Chapter 4
He stops to catch his breath from running as he approaches the group, lowering himself to his hands and knees, bowing his head.
"Oh, wise and noble courtesans. I humbly seek your advice." He begins, far more formally than he should. "There is a woman who has caught my attention. By the heavens, she is beautiful, but heart is too well-guarded; she ignores all of my advances."
They blink owlishly, almost confused.
"Please. You must help me convince her."
"Convince her to sleep with you?"
"Convince her to look at me with something other than hate."
"And that is all?"
"It is enough for now."
A large portion of the group starts to murmur to each other before one of them steps forward.
"If it is the woman I am thinking of... you will need all the help you can get."
He looks up.
"Which woman is that?"
"Elizabeth Romano di Venezia. She is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful women in Venezia, and the coldest to any man who believes himself worthy of her attention."
"A beautiful woman in blue with long brown hair tended my wounds after an incident and I had fallen unconscious. Could that have been her?"
"She tended your wounds?"
He nods, which again makes several of the group start to murmur amongst themselves.
"What is it?"
"If it is her, you should know that it is hard to earn her attention, and harder still to keep it for longer than a short while. How did you manage such a feat?"
"I do not know. She found me injured in an alley."
"Then that is your answer."
"Pardon?"
"You were injured, and that proves that your situation was interesting to her. Even if she were to admit it to you, she will surely not show it in public; she has her image to uphold."
Ezio strokes his chin in thought.
"She was interested in my 'situation', hm?"
The women nod.
"Here is my advice to you." One of the women steps forward. "Do not try. Simply be."
He raises an eyebrow.
"'Be'?"
"It is simple: she detests those who try to win her affections, but not those who do not strive for them. If you do not strive for them, she will not detest you. She also does not take kindly to flirtations; however, she prefers those who are simply kind to her, but expect nothing in return."
It's so simple, but he's not surprised he hadn't thought of it before. He was so completely used to women blushing and giggling at the way he spoke to them that it was like he had pushed the thought of a woman rejecting his flirtations out of his mind. He was so used to getting what he wanted, from reactions to sharing a bed with a beautiful woman, that the idea of not getting either had never crossed his thoughts.
"Grazie, Donne." He bows politely to the women, and they giggle and fan themselves as he leaves.
"Buongiorno, Madonna. Come state?"
She turns towards him to see him hanging upside-down from a wrought iron shop sign, but she does not respond.
"May I at least have your name?" He smiles. "You have taken such good care of me; my wounds are healed because of you."
Still, she does not respond. He frowns a little as he pulls himself up, reaching the roof of the building.
"I am Ezio. Ezio Auditore da Firenze." He calls back to her, turning to free-run along the roof.
"...Elizabeth Romano di Venezia."
He turns back towards her and his frown had vanished.
"It is a pleasure to finally be acquainted to you, Madonna Elizabeth."
He smiles before disappearing from the edge.
If he had paid attention for only a moment longer, he would have seen the small, slightly amused smile that she wore.