Two years ago, Monteriggioni
"Tell me everything!" Gina demanded.
Claudia pursed her lips and played with the handle of her mug. The sunlight was pouring through the windows and while she was shaded by the curtain, Gina's face glowed in the golden hue, making her look even prettier.
Claudia felt an instant pang of jealousy but when Gina persistently asked her about Cesare, she dismissed that emotion and smiled.
"There isn't much to tell." She told her friend truthfully. "We walked around the lake and talked a bit. His friends were there and then…"
"Then what?" Gina asked, taking a sip of tea from her mug.
Claudia clasped her hands and put them between her knees. "I think they were arguing. Maybe about me."
"About you?" Gina put down her mug and leaned forward; pushing away a plate of biscuits Claudia's mother had served.
"One of his friends kept looking at me and I think he was angry." Claudia said. "I couldn't be sure, of course."
"Hmm, maybe he's just jealous his friend is with a beautiful and intelligent woman and he has to sleep all alone with his pillow for company." Gina joked.
Claudia snickered at her friend and then put her hand under her chin. "He's really nice. And kind and sweet."
"Oh?" Gina asked and Claudia could see a teasing glint in her green eyes. "Do you think he'll ask you to marry you?"
"Gina! That's…too soon to decide." Claudia's face grew hot and she looked away. "I don't know much about him."
"What do you know about him?" Gina asked, touching her arm lightly so Claudia would look at her. "What does he do? Where does he live?"
Claudia hesitated. "Uh…he's an apprentice to a blacksmith."
"Just an apprentice?" Gina asked in puzzlement. "Are you sure?"
"Si, why?" Claudia asked.
"No…I…where does he live?" Gina asked and Claudia saw concern in her eyes.
Claudia swallowed uncomfortably. "I don't know."
"What?" Gina asked and Claudia felt her blush deepen. She couldn't understand why Gina looked so concerned. Maybe she was jealous of her because she had found a good man like Cesare?
"We just met once." Claudia said. "I'll ask him the next time we meet."
"Which is when?" Gina grinned at her and the tension Claudia had been feeling, ebbed away.
"In an hour." Claudia brought the mug to her lips so that her friend couldn't see how excited she was to meet Cesare again.
"Are his friends going to be there?" Gina asked a little cautiously.
Claudia shrugged.
Gina nodded. "In that case I shall come with you as well."
"Why?" Claudia said. "He asked to meet alone."
"I want to meet the man my friend is so clearly smitten with." Gina smiled. "I promise I won't intrude. In the event his friends are present, I'll go distract them while you and Cesare can have some privacy."
Claudia sighed. "That does seem like a good idea."
Gina laughed. "Don't worry Claudia. I won't steal your man."
Claudia watched her friend drink her tea and sat back in her chair. The truth was Gina was a lot closer to Cesare's age. What if he decided he liked Gina more?
Claudia shook away those thoughts. She was being absurd. Cesare had seen Gina that night at the inn. If he liked her, he would have approached her friend and not asked her for a dance instead.
"What's wrong?" Gina asked.
"Nothing." Claudia said and concentrated on what she would wear when she would go meet Cesare.
*/*/*/*/*/*
When the carriage stopped a few miles away from the Monteriggioni city gates, Claudia almost leapt out when she saw Cesare standing under a tree.
"Wait for me." Gina called and Claudia felt her excitement dampen. She glanced at Cesare and saw the look of surprise on his face when he saw her friend.
Gina took Claudia's hand and walked with her toward Cesare.
"Buona sera." She greeted in a friendly manner. "I am Gina, Claudia's best friend."
Cesare cast a disappointed look, but then when he glanced at Claudia he smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet one of Claudia's friends." He took Gina's hand and kissed it.
"Charming." Gina said and Claudia felt relieved that her friend was softening towards Cesare.
"I hope you don't mind me accompanying Claudia." Gina explained. "I was getting bored and could use some fresh air."
"It is alright." Cesare said reluctantly, much to Claudia's pleasure. She found happiness in the thought that Cesare wanted her all to himself.
"Let us walk then." Gina said.
"Of course." Cesare started to take Claudia's hand when Gina took it instead. Cesare didn't give up. He moved to Claudia's other side and took her arm.
The three walked towards the lake, neither saying anything. Claudia started to feel uncomfortable walking between the two of them and wished she could think of something intelligible to say.
"So tell me, Cesare." Gina said, breaking the awkward silence. "What do you do for a living?"
"I am an apprentice to a blacksmith." Cesare replied.
"Ah, who are you doing your apprenticeship under?" Gina asked.
Cesare hesitated. "Uh…Silvio."
