Holy crow on a hand ball! Did I update? I sure did, folks! Two of my most favorite AC fanfiction writers of all time (Goldiva and Fate Likes Fools) updated their stories after really long haiatus-s (sp?) so I was inspired :) Enjoy!

In short, Lucio had been avoiding the marketplace near Capitoline Hill. Was it because he was now too swamped with work and new projects to go for a stroll? No, it was because of the girl with golden eyes; for lack of a better name. It was true that he was much too busy with projects to go many places these past few days, however his work has begun to lead him down a suspicious path fueled by the murder of the Vatican messenger and the story the drunkard had fed to him and the girl had hinted at confirming for him.

Since that night, his uncle had insisted that he start paying more attention to the affairs of the Farnese household. Whether or not this sudden interest in his nephew was fueled by a desire to better know his family, for fear that the letter stolen or the murder had any connection to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese's own affairs, or simply because his two oldest sons had just left for Venezia, Lucio wasn't sure. However, he was certain that the Cardinal intended for Lucio to learn everything possible about the politics of Roma as quickly as possible. In all honesty, the amount of work was killing him and, although he did not favor his cousins, Lucio wished for Pier's and Ranuccio's swift return.

It was about mid-day when a maid found Lucio in the library surrounded by books, no doubt looking up some obscure reference to a rumor about the suspicious origins of some cardinal's fortune, he whom had just happened to fall out of Lucio's uncle's favor.

"Ser Lucio, His Eminence would like to see you in his office," she said in a polite voice. Lucio looked up at her with an annoyed expression on his face.

"He would, would he? Well fine then… I guess I'll save burying myself in useless information for another time!" he exclaimed by shutting a dusty banker's volume with an audible 'thump!'

Minutes later he found himself outside his uncle's office in no better mood than before. After taking a deep, calming breath, he knocked softly on the large oak door to announce his presence before letting himself in.

"Uncle, you wanted to see me?" he said, softly interrupting a seemingly private conversation between the Cardinal Farnese and some man Lucio didn't know, but had seen his uncle with before.

"Yes, Lucio… This is Marcello Ranieri, he is an associate of mine at the Vatican," his uncle began while gesturing to the hard looking man next to him. While the man was dressed richly, he didn't look like any kind of holy man and Lucio shook his hand warily.

"A pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine, your uncle has told me much of your recent interest in your family's political endeavors," Signor Ranieri said.

"He did, did he? Might I inquire as to what he said?" Lucio asked, suddenly suspicious of the situation he found himself in.

"Oh, this and that. All good things, of course," the man danced around his questions with a secret smile. "Either way, you will have to excuse me as I have business to attend to. I'm sure we will meet again, however, and I look forward to speaking with you further."

Lucio watched, somewhat bewildered, as the man promptly left the room after giving his uncle a short bow. Closing the large wooden doors behind his mysterious guest, his uncle turned to Lucio with a grave look on his face; rather different from the polite smile he had been wearing only moments earlier.

"You will be working with Signor Ranieri on a… project, of sorts. I have made all the arrangements; you will report to the Vatican tomorrow morning to begin." That was it. No explanation, no choice… what was his uncle playing at?

"Uncle? I don't understand, and I mean no disrespect, but what kind of work could you possibly- "

"If you don't mean any disrespect than don't give any. You will find out everything in due time, as for now, you are dismissed," his uncle said, his voice steely. It was just like him, too. No wonder Lucio's cousins were so difficult…

"Of course, Your Eminence," Lucio said, passively using his uncle's formal title. Without giving the Cardinal the chance for any other reprimand, he left, a scowl set on his face.

Eventually making it to the street, Lucio decided to spend the rest of the day among the people of Roma, rather than in the dusty library he had abandoned earlier.

"Someone is looking for you, bella donna," a soft voice whispered in Cristina's ear, making her jump. Turning abruptly she almost slapped Stephano in the face, him being able to dodge, but just barely. He reeled back onto his knees, laughing at her reaction.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a hand over her chest, trying to slow down her heartbeat.

"Haha, mi dispiace, I couldn't help myself. You should know better than to daydream in public, anything could happen!" he teased, knowing how embarrassed the daughter of their Maestro must be to have been caught off guard. "But in all seriousness," he continued after he'd stopped snickering, "There is someone who is trying to track you down, I think."

"You- you think?"

"Well, I heard that there was a man in the market near Capitoline Hill who has been asking about a 'girl with golden eyes'. Since I don't know anyone else who fits that description…" he trailed off, watching his friend's reaction for any sort of clue.

He got one. A blush crept onto Cristina's face the minute she heard 'Capitoline Hill' and she was almost certain she knew who had been asking. Great, what was that boy up to now? Keeping her voice as level as possible, she denied any knowledge of such a situation.

"Cristina, has anyone ever told you that you are a terrible liar?"

Casting her eyes down in defeat she replied, "Yes… my mother."

"Than why not just tell the truth? Who is he and why is he asking for you? It's not that Farnese man, is it? Cristina if he is still bothering you…"

"He isn't! I mean he's not directly bothering me. I mean he isn't really – I told him to stop – I thought he'd given up! It's just…" she trailed off, not really sure how to answer the question, or even what Lucio's true motives might be.

"So he is still bothering you. Fine, I'll talk to him," Stephano said.

"NO! I mean, you really don't have to… It's not like he is doing any harm," she replied, perhaps a bit too quickly.

"I will talk to him, Cristina," her friend said again, much more sternly this time, "If he is drawing attention to you then he is drawing attention to the Brotherhood, and that will be doing harm."

That was the end of the conversation then because Stephano left before Cristina could give any other argument. She tried yelling after him, but he only ignored her and she could only stand there and watch his white cape disappear around a corner, somewhat baffled by the turn of events, and frustrated with her own lack of control over the situation.

"Here again, Signore Farnese?" the elderly flower seller asked the young man with a soft smile on her face. The boy had made a point to visit the Capitoline Hill market every few days, much more frequent than the usual shoppers, and always passed by her stall, even if she never saw him buy anything. He just… hung around.

"Huh? Oh, yes, again and again Signora," he replied with a polite smile, a dazed look in his eyes as if she had interrupted a particularly long train of thought.

"It would happen to have anything to do with a lady, would it Signore?" she asked, rather slyly. Lucio responded with a nervous laugh.

"Haha, perhaps it did at first, but now I think it isn't much more than habit."

"Ah. So then you never did find out her name?" the woman continued, organizing a bunch of lavender as she talked, the simple act keeping the conversation friendly and neutral. She didn't want to scare the poor boy away too soon.

"No… it was a lost cause after all," he said, almost despondently. Lifting one of the yellow roses from the bunch with a reminiscent expression, he noticed a curious piece of parchment tucked into the bouquet.

"Oh, that must be for you, Signore," the old women said in a non-chalant tone. When Lucio lifted his head to ask what she had meant, the woman was gone. Looking franticly around the bustling market he found no sign of her, only the parchment in his hand to say that she was even there at all.

Looking back at the paper, he opened it and carefully read the contents more curious than ever. The note read:

You've been asking a lot of questions lately. If you are looking for information, stop asking and meet me under the Ponte Palatino at sunset. Don't be late.

Could this be from the girl with the golden eyes? Somehow, Lucio really didn't think so… but what other avenues did he have? The comment about asking too many questions sure was puzzling, what could they have meant by that? He hadn't mentioned the girl to anyone except Federico.

The note left even more questions than he had floating around in his head already! However, the one that was most prominent was: if this wasn't from the girl, was the prospect of meeting her again really worth the risk?