(Esperanza DeMarco)

My wedding dress was a tattered old costume gown I had worn as Diana, the virgin goddess of the hunt. As I slipped the material off my shoulders, I mused about how I would not be a virgin much longer. The thought settled low in my belly and made my insides tingle. I placed my hand on my abdomen, trying to steady myself.

We had quickly as possible, ridden to the nearest law office to have a certificate of marriage drawn up. The lawyer nearly choked on his wine as Hobbes threw down a change purse so fat, it make the candlestick on his desk rattle. It was to also keep him from speaking about how there would be no church wedding for the young bride and slightly older groom.

He also promised to remain quiet about our strange dress, with some bloodied hems and torn fabric. The bruises on our skin were also to be pathologically ignored.

I did not mind the whole affair too much. After all, I had a beach side wedding already. Complete with a worn old church, the sound of waves rushing against the pebbled shoreline, and a grey, cloudy French morning. I closed my eyes, remembering how Ezio had looked. His eyes were hard and serious, trying to hide the fact that he cared more for me than he cared to admit. I darted my eyes from him, saying my vows while concentrating on a molding tapestry. But that was months ago.

The maid was finishing filling the large tub with steaming water. She nodded to me, leaving the room to offer me some privacy. I allowed my naked body to unfurl as I climbed in with a pleasure that was nearly sexual. I rested my head against the back of the large wooden tub, my hair spilling over the side.

There was a knock at the door.

Thinking it might have been my husband, I took a deep breath, and then said, "Come in!"

I kept my eyes closed, trying to remain calm. "I was not expecting you here so early," I said, behind the changing screen. My voice sounded more like a frustrated squeak rather than the cool indifferent air I was hoping for. I furrowed my brow as I cringed at my own words.

"It is not your husband." The sultry female voice I would recognize anywhere.

"Livia?"

"Yes," she said, peering at me from behind the changing screen. I found myself sinking lower into the steam, grateful that it covered most of my nakedness. My skin was already puckered and red from the warmth of the bath.

"What are you... I- what brings you?" I was trying to sound collected once more, failing terribly. I wondered how my wedding night would pan out with all my stammering. I silently hoped that Ezio would able to get me incoherent enough for that not to matter.

She smiled at me. "I wished to come an offer my amends," she said, the corners of her lush lips turning up only slightly.

"Oh." I had not expected Livia, who was so sure and confident in her own actions to be a patron of forgiveness. The only thing more foreign to her enquiry was my own response to it. Was this about her stealing my husband from me? For her endless propositioning of him? Was I still angry about everything?

"Thank you," I ground out, looking back to my limbs submerged in the soapy water.

She knelt beside my tub. "He loves you," she said.

"Oh," I said, like a complete fool. I knew Ezio told me that he wanted to marry me before the whole mess had begun. I knew that he was in pain over losing me to Spain. However, marriage and missing someone did not mean that they loved them. I turned the thought over in my head. "I am not so sure Livia," I told her honestly. "I know that he cares for me. Yes, I know at least he feels that way. But love? Ezio has been in love so many times I think he himself has forgotten what it means."

Her eyes narrowed. "But you love him," she stated.

I splashed at the water with my fingers. "Yes," I answered. There could be no more denying now.

Livia picked up a wash cloth and began dabbing my shoulders. "It is a tricky business, love. There is often too much pain and too little to gain from what goes into the emotion."

I leaned forward, allowing her to massage my shoulders, taking ash and grime off my back. "Indeed," I said, closing my eyes once more as Livia worked the hard muscles of my shoulders, "I know many women at court who would have agreed with you. Many of them confused lust with love."

Livia laughed smugly.

I turned my torso to face her. "What makes you think he is in love with me?"

She thought for a moment. "The way he looks at you. It is like he is always watching over you."

I hummed a response. It was less interesting than a comment or confession he might have made to her. Preferably when they were lying satiated in bed together. I drove the thought from my mind. It was my wedding night after all, and from what I demanded, only Ezio and I would be participating. I wouldn't even deign to let Livia occupy my mind.

