Assassin's Creed: The Golden City
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He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning recent or upcoming releases from the Assassin's Creed series. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. |
Assassin's Creed: The Golden City is a novel by Jaleigh Johnson. It was published by Aconyte Books in May 2023.
Publisher's summary
A young emperor's life hangs in the balance, and only the Brotherhood of Assassins can save him, in this action-packed historical adventure from the award-winning Assassin's Creed universe.
Constantinople, 867 – A murderous plot is afoot. Assisted by the Order of the Ancients, the emperor schemes to assassinate his son and throw the city into chaos. In response, the Hidden Ones have dispatched Assassin acolyte Hytham to join his mentor, Basim Ibn Ishaq, to infiltrate the palace and foil the emperor's plan. But that is not his only mission... Hytham's brotherhood have entrusted him with uncovering where Basim's true loyalties lie and whether the master Assassin's personal obsessions outweigh his sense of duty. For Hytham to succeed, he must tread carefully, for Constantinople is a city of shadows, and danger hides in all of them.[1]
Summary
Chapter One
Hytham takes in a peaceful sight of a sunrise illuminating the city of Constantinople as the Master Assassin Basim comes towards his apprentice. Basim and Hytham talk about how the city's security is an illusion. Instantly, Basim begins their training, hiding in the mist while Hytham carefully acknowledges his surroundings. Within seconds, Hytham dodges Basim's attack but is later knocked down. Their sparring leads Hytham to an inclined muddy hill, right where Basim wants him. Fighting in the mud, Basim immediately stops the lesson and talks about the city's walls.
Lecturing about the Attila the Hun's impending attack on the city during Emperor Theodosius II's reign, Basim details how both the emperor and his prefect Constantine Flavius were unimpressed by the workers' lack of desire to rebuild their damaged walls. Basim recalls how both men offered teams a section of wall and a grand prize, which led to the walls build over tens of years being reconstructed in a matter of months. Back to sparring, Hytham recalls his other mission of spying on Basim's true intentions within the Hidden Ones. However, his loss of focus leads Basim to win their match. Afterwards, they both discuss the information of the recently crowned Emperor Basil I being aided by the Order of the Ancients, who worked to control the city from the inside. Together, Basim and Hytham are tasked to root them out by any means possible.
Chapter Two
Touring the Golden City, Basim and Hytham walk across the streets and enter a wine bar to observe the people. Seeing the literal fruits of the city's agricultural system, Hytham notes that Constantinople stands tall against any external invasion, but Basim reiterates the Order's influence over the emperor as their tactic. They discuss the emperor's Varangian guards, comprised of former Vikings who used to raid coastal settlements but were offered wealthy jobs by the emperor. Although Hytham wondered about the Varangian guards, Basim stopped the conversation and wanted to go elsewhere. Meanwhile, Hytham continued to investigate Basim's true motives.
Chapter Three
Venturing the markets of Constantinople, Hytham walks through the flow and eventually stops a young thief. Continuing through the markets, Basim shows Hytham a female buyer and her two warriors, surmising they are Norse. Basim reveals that he had made his presence and name known to both the Order, in hopes to draw them out, and to the Norse warriors before them. While Hytham looks around for any issues, Basim notes two more warriors are waiting for them further ahead. Hytham climbs to the roofs while Basim engages the warriors. Another warrior on the roofs watches his comrades and does not notice Hytham.
Hytham waits as his target comes closer and readies his Hidden Blade. Seeing the man's neck and its faint scar, Hytham lunges and stabs the man, but the warrior fights back despite his fatal wound. Pushing the man off, Hytham tries to help Basim but is stopped when arrows fly at him. More warriors arrive and Hytham is pinned down, but he looks back and sees one archer killed by a hand-axe. Below, Basim is aided by the female Varangian guard from earlier as she kills the warriors. After hiding the bodies, she introduced herself as Thyra, leader of the Eagle Clan and a Varangian guard.
Thyra asks if they can meet elsewhere away from prying eyes and Basim advises to meet at his ally Demetrios Hestiun's house. She agrees as they all accompany each other to the house. Hytham and Basim talk about their newfound ally while Hytham wonders why Thyra wants their help.