"Silvio?" Gina raised an eyebrow. "Where is it that you work? Because I know all the blacksmiths in Firenze."
"How could you know all of them?" Claudia asked.
"I was dating a blacksmith a couple of months ago, remember. He lived in Firenze and every day he would moan about how he wasn't doing as much business as the others." Gina said. "I don't remember hearing Silvio's name in the list of men he was envious of."
Claudia saw the frown on Cesare's face. "I never said I worked in Firenze."
"Then in Toscana?" Gina asked.
"Er…no." Cesare squirmed and squeezed Claudia's arm absently.
Claudia threw her friend a look and Gina shrugged. "Where do you live Cesare?"
"Around here." He replied, but Claudia could sense the nervousness in his tone. Gina was really pestering him and she wouldn't blame Cesare for being so squeamish at her interrogation.
Gina looked around. "Ah, I see a row of little houses in the distance. Is one of them yours?"
Cesare looked to where Gina was motioning and nodded hastily. "Si, I live there."
Just then, they saw a group of men approaching on horsebacks and Claudia stopped in her tracks. "What are they doing here?"
"Who are they?" Gina asked.
"Er..they are my friends." Cesare replied and let go of Claudia. I'll go have a word with them.
When he walked towards his friends, Claudia turned angrily to her friend. "What is wrong with you?"
"What?" Gina asked.
"You're badgering him with your questions." Claudia said. "Leave him alone."
Gina caught her arm and pulled her back slightly. "Look at his boots, Claudia. They are made out of expensive leather. His clothes, they are expensive as well. I caught a glimpse of a gold chain he wears around his neck that he hides beneath his shirt. He is not who he says he is."
"It doesn't…"
"What kind of blacksmith pays an apprentice that much money?" Gina asked. "And look at the horse that's tied to a tree over there. It probably belongs to Cesare. Look at the shiny coat…"
"Stop it!" Claudia almost screamed. "He has no reason to lie to me. I have chosen to trust him. It is my decision to trust Cesare."
Gina frowned. "But how do you explain the proofs I have laid out for you?"
"I don't need all these things to determine my feelings for him. My heart says Cesare is not lying to me." Claudia said.
Gina crossed her arms and when she looked ahead, she suddenly raised her left leg and clutched her ankle. "Ow!"
"What's wrong?" Claudia asked.
Gina started hopping. "Ow! My ankle!"
"What happened?" Cesare asked, coming to them.
"I don't know." Claudia said and reached to help her friend.
"I sprained my ankle." Gina said. "I tripped on a rock."
"Maybe you should go back home and rest." Cesare said and knelt in front of her. "Here, let me check."
"No!" Gina cried. "I'll be fine. Why don't you take me to your home where I can rest? You and Claudia can continue with your walk."
Claudia glared at her friend, who winked at her discreetly.
"I just need a little rest." Gina said.
Cesare straightened. "My home?"
"Didn't you say you live around here?" Gina asked. "You couldn't be coming all the way from another city just to meet Claudia. You must live around here."
Gina wasn't even disguising her suspicion anymore and Claudia glanced at Cesare, sure he would be deeply offended. Instead, Cesare's expression grew stoic and he beckoned to his friends. They came over and Claudia eyed them warily.
"Take Gina to my house and make sure she's taken well care of." Cesare instructed.
His friends threw Claudia a disgusted look and then turned to her friend. "Maybe she would also like to rest." One of them said, gesturing at Claudia.
"Just do as I say." Cesare said in a commanding tone that gave Claudia shivers. Cesare had suddenly transformed into a man who took charge and gave orders rather than obey them. For a fleeting second, Claudia began to have doubts about him. But all that disappeared when he took her hand again.
His friends put Gina's arms around their shoulders and helped her cross the road.
"Maybe I should go home." She said.
"No." Cesare said. "You should rest. When you feel better, my friends will drop you back home. And don't worry, I'll make sure Claudia reaches home safely."
Gina turned around and threw a fearful look at Claudia as she was helped away. Claudia wanted to tell Cesare that she and her friend should probably go home, but before she had a chance to say anything, Cesare was already dragging her away.
*/*/*/*/*
It was two hours after sunset when Cesare left Claudia at the city gates. She invited him in, but he merely took her arm, pulled her towards him and kissed her. After that, Claudia could barely remember what was happening.
She was distantly aware of thunder rolling on the clouds above her and the winds had gathered to push against her and everything else. However, instead of feeling the cold, she had felt the warmth of a glow that was lighting up inside her.
Cesare had kissed her lips chastely at first and then before she could catch her breath, his mouth had plunged over hers and then she was aware that she was pinned on the wall. His mouth left hers for a few seconds during which they trailed down her neck, kissing and biting.
