Chapter 2 What did I expect? Gratitude?

The following hours my anxiety only increased. I couldn't sleep so I spend the entire evening and night stalking back and forth through the city, hoping to hear people's opinions. More and more people seemed certain of the execution taking place, but the Auditore name was mentioned among many others. Slowly, people went to their houses to rest and the merchants packed up their things.

My fists clenched painfully though, when I saw the smirks on the guards' faces grow wider.

When the moon was at its highest point, I took an a new effort to calm my nerves, and made my way towards the west gate. I wore a simple v-neck shirt, and a pair of black pants, reaching just past my knees. They made very comfy clothes, and I didn't like the idea of wearing another corset, because I was needing all the air my lungs could provide.

I tied back my brown curls in a loose bun, and several rebellious strands escaped and hung in my face. Trying to smudge them out of my face, didn't really help, for they took their original place again. I grunted, annoyed at them, but half ran, half walked further on to the gate.

Making my way through small, deserted alleyways made my way maybe longer, but I liked their solitude. Half an hour later, with my feet aching from running around corners and dodging the small groups of patrolling guards, the gate came in sight.

Asking one of the nightly courtesans to help a female friend out, made my way clear through the gate. I had once yelled harshly at a guy who had stalked and bothered her, and she was very kind on returning the favor from time to time. Outside the city walls I continued my way on the road for quite a while, but when it wavered sharply to the left, I continued straight ahead. Upon leaving the path, the area changed from a small grassy stroke, to a somewhat wilder, invisible path, trees and low bushes appearing more and more. The moon made the trees look very looming, making shadows along the ground.

I smirked when an old oak came into view, it's ancient branches swaying reluctantly in the wind. I had once stumbled across this point, when I had fled the city in order to stay clear of my patronesses servants. Guards also helped her from time to time, hoping for some kind of rich reward for bringing me back. The oak was hollow, but the entrance was hidden by some low bushes covering the ground around the tree.

Pushing branches out of my face and stepping over the shrubs, I reached the tree's bark. Crouching down, I felt with my hand inside the tree, and it didn't take long before I found what I was searching for. I pulled out a small makeshift instrument, and half a dozen small, rounded pebbles The sling consisted of two lengths of chord, with a small leather sort of pouch in the middle. At the ends of both chords was a small loop, in which ones fingers could grab hold.

I smiled when I felt the worn leather underneath my fingertips. At one point my old lady thought me to fragile for the streets, and she had forbidden me to leave her sight. I slipped as often away from her as I possibly could, and spend every free moment at this very same spot to practice with the sling. Now, ten years later, I could proudly say that I was probably the only sixteen year old girl in Firenze who had an almost flawless accuracy with the sling.

I stayed and worked with my sling for so long, that I saw the sky lighten and the first rays of the sun reach the surrounding foliage. I sighed and reached to put back both the pebbles and the leather sling into the hollow chamber of the oak. Upon reaching halfway, I stopped, and retreated my arm again, putting both missile pebbles and sling in my pocket.

Making my way back to the city, I sincerely hoped that any rumors would be about high prices, or something like a happy birth.

I was lucky. I reached the gate when the guards where changing position, and it was easy to slip through. Ignoring the people that stared at me for wearing pants, my mind wandered off. Pictures of my last encounter with Ezio consumed my brain, followed up by images of the gallows, while my merciless mind repeated my last words against him.

Lost in thought like that, I was unaware of my feet leading me straight to Piazza della Signoria. I only looked up when I saw the vast stream of people streaming towards the Piazza. I was lead by them, unable to convert the current, and soon, the street opened up to the large plaza.

I squealed softly when I saw the gallows, looming above the crowd's heads, and when I recognized Uberto Alberti upon the platform. He was yelling at the crowd, yet not in anger, but with unmatched enthusiasm. I gritted my teeth. I had never really liked the man, this proved it once again.

'Bring forth the accused!' He yelled loudly, and pointed with his hand towards the stairs on the other side of the platform. My hand clasped the necklace around my neck and silently prayed I wouldn't recognize those coming up.

My lungs contracted painfully and the air escaped in a rush of air. Walking forth first was little Petruccio. His face was pale and he took on a terrified expression when one of the guards nearly kicked him forward. The crowd roared with suppressed enthusiasm, and I clenched my fists at their filthy joy.

Next up was Giovanni, the father of the family. His face was as pale as his youngest son, but he still had some hope in his eyes when I saw Alberti standing on the platform. His brown, straight hair framed his face, but they did not soften the anxiety of his facial features. Giovanni Auditore was placed next to Petruccio, and he shot his son a calm look, even though he did not succeed in the calmness very well.

