With the barracks renovated, the d'Alviano household was further protected. Bartolomeo was pleased with the work that had been done and in only a matters of days.
"Isn't she a beauty?" He said to the Auditores as they joined him in the hall.
"Very impressive." Ezio agreed.
"More men join us everyday. It has become very competitive, which is just the way I like it. As you can see, this board shows the ranks of our top warriors. Prove your skills and you will move up the list."
"The same is with the thieves guild in La Volpe Addormentata." Giovanni noted.
"Sì," said Ezio. "Shouldn't I already be at the top?"
Before Bartolomeo could answer, there was a shout.
"Gian's fighting downstairs!"
"If you're looking to show off, we also have fights. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got money on this match."
Bartolomeo left the Auditores and the pair wandered out into the courtyard. As Giovanni caught sight of Pantasilea, he tapped his uncle on the shoulder and pointed to the woman.
"I'll leave you two alone." He grinned and jogged away.
Ezio growled something under his breath as his nephew scampered away. Giovanni strolled through the courtyard, half watching his uncle and the married woman. He knew his uncle was a bit of a ladies' man, and had been since he was quite young. His mother told him that his father had instructed Ezio in the way of seduction, a skill that he excelled at. And without his father, Giovanni knew little about talking to women. The only contact he'd had with women were either paid courtesans or when he stumbled over his words, trying to sound dignified whenever he greeted a beautiful lady.
"Come, Ezio. We have other places to be." His uncle approached him.
Giovanni nodded and they whistled for horse, galloping out of the household. They cut through the countryside and the crowded streets of Rome until they arrived at a large building. They dismounted and Ezio knocked at the front door.
"Careful now." Ezio flashed a grin to his nephew as the door opened.
"Welcome to the Rosa in Fiore (Blooming Rose), strangers." The courtesan greeted, leaning against the door frame.
"Salve (hello). Would you be kind enough to call the owner for me?" Ezio asked, ignoring her seductive movements.
"Madonna Solari is not in." Knowing he wasn't paying a visit for pleasure, she stood up straight, folding her arms.
"Do you know where she is?"
"I..." She trailed off.
"Auito! Auito! (Help) Madonna Solari-" screamed a courtesan racing over to them. Her dress was torn and her hair was messy. Something had happened.
"Lucia!" Said the courtesan and the door, taking the poor girl's hands. "We thought you were gone for good!"
"The men took us on a ship." She breathed. "They released me, but she-"
"Who took you on a ship?" Ezio interrupted her.
"Slave traders, Messere!" She whimpered. "Near Isola Tiberina! They want coin in exchange for her life!"
"We will get her back." Ezio promised.
"How much do they want?" Giovanni asked.
"Two thousand, five hundred florins. Grazie, Signore." Lucia gave a weak smile before she was lead back inside the brothel.
"Do we have enough?" Giovanni asked as Ezio skimmed through his purse.
"Almost. I have two thousand and sixteen. Can you spare four hundred and eight four florins?"
Giovanni counted the money in his purse.
"Sì, here." He passed the money to his uncle. "Now, let's go."
They ran through the city, heading for the docks, cutting through the crowd as the milled around, oblivious to the situation that was occurring.
Ezio and Giovanni neared the boat, carefully approaching the slave traders as the walked up the plank.
"Are you here for the whore?" One of them asked.
"Aiutatemi (help me)!" Madonna Solari cried, struggling in the grips of a masked man who held a knife to her throat.
"I have your money." Ezio tossed the purse to the closest man to him.
"Let her go!" Giovanni demanded.
"No. Take it up with Cesare." The masked man yelled, slicing her neck.
She slumped to the floor, her eyes rolling back as she let out one last gasp. They laughed.
"Now." Ezio snarled.
The Auditores leapt into the fight, cutting down each vicious slave trader. They were outnumbered, but it had never been a problem before and soon enough, they all lay dead beside Madonna Solari.
Giovanni knelt down beside the woman and closed her eyes.
"Requiescat in pace." Ezio said behind him. "You'd do well to learn those words, Giovanni."
His nephew nodded and picked up the purse of money that hung loosely in the hand of one of the slave traders. He wouldn't be needing that anymore.
