I endeavored to stay in Rome until I had 'found a proper suitor'. Unfortunately, that story gave me a lot of trouble. While it kept me respectable and believably innocent, it also made me entertain quite a few males who thought themselves interested in me. There were only a couple that were particularly annoying, as they seemed to think they had caught my attention. Still, I found time to wander without them.
I only had to catch a few eyes before people insisted I had an escort of some sort to walk about with me. What with Captain Cato assassinated, it was Ana's duty to be concerned for my safety. Then it was my duty to abide by the rules. However, I didn't always do so well at it.
My escort, whether it be Ana or a guard from the later infatuated Cesare, I ended up getting a feeling I am told can be related to claustrophobia when I was around them. I became flustered and felt a tightness of breathing, as if I was being smothered. Before I panicked and did something silly, I slipped away from my guards. This turned out to be the wrong thing to do. I often got myself into situations where my true nature asserted itself, protecting beggars and thieves with made-up stories that would let me keep my integrity.
Despite the minor issues maintaining an image and the small disagreements I had with Ana in the suite, most things went well. Cesare, for instance, seemed to fall easily to me. He would jump for a mistress, as it turned out, and he understood how to make slightly uncertain woman be okay with less than Catholic ideas. I found that kind of ironic, since his father was the Pope.
Cesare wasn't always in the city, but when he was, he and Verónica would meet either under mysterious circumstances or by coincidence. Nonetheless, it fostered a fond relationship that was almost flirtatious. Of course, nothing happened, and when things almost did happen, there was always some sort of interruption. Thank goodness.
Apart from our time together in society, I am unashamed in saying I took my revenge very seriously, and therefore followed Cesare periodically when he was in Rome. I learned his movements and interests, trying to learn more about him so that when I finally killed him, it would be quick. I was no fool. Cesare was smart and strong. Preparations could make this encounter survivable.
Sadly, I also found that I was also a very jealous assassin. There were others in Cesare's ranks who would have him dead, but I found myself spoiling their attempts instead of taking the opportunity to help them. It was startling to realize that I wanted Cesare dead by my hand, and my hand only. Unfortunately, this also drew attention to me, and Cesare knew he had someone following him, though I wasn't certain whether he believed me to be a shadowy helper or not.
Anyways, long story short, I finally decided upon a night in which his whereabouts were confirmed not only by my recent interaction with him, but also with the information I had gained during my time spying. Following him also confirmed my beliefs, and he led me to a giant hall, similar to one you would find in a church. There were guards outside the door, but I had learned before that windows were far more helpful than doors.
Quietly, I made my way to the floor. He seemed unaware of my presence, busying himself with I don't know what. I corrected this by throwing one of my few throwing knives his way, aiming to cut him, but only managing to bounce it off his armor. The great warrior took notice immediately, turning to view me with a characteristic smirk and quirk of the eyebrow.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your protection?" Cesare asked, his body language that of the Captain-General.
"Oh, I'm not telling you anything." I purred back. Nice to know he recognized me.
Cesare walked forward, striding easily down the vast hall. I matched every stride of his while moving backward. We both found small smiles on our faces, though mine was hidden by the piece of cloth over my face, as we began the first steps of a dance.
"You won't tell me anything?"
"You'll have to make me." I replied softly.
"Is that an invitation?"
"Unlikely. I doubt you'd keep up."
My footsteps took me back and curved behind a large pillar, coyly pulling me into its shadow and out of his sight. His sword made a quiet noise as it was pulled from the sheath. I quietly pulled out my dagger.
All at once, I spun from beneath his sword swing as he appeared from around the pillar. I stepped daintily out of reach, but he advanced with light steps. Only a warrior in this time would be expected to both dance and fight with the same grace as the other. Our steps contested with each other, an advance being matched with a retreat and stubbornness occasionally drawing us too close for comfort. More than once, he reached out to restrain me, but I danced almost flirtatiously from his reach.