Following was Federico, and I gulped painfully when I remembered his smirk from my earlier encounter with his brother. He looked dead on frightened, but something in his face had the desperate calmness his father was searching so hard for.

I expected Ezio to follow, but Alberti already continued in his sneering voice.

'Giovanni Auditore, you and your accomplices stand accused of the crime of treason. Have you any evidence to counter this charge?'

A hooded man behind Alberti grinned, and an odd sensation took part of me when I bestowed the man.

'Yes! The documents that were delivered to you last night!' Giovanni yelled back at Uberto, his eyes bulging with betrayal.

'I'm afraid I know nothing of these documents.' Uberto replied with a sickening smirk. I slowly diverted my eyes from him back to young Petruccio. The robe around his neck was too large for him, but he hung his head in defeat anyway.

Me being in the middle of the crowd didn't necessarily help with my desire to get the three Auditore away from there. So, I started to work my way to the left, pushing the cheering people aside, muttering apologies from time to time. I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a familiar voice.

'He's lying!' Ezio Auditore yelled. The sound was so familiar that I cringed, and I had to convince myself to continue through the crowd. Determined, I plunged my hand into my pocket to get out my sling and some of the pebbles.

'In the absence of any compelling evidence to the contrary, I am bound to pronounce you.. guilty!' Alberti continued, like no one had interrupted him. His smirk grew wider and the crowd's cheering increased. I gritted my teeth while I put one of the pebbles into the sling's leather pouch. The crowd does not care whom is executed, as long as there is death.

'You and your collaborators are hereby sentenced.. to death!' Alberti put some extra smugness into that last word.

I had almost reached edge of the crowd, but I almost faltered in my pace again when I heard Giovanni's protest. 'You are the traitor, Uberto, and one of them! You may take our lives this day, but we will have yours in return! I swear! We will -'

Flicking my eyes towards the platform, I saw the three Auditores go down. My breath hissed again, and everything flashed before my eyes. The mass roared with delight, but above it could a terrible scream be heard.

'Father!'

I broke out into the open and whipped my head around to see what was going on. A man clad in white was trying to make his way through the thick crowd, his hood covering his face. I knew the features it was covering, however.

Out of my line of sight, Alberti yelled again. 'There! Grab the boy! He's one of them!'

The crowd roared again, but now with fear. The sea of people parted, and large streams of women and men fled away from the plaza. Guards streamed back to the center of the Piazza, and grabbed Ezio by his arms. They were about to drive him away, but the young man struggled to much for them to move him even an inch. Most people had by now fled the plaza, and I was standing in an open space, though some people remained and booed at Alberti.

'I'll kill you for what you've done!' Ezio yelled again, his voice raw with desperate anger. He managed to struggle free from the guards, flinging them to the ground, but Alberti already called for back-up. 'Guards! Arrest him!'

Ezio drew his sword, but soon he was surrounded by heavily armored guards, carrying large blunt axes. With narrowed eyes, I swung my sling upwards, then when it had made an almost perfect circle through the air, I released the pebble from the leather pouch. It shot with a low whistle towards one of the guards, and it hit him right below his jawline, at the base of his skull. That particular area was only covered by a small part of his helmet, but the pebble shot through the slit anyway.

The guard crumbled down, dropping his axe, but even more guards streamed towards the fighting people. One of the armored guards swung his axe at Ezio, knocking his sword from his hand. Behind Ezio and the guards, was the platform with Alberti and the hooded man on it. Alberti's eyes gleamed and another grin widened on his face.

'Abbattetelo.' He said, making a cutting movement with his hands.

Only one heavy opponent remained, for Ezio was further more surrounded by only small guards with swords. I therefore launched another stone at the big guard, but I gritted my teeth when it came out wrong and bounced of the man's armor.

A thief and courtesan rushed past me, both jumping against a guard to distract. The thief spoke softly when he brought a guard to the ground. 'You'd better run, boy. And fast!'

And run he did. Faster than my eye was willing to follow, he sprinted towards the closest row of buildings, scaled the walls and disappeared from view. I breathed out easily, happy that at least one of the male Auditores had survived, but then I noticed the remaining guards checking up on their fallen colleague. He hadn't moved since my pebble had taken him down and now one guard was staring at the sling in my hand.

'You! You killed him!' He yelled, while pointing at me.

Wait. What?

Killed him?

I had never killed anybody in my life. How could he accuse me of something so.. ridiculous? I gazed at the fallen guard. There was no blood, but also no relieving breath movement. Something so.. possible?

My eyes refocused. Guards were slowly making their way up to me, swords drawn. Backing away on reflex, I re-stashed my sling into my pocket and looked around from the corners of my eyes. There was only one small opening, between the heavily armored guard and a smaller one with a mercenary hammer. Hesitation was fatal, so I lunged forward, ducked between the two guards, heard the big guard's axe collide with the smaller guard's helmet and sprinted away.

