Disclaimer: All Characters are property of Stephanie Meyer..I just take them out and play with them
FAGE⦠The 13th.
Title: Passages of Time
Written for: Mama4Dukes
Written By: SparklingFae
Rating: M
Summary/Prompt used:
One moment they were arguing, the next they were before the council being punished for it. Fate has a funny way of bringing two of the most unlikeliest of people together.
Paul and Bella fight over ice cream.
Medieval Italy
Life 3: 1115 A.D.
The sun shone brightly on Dolfin as she strolled along the cobbled streets of the city. Florence was a lively city and that life bustled around the young woman. She was unaware of the trouble that followed her, a man intent on overtaking her and stealing from her what was not his to take. The stalker became the stalked, however, as a nobleman noticed the woman was in dire need of a gallant rescue.
Lorenzo d'Medici felt a duty to protect and serve his people. It was his duty to assure that they were well treated and cared for. He trailed after the nefarious man, quietly apprehending him with a knife to the throat. The man's strangled exclamation as Lorenzo drew him into the shadows was all there was to alert the beautiful young woman of the danger she had faced. She quickly turned and looked back with concern.
"Hello, is someone there?", she called out, uncertain if she even wanted an answer.
Relief flooded her when Lorenzo stepped from the shadows; he was well known and trusted throughout Florence. She sucked in a breath and curtsied politely before murmuring meekly, "I beg your pardon, M'Lord. I did not see you at first."
The young man gave a half smile and nodded at the young woman before speaking in his low, husky cadence.
"You would do well to keep a keen eye on your surroundings, Miss. You never know who may be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Florence is not always safe for a young woman unescorted."
Chastised by his words, she fought to accept them graciously and not with irritation. She simply gave another nod before practically flouncing away in irritation, her parting words edged with an acidic bite.
"I thank you, kindly, M'Lord, for your observation, but I can well take care of myself. I shall be returning home this moment."
Bewildered, Lorenzo gazed after her, surprised at her cheekiness, and, if he was being honest, bemused by it. He tried to ignore the loneliness and longing that the encounter awakened within him as he continued on his way, the girl nowhere to be seen by the time he reached the crowded market square.
Days had passed and Lorenzo could not get the beautiful young woman off of his mind, She beguiled him in every way. He already felt he belonged to her in every way and was determined that she would be his one day soon.
He found little ways to capture her attention, calling in intel from his network of spies across the city. He learned that her sister had been left by an unscrupulous sailor, pregnant and ill, they were struggling to feed themselves, parents both long dead.
Some days he would leave a basket of food upon her doorstep, others he would run into her at the market or other random places across the city. He learned her habits and watched from shadowed alleys to discover her dreams and desires.
Little by little, he began to win her over. She became less cold in their brief interactions. He hated that he had to hide his feelings from his family, but he could not risk them finding out he was in love with a commoner. Obviously, she was also quick to misjudge his affections in the beginning because of his noble upbringing, expecting that he was interested in her for one thing and one thing only.
Most men of his stature used women like her and threw them away when they became bored. Lorenzo was different, he loved Dolfin and his love only grew more true as he began to know her better. She began to trust him when he laid out a plan to help her sister by escorting both of them to his countryside estate, where he and Dolfin would wed.
The day arrived that he would take them to the country estate and make her his wife. He had vowed to be there before supper, but it seemed that the world conspired against him with every manner of delay, even his own mother coming to him with her secret blessing on his plan and promises that she would smooth this over with the rest of the family.
He finally made it to the boarding house where she and her sister rented a drafty attic room, only to find it empty. Pain & fear that something had happened to the women instantly infected his heart. He questioned the landlord and demanded to know where they had gone, a sizable bribe finally loosening the vermin's tongue.
"They left to try and find a way onto a boat for distant shores. They only left a short time ago, if you hurry, you may be able to find them before they set sail."
Lorenzo made haste to his horse, and, with a quick jump, he set off at breakneck speed through the cobblestoned alleys toward the port at Livorno along the Mediterranean Sea; his heart and soul depended on his speed. His eyes swept the teeming crowd, searching for the women, before finding Dolfin and her sister, Giulia, sitting on some barrels as they continued to try to find a way onto a boat. He rushed toward them.
"I am terribly sorry for the delay, Dolfin, my love. I had some unfinished business that I could not leave. It is done and we are ready to leave for my country estate.", he spoke breathlessly, worried that she would deny him because of his faux pas.
His pleading gaze and sincere apology, swayed Dolfin. She was willing to trust him once more.
"I am sorry, I did not believe you, Enzo. You truly are a gentleman of your word."
He felt almost lightheaded with relief as she took his offered hand, her sister taking his other arm. Giulia was heavily pregnant and pale as milk, ill and too thin from months of near starvation. She would not be able to travel easily. Making a quick decision, Lorenzo guided the women toward a carriage house, paying for passage on a carriage so the women could rest on the journey.
"A new adventure awaits, M'Ladies."
Dolfin beamed at him as she settled beside him for the ride to the country home, her head resting on his shoulder while Giulia rested across the way.
It took only a few hours before they arrived at the residence. If Lorenzo had it his way, he would marry his beloved right that moment, but, the priest was arriving in the morning and he would wait until then to make it official. He bid the women good night and left them to sleep, his yearning for Dolfin held in check only by manners and strength of character.
The following morning, he paced as he waited in the small family chapel on the estate. The local parish priest had arrived only moments earlier from the neighboring village to bless their union. He was nervous and the priest's knowing smile was not helping matters. His continuous pacing stopped as he heard the doors open and Dolfin's sister stepped inside. Dolfin made her way down the aisle soon after and Lorenzo couldn't tear his eyes away from his wife-to-be's ethereal beauty as she came to stand at his side, beaming up at him.
Both stumbled over their vows, lost in their own little world, as they could not look away from one another. But finally, the ceremony was completed and, with a small nudge from the priest and Giulia, they both said 'I do' and were pronounced man and wife.
Lorenzo kissed Dolfin with a tenderness that belied the depth of his feelings for her as he whispered, "I love you forever more, Dolfin d'Medici."