I loved teasing him. He wanted answers, and to win, but I wouldn't let him. No, it was fully my intent to see him bleeding upon the floor. My strikes proved as much, and Cesare was right to assume that the use of his sword was not uncalled for. Even as our blows hit, and we held each other at momentary impasses, there was almost a compliment for the other in our smirks.
I suppose I got too cocky, or perhaps the dance was just too strong, but Cesare managed to get close enough to make a cut. His sword stroke sliced through my clothing, down the side of my leg, and let loose a strip of clothing that fell with the same flitting of a dance skirt. I paused only to raise a brow at Cesare before twirling with a flourish, the newly freed cloth complimenting my move as my leg swept to knock Cesare square in the chest. He barely felt the blow through the armor, however, and I had to backpedal fairly quickly.
Cesare thrust with the blade, and I parried it with my knife. The pillar at my back startled me, but the moment it took to be startled was the moment it took for Cesare to be hardly an inch from me. I could feel his form, familiar from the first time I had danced with him.
"You have been trained." He said, face a mere inch from mine.
"I have."
"To what end?" He extended his free hand, to draw a curled finger along my jaw.
"We're not that close, yet." I tutted, reprimanding his hastiness.
A darkness came about in his eyes, but I was already acting. My knee rose up in a swift kick, and while he recoiled, I slipped away again. Not used to being denied anything, Cesare came at me with a new fierceness, and I returned it with spirit. I could almost hear a beat, quickening from before, as we twirled and leaped to outmaneuver each other, trying to twist to the enemy's blind side or engage them head-on. Now I used throwing knives when I saw an opening, leaning forward to strike with them and then swinging like a pendulum, back to avoid a sword sweep. I once found myself back-to-back with him, stepping as a mirror would to avoid getting caught up in his footsteps. Then he caught me off guard, and I was sent reeling back, cozied up against another one of those blasted pillars.
The man put his blade beneath my chin as I tried to move, his eyes warning me to stay still. I did so, and quietly waited as the sword flicked upward, cutting the cloth that had once rested over my face. Its folds fell softly to my shoulders, and my identity was finally revealed. I couldn't tell if Cesare was thrilled or not.
"Verónica Reyes. What a pleasant surprise." Cesare said, not sounding surprised at all. "It's nice to see that you can fight as well as you can dance. So tell me," he continued, kneeling over me while keeping his sword at my throat, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
I caught his hand at the wrist while it crept to my leg. I knew, like this, where Cesare held both power and an insatiable level of lust, I was all but beat. There was nothing left to do but wait for the perfect moment in which I could perform an escape, preferably a savage one.
"Don't mistake my company for a pleasure. I just can't stand you dying by someone else's hands." I replied with mock concern. Cesare had brought us too close again, our lips a centimeter apart.
"Cesare!" Called a voice, and we both looked to see a captain at the door of the hallway.
"What business do you have?" Cesare called back, clearly displeased that he was interrupted.
I took the moment without hesitation. My leg bent and shifted, and then snapped open to kick straight up, my toes meeting with Cesare's chin. He was knocked up and back, and I redirected my leg to slam his head upon the ground. Quickly, I rose, the dagger spinning expertly before I drew up to attack. Dazed, there was no way he could avoid this stoke of death.
The loud bang of a gun wasn't enough to make me flinch, but the bullet hitting my dagger and causing it to wrench sharply out of my hand was. The captain had shot at me, but thankfully missed. Still, my moment was lost. Cesare was quick to stir, and my new objective was to flee and kill Cesare some other day. I ran as Cesare shouted orders for my capture, to the back of the hall and then up the walls, my hands and feet easily finding purchase. Nimbly, I climbed high, and then took a leap back, turning in midair so as to catch the chandelier that was behind me. As it swung, I pulled myself up and then jumped to the next one.
"Be careful, bastardo!" Cesare shouted as a bullet sparked against the chandelier. "I said I want her alive!"
