Sorry for the delay, yet again! I know I make a lot of excuses, but I was in London for three days and guess what? I spotted the Templar cross on one of the monarch's throne! Enjoy the chapter.
Ezio observed Machiavelli's body language closely.
"What is wrong, Niccolo?"
"Nothing," he said, "Nothing is wrong. I am just worried about Chiara, that is all."
He finished writing and slammed his book shut.
"Niccolo-"
"I am fine!" he almost yelled, exhaling deeply and rushing out of the room.
Strange, thought Ezio. Chiara's disappearance couldn't possibly upset him so much. Unless it was more than that. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged the thought away. Machiavelli had always shown misogynistic attitudes in front of him - Ezio doubted whether Machiavelli could ever feel something real for Chiara. Deep down, he wished he didn't.
"Am I envious…towards Niccolo?" muttered Ezio to himself questionably.
He shook his head in bewilderment and left to find his sister.
On arrival at the Rosa Del Fiore, Claudia greeted her brother frowning and hugging him at the same time.
"Salve, Ezio. There is still no news of Chiara, I am afraid. Two of my courtesans have tried to get inside the Castel Sant'Angelo but apparently Cesare has no need for them anymore."
Ezio broke off from the hug and replied rather bitterly, "I am not surprised. Caterina is there, remember? Of course he has no use for more girls..."
"Ezio..." started Claudia sympathetically. She was about to lay one hand on his shoulder when he turned his back.
"Claudia, I will be damned if I feel anything more than hatred for that woman."
How long had he wasted lusting after a woman of such calibre? At first it was just harmless flirting but Ezio wanted more. He had always wanted more. It seemed as if she did too, but in the end it didn't even matter. All Caterina did was lead him on and he followed her every move like he was her shadow. She always smelled like vanilla. Vanilla and roses, thought Ezio as he distinctly remembered their nights together.
"What about Chiara?" asked Claudia, breaking his train of thought.
Oddly, his thoughts pieced themselves together and shifted to her. He had never given her much though; Chiara - who was so much more different to her sister. Caterina was strong and fierce - capable of leading men into battle better than many bold men Ezio knew. Chiara was similar, but the absolutely opposite. She was strong but a free spirit. She spoke out for what she believed in. She wasn't the type to march into battle but the one who would rather have locked herself in a room full of books. Her smile was sincere and the way she carried herself made him feel free. Ezio saw freedom in Chiara - something he yearned. This search for answers made him weary. He wasted all his time on the Borgia's, only to find himself back where he had started.
Ezio didn't turn and keeping his back towards his sister, replied quietly, "What about her? I never said I had feelings to-"
"I was going to ask if you knew anything more about her state," she replied awkwardly. Ezio turned around and faced his honest little sister.
"Oh."
"You obviously have some deeper issues in mind, fratello (brother). Tell me what it is."
"What can I say, Claudia? Every woman I love, I lose. First it was Cristina, then Caterina and now Chiara."
Claudia's interest grew and she smiled sadly, "Chiara may be a keeper."
She would never understand his loss fully as the only person she loved was the filthy Duccio. Back then, she was naive and barely a teenager. Even then, Ezio had been there to make her feel better. He threatened Duccio never to come near Claudia again.
"Maybe. If I can ever find her."
"Don't give up hope, my dear brother. I will not let you lose her as well," consoled Claudia.
She gave his hand a little squeeze in reassurance and bid him goodbye.
More weeks had passed and nothing new had been discovered. Machiavelli remained hidden in the shadows with his lie and he was surprised he could still keep up his act.
In the meantime, Ezio found another one of Cesare's right-hand men, Michelotto Corella. He was a condottiero who was so boundlessly devoted to Cesare that he would loyally kill anyone he asked. Ezio was close to killing him but in the end spared him, informing him that his desire of empowering Cesare would result in his own downfall. He regretted it later and blamed it on his distraction regarding Chiara. The more he looked for answers, the less he found.
