The Involuntary

by alexthegryffindor

Years later, the butterfly effect comes into play and the ones not expecting it are the ones most influenced. She was simply meant to stay with them for the protection. A plan meant to keep her safe during the absence of her father leads her to the greatest adventure of her life - and to the enormous danger looming over her and everyone she holds close to her heart.

11. Chapter 11

Part one: chapter eleven: the aftermath

March 1600

Giglio Nero Residence

Luce tapped her pen against the elegant piece of paper lying in front of her, trying to gather her thoughts. She was not going to write anything of a great importance, just a simple social letter to one of her acquaintances. She might not have been active in the society, but she still had some friends in important places that she preferred to keep in touch with. Not only because she strongly disliked breaking ties with anyone she had once been close with - it greatly helped her with keeping up with anything worth knowing.

She was usually good with her words. But this time, it was hard to concentrate on anything, considering the atmosphere around the House.

It had been four days and Alexandra still hadn't regained her consciousness. And the tension hanging in the air while everyone waited for her to do so was almost suffocating. She didn't blame their guests for that. It was the opposite - she was supporting and helping in any way possible to make this pressuring time easier for them, understanding the pressure they all had been under ever since the accident and attack. Everyone around the House had done the same after her clear instruction to do so.

Lizzie had spent almost all this time by her mistress' side, refusing to be moved away from Alexandra's bed for longer than it took to eat a sustainable meal that was not balanced on her laps but standing properly on the dining table. She even tried to sleep in a chair, awaiting her to wake up, until Luce promised to take the watch over the brunette for the period the maid would take to have a decent rest - the chairs she had bought herself for the house were quite comfortable, but nowhere close enough to serve that purpose. She had been very close to forcefully removing Lizzie from the room for her own sake, but the girl eventually yielded to her constant worried requests. It still didn't sustain her anxiety, though, considering how many times she had looked over her shoulders, uncertain, before eventually closing the door of the bedroom behind her. As she explained, Alexandra was going to be confused after waking up and she didn't want her to panic in the unfamiliar surroundings. Which was heartwarming, but also made Luce wander just how many times both of them had found themselves in such a situation before.

Giotto was almost as anxious as Lizzie, but hid it much better - and it had been more than clear that he had been in such a position for the first time. Luce knew him well enough to recognize the signs of his worry, no matter how hard he tried to conceal it. It was hard for him to concentrate on the conversation and she was almost certain he had created a path on the wood of her floor where he kept pacing from one side to another. He was still as polite as ever, engaging in the conversation around and joining her in the dining room for meals during his time there - mostly because she kicked him out of Alexandra's room, not wanting to be a participant in any of the social scandals that would erupt - but it was obvious his mind was somewhere else. When at the end of the second day G had arrived at their door after getting directions from the message boy, Luce hadn't been complaining. Giotto had his duties as a Lord to take care of and the man hadn't appointed anyone to have the authority to do them in his absence. The butler, while responsible for keeping the books for the time being, could only do as much. Seeing as it was yet uncertain how long it would take Alexandra to wake up, keeping Giotto away from the Residence had not been a possible option. THey had been supposed to be away for one and he had already prolonged his absence, probably missing a few meetings. It had taken some discussion and convincing, but eventually the sense of duty had won over and the blond traveled, not so happily, back to his town, letting his right hand-man take over the guarding duty.

Even with her knowledge of the Flame, she still couldn't diminish the spark of worry whenever she watched the pale, almost ashy, face of their patient.

Luce had seen people suffering the aftermath of the Flame activation and its side effects on the body. But it was the first time she had seen someone as drained of energy and strength after using it as Alexandra. Dan had confirmed, as much as he could at least, that there was nothing wrong with the physical state of the young woman. It hadn't taken him too long to connect the pieces - knowing the background of the family Alexandra came from, as well as seeing the symptoms on other people before, the doctor came to the correct conclusion, even if Luce had neither confirmed nor denied the silent question. And Dan didn't push for it or picked the subject again in the following days for which she was grateful.

But she was also curious. The Founding Flames were news to her on many levels, from its origins to its strength. Such power had never existed in her previous life, or at least she had not been aware of it. And while her clairvoyance power gave her much information and insight into things she normally wouldn't be supposed to know, Luce was far too realistic to pretend she possessed the knowledge of everything. She had no control over what she could see - whatever deity was responsible for giving her the visions didn't really listen to her wishes in that matter.

And ever since she had become aware of her memories, the visions were more random than they had ever been, almost purposefully omitting certain aspects of this life and people.

Letting out a short sigh, Luce put down the pen and stood from her chair, giving up on writing anything. Looking through the window, she watched silently as the gardener was moving around the yard. He had started preparing the ground for a new season a few days ago, anxious to get everything ready on time. Soon everything was going to be returning back to life, waking up in a splendor of color and warm sun.

Just like she had suddenly woken up so many years ago.

Ever since she had started developing her memories, Luce wondered what was the purpose of her return. Reincarnation wasn't an unknown subject to her, as she had studied it quite vigorously out of sheer curiosity, but she was certain that keeping the memory of previous life was a rare and uncommon occurrence - and usually happened only in childhood years. And yet, there were seven individuals, including her, that managed to keep their memories intact after they fully developed.

