Many fear that rich people can and will buy themselves to power. But this is a foolish fear, since power is not defined by money and riches. A woman with limited social abilities and wit can be as rich as she wants, but she will never be powerful. Power is controlling people without them knowing that they are being controlled.

Chapter 4:

November 3rd 1497

The sky was nearly black when Jane snuck out of one of the back passages leading to the Vatican. She and the Pope had been discussing her future in the Vatican and planning a meeting for her to meet with some of her 'old friends', which was a very limited group, and some other significant people in Rome.

Jane wasn't disappointed with the prospect; Rodrigo had practically promised a position equivalent to the one of his own son. Strangely enough, Cesare hadn't seemed to mind; in fact, he had seemed to agree.

"Giovanna Volterra?"

Jane didn't flinch at the sound of the rough voice, but it was close. She had to give him that, she thought as she spun around. "Micheletto Corella."

He smirked and straightened his back. His red hair was as filthy as last she'd seen him and he still wore a worker's clothes. But his blue eyes, as piercing as always, seemed to see with a clarity that could be compared to a vampire's. "You're back."

She sighed. "Indeed."

"But… do you not live with the lady Farnese anymore?" He tilted his head the right.

"I do."

"Then…" He took a step closer to her. "Why are you walking in the exact opposite direction?"

Jane laughed breathily. "As suspicious as always, I take it?"

A wry smile appeared on his face. "Doesn't answer my question."

"I had no intention on it." He chuckled silently.

"Well, the Pope may trust you, but I fear that I am not as trusting. I find the many years of absence and few years in aging very… suspicious."

Jane stared at him, shocked. He had hit her right where it hurt most. She hadn't even known that he was that clever. "I fail to understand."

With three quick steps, Micheletto was standing in front of her, stopping her from walking any further. "You have been gone for so many years, Giovanna. I wonder how you spent these years and, more importantly, how you managed to not age in the duration of them."

"Have I not aged?"

"Your body has not, no."

Jane tilted her head. "I am so sorry to disappoint you, but it has." She hesitated, struggling to make up a lie good enough to feed him. "Women have their ways." She smiled coquettishly.

"And I don't doubt it. But the magic that you must have worked to stay so… small, so petite."

"Yes, how wondrous, but now I need to leave you," Jane said ironically before side-stepping past him and hurrying down the road – this would be of human standards, of course. Luckily, Micheletto didn't follow her and she sighed when she finally made it to the inn that Julio stayed in.

It was the same place as where Jane had once rented a room, and business seemed to be going well for the man. Of course, Jane remembered that the man was both observant and discreet, two good qualities in these times.

Inside the bar area, noise from the drunks and guests filled the enclosed room. Behind the bar, a man that Jane recognized stood filling a mug with beer. When he looked up at her, his eyes widened.

"My God!"

"Excuse me?"

"I apologize, signora, but you look so akin to a customer I had some years ago – I swear, you could have been twins!"

Jane smiled. "You still remember me?" Her voice held a tone that fooled him into thinking she was flattered.

"Is it you?" Jane nodded a bit. "You look exactly the same!"

"Believe me, signor; I have changed much over the years. I am afraid it is merely the light that fools you."

He nodded as if it made sense to him. "I thought you moved to that palazzo that the Pope had built some years ago."

"I did," she confirmed.

"What are you doing back here then? Did His Holiness grow weary of you?" He smirked. For a moment, Jane wanted to tell him exactly how helpful she had been to the Pope, how many times she had saved his life and how not weary of her he was. But instead she just smiled.

"That is not for you to know."

"He does with all women, you know. Every one of them."

"I am sure you misunderstand. I still live in that palazzo and I am only here to visit a friend. Julio is his name and he rented a room two days ago."

"Yes, room nine," he said grumpily. He had certainly been hoping for a new customer.

"Is he in there?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She smiled as she took her pouch out from the folds of her dress and found some small bits of gold. "I would appreciate it if you kept my visits here a secret."

"Keeping a secret from the Pope of Rome is very dangerous, signora," he said, but Jane knew that he had already made up his mind because his hand was already reaching for the gold.

"Oh, you needn't worry. It is not the Pope's knowing this that I fear."

The man seemed to think it over for a moment, but then he looked at the gold in his hand and began stashing it away into his own pockets. When he looked up again, Jane had already vanished to the halls of the inn, looking for room 9. When she found the door, she knocked lightly.

"Who is it?" Julio's muffled voice sounded from inside the room.

