Song inspiration: "Rehab (rock remix)" - Rihanna/some artist on Youtube


I assumed that we would be leaving for Florence almost right away, but the following morning I quickly learned that I was wrong. I half-expected to be rudely woken up by Ezio ushering me to gather my things and leave for the forsaken city. However, I woke up to streams of sunlight licking at my face and soft sheets twisted around my calves. When did I get into my bed? I couldn't remember. And how did I manage to take off my clothes?

Then I remembered: Ezio. After my small emotional breakdown last night, I wondered if I had possibly blacked out and he had been forced to carry me back to my quarters. I will ALWAYS catch you when you fall, I could hear him saying to me in my head. What a line. My negative personality told me that was just feeding me these sweet sayings so he could speed up the whole "hero sleeps with the heroine" process. Yet, my smaller and much more mute positive side told me that he was being genuine.

I started to blink the sun away from my eyes, but suddenly my entire face was shadowed by a figure blocking the sun's rays. My eyes adjusted to the sudden change when I realized it was Ezio, crouched in my windowsill and smiling devilishly at me.

"Buongiorno (good morning)," he cooed.

What the hell? "What are you doing outside my window?" I hissed, rolling over.

"I was going to serenade you, but I decided I'd come piss you off instead," he laughed.

I gave him a look and threw a pillow at him. "It's working."

"Andiamo (let's go), get up!" he ushered. "We have shit to do."

I laughed. "What shit could there possibly be to do that would require the both of us?"

He smirked. "I could think of a few things. . ."

I simply shook my head at him. "Is sex always on your mind?"

"No, but you are," he smiled.

"That's stupid as hell."

"C'mon, get up!" he said, pulling the covers from my body. I then shot up and grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him onto the bed. With one quick, fluid motion I was straddling him, my lips at his ear.

"Don't ever do that again," I tickled at his ear, yet my voice managed to have a hint of a menacing tone.

"I don't know," he thought out loud. "If this is what happens when I do. . ."

I playfully punched his arm. "You're such a pig!"

"I didn't ask you to climb atop me, Diamante, now did I?"

That's the thing! I could never win with this boy. We always bickered back and forth, back and forth, yet somehow he always managed to outdo me.

"Whatever," I said, removing myself from his body. "What are we doing?"

His eyes suddenly lit up as if he was extremely excited to tell me about our day's adventure. "We're collecting codex pages for my uncle."


As I got dressed and had a small morning meal, Ezio told me all about the codex pages. I pretended like I was absolutely intrigued and interested in his every word, but really I already knew a good deal on the subject. Before my father was murdered, he would speak of great documents that contained extremely valuable information and could help the assassin cause.

It was a hot day, that's for sure. The sun was practically melting the ground below. I tried to stay cool by removing my hooded top, but it didn't do much. I still felt beads of sweat trickle down my back. I felt a small twinge of remorse for Ezio since his assassin robes were so heavy; but I shrugged off the feelings because really, I didn't care.

"How do you know there are codex pages here in the city?" I asked.

Ezio shurgged. "Well, I don't, really. I'm just hoping we can find some."

"Just hoping? Ezio, these are sacred documents. . .they're not going to be just floating around like a piece of parchment."

He turned to me with a small smile upon his lips. "Can you be positive? Just one time."

"Diamante!" I heard Mario's voice call from behind me. I turned to see what he wanted. "Where are you going?" he asked curiously.

"She's searching for codex pages with me," Ezio supplied.

"No, no, I have another job for her. Come, signorina (miss). I trust you'll find this job to be much more satisfying," he winked.

"But uncle. . ." Ezio protested. I smiled at his obvious disappointment.

"What is it, Ezio? Do you need her to hold you hand?" his uncle laughed. I found this to be extremely funny, so I joined in the laughter. Ezio pouted.

"Hurry back to me," I said flirtatiously, yet we both knew I was only kidding. I giggled as I trekked back up the stone steps and to Mario's awaiting stance.

"He's quite taken with you," Mario commented on Ezio's and I relationship. I never thought much of it, besides the fact that I knew deep in my heart I was starting to fall for him.

"From what I've gathered, he seems quite taken with just about every female in Italia," I carefully replied.

Mario simply chuckled. We walked in silence as he led me to a rather spacious room in which Claudia was seated at a desk. Upon our entrance, she looked up from her work at a book and scowled at her uncle. He smiled at her and she turned back to her work, not really acknowledging my presence. "Claudia will tell you everything you need to know," he explained before leaving us alone.

Claudia looked up at me again, clearly annoyed.

"Salute (hello), Claudia-" I began before she cut me off.

"My uncle is un mostro (a monster). This is outrageous!" she complained.

I crossed my arms and shifted my weight to one foot. "What's happened?" I asked her.

"He's making me work. If father was here, I'd never be stuck behind a desk like this," she raged, the annoyance thick in her tone.

"And what are the terms of this supposed enslavement?" I inquired.

She appeared to look quite smug. "Since SOMEONE decided we're going to stay here, Zio (Uncle) Mario's suggested we try and find the money to repair the villa. Problem is, there isn't any."

