Disclaimer:
I don't own Assassin's Creed 2 or any of its characters. They belong to Ubisoft as far as I know...that includes Ezio, unfortunately *sighs again*. I do own my obvious OC's and any other characters not familiar/seen in the original game, though. (I think I'll just copy and paste this into every chapter... that'd be a good idea...)

Author Notes: My first chapter! Yay! Hope you like it. Been really busy with coursework at the moment so haven't had much spare time to actually think. Although, I could've put this up a few days ago I just wanted to make sure I didn't leave too many mistakes in... Anyways, enjoy! =)

thoughts are in - italics
translations are in bold (and brackets after italian phrases)


Chapter 1: Great Expectations

Firenze (Florence) was quiet in its later hours: traders began clearing away stalls in the market places and citizens grew few as they made for their homes. The setting sun's glow, basked the beige walls of the city; the common sound of gulls squawking lay overhead the Florentine canals and their boats that swayed in the non-existent wind. With a soft sigh Valentina Bianchi leant against the railings of her balcony that over-hung said waters. The setting always calmed her; giving the young woman an escape from the frustrating world she called her life.

*

"Valentina! Valentina!" a high pitched voice screeched from across the stable yard, an exasperated expression on the female face of the source. The ageing woman showed no sign of greying - with her unusually scarlet dyed hair, yet her pale grey eyes said everything. She wore a light red, ornately embossed dress, fit for royalty which was accompanied by masses of jewellery, necklaces and the like.

'Now we know where father's money is going...' Valentina thought helplessly, as she cringed from too much red on the human she called her mother. The large amount of money that they did have (that must be coming in from a noble occupation), came from her father's wealthy business in the horse trade.

"I have been looking for you everywhere! I have just been talking with signore Francesco de' Pazzi and I have wonderful news!" she said gleefully, obviously willing to skip towards her daughter, weren't it for the heavy dress she was wearing.

The young woman glanced down at the unsure expressions on the stable hands that tended to the bay mare she was mounted on. Opening her mouth to reply, she drew a blank, no idea what on earth to say.

"Oh, you silly girl," the woman laughed shrilly, waving off the confused face she received. "We were discussing a marriage between you and his son, of course!"

If Valentina hadn't grasped the reins so tight she was sure she would have fallen off.
'Married? To that Pazzi filth called Vieri? Was she insane?'

"W-what?" is all she managed to squeak out as she slid off her horse to root her feet on cobblestone. "Mother, I'm not ready to commit yet!" arguing her case. Of seventeen years, any young lady was expected to marry; especially a noble. With pursed lips her mother retreated back inside, undoubtedly seeking her husband to approve of the decision - which Valentina highly doubted he would.

*

A loud crash of toppled boxes below woke her from her trance. Grasping the railing adorned with creeping ivy, she peered out over the road: there stood two figures, clumsily attempting to put right the mess they made.

"Federico? Ezio?" she whispered sharply and in turn glanced over her shoulder consciously into her room to make sure no one was eavesdropping. The Auditore brothers looked up like two young children caught in some wrong doing and ready to make any excuse possible. Federico, the eldest, had tamer hair than the other, but just as dark. He also didn't seem as thicker set as his younger counterpart; they shared a similar glint of mischief in their eye, unusual for such nobility in social ranking and wardrobe. Unless of course you change that playful mischief into lust, anger, greed-

"Ah, il mio unico vero amore(my one true love)!" Ezio calls to her, a hand on his heart. She rolled her eyes in response, paying no heed to the blood and dirt smeared on his face.

Their father, Giovanni, a successful banker under Lorenzo Medici, hadn't brought up the two as well as she had hoped... especially him.

"What do you want?" she replied in a bored manner, resting her head in her one hand, tapping the railing rhythmically with her other. "Let me rephrase that: why are you here?" Valentina added, seeing the expression on his face was all too evident of what he could have come up with for the answer to that question.

"He needs to see a doctor, but we don't have the money. Can you clean him up?" his brother asked, pushing the stuttering idiot out of the way. With a raised eyebrow she nodded not even attempting to ask questions.

"How did this happen?"

The trio sat around the kitchen table and on it lay a bowl of warm water and cloths, some used and some unused. Ezio cringed slightly as she found a sensitive spot of his wound. She slapped his hand away harshly as he went to sooth it.

"Of course he had to get into a fight with the Pazzi, didn't he?" Federico sighed, lifting his feet up onto the table to get himself comfortable. He'd always been like that as long as she'd known him.

Probably one of the many reasons why he doesn't work at the bank anymore.

"Why doesn't your maid do this?"

"Because unlike my mother I don't need someone waiting on me hand and foot," she muttered, glaring at her patient. "She went home for the night, anyway."

