"Happy Birthday Ezio!"

Ezio Auditore turned in his bed and opened his eyes just enough to see his younger brother Petruccio, grinning down at him. He then climbed onto his bed and jumped, causing the bed to bounce and shake out all of Ezio's sleep.

"Go away!" Ezio mumbled but like any younger sibling, Petruccio too was agonizingly annoying.

"But it's your birthday!" He squealed and then clapped his hands.

Ezio turned to look out the window to see that the sky had just begun to turn lighter. "Not yet. It's not even morning."

"Father says that the new day begins after midnight." Petruccio argued.

"And I say that my birthday begins on the day I want to." Ezio grumbled, then took the pillow from underneath his head and put it over his face. "Now go away!"

Petruccio made no move to leave; instead, he lay down beside him, rocking the bed as he did so.

"Father also told me something interesting today." Petruccio said, removing the silk pillow away from Ezio's face. "He said that your name means an eagle."

Ezio turned away from his baby brother and closed his eyes again. He breathed deep,y, trying to get back to sleep but Petruccio was bouncing on his bed again.

"I saw an eagle the other day. It has such magnificent wings. And the feathers... So exquisite. I have an idea of what I want to do with them. It's a secret for now, but will you help me collect them?"

Ezio groaned inwardly. Petruccio was a curious child and his annoying little brother, but he was also always ill and although his mother never said anything, he knew that whatever was causing his illness was serious.

"Si." Ezio agreed, a tad reluctantly. "But you have to tell me why."

Petruccio pouted at him when Ezio turned to look at him and then saw his little brother tap his small chin as if in deep thought and in the process of making a life changing decision.

"Alright." He said chirpily. "The reason I want the feathers is..."

Ezio woke up with a start and felt the breath leave his body. He unclenched his stomach and then turned sideways to gaze at the red headed woman lying beside him. By the dying light of the candle, his wife Sofia had never looked so beautiful.

Sometimes he thought he never deserved an enchanting and graceful woman like Sofia. She was intelligent, perceptive and endearing in a way that made him fall in love with her everyday. He had often wondered what she saw in an old man like him.

His hair was turning white, as was his beard. His cough had gotten worse and his limbs ached. He had two young children and he feared he would never see them grow up.

His heart pounding, Ezio got up from his bed and winced. Clutching his knee, he limped towards the window and looked out. The sun was slowly coming up, just like in his dream. The sky was cloudless and the world outside was peaceful, just like in his dream too.

Except he was no longer in Firenze and though it was his birthday today, he wasn't turning seventeen. There was no sign of his parents in his little home in Toscana. Neither was the sound of happy chatter of his beloved brothers Federico and Petruccio. They were dead- all of them. And his sister Claudia?

Ezio made his way out of the room and as he passed a door, stopped and looked inside to see his son and daughter sleeping in their beds. His son was peacefully sucking on his thumb while his daughter had a tiny doll in her hands that had been made by rags of old clothes by Sofia.

He smiled and glanced at the candle on the table. There was still some wax left and Ezio contemplated lighting another candle anyway. Both his children hated the dark and Ezio hoped that one day they would overthrow their childish fears.

Walking into the living room, Ezio saw the last of the firewood still burning and when he stepped closer to it, the fire died down completely. Lighting a candle beside a bookcase, Ezio coughed and then dragged his feet to the little table where a large envelope was kept.

It was a letter from Claudia, his sister who had decided two years ago that she wanted to travel the world. From what he saw on the envelope, the letter had arrived from Paris.

Sitting down on his favorite chair by the window, Ezio tore open the letter and smiled when he read what was written in the envelope again:

'ONLY TO BE OPENED ON YOUR BIRTHDAY'

Ezio pulled out the four page letter and began to read.

Caro fratello

Buon Compleanno dearest Ezio. I hope you stayed your curiosity long enough to open this letter on your birthday and not before. You have always been so eager to know everything.

I cannot be with you on your birthday but through this letter, I hope to be with you in spirit.

