Embracing The Light (Arno Dorian x OC), an Assassin's Creed Fanfiction

Chapter 19 : Gone, But Not Forgotten

Saturday, 27th of December 1794
A month later

It had been now more than a month since Rosalie had joined the Brotherhood. So far, Arno had taught her the Creed and the Brotherhood's History. In addition, she now knew how to use her eagle vision naturally, and her mentor also showed her different techniques to hide in plain sight. But the young woman was still an apprentice and had a lot to learn from Arno. A few days ago, they had started their first fencing lessons together at the sanctuary's training room. Rosalie still failed to hold her sword properly but the young man reassured her, saying that she was going to learn it all in due time.
The apartment was plunged into calmness as usual when Rosalie woke up that morning. After she rubbed her eyes, she sat up and stretched herself a little. Then she approached the curtains and opened them to let the sunlight enlighten her bedroom. The Brotherhood had not heard from the Templars since De Marbeuf's death by Rosalie's hand, so Arno gathered they did not need to hide away any longer. This also meant that those Templars and the artefact could be anywhere now.
The young woman tried to erase those negative thoughts from her mind and looked through the window to contemplate the weather outside. This winter was much colder than the other years. The flats and streets were all covered with snow, making Rosalie slightly smile. It had been years since the last time she had seen such a snowy weather.
But she then noticed that Arno did not wake her this morning. Usually, he was the one forcing her to get out of her bed every single morning as she was a sleepyhead. She first thought that she may have woken early this time, but the clock on the wall was showing 11.30 a.m..
"Étrange (Strange)..." she muttered to herself.
Rosalie then quickly checked Arno's room upstairs and noticed that it was tidy and deserted as usual.
"Maybe he's at the sanctuary."
So she wore her casual uniform in no time and walked down the stairs to open the door leading to the tunnels. She now knew the underground roads like the palm of her hand, so she was trying to use them everytime she could instead of walking in the streets of Paris which now could be unsafe for her due to obvious reasons.
Once she reached the steel door of the sanctuary, she took out her keys and opened it, not forgetting to lock it back carefully behind her. She then walked down the hallway and, once she reached the entrance hall, she led towards the training room where she presumed Arno was. But when she walked inside the room, she was surprised to see it deserted.
Confused, the young woman turned to a group of Assassins nearby speaking together and asked them. "Excusez-moi (Excuse me), have you seen Arno today ?" The hooded men and women all shook their heads in negation.
"He's not coming today." Rosalie heard behind her and, when she turned her back, she noticed Mentor Trenet standing with her hands clasped in front of her.
"Do you know where he is ?"
"Possibly in Versailles."
"Versailles ?" The young woman echoed with confusion. "What is he doing there ? He hasn't told me anything..."
The Mentor seemed quite embarrassed. "Today is the anniversary of his father's death." she explained. "He asked me to take his day off so he could visit his grave."
Rosalie's face relaxed, she looked down as her heart felt heavy for him. "Oh... I didn't know." Trenet showed a compassionate smile, then turned to leave but the young woman called her before she could. "Mentor Trenet !"
The mature woman turned back her gaze towards Rosalie. "Oui ?"
"As Arno isn't here today... Do I have to stay here or..."
"Do whatever you want to do." Trenet calmly cut her off, knowing what she was insinuating. "You still are an apprentice and Arno is your mentor. And if your mentor is not present, there's no need for you to stay here either."
The young woman then sighed with a polite smile on her face. "Alright. Merci." she nodded.
After Trenet nodded back to her, Rosalie returned and walked towards the steel door from which she arrived. She could not help but feel a little hurt by the fact that Arno did not tell her he was going to Versailles today, especially for such an important reason. But she was not mad at him, how could she ?
For the first time, Rosalie was completely on her own for an entire day, and she now thought about what she should do to occupy herself. It had been ages since the last time she had knitted. Actually, it was around that same period that she went to Franciade for the last time. She missed Madame Margot and Léon terribly, and thought it might be a great idea to pay them a visit. Besides, she had been thinking about nothing but Assassins and Templars since she had joined the Brotherhood, so this was the perfect occasion for her to clear up her mind.