Three months later
The pawing of hooves made the ground shake as four horses black as night galloped through the French countryside. One of them had a hooded person in the saddle, his hands tied to the beast's neck and the reins held by another rider. The four (or rather, the three; the bound man did not seem to know their destination) stopped in front of a peasant house. They dismounted from their horses and, taking the prisoner with violence, entered the building. A figure sat bent over in front of the fireplace. Hearing the noise of the door, he stood up, showing a menacing face, studded with scars. Alfred de'Pazzi looked coldly at the group in front of him.
- And then? - he asked. One of the three knights pushed the prisoner forward, lifting his hood.
- Well, well - said Alfredo in a clumsy French - No more prophecies for the bitch Medici-.
Nostradamus stared at that pathetic face with ill-concealed contempt.
- Petty move to kidnap me while I was in town to buy - he said with an ironic tone.
The other man smiled mellifluously.
- You don't go out much, wizard - he replied - We didn't want to bother you to take you to the castle.
The seer was silent for several minutes then smiled.
- I'm a very poor hostage if it's the queen you want- he said - Catherine won't lift a finger for me if it's her life in danger.
- Starting from the fact that this is not true - said Alfred resigned - You are not my hostage. I have no intention of blackmailing the Medici whore, her name makes her cunning; however I know that not even a week ago you had a vision - he paused - Stupid of you not to tell your friend.
- And even if this were true- Nostradamus asked - How can my talents help you?
- Don't you understand, stupid magician? said Alfred - You do not serve my purposes. I have kidnapped you only so that the queen has no idea what will happen to her.
He laughed with pleasure.
- If you are here - he continued - how can Catherine de' Medici know that Hell is coming to her?
\ \ \ \
Catherine wandered worriedly around the room. Nostradamus did not give any news, Alexander's letters were rare if not non-existent, his spies could not get any more information and Philipp, by now far away, could only report the tension that was poisoning the air at Medici's Palace. It had been three months of ill-concealed anguish; Francis had begun to doubt the serenity of his mother and the queen had discovered him looking at her intensely with suspicion in his eyes. Henry seemed to have drifted away again, although Catherine had no news of either Diana or Kenna. Winter was approaching and with it the bad feeling that something bad was about to happen. The queen sat on the bed, anxiously writhing her hands and then got up and started pacing again. "Your children are safe" she said to herself to calm herself down "They won't harm a hair on their head if you're careful."
So what was that boulder in the pit of her stomach? What terrible demons were awakening with those threats of revenge? Why did she, Catherine de Medici, have to pay for the blood that drowned her family's past?
Something dark hovered in the woman's mind, though she could not explain what it was. A faded memory? A feeling lost in time?
In her comings and goings, the queen passed by the mirror and stood in front of it. She was pale and large dark circles darkened her eyes, a sign of sleepless nights. But that dark thing continued to haunt her. A memory struck her back.
The fire burned the streets of Florence, cruel and unstoppable. A little girl, Catherine, watched the scene from the balcony of her room, terrified. Terrible cries reached her ears.
"Death to the loan sharks! Death to the Medici!"
She plugged her ears, bursting into desperate tears. What was all that hatred? What had they done wrong? Suddenly he raised his head, just in time to see a dark shadow on the roof of Medici's Palace waving a banner with the bankers' coat of arms like a madwoman.
- Death to the Medici! - he shouted - Revenge for the Pazzis!
Having said this, he hung up the banner and let it burn in front of the windows.
- Death to the...- he began again, but something pierced him because he fell from the roof like a rag doll. And then Catherine...
A scream echoed through the castle. But this was real. And it wasn't the queen who had uttered it. Charlotte ran into her mistress's room in a panic, while outside the room the boots of the soldiers could be heard running through the corridors.
- Your Majesty! - cried the terrified servant girl - Your Majesty!
- What is going on? Catherine asked in a panic. For God's sake, Charlotte speaks!
The other shouted again and pointed a trembling finger towards the window. The queen turned around. Hanging on the highest tower, the Medici coat of arms was on fire.