Chapter 4 - Amelia
1476 - Florence, Italy
Age: 17-18
They delivered the papers to the man Ezio had spoke of that evening. She couldn't help but notice the dark figure that had been over Uberti's shoulder when the door had opened. Something was off about the whole situation and she feared the worst when the man Ezio called a friend said he would use the papers to free his father. From years of experience she could tell that the man was lying. But what could she do? She did the only thing she could do. Make her presence know.
Having been hiding in the shadows behind her friend she stepped forward. She glared at the man over Ezio's shoulder and she saw his skin go pale in fear. He was up to no good and she knew it. Ezio glanced over his shoulder at her and her face softened a little to a hard stare. He quit led a brow at her but she shook her head slightly. She walked away and sat on the edge of the well that stood in the middle of the courtyard. Her gaze wondered around the buildings as she came up with different ways to escape the area.
"You alright?" Ezio's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up at him.
"I don't trust that man. He's up to no good." She told him quietly, glancing around him at the front of the house. She stood and started making her way out of the courtyard and up the side of the building. He followed her lead and she gave him a hand up on the roof.
"He's been a friend of the family for years and my father trusts him." Ezio told her and she just hummed in response. She decided not to push the issue and only prayed that her fears weren't correct.
"Do you have a place to stay for the night Ezio?" She asked and he shook his head. She nodded her head and began the walk towards her old home. Her old room had stayed unoccupied from the glance she had taken on the way to the study earlier. They could sleep there for the night to wait for the trial in the morning.
The mercenaries had no problem with the two of them spending the night when they arrived. They made their way up to her old room and when she opened the door she found that there was a layer of dust covering everything. She chuckled to herself when she heard Ezio sneeze rather loudly.
"I hope this works for the night." She told him and he looked over at her with a smile on his face.
"How many men have the pleasure of saying they've been in your room?" He asked, a mischievous look on his face as he walked over to her bed. He plopped down on the mattress and a cloud of dust came up around him causing a violent sneezing fit. She laughed from her spot by the window and he glared at her as he continued to sneeze. Once he had recovered he looked over at her and smirked. "Or have had the pleasure of being in your bed?"
"You would be the first Ezio." She snorted, knowing exactly what he was insinuating. He hadn't changed a bit. Even though the subject of his jests had dramatically changed his dry humor had not. She looked over at him and saw the blush on his cheeks, having realized what she had actually said. "Does my virtue scare you?" She teased and he scowled.
"If you weren't one of my dearest friends this would be a different situation." He coughed. She looked over at him with a questioning look before she waved him off. She wanted to changed the subject but nothing came to mind that they could talk about.
"Why are you here Amelia? Why now after all this time?" He asked after a pregnant pause. She looked over at him with a sad look in her eyes. She hadn't talked about it with anyone. She hadn't truly told anyone what had happened and she didn't know how. She had locked all that pain and grief I'm her chest and now standing here in front of her dearest friend she could feel it bubbling up in her chest. He noticed her sudden change and stood from the bed. He was by her side in an instant, a gentle hand rubbing her upper arm.
"My father sent me to deliver these pages to your father." She told him, pulling the papers from her robes. He let go of her arm and looked the papers over.
"My father had a similar one in the chest where I found the paper to clear his name." He told her. She nodded and he took her silence to heart. She knew he could tell something was wrong but she couldn't bring herself to tell him what had happened.
"Where is your father Amelia?" That was all it took to break the damn and suddenly she was collapsing in his arms. He caught her and she slipped to the floor, the weight of her grief making her knees go limp. The tears welled in her eyes as she looked Ezio in the eyes. She didn't have to say anything to him before she found herself wrapped in his arms. He had understood what had happened without her having to say a single word. They stayed in each other's embrace for a while as the tears leaked onto her cheeks.
"I went out with him on one of his missions." She bag an to explain as she pulled away to look him in the eyes. "We were looking for another page and I was his back up. He had me on the rooftops out of the way and I got distracted momentarily. But it was enough time for someone to stab him when he wasn't looking. He died in my arms not a month ago." She explained and but the time she finished only a few stray tears fell from her eyes that Ezio wiped away for her. She leaned into his touch as she sniffed.
"Do not blame yourself for his death Amelia." He told her and she smiled remembering that her father had said the same words to her before he died.
"I try not to. I know that it must have been his time but I was there and I could have done something to try and stop it." She explained. "I think I am more angry with myself that I allowed myself to get so distracted."
"You must not dwell on it." He told her and she nodded.
"You're the first I've told the whole story to." She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve.
"And you know you can always come to me with such things. What are friends for hmm?" He pulled her back to his embrace and she sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist. It had been nearly a month since she had, had any intimate human contact and she found Ezio's embrace rather comforting.
