Wow, I'm so sorry for not updating this sooner! My Beta has disappeared into thin air and I cannot find a replacement (so this chapter and possibly many to come will be un-beta'd) and college is really getting me down. A-Levels are hard man. Well anyway, here's the chapter, and chapter 5 is written and may/may not be up ASAP. Enjoy!

Illusions

Chapter 4 - Villas

After her admission, Ezio did not stop nattering about the exotic places he'd been. "I learned a little French when I was young," he'd said as they began to ride towards Florence. "La mia famiglia and I were in France staying with relatives for a summer, and there was this beautiful girl who taught me how to seduce her in French-"

Freyja scoffed so loudly she was certain her family had heard, interrupted his boastful tale. "I'm quite sorry Ezio, I had something in my throat."

Ezio grinned devilishly and chuckled. "Signorina, I'm teasing you." he said almost apologetically, earning a small curl at the corners of Freyja's mouth.

Conversation began to lapse, so Ezio filled the silence once more."So I assume you get your beauty from your mother? When we first met she looked stun-"

"Oh, no Ezio, she is not my mother. She is my step-mother." Said Freyja with a sad smile. "My mother… died when I was young."

Ezio frowned, tugging on the reins of his mare to move closer to his companion. "I'm sorry, Freyja," he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "How?"

"Illness." She answered too quickly. "Took her away suddenly." Averting her eyes, she pulled the reins so her mare did the same, and the gap between the two young Florentines grew once more.

With a bowed head, Ezio accepted the lie. "Will you tell me a memory of her?"

Freyja turned and stared at Ezio with her mismatched eyes, with sorrow and happiness swirling together within. Then, as their eyes met, something warm began to spark in her chest.

The corner of her lips curled upwards delicately. "My father never approved of my escapades with my brothers when we fought with wooden sticks in our courtyard. He also didn't approve of the fact that I always used to win," she recounted fondly, smiling with all of her features. "He would always storm out of his study and say, 'Freyja! You put that stick down this instance!'" she poorly imitated her father, laughing along with Ezio. "Then my mother would intervene. 'Stefano, let her have her fun.' She never disapproved of anything I did."

"She sounds like a wonderful woman." Ezio said, drawing his mare close to Freyja's again. The great gates of Florence stood before them, and as they passed the threshold, they rode in comfortable silence back to Ezio's palazzo, where Freyja's father and his own waited beside the stables.

Ezio descended from his mare first and helped the young woman down from hers, making a show for Freyja's father, complying to the image she wanted to create for him. Ezio knew that she could not disappoint her father without consequence. When her feet touched the floor, Ezio's hands lingered on her waist, perhaps a little too long, but he could not help but marvel at her lithe form.

The heat from Ezio hands broke her out of a trance, and she turned to kiss her father on the cheek. He remained stoic.

"I had a lovely time, Signore Ezio. I thank you for the food."

…

Ezio awoke the next morning, his mouth dry and yesterday's events still flashing behind his eyes. What was it about Freyja that drew him in so quickly? Her personality was startling to say the least, and whatever glimpses he got of her true nature made his chest burn with an odd sensation. Ezio rolled onto his back and threw his arm over his head. He could not stop himself from imagining the soft, rounded features of her face streaked with happiness as she smiled, or the way her strange eyes rolled when he teased her. The way she walked, heavy-footed and sure, shoulders back and head high. Almost too prideful, but there was no arrogance in her stance. The way her hair looked in the sunlight, the way it framed her face, its great curls bouncing with her confident movements. Christ, her image was burned onto the back of his eyelids.

A loud knock on his door broke Ezio from his reverie. "Ezio, wake up! Your mother wishes for you to run a few errands for her!" Annetta, the Auditore housemaid, shouted behind the door.

Mayhaps they should hire me as their errand boy. He thought sardonically, rolling out of his bed and proceeding to clothe himself.