Luce doubted it had nothing to do with the powers they all had possessed in their previous life. On the contrary, she was certain that the only reason they had their memories was because of their position as Arcobaleno. Seeing as each of them died in different years, but were reincarnated simultaneously, it seemed to be no accident on the part of the one managing it.

Still, none of them wanted to repeat their fates from the life before this one. She had kept on the side, not certain what impact her presence could have on the unfolding events. The opportunity to spend more time with her daughter was tempting and she had no intention of letting it pass, not until there was no other choice. The only time she had interfered was when she had taken over the role that had been previously covered by first Giglio Nero boss - she was currently the fifth one, and the suspicion of her ancestors to be involved with Founding Families somehow couldn't leave her mind - and delivered the Flame Rings to the raising House of Vongola. But her need to do so had been confirmed with her visions. It had gone against the pact she and other Arcobaleno had made: to not get involved with anything that didn't directly concern any of them. Not until the purpose of their reincarnation was made clear, either by her visions or by anyone pulling the strings in this timeline.

Reborn especially had been not happy with her actions, but he had known better than to hold it against her. She would never ignore her duty that came from possessing the power she had. Expecting her to do so would go against all the respect and trust they held for each other.

And even though she didn't actively participate in the events herself, she still listened carefully whenever she had the opportunity to keep her hand on the pulse of what was happening. But so far the Mafia seemed to be going in the same course it had previously - a bit delayed action that had been caused by the completely different origin, but the corruption and bloodthirst was taking over the once noble ideology. It had disappointed her a bit, as she had her hopes slightly up after learning about how the Mafia came to exist in the first place, though she wasn't going to lie that it surprised her. Not when the fraction between Founding Families became noticeable by others and she discovered that one of them changed their actions to fit their dark desires as fast as in the third generation.

Luce hated giving up hope and rarely did it, but the experience she had was influencing her positive attitude. The superiority complex of the ones having the powers that others couldn't was a hard thing to control. It was a matter of time until the individuals possessing it would start using them for their own benefits.

It was their luck to be reincarnated in times when it was starting to develop.

She had watched Vongola Family from the moment Giotto's name started ringing in certain circles and his actions became being discussed and complemented around. It had been an interesting occurrence, to witness something she had once known only from books. But nothing since then to the last months seemed too different from what she already knew would happen with the House. Not until the news of his engagement and the existence of his relationship with Alexandra reached her eager ears. As far as she was aware, he had never been close with any woman during his position amongst the Mafia. From what she had learned about the history of Vongola House, it was mostly caused by his strong desire to reach high rank as fast as possible and the lack of time to ever court any lady.

The betrayal and his exclusion to Japan also came quite quickly in the previous timeline, hindering any possible aspiration he might have had to do so. He was barely in his thirties when it happened, probably thinking he still had time to act to ensure the continuity of his heritage and line. That happened only after he was robbed of his position and had to flee for his own safety.

But Founding Families - and Alexandra, as she expected when she considered the subject more thoroughly - hadn't existed in the reality she was used to previously. Giotto had been born in Italy, not in Japan as he himself had confirmed to her it happened this time around. Even though the name and information about who GIotto married in Japan had been absent from any books and records, Luce doubted Alexandra would somehow be born on another continent back then. It hadn't been common. In reality, she had always wondered just how much surprise the exiled Vongola members had caused in the foreign countries with their sudden desire to live there.

Despite any logic, Luce felt a spark of hope in the face of the changes she encountered so far. Alexandra's presence still meant that the future of Vongola House was changing. Though it was yet to be determined in which direction. Luce didn't know anything about her, anything that would help her to even consider what impact she could have on Giotto's story.

Would she be the force that would change the course of action and stop the first generation from falling apart? Or was she the factor that would escalate the matter, causing it to progress faster? Both options were plausible and while Luce's trusting nature was leaning towards the first option, there was a small voice at the back of her mind that reminded her that the second one was just as possible to happen.

That voice sounded strangely familiar to Reborn's.

The knock to the door broke her line of thoughts, making her turn around towards the door. Bumping into the desk, she almost knocked the full bottle of ink standing on it, which would ruin the few words she had written on the paper in front of her.

Stabilizing it, Luce called the person in. Her movement stilled for a second when she recognized Lizzie, entering the room with excitement written all over her face, her breath short as if she had run all the way that separated Luce's office and the guest bedroom, where she had most probably been.

"She is awake. Miss woke up." the young girl said.

Luce felt a sudden weight lifting from her shoulders, which surprised her a bit - while the atmosphere was influencing her as well, she wasn't aware to what extent exactly.

"How is she?" she asked quickly, standing up from her chair.

"She is talking and looks fine. I already told Master G, he went to send someone to get the doctor here." Lizzie said, following the woman as Luce made her way to the guest room.

She wanted to confirm it herself. Dan would be the one to perform the thorough examination to ensure that nothing was wrong with Alexandra - something they had been afraid of after Giotto had mentioned she probably had hit her head and had been unresponsive for a short period of time after the accident. But she still could at least make some basic observations to ensure that there is no need for immediate actions.

And send someone to Giotto with information, as she was certain he would be furious if none of them informed him about the development.

Giglio Nero residence
March, 1600

Alexandra had been forbidden to get out of bed for the next twenty four hours at least.

