"You, French girl, are you ready?" Stevie Rae and Eva heard Rodrigo call from afar (Stevie Rae still found it funny that he thought she was French but America hadn't been discovered yet, right?) Then he walked into the room. He looked Stevie Rae up and down then nodded. "Then let's get going."

Stevie Rae curtsied as she saw it fit. Rodrigo merely smirked. He then grabbed her wrist and led her outside. Normally, she would've screamed the crap out of him but apparently, girls in this time period were to be seen and not heard and Stevie Rae didn't wanna stick out like a sore thumb among all these noblemen and women.

She was surprised when she realized they would have to go to this event of Rodrigo's on foot rather than in a carriage. She didn't complain though, since it was best that she didn't act like an expert on what seemed to be the Renaissance era.


The next morning, Ezio Auditore took in every syllable of what was being said to the people and the three alleged traitors –his father and his two brothers. It was all a shock to him. He had never felt so much fear in one moment of his whole entire life. With one pull of that lever beside the executioner, Ezio would witness the execution of half of his heart.

"Giovanni Auditore, you and your accomplices stand accused of the crime of treason. Have you any evidence to counter this charge"

His heart lifted when his father mentioned the proof of his and his family's innocence.

"Yes! The documents that were delivered to you last night!"

"I'm afraid I know nothing of these 'documents'"

The bastard.

"He's lying!"

"In the absence of any compelling evidence to the contrary, I am bound to pronounce you guilty. You and your collaborators are hereby sentenced to death"

"You are a traitor, Uberto –and one of them! You may take our lives this day but we will have yours if it's the last –I swearwe will!"

Uberto –the son of a bitch was enjoying this. They cheered for their death –for the Auditore family's death. He pushed roughly through all the people –the monsters. Did they enjoy watching a man's pain played before them like some kind of entertainment?

Then the executioner, dressed in black, pulled the lever, causing the three Auditores to be dropped and hung to death.

"Father!" Ezio cried and ran to the front of the crowd. He wanted to shout the rest of the names but that was all he could muster.

"There! Grab the boy! He's one of them!"

"I'll kill you for what you've done!" he shouted.

"Guards, arrest him!"

Two men grabbed Ezio by his arms and he struggled to get away.

"Abbattetelo"

"You'd better run, boy –and fast" he heard a voice say.

He finally escaped from their grasp and began to run for his life, knowing that the guards chasing him wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he slipped into their clutches again.


"Where are we going?" Stevie Rae asked after a lot of silent walking.

He sighed, "We're going to see an execution."

"A what?" she said and sudden fear entered her voice. "No! I get queasy! And I don't believe in the death sentence anyways! I can't watch something like that!"

"You will have to get used to it! I don't know what they do in France but as a man of my standing, it is almost a duty to attend these events. And I do not want to attend alone so I will often bring you!" he snapped at the blonde girl and the last part sounded almost like a confession. He must've been just as horrified as she was at the whole concept perhaps –and maybe there was some good in Rodrigo.

She lowered her head in respect or fear. She didn't like being shouted at but this man was probably really annoyed that she was being so ignorant –she was annoyed at herself as well. "Sorry, sir," she muttered and they continued on their way, without a word. She didn't say anything else –at least he was letting her out of the house to see Florence.

The place the execution was being held looked like a big square. There was a cathedral from one side and many large, beautiful buildings were on the remaining sides of the square with a few shops and stands all around. The center of the square was what unnerved Stevie Rae. It was a large platform. On it was a pole that had three ropes hanging from it. The ropes were tied around the necks of three people that were standing glumly, staring at the crowd that had gathered to watch. One was a man that looked old enough to be her father; the second man was a bit older than the vampyre herself. The third looked not older than thirteen years old. Stevie Rae noticed him silently coughing and frowned. How could they execute someone so young?

She tapped Rodrigo's shoulder. He turned in her direction and saw him smiling. "What do you want?" he asked her quietly as if speaking any louder would ruin the show.

She stuttered, "The boy over there." She pointed to the one she had been feeling sorry for, "Isn't he too young to be killed?"

Rodrigo shrugged and simply said, "He's a traitor as well, isn't he?"

Stevie Rae didn't say anything and waited for the "event" When it began, she heard cheering. She couldn't believe how sadistic people were in the past. A plump man came onto the platform and began speaking to the people. Rodrigo climbed up onto the platform with him and ordered Stevie Rae to stay put.

She was suddenly shoved to the side. She turned her head and saw the culprit -a man in white clothes. He seemed very mysterious –perhaps he was with the people on the platform. She gasped in realization and made sure that nobody heard her. She glanced around at everyone and saw them chatting animatedly with each other. She also noticed that nobody had seen the man in white. When she was sure that nobody was watching her, she began to follow the man clad in white. He gave off a sad aura and Stevie Rae felt that someone needed to be there for him.

She wasn't paying attention to anything around her –just that man. She was close enough to touch him. As she was putting a hand on his shoulder, he shouted "He's lying!" and startled her though nobody seemed to hear him. He was not a man –he was a boy and he sounded angry, sad, betrayed, afraid and confused all at the same time. She stepped back and saw that he was speaking to the fleshy man.

He was too far away and his comment was left unheard. Unfazed by the young, distressed boy, the announcer continued yelling, "In the absence of any compelling evidence to the contrary, I am bound to pronounce you guilty. You and your collaborators are hereby sentenced to death." He said the last word grimly and it made him sound almost evil.

