Author's Note- Just wanted to do a quick shout out to all those people who review dutifully, thank you so much for the inspiration :D As you might have noticed, I'm going for regular updates every week now, which is about the time that it takes me to write the chapters, reread them, and send them over to my beta.
I smoothed out the folds in the cheap stolen dress automatically, trying to at least get used to the feel of it. It was a little too long for me, but other than that, fit perfectly. I wore dresses before, when I could afford it, to night clubs and such. But obviously they were shorter than this one. A lot shorter. I also tied my hair up the way that the servant girls did, twisting it into a short pony tail. And finally, all that was left was to make small rips in the fabric so I could access my weapons.
I was all set.
The palace itself was frenzied, guards and servants were everywhere, doing their jobs, and not paying any attention to each other. When I had my disguise, I did a trial run, walking across the courtyard to the stairwell, and up to the second floor. No one even spared me a look. I forced myself to keep eyes frontwards, suppressing the urge to constantly look over my shoulder.
Once I was sure I wouldn't be recognized, I finally allowed myself to relax a little, and think about the next step. First of all, I had to figure out where and how many guards were in the palace, and when the shifts changed. I had most of the day to figure everything out and get out of the palace, before Ezio would start to worry. But before that, I had to figure out the lay out of the palace, so I wouldn't tragically get lost, like I was sure so many others had.
---
Ezio sat down onto the bed, dropping Eden's bag beside him, and with a heavy sigh, dropped his head into his hands. He still couldn't believe he let her waltz into there. She was being stubborn, proud, and suicidal. All that, and she was doing it for him. She said so herself, putting her life at risk just so he could get in and out without problems. Eden either didn't think he'd be able to find his own way, or she just honestly wanted him as safe as possible. It was sort of ironic, considering he was trying to keep her safe. Not because he thought she couldn't take care of herself, but out of gentlemanly instinct, friendship and debt.
And because he realized just how much he'd miss her if anything happened to her…
Shaking his head to clear his darker thoughts, he looked over to her bag, somewhat curiously. She seemed okay with him looking through it, and when he got official permission, he was suddenly eager to see what was inside. Besides, it was a distraction. Pulling it closer to him, he pulled on the little knob, opening it the way she did. The strange stitching came apart easily with a "zip" type of sound. Inside were different clothes, bundles, cases and papers. Knowing her love of secret compartments, he noted at least three.
Like she said, there were weapons. Her strange firearms, as well as different knives, as well as bandages and little bottles, all labels written in English, like the documents in the pockets. There was also a little book filled with numbers, lying in the same spot as her communication "phone" thingy. He barely understood any of the things that were in her bag, which was probably why she didn't mind him looking through it.
In the first secret compartment, there were pills, bags of powder, and herbs rolled up into thin paper that he assumed were the harmful drugs she used to sell. Following her advice, he didn't touch them, moving on. In another pocket, were more documents, and he took a wild guess to say these were her real ones, since they looked nearly identical to the ones out in the open, but with different names, dates and entries. She was very careful with her identity, it seemed.
He wondered what her life was like if she was this cautious, hiding everything real, and laying out fakes. From what she told him, everything was far from ideal. She told him she lived in a very large city, and the security was very different, and harder to avoid. They had technologies that could track her down if she made one little mistake, just for the sake of justice, even if no one missed the person she murdered. Small scale wars broke out behind the streets between gangs over territory - he unfolded a map of a city district, which had colored boundaries, all labeled, as if countries. There were red and black crosses on some buildings, too, so many that his eyes got lost in the maze of squares.
It never really felt like her story was real until now. He believed it well enough, no matter how insane it sounded, but he never really imagined it. But here was all evidence of her illegal lifestyle, even a strange, smooth picture of some man with a huge red cross over it. It looked more realistic and detailed than any painting, as if someone captured the moment on paper exactly as it was. He half expected the person to start moving.
And then, in the last pocket he looked in, there was another picture. But this one was Leonardo's work, he recognized the style and signature of his friend easily. It was that of a woman he was sure he had seen a few times around Florence, smiling serenely from the paper. He vaguely remembered them talking about it, what seemed like ages ago.
"Why did she take it?" He made a mental note to ask her when she got back.
