I own nothing.

The Borgias S3E10

A Home At The End Of The World

Ch 2 A Cut To The Quick

Diego Ramirez and his "brothers" attended the landowners' meeting later that week and confirmed what they already knew; the recent spate of skirmishes between the Taíno natives and the colonists had been escalating and governor Nicolás de Ovando ordered another of his bloody campaigns to quell the revolt.

"And he will do what with them, now?"

"There are gold mines here, apparently—the survivors shall be enslaved to work in them," Cesare answered his sister grimly.

"As good a time as any to leave this place, then, eh, my friends?"

Cesare and Micheletto both gave their reserved looks at Diego, each doing well to hold back their contempt at the word "friend" issuing forth from his lips.

The group was amassed at the large dining table in the kitchen, done with the evening meal and ready to seriously discuss their plans for departure from Santo Domingo.

"Yes. And so we should cut to the quick, I'm afraid—now would also be a good time to go our separate ways—do you not agree, Diego?"

Lucrezia took note that her brother's words were a decree, not a suggestion; the look of surprise on Dorotea's face was genuine and heartbreaking, for Lucrezia had not broached her brother's concern for Dorotea with the woman herself, fearing the rancor that might have ensued in so doing; she also noted that Diego had the look of surprise on his face, and also disappointment at having been beaten to the punch, and miffed that the words had come from Cesare's lips instead of his own.

"Diego has told me of our choices in leaving here, Cesare—should we not all seek to land at our next destination together? Safety is still an issue, is it not?" Dorotea's worried question was innocent and genuine, and it was her friendship with Lucrezia that was the utmost concern to her at that moment, for she truly loved her like a sister and did not desire to part.

Of course, Diego read it in a completely other manner and an instant grimace formed on his face at her. Lucrezia made to reach her hand across the table to take hold of her friend's but found that Micheletto's hand had quickly taken up her cause before she could do so.

Micheletto gave the back of Dorotea's hand a sweet kiss before he addressed her quietly. "My Lady, surely you know that your husband and Cesare have done nothing but assess those choices, before they came here, and certainly continued to do since they've been here; I have done the same, as I prepared to come join you—this place is the most unstable in the region; we stand far better chances for success—and for living—if we head away from these shores and this murderous governor, whose violent practices put us all at risk; your own husband has first-hand knowledge of Jamaica and Tortuga, and we follow his advice to choose one of those places; should they be the same, the need to live in the same quarters will not be necessary—we could, indeed, be happy neighbors."

"And if that place is not the same, Micheletto?"

"You are a seasoned first mate, my love, as a wife of mine surely must be—two days at sea and you would be reunited with your lovely Lucrezia—we would indeed be happy neighbors," Diego gave Micheletto a look as he took his wife's free hand into his own, "just as Micheletto says," he smiled at Dorotea.

Lucrezia understood that Diego was only able to tolerate Micheletto's hold upon his wife because he knew the man's interest in her was not at issue; had it been Cesare...but then, Cesare would not have dared to imperil Dorotea in such a manner, which she and Micheletto both well knew.

Cesare remained quiet in his seat, looking at no one at the table, only far off into the distance, doing well, still, at that moment, to mask his truest ire at Diego. Dorotea looked equanimously at each man, Cesare first, then Micheletto, then her husband—and then erupted at them all as she rose and yanked her hands away from Micheletto and Diego.

"You...men! I know where you wish to go, Diego—and you, Cesare? This little ambush surely means that our destinations are not one and the same! Lucrezia? Did you know of this plot?" Dorotea whipped her head angrily in the other woman's direction. The silent tears steaming down her friend's face told Dorotea that Lucrezia was not complicit in the betrayal that she felt. "Come, Lucrezia, it seems that we have some packing to do." Dorotea went to Lucrezia at her seat, took up her hand and spirited angrily away with her.

"That went about as well as could be expected, I think..." Diego offered at the other two men smugly, satisfied that Dorotea was as angry at them as she was with him. He looked forward to smoothing it all over with her, far away from Cesare Borgia, which was guaranteed, wherever the bastard chose to go.

"They will talk; and calm down; and realize all is for the best, hmm? We've other things to discuss; property to separate; passage to arrange, for us anyway," Micheletto said to Diego, for Cesare was still worried about Dorotea's true welfare, even as his pragmatic—and false—smile issued forth at Diego.

"So you are set to continue on to?" Cesare finally spoke again.

"Jamaica, for us. You know that is my desire, Cesare."

"It's still rather wild there, is it not? Spanish governance is not yet established, hmm?"

"I have friends in Saint Ann's Bay—we will be fine. And so you will go on to Tortuga, then."

"Yes."

"Lumber? Sugar, Cesare...tobacco—those are goods that will bring you prosperity in these parts..."

"Is that right? And what will bring you prosperity in yours, Diego? Captured booty? Hidden treasure?"

"Are you calling me a pirate?" The smug look on Diego's face turned to a grimace.

"I'm simply saying that when you and your...associates...find your fleets destroyed and sinking to the bottom of the sea, well, you shall keep me in business, hmm? I will be happy to supply you with the lumber necessary to rebuild your ships."