When the fight was won, they made their way back to the Rosa in Fiore. Giovanni shook his head. They could have saved her.
As if reading his thought, Ezio turned to him.
"Gio, there was nothing we could have done. It's over now. We avenged her death."
Giovanni nodded. Maybe he was right. If there was a way to save her, Ezio would have thought of it.
They arrived back at the brothel and they passed on through the luxurious interior to a wide balcony outside.
"I need some air," Ezio told his nephew, pulling at his collar. Whether from exhaustion from the fight or from the abundance of women that watched the men with eyes like sirens', Giovanni couldn't be sure.
As they opened the door and stepped out, they paused as they saw group of women stood together, conversing between them. Ezio recognised them first and approached them.
"Mother? Sister?" Ezio asked and the women turned.
"Mother!" Giovanni exclaimed as Elisa turned around with Maria and Claudia.
"Ezio." Maria greeted him. "Ser Machiavelli said that you might be here."
"Ah, Giovanni," Elisa embraced her son, thrilled that he was still safe. "How have you been?"
"Well. Ezio has taught me much. He believes I will be a great Assassin."
"And why wouldn't you be?" She beamed.
"What are you doing in Roma?" Ezio asked the three women. "Has Firenze been attacked?"
"No." Claudia said. "Or, rather, I do not know. We did not go to Firenze."
"Why?" Ezio asked, confused.
"Ezio," his sister sighed. "We want to help."
"I was trying to help you by sending you to Firenze." He told her, to which she responded by rolling her eyes.
"Where is Madonna Solari?" One of the courtesans asked, stepping forward.
"She's dead." Ezio said, rather abruptly.
"Merda(shit)!" They gasped. "What now? Will we have to close?"
"You cannot close. I need your help." Ezio insisted.
"Messere," one of the girls said. "Without someone who can run things, we are finished."
"I'll do it." Claudia said, almost instantly.
"You do not belong here, Claudia." Ezio warned.
"I know how to run a business." She said defiantly. "I ran Uncle Mario's for years."
"This is different."
"I can help." Elisa joined in. "I grew up in a brothel, I know how things work. Also, I can keep in contact with my mother and the Madonna, Paola, who run a brothel in Florence."
"And what alternative do you have, Ezio?" Maria said, and Claudia smiled. She knew she'd won.
"You do this, Claudia, and you are on your own." Ezio waved a warning finger in front of her face.
"I've been on my own for twenty years." She growled.
"Fine." Ezio stood back. "I intend to repair the brothel. This place is a real mess. And I want your courtesans to find Caterina Sforza."
Claudia nodded.
"You can count on us."
The Rosa in Fiore was truly magnificent. After the renovations, it seemed to look like a palace. The courtesans were more richly dressed, the curtains were spun with elegant thread and the walls seemed to be made of gold.
Giovanni almost seemed to be more interested in the buildings than its occupants, until he heard them giggle.
"He's so handsome."
"And an Assassin none the less."
"He must be so brave. And younger than the older one."
"Ah, Ezio is still so good looking!"
"Sì, but did you see the other one?"
Turning his head, he flashed a grin in their direction and the girls waved, giggling. He was starting to get the hang of this.
"Welcome to the Rosa in Fiore," Claudia greeted Ezio and Giovanni. "As you can see, the most popular brothel in Roma."
"My money went well invested." Ezio said, looking around.
"Here, I keep a list of the skills taught to my girls." Claudia signalled to a chalkboard up on the wall, similar to the one for the thieves and the mercenaries.
"You are not teaching them much." Ezio observed.
"Think you could do better?" Claudia asked, her hands on her hips.
"Nessun problema (no problem)."
"Ezio, the Borgia make it difficult for Claudia's girls." Maria said, joining them with Elisa by her side. "There are several things you could do that would aid them."
"I will keep that in mind. Anything else?"
"No, Ezio-" Claudia started.
"Did you find Caterina?" Ezio demanded.
"We are working on it." Claudia promised.
"Bene. Come to see me at Isola Tiberina with her location." Ezio told them and left.
"Giovanni, stay away from trouble!" Elisa called after her son as he followed his uncle.
"I'll try, Mother!" He called back. "But I don't know if trouble can stay away from me."