She frowned out of the blue, replacing a used cloth for a new one and leaving it the warm water to soak. "My mother is attempting to arrange my marriage to Vieri de' Pazzi-"

"WHAT!" Ezio shouted out in alarm, involuntarily kicking the stool over opposite him. Valentina remained un-phased and emotionless as she rested her hands in her lap and playing with a strand of her long, naturally burgundy, coloured hair (an uncommon colour among the Italians of that time), that draped down her peach coloured dress that hugged her frame and lastly ending just below her waistline. She didn't flaunt herself to every man in sight, but she did admit to taking pride in her appearance, even if she did share some likeness with her mother...

"I hope your father hasn't approved of this," Federico replied, choosing to ignore his brother as he sat nursing his foot. He carried a worried expression about her mother's plans. "Lady Isabella must not know what she's doing."

"Isabella-" Ezio started purposely without titles. "-is not in her right mind," he said through gritted teeth, slamming a fist down on the table. An eerie silence followed suit through the large kitchen.

"My father hasn't approved and I doubt he ever will. He has taken her to the theatre tonight which usually means he plans on leaving her there afterwards." Federico coughed loudly to hide a laugh as Ezio just blinked incredulously.

"That's going to scar," Valentina sighed pointedly at his now clean cut. He gave her a look of disbelief.

'How could she so easily let this off?' However, he took her change of subject as hint to leave the troubling news alone.

"We will take our leave, Valentina. Thank-you for your help," Federico nodded his thanks and left through the door, into the alleyway which led off onto the canal backstreet. Ezio took his childhood friends hand and kissed it lightly; dark eyes met her hazel ones and he left without a word...

The Bianchi house was quiet now. Halls were left un-walked and many bedrooms were left un-slept in. Just last year her younger sister Rosetta, only fourteen years of age, became bedridden and then died shortly after of a terrible illness. The whole family was devastated and one of the reasons why her mother had become what she was now.
Her older sister Eleanora, four years her senior at twenty-one, was living happily in Venezia (Venice) and sent the occasional letter to her, which she always enjoyed receiving.
Her eldest sibling at twenty-four was Antonio. He absolutely loved horses and became infatuated with them at a young age and this undoubtedly meant that he spent most of his time at the stable they owned.
There was finally her mother Isabella and her father Raphael. Valentina would never have thought they were 'soul mates' and will only assume her parents had an arranged marriage, unless convinced otherwise.

Hooves clattered outside in the street. She reached for the window and peered round the curtains. 'It'll be night soon,' she thought to herself as she scanned the darkening scene: two horses (which appeared to be black and dark bay, respectively) now stood stationary in front of the palazzo, making Valentina grow tense as the carriage door was pushed open forcefully, almost knocking the driver over as he attempted to catch it. The flustered coachman straightened himself with what dignity he had left and this brought a slight smile to her lips.

Before she saw anymore she left for the front door and allowed a rather frustrated mother in and up the main staircase to her room.

"You won't be marrying the young de' Pazzi. I can assure you of that," a soft but commanding voice sighed. Her father run an ageing hand through his dark brown hair and scanned his daughter's worried face with the same identical hazel eyes as her, yet with a more calming effect. "Your mother isn't well."

Valentina held back a roll of her eyes as she shut the door silently, not expecting her brother back any time soon. He could sleep in the stables many times over and it didn't surprise her one bit. Many nights he turned up at the door smelling foully of horse manure, it being so revolting to the nose he was dismissed to the back of the house to wash. Antonio wasn't the best example of a noble.

"I realised that when you brought her home this time," she muttered under her breath with disdain. She wasn't sure if he had caught that and if he did, he didn't show it.

"I want you to take your mother to the joust tomorrow morning," he asked as he escorted her up the stairs, an arm around her shoulders, steering her towards her room. She huffed softly, not in the mood to socialise with her mother that she so despised right now. She did however enjoy watching horse sports. They were lovely creatures when they didn't decide to turn on their rider which, thankfully, didn't happen to her but once when she was younger. Ironically, her father had given up arguing with her mother and had given in to her whim to allow Valentina's supposed 'husband-to-be' to ride her precious grey mare, Grazia (Grace) in the competition.

"I was planning to go on my own," she sighed as she came to her door, distractedly running a hand along its carvings. The young woman felt the hard gaze on her back and she cringed inwardly at the power it held. "But I could make an exception; just this once."

One side of her father's mouth was raised into a gentle smile as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Pleasant dreams, my strong one."

Valentina chuckled softly at the mention of her name's meaning; named after the fact that she was so strong during childbirth was rather daunting to say the least, but was told she had the spirit to fight. She had never, however, put this into practice- a lady was never expected to. The greatest of expectations would be thwarted someday... you'll see.


Well there's Chapter 1 (finally). I'll try and upload chapter 2 very soon, but I can't really promise when. Don't worry I will though! xD