Chapter One:
It was in the elaborately decorated library where the source of the cursing came from. Unholy words and shouts rung through the halls of the countryside villa that bordered Venice. The hollering was loud enough to startle the servants walking about, and made it seem as though the room was filled to the rafters with tension and bitterness. However, there was only one woman sitting in that room, the lady of the house, Maria Sforza. She made enough racket to match a court of lordly men, and put them to shame at that. She sat at her desk with a letter in hand, resisting the urge to tear the paper into tiny pieces. The woman read the words over and over again, only to spark the anger she did her best to contain.
"Last in line." The woman spat, finally crumpling up the paper and tossing it aside. "They dare tell me I am last in line."
Maria gave the letter concerning her inheritance one last scowl before settling deeper into her chair, folding her arms over her chest. She had been expecting that letter for months, pacing back and forth day in and day out, waiting for the words she wanted. Only she received nothing but disappointment. Maria was the illegitimate child of Galeazzo Sforza and Cecile of Savoy, the Italian Duke and French noblewoman. Her birth had come around when her father's forever roaming hands had found the young girl's hips. She was sixteen and foolish, and ended up bearing his child. The girl faced the embarrassment and wrath of both families, especially from Bona of Savoy, Cecile's sister and Galeazzo's wife. However, she was forgiven and married off only a year later.
That was twenty-nine years ago, and to Maria, was nothing but a scandalous event in which she was birthed from. It was the present which concerned her. Her mother had recently died during the birth of her ninth child, a son which had passed along with her. Maria had lost out on money once before when her father passed when she was a girl, and the noblewoman expected something on her mother's side of the family to compensate. Her younger brother and the eldest son had written to her weeks after Cecile's death, explaining that she would fall short yet again.
All Maria desired was that money, a small slice of Savoy inheritance. Her small villa home was crumbling and her small force of servants depleting, along with her wellbeing. She was husbandless with no financial help from either side of her family. She was just getting by with the small fortune of a dowry that her father had begun to prepare before he was killed in a political spat. That dowry had gone into the purchase of the villa and hiring of her staff, and had lasted several years, but by now the bank had run dry.
The door of the library opened then, a small figure squeezing through the slight gap in the door. "I heard shouting, my lady."
It was Maria's handmaid, and the only one she had left. She was a young girl, only twelve, from the township close by. With a tiny frame, blonde hair and curious eyes she was a pretty little thing that had sparked Maria's attention some months ago when she hired her. Startled by her entrance, Maria's frightful scowl turned upon the small girl, who flinched away at the sight.
"Nothing to concern yourself with, I assure you." Maria quickly replied, her tone softening. The handmaid shuffled closer, her eyes lowered to her feet.
She mumbled, "Can I get you anything, my lady?"
Maria titled her head as she examined the girl. She was a hard worker and had proved to be good help. She made the beds, helped Maria into her dresses and fetched food when asked. If Maria had to name any friends she had, the girl would be the first, and perhaps the last.
"Nothing, Gilia." The young girl turned to leave. "Wait, I do require something of you."
The handmaid turned, looking up to her foul tempered mistress, waiting for orders. Maria gestured to a footstool close by, offering Gilia a seat. The blonde took it hesitantly. She was always nervous, Maria reflected. She was not trained to be a servant. Originally, she worked for her family at their stall in the market, only to have them send her with Maria when the Lady Sforza showed interest in their daughter. Though she was only a petty noble, useless in the Italian aristocracy, she was still influential and was worth making good impressions on.
"I want your opinion," the noblewoman said, "on a matter that has been bothering me for some time."
The girl's eyes widened at her words, stammering on inaudible noises, hardly able to fathom the idea that her thoughts were wanted.
"I've been wanting something that belongs to me, and I'm struggling to obtain it." Maria said, drilling her fingers on the arm of the chair. "I have written to several men, fighting my case, yet every time I am met with nothing but 'sincere apologies'. Tell me, Gilia, what would you do if you were in my place?"
If Gilia was in her place, Maria thought, she would be a lot more successful. After all, she took orders without question, the perfect quality for a daughter and a wife.
"I don't know, my lady." Gilia's reply was next to a whisper. Maria rose a brow, looking down at her servant. Realizing she had not given Maria the answer she wanted, Gilia struggled to offer anything else. "I w-would…"
The girl racked her brain, looking to her feet and her hands. Anywhere other than her ladyship's face.
"Relax." Maria relieved the girl of her stress, placing a light hand on her shoulder. "I was only curious."
Nodding, Gilia stood up from the stool. "Nothing else, my lady?"
Maria shook her head. "No, thank you."
On her way out, Gilia stopped to pick up the crumpled letter. "Would you like me to dispose of this?"
Looking at the words of rejection and theft, Maria's lip curled up into a brief snarl. "Throw it in the kitchen fires. It means nothing to me."
"When would you have dinner, my lady?" Gilia asked softly before she fled the library.
Maria was not interested in eating at the moment, and would much rather go without dinner, but she had left little warning for her simple cook and her assistant.
