Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.
A/N: So… the plot plan for this lovely little story grew… wildly. And now it's long. And a little different from the first story… Mostly because Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood lends itself a lot better to a more action-based plot. So this story might be a bit of a challenge for me because I've never been very good at action scenes. However! I look forward to the challenge and I'm rather excited.
I think I'm aiming for Tuesday updates at this point… kind of deviating from my normal Sunday updates, but it's the summer so I have the time. And… yeah. That's about all the news I have.
Enjoy!
When in Rome
By: Ginny
When they had first begun their relationship, Margherita was always guaranteed a deep sleep. After hours of passionate, hot lovemaking sleep was easily introduced and in the morning the two would fight the whole world to remain in bed in some attempt at basking in the afterglow. Yeah, the exercise was pretty damn exhausting. Suddenly having reunited caused their sleep cycles to drastically change and thus, they had begun to keep weird hours. The night before, they had gone to bed early. Five hours of deep, deep sleep later they were awake once again.
"What time is it?" Margherita asked, rolling onto her back.
Ezio didn't respond immediately and for a moment she thought she had just imagined him rustling the sheets. Grumbling, he shifted so that his face was no longer stuffed into the pillow and then he spoke, "It's still dark, Margherita. That is enough for me to know that I should still be asleep."
"But you can't sleep – you've been tossing and turning."
"You can't sleep, either." It wasn't a question. The assassin had that kind of sixth sense.
"Nope."
"I'd suggest we make ourselves sleepy by picking up where we left off before we went to bed, but I'm really just not in the mood."
"Ezio Auditore – not wanting sex?"
"Margherita Recci – being snarky?"
The assassin let out a huff as her elbow hit him squarely in the ribs. Letting out a chuckle, he rolled over nearly onto her, placing his forearms on either side of her head. He pressed his forehead against hers and stared right down at her. Any air that might have entered her lungs quickly disappeared – that damn man always managed to leave her lightheaded with his mere scent. His breath tickled her face as he spoke, "Later, my love."
As he pulled back and sat up, Margherita let out the breath she had been holding and followed him into a sitting position. "I'm going to hold you to that," she informed him.
They sat in silence for a moment, both totally comfortable with the stillness and the darkness and the companionship. There was something about being alone with one's thoughts and yet still not being alone… it was terribly comforting. A person's thoughts are private and it's impossible to know them unless they speak. But when someone thinks deeply, they rarely are able to do it in the presence of other people. To think deeply, to lose oneself in one's thoughts in the presence of another person leaves them vulnerable. Yet Ezio and Margherita sat and thought and breathed and that was it.
Finally, Ezio broke the silence, "I know it's been a while, but do you remember Minerva?"
"Minerva?" Margherita thought about it for a moment… Was she a courtesan? Part of the Thieves Guild back in Venezia? Oh wait – Margherita remembered! Minerva was the lady at the very end of the Assassin's Creed game! She wondered why Ezio was bringing her up – the assassin had never brought up the whole going-to-another-realm thing… Sometimes Margherita thought Ezio was under the impression that that whole experience was just a dream and Margherita had really just taken an extended vacation. "Yeah, I remember her."
"She wasn't talking to me – it was more like she was talking to someone else, but through me," Ezio seemed troubled. Margherita could always tell because he would rub his chin with the back part of his hand. "Now that everything has passed and that part of my life has concluded could you explain it to me?"
"Explain the game or her warning?"
"Both. You mentioned before… when we were at your home," Margherita thought that was an interesting label for it, "that the game was based around a descendent of mine. And that this descendent was… living my life or something. That was who Minerva was talking to, wasn't it?"
Margherita nodded, "The game starts with Desmond, your descendent. He lived in the same time period as I did, but I'm pretty sure in a different realm. In the game you learn that he was raised by modern day Assassins but he ran away and was kidnapped by a group of modern day Templars. These people have a machine that allows them to see people's memories by, I guess, experiencing those memories themselves. The thing is, to play the memories of a person who is dead, you need their direct descendent. The Templars are looking for the Pieces of Eden.
"Altair – the man who made the Codex pages – came into contact with the Apple. Desmond is his descendent so they used him to access Altair's memories so that they can find the Apple. The first game follows Altair – he was a master Assassin before he made a terrible mistake and lost his rank. So, Desmond trails Altair until he is betrayed by the leader of the Assassins, who uses the Apple for evil. Altair defeats the leader and gains the Apple.