"I bet Ezio and I could bring in some money," I suggested.

"Oh great," she exhaled. "More work for me. Well, benissimo (fine). If you start paying for improvements to the town, I'll keep track of them in this book. And, since I have nothing better to do, I'll also make note of any objects you bring in from the outside. If you both can actually get this place up and running, travelers might visit and spend money, although I doubt anyone will want to come this far out of the city. But if they do, I'll keep the money we make in this chest. One of you is going to have to show up to take it to the bank yourself, because when it gets full, I'm just going to take the extra cash for myself. Capito (understand)?" she explained in a rush.

"Very well," I agreed.

"By the way, where is my brother?"

"Non lo so (I don't know). Out and about in the city, I believe."

"Ugh, he needs a leash."

I chuckled, "And what makes you think that?"

She raised her eyebrows at me. "You have to notice it, no? He's like a dog! Always running around and finding something to ride."

"Would you mind if I ever used that against him? It's quite clever."

"Not at all," she smirked.

"Bene (good). I'll go try to find him now," I said, preparing to take my leave.

"Wait! I think there is someone waiting for you around here. . .an architect, I believe. He seeks gold."

I left the room and happened to come across and rather frantic-looking man. He gave me a slight look-over before I approached him. Men.

"Buon giorno (good morning). Is something the matter?" I asked him sweetly.

"Ser Mario hired me to deal with this mess. I'm an architetto (architect), not a miracle worker. Without money, I can't fix any of these buildings," he explained to me.

I looked him directly in the eyes and smirked, "And if someone were to bring you money. . .?"

"Then we'd be in business!" he gleamed. "You must be Diamante. What they say is true, then."

"Who says what, exactly?" I asked, intruded.

"There's been talk of you, signorina (miss). You are as beautiful as they say," he complimented me. What the hell?

"Claudia," I called to her. "I like this architetto (architect)."

"Don't listen to him," she called back. "He gets very observant when he smells money."

"Well, if you want to fix up this town then I'm going to need it. I have a price list here for new shops and renovations. Just bring me gold, make a choice, and I'll begin at once. If I build you a shop, you can purchase goods there at lower rates. If you invest more money in the shop, you get an even greater discount. As for renovations, well, you'll be bringing the town back to life. Plus, shop renovations increases the number of visitors the city will see, causing your income to increase. Let's take a look, shall we?"

He showed me a small model of Monteriggoni. It had all the shops and buildings in their current states and positions. He pointed out several adjustments that needed to be made as soon as we had the gold. I couldn't help but notice, every so often, that his eyes would take a quick peak at my body.

"Diamante, what are you doing?" I heard Ezio's voice behind me.

I could tell by the way he spoke that he was suspicious of the man beside me. After all, the architect was rather young. I was so surprised when Ezio came behind me and put his hands on my waist. I was quite taken aback. He simply glanced over my shoulder to see what I was looking at.

"Renovations, eh? The town could use some," he pointed out.

"We need money," I replied flatly.

"We?" he asked playfully, his grip tightening on my waist.

"If you want my damn help, then yes, we."

Ezio turned to the man and laughed. "She's a little feisty."

What the fuck was I, an animal?

I shrugged off his hold and started to walk away, leaving Ezio to talk with the man. I didn't get very far on my own before I heard him behind me. I tried my very best to ignore him, but Ezio's a very hard person to stay mad at. I've tried.

"What have you been doing all day?" he asked. I did not turn around.

"It's only been about forty-five minutes, and just talking finances with Claudia," I replied. "Oh, and getting stared at."

"I could tell," he smiled. "But Claudia? Finances? I don't follow."

"Well, your uncle has put her in charge of the city's income. She explained it all to me in much greater detail."

"Ah, I see."

"So uh, what did you do today?"

"I managed to locate a few pages," he said happily.

"That's good!" I said, turning to face him. "I'm proud of you."

"Will I be rewarded for my efforts?" he smirked at me.

"No."

"And why not?" he pouted.

"Because," I pointed out. "You smell like a whore. Someone's already given you praise for a job well done."


We met Mario further along the hallway. He asked us to meet him in his office in about half an hour. I wasn't sure of what to do to pass up the time, but I assumed Ezio had a few activities in mind. I tried to not to seem like I wanted him to do something with me, so I nonchalantly asked him what he was doing. He flashed me a tight, fake smile before replying, "I'm going to wash up a bit. . .you know, since I smell like a brothel."

I raised my hands in defense. "Hey, it's not my fault the prostitutes have a distinct smell. It only adds to your charm."

"You're a furbacchione (smart-ass), you know that?" he challenged.

He began to walk away when I called, "Do you need any assistance, Ser Ezio?"

"My heart needs mending."

"Is it broken?"

"Not yet."

"Then I don't care."

He smiled at me and held his hands against his chest, still walking away. "You torture me!"

I shrugged. "I like it."

"One day," he called, rounding a corner. "You are going to submit."

I laughed. "We will see, assassin!"