The oldest convict began bellowing at him, "You are a traitor, Uberto –and one of them! You may take our lives this day but we will have yours if it's the last –I swearwe will!" If he was going to say anything else, he couldn't because the lever was pulled and all three of the convicts dropped.

Stevie Rae covered her eyes. She heard a heartbreaking voice cry, "Father!" and realized that she had lost the boy she had been following. Fortunately (or not), the man known as Uberto was quick to point him out in the crowd, saying he was "one of them" The boy began to threaten them and ended up with all the guards after him. Oh, he just needed a big hug –poor guy.

Stevie Rae felt someone tug her shoulder. It was an old couple. She noticed that she was very close to the fight when everyone else had backed away. She had also stepped back just in time for the boy to dash off right through the space she had once been standing in. She looked back at the couple and nodded in gratitude.

"There you are!" an annoyed voice said and a more stern hand grabbed her shoulder. It was Rodrigo.

"I just wanted a closer look." Stevie Rae murmured.

"At what?" he asked, "The traitor?"

She bowed her head, "I'm sorry, Ser Rodrigo."

He sighed, "It's fine. Let's get back to the manor. There's nothing to see here." He pulled her along with him as they walked "home"


Claudia and Maria stood, sleepless by the window. Paola asked them if they wanted to eat or drink several times but the two remained silent and the food was left untouched in a tray on the bed. They never spoke a word until a young courtesan was sent to tell them of the arrival of a tired and lonely Ezio.

Maria had anticipated this. She lowered her head sadly while Claudia greeted him happily. Then the young girl found out about her father and brother. She cried out and Ezio vowed his revenge.

"You're not a killer, but I can make you one." the leader of the courtesans said.

A small but busty little redhead came rushing in. "Claudia! Your annoying friend -she has disappeared. I cannot find her anywhere." She then saw the distress that the Auditore family was in and the tears and muttered, "Maybe this is not a good time." She scuttled nervously away.

Ezio rolled his eyes -he had no tme to worry about Aphrodite who was some girl he had just met the day before and who he found extremely unpleasant. He and Paola left shortly after he had given the important women in his life a promise that the ones they lost that day would be avenged.


Stevie Rae burst into the maid's quarters in tears. For some reason, it was empty except for two girls around her age who never spoke to her. Their eyes widened when they saw her and immediately rushed out of the room. The blonde watched the door shut behind them then sat down on one of the couches.

What she had just seen was the most horrible thing she had seen since -she didn't even know what. The mean fat man and the poor boy who lost his father. She wondered if he made it out alive or if they got him just like the rest of his family. Rodrigo said that he'd take her to more of those events so she'd have to get used too seeing people have their loved ones executed. The fat man probably wasn't even mean. It was his job…

When she thought of loved ones, she remembered Zoey and the rest of her gang. She missed Erin and Shaunee's bickering. She wished Damien was there telling her a bunch of random facts he knew about wherever she was. She wanted to tell Zoey about everything that happened. She even wanted Aphrodite –if it was even possible to actually want Aphrodite around. She yearned for something familiar to see aside from her own face in the mirror (which she could swear was changing due to all the hard work she had been doing for that bitter old Rodrigo).

She decided then would be a good time to pray to Nyx. She prayed that she would get home soon and everything would be as if she had never left. Or maybe, it could be as if Kate was never Marked and she never stole Shannoncompton's poetry book so Stevie Rae wouldn't need to go to Aphrodite's stupid closet. She prayed that wherever Aphrodite was, she'd come soon. She prayed for something to happen for the better. She also prayed to Nyx for the lonely boy's safety and hoped Nyx was listening then went to sleep on the couch.

Eva passed by in the meantime and smiled warmly at the girl who had fallen asleep in her dress. She walked to the couch and sat beside her. She pulled a damp hair off Stevie Rae's face. Something must've happened with Ser Rodrigo. She frowned and walked away.

Just as Eva had been approaching the door to her room, there was a loud bang on the door. She sighed and yawned. Surely, the master wasn't expecting someone at that hour. It wasn't late but it wasn't early either and Rodrigo happened to be asleep.

She strode quickly to the door so that the knocker wouldn't wake Rodrigo up. She found another young maid (she had been sweeping in the foyer) at the door who seemed to be at a loss for words. Eva took over for her and spoke calmly to the young woman at the door. "What can I do for you, madonna?"

"Have you seen a girl named Stevie Rae around here?"

The older woman hesitated and looked in the direction of the room where Stevie Rae resided. She then nodded. "Yes, right this way."

Light tapping on her shoulder woke Stevie Rae up. She smiled drowsily when she saw her friend, Eva. "Sorry," she slurred, "I forgot my dress on. I'll get it off right away."

It surprised her to see Eva shake her head. "Someone's here to see you."

Stevie Rae raised an eyebrow and finally saw the girl Eva brought with her. She was tall –as in, skyscraper tall and had long black hair. She asked her, rudely (so she was cranky when she woke up) "Who the heck are you?"


Ai'ght, there's chapter eight! :D Haha just a random request... I already have what's going to happen all written down and -

Aphrodite: To be frank, she updates slowly to torture you :)

Shu'up! D: Anyways, I want anyone who read this to tell me what they think will happen next because it's fun to know

Aphrodite: And she wants to kill you slowly with your own anticipation.

I SAID SHU'UP!

Aphrodite: Make me.

I OWN YOU D:

Aphrodite: Actually, you don't! House of Night belongs to PC Cast and Assassin's Creed belongs to Ubisoft. All SHE owns is her silly little fangirl ideas. Ha! Imagine... Assassin's Creed and House of Night in a single fanfic... I could barf.

You can stop criticizing me now -.-