He’d been away with Faulkner for three weeks, so when he returned he was looking forward to the rabbit stew you would always make for him. He hoisted his duffle over his shoulder and made his way up to the homestead, noticing the smoke coming from the kitchen chimney. A smile graced his lips as he looked forward to a home cooked meal, and if he was honest, seeing you. He walked in the door, surprised when you weren’t the one in the kitchen.
“Ah Connor. Glad to see you back my boy. I hope you don’t mind chicken for dinner.” He looked around the house and noticed little books and papers stacked on all the tables, noting you couldn’t have been there, you hated Achilles messes.
“That would be greatly appreciated, I’ve grown tired of fish.” The old man turned and looked at his apprentice, who really was nearly a master assassin himself.
“Good, go fetch one and bring it in and clean it for us.” Connor grumbled as he took his duffle to his room before going out to fetch a chicken as Achilles had asked. After he came in and cooked the rest of dinner, curiosity got the better of him.
“Where is y/n?” He asked before stuffing a bite of vegetables in his mouth.
“From her last letter, she should be in New York right now, gathering important information about your father and Charles Lee.” Connor dropped his fork and he swallowed his bite and sat up tall.
“How is she gathering this information. Charles Lee is a dangerous man and I wouldn’t want her to be someone he sees as a threat.” He watched Achilles, waiting as the man chewed on his chicken before answering.
“Don’t worry, she is deep undercover and has not returned here for as long as you’ve been gone. They have no reason to suspect her as one of the assassins. She didn’t take her robes nor her blades so that there would be no chance getting caught.” Connor felt his anger in his cheeks, and Achilles could see it. Connor set his jaw as he tried not to yell, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
“She’s undercover, in New York without her weapons all while getting information on the Templar’s. They even so much as suspect her affiliation with us and they will not hesitate in ending her life. Do you want her blood on your hands?” While posing his question he slammed his hands on the table and stood up. He walked towards the door, but Achilles stopped him.
“Where on earth are you going? To get her killed?” Connor turned and faced the old man with a fire in his eyes. Achilles stood and made his way to stand in front of Connor, not intimidated by his size or anger.
“I am going to bring her home. I am going to save her from the fate you care so little about.” After a swift hit from Achilles’ cane across his thigh, Connor heard the elderly man raise his voice in a tone he’s rarely witnessed.
“Now you listen to me carefully, Y/N is a damn good assassin who is more than capable of protecting herself and I believe she will be more than fine on this mission.” There was a stare off between the two men than lasted for a mere minute but felt like hours. “If you cannot accept the fact that she is just as skilled as you, go check on her, but if she gets hurt, that is on you.”
“Haythem really now, what would people think?” You cooed as you and the older gentleman sipped tea. He looked at you seriously, knowing people would talk, but he was simply asking you to take a stroll with him, not get married.
“I do not understand why you would worry people would think badly of you. We are simply enjoying each other’s company while seeing the city.” He had a look in his eyes that made your heart skip a beat, no matter how much you tried to distance yourself from him, he kept pulling you in with those eyes. You had always felt a strong connection to Connor, but after spending so much time with Haytham, your feelings were getting more and more clouded. Haythem was never short of a gentleman, refined and dignified with a sense of self worth that is magnetizing. His British charm sure didn’t hurt either.
“I am surely flattered Haythem. I don’t deserve this much attention from a man of your importance.” You knew how to stroke his ego, making him completely comfortable with you. Unfortunately the more you time you spent with him, the more attracted to him you became.
After tea you joined him for a walk around the city as he told you all about his life in England and how he came to the new country. He got called away by Charles Lee just an hour after tea, and in true gentlemanly fashion he asked you to join him later.
“Y/N, would you do me the pleasure of joining me for dinner. I have to attend a meeting with some important men right now, but I can have a carriage pick you up at the inn and bring you to the tavern. That is if you don’t mind spending more time with me.” A deep blush crossed your cheeks as Charles rolled his eyes behind Haytham.
“I’d love to join you. What time shall I be ready?” Haytham offered you a slight smile before he glanced at his pocket watch.
“It will be there at 6, promptly.” He then took your hand and kissed it before loading you into a carriage to take you back to the inn quickly. This would give you time to clean up before dinner and calm the butterflies in your stomach.
Just as he stated the carriage pulled up at 6 and whisked you away to dinner. When you arrived at the tavern Haytham was waiting out front. He helped you from the carriage and offered his arm as he lead you inside. You didn’t know Charles would be joining you as well as Thomas Hickey and John Pitcairn, but honestly gathering information on these men was your mission. Sat next to Haytham you tried your best to seem uninterested in their conversation, but Haytham would ask for your opinion from time to time, drawing you deeper into it.
After dinner you all had drinks, until Hickey had a bit too much as was completely inappropriate towards you. Haytham could see how uncomfortable you were so he decided he’d personally take you back to the inn. As you walked outside, you noticed the cool breeze in the air and felt a pang of pain in your chest. On nights like these you and Connor would spend hours out by the water studying the stars.
“Could we walk back? The weather is perfect tonight.” Haytham, who was opening a carriage door turned and saw you looking up at the stars and he couldn’t deny you.
“Of course. That will give us a chance to talk.” You waited as he tipped the carriage driver anyway before giving you his arm as you walked through downtown. “You know that my work takes me all over, but I spend a good amount of time in Boston at our headquarters.” He glanced at you, waiting to see your reaction.