Claudia let out a moan which was quickly silenced when Cesare's mouth descended on hers again. When he finally pulled free, Claudia breathed deeply and found herself unable to move. Cesare bid her goodbye and pecked her cheek, promising to meet her again tomorrow.
When she entered the city, she felt like she was floating in air. The people around her were running helter-skelter, looking for refuge from the raging storm, but she could barely push her feet forward. Her fingers felt the side of her neck where he had bitten her and she could only sigh.
"Claudia!" she heard a man call. The rain came down so suddenly that she was quickly brought down from her blissful trance.
There was an aged man standing before her and shaking her shoulders. "Claudia?" he was screaming above the thunderous storm.
"What?" Claudia asked and then recognized him as Gina's father. "What's wrong? Is Gina alright?"
He looked at her in surprise. "Gina? Wasn't she with you? Where is she? The rain is coming down harder than we expected. We'll have to lock our doors."
Claudia blinked at him and then wiped her wet face with her hands. "Hasn't Gina come home yet? He said that his friends had taken her home."
"Who did?" Gina's father asked frantically. "Claudia, Gina hasn't returned home in hours! Who said she was at home? Who were you girls with?"
Claudia felt a heart miss a beat. A chill settled upon her shoulders and she shivered. "Are you sure…?"
"Claudia!" Gina's father grew alarmed. "Where is my daughter?"
Claudia took a step back and then another. Then she turned around and ran towards the gates, trying not to give into her ominous thoughts. Gina's look of fear as Cesare's friends took her away, replayed in her mind.
She ran to the carriage driver and knocked on his door. "I need you to take me…"
"There's a storm outside." He told her. "I can't take you."
Claudia ran outside the gates and tried to look through the blanket of rain for Cesare. Surely, he couldn't have gotten that far?
"Cesare!" she called, but knew it was of no use. The rumbling thunder was making it impossible for anything to be heard. Without thinking, Claudia began to run. Her heart pounded in her chest as she saw Gina's frightened face again. She knew something was wrong and Claudia had ignored it all.
"Please be alright." Claudia prayed as she ran the empty and slippery roads.
She almost slipped once, but balanced her quickly, reminding herself that Gina needed her. "Oh Gina, please be alright."
Why did she trust a bunch of strangers with her friend? They hated her so why would they be nice to Gina? If they even touched a hair…
When she reached the spot she had been with Cesare just hours ago, she paused and using up all her breath, screamed. "Gina!"
She walked towards the little houses and then began running when she saw one of the doors open. Maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe Gina was just taking shelter from the storm.
"Perdonatemi." She said and went over to the old woman who was closing her door. "Is my friend Gina inside?"
The old woman looked at her in surprise and then in irritation. "It's raining. Why are you troubling me?"
"Is Gina inside? Gina!" Claudia called.
"Your friend isn't inside my house." The old woman said and shut the door.
Claudia moved to the next house and banged the door. "Gina!"
"Go away!" she heard a man's voice. "I'm not opening the door in this storm."
"Is my friend Gina inside? She…she has long curly orange hair and green eyes and she was wearing a black dress."
"Go away!" The man screamed.
Claudia put her hands on the door. She was completely drenched and her hands were numb with cold. "Is Cesare…is this his home?"
"No!" The man grew irritated.
"Do you know which house is his?" She asked. "Please, I'm looking for my friend."
"There is no man living around here with that name. Now go away and stop breaking my door." The man called.
Claudia stepped back, more shivers running through her. Cesare didn't live here. He didn't live here and Gina was right! Gina!
"Gina!" Claudia screamed over and over and then clutched her hair. "Where are you?"
She ran towards the lake, hoping that maybe Gina had taken shelter under a tree when she saw something dark at the edge of the lake. Claudia held her breath and made her way. When she saw it was a woman lying on her stomach, Claudia was sure she would throw up.
Falling to her knees, she turned the woman over, praying it wasn't her friend. But when she saw the orange tendrils and the black dress, Claudia knew who it was before she had even turned her friend.
It was Gina.
"Gina!" Claudia shook her and laid her friend straight on the ground. "Oh dio! Gina! Open your eyes!"
Claudia started to weep and then when she felt wetness in her hands, she looked down and gasped. Blood! There was blood oozing out of Gina's stomach.
"Oh no! Oh no!" Claudia let out a scream into the dark stormy night, knowing that no one would care to hear her in this cruel and unforgiving world.
Author's Note: Hi! Thank you so much for reading. I hope you're enjoying the story so far (fingers crossed). Do let me know what you think. Thanks :)