Short, short A/N: Once more - thank you so much for still following, Jazzy! It means the world (btw you can't put websites or mail addresses in here, fanfic edits it away.. it sucks). And to Emily: Yay! I have a new follower! I hope you continue to enjoy this story! If anyone has something in mind for the story, something I could do better, please do tell me :)))
If we choose to we can live in a world of comforting illusion. We can allow ourselves to be deceived by false realities or we can use them to hide our true intentions. – Mike Kelley
Chapter 8
November 7th 1497
Jane stood in the shadows between some pillars by the Vatican's stables. She was wearing a thick, furry upper coat to her dress due to the cold that she was expected to feel. The horses were saddled and all that was missing was her escort, Ascanio Sforza. She was about anxious about this meeting; after all, the last time she'd met him, he had told her that he was about to betray the Pope of Rome and all but declared his love for her. How on Earth he'd managed to get reinstated as Vice Chancellor, she had no idea.
It wasn't long until she heard the sounds of four pair of feet walking through the colonnade. The Pope was walking in the front with Ascanio by his side, murmuring instructions for him, while Lucrezia and her oldest brother walked behind them. The Pope smiled and picked up his pace when he saw Jane. "I apologize for our delay. I am sure you remember Cardinal Sforza."
Jane smiled. "Of course. You amongst those who left the Papacy right before the French Arms entered."
Ascanio smiled awkwardly. "Indeed, as were most of the cardinals."
The Pope cut in, "Ascanio has convinced me that he did it for one reason only, and that was to keep an eye on the monasteries during our crisis." Ascanio nodded his head once.
Then Lucrezia stepped forward. "Excuse me, Holy Father, but may I speak to Giovanna one last time before she leaves? In private?"
"But of course. Go ahead." She smiled thankfully and her eyes silently asked Jane to follow her. Jane was led away from the group until she could speak without fearing that anyone would hear her.
"I need your guidance, Giovanna." She looked down. "I apologize for waiting so long to tell you, but… I was unable to put my problems into words until this very moment."
"What is it?"
She took in a deep breath. "I am with child."
Jane's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Giovanni?" Surely, that would have showed by now?
"No – thank God," she breathed. "But… while I was imprisoned during the trial, I-I wasn't allowed to see anyone, not even my family, except for one person who would work as a messenger." Her eyebrows drew together. "His name was Perotto and he… he is nothing but a stable boy, but I beg you to understand, I was afraid and…"
"There is no need to worry." Jane took Lucrezia's hand and spoke with a calm voice. "I understand."
"But you will be the only one to do so." Her gaze moved to the men who were now having a conversation of their own. Jane noticed how both Lucrezia and Cesare's lips curled into small smiles when their eyes met.
"Start by telling Cesare." Lucrezia tore her gaze from her brother. She seemed to think about it for a moment, but then she shook her head violently.
"No, I could never. He would never. He would…" Her eyes flickered towards him for a moment. "He would not be able to understand," she said finally. "He is so very jealous."
"But he loves you."
She nodded. "Too much." She sighed when she saw that Jane didn't follow. "He grows so jealous at times."
Jane nodded and looked at Cesare; it was true that he had that side to him, the jealous and controlling side. "Even if that is true, he would still be most likely to understand," Jane decided and looked at Lucrezia. She nodded silently.
"I am… just…" She sighed. "Sometimes I wonder…" She frowned. "I apologize for rambling, it was nothing." Jane still observed Lucrezia with curiosity and a bit of anxiety. "I cannot hold you any longer, you must ride now."
Jane nodded and they began walking towards the men. "I am sorry; I wish I could stay here with you."
"I appreciate that, but both you and I know you cannot."
The Pope stepped forward when he saw Lucrezia and Jane approaching. "Are you ready?"
Jane nodded. "Yes, Holy Father."
"We can leave, then?" Ascanio stepped forward.
"Let us." Jane's voice was lighter than her feelings towards the man. It was only obvious that he had – during the past years - once more been rewarded with the Pope's trust, while Jane had grown further away from the Papal family.
They walked out of the shadows of the pillars and towards the horses. A young man held the reins for Jane as she mounted a beautiful, red horse. The feather that decorated her hat wavered a bit in the breeze. She watched as the Vice Chancellor mounted his own horse. She had in fact wondered whether he'd be using a woman's saddle, what with the Cardinal's cloak, but it appeared that he would be wearing ordinary clothes for the occasion. The cloak suited him better.
