I am so sorry for being away for so long! My computer messed up so I had to get it fixed. This chapter is a bit shorter, but I originally didn't intend to split it into two. It just seemed that there was too much action for one chapter... The historical accuracy of these events may be a little ... improvised, but the cathedral exists and I googled a lot of info on it, so... enjoy!

Only with the bricks from the ruins of the past can we build our future

Chapter 12
February 14th 1498

Outside the shadows of the house, the heat was rising. Today was a day on which people honored the Saint Valentine, a day that was filled with cheer, but also the tension of waiting to see if your special someone would return your feelings. It was also a day that Jane would have preferred spent inside, far away from too much love and emotion.

But this year, she was forced out into the commotion. Not by the Pope as such, but by her own wish to not let down this man. Jane was walking down one of the hallways. She knew that Giulia was waiting for her in one of the sitting rooms while the men had excused themselves to do business. Even if she was not pleased to not be invited, she bit it down this once; she needed the Pope's trust, and she knew she didn't quite have it yet.

"Giovanna!" Giulia called the second Jane entered, rising from a plus coach placed in front of a window. She quickly passed across the floor and wrapped Jane in her arms. "I have missed you so much." There was both the usual happiness and joy in the voice, but also a sad hollowness and true relief that scared Jane.

"And I you." Jane smiled, patting Giulia's shoulders as they pulled away from each other.

"I have a surprise for you, though I am not sure if you will be happy or not." Jane looked at Giulia, interested to know what this could be. "Julio accompanied us. Apparently, your brother will be released soon, so he will be staying in Florence."

Jane smiled a large and worryingly truthful smile. "Why would I not be happy?"

Giulia smirked. "I have noticed the looks of your host." Jane's mouth fell wide open and, sadly, a blush made its appearance. How did she know? "Of course, I know you well enough to know that you would never…" Giulia noticed the blush and her eyes became thin lines. "Unless you have already?"

Jane quickly shook her head. "No, as you said. You know me. And I love Julio."

Giulia gasped loudly, her eyes widening as her hand flew up to cover her already beaming lips. Jane slowly realized the meaning of what she had said. "You love him?" Giulia gasped.

"No, no, not…"

But Jane didn't get the chance to explain herself. Giulia swept forward to once more embrace her friend. "I am so happy for you." Again, that hollowness was there, and Jane's mind went to other things.

She pulled away. "How are you and Rodrigo? Do you still question his loyalty?" Jane's eyes searched Giulia's, which were firmly set on the floor.

"I was in Milan to visit my brother." That was all she said. It was enough.

"I am so sorry." It wasn't even a lie.

Giulia just shook her head, swallowing a lump. "There is no reason to. He is still interested in me, if not for my looks, then for my mind. Vanozza says I should keep my head high and keep my dignity; that way, I will seem elevated from those matters. Besides, it was only once." Jane nodded silently.

They stood like that, without speaking, for a few more minutes. Giulia finally said, "The Pope decided that Ascanio should come here with us. I trust that is not of any inconvenience for you?"

Jane shook her head. Once it would have been, but even then she wouldn't have admitted it. "Not at all. Why would it be?"

"I know about his feelings for you." Giulia sat down on one of the couches, raising an eyebrow.

"I think I might have killed them, last time I met him." Jane sat down beside her, her eyes fixated on empty air. Giulia nodded.

"Cesare should be her soon," she said and, as if on cue, Cesare entered. He was mumbling something to Machiavelli while looking into the papers that he was holding. Then they both nodded and Cesare turned to Jane.

"Giovanna," he said, his face breaking into a smile. "I trust you have been comfortable here?"

Jane smiled back, avoiding eye contact with Machiavelli. "Very much so." She stood up and walked to the two men, followed by Giulia.

"Niccolò just told me about the extension of the election. It is a shame." Cesare nodded in acknowledgement to Giulia.

"It is. But signor Machiavelli is still in the lead, I believe." Jane looked questioningly at Machiavelli, regretting that she looked to him the second their eyes met. But she controlled herself and held his gaze.

"Rumors say I am."

Just then, the door opened and all eyes flew to it. In came the Pope of Rome, clad in marvelous white clothes with embroideries and golden jewelry. Beside him walked a crimson clad Ascanio Sforza, who seemed to be walking with a self-confidence that told Jane that he was still in the Pope's good graces. And right behind them trailed Juan.

"Giovanna, you look as beautiful as ever." The Pope walked over to Jane, a smile playing on his lips. Jane's eyes, though, were trained on Juan as he walked past the group of people directly to a table in front of the couch where he helped himself to some wine.

"Thank you, Your Grace." Jane's eyes quickly wandered off to Juan again. He seemed changed. "I thought your son was in Spain?"

The Pope smiled somehow proudly. "He will be returning in just a few days, to be married."