"After witnessing these memories, modern day Assassins try to and succeed in rescuing Desmond. The Assassins realize that they need to find the Apple before the Templars so they put Desmond back in the machine to watch your memories because he is also your descendent."
Ezio interrupted, "I don't think I've sired any children…"
She could have laughed, "It doesn't work like that. I could explain all the future science stuff, but the simple version is this: only the events you experienced before siring a child would be able to be seen in this machine. If you have a kid out there, they aren't directly related to Desmond. But eventually you will be a father for sure."
Grinning, Ezio leaned over and kissed her. "I hope so," he said as they pulled away.
Margherita allowed herself one moment to feel flustered before she shook her head, "You want me to continue, or what?"
"By all means…"
"So, anyways, the game begins…" Shoot, she was hoping that she would never, ever have to bring this up again. After the relationship trouble this subject had brought up last time, she was hoping never to have to utter anything about it ever again. She cleared her throat and tried again. "The game begins when you are seventeen. It continues until last week. I don't think I need to explain your own life to you."
"So, Minerva was talking to Desmond?" Ezio asked.
"Yes, she probably knew that six hundred years later Desmond would be watching you and that the message would be given that way."
"…So he's been watching this entire time?"
"Yup."
Ezio's mouth dropped opened. "…Everything? Even… us?"
Margherita caught his fear and tried to quell it, "Well, I don't know about "us". I don't know how this whole "realm" thing works." She shrugged. "I also don't know how much he got to see… In the game it skips to the important parts: life-changing events," Like your family dying, she didn't have to add, "assassinations and… well…there were some moments with you and your lovers."
The assassin frowned. "Lovers? And who would that be?"
"Caterina and Cristina," she answered automatically.
During that ten year banishment, Margherita had subconsciously avoided any media related to the Assassin's Creed franchise. It was too painful. One night when she was deep in thought she had discovered another reason for her avoidance: part of her knew that if she returned she wanted to be normal. She wanted to be part of that life, not an observer looking in. She didn't want to know anything. Unfortunately, one day when she was on the internet, she opened a link and there was an advertisement for the new game in the form of a video. The clip showed Ezio in bed with Caterina. It was all Margherita saw before she clicked out of the window almost on instinct. She didn't want to see Ezio with another woman – especially when it was entirely probable that in her long absence he would in fact find shelter with the beautiful countess.
A dark look passed over Ezio's face for a moment. "So then, you know about Cristina?"
"I know that you two had a thing in the beginning – back before I was even in this realm," Margherita laughed. "It's not like I'm jealous or whatever so stop acting like she was the other woman or something."
The way his eyebrows flashed downward scared Margherita.
"It wasn't like you two were carrying on when I was in the picture – like, seriously in the picture." He didn't respond. "Right?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"She was my first love," he explained, not looking at her. "We bumped into each other a few times throughout the years." Margherita wanted to ask just how recently they had "bumped into each other" – she wanted to ask when exactly they had come into contact with each other, but she kept her mouth shut and let Ezio continue. "I don't really remember how serious we were – you and I – when I ran into Cristina but we didn't sleep together. She was married and I knew I couldn't give her the kind of life she deserved…"
Margherita couldn't keep her voice from bursting forth. "Will you two be bumping into each other in the future?" she asked. She honestly hadn't meant to sound so bitchy and jealous and… stupid. But that was how it came out, nonetheless.
The assassin finally looked at her. The pain in his eyes was unmistakable. "She's dead."
Margherita paled. Wow, she was a bitch, wasn't she?
"Oh," she let out, lowering her eyes.
"Don't worry about it," he muttered, flopping back onto the bed. He pillowed his head with his hands and stared up at the ceiling.
Something occurred to Margherita but she hesitated to vocalize it – why be a sadist? Why do that to herself? But she really wanted to know. They say curiosity killed the cat. They also said satisfaction brought it back… but Margherita didn't know what level of satisfaction she would get from his answer though.
"When we were… um, when we were separated for those ten years did you…" she took a deep breath. "Did you get involved with anyone?"
Ezio glanced over to Margherita. Maybe he had anticipated this question. Maybe he hadn't. Either way, he didn't seem too upset or uncomfortable.
"Did you?" he shot back.