The two of us fell into a relaxed silence, her rubbing the warm cloth over my shoulders and me settling back into her touch. The sloshing of the water chimed out a melody for me and my eyelids felt heavy. "You know that coupling can be quite pleasurable," she began.

I remembered her council last time I tried to seduce my husband. A flutter of embarrassment wound in my stomach. "Yes, Livia," I said, "I know."

She chuckled, "Do you? Did your nurse ever tell you about it?"

I opened one eye, "What are you getting at?"

Livia smiled down at me, her beautiful eyes shining with mischief. "Close your eyes again," she demanded.

I raised an eyebrow at her, but she only smiled encouragingly.

Her hands still massaging me, she allowed one to trickle over my breasts. My face immediately flushed at the intimate contact. "Livia…" I began.

"Hush," she began, "this is not shameful. I am showing you as a woman how to please yourself, and your husband. This is not a duty, Sonia."

My eyes shut as I remembered the women screaming in the birthing rooms in France. How this would lead to that. How I might die, ripped in half by a bawling child. Doomed to a sagging belly and breasts… a distorted and broken body for the rest of my life. Yes, of my duty I was well aware.

"Sonia?" Livia resumed rubbing circles into my clenched shoulders.

I sat farther up into the tub, holding my head in my heads, embarrassed by the tears that leaked from my eyes. Livia pressed a hand into my back. Oh, how I longed for Erminia, my old maid who would have put an end to all of this.

"Livia," I began, "are there ways of… of not getting yourself with child?"

It was a long moment before she answered. "Yes… yes there are ways Sonia."

"Tell me."

Livia chuckled. "Later, the maid forgot to bring you soap, I shall fetch you some."

The exhaustion climbing over Ezio was enough to make him want to collapse into bed. Hobbes had offered him a hot bath and a warmer fire. They talked lowly about plans and streams of action they could take. They spoke of ships and dowries. They spoke of war.

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily as he came to the door of his room. Turning the handle, he heard a soft creaking at the end of the hall. Craning his neck around, he saw Livia draped in shadows, like she usually was. She winked at him, as she crept into her room.

Ezio opened the door, his boots already half off.

He stopped.

Sonia, her eyes closed, hair draped over the end of the washtub looked like some sort of Raphael painting. Her nudity was covered except for one shining breast that rose out of the steaming water like an island of flesh, one leg hung lazily over the other side, her other leg hidden under water.

"Livia, put the soap over there," she swung her arm up daintily, pointing to a small table near the washbasin.

Ezio, struck dumb, felt his boot fall from his hand and land with a bang on the ground. Immediately the illusion was broken, Sonia squealing and hurrying to cover herself. "I'm sorry!" Ezio yelped, turning around as fast as he could manage and ramming straight into the door.

"Fuck!" he swore terribly as his vision blurred and dots danced in his vision.

He heard water sloshing in the tub as Sonia leapt out, presumably behind the changing screen. He clutched his head in his hands, the wound taking the throbbing abruptly away from another part of his body.

"Oh," she said softly, coming behind him. "This was not how this was supposed to go at all."

"I agree," Ezio said, trying his best not to whimper. He could already feel a bruise forming and his head hurt like hell. All he wanted was sleep, how did he manage to get himself into these situations?

"Let me have a look," Sonia said, leading him over to the bed. She was now dressed demurely in a matronly sleeping gown.

"Next time, warn me before you decide to become the most enticing creature I've ever seen. Perhaps I'll be slightly more prepared," Ezio blurted as she pried his hand away from the bump on his forehead.

She blushed heavily, "Well, I suppose I was trying to be slightly appealing…"

He laughed, "Whatever for?"

Her blush suddenly became indignant. "I'm not sure if you recall from this afternoon, but it is our wedding night, Ezio Auditore."

"Ah, yes. That's why you were all naked and wanton," he teased. Though really, he could not believe the image that stuck itself in his mind. He reckoned it would keep him company for years and years to come.

