How is everyone doing in these rough times? I'm not going to ramble on too much about the chapter here. I plan to do a sort of explanation on the whole book after it is finished before I move on to the next one.
I hope everyone is fine and staying healthy.
Ezio knew what he was looking for before it even appeared over the hills of Tuscany. Marching up the road to Firenze was an army from Naples and at the front of it was Girolamo Riario himself. Next to him the Prince of Naples rode atop his grey stallion while it pranced in anxiousness for war. They were marching from the south and were passing so close to Monteriggioni that Ezio was a little surprised they did not bother with the village. Marching an army through Toscana did not go unnoticed by the people with some of the farmers expecting there to be trouble.
After a month of marching from the south there was bound to be some trouble for the farms because it takes a lot of grain to feed a small army. This would impact the economy of not only Monteriggioni, but the villages around Toscana. There was also the chance that grain stores will be low for the winter because of said army. If one man was wanting to starve out an entire city for power, he was not long for this world. Not in Ezio's eyes anyway.
He sat atop his horse watching the army slowly make its way over the hills as it passed through the calm countryside. Ezio counted at least eight-hundred men on foot and a hundred cavalry on well-bred war horses. Riario's men staggered behind numbering just four hundred on foot with fifty cavalries clearly exhausted and on horses that had seen enough war. Ezio had to admit Riario was a genius tactician, but what he lacked was humanity. He wore his own men down in order to achieve his goals, yet he had barely been able to outsmart Lorenzo de'Medici. Now he was mad enough to siege Firenze with the help of Naples and Sixtus was allowing this to happen. It was Volterra all over again.
There was a debate going on within Ezio that had him thinking about what would happen if he did one thing or another. His options were to ride ahead to Firenze to warn the Medici that there was an army coming or to stay out of it entirely. With the news of an army there was no doubt that Lorenzo would dissolve the Signoria and appoint the Council of Ten. Either way, Ezio had to make a choice. There was also the factor of the Pazzi conspirators and their absence in Italia. They would likely return if there was a war going on to distract the Medici and of course, himself.
Against his better judgement, Ezio turned his horse in the direction of Firenze and kicked it into a gallop. He was more than positive that he had been seen sitting there in the open on the hill, but that did not matter now. What mattered was preparing the innocent lives of Firenze for something they had not seen in several years. Orgullo worked hard to get his rider to his destination by midnight and when the gates opened there was no stopping the assassin. Ezio rode straight to the Palazzo Medici with the poor gelding almost falling over as soon as they came to a stop.
"Take care of him." Ezio said as he pulled the reins over the head of the exhausted horse and handing them to one of the door wardens. He walked in through the doors of the Palazzo where Poliziano came walking up to him in a hurried pace. Upon seeing the urgent look on Ezio's face, the man matched pace with him. "Where is Lorenzo?"
"In his study." Poliziano said hearing the seriousness of the younger man's voice as they moved up the stairs and to the second floor where Lorenzo's study had been moved to. "I take it you have news?" The older man asked before coming to the landing at the top.
"I do and it is not good." The assassin said before walking into Lorenzo's study to find the Medici man sitting at his desk staring at the painting of his grandfather on the wall. He had his knuckles up to his lips lost in thought and when Ezio cleared his throat, the man snapped his attention away.
"Ezio." The older man said. "I wasn't expecting you back in Firenze so soon." Lorenzo looked up at the young man to see the serious look on his face.
"I would not be back if there wasn't an army of twelve hundred men marching towards Firenze." As soon as the words left Ezio's lips, the Medici patriarch stood up in shock having not expected this so soon. "Riario succeeded in gaining support from Naples." Of course, they all knew it was likely to happen, but they suspected it would take longer than it actually did.
"We do not have the numbers to combat such an army, not without allies." Poliziano said standing behind Ezio while the Medici walked from behind his desk to look at the map on the table near the fireplace. "Our alliance with Milan is shaken and Pisa barely has enough men to cover our advance."
"We must rely on Mercenary to cover the men we do not have." Lorenzo said. Ezio knew that mercenaries were not the best of choice when it came to winning wards. They fought for whoever paid the most and could quickly turn sides if payment was not given. Men who only honored money were less likely to honor an agreement or fight for a purpose.
"I do not think that is the best course of action." Ezio said trying to make Lorenzo see reason. "Mercenaries will only fight for coin." He crossed his arms as the Medici began to pace the floor trying to think of a plan.
"What do you suggest, Ezio?" Poliziano spoke up with curiosity in his voice. There was only one thing Ezio could think of that may help with the number of men available to fight.
