Cesare was the first to wake in the morning with a long groan, his eyes were blood shot and he had let his beard grow longer than he usually kept it. He sat at a table, wine in one hand, and the other covering his eyes. He would wait until they were up. He just needed to wait. Then he would get answers. He felt horrible, and looked worse. Juan entered the room with a scowl. At least he didn't look half as bad as Juan.

"Good morning Juan." Cesare called sweetly, swinging his hand wide, knocking two plates to the ground and grinning as they clattered unexpectedly in the silence of the early tavern.

"Ah!" Juan held his head in his hands and grimaced. "You bastard."

"Did you enjoy yourself last night brother?"

"You couldn't tell so now, but I did. I saw you enjoying yourself as well…with a pretty little blonde if I'm not mistaken." Cesare just nodded and took a sip of his wine. "You seem to have an infatuation with blondes." Juan continued.

"No more than any other man." Juan just smiled complacently and seated himself at the table.

Lucrezia made her way down the stairs slowly, taking in the appearance of her siblings.

"Good morning Cesare, Juan. I had a most peaceful sleep. How did your night fare?"

"We ate, we drank, we fuc-" Juan began, "Drank far too much" Cesare completed his sentence.

"Speak for yourself. It is sad we must leave so soon or else I would drink some more, but our dear Goffredo is awaiting us." Juan winked and took up a cup of whatever was available on the table, downing it in one swig.

Throughout breakfast Cesare kept looking up suddenly as if sensing the appearance of an abrupt apparition. His eyes seemed to veer towards the tavern stairs so much so that Juan had also begun to keep one eye on their bare form.

"What have you done with our Micheletto, Lucrezia? I haven't seen him come down to breakfast." Cesare asked suddenly. he smiled but it didn't reach his eyes like it usually did when speaking to Lucrezia. Or about Lucrezia for that matter. Lucrezia looked up at her brother and quickly looked away again. Something burned inside her when he looked at her like that, his tight lipped smile made her stomach tighten in response.

"He came down before all of us. He said something about some errands to do about town." Cesare kept his eyes trained on Lucrezia for a long moment while she stared in to her cup before abruptly excusing himself from the table.

"I swear I do not know half of what goes on between you two." Juan said watching his brother leave in a wave of disturbed tavern bodies.

"I swear neither do I."

Cesare cornered Micheletto against a wall, his arm against the man's throat. "Did you touch my sister, Micheletto?" He asked, his voice low, barely audible between clenched teeth.

"No I did not, even had she wanted me to I would not have." Cesare loosened his grip but Micheletto did not move, knowing the danger he was in. Micheletto could have gotten out of his hold at any moment but he stood his ground. Raising a hand against his master and only friend was one thing he could not bring himself to do, even if it meant his death.

"I did not mean for you to take her protection to such…lengths."

"There was a man-"

"Is he dead?"

"Yes."

"Good." Cesare released his arm and clapped his hand on Micheletto's back, the danger suddenly passed.

"How was your night Lucrezia?" Cesare had caught up with his sister at the small market, the town's only attraction. She was looking at some simple fabrics, her attention barely held by the small stall while the textile merchant beamed at her, his hands gliding over scarfs faster than her eyes could keep up.

"Quiet." Lucrezia turned and went to move on to the next stall, leaving the disappointed merchant to turn his charms towards Cesare.

"A pretty scarf for your pretty wife my lord?" Cesare ignored him and went to follow Lucrezia.

"That's not what I heard." He laid a hand on her arm, turning her to him. The busy market flowed around them but did not manage to disturb their contact, no matter how many squawking wives or boastful men lumbered past.

"Only a small disturbance. Not the most troubling thing to happen on this trip."

"Well he won't bother you anymore." The tone of Cesare's voice made her look up sharply.

"And how do you know that brother?"

"Well he is now feeding the fish of the lake outside of town, or so I am told."

"He…He's dead? Do I now have this man's blood on my hands…on my soul? There was a peasant man who bumped me in the street yesterday, will you now go cut off his legs?" Lucrezia's voice grew louder and louder until almost everyone in their vicinity begun to stop and stare at the couple.

"I am only looking after you." Cesare hissed aware of the eyes on them both.

"I do not need your protection brother!" Lucrezia snapped and began to storm away from the market and her brother.

"Do you then also not need my love?" he said quietly to her retreating form. She still heard him though, her ears trained to his every word.

Lucrezia's voice grew softer but she did not turn around. "I did not say that. You know I have never said that." He stepped forward to lay a hand on her shoulder. She shuddered slightly at his touch. "I have to go and pray." His hand lingered for a moment, before letting her leave.

Juan walked in to the square, a big red apple juggled in his left hand. He spotted Cesare and strolled over to him, taking a large bite from his apple. "Where is our sister going in such a hurry?"

"She has suddenly taken to the church."

"Well" Juan smirked "It is our family business."