He suddenly heard small footsteps, and the door cracked open. He looked up, ready to get out his weapons, but he realized it was a little girl that he had seen before, talking to Eden. Adel, he recalled.
"Hello," she greeted boldly, bouncing over to him.
"Hello. Who're you looking for?" he quickly though kindly replied, hurrying to put everything back into Eden's bag to prevent her curiosity.
"Eden. Is she home?" she looked around, as if hoping to find her cloak sticking out of the wardrobe.
"No, she's...working today," Ezio smiled at the girl as she sat down beside him, not waiting for an invitation.
"Saving innocents and fighting bad guys?" she asked excitedly, and Ezio laughed.
"Not exactly, but close enough. She'll be back tomorrow. Adel, do your parents know you're here?"
"Nope," she shook her head, "Daddy doesn't even notice me anymore, and mommy is with a doctor."
"That's right, you're getting a little sibling soon," Ezio remembered that Aurora was pretty far along in pregnancy.
"A brother," she specified, nodding enthusiastically.
"How do you know it's a boy?"
"Because daddy said so," she stated as if it was the most obvious thing. "Do you have brothers?"
"Not any – no," he swallowed hard, attempting to avoid painful questions. Then he glanced out the window. The sun was already setting.
"Are you worried?" she suddenly asked with innocent curiosity, her blue eyes widening in concern.
"Why would I be?" he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"You look worried. Is Eden okay?"
"Yes, she's fine. Or...I don't know," he sighed. "She might not be okay, and I can't do anything about it."
"She's okay," she reassured him with confidence, "She told me she fights bad guys all the time!"
"She told you a lot of things," Ezio fleetingly smiled. But surprisingly enough, he felt a little better with her reassurance. She was right - Eden was too stubborn to let anyone catch her, and she'd made it out of worse situations before. Hopefully.
"Eden told me you're not married," she whispered conspiratorially. "But I don't get it."
"What don't you get?"
"Why aren't you?"
"Why aren't we - oh. Well," he was taken aback, "We're friends. And friends...well, don't get married."
"But don't you like her?"
"Yes, I guess I do."
"Do you like like her?"
He suddenly had a flashback to when he was ten, and Federico asking him if he liked the young noble girl that lived beside them. They ended up fighting over her, too...
"No, I don't think of her that way."
Liar! a little voice in his mind that sounded suspiciously like his late brother mocked him.
"Alright," she nodded, but she looked and sounded skeptical, as if she didn't believe him. Ezio had to hand it to her, she was a very observant kid. He coughed, and looked away from her, but her attention was already caught by something else.
"Is that a sword?" her eyes lit up, and without asking permission, pulled on the hilt, ready to pull it out. He hurried to take the dangerous toy away from her, and she pouted. He was a little surprised that she got that excited over a weapon. But after Eden, with her unnatural obsession with sharp objects, it took a lot to amaze him.
"Maybe when you're older." When she was older, he might not even be alive. But of course, he didn't say that to her. Then he looked out the window again, and chewed on his lip, unsure what to do. It was getting dark, but he didn't feel tired at all. Then, he suddenly remembered a very pressing matter to discuss with Antonio. Or rather, he spent the entire walk to the Thieves Guild making it up.
---
It took me two hours to figure out where everything was in the palace, but I finally had the layout in my mind. The kitchens, the servant's quarters and the barracks were all on the ground floor, a large cellar right beneath them. The guest bedrooms, all seemingly fifty hundred of them, were located around the second floor landings, beside a gallery and an armory. The weapons, sadly, were used for decorations only, and though they looked impressive, I could tell that they were not very practical. Some of them weren't even sharp, and others reminded me more of those plastic weapons they sold for Halloween in my time.
Emilio's quarters stretched out on the third story, which was heavily defended. I managed to slip past by following another servant who explained to the guards that we were cleaning. The rooms were very large, and decorated with expensive paintings, rugs and carved furniture. Light didn't come through the thick curtains, giving the room a creepy, dark look to it. Emilio himself was nowhere in sight. There was nothing important lying around, and the office door was locked tightly. I could have lock-picked it, but the maid was shooting me suspicious glares, as if trying to recall my face, but couldn't. I gave up on that idea, getting out quickly, before she came to the epiphany that I was not supposed to be there.