Ah, give some to take some. Margherita could play that game. Even though she would have preferred to just say, "I asked you first" she knew that she still owed him for kind of, sort of inferring that he would potentially cheat on her with his dead ex-girlfriend. So, she sucked it up and explained, "I did."
"How many men were there?"
"Just one."
"You slept together?"
"Yes."
"Did you love him?"
"No. He knew I didn't. It wasn't fair to lie to him. All I could ever think of was you."
Ezio closed his eyes and frowned up at the ceiling, "Now I feel guilty."
In some feeble attempt to lighten the mood Margherita gave a humorless laugh and asked, "Did you absolutely whore yourself out the second I was gone?"
When his jaw clenched, she could feel her stomach drop.
"Oh," she let out, involuntarily.
His eyes snapped open and he sat up, "No, not like that, Margherita!" He ran his hand through his unbound hair. "There were just some trips to the brothel."
"Oh," she repeated.
"They were few and far between, Margherita!" he exclaimed. "Ten years is a long time to be alone."
Letting out a deep breath, Margherita stood up and asked, "Are you hungry? I'm hungry. I'm going to go grab something to eat – do you want something?"
"No," he replied. "I'm good."
"Alrighty then."
Margherita was nearly out of the room when Ezio's voice rang out, "So are you just going to avoid this conversation, then?"
She turned back and sighed, "No Ezio, because this conversation is over. You're right – ten years is a long time to be alone. And there was no guarantee I was coming back. If I hadn't returned I probably would have ended up married and you would have probably ended up falling in love with someone else. Life would have gone on. We both had needs and in the absence of each other, we found satisfaction through different means. Does it hurt to know you shared someone else's bed? Yes. Do I feel guilty for sharing another man's bed? Yes. But I'm damn glad we're the ones sharing the bed now, okay? I don't know why I brought this topic up, I'm sorry; can we just forget about it?" Letting in a deep breath of air, she finally shut the hell up.
The assassin nodded dumbly and Margherita left the room.
Grabbing a small cluster of grapes and a glass of water, she made her way back up to Ezio's room. She paused for just one moment, however to glance out the window. Already the sun was beginning to rise and she realized that they had overestimated just how early it was in the morning. She sighed for the umpteenth time and continued back to the room.
Why had she brought that up? Didn't she know a Pandora's Box when she saw it? Didn't she know that that would only hurt her – that anything he would have said would make her feel bad? Because he either didn't move on, in which case she was the bad guy who (in some respects) cheated on him or he did move on and Margherita didn't want to think about that.
Margherita banished the thoughts away just in time to notice movement right in front of her – a shadow flickered right near the bottom landing of the stairs that lead up to Ezio's room.
For a moment she was worried it was an attacker sent by the Borgia and that Ezio was in danger, but then she noticed the way the shadow formed an hourglass shape – it was a woman in a dress. Claudia was next on the suspect list – perhaps spying on the betrothed couple, hoping to blackmail Margherita later with the topic of their pillow talk.
She was disappointed on both fronts – the shadow shifted and a ray of moonlight illuminated the coppery red hair of the woman.
Caterina.
Was she spying on them?
Or hoping to sneak up to Ezio's room?
Margherita decided to ask her. Putting on her best courtier's voice, she said, "Oh, Caterina!" The woman nearly jumped out of her skin she was so startled. But she quickly recovered and turned to Margherita. "Is something the matter?" Margherita asked the countess.
The redhead, to her credit, simply smoothed her skirts and replied, "No, no. Everything is fine."
Ezio chose this moment to appear at the top of the stairs. "Caterina?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Ezio. Everything is fine," she repeated.
"Do you need something?" Margherita tried to draw the countess's attention away from her shirtless lover.
"No, no, no." The countess gave an exasperated (but oddly still refined) sigh. "I have been keeping odd hours because of all the travelling we have been doing and so I awoke a few hours ago. I thought perhaps to go take a walk in the garden but there is truly only so many times one can circle the beautiful flora around the Villa before one grows bored. Then I thought perhaps to peruse your art gallery but I seem to have gotten lost."
"I can show you exactly where it is," Margherita offered. "It's on the first floor. I'm certain you passed it when you first arrived."
The noblewoman's eyes flickered for a moment – or that might have been the newly blooming sunlight that was now streaming in through the windows. Either way, she smiled and nodded and replied with a genial, "Thank you, Margherita. That would be most helpful."