"The people of Firenze." The assassin answered causing Lorenzo to stop pacing and look at him. "This is their home and if they love it, they will do all they can do defend it. They do not have to sit outside the walls and fight, but the number of men will give us the appearance that we have the advantage." The plan was brilliant in the way of intimidation but recruiting men within the city might be an issue. Lorenzo will have to work for their trust.
"This will not work." The older man said and Ezio sighed in defeat. The survival of Firenze depended on the people and Ezio felt he had nothing left to say. "We cannot ask the people to fight for something they did not start."
"No, but they will fight for their home and families. Is that not enough, Lorenzo?" Poliziano spoke up knowing the value of human life and what others will do to protect it. If anyone would be on Ezio's side in this, it would be a man like Angelo Poliziano. The Medici man sighed before moving to stand in front of the assassin. "They have that choice to make for themselves." There was a long look that came from Lorenzo as he thought of what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. Ezio's resolve on the matter was firm. He was not going to fight this war for Lorenzo, but he could at least give help on resources.
"Very well." He swallowed looking at the younger man in the eyes before looking away. "We will rally the citizens of Firenze." That was all Ezio wanted to hear come from Lorenzo's mouth and inwardly he was relieved, but he was not completely satisfied with the answer either. This was at least a step in the right direction.
The sounds of Piero and Giovanni de'Medici chasing each other on the lawn of the villa woke Contessina up. Somehow, she had dozed off on the veranda while reading a book for the third time that week. She did not know if it was the tranquility that Pistoia offered, but she knew that it was mildly boring on most days. When she was not reading, she was playing with the children or sitting with her sickly mother. Either way, she was bored, and it was starting to show. Contessina was accustomed to having some sort of task to keep her busy. There had been plenty to do in Monteriggioni and when she lived in Firenze, so why was she sitting without purpose in Pistoia?
Sitting up from where she laid on the padded bench, she closed the book as the two boys ran up the steps and into the house laughing at each other. Contessina smiled as she heard Clarice fussing at her two sons to stop running inside before they came barreling back out onto the lawn. They were playing like boys do when they are little. She remembered a time when Ezio and his older brother played just like the two children running after each other. Clarice came out on the veranda with her hand on her swollen belly and almost out of breath from chasing her children out.
"To be that innocent again." The older woman said looking out at her sons who were happily rolling around on the grass. "They know nothing of what is happening at home or what their father is dealing with." She said before looking to Contessina with a smile on her face.
"I suppose that is a blessing. I have been here a whole month and I have a hard time imagining what my husband is doing, much less what he has to deal with." Contessina said with a smile of her own as the older woman sat next to her. Clarice eased herself down on the bench as much as her swollen belly would allow her. There were only a couple months to go before the next Medici child was to be born and Ginevra was already insisting on the traditional ways of 'confinement'. "Sometimes I wonder if women will ever be free to do as they please other than bear their husbands heirs."
"Sometimes it feels that way for me." Clarice said looking on her sons as they played while rubbing her belly. There was a distance in her eyes that Contessina knew had to be thoughts of the stillborn twins Clarice had given birth to two years ago. It was obvious the woman was fearing the impending birth of her next child and Contessina feared for her as well. "Children are a gift and I love mine with everything I have. I think I love them more than my husband when the Lord says I must love him above all." Contessina gathered a hint that Clarice and Lorenzo were at odds with each other for the first time since their marriage began. The tone in her voice was so delicate and painful that the blond could not miss it.
"I do not know what words to say to comfort you, Clarice, but I can empathize at least on the part of husbands." Contessina said putting a hand on her cousin's shoulder offering comfort. "I love Ezio more than anyone or anything, but we have barely begun our life together." She looked down at her lap and Clarice reached up to grab her hand to hold it providing the same comfort. Their relationship had become so much better in the past month that Contessina had felt her safe to talk too.
"Everything will come in time. Perhaps this skirmish with Girolamo Riario will come to an end and then we can all go home where we belong." The older woman said and Contessina looked at her seeing the smile on Clarice's face brought a little hope. "Until then, comfort your mother and relax here with us. I find myself enjoying your company more than ever now." She said as Lucrezia's voice could be heard calling out Contessina's name.
"Contessina?" The older woman said coming onto the veranda looking for the young blond. "Oh, there you are. Your mother is wondering where you are." Lucrezia said standing there and Contessina nodded before standing up, however as soon as she did, she became lightheaded. Placing her hand on her forehead she waited a moment before it went away completely, and Clarice seemed to be concerned.
"Are you alright?" Her cousin asked putting a hand on her arm, but Contessina forced a smile on her face and nodded as a queasy feeling came over her for a moment. She could see the looks exchanged between Clarice and Lucrezia giving her some indication that they were suspicious.