I was the first to enter Mario's office. He greeted me with a warm smile and a few welcoming words. I took advantage of the few minutes I had to stare around the room. The stones itself told of an ancient story - war, usage, and generations of a powerful family. His office had a general color scheme of red and gold, which proved to be the traditional color of the Auditore family itself.

Within a few moments Ezio was by my side, grinning as usual. Mario got up from his desk and stood in front of the both of us, but his gaze was primarily focused on his nipote (nephew).

"I've been meaning to show you something for quite some time," he said to him. His eyes flicked once to me, but I could tell this was an Auditore kind of thing. "And you," he said, actually speaking directly to me, "Will find this to be of great importance."

"Me?" I asked, shocked

"Tell me, had your parents ever spoken of your ancestors?"

"No, why?"

He just smiled. "Follow me."

He led us down into a chamber; for a secret, underground tunnel, it was fairly lit. My skin prickled at the slight change in the temperature. I reached up to put my hood back over my head until I realized I had discarded it earlier because of the heat. As we neared the main room, Ezio nudged my side. I looked over at him, baffled at what he could possibly want, and I was greeted by his tongue running over his lips. I hate him so much.

I couldn't prepare myself for what was waiting for me in at the end of the tunnel. All along the walls, large marble statues of ancient figures stood towering over me. I recognized a few, especially Altair Ibn La'Ahad, the master assassin of his time. I was actually surprised to see a few statues of women, being that the Assassin Order didn't have too many female recruits.

"This is the sanctuary," Mario's voice interrupted my admiration. "It was built by my great great grandfather to honor the memory of the Assassin Order and to protect its secrets.

"Look around!" he ushered the both of us. "These are the assassins who guarded the freedom of humanity when it was most threatened."

Mario then went on to explain something about Altair's armor and some shit about making someone whole again? To be quite honest, I wasn't listening. I'm not saying I don't respect the grand masters, it's just that Mario's story really only revolved around - you guessed it - Ezio Auditore. I mean, this man wasn't about to give me a sacred piece of armor. I highly doubt this Altair, whom I'm assuming was a real prick, would want a woman to have it anyways.

We spent the next few minutes admiring the statues before Mario left us alone. Ezio took advantage of our sudden privacy by sneaking up behind me and whispering in my ear.

"I've always wanted to have sex in a big room like this. Think of the sounds!"

I turned to him. "Who says things like that? You're fucking weird."

"Hey," he laughed, "I was only kidding. I'm not a little boy. Though I wouldn't object if you wanted me right here. . ."

"Well, I don't."

"So, I've decided something," he said, changing the subject after I denied him.

"What? You're committing to a life of celibacy?" I laughed to myself.

"No," he said, completely disgusted. "We're leaving for Florence tomorrow. The codex pages here have already been decoded. It's time to find more important pieces to the ever-present puzzle. Plus, we haven't seen Paola or Leonardo in a long time. We'll visit them as well and let them know we're doing just fine."

I nodded. "I'll go pack some of my things now. Oh, and I'm riding Ombra. I've grown to like him."

"That's funny, because I'm almost positive that horse hates me."

"You can't blame him. I mean, look at you. What's not to hate?" I joked.

What happened next was COMPLETELY surprising to me. One second was insulting Ezio, the next fighting him off. He threw his arms around my waist and tried to bring me to the floor, but I fought him off. He abandoned his first method and went for my legs; he cupped his hand around one of my knees and pulled, causing me to lose my balance and fall right into his awaiting arms. Together we fell to the stone floor, our bodies echoing inside the chamber as we hit the marble. I used whatever momentum I had left to roll on top of him so I straddled his waist. He tried to push up, but I took a hold of his wrists and forcefully pressed him back down.

"And you say I'm the one who'll submit, do you?" I purred.

"You're so dominant - I like that," he replied.

"You're below me - I like that."

Then something hit me. I don't know what it was, but I'll call it a wave of reality. I suddenly realized that Ezio's advances towards me were of pure lust and nothing more. So, why was I on top of him on the ground in a sanctuary of great assassins?

I got off of him and I think he was slightly confused. "Are you alright?" he asked me.

No, I wanted to say. You're killing me inside. Instead I responded with a slight smile and a simple yes.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" I suddenly inquired.

"Sure."

"Are you nervous about returning to Firenze?"

"Non lo so (I don't know)," he spoke softly. "It's going to be hard."

I felt a wave of emotions hit me. Ezio was about to go back to his home, rather, the city that killed his family and basically ruined his life. That can't be easy. I mean, it still pains me to see Venice. I mustered as much kindness in my heart as I could and replied, "Well, you won't have to face it alone."


I know, I know, this is kind of a lame chapter. It's more filler shit than plot, but I tried to make it a good read. The plot is slowly, and I mean VERY slowly, starting to form. Okay, it really isn't, but I know how it's going to end ha ha!

My beta didn't read this so sorry for any mistakes you might come across. :3

Florence is going to be a great time for our two friends, so you should all be really excited. Diamante's EXCELLENT at proving points. ;)