In the kitchens, there was a lot of chattering. The cooks were yelling something about worthless servants and how important they were, pleading for the girls to stop chattering and finally get them the stupid bowls they've been asking for an hour. I listened closely to the whispering around me, straining my ears. Of course, a lot of it was just waffle. The typical gossip you would hear anywhere except for men-only bars, and even there sometimes. Like, how cute that one guard looked, or the sale price on dresses and the latest fashions of Milan. Basically, the crap I did my hardest to tune out while I was in high school.
But, surprisingly enough, it was one of those annoying gossipers that got me something useful. I was careful to avoid talking myself, but I had no problem making it look like I was working within earshot of the two.
"...it's been so quiet now, and the Master is still not lowering security! I swear, we've been working twice as hard with all the guards here!"
"I wish the Captain would at least let us go home, my family is probably worried sick! I haven't talked to them for weeks!"
"Oh, the Captain spends all his night drinking and going around the brothels. He thinks that doubling the guards will make up for it. I don't see how Master still hasn't replaced him..."
"The Captain is going to be away, then?" I thought, my mood lifting slightly. Emilio was a merchant, so it was likely that all he cared for were his trade and power, and his connections to the Templars. And if all went well, then we'd easily be able to get whatever letters or documents we needed after his death. The captain of the guard was more likely to have the strategic layouts for security.
I thought about it. His room was most likely near the barracks, and probably locked tightly to stop overly curious people like me. I guessed that he'd be the only one with the key aside from Emilio himself. If I could just catch him before he left...
No, that wouldn't fly. He might have been a drunk, but I doubted he was an idiot. The only way to get inside his room would be when he came back, hopefully drunk as hell, and very disoriented. And if not... well, then, I guess what I found out so far would have to do.
---
The Captain of the guard was...well, hammered, for a lack of a better term. Only his strong will, his veteran body, and - oh, who am I kidding. The only reason the man managed to drag himself back into the palace was because of years of alcoholism and experience, and his slightly more sober friend helping him stay up right. Despite that, no one who was still in the courtyard at this late hour dared to laugh. I was still undercover, so I had to bite down on my cheek to keep myself from hysterical giggling. The Hammered Captain was slurring out songs off key, the words jumbled, and I think, dirty.
But in any case, this was my chance. I rushed forward to help support him. No one even noticed - this must have been very common. He reeked of cheep ale and perfume, so it was no mystery on how he spent the evening. Shuddering under the weight, I helped his friend drag him inside the barracks. The more sober guard then detached himself, and fell onto the nearest bed, immediately beginning to snore loudly, leaving me to half-carry the captain into his room.
"I need the keys," I said as gently as I could. He looked at me with unfocused and bloodshot eyes, a stupid grin on his face.
"Puuurty... lad- hic- keys?" I didn't get what he was trying to say, but he obediently fumbled with his belt. I waited patiently as after a few failed tries, he just wrenched the keys off his belt, and took them away from him, unlocking the door.
As soon as we were inside, I wanted to push him towards the bed, or the floor, for that matter, but his grip on me suddenly tightened, and his arms hugged around my waist. I didn't understand what was happening for one moment, and then panic came over me. I tried to twist out of his death grip. But my moment of hesitation worked against me. When he felt my resistance, he mumbled something angrily, and pushed me away from him with some force, making me slam into the wall, which I think resulted in forming a bruise on my left cheek and shoulder. His hand then came down on me again - I think he was aiming for a slap across the face, but I caught in on its way to my neck, my fingers digging into his wrist.
If he was sober, I think I wouldn't have gotten away the easily, but now I just shoved him away from myself, making him trip onto his bed. There he curled up, and began sucking his thumb. I suddenly had the urge to spit on him, and I applauded my own willpower when I didn't.
The room was medium size, with an uncomfortable looking bed, heavy, but simple furniture, and a few weapon and armor racks along the walls. That had no interest to me, though, because I was running out of time. I focused my attention on his desk.
Finding the things I needed was surprisingly hard. I still had the keys, so getting into the desk was no problem, but the maps were buried deep under all the clutter. I lost another half an hour looking through the desk, grumbling under my breath. I was sure the captain of the guard would not wake up, and it wasn't likely that some one would check up on him, but I still needed to hurry.
