A.D. 1476

She looked happier than usual today.

Vieri smiled to himself as he sat on the bench in the courtyard. It concerned him some that she was running around so much after her coughing fit that morning but he pushed his worries aside and let her have her fun. Apparently, judging by her slow methodical stalking of something invisible to him, there were still some insects out and about for her to catch. It was a beautiful day. The sun was bright and you could hardly feel the chill in the air that signaled the arrival of winter.

She suddenly stopped stalking whatever bug she had been so diligently following around the yard and began coughing roughly. Vieri got up and walked over to her.

"You ought to go inside and get some rest, Felisa," he said and gently pushed her towards the door.

When she stopped coughing she turned around and stared up at him. "Just ten more minutes, brother? Please?" she begged.

Vieri sighed. "Felisa, father will have my head if you get sicker."

"I won't get sicker. I promise," she assured him and without waiting for an answer ran back to where she had been following the bug before.

"Don't make me carry you. You're getting too big," he teased.

"You're just sore from the fight with the Auditore boy yesterday," she said, grinning.

Vieri laughed. "How do you find out about these things?"

"I have my sources," Felisa replied cryptically. "Well, I suppose you wouldn't be sore though, seeing as how you didn't actually get involved in the fighting."

Vieri snorted. "I did get involved in the fighting, just indirectly."

She rolled her eyes. "Watching is not fighting."

"Hmph."

They were both silent for a moment.

"Why did you run, brother?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Because I need to practice so I can beat you in races," he joked, dodging the subject. "Now, you really must get inside."

"But, I'm fine," she protested.

Vieri thought for a moment. "Hmmm… well, if you're fine, you won't mind racing me back to the house?"

Felisa took off running towards the house with no warning and he laughed. "Cheater!" he yelled and ran after her. She beat him to the door, of course.

He'd always let his little sister win.

A.D. 1500

It had been more than twenty years since the death of Vieri, but Felisa had never forgotten.

Never forgotten watching Ezio murder her brother.

Never forgotten watching the assassin scream insults at his body.

Never forgotten holding Vieri, cold and lifeless, and sobbing as Ezio and Mario Auditore watched.

Never forgotten the aftermath of Vieri's death.

No, Felisa de Pazzi had never forgotten.

And so she had aligned herself with a man rising quickly in the ranks of Italy, Cesare Borgia. He had promised her many things, money, power… and the only thing she really wanted- revenge.

Felisa's mind was in chaos as they rode for Monteriggioni. So many things to consider. She and Cesare rode at the front of the Borgia army. He seemed to enjoy having her around, although she only saw him as a means to an end. She sighed and Cesare looked over at her.

"Worried, madonna?" he asked.

"No." Felisa stated bluntly.

Cesare smirked. "You should be. These are assassins we're after, not common murderers and thieves."

"I am not afraid of assassins. I am not afraid of death." She clicked her tongue and kicked her mare, Bella Mia, lightly to get further ahead, hoping to avoid more conversation with him.

Cesare simply sped up to stay with her. "But you are afraid of something."

"I fear nothing." A certain coldness had moved into her tone and Cesare, for once, did not say anything.

His silence was short lived.

"Then what troubles you? Are you second guessing our plans?"

She glared at him, a snarl forming on her face. "Never," she said, hate and bitterness in her voice, though not directed at him.

Cesare smiled, as though this was the reaction he had hoped for all along. "Excellent. Good to see the Wolf come out of hiding again. I was afraid you'd lost your appetite for blood after our last… incident."

Felisa simply growled in response.

Laughing, Cesare let his horse slow and fall behind Felisa's.

Felisa kept to herself when they set up camp that night. Sometimes she would speak with Luca to pass the time, and keep the other men at bay, but tonight she had too much to mull over. Tomorrow they attacked Monteriggioni and she would avenge Vieri. Her mind was clouded with a mixture of well planned events and emotional turmoil as she lay down to sleep that night.

She had just fallen asleep when someone shook her awake. "Hey... hey... Felisa!" a voice hissed in her ear.

She woke up, startled, and lashed out, feeling her fist collide with someone's face.

"Ow!"

She sat up and let her eyes get better adjusted to the dark. When she saw who it was she began muttering curses under her breath. "What do you want Luca?" she grumbled.

"You hit me!

She glared at him, pale blue eyes glimmering in the darkness. "You woke me up. You know not to do that."

Luca was rubbing his cheek with his palm. "That hurt."

Felisa took a deep breath to calm herself. "Luca, I'm going to ask you one more time. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to ask you for some advice."

She rolled her eyes. Oh the joys of having a seventeen year old boy follow you everywhere. She was thirty seven, but for some reason he seemed to appreciate her company better than the company of the other Borgia soldiers his age. He followed her almost everywhere like a lost puppy. It reminded her of... She shook her head. "Go ask someone more experience in fighting assassins," she muttered and rolled over away from him.

"But you're far better than them," he protest and moved around to face her again, sitting down on the ground. "No one is as skilled with a sword as you and..."

"Luca."

"...you have great aim with throwing knives, and..."

"Luca!"

"I'm sorry," he stammered. "Please, it's my first battle and I'm..." His voice trailed off and he looked down.

"You're nervous," Felisa stated simply and sat up.

"No! I mean... maybe..." He still hadn't looked up at her.

"Hey, you'll be fine," she said reassuringly and ruffled his hair. "Just remember what you've been taught. Don't take unnecessary risks and keep to the outskirts of the battle. Let the more experienced fighters fight on the inside, okay?"

He looked up and nodded, but his green eyes were still full of worry. "Will you be okay?" he asked.

"Of course I'll be okay. I can take care of myself." She ruffled his hair again.

He flattened his hair back down with his hands. "How are you not scared? You could die tomorrow. Manuel says..."

She snorted. "Ignore Manuel. He has a stick shoved up his ass. He only wishes that I'd end up dead and loves to think up scenarios where I die. Believe me, I'll be fine."

"Are you really going after..."

Felisa sighed. "Luca, go get some rest."

He looked like he was about to argue, but thought better of it. "Good night, Felisa," he said and got up to go back to where he had set up his packs.

"Good night, Luca," she replied and laid back down.

Her dreams were filled with the blood of her enemies and the victory of her allies.