The villa was unusually quiet that day, the only sound coming from the rustling of leaves between somber trees. The messenger glanced around nervously as he climbed the elegant steps, the large building glaring at him. The ground was littered with flower petals, carried across the spring breeze from far away.
He took a deep breath and continued. The tall wooden doors of the Villa Auditore stood before him, and he knocked politely. The messenger was surprised when an elderly woman greeted him, dressed quite elegantly. He had expected a servant.
"I have a letter for Messer Auditore," He explained, procuring the small envelope from his bag. The woman eyed it, taking in the foreign stamp on its front.
"I will take it," She replied, extending an aged hand. At first he was reluctant, but she eased him with the words: "I am his sister."
He nodded and turned the letter over to her. He bowed nobly to the lady and then she calmly shut the door.
Claudia sighed heavily, flipping the letter in her grasp. She tiredly made her way into the next room- the room she had spent twenty years of her life working in- and sat down at the desk to read. She'd had an odd feeling about the document the moment her hand touched it, and she knew her brother wouldn't mind.
The silver-haired woman gingerly took a seat and opened the foreign mail. Her brown eyes skimmed the lengthy introductions, all in French, and proceeded to the body of the letter. She continued to read nonchalantly until finding one specific phrase that seemed to throw her off. Her eyes widened and her grip weakened. For a few moments she sat in shock, before gently setting the letter back on her desk. Then, she picked herself up and headed for the study just down the hall. Ezio had to know.
She knocked before entering- something she never did. His low voice vibrated his approval through the empty house.
Claudia could see from a first glance that her brother was not facing her. Ezio stood, form slightly hunched from the burden of many years, gazing at the bookshelf emptily. He had awoken with a strange feeling this morning, but he wiped all traces of worry from his face as he turned to face his sister with a smile.
However, his expression dropped when he saw her ashen face.
"Claudia…?" He asked, frowning.
"Ezio," She said softly, "Sit down."
The retired Assassin sent her a questioning look, but took a seat at his uncle's old desk. He waited for her to approach, which she did slowly.
"Claudia, what is it?" He asked soberly, "You look terrible…"
Claudia sighed heavily. How could she say it? Despite their youthful antics, she knew she and her sibling were both far along in age. Next month Ezio would hit sixty years old. They both knew this was coming…but now…
She tried to say it- her mouth opened but shut just as quickly when nothing came to mind. Claudia looked at him for a long time. Ezio was no longer the young man with the broad grin and mischievous twinkle. His soft brown hair had been replaced with silver locks, his full beard now a testament to his age. His eyes kept their golden hue, but now wore a fine pair of wrinkles.
"Claudia…" He said, his strong voice now weak and gritty, "…Tell me. What is it?"
"A letter," She began, "just arrived from Francia…"
"Francia?" Ezio repeated, thinking. He smiled, "From Leonardo, you mean?"
Claudia couldn't look him in the eye. Her gaze hit the floor as she replied, "No, Ezio. Not from Leonardo."
Something clicked. She didn't want to, but she saw it anyway. Ezio's smile vanished, his eyes went wide and she could almost see his heart drop into his stomach. His whole body went rigid and he straightened immediately.
"No…" He whispered.
Claudia had never had a best friend. The friends she'd had in her short social life had only been interested in her father's fame. She'd never experienced that telepathic bond that some friends have been known to have- that ability to finish each other's sentences or jokes. To always know when something is wrong with the other, and know how to phrase it. Whatever that bond had been, she knew her brother and the painter had it.
He looked up at her frantically, "Claudia, say it isn't true. Say it." She couldn't look at him. Ezio was desperate, grief already seeping into his weakened body.
Tears welled in her eyes as she said the words that would break his heart:
"Messer da Vinci passed away in his sleep last night, Ezio. In the palace, in Francia."
He froze. At first it seemed he did not comprehend. She opened her mouth, about to comfort him, but he spoke first.
"Please leave me." He requested quietly.
She stood for a moment, but then quickly nodded and left the room. Claudia went from the study to the main hallway, and took a seat on the steps. Slowly, after a few moments of sharp silence, she began to hear something. It was a curious sound, something she had only heard a handful of times her entire life. The elderly woman strained her ears, paying close attention to the unfamiliar noise. Claudia's heart softened when she finally deduced the meaning.
Ezio was sobbing.