I froze when I came across the charters, and let out a relieved breath. It showed all guard posts inside and outside. Hurrying to tuck it away, and muffling the jingling of the keys, I speedily made my way out. The barracks were half full now, the day shift coming in, but no one questioned why I was there, mostly due to the fact everyone was asleep.
But in the courtyard, there was an unpleasant surprise. When I left with the captain, it was empty except for the patrols. Now, it was crowded with people, all gathered around something. I didn't care for whatever it was, and was going to just go past, when I heard what they were saying.
"Who could have done such a thing..."
"They found them locked in the dungeons! Right here, inside the palazzo!" The whispers were panicked, scared. I licked my lips nervously. They discovered the dead guards faster than I hoped.
"Wake the Captain!"
"Are you kidding?!"
"...right! Send a few more men out to the perimeter, and guard the entrances! The killer might still be inside!"
I swore mentally, watching as four guards rushed off to the main exit, blocking it completely. I'd have to find another way out. I looked around, thinking hard.
---
"Would you stop that!" Antonio finally snapped, ready to bash his head against his desk. Ezio has been pacing back and forth in his office for nearly an hour now, the angry rhythmic clanking of his weapons nearly driving him insane.
"She's still not back!" It's been two hours since midnight, and there was still absolutely no sign of Eden.
"Then she just got caught up or delayed." Ugo confidently replied, having seen her in action a few times. "Besides, I feel bad for whoever tried to get in her way." Antonio nodded in agreement.
Ezio finally sighed, and sat back into his seat tiredly, leaning his elbows onto his knees. "That worries me too. With her luck, she'll come here with half the city's guards chasing at her heels." And he didn't know her to be all that good of an actress. She was taking a huge risk going in there, and it still didn't sit well with him. Please let her just be running late...
"Give me your sooouuuls!" someone suddenly wailed as the door flung open. Antonio and Ugo jumped up in shock.
"Eden, what the hell?!" Ezio was the only one who didn't even flinch, and after a moment the soaked figure in the doorway began to giggle, coming inside into the candlelight. Then she sniffed.
"Before all the questions and hugs, please, please, please find me some dry clothes. This is just uncomfortable," she gestured down her body.
"You're wearing-?!"
"A dress? Yes, as a matter of fact I am. A v-very wet and cold dress. So I just want everyone to know t-that if I die of pneumonia, I will come back down to h-haunt your asses," she retorted, teeth chattering.
"Duly noted," Ezio replied, feeling slightly lightheaded with relief and laughing. She looked overall cheerful, if shivering and soaking with canal water, her hair falling down limply from the hairpins she'd bound it back with.
Once she was out of the dress, and into some stray, loose male clothing and a blanket that Ugo got for her, she finally told them what happened in the Palazzo della Seta. "...but the most important part is, I got the maps. Here," she tossed the charters onto the table. Antonio's eyes widened as he examined them. Ezio shifting his eyebrows together.
"How did you keep them dry?"
"Do you really want to know, or do you want to sleep at night?" she asked, smirking, and he shook his head, grinning as well. She was definitely back. And her teeth finally stopped chattering.
"This will make sure everything runs a lot more smoothly!" Antonio was getting more excited by the second. "Grazie, Madonna! Now we can finalize the plans and make preparations. And considering the men you freed are already on their feet, we can start in about a week!"
"Lovely. It was a hectic month, and I was getting a little tired of Bob. The kid will be the death of me." Eden grumbled in good humor.
"I thought I was going to be the death of you?" Ezio reminded her of her many comments on the matter, and she laughed.
"Get in line. Actually, I should start a list. No, two! One for people who will drive me into my coffin, and a second for people who I should do the same to!"
"And let me guess, I'll be at the top of them both?"
"Nah. You'll be somewhere below that guy on the market that drools all the time, and the damned old lady that did the U-turn where she wasn't supposed to and cut me off."
"...I'm not even going to ask."
"That's right. Spare your braincells. Now, I'm very tired. If we're done here, can we please go home?" she finally asked, yawning widely. She looked very tired, but happy with her success, not minding the fact that she jumped from a window into freezing water, and swam in that water all the way back to the Thieves Guild. Antonio just waved his hand, not caring where we were now that he had something new to do with his model of the district. He almost looked like a child with his toys, his expression concentrated and slightly maniac. Eden picked up the still wet dress, and laughed at Ezio's raised eyebrow.