He wouldn't get me alive, not in a million years. I swayed on the chandelier, turning to the walls and focusing my vision. My heart hammered against my ribs as if it meant to burst out and flee from me, but it was only the drum to me, pounding away at the dance of my life. I swung the chandelier a bit, then tensed my legs and step and a leap later, I curled up with my arms covering my head and my legs bent tightly against my chest.
The glass to the hall shattered, its pretty stained colors flying everywhere and sticking into the cloth I had once used to cover my identity. A burst of cold, wonderful air came to meet me, and then, suddenly, gravity took hold. I fell down, down, and the tilted roof of the large building came up to greet me. I rolled harshly on my shoulder, and then tumbled down until I met with a more flat surface. Pitifully, I tried to stand while I rolled, but it only served to make me stumble, and I almost fell into the street. Hanging onto the edge of the roof, I panted, all too aware that the shingles might give way at any moment.
I couldn't figure whether I was terrified, jacked up, or thrilled. The adrenaline that was pumping through me made it pretty hard to focus on anything but the need to run, fight, and keep moving. My muscles and bones groaned in protest as I pulled myself up to the flat roof, hearing Cesare's cries from the window.
"What are you doing, you idiots? Get her! Catch the assassin!"
Assassin? I had never been called that before. It was a strange thing, since my whole goal since I had reappeared in Rome had been to kill Cato and Cesare. Still, the word almost didn't seem to fit me. I had never thought of myself as an assassin. Perhaps I should become accustomed to it.
Perhaps I looked more like a thief, for as I ran through Rome, the guards that were called up merely by the ruckus following me called me that. The tight bandages around me seemed to fit, if I compared my costume to that of the bandits that sat atop buildings, playing gambling games. Still, the few that knew me as 'assassin' were quick to call attention to me, and I had plenty of work before me.
My mind started comparing this with the time before. When Ezio had tried to help me, he had failed. I tried to blame him for it, though that was an unfair judgment. Nobody could have guessed Cesare would have told Cato to do such an incredibly mortifying thing. And afterwards, plenty of guards wished I would have followed my mother to death. Then, I was clumsy as I tried to fight off the hoards before me. Better than most street rats, yes, but clumsy. Now, I finished off my targets with a certain finesse, dealing with the obstacles but still making good time toward the suite. I needed to get to the suite to send Ana a signal to run. Which reminded me- I stopped by a guard, tripped him, and took his crossbow before continuing on my way.
It wasn't easy running through Rome like this. The guards peeled off slowly, whether they died or merely lacked the stamina to keep up any sort of pursuit. Unfortunately, the ones that could keep up could also climb buildings, causing a bit of trouble for me.
Also, note to self: Never again use throwing knives when your enemy is three feet away. You may need them when your new enemy is further away and more convenient to kill from a distance.
The suit came up fast, and I climbed higher so as to better aim with the crossbow. But before that, I gave my pursuers a little bit of my time by throwing them off the building. I couldn't have them interfere. With only a moment of peace cleared, I aimed the crossbow and then let loose a bolt, which crashed through the window to my suite. Ana would see it, and would know immediately that she was to take the vital things, which we had never unpacked, and flee.
In the meantime, I had to draw this group away from our temporary home and then disappear. I dashed away, making sure to jump over every head that was looking for me. I climbed higher, and the more agile men followed me. But when they topped the final building, they would not find me. I had spotted what I had found to be an old friend, and a leap of faith landed me snugly in a haystack down below.
Quietly, I waited. A couple of suspicious guards poked their weapons into the hay before moving on. One stabbed my knee, but I managed not to kick him. Finally, things almost quieted down. Now, though, every patrol would be on the lookout for me.
Swiftly, I jumped out of the hay and brushed myself off. The cloth was stripped off quickly from where I could afford it and tossed into an alleyway. I was about to go straight to where Ana was heading to when I noticed something. There were houses here, and one person had the fortune to have a bit of grass to themselves. They had decided to hang their clothes out to dry. I eyed a dress with distaste, but finally gave into the need, ripping it off the line and throwing it over my costume.