"I'm fine, really. I stood up too fast and I haven't had anything to eat yet." Contessina smiled trying to give them the impression that she was alright when she knew this had not happened before. "I will go sit with my mother now."
"Make sure you eat something; we do not want you getting sick." Clarice said squeezing the blonde's arm in assurance before letting her go.
As Contessina walked off the veranda, she sighed before going into her mother's room on the first floor of the villa. Ginevra sat in a chair as usual looking out the open window at the beautiful garden. The day Contessina arrived at the villa in Pistoia, she had not expected her mother to look so frail and in pain. The blond had seen her mother in pain before and she had often left on long retreats to the baths to help with her joints, but as of late nothing had helped. The older woman hardly moved and had developed a cough over the time Contessina had been there. Often times, she had to help her mother eat because the woman was so frail.
"I should like to take a walk about the garden when I feel better." Ginevra's voice said when she heard her daughter's footsteps. "It's such a lovely day outside." That was a statement Contessina could not deny as she went to sit in the chair next to her mother.
"It is, although I am afraid to say I spent some of it sleeping on the veranda." Contessina said as she sat comfortably in the chair. "How are you feeling today, Mama?"
"Bored." Ginevra said drawing out the vowels before turning her attention back to the window. "Otherwise I am ready to get on my feet again." Contessina's mother was determined to get through her illness an any way possible.
"You know what the dottore said, Mama. You should rest." She tried to persuade her mother in the best way possible. The woman was positively driving almost everyone in the villa mad at this point and Contessina did not know if it was because she felt helpless or if it was because she knew she could. "When you are better, I promise you can walk about the garden as much as you want, but please do as Lucio says."
"Fine. Fine, you win mi cara." Ginevra smiled before reaching over slowly to put a hand on Contessina's cheek. "I am so happy that you came to Pistoia." She rubbed her daughter's cheek with her thumb. "I thought I would not live to see you again."
"To be honest, Mama, I expected Ezio to put up a fight about me leaving." Contessina had not said anything about Ezio's reluctance to let her go, but he let her go anyway. She loved him so much more for that.
"I thought so too. The boy has been in love with you for years." Her mother said with a loaded smile. "Both of you were blind to each other for so long." Contessina had a hard time understanding where Ginevra was coming from and she had the feeling her mother was getting her confessions out. "I know I seemed indifferent to your relationship and marriage to him, but I did not want to let you go."
"I realized that after I left Firenze with Ezio. I missed you, Mama." Contessina said as Ginevra dropped her hand and went back to looking out of the window. The birds were chirping, and the older woman seemed to go distant as if she had retreated into her mind.
"You will miss me more when your first child is born, and I will not be there to comfort you through your pain." The old woman looked over to her daughter with a tear rolling down her cheek. "I feel like I do not have much time left, but at the same time there is so much I want to witness." Her voice cracked as Contessina realized her mother was afraid to leave this world behind and leave behind the one person she had left.
"Mama, please don't cry." The blond got out of her chair and went to kneel in front of her mother, grabbing the woman's hands in her own. "I am here now." There was a pain in Contessina's heart that she had felt before. She felt it when she saw Ezio's father and brother's die before her with ropes around their necks. She felt it when Giuliano had been stabbed only months ago and now it was back again. This time it was different. Her mother was still alive, but she was speaking as though she were dying and that fear Contessina had of losing another loved one returned. "Mama, please don't speak like this." She said as tears came to her eyes.
"I am sorry, Giulia. My Giulia." Ginevra said trying to smile through her tears. "I did not mean to upset you so."
"It's alright, Mama." The blond said standing up again feeling a little queasy again like she did earlier. She put her hand on her abdomen before walking over to the window to get some air. Wiping away her tears, she looked back towards her mother who held a concerned look on her face. "It's nothing. I just need to eat something." She smiled before going back to sit with her mother.
Two weeks after Ezio had rode off to Firenze, he had returned to Monteriggioni looking a little worse for wear. The battle had not begun yet, but Lorenzo had taken to dissolve the Signoria and appointing ten men to help with the upcoming war. A good idea, but exactly what Sixtus and Riario were waiting for. Now, Lorenzo had made his bed and he would have to lie in it. There was nothing Ezio could do to help except find the men he was looking for. The problem was there was no sign or word of the men in question. Even with scouts posted all over Toscana, there was nothing.
"Nipote, you are back." Mario's voice caught Ezio as he walked into the stables with Orgullo behind him huffing from the ride. It was late at night, but he had taken his time to get back to the village. "What news of Firenze?"