One night, after the brothel was closed for the day, Claudia sat in the office with her head in her hands. She struggled to think of more ways in which she could dig out news on Chiara's whereabouts. Machiavelli didn't have any news and as far as she knew, the two courtesans found nothing. She thought of venturing to the Castello herself, just to get inside but then realised that nobody else was suited to managing her job here.
Claudia was about to blow her candle out and leave when she heard a quick rap on her door. Instinctively pulling out her dagger, she raised her voice.
"We are closed for the night."
"Madonna! I have a letter for you!" whispered a frantic male voice.
Keeping a tight grip on the dagger, she tiptoed to the door and leaned against it.
"Who is it?"
"My name is Gianluca. I mean no harm."
Claudia opened the door slightly and peeked through. Standing there was a young guard, red-faced and exhausted, holding a rolled up letter.
"Messer Ezio never showed up at Castello (Castle) so I was beginning to worry about signora Sforza's health. I have not heard from Messer Niccolo either."
"Castello?"
"Castel Sant'Angelo, Madonna!"
"What has Ezio and Caterina got to do with that?" asked Claudia, narrowing her eyes. For a second, she feared this was a trap.
"Not Caterina. Her sister, Chiara."
The name made Claudia freeze. She opened the door properly and demanded more answers from the guard who looked like he couldn't stand still.
"I have to get back before the other guards notice I have disappeared. Chiara's condition has been explained in this letter," he stated before thrusting the letter in Claudia's hand and disappearing into the darkness.
Quickly locking the door, she sat back at her table and held the letter open under the candlelight. It was addressed to Machiavelli. Claudia skim-read the letter and dropped it, clamping her mouth to repress a cry. Her head filled with vivid images of the brutal violence she had just read about.
The letter mentioned rape and blood more times than her mind could register. What shocked her even further was that Machiavelli knew about this. For weeks, he had lied to Ezio's face. There was no way Claudia could contact him now. Unless she attempted to reach the Tiber Island hideout at this time of night.
Throwing on a hooded cloak, Claudia left a note on her table saying she had gone out to get supplies in case of her girls came for her in the morning. She slipped in and out of the shadows until she reached the tunnel which was engraved with the words 'Senatus Populusque Romanus'.
Being cautious about guards, she opened the latch slowly and stepped through the tunnel.
It was even darker in the dead of night with wall torches being scarce.
"Ezio!" she yelled, the second she entered the hideout. The light made her eyes sting after a dark walk through the tunnel and her watery eyes caused concern from Machiavelli who was the first person she saw run into the main hall.
"Claudia! You're crying! What is wrong?" he asked, walking closer.
Claudia shook her head and pointed her finger at Machiavelli, accusingly, "Don't you dare take another step forward Machiavelli!"
"What is going on, Claudia?!"
She ignored him and cried out desperately for her brother again, "Ezio! Come out!"
A fatigued Ezio came out from one of the rooms to her left, "Claudia? Do you have any idea what time it is?" he scolded.
"Ezio, I..I received a letter about Chiara!" said Claudia, holding up the letter from Gianluca.
"What? Is she alright?" exclaimed Ezio, rushing over and grabbing it out of her hand. His heart jumped in joy at the news but Claudia's tearstained face seemed to answer his question for him.
As he took his time to read the letter, Machiavelli stood in the corner, frozen in position. He was in deep trouble and his actions would definitely threaten his friendship with Ezio.
"You lied to me?" asked Ezio, wheeling around to face the man he had now turned from friend, to foe.
Machiavelli stood there, lump in his throat.
"All this time you knew where she was and you did not have the decency to tell me?"
"That is right," he replied.
Ezio shook the letter in Machiavelli's face, "Read it for yourself. Read what has happened to her!"
The rage he felt towards Caterina amounted to nothing when compared to what his ally had done. All this time, he had been running back and forth, crazy for even a hint of a clue as to where Chiara was, and here was Machiavelli pretending like nothing had happened. At one point, he even considered abandoning his mission with Bartolomeo to concentrate on Chiara.
Ezio threw the letter in Machiavelli's face, who in turn didn't bother to pick it up off the floor.
"She was abused constantly, Niccolo! Cut, kicked, raped! God knows what else that bastard did to her! Why? Why did you do it?"