I made it through the streets relatively well. The guard still peered suspiciously at a woman out this late at night, but I wasn't wearing the garb of the woman who had tried to assassinate Cesare, so I wasn't that interesting. A few tricky maneuvers almost got me caught, mainly by trying to avoid one patrol and just running into another. The roofs were obviously off-limits because I would be shot on sight. In a few words, it took a while to get where I wanted.
As I neared the meeting place, I was immediately aware of a struggle. Ana's voice called out, and she was almost immediately silenced. My heart quivered as a sharp memory of my mother leapt out at me. Glancing up, I noticed nobody was on the roofs anymore. Throwing the dress off of me, I ran down an alley to find a good place to climb up, but not before stumbling over a bag. A second look showed me it was one of mine, and attached to it was a very special weapon.
I pulled from the wrap a bow, made by myself after years of dedication to the art. Scattered around the place were the arrows and quiver, as they seemed to have come free while Ana was grabbed. Quickly, I picked up the quiver and three arrows in my haste. Slinging these over my shoulder, I ascended quickly and crouched, unseen, in the shadow of another building.
Below, I could see Cesare had been smart enough to go to the suite, and that he had probably run into Ana on the way there. It was only Ana's bad luck that had gotten her caught. And me. Cesare paced around, talking in turn to his soldiers and to me, hoping I would show up. I didn't move. He didn't see me, even as he glanced about the rooftops.
"You shouldn't worry, girl." Cesare said to Ana. "There was no way for you to escape from what your dear Verónica has drawn to herself. But she could help you escape it now, if she wanted to." Now he raised his voice. "Isn't that right, Verónica? You're a strong, smart girl. You know that if you surrendered, she would be free from harm. Your burden is not her own."
The hunger in his eyes frightened me. I tried not to shiver while I pushed further into the shadows, and then slowly reached for an arrow. The notch rested snugly against the string, and I readied myself to draw it back as quietly as possible. This time, I would not miss, nor would I hesitate. An arrow would rest firmly in his head tonight.
"Or perhaps your own revenge is worth more than the life of your closest friend?" He drew close to Ana, holding the knife I had dropped against her throat. Oh, what a cruel irony, that my own dagger might harm her if I don't act quickly enough.
The string wasn't quiet enough. Cesare heard my swift movement, detected me in the shadows. I could only imagine what I might look like, hope that my eyes would burn like fire and that my gaze and stance would remind him of a girl from three years ago, whose mother he ordered to be shot before she was hung.
There was an order given from somewhere far to my right. I wasn't quite sure what it was or who said it, but my arrow loosed, the fletching swiftly drawing across my cheek before disappearing in a hail of other such projectiles. This caught me by surprise, as the arrows and bolts were not pointed at me, but instead rained upon Cesare and his troops. Half of the guards dropped right then, and most of the other half was wounded. Cesare was forced to get away from Ana in order to guard himself from the arrows. He cast his gaze about, and sighted many hooded figures upon the roofs.
I noticed them all now. They had hidden in the shadows far better than I had, given their considerably lighter garb. However, it didn't make me pause. They were not my enemies, and so they were not important. Only Ana was, and I dropped to the ground quickly for her. Stepping over dead bodies and confronting the weakened ones, it was easy for me to carve a path through. The hooded figures descended as well, and their own intentions shielded me from Cesare and what was left of his guards before long. When I made it to Ana, I grasped her hand firmly and pulled her up.
It was no surprise that she immediately embraced me, and I gave her a hug back. She was shaking, the result of being both terrified and pumped full of adrenaline. I knew far too much about that lately, despite prior training sessions with the demoness.
"Are you alright?" I said quickly as we parted, still holding her arms to keep her steady. She nodded wordlessly.
"There he goes!" Someone shouted, and I looked up.