"Don't look at me like that. Just because they're impractical and I don't wear them doesn't mean I hate dresses. And this one is free. I don't suppose there's some sort of primitive eBay around? No? Well, fine, I'll think of something." He shook his head and grinned, unable to get mad at her for being late. Especially as she continued to surprise him, even when he thought that was no longer possible.
---
Home greeted me with...well, nothing. Obviously. Everything was almost exactly the way I left it that morning. Ezio walked in behind me, shutting the door. I immediately hung the dress over the balcony to dry, and shook some stray water off my hands.
"Well, today was-" He very suddenly pulled me into a rib crushing hug. "...okay, where did that come from?"
"I missed you," he muttered into my hair, not showing any signs of letting go. I nearly melted, except for the fact that I was slowly choking.
"And because of that you feel the need to deprive me of oxygen?" I asked, my voice slightly strained. He hurried to loosen his embrace, but didn't let go. I sighed with a lot more content, breathing in his familiar scent. "I was only gone for a day."
"Yes, and suddenly I realized it's just not the same without your silly comments. Besides, you're freezing, piccola." I was definitely cold, the shuddering ceasing only slightly with Ezio's arms around me. Also, I felt a suspicious pressure in my lungs and throat that had nothing do with his bear hugs. His lips brushing my forehead, he frowned. "And your face is burning up. Come on, we can't have you getting sick."
I wanted to defiantly reject the concern, but I realized he was right. I had little desire to catch a cold right when we were so close to the end. He narrowed his eyes suddenly, and brought his hand up to touch my cheek. I felt a quick pain shoot my nerves, and I instinctively jerked away.
"What happened?" he sharply asked with concern, and some aggression, as if ready to hunt down whoever was responsible. I was flattered, but letting him do that would be a stupid idea.
"It's nothing, just got into a little fight with The Hammered Captain. But on the plus side, I got his wallet! And keys! We'll see how he likes that in the morning..." He stared at me hard for a long moment, and then sighed.
"Well, I suppose it was stupid of me to expect you to come back completely unharmed."
"Don't be that way. I get cut and bruised all the time. It's not like I got raped, so rest easy." I'm not sure why the hell I was the one reassuring him, but I guess I knew what he felt like. My heart just about froze whenever I thought about him climbing inside that palace, alone, and going straight for the kill.
So when we finally settled down to sleep, I snuggled up to his warm side, determined not to think about it anymore. Thinking would be bad. Thinking would mean I'd get confused again. I hated being confused. Or sick. So, in some way, I was rather highly grateful for the human warmth and comfort...
---
My cold disappeared in a few days, and I was very happy to be out and about without wanting to curl up into a ball and whine like a dying dog. I suddenly felt a lot more bouncy, as if on a constant sugar high. Despite everything, I decided that life was good. The trees were still green, despite the rare snow that fell onto the rooftops, melting before they even touched the chimneys. All around me, I expected the people to start singing, as if in a creepy musical...okay, I'm making it up; the people were still depressing, but I tuned them out.
When going over the plans, again, I came to the sad conclusion that Antonio's model just wasn't the same as the real thing, so me and Ezio climbed up onto the roofs to check things over again. Well, I mostly just wanted to get some fresh air and stretch my muscles.
"Okay, then." I placed my hand on my hips, looking around the rooftops critically. Ezio crossed his arms beside me. "Well, if you and Antonio manage to replace these guards and get inside before sunrise, you won't run the risk of getting an arrow in places arrows shouldn't be. So let's go over this, one more time."
"I steal the uniforms, bring Ugo the gondola, and eliminate the archers on the roof as quietly as possible." he recited.
"The thieves will distract the guards at the main entrance, because it's somehow assumed that they're going to fall for it a third time…"
"…And I climb up the walls like Rosa taught me and get inside."
"Right. Now, there are about four more guards on the roof of the palace, try to avoid them. Then, considering the late hour, Emilio will probably be in his quarters. Do you remember where they are?"
"Third story. You also said there's five guards stationed around him."
"Right. Just..." I thought about it, chewing on my lip. "Smoke bombs! Those things you got in San Gimignano? Those should give them a sufficient distraction."
"Alright. And I even have keys." He jingled the ring I got from the Captain. "How did you get these, anyway? Did you pickpocket them or something?"