She wasn't certain whether she was happy about it or if it was driving her crazy. While the pain and extortion in her muscles definitely agreed with the doctor, as she could barely move without a grimace appearing on her face, she wasn't feeling too comfortable with Lizzie and other maids bustling around her to ensure that she had everything she needed in the reach of her arm, even before she voiced her desire for something. And while she was used to it to some extent, considering her status, Alexandra still preferred to see familiar faces around. Lizzie was the only person she had been able to relax ever since coming back to her senses. And G, whose presence surprised her for a moment, but the man was clearly not comfortable with sitting in her room when she was in bed. After ensuring she was fine, he had evacuated himself at a quite rapid speed. It was humorous to watch, but her good humor was replaced with a groan of pain when Dan arrived shortly after and started probing her to check her condition.

She let the man do his job. The exhaustion and muscle pain she felt was the usual effect of the Carlevaro Flame on her body. It would be slowly disappearing in the next few days before vanishing completely. This time, though, it was worse than before, especially the exhaustion, which made her worried - she had been told that her body would become more used to the aura she possessed every time she had used it, but it still hadn't happened yet. And she had activated it quite a few times in the last few years. And, until now, she had felt just as bad as after the first time.

A trip to the Capitol would be necessary, she decided while trying to turn on her side, to find out as much as possible about what could be causing that reaction of her body to the Flame that was, after all, her birthright.

The room was surprisingly empty for the first time since she had woken up. Though it took a very slight form of threat to get Lizzie to go and get some rest. The young maid had dark circles under her eyes, which told Alexandra she had barely got any sleep during the time she had been unconscious.

She closed her eyes, trying to fall into the dream land once again, this time willingly, but the sleep didn't want to come, despite the exhaustion she felt. Everytime her eyelids dropped, she could see the figure looming over her in the doors of the fallen carriage and the sound of the fight going on outside of it echoed in her head. She had heaved a great sigh of relief when Lizzie assured her Giotto was safe and sound, delegated to do his duties, and that neither of them had been hurt in the aftermath of the accident. She tried to reason with herself that it wasn't her fault she was targeted for whatever reason, but Alexandra still couldn't get rid of the guilt that weighed over her mind and heart at the idea that they could get hurt because of her.

She blinked quickly to stop the tears from slipping at the memory that the driver of their carriage hadn't made it. She didn't know him well, there were barely a few polite words exchanged between them when he had been appointed to drive her around ever since she had come to live in Vongola Residence. The man had done nothing to be involved in the affair and yet paid the ultimate price for simply doing his job. She didn't even know if he had any family or close relatives that would mourn his death, though she could imagine he had - and that they were devastated by the loss they had to experience because of her.

If she hadn't been in Vongola Residence under Giotto's care, he would still be alive, returning safely to his home.

The sound of footsteps made her quickly wipe her eyes. The sight of her tears would lead to questions about her well-being and she really didn't feel like discussing this with anyone, especially not with any unknown person that could appear in her room..

Though she was surprised by seeing a person that entered after hesitant knocking.

"I was told you may be sleeping." Giotto said, looking around.

"I can't. It seems I reached the limit of one person's rest for the time being." she answered, before asking as an afterthought. "Do you often visit sleeping ladies' bedrooms?"

"I was also told Lizzie would be with you." he added, clearing his throat to cover his embarrassment.

And ignoring her question altogether, but the amusement she had was gone quite fast when she made an attempt on sitting up. She tried to hold back her grimace when she moved.

By the worried look that crossed Giotto's face she realized she failed the task.

He made his way into the room after a split second of hesitation, knowing perfectly well Luce was going to lecture him once she found out about his visit, before stopping in front of the dresser standing opposite the bed. He rested his back against it, putting his hands inside his pockets while he watched the brunette, assessing her state as much as he could in the dim light of the room. The evening had just come upon them, darkening the insides of the house. The message had come in the afternoon, though before he had managed to cancel his meetings and make his way here, the sun had already hidden, giving its place to the rising moon.

Even though he had tried to perform his duties to the best of his abilities, the thoughts about her health lingered all the time in his mind, as he knew the responsibility of something happening to Alexandra would be weighing on his shoulders - and he would have never forgiven himself for it. The staff had been informed there had been an accident, but he had spared them all the details. Only Mateo and the Guardians had been presented with the full story. But even for them he had kept Alexandra's ability a secret. He trusted them with his entire being, but his intuition was telling him there was a reason why she and Francesco had kept that fact away from him. They would need to find out eventually, in case something like this happened again. Her condition had taken him by surprise and it had only been a stroke of luck that she passed out after the attackers disappeared. If she lost her consciousness in the middle of the fight and left the Guardians unprepared for it, the consequences would be bad for her own safety. The distraction in the fight was one of the worst possible scenarios.

Giotto wanted to discuss this with her first.

"I sent her to get some sleep. She looked like she was in desperate need of it. As I'm fine and perfectly cared for, there was no reason for keeping her here." she said, stressing out the beginning of the last sentence.

He raised an eyebrow hearing that. She was obviously not as fine as she tried to make it sound. The dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her skin were visible even in the dull light of the candle. He doubted she was fit to walk around, not to mention travel back to Vongola Residence.

Alexandra's chin went up defensively, barely noticeable, as she replied to his look with her own, aware he didn't believe her. Giotto almost smiled at the reaction.

"Luce is very hospitable. She has always been caring deeply about the ones under her care." he said after a moment of silence.

