Claudia was looking at herself in the mirror and frowning at her reflection. When she had been given Altair's armor, her Mother had folded the inside of the cloth and sowed it so that it fit her better, but now she had to remove all the stitching and alterations, just so that she could fit in.
In a few months, she wouldn't be able to wear these robes at all, she thought drearily.
The metallic belt felt heavy around her waist and she struggled with the straps to loosen it, only for it to slip down her waist. Too tight wouldn't work and loosening it wasn't working either. She could feel the prick of tears and the beginnings of a scream in her throat. How she longed to meet some Templars soon so that she could vent out her frustrations. Maybe she wouldn't even use her weapons. She would use her fists this time and snap a few necks!
Claudia put her hands on her waist and took deep breaths. She had snapped a guard's neck before, in a tomb, and Machiavelli had reprimanded her for it and told her to not become a savage. But Machiavelli wasn't here anymore, now was he?
The door opened and Borso stepped in. "Oh, you're dressing."
"I'm done." Claudia started to bend over to pick up her belt, but Borso rushed to her side and picked it up for her.
Claudia looked at the metallic belt and frowned. "It won't fit properly." Her voice was almost a sob and she put a hand on her forehead to rub her temple.
Borso turned it around a studied the leather straps. "I could make another hole around this space." He said, circling a spot between two tiny holes.
Claudia nodded and then went over to the table to put on her vambraces.
"Uh…I have some news." Borso said, sitting down on a chair and removing a nail from his pocket. Why did he even have a nail in his pocket, she wondered.
"What is it?"
"While I was coming over here, I…er…saw….him." Borso finished and pushed the nail on one of the leather straps.
His name no longer needed to be used. For the past month or so, Machiavelli was only being referred to as "him" so that in case they were being spied on, the nature of their conversation would not be disclosed so easily.
"Oh." Claudia put on the other vambraces and adjusted it on her wrist.
"He was with someone. A woman." Borso finished and got up to hand over the belt to her.
Claudia took it and put it on. The woman was no doubt Marietta. If he wanted to be with her, then she would be happy for him, after all what she wanted was for him to be absconded from this accusation and nothing else. He didn't deserve to have all his hard work be seen as a ruse. He was an Assassin and a loyal one at that.
"Marietta." She said and picked up her medicine pouch. "He is with her now."
"I am sorry." He said.
She didn't answer. It was better not to say anything than to display her hurt emotions. She picked up her throw knives belt and strapped that on too and then fiddled with it. Why did everything suddenly feel so heavy?
"So what is the plan?" Borso asked.
"According to La Volpe's sources, Cesare and Rodrigo have finally left the Castel." Claudia said, picking up her sword from the rack. "They have taken along with them, several guards so it is now possible to infiltrate the Castel and free Caterina."
"And how will you we be getting in?" Borso asked, adjusting his belt and eyeing her throw knives as if wondering is he should take a few too.
"We are not going anywhere." Claudia told him and pulled the hood over her head. She was ready. "This is my mission. I have been planning this for a month now. The timing is perfect for me to get in and get out without being noticed."
"I cannot let you go alone." Borso said in surprise. "I have my axe and you have your skills. Together we can take care of the Borgia guards."
"No." Claudia said vehemently. "The second you cross that bridge, the guards will be on you like a cat pouncing on a mouse. Besides, I'm not taking the bridge. I have found another route to enter the Castello."
"Then let me at least provide distraction." Borso pleaded. "You are undertaking such a perilous mission. And in your condition…."
"I can do this despite my condition!" she snapped.
"Mi dispiace. I was only concerned about your health."'
"No. I am sorry. I shouldn't have spoken like that." Claudia said, sighing. "I want to do this."
"Then let me escort you there." Borso said. "You barely touched your breakfast and you haven't had any water to drink."
"I had tea." Claudia lied. In truth, she had only sipped her tea few times, before pushing it away. She had been too nervous in the morning and she couldn't understand why. Maybe it had something to do with her pregnancy or the fact that soon her Mother would find out. How long could she continue to wear lose clothing anyway? Sooner or later, the truth would come out and she would have to tell them it was Borso's so that they wouldn't look at her child and her in disdain.
If only she could discover the real traitor and then Machiavelli would be exempt from all these false charges.
"I am coming." Borso persisted.
"Bene." Claudia said. "Andiamo."
They walked out of the Hideout and got on their horses. The ride to the Castello was a quiet one and Claudia kept going over the plan in her head. She would get in by scaling the walls of the Castello and once there, she would find the cells down. The cells where she had been kept too.
Claudia pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on the mission at hand. Once she was in, should she try to get Leonardo out too? He wasn't really a captive, but as long as he was there, she constantly worried about his safety.
"Here we are." Borso said.
Claudia stopped her horse near the building and looked at Il Vaticano district. She had already known that there would be guards on every inch of the bridge, but when she looked across, she saw four Papal guards walking beside a group of cardinals. They then passed by yet another group of Papal guards.
She would have to avoid crossing paths with the Papal guards at any cost. They wore heavy armors and carried heavy swords and defeating them would be quite a challenge and not one that would go without attracting a lot of attention from the other guards. No, she would have to go from the right.
Borso got down from his horse and held out both hands to her.
"I can get down from the horse myself." She told him, but he didn't budge.
"You could land improperly, trip and hurt yourself." Borso replied.
Claudia sighed. Borso was treating her like an invalid and she tried not to be irritated by his genuine concern, but she also couldn't stand to be treated like a helpless woman all the time. She would have to talk to him about this later.
She held out her arms reluctantly and Borso put his hands on her waist and gently picked her up and very gently put her down.
