playing on his lips.

’Have I mastered the art of suspense?’ he thought inwardly, though in reality, he was just enjoying the moment.

Reuben glanced over at him expectantly. Finally, Alaric sat up slightly.

”Alaric Jonathan Kenway,” he announced clearly. ”Born in Swansea, but live in Bristol now. Same as Reuben.”

”So an Englishman and Welshman...” Flavia nodded again, acknowledging the introduction.

”It is my pleasure to meet you both, Reuben, Alaric,” she said, her formality returning fully. ”And again, I sincerely apologize for the... misunderstanding I caused earlier.”

”It’s... fine,” Reuben replied, his lips tightening as he tried to suppress his awkwardness. He clutched the basket, unsure what else to do.

Flavia nodded once more, then gently pushed the door closed, stepping fully into the small cabin. She looked directly at Reuben, her expression serious, though the blush still lingered faintly on her cheeks.

”While the initial intrusion into the wrong cabin was my error,” she stated, her voice regaining some of its earlier firmness, ”your subsequent actions... well. You must take responsibility.”

Reuben raised an eyebrow, completely lost. ”Responsibility? For what?” He glanced over at Alaric, hoping for some clue, but Alaric merely offered a theatrical shrug, clearly finding the situation hilarious.

Reuben turned back to Flavia, bewildered. Her blush deepened significantly as she met his confused gaze. She took another small breath, as if steeling herself.

”Marry me...”

”...”

”...”

”...”

Consider buying me a coffee!

patreon.com/kulark

I’m uploading dozens of Chapters ahead there!