"Haha. Nope. The Captain of the guard handed them over to me while he was so hammered he probably thought I was his late mother. Though I doubt he would hit his own mother..."
I noted him clench his teeth, but thankfully, he ignored the last comment. "How do you know his mother is dead?"
"Figure of speech, just roll with me here. Either way, he probably won't even remember who helped him into his bed, or where his keys went." I snorted, remembering the poor man. "But back to our goats- I mean archers. As always, I'll back everyone up. If anyone notices you on the roofs, I'll snipe them down for you, and I'll make sure our friends are out of danger as well."
"What are the chances of success?" He was smiling when he said that, and I rolled my eyes, running the calculations.
"Considering they might be a little jumpy from the two murdered guards, and that Emilio is paranoid by nature, and that some of the thieves are still healing...well, besides that, we're better prepared, we have a solid, almost foolproof plan, the archers will be taken care of, they won't suspect what's going on until it's too late, and the fact that we know where Emilio is going to be. Hmm, I'd say around a sixty five percent chance of success."
"Seriously? That's a huge change," he raised his eyebrows in shock. I shrugged.
"Yes. Because you know how to get over the walls, the thieves will distract the guards, and you hopefully won't have to enter combat until inside. Oh, and I also forgot, it's you, so make that seventy percent."
"You have new found confidence in me?" he drawled, leaning closer and flashing a confident smile.
"Not really, but you've surprised me so far, so let's hope you can do it again," I smiled cockily, and he laughed, the sound light and comforting. "In any case, Emilio will most likely die before the next sunrise."
"Alright then. As you say, let's roll."
---
Taking out the guards was nothing short of too easy. None even saw Ezio coming as he sneaked up the walls, popping up only to send another one of them flying over the edge to their deaths, and gone before anyone saw the absences and a suspicious figure over the bodies. As he cleared out the area around the palace, the thieves hid the bodies by either pushing them into the water or stuffing them into the carts of hay. The disguised men then took their places.
Everything went smoothly. No one outside the thieves even knew what has happening. Emilio did not suspect an attack tonight.
Once every single one of his targets were eliminated, Ezio jumped down to the streets. There were not many people around, just the late merchants finally packing up and going home. As if they could sense the secret activity, the smaller gangs and solo thieves and robbers stayed home tonight. A few hours later the streets would be deathly quiet, except for the lazy clanking of the night guards on their usual patrols.
Ezio made his way to the meeting spot where Antonio said they'd regroup. Eden was most likely with him. She was more than eager to help assassinate the archers, and stayed behind rather reluctantly (with a lot of grumbling and cursing). She was the main support, pretty much the only one aside from Antonio himself helping those who might be wounded, and shooting down any threat to the operation.
But when the small group came into sight, hidden from those who aren't looking for them in an alley way near the palazzo, there were only three of them. Antonio was talking quietly to Rosa and Ugo, but Eden was not around.
"Good work, Ezio," Antonio greeted as soon as he noted the white blur in the shadows. Ezio walked without hiding, because if he was, it would have been a lot harder to spot him. "As we're speaking, my men are taking the place of Barbarigo's archers. They won't suspect a thing. Now we can-"
"Oh, hai thar," someone suddenly said mockingly from above, and in a blur, Eden landed lightly beside them. Her hair was slightly ruffled and her breathing faster than usual, but she remained as energetic as always. "Would any of you like to know that our dear Templar is having A) a visitor, and B) a boat parked for him right outside the palace, being loaded with supplies?"
"He's trying to escape!" Antonio cursed, "Damn it, if he hears of the assault, he'll get out of our reach."
"We'll follow through with the plan," Ezio reassured him. "Hopefully, he'll be distracted by that guest of his, and he won't realize what's going on until the very last moment."
"And if you're too late, and he'll be gone?" Ugo asked, and Eden lifted her hand up in the air.
"Leave it to me, I'll sabotage the boat, just in case. It'll be hard enough to catch him in the palace, we can't risk him leaving."
"Alright then, continuing as planned," Antonio nodded.
"Use my thieves to get past the guards," Ugo reminded, "They're stationed near the bridges."
"And when it comes to storming the place, remember all I've taught you," Rosa put a hand on his shoulder, and he offered her a charming and grateful smile.