“Does this mean you’ll be leaving me soon?” You looked up at him, seeing his amused smile.
“Actually I was going to ask you to come with me. You proved at dinner tonight that you have the right state of mind to join our organization.” You knew exactly what he was talking about, but you couldn’t let him know how much you knew about the Templar’s.
“Really? Were all those men part of your organization? Is that why you asked me to join you?” You gave him an innocent smile as he continued to move in time with your strides.
“Darling you are a very clever woman. How could I not want you in the organization?” You slowed your steps as you considered his question.
“Tell me more about this organization. What would they require of me?” The next two blocks were walked at a leisurely pace as he vaguely explained the Templar order to you. You acted very interested, asking him lots of questions along the way. The second he told you he was grandmaster, you stopped and pulled on his arm.
“Haytham Kenway, you are the leader of this, this um, order? How do you manage, isn’t it lonely traveling all the time?” He had turned to face you, faint smile on the corner of his mouth as he tucked a curl behind your ear.
“That is why I am asking you to join me my dear.” You felt your cheeks warm up instantly and you smiled shyly up at him. That’s when you noticed a figure in the shadows on the building across the road from where you stood, and you felt your heart flip knowing that outline all too well.
“Shall we get to the inn?” He raised a brow at your sudden need to get back, but he didn’t question you. You kept your eyes ahead of you and decided to keep the conversation light until you arrived back at the inn. Once inside Haytham walked you to your room, and as he stood outside your door you asked him one last question.
“How long can I think about your offer Haytham? It’s a big decision to make.” He paused a moment, gauging you as thought about his answer. After the corner of his lips twitched upwards he spoke sternly.
“I will be leaving for Boston in two days time. I’d love to have you join me on that trip if you’d say yes.” You nodded, he certainly wasn’t giving you much time.
“I will let you know before then. Goodnight.” With that you place a gentle kiss on Haytham’s cheek before retreating to your room and locking the door. No doubt you’d have a visitor sneak in through the window.
You turned down the lights and changed into your dressing gown before opening the window. For a moment you let the breeze sooth your still burning cheeks, but a small rustling from the trees brought back your focus. You moved to sit at the small writing desk, making you nightly notes with all the important information you had learned that day, still waiting for him to climb in the window. Finally you had finished writing and you blew out the lamps before you sat in bed. After a few moments you saw the curtains billow and soon the shadow was standing here next to the bed.
“I was wondering when you’d come in.” He watched you as you shifted in bed, facing him so that your features were now bathed in moonlight.
“You have been spending a lot of time with my father, I came to make sure you were alright.” You could hear the tenseness in his words, he hated what you were doing.
“Has he left the inn,” you asked in a whisper, not wanting him to possibly hear the conversation you were about to have.
“He headed back to the tavern to make more plans I’m sure.” Connor was cold and short with his answers, and it broke your heart.
“I am doing my mission. That is all. Haytham is leaving for Boston in two days, and I will head,” but before you could finish, Connor’s jealousy got the better of him.
“Where? With him to Boston to join the order, that is what he asked of you. You seemed to enjoy his company.” You scoffed at the man in your room, how dare he assume your loyalty lay anywhere other than the assassins.
“Listen to yourself. I made no plans to follow Haytham to Boston, my home is elsewhere and you know that.” You scolded him, but he couldn’t get the image of you and his father strolling along arm in arm.
“You say that, but I saw how you looked at him. I am not foolish y/n. You have feelings for him and do not think you can lie to me.” Exasperated you huffed, how could Conner be so observant and naive at the same time?
“Spending these past few weeks with him has not left me indifferent. I do enjoy his company, I will not deny that. What would you like me to say?” Connor bit his lip as he stared into your eyes, was he angry that you might be lost to the assassins, or that you’d be lost to him. To his father of all men. He knew his father was persuasive and demanding, but when he was with you he almost looked kind and caring. The more he thought about you with his father, the more his feelings came bubbling up in his throat, but he would not let them out.
“You need to decide what side you are on. Just know that whichever you choose, the other will want you dead.” His nostrils were flaring as he tried to push away the thought of killing you, but if you left to Boston, he would not want any other assassin coming after you. It would have to be him. Before you could open your mouth to speak he was gone out the window and you felt tears rolling down your cheeks.
You collapsed onto the bed and cried yourself to sleep, you’ve never seen Connor that angry with you, and it made you question what feelings he really had for you. Up until this point he showed no actual romantic interest, he was a man of few words who was totally dedicated to his mission. He had even stated he was not husband material and you began to believe he only saw you as a fellow assassin.
The next morning you woke before the sun rose and packed your belongings. You hoped to make it out of the inn without seeing Haytham, but he was downstairs enjoying a coffee when you checked out. You didn’t notice him sitting there, newspaper in hand as you grabbed your bag and walked out the door. As you were hailing a carriage though, he came out and spoke your name quietly.
“Leaving so soon y/n?” You took a deep breath, afraid your eyes were still swollen from the night before.
“Haytham. I thought sending you a letter would be easier.” You had been staring at the ground in front of him so he came closer and tilted your chin up to look at him. He gently thumbed your cheek as he spoke.
“I cannot say that I am pleased, but knowing that my son has a woman such as yourself caring for him says a great deal about him. Be careful on you trip, and know that as long as I am grand master, my men will know that you are not to be harmed. Goodbye darling.” He presses a small kiss to your forehead before loading your bag in the carriage and helping you into it. He paid the driver generously and soon you were on your way back home.
