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

Chapter 9 : Blue Sunday

Sunday, 3rd of November, 1794
Two days later

The rain was pouring over Paris as if the sky was mourning Louis' death with Rosalie and Madame Margot during his funerals at the Holy Innocents' cemetery. The young woman was dressed up with the same clothes she put on at the burial of Louis' and Madame Margot's father. The old lady bought it to her back then for the occasion and Rosalie decided to keep it. But never would she have thought that she was going to put it back on so soon.
It was a simple black dress reaching to her feet, with an integrated corset sculpting her waist. The upper part was covering entirely her arms and neck. She had a dark hooded cape she used during heavy rains keeping her untied hair from being soaked. But it could not prevent her cheeks from getting wet because of her teary eyes.
Rosalie kept her gaze on the gravestone of the late old man. "Louis Meunier, 1737 - 1794"
On her right, Madame Margot was crying silently. She held a white tissue in front of her mouth to cover up her sobbing, but Rosalie could still hear her. Around them, some of Louis' friends, neighbors and even loyal customers came to assist to the burial. The young woman recognized some of the faces. And now that it was over, they all started to leave the cemetery one by one. A few of them left roses on the grave and offered their condolences to the two women before they walked away.
Once the two of them were alone, Rosalie spoke in a low voice. "He was a great man. He didn't deserve to end like this."
"But why..." Madame Margot whispered. "Why would anyone do this..."
The young woman preferred to keep the details of Louis' death for herself. She did not want to explain to her that it was an accident, that the old man was not the one supposed to die that night. The less Madame Margot knew, the better.
"I don't know." Rosalie lied.
The mature woman then turned her head to look at her as she sniffed. "And you ? What are you going to do now ?"
"I have no idea." she replied as she glanced at her. "Maybe I'll come back to Franciade." Rosalie then turned her entire body to face Madame Margot. "I have to go back to the apartment and start to pack up my things." she then hugged her warmly as she kept her eyes shut. "Take care." The young woman murmured.
"You too." Madame Margot replied in a whisper before she let go of her.
Rosalie then glanced at the grave one last time with her eyes full of tears before she started to lead towards the exit, but suddenly froze when she noticed a hooded man looking at her from a corner of the cemetery. Once she recognized Arno, she slowly approached him and saw the sad look on his face as he was looking back at her. They had not seen each other since what happened Friday, mostly because Rosalie was busy informing Madame Margot and the neighborhood about Louis' passing, but also because the young man was scared to face her.
Arno remembered François De La Serre's death and how he felt responsible for his murder. Everything he had done ever since was to find redemption, to not make the same mistakes again. But once again, someone else died because of his negligence, as if he still had not learned his lesson after everything he had lost. And now, he had to face Rosalie, just like he had to face Élise back then after her father's death. Arno felt like he was stuck inside a vicious circle and he wondered if he would ever be capable of getting out of it someday.
"Rose..." he started as he stared inside Rosalie's dark and wet eyes. "I'm so sorry..." But then, he looked away, and whispered. "This is my fault."
"None of this is your fault, Arno." she gave to him a sad little smile. "Even you cannot prevent death."
"But I should have. I should've been the one to drink this damned wine..."
"No..." she shook her head as her eyes got filled with tears again. "Please, don't say that." she weakly added while her voice cracked. Arno then raised his gaze back to her. After she breathed deeply, she continued. "You don't have to feel guilty."
"But I am guilty." The young man insisted with a sad tone.
"Not to me..." Rosalie murmured and they stared at each other for a few seconds, before the young woman broke the eye-contact. "Besides, I have too many things to worry about right now to find someone to blame."
Arno then frowned. "What happened ?"
"Well, I have to leave the apartment." she said as she sniffed. "Louis did not plan his will, so, all of his properties are going to be sold. Including the tavern." Rosalie tried to hold her tears back as she looked around but it started to get too difficult. So she finally broke down. "I am going to be homeless again..."
The man gently held her by her arms to make her face him. "No, you are not." he replied. "Come to my estate."
"What ? Are... are you sure ?"
"Of course I am. Do you really think I'm going to let you sleep outside ?"
"I..." Rosalie was about to say something, but decided not to. "I don't know what to say..." she answered before she dried her tears with her tissue.
"Then don't say anything." Arno let go of her and gave her a little smile. "Let's go to my carriage, or you're going to catch a cold."
But as he put his hand behind the young woman's back, he glanced over his shoulder and noticed Élise's gravestone. He instantly froze, it had been two weeks since he did not come to visit her. He could not take his eyes away from it.
Rosalie sniffed before she called him in a low voice. "Arno ?"
The man instantly woke up and glanced at her. "Go inside and keep yourself dry, I'll join you in a minute."
The young woman at first frowned, but decided only to nod and not insist, which Arno was grateful for. He then started to lead towards the grave while Rosalie went to the opposite direction. Before she fully disappeared behind the walls that were surrounding the cemetery, she took the time to give a look behind her and watched Arno standing in front of a gravestone on which she could only read a name : Élise.