I plunged through shallow streets and deserted alleyways, until I didn't not hear the clanging sound of hasty footsteps following behind me. I hid behind the corner of a house, and rested my hands on my knees, huffing air out of my already heaving lungs. It felt as though they had been penetrated by several sharp blades, and that now they could not provide me with enough air.

I sat down for a while, my breath hissing while I tried to regain my calm. Out of nowhere, a courtesan with a friendly face reached me her hand, a soft smile lightening her worn face. 'Come with me,' She muttered. Without hesitating, I grabbed her hand, even though my lungs protested.

The courtesan lead me to a large, old building, some of the walls covered with vine plants. Large banners with a rose on it hung from the roof.

'What's this?' I managed to huff out.

The courtesan smiled at me while she continued to pull me forward. 'La Rosa Colta.'

A brothel? Great.

Pulling me swiftly towards the front door, she knocked twice, and a other, younger woman opened up. Her face was framed by dark hair and rosy cheeks showed through the slit of the door. 'Get Paola.' The courtesan hissed, then pushed open the door and pulled me inside.

The inside of the building was like every other brothel in Firenze, but it had a cozy feeling to it. Everywhere were small curtains in various shades of red, and several sitting corners were filled with giggling women and their guests.

A woman clad in red approached me, the girl with the rosy cheeks and brown hair close behind her. The woman walked with an looming air of authority, yet with unmatched elegance. Her dark air was bound together in a long braid, and hung across her back. Her half open hood was intertwined with her braid, and decorated with a sparkling chord of small pearls. Not an everyday woman you meet in a brothel. Though her cleavage counters that statement, I thought smirking, but still huffing.

I tried to speak to the woman, but she held up her hands to stop me. She would wait until I regained my breath. Slowly, I steadied my lungs again, and was able to straighten my shoulders.

'Greetings, child.' She spoke, and I grunted in return. I wasn't as tall as most girls, and my curves weren't fully developed yet. That, and my only exercise being practicing the sling, didn't help me to get to my full potential.

Paola smiled warmly, but then merely ignored me. 'I heard you aided a certain young man, named Ezio Auditore. I offer my thanks for that.'

I inclined my head at her. How she knew Ezio or me aiding him, she didn't say. I guessed there were a few fast runners among her courtesans.

'You did not tell me your name.' Paola noted.

'Nor was I planning to.'

'That's okay, Cecilia, I found it on my own.'

I frowned. 'Why ask when you know?'

'Just to find out how cooperative you can be..' Paola replied, a mysterious smile on her face.

We stared for a while at each other, but I couldn't help my thoughts straying over my memories. I remembered the guard I had killed with one well aimed pebble, and I suppressed a shiver.

'Your first killing, if I'm right?'

I nodded, my eyes diverting to the nicely tiled floor. The woman put a hand on my shoulder. 'Do not fret, dear. It was necessary.'

I kept silent still, for I was not completely convinced.

Her hand remained on my shoulder, comforting, but when I opened my mouth to say something, there was a loud knock on the front door.

No one rushed to open it, and soon the door swung open. Upon seeing the entering man I hoped I could suddenly leap through floors and/or walls.

Ezio stared at me for a moment, then his mouth took on a bitter edge and he edged away from me. Surprisingly, I was actually hurt. I backed away and blended in with the background, leaving Paola with her new guest.

'It is a pleasure to make your acquittance, messer Ezio.' She spoke to him, and he inclined his head, his eyes on her open cleavage. I rolled my eyes, some of the hurt diverting in disgust.

'Madonna..' He muttered.

'Ti prego, call me Paola.' The woman spoke sternly.

'Well then Paola, can you please tell me what she is doing here?' The bastardo pointed in my direction.

'She has a name, messere. And she has done you a great favor.'

'Favor? You must be out of your mind, for you certainly do not know her!'

Paola's lips tightened into a stern thin line. 'I do not know her, Ezio, but I suggest you watch your words. Cecilia played a vital role in your escape from the Piazza, taking down a guard in the process!'

I crossed my arms. Staying silent had been a good choice, for else I would only have stood in Paola's way. She had a good way with words.

While I thought about Paola, Ezio turned his gaze towards me, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. He strongly reminded me of a fish out of the water, with slightly bulging eyes gasping for air.

Cocking one eyebrow, I stared back at him, then finally released a irritated 'What?'.

A.N. So! Cecilia it became! Apologies for the length of the chapter, if it bothers you guys, I'll try to stay under the 3000 words per chapter :3

Next chapter there won't be much Ezio, as we make a super step forward in time.

Please stay in touch and keep reviewing, they greatly help me to write!