"I thought you were Livia," she mentioned casually, picking up cream from her toilette box and bringing it to where he sat on the bed. "She was helping me get clean for tonight."

"Well I must say, she did quite a fine job," Ezio said, smiling.

Sonia smiled back and for a long moment there was only silence between the two of them. Ezio winced as she applied the sweet-smelling cream to the bruise. It immediately felt cool and soothing on his skin. Breathing out easily, he watched her place the cream back in her box, and trade it for a small bottle of rosewater. Dabbing some on her neck, he watched her curiously, remembering that time she dressed as a boy.

He wondered how he could have possibly mistaken her for that with her long, curling hair reaching nearly to her waist and the gauzy material suggesting womanly curves beneath its folds.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked. "You're looking at me like a wolf."

He shrugged. "This is our wedding night," he repeated, hardly believing the words.

She hummed a response. "Indeed," she said, coming over to sit on the bed beside him. "You look tired, did you want to sleep?"

He laughed heartily.

"Good," she said, joining in, "because this has dragged out for so long… I honestly think I might die if you do not make love to me tonight."

"It can be arranged," he said, holding out his hand for her.

Despite her best efforts, another blush rose to her cheeks. She looked down as she took his hand in hers. They are cool, Ezio noted, placing his lips on the faded blue veins under her tanned skin. He found himself leaning into her, pressing his cheek to her abdomen, filling his nostrils with the faint floral scent and womanly smells rising from her.

He was so tired, closing his eyes, allowing her warmth to envelop him. He felt broken and haggard; the long journey they had been on was barely over. She brought her arms about his shoulders and suddenly Ezio felt stronger, more assured.

Fisting the soft material in his hands, he began lifting it off of Sonia's smooth, naked skin. The candles burning shadowed the room, but gave her an angelic glow, despite the blemishes she incurred during the fire, the kidnapping, the tramping around France.

Finding a small, blotchy bruise he kissed it reverently, flicking his tongue over the sensitive flesh. Then, he did the same thing to a pink cut under her breast, to a healing scrape on her collarbone. Sonia sighed, growing more relaxed under his careful touch and gently lifting her hips, he allowed her to straddle him.

"Stop," she told him quietly.

Ezio immediately took his hands from her. "I'm sorry," he said thickly, remembering the last time she asked him to stop.

"I- I want to undress you," she began, her voice shaking along with her fingertips.

His heart pounded as she slowly undid the tie at the top of his shirt. He kissed her furrowed brow, smoothing out the lines in her forehead as she concentrated. Then she pulled the cloth up and over his head.

Simple, Sonia thought to herself as she set to work on his belt and trousers. Next thing she knew they were both naked, pressing their heated bodies against each other. Ezio's kissing grew more intense. She hugged her arms around him tightly as he reached down to stroke between her legs.

"Ah!" he yelped.

"What is it?" she asked, alarmed.

His face contorted in a grimace, but he answered with a: "I'm fine!"

"Oh, your ribs!" she realized, biting her lower lip.

Ezio blew out a breath and nodded.

"We shouldn't be doing this when you're in this condition," she decided, pulling at the sheet to cover herself.

Ezio grabbed her wrist. "No."

Her eyes grew wide as he rolled on top of her, pinning her wrists above her head. "I might be a little worse for wear, but you demanded me to make love to you tonight, and what kind of husband would I be if I denied my wife?"

Sonia laughed, leaning up to kiss him.

"Now," he began, "do I have to keep your hands here all night?"

"I promise to be gentle," she teased.

Smiling, Ezio kissed her again, running his fingers along her spine, her breasts, and her hips. Then his palm dipped down between her legs. Sonia felt her muscles draw as tight as a bowstring as he stroked her. She found her breathing labored, a sweet pleasure drawn out from his rhythmic motions. The familiar building feeling was happening again and she prayed he wouldn't stop this time.

