Disclaimer: Assassin's Creed is a product of UbiSoft and does not belong to me
A/N: Sorry for the delay in update! I was sick for a while and I had competition on Saturday. Please Enjoy Chapter 2 and please excuse its shortness :P
The months after Alexandria's father and brother's murder were difficult. Maddalena fell into a deep depression and Alexandria rarely spoke, both keeping to themselves. Although Alexandria was living with the pain and helplessness of knowing who murdered her kin and not being able to do anything about it, she felt she needed to be strong for her deteriorating mother. She preoccupied herself by doing chores and helping Maddalena with anything she needed. As the days went on, little by little, Maddalena gathered strength from her daughter; slowly reaching closure. She realized that she was being selfish, how could she wallow in her own sorrows and ignore her last child who needed her? She knew that their money supply would not last long, and she could not stay a widow forever. Maddalena would have to remarry, a thought Alexandria did not approve of.
On the third year of her husband's absence absence, Maddalena met a wealthy man named Salvatore Romano. Alexandria thought he was a horrible man, his grin caused chills to run up her spine, and his kind facade disgusted her. Despite Alexandria's attempts of making her see who Salvatore really was, Maddalena fell deeply in love with him-and his money. They were married a year later. An extravagant wedding was thrown and all the nobles of Venice were invited. Including a certain Uberto Alberti. Alexandria could still remember the look in his eyes when he greeted them, and the sinister smile he gave her. He knew she knew he was the murderer. But he also knew she was a woman, and it was her word against his-a man. And because of this, she cursed him with every cell in her being.
Soon after her mother and new step-father were married, Salvatore became cruel and rigid. He rarely allowed Alexandria to go out in public without guards watching her every move, he burned all of her books and prohibited her from further learning. He once caught her secretly reading a book he had missed and severely beat her. Not once during her beating did Maddalena interfere and stood back and watched as her daughter silenced her cries of pain and faced her assailant defiantly. Because of this, Alexandria grew to hate her mother also. How could the woman who birthed her stand as a bystander to her daughter's beating by a man who just recently came into their lives? Although Alexandria knew the punishment would be harsh if Salvatore was to ever find out, she continued to sneak in books to study into her chambers. Her love of learning overcoming her fear of the man. She loved to taunt him with her knowledge, correcting him in everything intellectual, and making him look like a fool in front of his clients. The joy she received from embarrassing him was indescribable and she enjoyed it while it lasted, seeing as how he always punished her after.
It was a beautiful day in Venezia, the birds were singing, the flowers were in bloom, and the sky was clear with white clouds-creating a serene environment. However, it was on this day seven years ago that the murders occurred and Alexandria was in mourning. She locked herself in her room and came out only to eat and bathe. The newly acquired maids were curious as to why she was so depressed on such a beautiful day, but the old maids of the household knew and mourned alongside Alexandria for the men that passed before their time.
Alexandria was laying in bed staring up at the ceiling mosaic in her room. It was beautiful, doves were in mid-flight, flowers were in bloom, angels were together in flight, and all were painted by her. Suddenly there came a knock at her door, and she sighed. "Enter!", she called, and a breathless maid came scurrying in. Alexandria eyed her from where she lay. She was one of the new girls that her mother had hired. She was young, perhaps fifteen, and was painfully ordinary. Her black hair and brown eyes were average in Italy, and her body was not something a man would look twice at. But she was kind, that much Alexandria could tell from the blush on her cheeks and the soft smile that played on her lips. Her mother had a cruel idea of hiring unattractive girls to work in their household for fear of her husband being unfaithful to her in their home. But outside of those walls, she knew he was able to do whatever he wished.
"Mia Signora, your father desires your presence in his study", the maid said softly.
"He is not my father, and that is not his study", Alexandria muttered under her breath bitterly as she got up from her position on her bed and the maid rushed to her side to help her get ready for her meeting with Salvatore.
