Ever After
Outside of Rome, Vatican Empire, 1912
For Cesare or no other!
"That's what the armies said before marching to Forli. And Rome was reborn, and a Cesar was an emperor once more"
"He took Forli by destroying the wall using the old roman tunnels!" Lucio's voice is still in that awkward state between childhood and manhood.
"And Lucrezia?" Antonella is, of course, more worried about the fate of the princess of the tale, and so is her sister Julia.
"Yes, grandpa. What happen to Lucrezia?" They both knew perfectly well what happened, but they like listening to their grandpa tell the story over and over again.
"Ah, yes. The beautiful and terrifying Lucrezia Borgia." The light of the fire plays with the shadow of the old man make it grow and dance on the walls. "She traded one prison for another and lost a husband in the process. For all her richness, cleverness and beauty, she was unlucky. A sad princess in a golden cage, she was." He pauses to savour the last drops of his drink. There is nothing quite like hot chocolate for the old bones. "But Cesare would not stand for his beloved to be unhappy. He gave her a crown, and a kingdom, and then an empire. And then, finally, himself and many, many children."
"But they were brother and sister, right?"
"Ah, but they were the children of God, where they not?" The moon shines high and bright in the dark sky. "And who are we to impose human laws and customs to God's children?"
"Where they really?"
"Of course they were."
"That's what the priests said"
"That's what Cesare said, and by then he had conquered all of Italy and defended it from two French attacks. Priests and prophets were appearing all over that would swear they had seen or heard a divine message that Cesare will lead Rome to its former glory. The common people veneered him as a savior, and the powerful families of Europe were terrified of him. He had the only known supply of sulfur and all the weapons and the will to use them against them. If Cesare wanted to say he was the son of God and he was marrying his sister, no one was going to contradict him."
"Did they live happily ever after?"
"Oh, yes, like only those who truly love each other and are brave and selfish enough to burn the world to ashes just to have each other can."