Chapter Four
At Hestiun's house, all arrive as Demetrios tends to his guests and ensures the courtyard's privacy. Thyra asks Basim to confirm if he is the fool from Baghdad intent moving against the emperor. Basim explains his duties and their creed while Hytham informs them of their knowledge of Basil's murder of his former co-emperor, Michael III. In the midst of their conversation, Empress Eudocia Ingerina enters the courtyard, stunning everyone with her presence except Basim. As they all sit, tensions fluctuate but Eudocia explains that she is not well-liked in her palace and wishes to serve the prosperity of her city. Hytham wonders why she has come here while the empress explains that she believes the emperor intends to kill his son, Leo VI.
Chapter Five
Empress Eudocia explains that although Leo is a boy, he is technically co-emperor with his father. Basim surmises that the Varangian guard are then split between their loyalties to both emperors. Thyra then asks Basim and Hytham to be the boy's protectors as the empress promises an alliance between the Hidden Ones and the future emperor. Basim asks if there are other incidents and the empress admits to other attempts on Leo's life. The Master Assassin asks if the palace has anyone else against Leo, but Thyra admits to not knowing much of who else is after Leo.
Basim offers that Hytham portray a new Varangian guard as Thyra helps by having him address himself as an adopted member of the Eagle Clan. The empress agrees to approve his position while the emperor is busy. Basim later asks from both women the promise of an alliance with the Hidden Ones and the Eagle Clan. Thyra and Eudocia speak privately before Thyra agrees to the alliance if Leo is kept safe. Basim agrees as Eudocia takes her leave. Before leaving, Thyra informs Hytham of the arrangement plans while Basim promises to investigate the accidents that almost befell Leo.
Hytham and Basim later discuss how the emperor's thoughts changed about Leo's parentage once the Order began to aid him. Hytham questions why Basim wants to partner with Thyra and her clan and cautiously ponders on whether Basim senses something amiss. He directly asks Basim for the quick alliances and believes the Vikings could be strong allies and to learn their culture. They also agree on playing the long game rather than a quick assassination of the emperor. Basim tells Hytham to plan some regular meetups and to ready himself to be a Varangian guard.
Chapter Six
Basim and Hytham talk about their plan and learning Leo's routine before Hytham starts his day in the palace. Hytham blurts out that he knew he could not be a father due to the world and path he chose. He later asks Basim about his choice. Basim states that he knew a long time ago of what he could have and not have. Basim vanishes within the palace's ground while Hytham is escorted to the empress' throne room. There, he meets with Eudocia and Thyra as planned. However, the young boy Leo enters alongside Justin, another Varangian guard and former head of Leo's security detail.
Being pushed forward by Justin, Leo faces Hytham, who introduces himself to the young boy. Impressed, Eudocia takes her son to his room as Thyra follows them. Justin starts to show Hytham around and patronizes him about needing help around the palace. Passing the emperor's chambers, Hytham notices the change in noise as the numerous guards around the chamber add to the silence. They soon find a training ground, to which Hytham invites Justin to spar. Hytham starts to interview Justin and even enrages him about the change in leadership. Justin relays his dislike of the boy and how Leo may die due to his frailness. Knowing Justin was done talking, Hytham ends the sparring match while Justin realizes he was played. Hytham compliments Justin's skill as Justin shows Hytham to his first post.
Chapter Seven
At the children's wing of the palace, Hytham and Justin walk into a reading room, where Thyra and Leo are. Besides Leo, his tutor Theodore stands besides him over their agricultural lesson. Wanting to show Justin his book, Leo is dismissed disrespectfully by him while Hytham thanks them for their conversation and training from earlier, aggravating Justin. Thyra smiles from the tension of their power while Hytham asks Leo to show him his book. Leo shows his book and then asks Hytham to question him about what he has learned. Hytham asks him a question about how he would feed a city low on food supply. Stuck, Leo freezes but Theodore advises that it is a fair question.
Pivoting, Hytham reminds Leo that it is time for dinner and asks Leo to show him how to go to the dining hall from here. With Theodore's permission, Leo begins to show Hytham the path and nearly holds his hand, but retracts his own hand. At night, Hytham watches how the palace servants move while he watches Leo at a different dining room along with his nurse Anna. Not knowing much about Anna, Hytham considers her a prime suspect due to Anna spending most time with Leo. Soon, Hytham catches Anna off-guard while Basim appears behind him in the shadows. Together, they discuss their days as Basim advises Hytham to make contact with Anna.
Wanting more questions, Hytham tries to talk about them spending the night but Basim is already gone. With dinner almost over, Hytham sees Anna coming towards him and compliments her work. However, she warns that if Leo is harmed, Hytham will suffer the consequences. Impressed, Hytham states he does not intend to harm or abandon the boy. Nevertheless, Anna reveals her disgust of Leo's lack of security. Intrigued, Hytham asks about Justin's work. Anna details how people notice Justin leaving the palace on odd nights before taking Leo from dinner.