Jane stared at him, almost gasping. "Married?" Her voice did nothing to hide the shock. Who would be willing to marry a man like him?

"Indeed." The Pope was definitely proud.

Jane looked back at Juan, once more noticing that change and knowing that marriage was not what had changed him. It wasn't love, it wasn't acceptance, it wasn't disappointment over his fate. It was something far scarier than that. And she just couldn't place it.

"Giovanna." Cesare's voice cut through her deep thoughts. "Giovanna, we are leaving now." Then he called Juan's name and before she knew it, they were walking through the crowded streets of Florence.

"Will all these people be in the cathedral?" Jane asked, truly worried.

Cesare shook his head. "Probably not. There is more than one church in this town."

There was. Jane didn't count, but she knew they passed more than just one church on their way through the city before arriving at the cathedral. When she saw it, she was shocked at how she could have spent months in the city without ever seeing this magnificent building.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore was built in light, almost white stones that towered probably halfway to heaven, decorated with carvings and statues placed in niches in the wall. The stones were also decorated with colored rectangular patterns, mostly in a light brown and deep green, and Jane could only guess how long it had taken to finish. Granted, this church stood no chance against the St. Peter's of Rome, but it still held a different charm.

Jane's eyes were led by the patterns towards the far end of the Basilica where she saw something that topped everything she had yet seen in this city. Functioning as a roof, a large dome had been placed on top of the building, crowned by a white tower all the way at the top, seemingly only meters away from touching the white clouds.

"I have always admired that," Cesare said to her when he saw her stare at the roof of the church.

"It is beautiful," Jane agreed.

"The church itself was built early in the 14th century." Jane looked at Machiavelli, whose eyes were also set on the dome. "But that-" he gestured to the dome "-is a newer addition. It has only just finished. Do you know Brunelleschi?" he asked Cesare.

Cesare nodded. "He built that?"

"Designed it." Machiavelli smirked before leading them towards the doors of the cathedral. Here, they found Giulia waiting for them.

"Where did the Pope go?" Cesare asked her.

"He left with a monk. Apparently they had something to discuss before he can preach."

"I should go check on him," Cesare said, already moving in the direction appointed by Giulia. "These are dangerous times, especially if you're the Pope and you are in Florence."

Then he left the four others to find seats. Because of their high social status, they could sit in the front, close to the altar. Jane ended up sitting between Giulia and Juan, the reek of wine and possibly something stronger catching her vampire senses' attention. She couldn't help but let her gaze wander towards him for a moment. He looked like he was going to fall asleep any moment now.

"The Pope is all right." Cesare suddenly appeared, taking a seat beside his brother. Jane could tell that he also caught the scent of alcohol. "They just needed to check if he was here and ready. Though I would still recommend not participating in the communion, this place just stinks of Della Rovere."

Then music started playing and the choir started singing. Jane shifted in her seat, attempting to find a comfortable posture in the hard seats.

"You seem bored already." Juan's breath was on her ear as he leaned in a bit too closely, a side-effect of either the alcohol or Juan's attraction to practically any female.

"How could I be when you are here to entertain me?" Jane whispered back, her voice drenched in irony. She could just sense the way he smirked.

"You never did strike me as religious." Jane sighed deeply and concentrated on the Pope's entrance. "What do you say about finding other ways of honoring God?" Juan's hand brushed against her upper arm. She quickly brushed it away.

"The only way you could honor God right now is to sober up and at least seem to be listening to the sermon."

"And I who thought this day was dedicated to Saint Valentine," he mused.

"Saint Valentine is the saint of courtly love and romance, not whoring with a drunken man." Juan sighed and leaned back into his seat. Jane closed her eyes in relief and refocused on the ceremony.

From what she could hear, Rodrigo was preaching of love and chastity, something that would win over a lot more listeners if he himself was chaste. But he was a good preacher, and the crowd was engulfed by his sermon.

Jane listened closely to his words, trying to hang onto every one of them. She needed to show dedication and interest in his work if she ever wanted to be completely trusted by him again. If she was able to show him that she had listened to his sermon later, he surely would be impressed.

But something distracted her. She couldn't set a finger on it, but something was off. Something had changed. It was like there was a slight change in the air around her, it seemed more enclosed, and a small noise that seemed to come from above was annoying her. It was the sound of something slowly crumbling.

She looked to her left. Juan's eyes were looking towards a beautiful woman with a large bosom sitting one row ahead of them, on the left side of the path between the benches. To her right, Giulia was staring at her lover and listening closely to his words. Jane contemplated whether to turn around and look behind her, but it seemed impolite and unnecessary.

The Pope's voice echoed through the ship of the cathedral, sometimes accompanied by the voices of the choir singers. Jane's eyes wandered upwards to the beautifully decorated ceiling, and for a moment her eyes widened in horror.

Then a scream pierced through the air just as the first stones fell.