Margherita nodded and skipped up the steps to hand Ezio the glass of water and the grapes. Then she returned to the lower floor. In a show of (perhaps pretend) friendliness, the two women linked arms and began to make their way to the master staircase.
The moment their feet touched the first steps a loud thundering echoed, shaking the entire Villa.
The countess and the commoner exchanged looks and Margherita untangled herself from Caterina so that she could quickly return to the bottom of the staircase that led to Ezio's room.
"What was that?" she called up to the assassin.
Ezio appeared once again at the very top. "The mercenaries are testing the canons; it's nothing to worry about."
Almost the moment the words were out of his mouth another thundering pounded the Villa. But this time it was accompanied with a giant metal ball crashing through the wall right to the left of Margherita. She screamed and tried to shield herself from the raining debris. When everything had settled she could hear Ezio calling out to her. Part of her mind wanted to respond, the other part wanted to slip into a coma and her body – well, her body was staying firmly where she stood.
"Margherita?" Ezio finally got to her, grasping her by the forearms and shaking her a bit.
This snapped her out of it.
The second the awareness reached her eyes, Ezio commanded, "Go down to Mario's study. There is a secret tunnel there – you know the one. Get my mother and sister and get out. I need to go find Mario."
"I'll have my men back you up," came Caterina's voice from behind Margherita.
Ezio nodded his agreement and then disappeared back up into his room. Almost on the pure instinct to escape, Margherita whipped around and sprinted off to Maria's room. In the back of her brain, she noted Caterina running down the stairs, skipping two at a time but quite frankly the blonde was more focused on getting to her future mother-in-law's bedroom. She figured Claudia would be able to mostly take care of herself until Margherita could find her.
Another canon rang out and from the resulting crack it had probably hit a building close to the Villa.
By the time she stumbled around a corner, she caught sight of Maria. The older woman was apparently on her way to find her children and when she saw Margherita she came to join her.
"Have you seen Ezio and Claudia?" she asked, coming to grasp onto Margherita.
"I was just with Ezio – he's gone to fight," a dark look passed over her face at the mention of her son in danger. "I haven't see Claudia. He told me to take you two down to Mario's study. There is a secret tunnel."
The words were barely out of her mouth when yet another canon shook the entire Villa. Both women stumbled slightly against the impact and tightened their grasp on the other. Maria's face was quickly schooled into a determined expression and she gave a definite nod. "Claudia knows about the tunnel," she said. "We can make our way down there. Doubtless, she will already be on her way to come find us."
"Let's go!"
As they were pattering down the stairs a giant hole ripped right through the wall behind them – taking part of the staircase with them. Nearly tripping, Margherita grabbed at the handrail. She turned to stare at the hole in the wall.
What the fuck was going on?
With a deft tug on Margherita's sleeve, Maria forced the girl to continue down the stairs. She honestly wasn't surprised to see Claudia already trying to make her way to the upper levels. The women nearly collided on the stairs.
"Oh, thank God!" Claudia let out as they all turned to run to Mario's study. "What's going on? Where's Ezio?"
"We're being attacked," Margherita explained. "Ezio left to go fight."
They passed the entrance to the gardens outside the Villa and a woman's sharp scream stopped them.
"Wait here," Claudia commanded.
Margherita caught her arm just as she left the safety of the Villa's roof. "I promised Ezio that I would get you to Mario's study!"
"I need to –" She was cut off as another scream was let out.
That instantly shut the two girls up as they turned to search for where the scream had come from. Several women came running – some of them followed by or carrying children. They came to a sudden stop right in front of the doorway as they noticed the Auditore women. One of them stepped forward. Out of breath she said, "We were told to come here – that there was a way out."
"Yes," Margherita told her. "Back this way, follow me."
"I'll stay here to make sure people know where to go," Claudia suggested.
Margherita frowned at the lady, but put up no argument as she led the townswomen and Maria into Mario's study. She opened the door and was about to continue to lead everyone down the stairs into the Sanctuary but Maria placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I know where the passage is," she said. "Go back to the door so you can lead more people."
Without hesitation, Margherita nodded and doubled back, on her way helping usher more people into the Villa. They were coming in floods, all desperate and scared and Margherita wanted nothing more than to help them. Finally, she reached the end of the long line of people. When she stumbled back into the courtyard, she noted that Claudia was waving people to the Villa, promising safety.
"Claudia!" Margherita called out to let her know she was there.