Chapter Eight
Guarding Leo's door, Hytham watches and hears for any noise different than the silence. Soon, he hears and sees Leo in his room having a nightmare. Sweating, Leo wakes up while Hytham tries to calm him down. Scared, Leo hugs and cries into Hytham, who comforts him as best as he can. Hytham and Leo talk about their nightmare while Hytham concludes Leo has bested his nightmare and that he will be there for him. However, Leo blurts that he is paid to protect him, nothing more. Hytham states although his skill set means that he may be paid for Leo's protection, his personal ethics vows him to protect the freedoms of the people even at the cost of his own life.
Tucking Leo back into bed, Hytham notices a viper slithering by the foot of the bed. Before he could cry, Leo is grabbed and muffled by Hytham. Hytham slowly pulls Leo from the bed but startles the viper more with the blanket. Leo falls out of Hytham's grasp but he pushes the boy away as the snake attacks Hytham. Quick, Hytham immediately slices the viper in half with his hidden blade. Checking on Leo, he sees no bites on Leo but the boy questions what Hytham's weapon is. Next, Hytham wakes Thyra up and tells her to guard Leo while he investigate the halls for any culprits.
Soon, he finds an old woman motionless. Closer, he notices another viper on her breathless body. Telling Thyra and Leo to stay back, Hytham engages and kills the second viper. He then orders Thyra to find the other guards and scout the grounds. Immediately, Hytham hears another noise and almost uses his blade. Fortunately, it is Justin and Hytham lowers his caution. Justin asks about Leo while Hytham states he is safe. Wanting to go himself, Justin moves forward, but is immediately stopped by Hytham. Hytham calmly and strongly orders Justin to stay with the incoming guards while he goes to check on Leo himself.
Chapter Nine
The servants work quickly to move the dead servant's and the vipers' bodies while Hytham waits for Basim to contact him. Looking through the garden, Hytham is found by Basim and then they discuss that it may be an inside job hired by the Order, but no direct part from them. Basim infers that Hytham may be called by the emperor for saving Leo. Although Hytham advises to be taken off to be hidden, Basim states that it is too late and to use his new reputation as an advantage. Basim advises that the emperor will give a threatening praise of his deeds while Hytham let Basim know of Anna's information.
Hytham also reveals Leo's nightmare and a voice that terrorizes him in his nightmare. Basim believes it might be a djinn, but backtracks when Hytham asks a follow-up question. Afterwards, Hytham is escorted by two of emperor's guards and stands before Emperor Basil I. While both assess each other, Basil calmly thanks Hytham for saving Leo. Keeping it professional, Hytham states his gratitude of being honored as a Varangian guard as he explains how Thyra recently recruited him. Within their conversation, Leo and Thyra arrive and Basil dismisses Thyra quickly.
Basil instructs Leo to state his gratitude to Hytham for saving him. Scared, Leo stutters and looks down. Basil angrily responds to do it again with proper etiquette. Leo does so as Basil then asks Leo to apologize. Confused, Hytham asks why. Going towards Leo, Basil stands over Leo, who states his fault of leaving the outside door open for snakes to enter. Bewildered, Hytham sees the misery upon Leo while Basil states his work does not go unnoticed and how silly mistakes can befall anyone. Basil dismisses Hytham and mockingly tells him to keep on doing well and how many eyes are watching.
Chapter Ten
After Hytham escorts Leo out of the throne room, Leo finally admits that he killed the old servant Drina. Hytham, choosing his words carefully, reminds that the snakes are not Leo's fault and that the emperor is mistaken. Basim soon drops in while Hytham motions him to stay back from Leo. Hytham then shows Basim to Leo while Basim introduces himself to Leo. Looking at Leo, Basim hands him a healing salve for his shoulder as he talks to Hytham privately. Talking about Basil, both Assassins make sure Leo is occupied. Before Hytham could ask Basim of letting himself be seen, Leo finishes tending to himself.
Basim asks Leo to see a magic trick and Leo skeptically agrees. After closing his eyes, Leo opens them and sees Basim vanish. Asking Leo to keep Basim a secret, Leo agrees as they walk towards the boy's library. Walking back, Hytham sees Leo eyeing his arm with the hidden blade. Leo asks about the blade while Hytham asks to keep the blade a secret as well. At the library, Leo shows Hytham a book on weaponry and tells him that there is no proof of such a weapon. Hytham states nothing everything is in books. Realizing Leo's interests, Hytham makes sure they are alone and shows him his Hidden blade.