"I had my reasons."
"Oh, enlighten me then, my friend. "
"I am in love with Chiara," revealed Machiavelli.
Ezio sighed, "And that was enough reason for you to leave her in the Borgia's company?"
"No! No, of course not. I thought…I wanted to be the one to rescue her from the Castello."
"Then why didn't you? You're an assassin, aren't you? Isn't rescuing people part of your job?" spat Ezio angrily.
"I knew that if I told you where she was, you would live up to everybody's expectation and save her. You would be the hero and she would love you for it. I could not let that happen."
Claudia laughed nervously, "You, Machiavelli, are a coward."
"This is a matter of life and death!" shouted Ezio. He grabbed Machiavelli by his collar and his eyes burned with anger.
"I know. I planned on going to the Castello while you were away, Ezio. But I did not have the resources to do so…I am sorry."
"You mean the courage to do so," remarked Claudia, wiping the tears from her face. She never really liked Machiavelli but put up with him because she knew how valuable of an asset he was to the Brotherhood and how much Chiara trusted him. Now she knew better than to believe a word which came out of his thin-lipped mouth.
"It is not me you should be sorry to. You have stooped lower than the Borgia scum themselves. I never expected this from someone like you."
"She will hate you after this. Were you aware of that?" questioned Claudia quietly.
Machiavelli nodded and Ezio picked up the letter from the ground, pushing it onto his chest.
"I dare you to read it, Niccolo. Then you will realise how much of a mistake you have made." stated Ezio, before leading Claudia down to a room by the shoulders. He comforted his little sister and vowed to save Chiara, whatever came his way.
He went back to the main hall and to see Niccolo on his knees, grimacing at the letter. Ezio said he was going to the Castel Sant'Angelo.
"I will come with you," said Machiavelli, offering his help.
"No. You have caused enough trouble as it is,"
"But you do not know how to find your way inside."
"At least I can say I tried, which is much more than you could ever do."
That sentence shut Machiavelli up who sighed and watched Ezio leave the hideout.
The night was still progressing but the Castello was far. By the time Ezio would be able to reach it, dawn would soon be approaching and he would be able to scale the walls freely.
Contrary to Lucrezia's words, Chiara was not freed that night, many many weeks ago. In fact, Chiara had not heard from Lucrezia since that day and she felt a strange longing to see Ezio again; even Machiavelli. In spite of her seemingly kind gesture, Chiara should have conceived that getting her hopes up was a severe waste of time. She was a Borgia - of course she would lie.
Cesare's methods of abuse by this time had gone to extremes. He took pleasure in adding insult to the injuries. His masochistic desires went overboard and he began to cut Chiara during their sexual encounters - a drop of blood would be enough to make him smile. Chiara's cries for help would drive him even further.
When he was done with her, she would be thrown back in the cell again, until the next day.
The seasons changed. The unwelcoming heat made living in the cells all the more difficult. Chiara's head throbbed due to the humidity and on occasion, she found herself waking up from fainting spells during the day.
And then one day, Lucrezia came back for her. She was dressed much simpler than normal. Instead of adorning her usual bright gold cross necklace and intricately detailed blood-red gowns, she wore a pale blue dress with a white border on the cuffs of her sleeves. The neck was revealing and open, of course.
"Chiara!" she greeted, clasping Chiara's hands warmly.
"You...you never came back for me."
Lucrezia's smile turned into a frown, "Yes. I am truly sorry for that."
"You are all the same…"
Lucrezia irately denied it, "No, we are not. My father sent me away. I almost became a nun. But I am back now."
"Get me...get me out. Please," begged Chiara. She could not take it any longer. Her body ached for comfort and for some nourishment.
Lucrezia spoke eagerly and showed Chiara the key, "That is why I am here. You have a visitor too."
"Not my sister, please…" she pleaded.
Instead, her eyes met a flat out shock. The visitor walked inside. It was the man her heart ached to see for months. No words could describe how relieved she felt. Just seeing his face was like taking an analgesic - her mental anguish alleviated just like that.
"Chiara? I cannot believe it…" said Ezio in disbelief, walking closer.