"There." He said happily. "You're safe."
"Hmm." Claudia managed a smile and then turned to look at the side of the bridge where the poles were sticking out from the water. This would be her way to the Castel. She stood up on the edge and was about to jump, when she heard footsteps behind them.
"Er…Claudia?" Borso said.
Claudia turned around to see Machiavelli striding towards them, his face a picture of fury. His dark eyes were stormy and his nostrils flared. His skin was paled and his mouth pressed as if trying to stifle a tirade.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a strained voice. He was angry but his voice was lowered so no one else could hear them.
Claudia couldn't answer. It had been such a long time since she had last seen him and now he was finally standing right before her. He was livid at her, but she didn't care. All she felt was a warm feeling sweeping over her that was mingled with happiness. She just wanted to put her arms around him and feel his touch.
"We don't need to answer that." Borso said a bit timidly. Claudia believed he must have tried to intimidate him, but failed miserably.
Borso was heavily built and had broad shoulders and wide biceps, but next to Machiavelli he still didn't look threatening.
It was the way Niccolò carried himself, she thought. It was the way he was looking at her and the way he stood grandly that made her feel breathless. She realized she had still not answered his query and opened her mouth when Machiavelli turned sharply towards Borso.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Claudia could swear that Machiavelli meant to physically hurt Borso and the reason he folded his hands back was so that he wouldn't act on his impulses. Clearly he must have seen Borso help her off the horse for him to consider Borso with deep hatred.
"I am Borso." He said.
Machiavelli looked up and down at him and scoffed. "A mercenary." He raised an eyebrow. "I cannot believe the Assassins still associate themselves with a group of savage men whose loyalty is so easily swayed by coin."
"How dare you say that?" Borso growled, but Machiavelli seemed the least bit interested in his threats and turned to her.
"Don't tell me you're on a foolish errand."
Claudia swallowed. "I am here to save Caterina Sforza."
"After months of her being in captivity, now you've decided to help her?" Machiavelli was mocking her and it hurt to see this side of him, but she knew where he was coming from. He had been labeled as a traitor, his Father had passed away and he resented her for not taking his side after everything he had done for her.
"We were waiting for the opportune moment." Claudia explained. "Cesare and Rodrigo are not here." She blinked as a thought came to her. "But you already know that which is why you're here to rescue her too."
Machiavelli seemed to be surprised by her deduction. "Perhaps." He turned to Borso again. "And he's going to aid you in this rescue?"
"No." Claudia said. "He's just here to support me."
Machiavelli sneered again. "You move rather quickly. It is so deplorable to see you asking continually for support. I thought you were stronger than that, but like everything else so far, I was wrong about this too."
"You shouldn't speak to her like that." Borso intervened.
"And who are you to tell me what I can and cannot speak?"
Borso seemed to back away, but she could see him looking for words for a good retort. Eventually, he seemed to have for he looked up and smiled. "Claudia and I are engaged to be married." He said.
Claudia felt her mouth drop open. The last thing she wanted was for Machiavelli to know this, but then she thought that perhaps it was better this way. It was because of her that Machiavelli did not get to reunite with his Father or pursue his relationship with Marietta further. And now after knowing this, he could finally lead a happy life, one that would be without her in it.
"What?" Machiavelli turned to her in surprise and she saw hurt flash on his face, as if she had stabbed him in the back again.
Claudia averted her eyes and didn't know what to say anymore. She could feel his gaze on her and she wished she could just run away somewhere.
"That's pathetic." His voice was acid.
"You shouldn't speak to…"
Machiavelli stood right before Borso and grabbed the front of his shirt. "If you tell me again what I should do, I will…."
Claudia immediately came between them and put her hand on their arms. "Basta! Both of you, just stop!"
Machiavelli left Borso, but continued to glare at him.
"We are here to save Caterina." She reminded them. "If you too are here for that, then we should work together."
"I work alone." Machiavelli didn't even look at her while he said that and that hurt her more.
"But we both want the same thing." She argued, hoping he would look at her, but he didn't.
"No, we do not. I want Caterina to aid me in fighting the corrupt officials. The Assassins only want her because I want her." Machiavelli strode towards the bridge and Claudia felt her heart sink. This was worse. Not seeing him was unbearable and now with him too disgusted to even look at her was torture.
"You're going through the bridge?" Borso asked.
"Of course." Machiavelli pushed past him and then stopped. "The reason I can do this is because…."
"Because you're Cesare's guest." Claudia finished for him. "Not because you've joined forces with him, but because you could keep an eye on him and his activities and find a way to bring him down."
Machiavelli did turn, but he was looking out at the river and not her. "What makes you say with certainty?" His voice had softened and he sounded hopeful.
"Because you're not a traitor." Claudia said. "You would never betray the Assassins by aiding Cesare of all people."
"And now you speak." He said through gritted teeth, but his anger seemed to have evaporated.
"I owe you an apology." Claudia said. "Not because I didn't believe you, because I did, but because I did not speak up when it mattered the most." She paused and swallowed. "I'm also sorry to hear of your Father's death."
Machiavelli appeared to wince at her words and she could see that he was still hurting but trying not to show it. He tapped on the railing, as if struggling to speak and Claudia started to feel hopeful.
Then he turned and started to walk away and she felt her heart break.
"We could work together on this." She offered.
"No." Machiavelli said and made his way to the bridge where he walked without being stopped by the guards. Some of them even greeted him in a friendly manner.
"I guess we are on our own." Borso said. "If you need help, I would be more than happy to offer."
"I don't need help." Claudia said pulling herself over the railing and jumping. She looked up to see that Machiavelli was already halfway across. "I need him."
