A/N: Hey guys, sorry this took so long. Real-life has been brutal to me recently :(
The last dozen hours had destroyed Ezio's life right before his eyes, and nearly destroyed him. This day had wreaked of death. Twice now Ezio had been forced to run from Florence's supposed peacekeepers. His evasion had been successful, but he knew he could not stay in the city. He could not stay in his home.
He had made just outside Annetta's sister's house after a long and gamble-frought journey away from the eyes of the law.
Paola was her name, but he had never seen her. Her house was rather grand (whatever her story was), but he had never been inside. He had escorted Annetta there a couple of times before. That was it.
Now he was outside of it, but there was one more obstacle: A soldier near Paola's front door, who Ezio watched from behind some boxes. Ezio's only availiable course of action was to wait for him to move: at least that was all he could think of.
Once inside he would find his mother and housekeeper again and deliver shocking and terrible news. But then he still had to make his way out of Florence with them, another grueling trial. What a horrific day!
His previous life was all but castaway. He would leave his home, his friends...
"Thief!" the guard exclaimed, turning to an unseen target. "Get back here!" And he began running full force, out of sight.
Yes, at last a gift from the heavens. He did not know that man was the only soldier on this stretch of street, but he knew he had to take that gamble. His gambles had succeeded thus far.
Ezio tensed acutely and stepped out, casting his vulnerable flesh into the opened, back among the common crowd. He did not dare look both ways, as to avoid suspicion. But as he exposed his wanted form, he became extra self-conscious, flesh extra soft and ears extra primed. Even a walk across the streets was a dangerous venture now. But he did not hear a guard yell.
When he had finally made it, and wasted not a second knocking.
It was answered almost immediately, thank God, but the sight jarred him: the coy grin of a courtesan. Wrong place? No, could not be.
As he stepped inside...he saw she was among her ilk. Another prostitute was straddling the lap of a...customer. The Auditore's face grew hot with embarrassment, but he jolted as she closed the door behind him, reminding him of the danger he had just left. This place, regardless of its scandal, represented his safety.
"Ezio."
He turned rightward to see a dark haired, scarlet-veiled, necklace wearing woman descending the stairs with a silky stride, presenting copious bosom flesh. How did she know his name?
"Excuse me, Ms..."
"Ti prego, call me Paola," she gestured lightly. So that was her. She was a prostitute this whole time. An incongruous contrast to Annetta's rather conservative nature.
She arrived on his level.
"Ah...yes, it's a...pleasure to meet you." The boy stammered. While this certainly beat the streets, these were unexpected circumstances. But he remembered he had news to deliver that made this setting seem trifling, passing from one heaviness to another.
"My housekeeper and mother. Where are they, Madonna?"
"Up the stairs," she said, pointing to a majestic looking case. "The first door on the left, Messer Ezio."
"Thank you, Madonna," he said simply. Her expression remained of stoicism, though she did not know the words burdening his mind, the dark thoughts stirring behind his eyes. Ezio began walking.
Even after braving all that danger, evading an army which used to protect him, it was not time for respite. He had heavy news to deliver to people he loved.
He proceeded up the stairs, numbing himself as best he could to the impending task. It was a series of impossible events that had led him here, but no one, save for the evil men behind this, had likely expected an outcome this foul.
He could hear male and female grunts comes from another room. What a rotten place this was to report this kind of news. God, if He existed, had a sick sense of humor.
He got the fateful door and stopped before it, taking a deep breath as he internally formulated his words.
But he realized there was no point in being anything but blunt. He just had to get this over with. He actually hoped his mother had not come out of shock; He realized its exquisite utility. If only he could afford to enter such a trance.
Breaching the line with a push of free will, he reached for the handle and turned it.
Only to realize it was locked.
That made sense.
He inhaled again, fate having put one more small hurdle before him, and knocked, immediately following it with, "Mother, Annetta, it's me, Ezio."
The mattress creaked as one of them rose and came to the door, walked forwards, and the opening revealed, unsurprisingly, and fortunately, it was Annetta.
She bore the same tender concerned eyes he had last seen her with, but the situation was even worse than she probably presumed. Though his face must have provided some hint at that.
The young man stepped in. Annetta closed the door behind him but Ezio did not sit. The young nobleman looked her in the eyes in a miraculous moment of numbness. "Father, Frederico, Petruccio. They are all dead."
Confessing the death of every other male in his family. Just another layer on this nightmare, and not the last one.
Her face did not change, but he knew inside she shifted. He continued, "They were executed. I trusted Uberto Alberti with the evidence of their innocence and he betrayed us. I do not know why." Shocking words, but they could not be explained any better.
Annetta's hand had moved to her mouth, and he thought he could see some water in her eyes. Mother, thank God, had not left her previous state.
She surprised him with an abrupt embrace.
He was jarred a little, but let loose almost instantaneously. The tall, burly Ezio did his best to hold back his own tears.
"I am so sorry, Ezio," the petite woman said.
"As am I," the young man stated, maintaining his collection.
They parted, and he looked in her chocolate eyes.
"We have to leave Firenze. My uncle has a villa in Monteregoni. We should be safe there." Next came gauntlet number two, with two extra people tagging along.
"You are a wanted man, Ezio Auditore." Paola's voice startled him, muffled behind the door. As he looked her way, she entered, her demeanor was the same as ever, as if totally unphased by what he presumed she heard. She was strange. "The streets would be dangerous at this time. But I can teach you how to survive."
They were strange words, she was a strange woman...in a strange new world, where friends were mortal enemies and a nobleman was on the run from the law.
"What do you mean? What do you know about..."
"Your father and I had some mutual friends, Messer Ezio. And I believe I know why the town guard came for him and his sons. But you would not believe me if I told you the rest."
Now Ezio really wished he had given those documents a cursory glance. There was a tremendous web of intrigue beneath the surface.
"I want to know the truth," he protested. He had been kept in the dark about far too much already. Ezio knew Annetta's family and the Auditore had a history together but...
"And you will, child. Once you get to Mario Auditore's villa."
"My uncle," Ezio said, baffled. "How did you know his-"
"Silenzio, please, Ezio. Silenzio. All will be revealed to you in due time."
Then she looked over his body, eyes moving vertically with a stern quizzicality. He did not know what she was analyzing. "For now, come with me."
Mind filled with wispy wonders in a dark void of mystery, Ezio complied.
