Unwoven Fate (Ezio Auditore x Reader)

X. Pawns and Castles

(Y/n) began to grow weary as the sun rose in the sky, beams of light breaking through the sparse clouds, the Priest's secret meeting with the Templar intelligence soon to commence. But her target was still throwing the dice and cheering at his victories - she was beginning to wonder if Fortuna had decided to smile upon the man today.

"I'm getting tired of this." The Assassin novice grumbled as the pit from her final peach was tossed aside, wiping the juice on her hidden blade against her trouser leg to clean the weapon off. She would clean it thoroughly that evening anyway. Two quarter slices of the fruit were handed to Beatrice while she kept the other two for herself.

It was rather dark in the tavern, the oil lamps put out to conserve oil and the flames from the wall-mounted candles doing very little. The roof of the building seemed to cast the place in shadow from the leaded windows and she wondered if the place was intentionally designed in such a way to keep people from tracking the time so they would spend more of their money on gamblers' games and drink. Perhaps even to make it easier for thieves to pickpockets and dip into the shadows before their oblivious target could notice.

"I'm beginning to think I should play my own hand just to chase him out. How can such a foul man have such luck anyway?" The courtesan glared over at him before (Y/n) pushed the other slice of the peach across the table, getting up and making her way to La Volpe's office. It was lit up more than the rest of the place, barrels of drink lining two of the walls. A board was propped up upon one of them and he sat at a desk which was mostly covered by a map with chess pieces appointed to certain locations. Likely where he positioned his thieves across the city of Roma.

The windows were covered with dull green drapes that bore a few moth holes and such small details made her begin to wonder about the fight ahead of the Assassins. The Brotherhood was in dire need of more funds but with the Borgia's iron grip around Roma's throat, she knew that getting said funds would be far from easy.

"You should ask before entering. Not everyone is allowed here, you know?" The man spoke.

"Sorry." (Y/n) replied before beginning what she originally wished to say, not being all that sorry at all, truthfully - her impatience was getting the best of her, "Can you not rig the game? I need to get rid of this man so I can go and take out another target. For Ezio." She added for good measure.

"So Ezio has sent you to run the brotherhood's errands to prove your loyalty?" La Volpe raised a brow as he stood from his desk, taking a key from his pocket to unlock a drawer that was tucked between two sets of bookshelves. (Y/n) felt her chest deflate with the weight of betrayal.

"So you think I'm a spy too?" The novice sighed and threw her head back, exhausted at the false rumour already.

"You're Emma's daughter." He began simply, "People had their doubts of her ambiguous past too but she was undoubtedly an Assassin. You will be too, one day soon." She smiled softly, glad to find someone else who believed her.

"Thank you, La Volpe." She spoke sincerely. "Discovering that she, that I, come from a family of Templars... It's a lot to take in, especially so suddenly. I wish that my parents were here now more than ever to guide me." He took out a small purse of coins and gently placed it into her palm, wrapping his gloved hand around hers as he did.

"I see a lot of your parents in you, (Y/n). They were trialled too and with the fall of Monteriggioni, the Assassins must watch our backs now more than ever. But you're strong enough to come this far, you won't be stopped anytime soon." (Y/n) smiled at his thoughtful words and wondered, in another life where her parents hadn't been murdered, if he could have been like an uncle to her. "Give this to the man in the green hat with the scar through his eyebrow. Tell him that I said 'luck has run dry'." A knowing smile teased the corner of her lips.