…

Delivering a letter to her friend. Ezio's mother had woken him up to deliver a damn letter, and it was a short walk through the market and his task was complete. As angry as he'd become, Ezio chuckled as he saw the sad looking stall owner with the grey moustache he saw Freyja verbally abusing the week before, and he almost broke out in hysterics when he saw her stood there in the very same way. She leant with one hand on the corner of the stall with her ankles crossed, and over her shoulder was an empty leather satchel. Freyja's beautiful face was was scrunched up into a scowl and she was once again angry at his merchandise. The only difference to the first time he saw her was that she was not wearing a dress, for she wore a pair of sturdy, worn-out breeches, worn knee-high dark leather boots and a baggy white shirt, the sleeves adorned with dark bracers to match her boots.

"What was I telling you? You remember, when I bought those absolutely extortionate apples from this very stall?" She asked sarcastically whilst running her hand through her wild, voluminous locks. Ezio began to notice that most of her sentences contained some form of sarcasm, and he could not help but like it. "I was saying that no one, and I repeat, no one will pay fifty fucking florins for five fucking apples. Do you recall?"

The stall owner nodded fearfully. "Then why, signore, have you raised the price to seventy?"

Ezio had to admit she was even frightening him a little, but still he found it hard to stifle a laugh watching her become so angry.

The stall owner stuttered. "I need to make more money to afford another villa-"

Ezio watched as Freyja's face contorted into obvious rage. "So you charge poor citizens ten times you need to so you can relax and get fat- or should I say, fatter- in your other fucking villa?!" she shouted. However few people were loitering around, Freyja had managed to draw each and every one of their attentions on her. The stall owner was turning red with shame, mumbling incoherent sentences and shrugging his shoulders was practically purple.

She began to move then, grasping the edge of the stall with intent to flip it onto the owner. Ezio did not doubt that she could, as her stocky form and obvious strength were clearly visible. But as she prepared to lift, Ezio stepped in, taking her hand in his and pulling her away from the stall. But as soon as she realised who it was, she yanked her hand from his grasp and pushed him away forcefully.

"Oh look! It's you, always here to save the fucking day because I am a defenceless woman who cannot do anything but wait for a man to come and aid me!" she threw her hands up in obvious and utter frustration. She growled and turned back to the quivering stall owner. "If I ever find out where your only villa is, I will burn it to the ground you piece avidi di merda!"

Ezio stood once again with his mouth agape in the middle of the street, watching her angrily storm away. It took him more that a few seconds to follow her.

"Freyja!" he called out as he approached her, slowing his jog and grasping her shoulder to face him.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted as she batted his hand from her.

"No, Freyja, you cannot just-"

"I can do whatever I want! Ezio, people like that are why I get so angry!" she raised her arm and gestured to the cowering man behind his stall. "People need to eat and live but greedy men like him take all of their money so they cannot do so! Did you hear what he said? He was going to buy a second villa, when some poor children cannot even afford to eat on a daily basis!" she took a deep breath in as she continued. "It makes me sick to think that families live in such poverty that they cannot even house themselves when people like that are have two, three or maybe even four homes with servants and grand feasts and fine clothing and jewels and diamonds and gold!" Freyja took a large breath in as she finished.

Ezio felt guilty. His family owned a villa further south along the coast where they rarely visited, and seeing Freyja so angry over the subject caused a lump to form in his throat. For the first time in his life he was lost for words.

"I… I need to go. Things to do." Freyja said quietly, angrily meeting the gaze of the passers by who had dared to stop and watch.

"Freyja, wait-" Ezio said as she started away, but the young woman held out her hand for him to stop, smiling politely.

"No, Ezio. I'll see you tomorrow."

Translations:

La mia famiglia - My family

Signore/Signorina - Sir/Madame

Piece avdi di merda - Piece of shit

If y'all ain't noticed, Freyja is that kid with a really colourful mouth when not around family members. Giggles. Reviews are love, and if you guys review idk maybe I'll post more chapters sooner...

Also Happy Holidays to all and a Happy New Year!

~R