"I can testify to that. She is a very lovely and nice woman. I need to thank her once I am out of this bed." she confirmed, switching for the most comfortable position and pulling the covers closer to herself. "I heard you are close acquaintances."

Giotto nodded his head

"I met her shortly after getting my title. Since then, Luce has been a close friend of my family. She is one of the most trustworthy people I know."

"She makes that impression."

Luce actually seemed to be emitting a very similar aura to Giotto, with her politeness and friendliness. It was very easy to relax around her, even without knowing her closely. The short period of time she had spent with the woman after waking up took her by surprise, as she had felt almost as much at ease as she had around Lizzie.

"Out of all the people that came to help us, she is the one I expected the least, to be honest. But I'm also glad it was her." he said his thoughts aloud, looking through the windows thoughtfully.

"Is she in the Mafia?" Alexandra asked the question that had been on her mind since waking up.

GIotto turned his attention back to her, wondering what exactly the answer to that should be.

"Not as far as I am aware. She is aware of it, but that's all I know about her acquaintance with it." he answered eventually.

Luce had a vast knowledge about Flames and Rings, as well as the Mafia itself, but she had never made any confirmation about actually being a part of it. The name of her House had also never been mentioned in the circle of the people involved in the organization - though, he realized, he wasn't yet far enough to reach all of them. It had been luck on his part that he had been given the Residence in the area of the Founding Families, which greatly escalated the process of knowing all of them. And Francesco's help in that. Though he was still a member of nobility, not Mafia in their eyes, and he was still looking for the best option to change that.

"Why are you asking?" he asked, seeing Alexandra's furrowed forehead.

"Just… curiosity." she replied before switching the subject. "Why are you here? I thought you were back at Vongola Residence. Which is why G is here."

Giotto threw her confused look, surprised by the question and even slightly offended by it. At least that was the impression Alexandra got in the dimmed light of the room.

"I got the news that you are awake. I wanted to see how you are." he replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He had no reason to suspect that G or Luce would lie to him, but the need to confirm that he hadn't failed her and her father had been stronger. Which is why he had asked to mount his horse as soon as the messenger arrived at their doorstep.

"I'm really fine. I will probably be out of the bed by tomorrow, so there is no reason to worry." she assured him.

She played down the reality of her state, he realized. It was visible in her every move, which caused her to furrow her eyebrows while trying to cover the pain she was feeling from him.

His suspicions were confirmed when Alexandra reached out behind her and straightened the pillow to lean against it, wincing, almost invisibly.

Giotto had no idea why she was doing that.

He watched her for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek as he was thinking how to breach the subject he had wanted to clarify ever since the accident. Her health was the most important issue on his mind, but the matter of her possessing the Carlevaro Flame was something he couldn't forget as well. And had to clarify as fast as possible, for the safety of the promise he had given to her father.

"The aftermath of using the Flame can be quite strenuous on the body." he said eventually, deciding not to circle around the subject.

Alexandra stiffened, the surprise causing her to not hide the grimace when the movement caused a pulling in her muscles. She had not thought he would speak so openly about it. No one had ever done so, as far as she was aware. Though she should have expected that, as there was no way he hadn't seen what had happened by the fallen carriage.

"I can't see you suffering any of it." she countered. "And Sky Flame is one of the hardest to control, as far as I am aware."

If he was going to fish for her secret, she could do the same with him, Alexandra decided. While his contribution to the actions of the Mafia had been known around and his Father cooperated with him closely, the aspect of Giotto possessing the Flame had never been confirmed. It was suspected and talked about in closed circles, though it had yet to be witnessed by anyone.

And the fact that he had possessed the Sky Flame would shake the Mafia world a bit. Only the Royal Family possessed it. She had no doubts that his looks already caught the attention of many - the blond hair and amber eyes had not been a common trait.

Aside from the Royal Family.

"Founding Flames are not of much difference. I have trained with it ever since I was a teenager. I don't believe you have done the same." he pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you imagine anyone experienced enough taking the risk of training a woman in using the Flame?" she asked with a slight humor.

It was common knowledge in the Mafia that only male members of the Families possessed the Flames - or that it was the only acceptable way. The possibility of a woman having it was considered as a degeneration, something to be condemned for.

"No. Not really." he confirmed after a moment of consideration. "You activated it without anyone's help?"

Alexandra hesitated, trying to decide just how much she could tell him. The worst was already out of the bag, but there were still many aspects of that matter that she wasn't sure she could share with anyone. Even if she trusted Giotto enough to know he wouldn't go around spreading the news.

"I didn't really activate it at my own will. It just happened when I was in danger and there was no one around to protect me." she said eventually, before admitting. "It's still hard to control it. Which means I can't really use it and the outburst you witnessed was the prime of my abilities with it."

Giotto continued watching her, wondering whether he should keep asking about the danger she mentioned and more details about how she came to use it in the first place. He was curious. Both professionally and privately. He had spent a lot of time studying the Flame and the information he had had access to were quite limited. But the teal eyes became guarded as Alexandra clearly started calculating her words. He didn't blame her.

It wasn't any common secret that could be shared recklessly. They were far from being close enough for her to feel comfortable or safe enough to tell him all the truth. At least that was what he could have done if he was in her situation.