"In an hour, here in the library." Maria replied. "Something light."
With a stiff little curtsey the girl was out the door, leaving Maria to her troubled thoughts. The noblewoman looked down at the dress she wore. It was an older piece, made to make Maria look her best for the row of suitors she startled away with her unladylike behavior. It was decorated with small jewels and had necklaces and belts to match the dull navy blue wool. It would be valuable enough to the right person, she assumed.
With a sigh, Maria leaned her head on a propped elbow, unimpressed with the way things were going. She knew she would have to start selling her things to keep up with the daily maintenance of the villa, or worse, sell her home all together. Where she would go after that, only God knew.
"He keeps secrets to spite me." She muttered to herself.
Standing from her chair, Maria left the library and wandered aimlessly in the halls. The villa was a quiet place. With nobody else living on the upper floors, Maria found it hard to entertain herself most days. When she wasn't snarling at the bank, she was usually out in the overgrown gardens behind the villa. Hideous weeds had over grown the lilies and roses that had once bloomed after she released her gardener. He was amongst the first wave of staff to leave the Sforza villa, along with her footman and gatekeepers. She kept the necessities, which ended up to be a small force of household guards, Gilia and the kitchen staff, along with an old man who tended to the horses. A sorry sight for a woman of her name, she thought. A thought she reminded herself of often.
After drifting about the halls, Maria went back to the library, wishing she still had the letter. It seemed anger and arguments was all she was good for these days. She sat alone in a lull until Gilia came to set the fireplace. Even then there was no conversation to be had. Maria watched the girl work, laying the logs down. Once she had done that, the maid hurried across the library to shut the doors to the balcony.
"Gilia?" Maria called, deciding that she didn't want to eat after all. There was no response from the young maid. She called again but was met with more silence. Standing, Maria navigated her way through the shelves of books to the balcony, where Gilia stood in silence.
"My lady!" She suddenly shouted, whirling around only to run into the woman. She recoiled backwards, spewing out her apologies.
Maria held up her hand, asking for silence. Gilia took a deep breath from her ramblings, clasping her hands together. "What is it?"
Gilia went back to the edge of the balcony, pointing in the directions of the gardens. "Look, my lady!"
Maria looked to the gardens, only to find her small force of guards clashing and clanging their swords.
"The hell is going on?" She growled, squinting to get a better look. She could hardly see what the cause of the commotion was. Straightening, Maria started back through the library. "Come with me, Gilia."
The girl followed closely behind her lady's heels, stuttering as she said, "We aren't going outside, are we?"
Maria nodded once and took Gilia by the shoulders, forcing her to keep up with the march. The noblewoman and her servant just made it to the doors when the captain of her guard stormed through. The sweaty and dusty house guard gave a stiffened bow, gasping for a breath before he exclaimed, "We are under attack!"
Maria's face twisted into a scowl, directed towards the captain. "Explain yourself."
She couldn't possibly imagine anyone who would attack her. She was poor and had a stony, hilly estate –hardly anything anyone would want, let alone take by force.
"Two men climbed over the walls!" He panted, tripping over his words. "They engaged my men."
"Two men?" Maria parroted, looking towards her captain. When he nodded, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I have twenty soldiers, good soldiers who can barely contain two climbing thieves?"
"You don't understand, my lady!" The captain said. "They have already killed two of our guards!"
Gilia hugged closer to Maria, tugging childishly on her dress. "We should hide, my lady. In the library."
The captain agreed. "I will come fetch you when-"
There was a banging at the door, followed by shouting from one of the soldiers. "Alessandro is dead!"
Without second thought, the captain took his lady's arm and towed her up the stairs. He was an older man and knew well enough of the Sforza stubbornness. Gilia gladly followed, shaking in her tiny frame by time they reached the library. The captain locked the door the barred it with a table, finally able to take a calming breath.
"Who are the bastards climbing over my walls and killing my guards?" Maria demanded, yelling as she stormed to the balcony. Gilia took her arm, bringing her back to the center of the library.
"You must stay away from the windows, my lady." The girl advised worriedly, wishing that Maria would sit down and wait patiently for the mess to be over.
"My men will handle it, your ladyship." The captain assured, pulling off his helmet to reveal a sweat stricken face.
Maria argued, "All your men are dead!"
The captain opened his mouth, but was silenced by more of Maria's yelling.
"For the love of Christ, someone tell me who these men are!"
The silence that followed was interrupted by a new voice, coming from the shelves. "I am Lucca, and this is my brother Carlo. And we are sorry about your men, but they gave us no other choice."
Maria turned only to be met with the appearance of two men, dressed in a uniform she hadn't seen before. The captain went to draw his sword, but stopped when Maria demanded his peace. The two men had their hands up in submission, showing they were unarmed. That was enough to spark Maria's interest.
"Why are you here?" She asked in a more civilized tone.
The one who had introduced the pair stepped forward. "We are here to offer you a deal. About your rightful inheritance."
Maria paused, looking towards the man with newfound suspicion and curiosity.