"As we expected." The young man said leading his horse into the stall where he began to unsaddle the tired beast. "Riario has his army from Naples, Lorenzo is making an army of his own, and I am still trying to cross names off a list." He said in frustration as he removed Orgullo's saddle and put it on the door to the stall. "What are you doing out here, Uncle?"
"Waiting on the old mare to drop her foal. She's been holding out for nearly a year now." The older man said coming to lean on the door and putting his arms across the seat of the saddle. Ezio said nothing as he pulled the bridle off of his horse and allowed the old gelding to drink water. "I have high hopes for this one."
"For Siena or for something else?" Ezio asked before patting the bay horse on the neck and leaving his stall. He was exhausted and really did not care about the old gray mare in the large stall at the end of the row.
"Something else." Mario said putting a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "What did you do in Firenze?" There was a lot Ezio did in Firenze over the last two weeks, he just did not want to speak of it because it did annoy him.
"Volpe and I made plans in case trade routes are barricaded. We both agree that Riario is not above killing off supply to Firenze, so if that happens, we may have to give up some of our grain from last year if there is any left." Ezio said as he walked with his uncle towards the grey mare who was happily eating her hay with no intent on giving birth anytime soon. "We will suffer if they block trade and that is the only reason I am willing to help."
"I trust your reasoning on this, Nipote." Mario said before sitting down on a stool by the stall. "Like it or not, if Firenze suffers, so does Toscana. I will speak with the farmers and merchants we work with across the countryside. Perhaps they will be able to help in a way." He said as Ezio leaned against the stall door with his ankles crossed. "We will not abandon Firenze."
"Firenze is not the only thing I worry about." Ezio said crossing his arms before the mare went over to him and nuzzled his shoulder for a pet. He sighed before stroking her long face. "I worry about Contessina." Not hearing from her was different and something he did not like, but he had told her not to contact him until she was ready to leave Pistoia. When that day comes, he was going to go get her himself.
"I'm sure she is fine." Mario told him trying to ease his worry, but that was unlikely to happen as Ezio was concerned Riario would find out where Lorenzo's family is located. That was what bothered him the most and Volpe promised to keep an eye on anyone going to and from Pistoia. "It is best to keep yourself busy until she comes home, but for now, get some sleep. I intend to keep training you." Ezio said nothing in response before tiredly making his way out of the stables.
Giovanni protested when his mother told him to go to bed. Contessina sat in the drawing room with the children and their mother before bedtime. She had taken to telling the two boys a story before bed every night, usually with little Giovanni sitting in her lap as she rested on the floor. However, tonight Contessina was not quite in a mood to do anything but sit there. Clarice seemed to notice her pale complexion and had pulled her children to her before forcing them to their rooms. The blond felt that is she stood up; she would fall back down to the floor, so she stayed there for a while.
As soon as the sickening feeling went away, Contessina slowly stood up before making her way up the stairs to her room. Once there she began to undo the tight laces of her dress and when she pulled it off, she felt relief but also the heaviness of her breasts. Standing in front of the mirror in her white sleeping gown, she looked at herself feeling like she was looking at a stranger. When she turned to the side, she flattened the fabric against herself revealing the soft curve of her abdomen. There was no denying it now, not when Firenze was about to be at war and her husband was on the hunt for the men who attempted to murder her family.
Contessina had known for weeks that she was likely carrying a child. The signs were all there and judging by the looks Clarice and Lucrezia gave her every time she became lightheaded or queasy, they had known too. Both of them had gone through pregnancy enough times to know the signs by heart and she knew that they were going to ask her about it. Until then, she needed to conceal her pregnancy as much as possible. She did not want to distract him from his work and if it meant staying in Pistoia until then, she would do it. For now, she had to rely on her high waisted dresses to help keep her child safe.
She blew out the candles in the room before getting into her bed and laying there staring at the ceiling with her hand resting on her belly. She did not think this would happen so soon, not when she and Ezio barely had time to be together. Her mother would likely be overjoyed at the news, so would Maria and Claudia. Another grandchild for Maria, who did not have the opportunity to meet her grandson and may never get it. Then the thought of Ezio learning the news came to her. She was sure he would be happy because he did hold family close, but at the same time they were both so young. Not that it mattered, girls were producing children in their early teens these days.
What mattered was having family. Her child would be loved no matter what, she had no doubt about that. It was conceived in love and will grow up loved by her and Ezio. However, the darkest part of her mind knew that having a child was dangerous. She knew that her life was at risk now because women often died bringing new life into the world. Contessina was afraid and she knew that fear was likely not to go away until after her child was born, if it would be born.