Cesare, outnumbered and outmanned, was fleeing. Anger burned up in me. Wasn't he just talking about me fulfilling my revenge? Where the hell had all his bravado gone? I took a few angry steps away from Ana, toward Cesare, and was about to break into a run when a man's hand came up, stopping me.
"Hold on. Let him run."
I smacked the hand away from me.
"Don't tell me what to do." I said obstinately.
"Cesare will die, I assure you." Said the man soothingly, his accent and voice somewhat familiar. "But it will not be today. He is too strong to fall to you."
I stared at him for a while. I recognized the voice, and was starting to put the pieces, but there was no spark of recognition from him. Finally, I made a noise of exasperation.
"You always did lecture me about what I could and could not do." I said.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" Asked Ezio, confused.
"Verónica Reyes." I introduced myself, offering a hand. "But before that, my mother called me Silvia."
There was a pause, and then Ezio's hand grasped mine, firm and warm.
"Silvia. So you did come back."
"Mother was right. I found friends in both Spain and England."
"I am assuming that's why you've been making lots of noise, running on rooftops and killing captains."
"They were good teachers." I confirmed.
"Everyone!" Ezio turned and motioned with his hand. "Go back to the hideout! And you, Silvia. You and your friend should come with us. There are a few friends I'd like to introduce you to."
The night was quiet. Dawn would break soon, and I watched as the horizon became lighter and lighter, the pale grey turning different shades of pink and blue. Absently, I picked at the rooftop, finding a rock and then tossing it down now and then.
"Still thinking it over?" Ezio asked from behind me. "The Assassins are not that bad, you know."
"No, I'm not thinking about that. I've really got nothing else to do other than be an Assassin, do I? Besides, any reason to go after Cesare without you lecturing me is alright."
Despite my joke, there wasn't really any energy in it. I was replaying the night. Where I slipped up, the fight, the couple of times I almost killed him but didn't or couldn't. My mind even fled to sooner. Where could I have been better when attracting him or lowering his defenses? Was there any way I could have made him trust me?
"Ah. Then it doesn't take much for me to guess where your mind is, then."
"No, your guess would probably be accurate."
"Don't worry. We're building to it. Cesare will not stay in power."
I didn't want Cesare just out of power. Of course, I didn't say this. It was selfish of me, to think I was the only one who wanted to do away with Cesare. There was a whole group here dedicated to ridding the world of people like him. At once I found it strange to think I was an assassin. Now it was strange to think than I was only one amongst many. And even more startling was that my teachers, Marisol Flores and Anastasia Knight, were both well-known Assassins from their respective countries. They hadn't been teaching me for revenge. They had taught me to be an Assassin.
"You attracted some attention when you first got here. I hear your dancing is superb."
Brow furrowed in confusion, I turned away from the new pebble I had found and looked at Ezio. He had a nice smile on his face, the beard making him look more mature than he probably was deep down. The man extended his hand, gauntlets glinting in the light of breaking dawn. I sighed and dropped the rock, a smile finding its way onto my face. My hand rested in his and he helped me up.
Surprisingly, Ezio was a good dancer. I never would have guessed it, since Ezio had always just seemed like the man who kept fighting unfair forces. He never seemed the type to be learned in any 'sophisticated' talents.
Maybe, just maybe, I thought, I can let go of revenge.
Shieb: O_o Thank you guys so much for giving me so many views.
So, the last chapter of this story. Sad, eh? Truth be told, there is a whole lot more to the story. Like when the main character saved Cesare's life, her time being trained, and so on. I really want to extend this story, but the truth is that it's supposed to be a short story, specifically for this event. Perhaps I'll write more chapters later.
Anyways, figured I'd clarify that Ezio is not interested in Silvia/Veronica. He's just being nice. Not that I wouldn't want to write a fanfic where a character got in a relationship with Ezio. ^_^ I just don't want to make a crappy Mary Sue fanfic as a result.