"And I guess it's up on the roofs for me again," Eden sighed loudly, but nonetheless ran up the walls again, hurrying to grasp the narrow balcony and pulling herself up. She did not linger to say her usual "Be careful and don't die please" to him, something he noted right away, but didn't think much of. There was a job to do at the moment, and they could talk later.
Everyone took their positions in a blink of an eye. Unknowingly to those inside, the Palazzo della Seta was surrounded, the perimeter secured. It took Ezio only a nod to the thieves he rescued from Emilio's torture to run at the guards full speed, and draw them away from their posts. Eden was right, those tin cans were really thick to fall for the same trick so many times. Ezio wasted no time in running to the walls, jumping to the first, then second ledge. He noted wearily that there were still hints of Rosa's blood that they didn't manage to wash off, and haven't painted over yet. Then, when it got to the third which was out of his reach before, he pushed off the ridge, leaping up and reaching with his hand. It almost shocked him when he felt it with his hand.
He climbed with no incident, the guards replaced with the thieves who, if anything, would probably cheer him on rather than try to shoot him down. He reached the edge of the roof, and pulled himself up. There was a familiar popping sound, and a guard who was facing away from him before that point fell onto his face with a thump. Ezio looked behind him, not surprised to find Eden crouching on one of the nearest roofs, half concealed by the curtain of a shelter, aiming through the round piece of her gun. He saw her raise her hand and give him the okay gesture. He raised his own in thanks, and continued towards the square hole of the courtyard. He remembered that there were not many guard patrols on this edge, most of them concentrated around Emilio's chambers, so he jumped down to the uncovered walkway that lined the walls, crouching in the shadows, and straining his ears and Eagle Vision.
He heard it then. Two men arguing with raised tones as they descended down the stairs. One of them glowed a bright yellow through the darkness, while the other shone in red. Not his target, but still his enemy. Hmm, he'd have to investigate that one later…
"-your little house of cards is crumbling, Emilio."
"A minor setback. The merchants that defy me and that miserabili pezzi di merda Antonio will be dead or in chains, working on the oars on a Turkish gallery," Emilio said savagely, and Ezio rolled his eyes. Sure. Keep telling yourself that, stronzo.
"I'm not talking about those petty thieves! The Assassin poses a much greater threat, and he will likely target you next!" The man sounded frustrated and very irritated with the merchant's arrogance.
"What- The assassin is here?! In Venezia?!" There were notes of panic in his voice. Ezio did a double take. Emilio didn't know that he was in Venice, after everything that happened? The murder of his spies, the release of the captured thieves, the two dead guards in his own dungeon... and all this time, he remained ignorant?
Seriously?!
"Yes, he's been here for weeks! Him and that girl are probably in league with Antonio! That's why the thieves became so bold! We've all been robbed, we all had our guards outsmarted, and I been doing all I can to stop the Doge from poking his nose in!"
"I'll crush the assassin like the bedbug he is!" The Templar snarled menacingly. Ezio almost snorted out loud. His ignorance and arrogance was proving to be highly amusing. He now understood why it was that Eden loved to play on everyone's nerves so much.
"Arrogance has made you stupid, Emilio. You do not see the whole picture. You're nothing but a big fish in a small pond." The man glared at him. "Who's to say he's not here right now, listening to us as we speak?"
"Now, Carlo – you'll be telling me you believe in ghosts, next."
"I don't have time for this, I must get back. Remember, the meeting is in three days from now at San Stegano, outside Fiorella's," As he heard that, Ezio smirked, mentally thanking this Carlo character for giving him the address. They two finally reached the doors at the back of the palazzo, which were opened for the man to step inside his gondola. Emilio nodding to his man, the servant start rowing. Eden must not have gotten to the boats yet, because he seemed to have no trouble gliding away into the darkness.
Emilio stood in his spot for a few moments, and then swore, "Cazzo! What is he's right? What if that damned Auditore brat is here?" he was muttering to himself, but loudly enough that Ezio could hear him. Finally, he turned to the man standing not far off, barking orders. "And get those crates in. Have the boat ready in a half an hour! If Grimaldi is speaking the truth, I must find a place to hide, at least until the meeting. The Master will find a way of dealing with the Assassin... Come, help me pack up the documents I mentioned before Carlo came calling," He waved his hand, and a small man with thick glasses fell into step with him, most likely his secretary. They made their way back up the stairs. Emilio's eyes darted around wildly as he passed Ezio, not even noticing him standing immobile in the thick shadows. Ezio followed behind them, stepping silently on the stone floors.