When Claudia saw that she wasn't alone she called back, "I'm going around the front – unless people hear from word of mouth, they don't know that there is a way out!"
Margherita didn't have time to protest as Claudia simply took off. She didn't like that the younger girl was no longer in her sight. Regardless, more townspeople continued coming so she figured the girl was alright. Every time another person turned the corner looking for sanctuary Margherita would shout directions and point to the opened door.
Within ten minutes however, an odd sound reached her ears – shouts and the clanging of metal. She had only ever heard that sound when she watched Ezio in the fighting ring – it was the sounds of swords hitting against other swords. From the distance, Margherita realized it was right where Claudia should be.
Swearing under her breath, Margherita yanked her skirt up and sprinted around the Villa to find out where Claudia was and if she was alright.
"Shit! Shit, shit, shit," she muttered as she came upon the mini-battle that was taking place in the front yard of the Villa. Mercenaries had already arrived in time to help. But the invaders had pushed themselves forward and were arriving in overwhelming numbers. Claudia was close to the edge of the battle, narrowly avoiding the blade of a sword by ducking behind a pillar.
The blonde had never fancied herself a hero. Not even close. She wasn't the housewife type, but she wasn't the warrior princess type either. Time after time she had proven herself to be basically worthless in battle – in fact, in almost all dangerous situations. So she didn't know what had changed… but something in her had yanked at her heart and caused her to sprint across the yard. There was a discarded sword. Margherita grabbed it and nearly faltered – she was totally unprepared for its weight.
So, when she finally made it over to the guard that was attacking Claudia, she could do little more than raise the sword over her head and let it fall right onto the attacker's back. She didn't have time to cringe at the blood or even register the fact that she had taken someone else's life because Claudia let out a shout, grabbed up the sword her attacker had been holding and speared the man behind Margherita.
As the guard fell onto the other dead body, Claudia grasped Margherita, "Are you alright?"
Margherita wiped her face, "Yeah, I was about to ask you the same thing."
She nodded. "I'm fine." Before anyone could say anything else, Claudia spotted a new arrival. "Ezio!" she shouted.
When she caught sight of him, Margherita's heart dropped. The man she had left just half an hour before had been refreshed and healthy. The man before her was exhausted and injured. There was a spreading blood stain on his shoulder and he was favoring his other arm as he joined in the fray.
For the rest of the battle, Margherita and Claudia stuck to the sidelines, their help no longer needed. They still grasped their stolen swords, though. At one point in time a guard thought it might be a good idea to attack them. In unison, they raised their weapons and prepared to defend their home – only for the guard to drop like a log at their feet. A dagger was stuck in his back and Ezio spared them one last glance before focusing on the man in front of him.
Ezio made quick work of the men that were left. The second the last man was down the girls dropped their swords.
"Is mother safe?" he asked the second he arrived at their side.
Claudia answered as Margherita quickly lifted his shirt to try to get a good look at his wound. "She's at the entrance to the Sanctuary and is sending people down as we speak."
The blood was already beginning to clot around what looked like… a gunshot wound? Margherita tried to push his shirt up even more but apparently Ezio had already heard all he needed to because he swatted her hand away like a fly and yanked his shirt back down.
"Let's go," he set off towards the garden and the girls followed dutifully. Margherita cringed at the way he limped. What had he done to himself? "The Borgia have overrun town. We need to get out of here."
They reached the entrance to the underground stairs to find two mercenaries waiting for them. Apparently Maria had already gone downstairs.
"I will hold them back!" one of the mercenaries claimed, taking off. As they spoke footfalls pounded outside. Suddenly the noise changed from a muted pit to a sharp clank. The guards had breached the Villa. They would be on them in mere moments.
The bookcase which served as the door to the stairs began to close as the other mercenary prepared to depart downwards. Ezio skidded to a stop and held it open shouting, "Stop! Wait for us!"
The other mercenary seemed surprised to see the assassin. "We thought you had been killed, Ezio!"
"Not yet," Ezio joked humorlessly. He held the door open as Claudia and Margherita slipped under his arm, into the tunnel.
"Where does this passage lead?" the mercenary asked.
"To the north, outside the walls," Ezio explained.
The mercenary commented, "I am surprised it exists."