Which he partially was, he realized, as he still had a hard time deciding just how comfortable he was with her witnessing the Sky Flame he possessed.

"I shouldn't be surprised Francesco hasn't mentioned it, though it's something I would prefer to know while protecting you." he said instead.

She recognised the chastise and had enough common sense to look to the side for a second, before returning his look with a shadow of guilt written all over her face.

"It's all on me. Father doesn't know about it either." she said, swallowing nervously.

That took Giotto by surprise. He had assumed that Francesco had been the first person Alexandra reached out when the activation had happened. Her father was the most knowledgeable person about the Carlevaro Flame. With it being so rare and running only through the bloodline, there was literally no one else who could help her and give her guidance with it.

"It's not that I don't trust him. I know he would do anything to protect the secret and not let anyone discover it." she added quickly. "But seeing the history and knowing how it had influenced families, I decided it's better for him to not know about it. You must have heard about what the Flame had caused for women in the past."

"Only some rumors." he admitted. "Mafia's history is not really easy to obtain."

Alexandra fell silent for a moment, considering how to tell him the history. Taking a deep breath, she started talking,

It was one the bloodiest chapters not only in the Mafia but also in all social classes, and, to even greater horrors, it was directed at the innocent members of the organization who had really done nothing to earn such a repercussion.

The Witch Hunting had been collecting its harvest in many innocent lives and souls, giving everyone the opportunity to get rid of the unwanted persona around them or pay the grudges they had been harboring for many years. It was still hard to estimate what had been true and just how many deaths had been caused by real suspicions of witchcraft - the fear had been running amongst everyone at that time and the religious prejudices had been growing more steadily than ever, giving birth to paranoia and terror. Neighbors had stopped trusting each other, even the closest friends had been watching each of their members with suspicious eyes. While some saw the opportunity for revenge in it, the others truly perceived it as an actual danger, believing in everything that was told to them.

Somewhere amongst it, it had been discovered that some of the females of the Mafia Houses had been practicing and polishing their abilities with Flame. The Church, usually supporting the Organisation due to the closeness to the Royal Family, had been shocked by the revelation, as it went against everything they preached for and believed when it came to the position of females in the hierarchy of the society.

It made them possibly stronger than the common man and more powerful than the priests themselves and that couldn't be accepted.

Whether they used the opportunity or really believed in the connection, it was unclear. But they preached vigorously and zealously that such a power in a woman was a clear and undeniable sign of being possessed by the Devil and serving the darkness, reaching the highest level of witchcraft there was to ever obtain. The stories were spreading fast, growing to believe that such power was a preparation for a woman to handle giving birth to the child of the Devil, as normally their bodies wouldn't be able to hold such an evil in them. For the Mafia, it was quite surprising just how many of them believed in it, knowing the nature of Flame. But for common folks, not aware of the existence of such power in anyone, the news was even more terrifying and supernatural in its nature.

That led the panic to reach its highest peak.

Any little rumor was investigated and the suspects were put into the trial to find the truth behind it - and it was as close to the torture as it could get without openly admitting it. Only a few records held the description of what happened behind the closed door of the buildings especially appointed for such tasks. And the ones existing were securely protected by the Church, supported by the Royal Guards, ever since the Hunting was eventually prohibited by the Royal Familywhen the Mafia Houses started to get hunted to an extent that was unacceptable. Barely anyone had been able to come unscathed out of the interrogation. Whoever was put into the list was almost certain to be executed in the most public matter possible or put through the inhuman trials that would lead to their deaths anyway.

And when any family tried to help their loved ones by bribery or forced freeing, they were put on the executions with them.

No one had been safe. Since then, the subject of a woman possessing any kind of Flame became a taboo. It was believed that all females affected by the power had been executed during the Trials. No one had dared to breach the subject again since then, in fear the history could repeat itself. The paranoia of that time, after all, wasn't yet completely gone and the shadows of it still lingered around, whispers of terror of that time repeated quietly.

"I don't want to be the one to test it." she finished, her lips forming a thin line. "Not with the history of my family. I probably shouldn't be telling you that, as it's one of those family secrets that is buried deep even from its own members."

"Are you certain you want to share it?" he asked when she made a pause.

"Not really. But that's one of the reasons why I cannot let anyone know about me possessing the Flame."

Giotto was certain he should stop her and ensure that he wouldn't share the secret with anyone, whether she justified it to him or not. But he was curious. The history of Founding Families was usually scarce to find, even more than the rest of the Mafia, and the public records were very scrupulously edited by the Houses themselves, to make sure not unwanted facts would make their way onto the cards of history.

So he stayed silent and let her talk, staffing a spark of guilt inside of him.

"It concerns the First Lady of Carlevaro House. According to the records I could find, she was a woman of great mind with knowledge ahead of her times, something that no one could really explain. But she was a great healer of that time, providing medical help to anyone that needed it, healing even the ones that can't be healed in our times. I'm not sure how much of it is believable, but apparently she was close with the King, the one that led the rebellion that led in turn to the creation of the Mafia, and often helped him with good advice. The position was taken over by her husband once she got married, but many believed that she was still the one pulling the strings." Alexandra stopped for a moment, turning to look through the window. "And she also had a Carlevaro Flame. Apparently, she was the one to pass it down to her descendant, not her husband, but it still got his name. I'm not sure what happened, as there was no detailed information about it, but she started to get on someone's nerves I believe. In the end she was executed for witchcraft, even before the Witch Hunt began, and for seducing the King in the name of the Devil. It happened soon after she gave birth to the second Lord Carlevaro to be. It didn't lead to public paranoia back then, she was an individual victim. But the lesson was learned by every Mafia House to be, until the Witch Hunt happened."