Then light seemed to explode from within her. She cried out, arching her hips, allowing convulsions to wrack her body.

"Oh!" she sighed when her body finally relaxed. She opened her eyes to find Ezio leaning over her, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

"Is that not wonderful?" he asked her, kissing her softly. "This is how it feels to be with someone."

She nodded her head. Words were beyond her. The fear that had once built itself up so high inside of her was completely discarded. She was totally fixated in the moment, in the way her body felt, in the way her chest rose up and down.

Ezio took her hand and she, still coming out of her haze, realized where it was trailing. She gulped as he placed her hand on his member, allowing her to wrap her fingers around him. His sharp intake of breath encouraged her to squeeze harder.

"Like that," he encouraged her, "I won't break."

She continued to feel him, move her fingers across the taught flesh, coming to understand him more… giving him the same pleasure he provided her before. This is how people are with each other, she thought, give and take, then give again.

"Stop," he hissed suddenly.

"Why?" she asked hurriedly.

"Because I would like this night to last slightly longer than a few more minutes," he answered.

"Oh," she replied sheepishly. She had so much more to learn.

And he was ready to teach her. "I'm not sure if this will hurt you a little or not, amora."

He called me love, she thought, her heart surging. Then she began to feel him press into her. A warm, shooting pain made her gasp. She fisted her hands into the bedclothes.

"Careful," she ground out as he pushed farther in.

"Tilt your hips up more," he instructed, lifting them higher himself anyway.

Then, as though it were no trouble at all, they were connected. The two breathed a sigh of relief, wondering how long it had taken them both to get there.

Ezio thought he should say something rather profound, but he couldn't gather anything too intelligible. "Are you alright?" he asked instead, kissing her cheek.

"Yes," she answered, surprised by her own response.

Instinct took over. Sonia brought her legs over his hips and lifted up to him as he began to sort out a rhythm that was making them both gasp and moan.

Sonia bit his shoulder as he pushed in deeper, pulling out almost all the way, and then thrusting powerfully against her. Sweat formed on his brow, dripping onto her. He licked away the tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes. Faster, faster, faster.

Then she was strung tight again, her neck bowed and back arched off the mattress. Ezio called out her name as he reached his own peak, then collapsed against her. Sonia closed her eyes, listening to the thump of blood in her ears, feeling the thrumming of blood through her veins.

"Come here," Ezio said, pulling her toward him.

She smiled up at him.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Very nice."

He laughed, then sat up, combing his fingers through his hair. He's beautiful, she mused, watching him gather up a cloth from the washbasin and dunk it in the bathwater. He walked back over to her, and she turned away from him, allowing for some privacy. Instead he dipped the lukewarm cloth between her legs.

"Ah," she cried at the contact. She did not realize she was sore.

"You're bleeding a little," Ezio explained.

"That is your proof then," she mentioned lazily, closing her eyes and stretching her back. Ezio cocked an eyebrow at her as he tossed the washcloth away. "Proof that I was pure. My dowry is still good, not tainted," she added.

He laughed, "Mother always told me I would marry well."

"Father would have perished the thought of me marrying you."

Ezio smiled at her, pulling the bed sheets around them. "I am of good stock, wife. You are an Auditore now, and don't you dare forget that name."

"Indeed," she said, laughing heartily. "And if you had told me that when I was eighteen, I would have murdered myself to save you the trouble."

"We are slightly older now," Ezio mentioned. His twenty six years to her twenty did not exactly guarantee the wisdom of the ages, but he felt older and certainly wiser than he did years ago, when he met Sonia.

"Who could have guessed that we would be here now, like this?" she asked.

"I might have known that night I kissed you when we were in Venice," he murmured.

"Hmmm?" Sonia asked. Her eyes were closed, breathing slowing down.

"When you were teasing me about the stars, asking me if you thought I wanted to be up there with Orion," he whispered, watching her fall asleep. "All I could think about was how beautiful you looked in that servant's skirt."

His only reply was the soft sighs of her sleeping form.