"And we would like to talk to you alone." The second added, gesturing towards the captain.
"My lady!" The older man cried out in dismay. "You can't possibly trust these killers! They are thieves, scoundrels and nothing more. Allow me to dispose of them."
The original man seemed to be offended. His companion as well. "We are not thieves." He said, placing a hand over his wounded heart. "We are Assassins."
From the squeal her captain gave, Maria thought he had fainted. "If they want my life, signore, they can have it. It is of little value to me at the moment."
The noblewoman was too curious and angry at the two intruders to feel any sense of fear. The captain and Gilia seemed to hold enough of it for her.
"I assure you, signora, we mean you no harm." The Assassin said, showing her his empty hands to prove it.
"They killed my men!" The captain argued still. "Don't be so foolish!"
The other Assassin, Carlo, replied, "I believe the correct response would 'don't be so foolish, my lady.'"
The captain stared at the intruders, wide eyed.
"Gilia." Maria said then, attracting the girl's attention. "Offer the captain any money required to pay back the dead guard's families, as thanks for the service. It will come out of my own pocket."
The young girl's eyes flickered to the two strangers, then back to her ladyship. Maria turned to the captain with a raised eyebrow. Not daring to answer the woman's challenge, the captain turned with a huff and cleared the doorway, leaving with the young girl trailing behind him.
Alone at last, Maria offered the two men a seat, taking one for herself.
"Again, I am sorry for your men." Lucca said, taking a spot. Maria waved off the fact. She would address the matter later.
As they sat, she looked them over. The two were dressed interestingly enough, Maria saw. Neither looked like thieves or killers, and the assassins she imagined in her head did not match the ones she saw before her. While Lucca wore a sleeved tunic and grey trousers to match, Carlo had striped pants and a cotton shirt. The only similarities in their uniforms were the dusty leather boots and red belts. The two brothers were almost twins with their similar faces and stubble, save for the fact one looked older than the other. With so many aspects to the two, Maria found it nearly impossible to determine who she was dealing with.
"Assassins you said?" She began, watching the men closely. "What would Assassins want with me?"
Lucca nodded as Carlo spoke. "We will explain in a moment. Surely you are more interest in the money than us?"
Maria straightened in her chair, forcing herself to remain composed. "What is this deal you speak of?"
"We know who you are and we know of your… struggles." Lucca said. "We would like to help."
"For what in return?" Maria questioned. After growing up in the world that she did, Maria knew there were very few favors done out of goodwill.
"A part of the inheritance will go to us and our cause." Carlo responded.
Maria's features twisted into a look of displeasure. "That would leave next to nothing for me."
"That would be true had you received the original amount you were fighting for." Lucca said. "If you agree, we will hand you the entire Savoy inheritance."
The woman tried to fight the small smirk crossing her features, but couldn't help but relish in the thought of wealth at last. "How do you propose you would accomplish that? There are six sons and two daughters ahead of me."
"You let us worry about that, my lady." Carlo replied.
"How much of the money would you require?"
"Half." The brothers replied together.
Maria almost snapped at them, wondering who they thought they were to ask for that much, but instead she kept her mouth shut, biting on her tongue. Half was a lot of money, she argued with herself, and at the moment she had none. Even a small portion would be enough to fix the villa and settle her fretting thoughts.
"You can guarantee the money?"
Lucca nodded. "Every penny owed to you."
"And you would take half?"
"Half the inheritance for our cause."
"Which would be?"
Lucca paused, glancing towards his brother. Exchanging a silent conversation, Carlo was the one who responded.
"There is more in this world than houses and servants. A world that people wish to control and dictate what happens to it. There are some of us who… disagree. We wish to change that."
Maria sighed, running a hand down her face. There was no way she could possibly trust the two, yet somehow she found herself being won over by their seemingly genuine desire. Perhaps it was her gnarled sense of sympathy that brought her to her final choice.
"I am guaranteed half the amount when?"
"In less than a month, Carlo and I will personally deliver it to you." Lucca promised, watching the noblewoman with a look of ambition.
"Then I accept." Maria said. "On one condition."
Carlo chuckled. "You are in no position to be making any conditions."
"And you are in no position to throw away easy profit." Maria pushed.
The brothers exchanged glances yet again. Lucca motioned for her to continue.
"I want to see where my investment is going. After all, it is my money you are stealing."
Evidently surprised, Carlo shrugged in acceptance while Lucca shook his head firmly no.
"We had one job, Carlo." He said. "He'll be angry if we disobey."
"But if it ensures enough support for Fey to take Vienna for certain…" Carlo's words drifted off. "It wouldn't hurt."
Lucca met the gaze of the noblewoman, awaiting the answer. "We could send you messengers, if you were truly interested."
"I've learned that messengers can be bribed, and letters forged." Maria said determinedly. "I will see for myself."
Carlo whispered, "Do it. We can face their anger later."
Lucca's jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth. Fighting against his better judgment, he finally held out his hand. Maria took it. "Are we at an agreement?"
"Indeed we are, my lady, indeed we are."