Leo inspects it and asks to be trained to yield it. Hytham states he is too young and maybe when Leo is older. Leo retorts and states he will die beforehand due to the accidents caused by his father. Hytham states he will not and promises to protect him. Unconvinced, Leo tells Hytham that he is one man. Leo explains that he wants to protect himself and how Justin tried with archery, but to no avail. Hytham promises Leo to move quietly like him and Basim and Leo happily accepts. For a moment, Hytham felt like a father to Leo. However, the mission proves most important as he wants an ally within Leo and to teach him about the beliefs of the Hidden Ones.
Chapter Eleven
The next day, Hytham and Leo go to a riding lesson next to Hippodrome. At the stables, Justin readies the horse as a replacement for Thyra. Escorting Leo, Hytham waits with Leo, who waits besides his mare Sky. Soon, the stablemaster readies Leo and Sky to ride but both him and Leo talk about the history of Hippodrome while Hytham keeps guard. Hytham talks with Justin and offers a fresh start to their work relationship, but he rebuffs the proposal. Justin goes over the fence and soon tells the stablemaster to hurry their lesson. Quickly, Hytham states they all have time as he follows Justin over the fence.
While Justin and Hytham watch Leo, the boy tries to ride Sky but is unable to climb atop the horse especially when Justin outright insults him. Embarrassed, Leo stops to climb atop Sky while Hytham tells the stablemaster to take the horse into the stables. After he tells Leo to feed the horse and re-establish a trust, Hytham confronts Justin on his words and attitude towards Leo. Justin retorts that Hytham is coddling the child and that it would be better for him if he stops protecting Leo. Complexed, Hytham wonders if the response was a threat or not.
Chapter Twelve
Two weeks have passed as Hytham leaves the palace to meet with Basim while Thyra guards Leo and the emperor's family in the meantime. Their three suspects happen to be Justin, Anna, and Theodore. At the moment, they follow Anna through the markets to a fortune teller. Basim heads to an back entrance while Hytham ventures inside the establishment. A young girl states to Hytham that fortune-teller Ursina is busy with a client. Hytham schemes his way in by saying he is her husband and bribes the girl. In a room down a narrow hall, he spots both Anna and Ursina talking.
Anna provides a jeweled hair comb as an offering for a man named Isaac and states there is more for him. Ursina understands and cuts the meeting short. Hytham quickly departs and notices Theodore coming his way as Basim notices the tutor, too. Joining Basim atop the roof, they hear Anna and Theodore meet while Theodore tells Anna to leave quickly. Before they left, the Assassins also determine the two are in a relationship. Although Hytham wants to follow them, Basim reminds him that the new lead of Isaac proves to be important to check. After they talk about Anna and Theodore's true involvement, Basim surmises that he will first look into Isaac first.
Chapter Thirteen
At the emperor's palace, Hytham guards Leo, who wants Hytham to teach him. Taking Leo through the halls of the palace, Hytham takes the child to a room he organized and knew it would be unoccupied. Hytham asks Leo to move quietly while the boy moves on his toes. Looking at Leo's face, Hytham notices the child hears himself due to his silk attire. Without his garb, Leo goes again but asks why he needs to be silent if he can run away. Hytham responds that running is not always the case and learning how to hide is necessary. He asks if Leo wants to learn about the Hidden Ones and Leo assures him. Leo starts the practice once again.
To test his skills, Hytham suggests Leo to hide while he closes his eyes for twenty seconds. Hytham opens his eyes and sought after Leo. Listening to the sounds, he hears a creak, checks the third bookshelf and finds Leo. Amazed, Leo lights up with astonishment and compliments Hytham's skill. Flattered, Hytham immediately goes back to teaching and offers other rooms. However, he advises Leo to stay hidden when he is danger but Leo asks Hytham's well-being. Hytham lies and states he will be there and, if not, another member of his brotherhood will honor his sacrifice. Hytham states it is similar to Leo's future as emperor. Leo states his father does not talk about anything to do with ruling or any other duties.
Hytham states that to be a just ruler, one must surround himself with people who disagree with him and have strengths that he does not have. He adds that as long as Leo makes the right decisions, he will not be without allies. Understanding, Leo wants to continue with their practice but states the emperor does not hide. Hytham responds that for now, he will learn to hide until one day when he can stand in the light.
Chapter Fourteen
TBC
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