Claudia was halfway down the stairs but Margherita stayed behind. Part of her was worried that Ezio would pass out at any moment. She had seen his scars. There were plenty of them all across his back and chest in every spot that his armor didn't cover. She knew he had survived more that a simple gunshot wound but for some reason this was worse. It was the look on his face. It was like his soul had been crushed. She hadn't seen that look on his face since… since she was laying on top of him in a haystack, watching him cry over his brothers and father.
Ezio stomped on a jutting brick, which gave way under his foot and caused the door to begin to close.
"Let me through," the mercenary said. "I must go help the troops." And he slipped out the door.
Ezio locked the door and began down the stairs.
"Hurry Ezio," Claudia called to him.
The assassin passed Margherita and grabbed her wrist on the way down, pulling her along. "Are we certain mother made it down here?" he asked.
"I am here," came Maria's calm voice.
"Thank God," Ezio breathed.
"We could not leave without you," Claudia explained from behind him, as they reached the Sanctuary. Margherita had never been down there in person. The statues all lined up in a neat circle were beautiful and regal – they took her breath away momentarily. Then, Ezio tugged her forward a little and she realized she had slowed down her pace subconsciously so that she could gawk. They stopped right in front of Altair's statue.
"The way out will be difficult," Ezio said. "Protect our mother."
Any remaining stragglers slipped behind the statue, followed by Claudia and Maria. Ezio paused to glance around to see if anyone was being left behind and Margherita stopped with him since he still had her wrist in his hand. Finally, he turned and they left through the passage.
It was dirty. Old. Smelly. Scary. Unfortunate. The only thing that got her through it was Ezio's hand, which slipped down from her wrist to her actual hand. It was warm in her grasp and she worried that he was becoming clammy.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Fine," he replied shortly.
"You're injured."
"I'm fine."
"Ezio –"
"I'm fine."
Margherita stopped talking after that. He didn't let go of her hand. But he didn't look at her either.
Claudia caught the transaction and glanced back at Margherita, but said nothing.
It wasn't until they had reached daylight and broken away from the darkness of the tunnel that Claudia spoke up. Not to comment on Ezio's shortness, but instead on the absence of one particular person.
"Where is Mario?" she asked Ezio's back since he (and Margherita by result) had stalked ahead of the pack. "I thought he would be waiting for us."
Someone let out a cry of, "The Borgia infantry are circling the town!"
Finally Ezio let out a deep breath and released Margherita. Then he turned around and said, "Mario is dead." The women gasped. "You must leave this place. Take mother to Firenze."
Then he turned to a mercenary who had been escorting people and commanded, "Get me a horse." He stalked away.
"You are not coming with us?" Claudia asked. Margherita couldn't speak. "Where are you riding?" Claudia glanced at Margherita to see how she was reacting. The blonde kept her face totally passive. Mostly because she couldn't feel anything from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She was numb.
"To Roma," he informed them sharply and he continued to stalk away.
Margherita opened her mouth to call him back. The fact that he could walk away from her that easily was frightening. This wasn't happening. They were getting married in a week. They were going to have kids and Ezio was going to retire and settle down and they were going to be happy and Mario was going to play with their kids and they would name one of them after him. That was the life she was supposed to have.
Maria spoke up first, "Go, my son, destroy them… but remember for whom we Assassins fight."
No, that was the last thing Margherita wanted to hear. His mother should be telling him to stay, to guard them on their way back to their home city.
The horse arrived and with not even a glance back, Ezio climbed up and took off.
She watched him until he had disappeared over a hill.
"Don't cry, Margherita," Claudia said, approaching her and wiping tears Margherita didn't know she had dripping down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled.
Maria, the strong, prideful Auditore matriarch approached Margherita from the other side and gently drew her into a comforting embrace. "Don't worry, child," she whispered into Margherita's ear. "He will be alright. He will be back. My son is strong."
Slowly she pulled away and Margherita was able to wipe her own tears. "Thank you, Maria," she said. Then she turned to Claudia and tried to force a smile. It turned out looking more like a writhing worm under her nose.
"So much for a happy birthday," Claudia groaned.
The three women turned to look at their devastated home. In that moment they all realized they would never return and that life as they knew it would never be the same. And here, Margherita had thought life was supposed to become stable now. Apparently not. And now, Mario was dead and she was displaced again.
And there was one thing she knew for certain: the Borgia were in Rome. So long as they were alive, Ezio would remain there.
If she went to Firenze she would be totally separated from Ezio for only God knows how long.