You are an old man now Ezio. There, that needed to be said. Your exploits in Roma have been an embarrassment to me. Even at that age you were old and you chased women as if you were seventeen. I took solace in the fact that you at least dressed your age and not like Duccio, that sad pathetic man I was engaged to all those years ago in Firenze. He still wears such bright colors and I spotted him on the port the other day, playing with stray dogs. Duccio is still not married and flirts with every woman he sees.

He did not recognize me nor do I think he intended to since I'm no longer the age that he is interested in. It seems that young women are still his type and he sneers and makes revolting faces when he sees older women. As if he is not that age himself! That repulsive man makes me want to vomit, all over him!

This letter is not about him but. It is your birthday and I wanted to reminisce about long gone times. Remember how our birthdays used to be? Our dear Petruccio would be excited even when it wasn't his birthday but ours. He would wake us up and keep talking until we got out of bed. Sweet Petruccio always made such strange presents for us.

Do you remember the crown he made me of wilted flowers? Or the garland he made out of shredded paper for Federico? I remember the mouse he gifted madre once. She squealed more than the mouse. He was however kinder to you. Once he gifted you a dummy made out of his old clothes that you then used as a punching bag. And he gifted you quills too! Poor Petruccio didn't know then that you had no interest in education.

How you manage to respond to my letters is still a mystery to me. Does Sofia write them for you? She is a learned and beautiful woman, Ezio. Do not do something stupid and let her go or you shall have me to deal with!

Ah, I just remembered how madre used to make a cake for you. She would spend hours in the kitchen making such delicious cakes for you and we would end up eating only a bit of it and end up throwing it at each other more. Madre would be furious at us and father would jest about making us eat all the crumbs that we had wasted.

Federico even joked with Petruccio about it and our poor younger brother thought he was serious and ate the crumbs on the floor. Federico was punished that day and it was well deserved.

Speaking of father, I am certain he always gave you more florins than any one of us. He was under the impression that you were the responsible one. Federico would spend it on gambling, I would buy a dress and Petruccio would buy biscuits or give it away to beggars. He once gave it to those vile minstrels too who would then not stop harassing the whole family for florins by singing atrocious songs.

Once they knew that someone from our family had paid them, those idiots thought they actually were musically talented. Fools!

Still, it was better that they had the money rather than what you did with your florins. Spent it all on buying tacky jewelry for Cristina, didn't you? You do realize she never once wore that cheap jewelry, right? I told you which shop to get it from, but as always, you thought you knew everything.

I can only hope Sofia has some tasteful jewelry in her box. If she buys it herself then she must. If you did, I bet she makes excuses to never wear them. You have a daughter too now, Ezio. I beg of you to not impose your disgusting and ridiculous taste on them. You know nothing of women's fashions. Then again you were never interested in their clothes to begin with.

Alright, I shall not scold you for your poor taste any more. It is your birthday after all and they say with age comes wisdom. Hopefully you shall be wise enough to understand that you mustn't interfere in everyone's business.

The best decision you have made was when you left the life of an assassin. You deserve a happy married life Ezio, especially after all that you have done. You have two beautiful children and a loving wife and you deserve all of that.

I could have sent you a gift package with this letter, but you already have the best gift in the world- a family that I know you always wanted.

Treasure them always.

Love, your beautiful and intelligent sister,

Claudia.

Ezio folded the letters and put it back in the envelope. Outside the sun had risen and the birds were playfully chirping. It was a new day and another year added to his age.

Ezio didn't mind it at all.

Claudia was right, he did have the best gift in the whole world. A family that completed him- a wife who loved him, children who adored him. What else could he possibly want?

Ezio looked at the letter and frowned. His sister. He wished she had been here as well because she was his family too.

"Buongiorno." Sofia said sleepily from the doorway. "And happy birthday my love."

Ezio smiled at Sofia. His wife looked beautiful even when she had just woken up. How could he have been so lucky?

"Grazie." He said, putting the letter aside.

"Finished reading the letter?" Sofia asked, coming to him. She sat down on his lap and put an arm around him. Kissing his cheek she picked up the letter. "What did she have to say?"

Ezio sighed and kissed her cheek. "Excuses about why she couldn't send me a present."