Broken Soldier ~ Assassin's Creed 4

Chapter Twenty Six

Emily had a hand fixed on my elbow while the other was engulfing Elise's tiny hand. The girl was excited to go shopping and smiled at everyone who passed. She even waved at a few, and they waved back with great big grins. It made me smile as well. Emily then decided to go into a shop with Luc and left me outside with Elise. She swung gently on my arm and hummed a tune which I recognised as a traditional French lullaby. Il était un petit navire, I think. There was once a little boat. I had sung that song as a young child. Emily had taught me it when we visited France.

"Is that your favourite song?" She looked up at me and nodded. "Why is that?"

"I like the sea. I want to sail on a proper ship. A big one! Instead of just a little one, I want to travel on one of the huge ones like the ones the Navy sail around in." She gazed off into the distance, as if daydreaming. 

"I have a friend who sails in a ship. His name is Edward. He lives very, very far away now because he sails everywhere. He is probably on the sea more than on the land. Do you think you would want to do something like that?"

"No. I would miss Mama and Papa too much. But it would be nice to spend maybe a month at sea." She spoke with an incredibly mature tongue. "I would get to see some very pretty sights and I could tell everyone about the sights when I get back."

"You could even take your parents with you. All three of you could go together." Her eyes lit up.

"Am I allowed to do that?" I nodded.

"Of course. As long as they say yes. Your mother once took me to Paris, where you were born, when I was just a little bit older than you. I loved it. It gave me a better understanding of different cultures because, in Britain, it is quite different, isn't it?" I asked, and she nodded. "I think you would like somewhere like Italy or maybe the Americas. I hear they are very nice places."

"Why don't you go?" She asked sweetly, looking up at me with wide, brown eyes.

"I don't have anyone to go with. My parents would never allow me to go with my fiance because we aren't married yet, and I am still at school."

"School sounds very boring..."

"It is, but it is also good to have an education." I bent down to her level and tapped her forehead with my pinky finger. "Then your brain will be bigger and better than anyone else's." Elise seemed to like that idea. She beamed brightly and hopped slightly on the balls of her feet. I stood back up with a grin.

"If you buy me a book to learn from, I will take you with us when we go to Italy." She held up her hand for me to shake. I shook it.

"How about I send you one for your next birthday?"

"Promise?" Her eyes lit up. Her excitement for education was something I had lacked in these past few years. My chest grew cold with guilt. I felt awful for hating school, but I also loved the fact that I had been given the chance to learn. Other children didn't have that opportunity like I had, and I was thankful for it.

"I promise. In fact, we can go into a bookshop and pick out one that you like." She nodded excitedly and hugged my legs from the side.

"Thank you."

After a few extra minutes, Emily and Luc emerged from the shop. Luc was holding a large, oblong box. I could only guess that there was a new dress in there. Emily took Elise's hand again and we walked down the path a little more. Elise began to explain our plan. Everything from how we were going to pick out a book to visiting Italy and how my parents wouldn't let me go anywhere alone with my fiance.

"Yes, dear, my sister's husband is a very strict man." Emily spoke with a harsh tone, almost spitting at the mention of him. She hated his guts. "I will never be like that with you. And neither with your father."

"That is correct. We only want you to be happy, mon cher." Luc rubbed the top of Elise's hair. "Elisa is expected to marry a rich man, but I did not have a lot of money when I married your mama." I frowned slightly. It was true. I hated the fact that I was being forced to marry someone out of wealth rather than love, but it was fully expected by most other wealthy families. I still did love Martin Labrousse, though I doubt I would have had much of a choice even if I didn't.

"Elise, promise me that you will never marry someone that your parents say you have to. I very much doubt either of them would do that anyway, but I do not want you going through what I am going through. Your mother didn't listen to her parents when it came to marrying, and I don't want you to." I piped up.

"But, if you are doing it, what is so wrong about me doing it?"

"It is not something you want to do. My mother is miserable with her husband, and I know that, but my father was not the man her parents told her to marry. After he was gone, her parents hounded her to marry their previous choice. And she did. And I can tell that she regrets it, enough if she doesn't show it. I do love my fiance, and that matters more than money. Remember that." She wore a confused look, but nodded anyway, and grinned.

"Okay. Are you sure you will be happy?" I nodded as well, a little smile growing on my lips.

"Of course. If I stop being happy, I will come to you for help. Deal?"

"Deal! And we can make cake together." I giggled.

"That would be lovely."

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(A/N) Kind of a short chapter this week, but I felt I wanted to end it here. This story still has a long way to go, but I now know EXACTLY how I want it to end. I also have the perfect thing planned for when Elisa leaves school (which is gonna be super soon, don't worry, I'm bored too) and it won't be Edward coming back and taking her home or any of that crap because it's too early for that. SORRY! But, it will be cute, then sort of sad, then really depressing, then sad, then happy, then fricking adorable. Rollercoaster, basically, guys. You got something amazing to wait for, don't you worry ;D