"And who would do such a thing, Cesare? Destroy my ships?"

"Why, Spain, of course."

"Maybe I'm working for Spain, Cesare, and am not a pirate, but a protector."

"Maybe. But I doubt that. A protector would know best how to pirate, after all, hmm?"

"And what in damnation is that to you?" Diego rose menacingly from his seat; Micheletto made to rise from his own but Cesare put a hand to his forearm lightly and stopped him.

Cesare rose from his own seat then to meet the man face to face and at eye level. "It is nothing to me—where you are concerned, Diego."

"And so, too, shall it be where my wife is concerned, Cesare Borgia. You sick bastard, you want them both, do not deny it!" Diego struggled to keep his voice down and his fury under control.

"I want everyone happy. Your wife, included," Cesare said, remaining calm.

From his seat Micheletto looked up at his friend and thought he saw Rodrigo Borgia incarnate and at his unflappable best.

"Is that right?"

"She is my friend; my sister's dearest friend, and therefore like a sister to me, as well."

"Well, we've all seen how you treat your sister, so pardon me if I am not impressed by your...sentiment," Diego spat the words at him. "I might have been able to honor your 'concern'—if you hadn't stuck your prick in her, but she is absolutely of no concern to you, Borgia."

"The Lady has already had one husband who did not deserve her—"

"And? You fancy yourself her protector, do you?"

"I do."

"A protector...would know best how to pirate, after all, hmm? You may go straight to hell, Cesare Borgia. You'll have no quarrel with me about the division of shit here, take with you what you want—if I left here with only Dorotea and Maria and away from you I would still be the richest—and happiest—man in this world!"

Cesare let all of the insults go unchecked as the man stormed away.

"Are you satisfied, then?" came Micheletto's gruff question.

"I am. Your intelligence proves correct and he is a better man than I thought—it is only me, at this point, that brings out the worst in him...for her sake I hope that will ever remain the case."

"You've made a sure enemy of him, now."

"He was always an enemy, it seems."

"He'll never let her come to see Lucrezia."

"Well, if his home is a safe one to visit then Lucrezia will go to see her, and I hope that will be so...the waters off of Jamaica can be quite the rough run—only time will tell if he'll continue to work for the Crown and refrain from making the easy choice to betray it."

"The deadly choice, you mean."

"Yes. And now, the women—we must leave them to console one another, hmm?"

Micheletto only grunted.

"To the Harbourmaster in the morning, then—you have the names ready?"

"Of course; and the coin; the voyage shall be a gloriously short one."

"A drink then, Micheletto, for I have a feeling that a long night is ahead of us."

"Cesare reads my mind..."

"What?"

"He knows that there is rancor between me and Diego..."

"Well, you put on a good face, my love, but it has become apparent that Diego is not pleased to remain in our company."

"Cesare's company. And I am not fooled by that little display downstairs—you knew didn't you?"

"Only that he saw the need to give your union the chance that it deserves...that we should part—but not that we would not go to the same place, Dorotea, and be able to see each other."

"I know that this place leaves much to be desired...but my vision, especially after having been here with you, included our children, Lucrezia, growing up together..."

Both women had tears streaming down their faces by then.

"He wants your happiness, Dorotea, as do I—will you? Be happy?"

"My Diego...he will be happier when the reminder of my past no longer resides down the hall from me."

"Will you be happy, Dorotea?"

"I will, my love. And please do not worry after me—this is not our ending; I know where you will be, should I ever need you—and you know where I will be—we will not lose touch, that is my promise to you, Lucrezia."

"And mine to you, Dorotea."

Lucrezia considered confessing her own fears about the future concerning Cesare's recent revelation to her, and what she had witnessed with her own eyes a few short days before; she wondered what in the world her counsel would be regarding such a matter as they both valiantly tried to collect themselves and end their tears; as she fixed her mouth to begin her difficult admission they heard Maria's soft cry turn to an unhappy wail coming from the nursery, joined immediately by Rodrigo's.

"Oh..." Dorotea continued to try and quell her sniffles, "Maria is on a terrible schedule, of late; we'll get nothing else done tonight..."

"Maybe we'll be able to get them back to sleep..."

"Maybe...but I much prefer their company, and yours, to those louts down below, my love, of that I can assure you..." Dorotea said as she wiped gently at the corners of Lucrezia's eyes with a kerchief. "And now me—we mustn't let the babies see us out-crying them, they would be quite traumatized." Dorotea's little joke joke brought a light chuckle from Lucrezia as she took the kerchief from Dorotea, found a fresh corner and returned the favor. "Thank you, so...come, my darling..." Dorotea held out her hand to Lucrezia and led her away to the nursery.

"Such grown babies, men are...wouldn't it be nice if the change of a clout and a suckle at the breast were the only things needed to bring them back to their senses?" Lucrezia's serious and disgusted question brought a hearty fit of laughter from Dorotea.

"Oh, Lucrezia! An excellent observation, even if it is an insult to babies..." Dorotea gave her friend a quick kiss to the cheek. "I do love you so!"