"That's why you are so afraid of anyone finding out about you." he pointed out the obvious conclusion when she stopped speaking.

"Obviously. The Church still believes in it and holds back only because of the Royal Family. I don't intend to give them the reason to return to their old ways." she shrugged her shoulders, looking back at him. "There are many other females in the same situation as me, I believe, but looking for them would only bring danger on all of us."

Giotto knew for the fact for it to be true, seeing as Luce herself was the proud owner of Sky Flame. But he didn't say it aloud. It wasn't his secret to share, just like it wasn't his place to tell anyone about Alexandra's ability.

Pushing himself from the drawer, he made his way to the chair standing close to the bed, the one he had seen Lizzie occupying whenever she had been watching over her mistress. Sitting in it, he took a closer look at Alexandra, the candle standing next to her bed lightning the area clearly. The dark circles under her eyes were a concerning look, as they were even more prominent than he had originally thought, though Dan had ensured Luce and G that it was nothing more than an aftermath of her enormous exhaustion.

"I'm not going to tell anyone about it, you have my word." he promised, making sure to put as much sincerity in his voice as possible. "But I'm concerned that the men who attacked us witnessed it. I still don't know why they are after you, but them having such knowledge is not something to be forgotten or put aside."

Alexandra swallowed nervously, the fear tightening her throat momentarily. She was scared of that thought, and as much as she hated admitting to that, she couldn't really hide it. It had been on her mind since the moment she had woken up, making her heart race and panic to settle, so she tried not to think about it, not until she got better. But it was hard to do so. She started playing with her fingers, picking on the nails, the habit many of her governesses tried to eliminate. It still returned whenever she was anxious.

"Do you think they will spread rumors about it?" she asked after clearing her throat.

"I don't know." he admitted. "But I'm quite certain making it public could make their work harder. It would put you in the center of everyone's attention. Taking you without witnesses would become impossible. They can take more precautions with their actions, though, seeing as you took one of them on your own recently."

At the same time, if the Church would take the actions she expected them to, she would be forcefully taken from his protection. And he would have a hard time to rescue her from it, even with Cavallone's and Carlevaro's support.

Seeing her raising anxiety, he kept it to himself.

"They have never sent Flame users before after me." she pointed out, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"The strength of their mercenaries has been increasing for some time." he said after a moment of hesitation. "They are still not close enough to be a worthy opponent to Alaude, but the ones from that day were definitely strong. It seems like the person behind it is not sparing any costs when it comes to get you."

Giotto regretted saying it the instant the words left his lips as Alexandra stiffened even more, the picking on her nails growing in strength.

He reached out and took her hand in his, the moving coming automatically and almost naturally as GIotto's first reaction had always been to reassure and comfort the ones in distress. The gesture made her jump in surprise, but stopped the movement before she could draw blood. She was trying her best to cover the fear, but her eyes told him the truth when she looked back at him.

"Alaude is already looking for them. It's uncommon for mercenaries to possess Flames, so they are probably very well known in certain circles. If there is anyone who can find anything about them, it's Alaude." he promised, squeezing her hand. "And I'm sorry."

The surprise and confusion took over the fear momentarily and she furrowed her brows once again.

"For what?"

"For not being able to stop the man before he came after you. I… honestly, I'm not sure why I didn't feel his presence until it was too late. If I paid more attention, you would not be forced to use your Flame."

It was hard to admit his mistake, but Giotto had to take it out of his heart.

He was too engrossed in the fact that he finally had the opportunity to let his Flame out and give the outcome to his frustration on the situation. The Flame, while having a warm and comforting nature, could be hard to control in fight and always influenced his excitement and increased his adrenaline level, as if it had a mind of his own. It was tricky to keep it at bay and while he had a very high ability to do so, it had been too long since he had used it in real fights. Instead of paying attention to Alexandra, the person he was supposed to be watching and protecting, he prolonged the fight, letting the Flame take over his instincts. The Storm User was strong, probably close to G's level but still not quite there yet, and he had not once taken his right hand man down during training.

He should have gone all out on that man from the beginning, eliminating the danger and returning to the fallen carriage. Then he would be the one to deal with the second opponent, not Alexandra. And they wouldn't need to deal with the fear and additional danger that she was currently facing.

"It's not your fault."

He shook himself out of the guilt trip at her voice, the incredibility dripping from her every word.

"The situation long surpassed what you agreed on originally. The common mercenaries turned into skilled Flame Users, something that shouldn't even be possible in the first place." she continued. "I wouldn't blame you if you have decided to end this now. I actually think it would be best and safest for you if I returned to Carlevaro Residence."

He distinctly remembered her saying very similar words a few weeks back.

"I have a sense of deja-vu". he sighed under his breath. "You know that coming back to your family can be even more dangerous than staying with us."

The matter of someone betraying the Carlevaro's House and giving information to their opponent was still unresolved. Francesco hadn't appointed anyone to take care of it, as far as Giotto was aware, so until the man himself was back, that risk was still on the plate.