Ezio knew that this was his chance to strike, but he was suddenly curious. What were the documents he spoke of that he couldn't leave behind?
The two men stopped at the office, unlocking it and coming inside. Strangely, there were little guards around, though Ezio decided not to risk it, staying on the staircase and remaining in the shadows. Within a few minutes, they came back out, Emilio carrying a full satchel as they made their way downstairs yet again. A larger gondola floating by the garden gate, strangely enough, there were no guards beside it, ready to defend against anyone cocky and suicidal enough to use the entrance. Emilio then wrenched the satchel away from his secretary, who hurried to get away from him.
And that was when Ezio made his move.
In a split second, Emilio realized what was going on, and attempted to call for his guards. But Ezio already had him by the throat. No one came to his aid, the courtyard completely empty for some reason.
"Do not be afraid," Ezio said almost gently. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, either, but decided it was a good thing. It was almost anti-climatic, really.
"I feel no fear, assassin," Barbarigo suddenly let out a strained chuckle, losing his strength rapidly as he became more and more limp. "Only regret. I sought unity. Stability. Order."
"At too great a cost," Ezio shook his head, lowering the man onto he floor, and easing the spring blade into his throat.
"Progress... demands... sacrifice..." he gurgled out as life faded from his eyes. Once he breathed no more, Ezio let him go, standing up.
"I take no joy in this, but I see no other way. Requiescat in Pace." Closing the dead man's eyes, he took a step away and turned towards the garden gates, raising an eyebrow in confusion. He could have sworn there were guards here earlier.
Suddenly, someone dropped onto the boat, and walked along it, making it rock slightly. Within mere moments, they stepped inside the gate. In a split second, the gondola gave a thoughtful creak, and began to sink.
Eden smiled radiantly, walking towards him. "They left the doors open, silly them," she explained, and he grinned in return. Leave it to Eden to make a situation like this laughable. She glanced at the corpse. "Well, I suppose that's over."
"Yes, I guess it is," Ezio nodded.
"That was a little... I don't know, anti-climatic?" she seemed somewhat confused. "This is usually the point where some guy stands up, laughs, and says it was him all along."
"...what?"
"All I mean is, there's none of that dramatic tension, you know? This would never sell."
"Dramatic tension? Sell? What is this, a play?" Ezio raised an eyebrow. "Come on, let's go." He waved his hand towards the main doors. He wanted to get out before more guards realized what's going on. Eden nodded in agreement, and followed. They were halfway across the courtyard when an arrow whistled through the air, clanking by Ezio's foot, making both of them jump and grab at their weapons. When they looked up, a large number of Bargarigo's archers were spread out on the roofs. Preparing to run for cover, they stopped in their tracks when one of them waved, and took off the helmet.
It was Rosa. Smirking, she shrugged innocently. "Sorry, couldn't resist." She acrobatically climbed down, landing on her feet softly, and in a moment, she was in Ezio's arms, looking up at him with shining eyes, and planted a quick kiss on his lips. Somewhere behind him, he heard Eden gag.
"Get a room," she muttered.
"Let's open the door for Antonio, he's planning a celebration already, and Emilio's wine cellars are legendary!"
---
"Antonio-" Ezio attempted once again as the thief was walking around his office.
"-And look at these rugs, beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Worth breaking inside this place just to rob it, let me tell you that-"
"Antonio!" he finally raised his voice, and made the man stop, and look at him quizzically, "I'm trying to ask something here!"
"Right, I'm sorry Ezio. What bothers you?"
"Emilio was meeting with a man by the name Carlo. Can you tell me who that is?"
"Do you mean Carlo Grimaldi? He's a member of the Doge's entourage. You probably won't be able to get to him, if that's what you're thinking; he spends most of his time inside the Palazzo Ducale."
"Alright, then, here's an easier question. Do you know where Eden went?"
"Is she not downstairs?"
"No." That worried him the most - Eden not coming to a celebration involving booze would mean the end of the world.
"Then I'm afraid I have no idea. Ask around, maybe someone has seen her."