Chapter Two
Cesare Borgia stifled a yawn. After hours of incessant chatter between the other cardinals, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into the arms of a wanton whore.
Unlike the rest of his colleagues, Cesare did not deny himself the pleasures of the flesh. His father, Pope Alexander VI, had fathered four children with his Spanish mistress, Vanozza de Cattannei, and was now in the company of Giulia de Farnese, a local beauty.
Cesare and his younger brother, Juan, had apparently inherited their father's zest for life. Unfortunately for Cesare, he was thrust into the world of the cardinals instead of the army, a life that was given to Juan, their father's favourite son.
Cesare barely noticed that the cardinals had begun leaving the room, and he realized the session had ended. He stood up slowly, running a hand down his chin, feeling the rough texture of his week-old stubble. His father was deeply engrossed with Cardinal Sforza, a man who belonged to the powerful Sforza family.
Cesare's younger sister, Lucrezia, was set to marry the cardinal's cousin, Giovanni Sforza, a man who was old enough to be her father. Cesare's lip curled at the thought of an older man touching his innocent sister, and yet the match was a crucial one.
The Borgia family needed as many allies as possible, for the French king had begun making plans to invade the country. The pope had immediately latched on to Cardinal Sforza's marriage proposal, but Cesare had his own reservations.
Cesare caught his father's eye and the latter nodded, dismissing Cardinal Sforza with a slight wave of his hand.
"What news?" Cesare asked his father softly, after kissing the holy hand.
"Sforza is keen on marrying your sister," Rodrigo replied, lifting his white frock slightly as he stood. "It seems things are already going in our favour. If your brother Juan decides to marry Sancia of Naples, then we will have a formidable army against Charles."
Cesare doubted Juan would fall for Sancia; his brother was very picky when it came to women. Just the other day he had seen the girl's portrait, and it had not impressed him. Juan would definitely turn the poor girl down, and if their father insisted on having one of his sons marry into the royal family of Naples, Joffre would be next, despite being only ten years old.
If only his father hadn't put him in the cloth...
"A thousand pardons, Your Holiness." A smartly dressed man walked up to them, holding a letter bearing the Tudor seal. "This just came from the British envoy. It concerns the matter of Anne Boleyn."
Rodrigo threw his son a meaningful glance. Father and son had heard of the scandal that rocked the British dynasty, when King Henry VIII unceremoniously banished his former queen, Anne Boleyn, to the Vatican. Apparently the king had taken a new bride just hours after Anne had left the country.
Rodrigo took the letter from the messenger and continued walking. He read the letter in silence, finally handing it to Cesare. The letter merely informed them that Anne Boleyn was now under the care of the Bonadeo family, and was set to be presented to the pope in a few days' time. It also spoke of a reminder; that Anne must not be allowed to leave the Vatican or send any letters.
Cesare folded the letter and handed it back to his father. "And what do they expect us to do? Keep her in a cell?"
"No, no," Rodrigo said, shaking his head solemnly. "The poor girl has been through enough. We must be gracious hosts and make her stay in the city as comfortable as possible."
"And is she to receive forgiveness for what she has done?"
"We shall see," Rodrigo said cryptically. "But first, we must attend to your sister's marriage to Giovanni Sforza. Once we have a Borgia in their family, we can turn our attention to the simple matter of an unfaithful British girl."