Cesare walked over to her horse and took the reins from the stable boy before handing them over to Jane. "Giovanna, you must remember while visiting Florence that what you will be dealing with is a man with such intelligence genius that he is almost an equal to you."
"You almost worry me." She smiled at him. "I am sure that I can handle this assignment."
"I am sure that you are quite capable of it, but I would like you to be careful nonetheless. Tread wisely, because he will be following your every step – even if he has no plans of deceiving you."
Jane tilted her head and watched him with more curiosity. "You truly respect this man."
Cesare nodded slightly. "What Micheletto is in crime, Machiavelli is in wit and politics."
Jane had to be impressed; Micheletto could be called many things, but a bad criminal he was not. "I will be sure to take care – and if everything else fails, I have some more female trickeries at ready."
He chuckled. "You be sure to have those at ready. If Niccolò has a weakness, then you have found it now."
Jane laughed and then took better hold of the reins with her gloved hands. "I will see you soon, I hope."
"I might visit you in Florence, and so may my father," he said while nodding. He was still grasping the reins, indicating that he hadn't finished. "I wish you a good travel."
Jane nodded her head then turned her eyes to the Pope and his daughter, both watching the two leaving travelers. She smiled and nodded goodbye to them too before turning her horse.
Jane and Ascanio had been riding for almost an hour in almost complete silence when Jane broke it. "How exactly did you manage to return to the Pope's good graces?" she asked. They were riding on a wide pathway in a deep forest with space for them to ride side by side.
"It was not easy, and quite expensive." Jane nodded; she had expected there to be a price. But that was not exactly the information that she was looking for; she was sure that the Pope had done something to humiliate the cardinals.
"Was that all?"
Ascanio snickered and shook his head. "It never is with the Holy Father." He looked at Jane and she was suddenly aware that his feelings towards her might have dulled, but they were there nonetheless. "He had us arrive at the College for the first Conjugation after our arrival wearing sacks and ashes."
"Sacks and ashes?" she asked with amusement. "How so?"
"Sacks as cloths and crosses painted with ash on our foreheads." Jane actually had to keep herself from laughing – and for the first time she failed in keeping composure.
"The Papacy must have a good lawyer."
"Too good at times." Ascanio wore a sullen expression on his face and it almost made Jane laugh again to see it on his face. "But yes, he is one of the best. He knows canon law like his own pocket." He looked at her amused face. "It was quite degrading."
Jane smiled. "I am sure it was. But tell me; do you think it was more degrading than the experience the Pope had, watching the flood of the red cloaks of all his supporters run out of the southern gates while watching the French cannons enters through the northern ones?"
"I am not sure if I follow."
"Yes, you do. You are not a moron, you know how much it hurt the Holy Father to watch as his empire almost came to ashes all because of you and your family."
"That is somewhat of an accusation, Giovanna. It is not always wise to use such harsh words."
"But am I wrong?"
Ascanio fell silent, watching the man ahead of them. He was a soldier from the Papal Arms who the Pope had insisted they take with them as protection. "I suppose not," he said finally. "But you cannot blame me for the treachery of my cousin."
"Yet you proved no better yourself."
"I am proving myself better now." Jane looked at him, searching for elaboration. "I, single-handedly, brought down the small group of cardinals that was still against the reign of the Borgia Pope."
"It is the mercy of God and the Holy Father that you are still alive." Jane looked down. "And the same is the case with Giovanni," she muttered, too low for Ascanio to hear.
When the sun began its travel towards the horizon, the travelers began looking for a suitable place to stay overnight. With this speed, they would be in Florence by nightfall the next day. They had their dinner in a small, but clean tavern and slept in fine rooms. The next day they woke up early in hopes of reaching their destination the same day.
"Where will you be staying in Florence?" Ascanio asked during their lunch break. They had bought some bread and cheese from the tavern along with a bit of wine.
"Cesare told me that I would be staying in Signor Machiavelli's palazzo."
Ascanio nodded. "He is said to be very charming." Jane detected a hint of jealousy in his voice but thought nothing of it.
"I am sure he is." She remembered him to have a certain attraction to him, but he had not been very good-looking.
"I take it you have met him?"
Jane shrugged. "Only briefly." Ascanio nodded. "Should we ride on?"
"Yes, if we are to keep our schedule."
After packing away their food and drink, they were once more on their horses and headed for Florence. It didn't take nearly as long as expected and they entered the city by the time that the clock of the Church rang the seventeenth hour of the day in.