"That also means that you won't be put in the line because of me. There is already one person who lost his life, I don't want anyone else to pay such a price for my safety."

It was barely noticeable, but he could hear her voice breaking at the last sentence. A silence followed her words as he had a hard time finding any words of consolation for that.

He had made plans for the fallen driver - and had had his own guilt trip over the matter, still had whenever he thought about it, especially after visiting the family of the man and passing them this information. Giotto didn't want to put this duty to anyone else, not when he was the one to take the responsibility of the man's safety after hiring him. Even if he wasn't the one to pull the trigger that ended the man's life, he still felt as if he had failed him.

He couldn't bring the man's back to life, but at least he could ensure his family was secured financially. It was a small recompense and didn't do much to his guilt, and most certainly was not enough to fill the void that the man had left behind with his death in his family hearts, but it was the only thing he could do at this point.

"You didn't ask for it. You can't take responsibility for the actions of someone deprived enough to kill innocent beings." he said eventually, hesitating as he himself wasn't certain if he believed in what he was going to say next. "The person behind it will face the consequences of his actions, as he is the only one to be blamed. He and the people that are doing his deeds without a moment of consideration for the life of another. You are as much of a victim here."

She was the target, the victims were the ones that were receiving the backlash of her intended captors. At least that was the way she saw this. But Alexandra didn't say it aloud. Prolonging the discussion would eventually lead to her crying, she could feel it, and that was the last thing she wanted anyone to witness.

"There is something to be considered as well and, considering what you told me, you may not like it." He changed the subject.

She looked at him questioningly. Seeing what they had talked about, she could not think of anything that could be left unspoken at this point. He weighed his words, lost in his thoughts for a short time, his thumb unconsciously rubbing her hand he was still holding, seemingly not even aware of that.

"If my Guardians are to continue watching over you, they need to know about your Flame. We can't risk them getting surprised and distracted by it during a fight that may erupt with the current opponents." he said eventually, looking back at her, his eyes serious.

She shook her head immediately, not even taking a second to consider it.

"Giotto, I'm certain they are all trustworthy and would never share it, but the less people know about it, the safer it is for them." she replied, her voice growing anxious. "Even my own family doesn't know, you weren't supposed to know about it. Not to mention the people that are after me. I can't risk it."

She was on the verge of panicking and she hated it.

"They are able to take care of themselves. What I'm not certain is how keeping it away from them will influence their abilities to protect you." he tried to reason with her, keeping his voice gentle and calm, not wanting to increase her fear.

"I need to move away from your Residence. As soon as possible. The situation is getting out of hand." Her voice was set and decisive, not leaving a voice for argument.

She wasn't asking him anymore to let her do it and break his promise to her father. She was informing him she was going to do it anyway. It was a new side he hadn't seen yet and, in other circumstances, it would be an interesting occurrence.

He opened his mouth and closed it, not really expecting that outcome. He had suspected her to oppose the idea at first, though seeing the logic behind it eventually. Apparently, she was much more afraid of the situation than he had counted on.

"I can't let you do that. Not when we know the danger is even higher than before. And when we don't know who is after you in your own House." he reminded her.

"You said to yourself your Guardians won't be able to protect me, considering the situation." she countered.

That's not exactly what he had meant. He was about to argue with that, wondering how he could highlight exactly the skills of his Guardians to her. But the look on her face stopped him before he could voice any of his thoughts. Alexandra was getting more agitated with every second of their conversation. And it had been the most emotional reaction she had ever had around him - the one from meeting Samuel Lacertosa had been not even close enough.

The panic attack was the last thing she needed right now. And while he wanted to settle the situation immediately, to ensure the best protection he could give her, it was no sense discussing it now. Not when she was already so terrified and anxious of the situation, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. And failing in doing so.

It would lead her to do something rash. Like convincing Carlevaro Council to organize her return to the Residence of her family.

"The other possible option is that you will stay by my side all the time." he heard himself saying before even registering the idea in his mind.

She looked at him doubtfully, as if questioning his logic.

"You have enough work as it is with running the House. I have been living with you for three months. I know how long you spent in your office." she said the obvious.

"It means you won't be able to go as freely around as before, but I will keep you safe. You are meant to accompany me anyway, considering the cover we came up with."

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He had overheard the staff whispering already that Alexandra had been spending more time with his Guardians than with her own fiance - G and Demon especially. While the Mist Guardian was not going to cause much rumors, he didn't want anyone to question the relationship between her and his Storm Guardian.

As much as Alexandra was tired of people hovering over her, she welcomed with gratitude the door to her room opening. She didn't have to answer this matter immediately, or even at all, if everything went according to her thoughts. She just needed to come up with a plan and for that she needed time to organize everything.

The atmosphere was getting too heavy, the subjects touched were too important and too grave for her to keep her emotions in bay in the state she currently was. She was too exhausted both on mind and body to conceal her true feelings and she didn't want anyone witnessing her breaking.

Giotto straightened, taking his hand away, as soon as Luce's accusatory look landed on him.

"For my defense, I was sure Lizzie was here." he said immediately.

"Your defense would be decent if you went and asked for someone to join you here." the woman replied, a slight pretense in her voice. "Instead, I had to find out that you arrived and disappeared from sight of my stuff soon after."