They stayed this way until her foot fell asleep and she had to get up and walk around. Ezio laughed at her minor discomfort and she rolled her eyes. She hobbled around for a few minutes before she plopped down on the floor and made herself comfortable. After Ezio's dusty encounter with the bed earlier she decided that it would be better to sleep on the floor. He joined her soon after and she quickly found herself falling into a much needed sleep.
They woke the next morning and Ezio led them to the Piazza Della Signoria. The square was packed with civilians and they had to push their way through to see. At the center of the courtyard was a platform where Uberto Alberti stood with another man. What made her heart drop to her stomach, was the sight of the three nooses that hung from the cross beam above the platform and the three figures that stood lined behind them, chained.
This was not good, she thought to herself as she saw the face of the three figures. Giovanni, Federico and little Petruccio stood waiting for their trial but she knew they weren't going to leave this courtyard alive. The nooses that hung, swaying in the slight wind would not have been there if the trial had found them innocent. Clearly, this gathering was a death sentence.
"Ezio we need to get closer." She whispered to him. He didn't even acknowledge that she had spoken, instead he began moving forward with purpose, pushing people out of the way. She follow the path he created but he was barely making a dent. They were still too far from the platform to do anything.
"Giovanni Auditore. You and your accomplices stand accused of the crime of treason. Have you any evidence to counter this charge?" Uberto announced loudly and the crowd hushed. She saw Ezio pause in his movements and she gave him a sight push in the back to get him moving again. They had no time to waste.
"Yes, you have it all in the documents that were delivered to you last night!" Giovanni exclaimed. She could tell that he was beginning to realize that he had been betrayed.
"I know of no such documents, Auditore." Uberto replied and she shoved passed Ezio who has stopped once again. She grabbed his hand and began yelling at the people to move out of the way as Uberto announced the death sentence. She watched as the guards reached for Petruccio but Federico stepped in the way and he was the first to be led to the gallows. She couldn't watch as the rope was put around his neck and the platform below his feet disappeared. She heard the rope snap as he hit the end and she cringed.
"No!" Ezio yelled behind her and she pushed herself even harder to reach close enough to throw a knife.
Petruccio was next and she stopped. She let out a loud bellow, scaring the crowd. They parted from her and just as the platform disappeared from below the young boys feet she threw her knife. Her heart stopped for a moment as the blade flew threw the air and she momentarily questioned her aim. She let out a breath as the knife cut through the rope and he fell to the pavement below. She dashed forward, Ezio hot on her heels.
"Guards! Guards! It's the other Auditore! Seize him!" Uberto bellowed.
"Take care of your brother. I'll get your father." She ordered Ezio and she didn't wait to hear his protests as she unsheathed her sword and jumped up onto the platform. She quickly took care of the guards on the platform, stealing the keys off of one of them in the process. She ran to Giovanni who gave her an odd look as she found the key to unlock his shackles. Knowing he would need a weapon she pulled her fathers sword from her belt and handed it to him.
"I'm going to want that back." She told him and he nodded before he followed her off the platform to meet up with Ezio. Petruccio was in his arms and he looked at her wide eyed as she stopped next to them.
"What do we do now?" Ezio questioned. And she laughed at him.
"We run of course! Go! I will follow." She ordered and his father had the sense to follow her instructions. She brought up the rear of their small pack.
She saw the two guards that were coming towards them but she had also seen their allies. Before they had left that morning she had asked the mercenaries to follow them and help if they came into any trouble. Giovanni had also seen this and ran past the guards who attempted to cut them down. One of the blades caught her upper arm and she hissed. However, she forced herself to ignore the pain and continue on.
She didn't know for how long they ran but by the time the had stopped she was feeling light headed from blood loss. They stopped in a small sheltered garden with a well and a few benches. She slumped the the ground, leaning against the well to catch her breath. A shadow fell over her and she looked up into the eyes of Giovanni himself.
"My family is on your debt. Why is it you saved us?" He asked, crouching down. She looked at him funny before she realized that her hood was still up. He hadn't actually seen her face yet. She reached up and pulled it back to reveal her face. She looked up at him and she saw recognition in his eyes. "Amelia?! My have you grown. What are you doing here child? Where is your father?" He exclaimed.
"He has passed from this world. He sent me to you with codex pages." She explained. His eyes softened in understanding and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It seems I got here just in time too. ...I am sorry about Federico. I tried..." Giovanni hushed her apology and gave her a slightly stern look.
"You performed wonderfully. I could not ask for more than the gift you have given my family with your actions." He told her and she nodded. "Knowing that your father has passed I can only assume that this was his." Giovanni states as he held the blade out for her. She nodded her head and slowly stood, though she stumbled a little. She sheathed her own sword before taking the older blade from him and doing the same.
"We mustn't linger here." she spoke softly, turning to Ezio. "Where are your mother and sister?"
"Annetta took them to her sisters." Ezio replied, shifting the young boy in his arms who had fallen asleep.
"I know where to go. Come." He exited the garden and they quickly followed. She fell into step with Ezio and they walked in silence to find the remnants of the Auditore family.