Jane found the Florentine city was no different from the Roman one, but the culture was quiet different. The last time she visited, she had noticed the many artists and scientists, and she knew the politics to be much evolved, but none of that was present now. Instead, everywhere she went the streets were empty and reeked of smoke. Every once in a while, when they passed through larger streets, they would ride by black stacks of crumbled, burnt wood – sometimes furniture; other times the rests of a painting. The black and golden pages of books flew in the wind and a deep silence hovered over the city.
"I think that must be his house," Ascanio said and pointed towards a palazzo; it was large but not overly so. "What do you think has happened to this city?"
"I have absolutely no idea." She demounted the horse and lifted the reins off its neck, walking towards the doors. "Can you hold my horse?" she asked the soldier and he took the reins silently. She walked up the few steps to the door and knocked.
Jane recognized the distinct features of the Italian politician as soon as she saw him; his pale skin, dark hair and sunken, intelligent eyes that, in spite of everything, were the most attractive part of him. "Signora Volturi," he greeted. "I was not expecting you here until tomorrow."
"I hope it is alright that we arrive so early."
"Well, of course. Indeed, I have been looking forward to your visit. This city is going to… well, it is not going well around here." He paused. "But more of that later. It is cold outside, I am sure you would like to come in."
"Yes, but I have a Cardinal travel with me. Cesare said that you would certainly have space for him to stay one night, but if that is not the case…"
"Oh, but it is." Ascanio had made his way up in front of the door by now. "I will just have my servants take care of your horses." He shot a glance to a man standing in the shadows of a corner, and the said man quickly disappeared. "Now come on in."
Both Jane and Ascanio entered hall that was richly decorated, even if it was nothing compared to the Vatican. "It is a very nice palazzo."
"Thank you, but I am sure that you are used to more delicate rooms than this one." Jane smiled at him. "If you are hungry, I can have the dinner served."
"That would be very kind of you." Ascanio nodded in agreement from behind her.
It took surprisingly short time for the servants to get the food ready and less than fifteen minutes later the three persons were seated around a table. Jane cut through the meet of a deer while thinking about what she had seen while riding through the city. Finally she said, "When I rode through the streets I could not help but notice how empty it seemed."
"Empty would be an underestimation of the situation." Machiavelly smiled a wry smile. "The preacher, Savonarola, has taken over the city. He has fanatics as young as nine years of age walk the streets for him, preaching about God's displeasure with our show of riches."
Jane furrowed. "I am not sure if I follow; has God ever shown his displeasure?"
"Apparently, the French Army was a sign of this. The entire city is practically shivering in fear every time that priest opens his mouth. I must admit that his use of rhetoric is timeless, if only he would use his talent for good."
"But surely he has no proof for his theory? Compared to the Holy Mother Church's indefinable position in God's eyes, it is amazing how much support he has gotten," Ascanio commented.
"I think it is the fact that Savonarola goes against our Church that he has gained so much popularity; the Pope has been accused of many things."
"Indeed," Mahiavelli agreed, nodding. "The people have grown weary of the many scandals in Rome, and I fear that our change from monarchy to republic has partaken in this free mindedness."
"What exactly is the idea behind the republic?" Ascanio asked.
Machivelli took a sip from his wine and cleared his throat. "The general idea of the republic is to divide the power between more than one person or council." Jane nodded to show that she followed. "Instead of giving supreme power to one part of the system, we give it to three parts and by doing so, create a government."
"How do you divide it?"
"We divide it so that there is a lawgiving power, which in our case consists of the Second Chancery; that is the part that makes the laws and rules of our society. Then, there is the judging power, consisting of our courts and partly the churches, who interpret the laws. Lastly, there is the government, who are the ones to put the laws into action."
Jane nodded. "It makes sense." She thought it over for a moment. "And you do this to secure the… people?"
"Partly, yes. We do it to make sure that the power instated in the republic cannot be abused by any man or conjugation of men."
Jane nodded thoughtfully. "And you made this up by yourself?"
He shrugged and hummed dismissively. "Yes, but with help from some friends. You could say I was the one who laid out the general idea."
Jane now saw what Cesare had meant when he said that Machiavelli was a genius – he really, truly was. And this judgment was made with vampire standards.
Hey guys! Look forward to next chapter – there'll be some Della Rovere, Savonarola and a surprising new character for y'all! Plus, it won't be from Jane's point of view, meaning that you'll get insight to some of the schemes that are working against her and the Pope…