He looked fully chastised. He should have waited, he was aware of that, but the need to ensure Alexandra's well being with own eyes had taken over any other sense of decency.

"I'm sorry." he forced himself to throw her a boyish smile, running a hand through his hair.

Luce shook her head at him, deciding to drop the subject. Instead, she looked between the two of them, noticing the tense shoulders of the woman lying in bed, as well as the shadow of guilt, pain and fear that was present in her eyes. Alexandra had seemed to be anxious even since she had woken up, which was something to be expected of after the ordeal they had been through, but it definitely grew in strength since the last time Luce had seen her.

Which was a bit concerning, as usually Giotto had the opposite effect on people. Consolation was his great attribute and to see someone's anxiety grow after talking with him in private was not something she had ever expected to witness.

Her maternal instincts kicked in almost immediately.

"I was certain you were asleep by now. The exhaustion must be heaving on you greatly." she replied, nearing the bed. "Do you have trouble sleeping?"

It was natural movement for her when she reached out to check Alexandra's temperature, ignoring the look she had received from both her and Giotto, one startled, the other amused. But Luce was aware that great stress could be followed by fever and, unfortunately, they didn't have good enough medication for it at that time.

"I'm afraid I have rested enough." Alexandra replied once the hand was removed.

"Do you want anything to help you with that? I can ask someone to make some tea. Dan also left some medication for that." Luce inquired gently.

The brunette shook her head immediately at the suggestion.

"I hate it. It makes me drowsy for days." she admitted, making sure to plaster a smile on her face. "I'm sure it will come eventually."

Luce hummed, not fully certain. She looked from one to another, the tension between them plausible even though they tried to cover it.

It was hard to decide which one was doing a better job at it, as none managed to hide it completely.

"You need to relax, then. In peace and quiet, so I will be removing your fiance from here." Luce said eventually, smiling at the woman in bed.

Giotto looked like he was going to oppose, wanting to finish the conversation he had with Alexandra, getting a promise out of her that she would not do anything to jeopardize her own safety.

But Luce cast him an angelic smile that made him shiver, making the brunette look at him in amusement despite her anxiety.

He lost the cause and followed the Head of Giglio Nero House out of the room. But he stopped for a moment at the doorstep, looking over his shoulder at Alexandra, though any words he wanted to say stopped on his lips. She was looking at the window, gripping the covers tight, trying to keep her emotions at bay until she was left alone, breathing deeply.

His instincts told him to return and console her, as he would do to anyone that would find themselves in such a situation. Though with her, he doubted it would help.

It was hard to leave the room, though he forced himself to do so.

---

G wasn't even surprised upon seeing Giotto approaching him at the porch where he was enjoying the smoke in peace of the night. The news about his arrival had already reached him, just like the fact that the man had made the beeline to the guest room, avoiding anyone from noticing it and making sure no one stopped him.

He waited until the blond reached his side, leaning against the pillar next to him. At times like this it felt as if they were once again young boys surviving on the streets, making the plans to reach their goal in the middle of the night in the shanty they had managed to find for themselves to have a night of peaceful dream.

"I told you I would make sure she is safely back at Residence once she recovers." he said in the form of a greeting.

Giotto rubbed the back of his neck, looking ahead of himself.

"I know. And I know without doubt you would do it." he replied.

"Then what are you doing here?" G asked, puffing a smoke out.

The blond shrugged his shoulders, thinking for a moment about the answer.

"I had to make sure she was safe. I was the one that failed to protect her and stop it from happening." he admitted, not seeing any sense in hiding it from his best friend. "I asked Mateo to cancel my meetings for the time being, so I will stay with you until we can travel."

G cast him a look from the corner of his eyes. Giotto had always been quick to take blame and he had expected him to do so in that case as well. It hadn't been the first time they were taken by surprise in Alexandra's case and it did not sit well with him as well. She had already been kidnapped under Demon's care and now hurt under Giotto's care.

It was concerning that the strongest ones had been put in such a situation. For now only Alaude had pulled his weight and that was making G's irritated.

"The Flame users were not something we had taken into consideration." he said, looking back at the dark garden.

"No one did. It isn't normal. Hiring them must cost a fortune. We are dealing with someone much more influential and stronger than we expected." Giotto agreed. "If he is able to pull such an operation without being afraid of going after the Founding Family we may need to reconsider our strategy. Alaude is searching for any information, reaching as deep as he can."

"We need a breakthrough. The number of victims is still growing and, with the current strength of them, it may escalate." G pointed out, grinding his teeth.

"If they are the same people." Giotto pointed out.

"You really think it's possible for this to be a coincidence?"

Giotto thought about it for a moment, before sighing tiredly. He knew G was right. They had taken it into consideration, but so far there was no hard evidence supporting it. But they had to take it into consideration.

Especially when they knew what fate would await Alexandra if she fell in the hands of the ones that were so tirelessly going after her.

"We will change the plan a little after returning to Residence. From now on, Alexandra will be my sole responsibility." Giotto said, taking his companion by surprise. "We also need to watch over Elena, as it seems no one is really safe, so Damon will be busy as well. I want everyone else to put their effort into discovering what is happening. All resources will come in that direction. We will discuss it once we are back home, but I don't think there is any other option."

He hated lying to his friends. But until he had convinced Alexandra to change her mind, he wouldn't bring himself to share the information. Not when he still had in mind her terrified expression.