Alexandria looked at herself in the mirror and noticed how much she had changed over the years. At 18 years old, she was absolutely beautiful, but she did not flaunt her beauty like most girls. Her auburn hair had gotten lighter in some places, adding blond streaks, and it had also gotten longer-cascading down her back like a fierce waterfall. Her body had changed greatly since she had reached womanhood. She was voluptuous and curvaceous, and was greatly desired by men and envied by women. Her face had also changed over the years. It was less rounded and more angular, and her eyes looked fierce with their deep blue-green that resembled those of a cat. The maid looked at her examining herself and felt unworthy of standing next to such a beautiful being. She sighed and tightened Alexandria's corset, causing said person to gasp as the breath inside her lungs escaped. She mumbled an apology and set about dressing her. She pulled out a deep blue gown with a forest green embroidery and showed it to Alexandria. Alexandria fingered the cloth it was made of and gave an approving nod. The maid slipped it over her head and laced it up tightly. She then handed her a pair of heels the same color as her gown and clipped a diamond necklace around her neck.
The maid stepped back and wondered about what to do about her mistress' hair. Alexandria glanced up at her while she was putting on her shoes and went back to tying the laces around her ankles. Suddenly Alexandria felt the maid working on her hair, hissing as she passed the comb through the entangled locks. The maid started braiding the hair on the both sides of her head, coming together at the back where a bun was made. Abruptly, an older maid by the name of Ambra came into the room, panting.
"Signora! Master Salvatore requests your presence at once!"
Alexandria groaned in displeasure and the maid quickly finished up her work, adding a bit of kohl around her eyes and some pink lip stainer. She stood back and admired her work and watched as Alexandria stood up. Alexandria towered over her, Alexandria at 5'6 and she at a mere 5'2, and with the added height of the heels, she looked intimidating as she looked down at her. Alexandria smiled at the maid with perfect pearl white teeth and gave her a kiss on both cheeks, thanked her, and followed Ambra out. The maid stood rooted to her spot, surprised. She then smiled from ear to ear, squealed deep in her throat, and skipped off to complete the rest of her chores.
Alexandria followed Ambra down the long corridor that led to her birth father's study that Salvatore now claimed as his own. Her throat tightened and she fought back the tears that welled behind her now closed eyes. Ambra looked behind her and noticed Alexandria's eyes were closed and was breathing heavily. "Nobildonna?", she quietly called to her.
Alexandria's eyes opened, they were glossy and the pain she felt was evident in her eyes. She let out a shaky breath and gave her a weary smile. "Non ti preoccupare, sto bene", she reassured her and continued walking ahead. Ambra looked at her departing back, sighed, and followed suit. They were getting closer to the study's entrance and Alexandria visibly tensed. She dreaded being in a room alone with Salvatore, he was unbelievably cruel behind closed doors. Her heels clicked as she slowed down and Ambra's scuffling made by her slippers stopped. She looked behind her and noticed Ambra was a few feet away. She raised a questioning eyebrow and Ambra gave her an apologetic smile.
"I cannot follow you there Signora. Mi dispiace." She said, then turned around and walked away to finish her chores.
Ambra sighed and turned to knock on the door. "Entrare!", Salvatore's booming voice called and she entered. She looked around the study and painful memories started flooding her mind. Oh, how she missed those days where her father would let her sit on his lap and teach her how to read. And the days where she would sneak in and lay flowers on his desk and he would lay flowers on her bed. But that was in the past, and she wondered when she would move on.
Salvatore looked his step-daughter up and down. She was a gorgeous young woman, but she resembled her father too much for his liking. Ah, yes. He was close friends with Demetri Conti, but no one knew except themselves, and he intended to keep it that way. Demetri must be turning in his grave, Salvatore thought. After Demetri was murdered, Salvatore saw it as an opportunity to get closer to his attractive widowed wife and claim her-and her fortune-as his. But he had to do something about Demetri's rebellious daughter who was now looking at him with disdain. She was too independent, too intelligent, and she needed to be tamed.
"You needed to speak with me?" Contempt was clear in her soft voice, and she gave him a strained smile.
He laughed at her attempt to fool him with her docile attitude and Alexandria looked confused for a moment before her eyebrows furrowed and anger flashed in her eyes for his mockery.
"Well?", she spat, and Salvatore crossed over to her in quick strides and struck her in the face. She silenced her cry of pain and blinked away the tears.
