Pierrette Arnaud

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Pierrette Arnaud (born c. 1833) was an French acrobat and a member of the British Brotherhood of Assassins. Originally from Paris, she lost her parents during the June Days uprising in 1848 but was adopted by former Swedish cavalry officer Major Wallin and joined his Aurora Equestrian Troupe.

Biography

Early life

Pierrette was born around 1833 to Parisian musicians: her father being a trumpet player and her mother, Marie Arnaud, a violinist who, according to her father, was talented enough that she could bring Vivaldi to life with her skills. Pierrette's parents were passed over for positions at the Paris Opera for reasons they never knew, and thus often played in the orchestra at the Paris Hippodrome to make ends meet.

In 1848, France was hit by a period of civil unrest with the abdication of King Louis Philippe in February and later on, the workers uprising in June. In the latter event, Pierrette's parents participated in the riots, leaving her in the care of Swedish Major Wallin, who was then in Paris along with his travelling troupe, the Aurora Equestrian Troupe, and his daughter Tillie. Before departing to the barricades, her parents requested Wallin to look after their daughter should anything happen to them, barring her from taking part in the riots.

Sure enough, Pierrette's parents were killed by the National Guard at the Rue Soufflot, and were buried in an unmarked grave. Pierrette, heeding her late parent's advice, joined Major Wallin and his troupe in order to survive and avoid starving to death.

Encountering Ada Lovelace

In 1851, Pierrette performed at the Great Exhibition where she ended up rescuing mathematician Ada Lovelace from a gang of thugs. Once the pair were safe, Ada revealed she was deathly ill and sent Pierrette on a journey to find her friend Simeon Price and to work with him to stop a weapon she had developed, known as the "Engine of History", from being used. The pair managed to uncover a startling web of political assassinations destabilizing Europe.

Behind the scenes

Pierrette Arnaud is a character introduced in the first novel of the Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History series, The Magus Conspiracy, written by Kate Heartfield and released in August 2022.

Etymology

The given name Pierrette is French in origin and means "rock", it is also the feminine form of Pierre. The surname Arnaud is the French form of the given name Arnold, derived from the Ancient Germanic arn "eagle" and wald "power, violence" or alternatively "forest".

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy