Okay, chapter 2 is up and I hope you will enjoy it :D
AND I have some few things to say, so listen up!
In chapter 1 there was sometimes the words "Læs fonetisk" in the text, ignore it, it's not supposed to be there, but doesn't remove it when I try so - I'm sorry! I don't know if this goes for this chapter too, but if it does, then just ignore it ;) - It's not something I have written and it is in danish, soo ^^!
And another thing! The italian... I don't have anybody to help me with that besides the game and google, so you may find mistakes there !
AND AND AND! If you want to find pictures/Drawings of Oria, Ezio and so on, then go to my profile, there is a link to my Da profile :3
*Note: FF is being a ass ^^! It won't show the editing I have made, and it made this chapter totally messy and confusing - I hope it works now! *
Chapter 2: The First Day in The Palazzo
It was a welcoming feeling that I had. I was finally clean and didn't smell like a dustbin when I was done with my bath. It had been so great – okay, maybe except for the lack of privacy, and the pain I had from my injuries. There were a lot of small wounds, and then there were the big ones, which was surely the reason that it hurt so much as it did. Last, but not least, abrasions. Annetta had kept talking about them and how I should be laying in bed instead of working, but I just told her that I couldn't be sick in bed on my first day of work, what kind of servant would I be then. With that, she finally stopped; she had been talking almost nonstop. I appreciated Annetta and her care, but sometimes it was just too much. Of course I didn't say anything to her; I had my new position because of her.
The one thing I just had to endure was the fact that I had to be in a dress. Suddenly I really missed my old clothes; it felt weird not to have something wrapped around my legs anymore. Now it was just this long dress fabric. The sleeves went to just above my elbows, sitting tight to my skin –and just barely hid the small area of the bandage (which I was still uncertain what it was for; it didn't resemble with any kind of wound.) The dress was cut in a nice, soft curve on the chest, and that part would have revealed some of my cleavage if it wasn't for the white shirt underneath it. But if I were to bend down – to get something UP from the ground, I might add - it would probably reveal a little. The whole dress was in a light blue color and it reminded me of the sky.
I was lucky, I found out. The new shoes I had on went to my ankles, but had a thick sole, like it was placed there for some protection. And that did indeed become handy. The shoes were not open, no, they were closed with laces. As the last touch, I had tied my hair in a loose ponytail; which reminded me yet again that I now knew what I looked like. I already knew about my dark brown hair, but my eyes were a dark blue color, and if I wasn't mistaken, that color wasn't very normal around here. My body wasn't actually that bad, to be precise—not at all; actually, you should think that I would be in really great shape. About that part, I couldn't stop thinking what it was I had been doing before my memory loss. My body wasn't actually like one that every girl would have. Not that I was saying I was more beautiful than all the others (because I wasn't) but it was more like I didn't really have that much fat on my body—more muscles than anything. About my height: I wasn't that tall. No, I was definitely not tall. Okay, enough about my looks, I wasn't that special anyway.
After Annetta had showed me around the palazzo and shown me where my room was, the day was almost over. So I spent the rest of my time in my room relaxing – oh, and hiding the bag with the weapons under the bed. I was so going to sell these the first thing tomorrow.
Well, besides that, the room was great. There was an actual bed with a blanket and a pillow. I felt like I was in heaven already! Next to my bed was a folded nightgown that was laid on a small brown nightstand. Everything was ready for me, and after I had changed, I crawled under the blanket, and finally let myself sleep, hoping that every night from now on, I could sleep so comfortably.
The next morning it was Annetta that woke me up, early—really early. She ripped the curtains apart with a happy atmosphere around her and let the warm morning sunlight pour in. I tried to hide my face in the pillow; I wasn't happy in the slightest about this. I just wanted to sleep.
"Now, sleepyhead, you have to get out of bed. A new day lies ahead, and we have a lot to do!"
Right then, I would have loved to hurl a pillow right in her face, but I was hiding my face in it, and no way would I let it go.
"Oria, it was yourself that said that you wouldn't lie in bed all day like a sick person on your first day, so get up." Oh damn, she was right. I had said that. I lifted my head up from the pillow, looking at her over my shoulder with a really lazy, tired, and annoyed glare. She was all dressed, happy and totally in spirit. I wasn't going to try to convince her to give me some more time in bed; her face told me all about how she would drag me out of bed, pour water over me and so on. I sighed, a sign of surrender. Yawing, I finally sat up, with my curly hair poking in all directions. Yeah, did I forget to tell you that my hair did have curls? Well, it did. Not many, but enough.
God I was going to hate these early mornings.
I stretched my torso. Yawned once again and rubbed my eyes, trying to chase the sleep out.
"Okay, okay, I'm up!" I growled, finally pulling the blanket away (or more like kicking it away.) Annetta just smiled and then headed out of my room, leaving me to myself so I could get changed.
Finally, I was ready so I headed out of my room, but then it hit me; I had forgotten all about this building, it's layout, but who could blame me? I was new, just started, and I was standing in a big palazzo. I looked around to see if I could gather some thoughts about the layout: I got zero…
"Great," I sighed, then I began to wander around, hoping to meet some people here that could actually help me. The one thing that I could remember was that my room was on the second floor. But the more time that went by, the more I finally realized that nobody but Annetta and me were up now. Or so I thought. The next thing I knew, I suddenly bumped into something… no, actually someone.
I looked up in confusion, finding myself looking into this young man's brown eyes… wait a moment. THAT'S the guy from the day before. Shit. He looked at me with a wry smile on his lips, and a warm light in those brown eyes of his. I felt like I could melt before him, but I mentally shook my head fast to get those thoughts out of my head.
"Well, hello there, bello (beauty). How was the bath?" My mouth was sealed, my voice died in my throat. What a jerk! Of course, my face began to get a light red color on the cheeks when the memories from the day before came back. God, I hated this.
"Well, it was quite good, thank you very much! But it would have been better if it wasn't for some Idiota that suddenly decided to come in and disturb me!" I snapped. It was only a moment later that I realized what I just had said. Why was it that every time I was around this man, I would end up saying something stupid?
"That must have been a shock, I can just imagine it!" He didn't look like one who actually took what I had just said to heart, but just played along with a farce, acting like how he could imagine the whole thing.
"I'm sure you can," I said with an low voice, looking away from him out of the corner of my eye.
"Hopefully, it was a handsome young man who came in?" But then that came from his mouth and my eyes were, with surprise reflecting in them, drawn back to him. Was he joking with me? Well, considering that I was new, I decided to play along.
"Oh, that would have been an overstatement! He wasn't even near that! And what moron would be looking for someone in a bathroom? Seriously, I don't even think he has a brain." My voice was a little harsh, and my eyes just glared at him like he was no important person – which I didn't think he was, except that he was my master in one way or another. Maybe I did go too far and I got a little nervous by the thought.
"Maybe he thought that he would get to see something attractive – and I'm sure he did, since you where there." My eyes did widen a little at his words. How lame was that? Sure I said that, but my face was yet again getting a little red.
His charms were something I couldn't totally describe; they were wild, unknown, and tainted; you got the feeling that if you played along—let him do what he was best at—he could set you free, in more than one way.
Yet again, I found myself speechless. My lips parted but then closed again. I was so losing face here, and so I just snapped at him again. What else was there to do?
"Yeah right, what "attractive" is there if the person in there had been an old man sitting on the toilet?" I shifted my weight to my left leg and crossed my arms, while I looked with a raised eyebrow and surely with a little unknown smile on my lips.
"Well, sometimes you just have to take a chance – and luckily for him, it wasn't some old man sitting on the toilet," he replied with a smile and a little grin on his face.
He was never going to give up was he? No, I could easily see that in his face and hear it in his voice.
It made me sigh, and then I lost my position, finding us at the head of the big staircase, which was a great thing—I now knew where I was in this palazzo. But the fact that I hadn't realized this yet was a little stupid, because the Ezio-guy did stand on the last step to the second floor, on the staircase.
"No, it wasn't, but the idiot, which apparently was you, still burst into the God damn room!" I got angrier as the whole situation began to re-play in my mind.
"But I do live here, you know," he explained while he changed his position, defending his intentions.
"So you admit that you are an idiot!"
"I may be an idiot, but who are you?"
"A new servant here."
" Who sure talks big to her masters!" He added in and then grinned a little under his breath. I couldn't see the funny part there, so I just kept my serious stare at him, but he was right. Not a good thing I guessed, but the words just tumbled out of my mouth.
"And you sure seem to like it!" I raged, and suddenly he bent a little towards me, which led me instantly to lean a bit away from him. My face was very close to his now, and I could feel his warm breath. It made me shiver quietly, although I tried to hide it from him.
"Well of course. Talking to a beautiful and charming young woman as yourself isn't something I would miss," he whispered in a warm, strong voice. I automatically bit my lip, sucking a little on it. I was shocked by the way he could dazzle me, and my inner voice yelled at me to get myself under control again. I pushed him away from me with a gentle hand while I spoke.
"Oh, I'm flattered," I teased coldly and then it hit me how long I had stood here, talking to this idiot, when I was supposed to work, and not be in a discussion.
"Well, if you will excuse me, I will be going now SER Ezio!" With that I began to walk down the stairs, though he replied rather quickly.
"So, you do know my name – but drop the ser-part – that's Annetta's thing."
"Sure, whatever," I just replied and kept going down, but he wasn't going to let me escape so easily. A few second after I felt a strong, warm big hand around my upper arm that made me stop. I looked a little irritated at him and with a glare that said "what now?"
"By the way, are you okay?" Now I was really confused, and he got to see that in my whole face. He sighed a little and then turned suddenly serious; it was like a whole new man stood before me—well actually behind me.
"You were hurt yesterday. Are you sure you shouldn't be lying down instead of working?"
"Do I look hurt now?"
"No?"
"Then you have nothing to worry about." I gave him a little smile, but now that I think about it, I don't quite remember why I did so. I think he got a little surprised about that smile too, but then looked pleased and gave my arm it's freedom back. I may have said that, but I must admit that it did hurt a little when he suddenly had taken seize of my arm. I continued on my way down and finally reached the floor. I looked around a bit, and then found the door I was hoping to find. But before I could get out of sight, Ezio called me.
"Hey bello (Beauty), what's your name?" I looked up at him in surprise - he wasn't standing on the staircase anymore, but leaned against the railing.
"Oria," I replied and moved once again but a little slower, just so I could catch what he would say, if he was going to say anything. But what he said just made me smile to myself.
"Nice to meet you, Signora Oria." And then the door closed behind me.
Something did tell me that I wasn't used to be around boys often. Not that I knew, but it just kind of hit me as I stood there, against the closed door in the kitchen.
"Someone is in a happy mood." I flinched and my eyes captured her smile - her flirty teasing smile. Annetta kept a big bowl in her embrace, while she stirred in the mass. But before I could say anything to her, she interrupted my unspoken sentence.
"But awfully late you know! The things don't make themselves, unfortunately." I bit my bottom lip and walked fast into the room.
"I'm so sorry, but that Idiota Ezio kept me away from my duties." It was soon after I heard how wrong that could have sounded. Annetta looked at me like she was really surprised, her mouth hanging open a bit, I might add.
"You didn't already?" she gasped.
"NO, for God sake, no!" I snapped fast, but in a little funny voice. I must admit, we did laugh a little about that; not fully with our voices, but certainly with our faces. But after that, the words sure didn't have anything to stop themselves, and they just flew out of my mouth as I walked closer to her.
"No, that idiota is really an Idiota! That creep, I would never ever be with someone like him! I would never! And why the hell is he up so early?" I cried, while my hands just took something random in their possession.
"If I'm not mistaken, I think Messer Ezio just got home from Cristina, but for him to come home so early is a surprise indeed." Annetta said with a giggle lightly on its way.
"Maybe he got kicked out," I spat out, and I kind of did hope that it had really happened for some unknown reason.
"And why would I have been kicked out?" God, I got surprised and almost jumped high in the air from shock. I wasn't the only one, Annetta did too, but she didn't react like me.
"Would you stop that! And what the hell are you doing in here?" I hissed looking at Ezio that suddenly came into the kitchen – I didn't even hear the door open.
"What? I got hungry and this is the kitchen if I'm not mistaken." I frowned at him, and then let out a little hiss.
"Oh really, because I thought that this was the bathroom." He just shrugged with a little smile at me.
"Then you should get your eyes checked," he teased, and I was suddenly beginning to really dislike him - but before I could give a comeback, Annetta broke into the conversation with an innocent smile and a gently shaking head.
"Would an apple be okay for now?" she just asked calmly, peering at Ezio who smiled at her, and nodded.
"Si, that would be great." She then looked at me because I was obviously the one who was nearest the fruit bowl. I sighed a little and then was about to take a random apple, but…
"A red one, please."
"Why a red one? Does it even matter what color it is?" I snarled, annoyed, while I looked at him again, but of course he just stood there with his big charming smile on those lips of his.
"Well of course it does. Then I can think of yours sweet red lips while I eat it."
I just took one random apple, which of course was a red one… Automatically, I tossed the stupid apple to him, and the big guy just grabbed it like it was nothing, but he looked a little surprised by the power of the toss. He took a bite, closed his eyes and looked like the apple was sent from God. I was going to hate that smile for the rest of my life. I just knew it – if not the face.
"Well, enjoy," I teased as a brow raised, and my arms took a hold at my hips. I was really annoyed right now and just wanted his stupid, charming face to disappear.
I let out a loud sigh when he had finally gone out the door. This was going to be a long day. But the feeling that I was a stupid, annoying bitch did come over me, and that just made my mood drop to a lower level. Annetta saw this and patted me on the back, while I lay over the little stone table in the middle of the kitchen.
"If you don't mind, we should get to work now," Annetta said, a little unsure about how to make any sense of my changing mood, another sigh left me and I raised myself up from the table, looking a little sorry to her.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I am just a little confused, I guess." I ran a hand over my face as if I was trying to clean something of, but it was more to get a new mood to appear, one that actually could be used to something other than snap at people.
"It's okay, I'm sure you just need to make sense of this, and then it will be alright."
"I sure hope so," I just replied, beginning to help with the work around – which, at first, was breakfast. I was horrible at making food I found out, and soon I had Annetta right behind me, with an eye on the food every single minute. The first few times she had let me be, the food had nearly died on me and turned to ash. Good that Annetta had been around to save it just in time. She suddenly looked really tired, I couldn't blame her. Her job wasn't babysitting me, so my job did change a few times after that. Next I got the job to make the morning table ready. And again it was a total disaster. It turned out like a small hurricane had been there. The napkins weren't folded the way they should, and Annetta had to make them right. But instead of giving up on me, she taught me how to do it, and how the things were supposed to be on the table.
I learned it quick after that, and Annetta could relax about it all. I just got to the door as the family got into the room. I must say, they looked happy, really happy. A gentle smile spread on my lips and a warm feeling kindled inside me as I leaned against the door frame, on the outside of the room, so only a little of my head and a little of my torso could be seen.
I got a little surprise because Giovanni saw me, but didn't say anything, only smiled a warm smile and with eyes that made me feel welcome here. I guess my presentation would wait a little, but that didn't matter now.
"That's Maria, Giovanni's wife, and that's their oldest son Federico, Ezio, Claudia and then Petruccio, the youngest," Annetta said in a low voice close while she pointed at them discreetly behind me. I knew she mentioned them in order of age.
"They look so happy. I almost envy them." My voice was happy but also sad. I had a feeling that I didn't have a family waiting for me out there, in this big world. I felt like I was alone, the only one left. I only felt Annetta's gentle hand on my shoulder blade.
"Annetta, do you mind if I just could get a second?" She looked a little surprised but somehow she understood me and nodded.
I felt like a lump was in my throat, making it difficult to breath and like my eyes had got something in them, because they were suddenly glassy, threatened to let tears spill over the edge as I walked fast in the hall towards the staircase. I ran fast up the stairs, turned right and after a little while I got into my room. My back was against the door and my hand covered my face but no tears were running wildly down my cheeks. "Calm down Oria, you don't even know what's wrong, take a breath." It helped a little. I got my emotions under control as I took a deep breath. I rubbed my face and smiled to myself, all clear and fine, nothing wrong…
I got out from my room once again, and when I came to the stairs I found out that the breakfast was finished. I wasn't even sure how long I had been neglecting my duties, but it couldn't have been for that long…
"Oh, Oria, meet the rest of my family." I looked up from the stairs where my eyes had been fixed, to Giovanni that now waved me closer to his family. They were all staring at me, and the thought not to fall down the last pair of stairs was suddenly the only thought that I could keep in mind. Luckily, it didn't happen.
"This is Oria, a new servant I hired yesterday. Oria, this is my wife, Maria; my oldest son Federico; my second oldest son Ezio; my oldest and only daughter Claudia; and my youngest and last son, Petruccio." I made a small curtsy (more like a respectful nod) as I got introduced to them and them to me. Maria stood noble, strong eyes but kind, as a proud mother. I must say Federico had almost the same glint in his eyes as Ezio, but not as wild and untamed as him. It must be the maturity that had sat in, but I guess you should never say never. And it sure didn't seem like the oldest brother had lost his playboy passion. Claudia had the same strong eyes, actually, they all did. But when I looked at Petruccio I could see that something wasn't totally as it should be. But still, he looked strong, but something was missing in his eyes.
I was relived; I got taken in by the whole family without any protests, without any remarks. I was happy as I walked into the kitchen and met Annetta with a big smile and joy in my eyes. She could see it crystal clear and that made her giggle.
"Oria, will you begin with the bedrooms? Then I will take care of the new dishes." I nodded and began my duties.
I already knew where the sheets were, so it didn't take long before I got into a steady pace. At first it was a little troublesome but I got better and quicker as I did it. Petruccio's room was next. I knocked a little and made my way into the room. Petruccio was lying in his bed, smiling at me as I got closer. The windows were closed, the curtains drawn and hiding the sun. It was ridiculous! The boy should be bathing in the sunlight and not hiding in the darkness. So I quickly made my way over to the windows, flipped the curtains apart and smiled back to Petruccio.
"I hope its okay I let the sunlight get in." He just nodded, not saying much – or anything.
I already knew that the boy was sick, and nobody knew what was wrong. They could only keep him in his room, praying that he would be alright and get better.
The boy was holding a book in his hands, reading it in silence.
"What are you reading?" I asked curiously, and got beside him.
"It's a book about a boy who finds an unknown land beyond the sea." His eyes shone and his voice sounded so fresh. He looked up at me with a face that told me all about how he loved this book. It made me smile and giggle a little under my breath.
"I see you really like stories." I took a look around. A large bookshelf stood with lots and lots of books, in all kind of genres.
"Yes, they keep secrets - but then again, it's not like I can do anything else." First his answer sounded so bright, so happy, but then… then it was like a bird with broken wings, unable to fly to all those adventures he was so eager to do, to discover the same lands the boy in his book had. But he was fast to interrupt my saddening thoughts.
"What about you? Do you like stories?" His happy voice did something to me; I don't know what, but it must be the happy, noncommittal and eager voice of his that made things look so bright.
"Well, I guess I don't really know, but I have this thing for making stories," I said. Only to realize what I just had said. I made stories? What the –
"Could you tell me one? I have read almost all of my books twice already." He grinned, I got taken a little aback by that. What was I going to do now? Well, I just threw myself into it. Not knowing what to do the first pair of words just left my lips while I sat down on his bed by his side.
"Well, let's see. There was once a man who was very brave, strong and kind, loved to tease girls and chasing skirts–" he laughed with a sweet voice and I couldn't take my eyes from him.
That sounds just like Federico and Ezio."
"It does? Haha, then maybe I should make him a cowardly, weak, not-so-handsome man then," I teased.
"No! Don't do that." He grinned with his full heart in it, it was like music to the ears. I continued.
"Okay then. He had a lovely family where they respected and helped each other. But one day the young man began to get dreams about how he would travel the world, rescue damsels in distress, fight for the good. So he took off, saying goodbye to his family with only a small bag of money and food." As the story was rolling, the more he looked amazed, and I was seriously beginning to think how the hell I could come up with all that. But it was fun, and I got caught up and soon I began to move with the flow of the story, using my hands and arms to show what the man did. We both laughed together and forgot all about the thing called time.
Laughter was flowing out from the room behind the closed door, letting a warm atmosphere leak out from the room. Some got curious enough to make their way to the room, just to take a little peak inside. Ezio opened the door with no sound, just a little and looked in. Well, this was not what he had expected to see. Oria and Petruccio were so caught up in a story that they didn't have time for the outside world. But it made him glad to see that happy face on Petruccio.
"Hmm, sounds like they are having fun." Ezio looked with a smile that only he could provide at his father who now was standing beside him, also looking at the laughing two.
"Haha, si padre (yes father). It's a long time since I have seen Petruccio so caught up in a story like this." Giovanni smiled, he could only agree with his son.
"Maybe I should join in on the fun," Ezio then said, looking with a confident smile to his father who could only laugh at his son.
"Haha, Si, you do that."
I had almost tears in my eyes from laughing when a certain young man came into the room, looking with a big smile at us. Petruccio smiled even bigger now and called with a big eager voice.
"Ezio! Oria is telling me a story! It's about a man who travels around the world, he is just like you and Federico, but only smarter, stronger and more successful with girls than you." Oh boy, he got me laughing harder now, and I had to hold for my mouth with my whole body shaking with laughter.
"Hey! You can't be smarter, stronger OR more successful with girls then me!" Ezio cried out and then looked at me, because I was obviously the culprit – my story, remember?
"But he is!" Petruccio interrupted, but still with a big grin.
"No such man exists," Ezio teased, and sat down beside Petruccio on the other side of the bed. It wasn't hard to guess that Ezio had fun, but still kind of mean what he said. Men, I guess.
Please review :3
And yet again, thank you Mismatch-Lover for your help! :D
Chapter 2 - over and out xD