"You will speak to me with respect, insolent child."
Alexandria held her head up high and ignored the stinging on her right cheek. A bruise was beginning to form on her pretty face and it would be sore in a while. Salvatore turned his back to her and walked to his desk and sat down. Alexandria found herself wishing him death, and it surprised her. She never had such cruel thoughts and it was something new to her. She looked at him once more with an inquiring glare and he glared at her right back.
"I asked for your presence to discuss something of great importance, mio caro." He said, and she felt nauseated at the words of affection he used to taunt her. "You are at a marriageable age and I find it necessary that you marry soon. Appropriately, a high ranking Templar brother of mine has asked for your hand in marriage, and you will marry him. You will fulfill your duty as a wife, and you will give yourself to the Templar cause."
Alexandria felt like she had no words to speak, no breath to breathe. She felt distressed, her father had promised her he would let her marry out of love, and this man, this thing in front of her was going to marry her off to someone she does not love, to someone she hasn't even met!
"What?", she cried and Salvatore glared at her as a sign to shut her mouth, but she continued. "I will NOT marry a stranger to help your ridiculous Templar brotherhood! I will marry the man I love and not out of business!" Her voice did not falter when Salvatore stood up and she resumed speaking,"You have no right to marry me off to some disgusting bigot who doe-".
Salvatore cut her off by wrapping his fingers around her neck, cutting off her air supply, and slamming her into a wall. Her hands clawed at his own, eyes wide, in an attempt to get him off her.
"Now listen to me, you disgraceful and pathetic excuse of a woman, you will do as I wish without fail. Your little act of rebellion will end, and if you so much as attempt to defy me, I will make sure the rest of your life is a living hell." He spat at her and let her go.
Alexandria tenderly grasped her neck and gulped down as much air as she could as she slid to the floor. Tears of anger spilled out of her eyes, kohl smearing her face. There were red welts forming on her neck in the shape of fingers, adding to the ones on her cheek. Salvatore looked at her and cursed himself. There was no way he could present her to the man who wished to marry her looking like that. They would have to wait. With his back turned to her, he said,
"In one week's time, you will meet your suitor. And in one month, you two shall marry and join our families. You are dismissed."
Alexandria glowered at the back of his head and walked out with as much dignity as she could. The angry bruises saying what she would not.
When she reached her room, the maid from earlier was there along with Ambra. Upon seeing her, they gasped and rushed to her side. Alexandria pushed them away and asked them to leave. They unwillingly complied and walked out of her room. Waiting just outside of her door in case she needed them.
Once they were out, Alexandria went into a fit of seething rage. She grabbed whatever she could get her hands on and threw them at the walls, the ceiling, the floor, everything. She screamed and pulled at her hair and then crumbled into a sobbing heap on the floor. Her maids came in, frightened, and gasped at the destruction in the room. Maddalena rushed in and her eyes widened at what she saw. She angrily walked to Alexandria's side, lifted her up, and promptly slapped her across the face, causing Alexandria to hiss in pain. Alexandria looked at her mother, hurt, and rubbed her stinging cheek.
"You are a woman, and you will fulfill your duties with grace, honor, and obedience. It is your job to bring our families together and you will accept it without fail." Madalenna said and watched as her only child looked at her angrily. She spun on her heel and walked away, heels angrily clicking away.
Alexandria let her maids undress and bathe her, too emotionally exhausted to do them herself. Seeing as it was still day out, they attempted to dress her in a light weight gown, but Alexandria refused. All she wanted to do was sleep. She didn't care whether it was midnight or dawn, she just wanted to fall into slumber's embrace. She slipped on a nightgown and climbed into bed, dismissing the maids as she laid her head on the feather-stuffed pillow. At the sound of the closing door, she closed her eyes and began to weep for her crushed chance at love. She somehow knew she would never love this man. However, she would NOT let herself be tamed. She was rebellious, cunning, and would not let her freedom be taken away by a man. With new determination and hate in her heart, she closed her eyes and gave into darkness.
A/N: It was sooo much shorter than the last chapter but I promise the next one will be longer! And yeah, Alexandria seems very dramatic in this chappie :P