"Jane." It was a barely audible whisper, but she knew that he heard her. A moment later this was confirmed by the door opening and Julio's face appearing in its stead.

"Jane." His voice, too, was only a whisper as he placed his hand on her neck and pulled her towards him, finally sealing their lips in a kiss. It had been days since she'd last seen him, and Jane wasn't sure how she felt about the need that had been building in her during those days, but it was a dilemma that she decided to bury away in her mind for the moment as her fingers crawled into the soft hair of her lover.

She pulled away for a moment to push both of them into the room and close the door, but it didn't take long before they were once again pressed together, their tongues beginning a battle of dominance that Jane knew she could win if she wanted to. Julio's hands had snug around her waist and one of them began slowly travelling further down. Jane breathed into his mouth as she was suddenly pressed more firmly into his body and Julio began trailing kisses down her neck.

Jane felt her eyes fall closed, just for a moment, and then she regained control. She moved backwards a bit and smiled dangerously at Julio, her eyes never leaving his as she began opening his shirt, tearing at the straps that were keeping it closed. When his chest was finally bare to her, she moved her mouth to his collarbone and bit softly into the skin. A moan escaped him as she began trailing bites and kisses down his chest.

"Jane." His voice was faltering and she rose to look at him, his face now holding an almost desperate expression. He gave her a quick kiss before beginning to open Jane's dress. It took a while for him to get away the overdress, but neither of them was less lecherous when his mouth could finally latch onto her shoulder.

Jane began struggling with the straps to his trouser and Julio began moving her backwards towards the bed, pulling up the hem of her dress as he gently lowered her to the bed. Jane had by now managed to get his trouser down around his knees and a violent shudder ran through Julio's body when her hands finally touched his penis.

His hand went up to her face to brush away some hairs before pressing his lips against hers. His thumb found her little knot and she gasped in surprise. He smiled against her mouth and slowly began pressing against her.

"Ready?" he whispered into her ear, and she shuddered when she felt his breath on her skin. She lifted herself a bit as answer, and he slid in. He was always very careful and this time wasn't an exception. His face buried in her shoulder and Jane's back arched when his hand began massaging her breast.

When Jane was tired of the slow, careful pace she easily tilted him over so that she was on top. She began moving a bit faster than Julio had and he sat up so that he could kiss her. Both his hands went into her hair, cupping her head and she wrapped her legs around his waist as her hands used his shoulders for balance.

They began moving in sync, their movements growing quicker and quicker until the pleasure escalated and Julio cried out Jane's name as Jane for once let go of her control and moaned loudly.

They still for a few moments, letting ripples of pleasure run through their bodies, before Jane unlatched her legs from around his waist, allowing them both to lie down. Jane was still on top of Julio, and his hands were still in her hair, caressing her scalp.

They lay in an enjoyable silence for several minutes. Julio lifted his head from the pillow to press his lips against the top of her head. "How has your day been, love?"

Jane shifted a bit, moving her hands up so that they were lying on top of each other on his chest and the rested her head on them. Their eyes met and she smiled. "Good."

Julio's hands moved to brush away a few strands of her hair that had fallen out of her hairnet and pushed them behind her ears. "Would you tell me more?"

"If it pleases you." She lifted herself and kissed him before rolling down from his body so that she was lying beside him on the bed instead. "If you have to know, the Pope has all but told me that he wants me to take a new, more significant place in his Vatican."

Julio took her hand in his. "Congratulations." That one word was so heartfelt that Jane couldn't help but smile. "I have no doubts that you will soon be an essential part of the Vatican."

"I doubt that; the Pope will be sending me to Florence soon to keep an eye on Machiavelli and Savonarola."

"Savonarola?" Julio was as oblivious to the Italian politics as her brother.

"He is a preacher in Florence who is against wealth and display – which could probably be summoned up in one word: the Catholic Church." Julio chuckled.

"Also, I need to look for Della Rovere. The Pope suspects that Savonarola might be hiding him."

"This Della Rovere… he seems to be giving you a lot of trouble."

"Yes. He is very clever." Jane trailed off and shifted a bit in the bed so that their legs touched. "But I do not wish to speak of him right now."

Julio smiled and stroked her cheek softly. "What plans do you have for tomorrow?"

"Not many. I am to meet Giulia and Vanozza in the afternoon, but the rest of my day is free... why?"

"I was thinking that we could spend some time together."

Jane's smile grew. "I would love to," she whisper and kissed him. Julio put and arm around her back and pulled her close to him as his eyes closed and mind disappeared into the closest a vampire would ever come to sleep.