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Chapter 75

Rosa took a few steps back.

"You…you're one of them?" she asked.

Ezio nodded. "They inducted me tonight after we fought the Spaniard."

"How long have you been planning to join them?"

"I had not thought about it until tonight," he admitted.

"Merda! That's not a lot of time to make a decision like that!"

She was right, of course. That thought had been harassing him all night. "Do you think it was a mistake?" he asked her.

She sat back down and fidgeted with her hands. "I have no idea, Ezio. You know more about these people and their fight than I do. It isn't the choice I would have made. Not that quickly, anyway."

"It is not the people and their motives that concern me," Ezio told her. "They are my friends, Assassins or not. You still trust Antonio, no?"

"Of course. With my life."

"As do I. He is a good man, but I do not know what he and the others want from me, and I have never done anything so…so permanent."

She sighed as he rubbed his eyes to fight the urge to fall asleep. His fatigue was finally setting in after what had been, with the exception of the time he lost his father and brothers, the most stressful day of his life.

"You should get some rest," Rosa urged him. "It will help you to clear your head."

"You sound just like my mother," he scoffed.

She shot him a dirty look and flicked his nose.

"Ow!" he flinched, covering it.

"Maybe you should listen to us then, stronzo," she retorted. "You can sleep in here with me if you'd like, as long as you don't plan on snoring."

He was too exhausted to argue with her, so he lied back in the bed and waited for her to put out her candle and join him. Within minutes, both were asleep.

The next thing he knew, the sun had risen and its light was dancing across the room and into his eyes. As he tried to get up, he felt a small weight on his chest, which he quickly identified as Rosa's arm. He was going to linger there for a few more minutes, but he heard a knock on the door. It must have been the second one, he thought, as the first one had probably woken him up. He scrambled to his feet and walked over to answer it.

Standing in front of him when he did was a familiar face, accompanied by a familiar booming voice.

"Buongiorno, nipote!" his uncle greeted him. "Antonio told me I might find you here. It is a strange thing to see you so far from Monteriggioni."

"Good morning, Uncle," Ezio replied.

"This seems a fine place to call home for a few years." Mario smiled, peering through the doorway.

"This is not really my room," Ezio corrected him nervously.

"Oh? Then who-"

"Is that Mario?" Rosa asked from inside. The commotion had woken her up again, and she walked over to join them.

"Ah, mi dispiace," Mario bowed. "Forgive the intrusion. I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"Not at all," Rosa assured him. "It is wonderful to see you again."

"You as well, Rosa. I trust your swordplay has improved since we last spoke."

"We'll have to test that sometime," she suggested.

"Bene," Mario chuckled. "I look forward to it."

After a few moments of silence, it became apparent that the pleasantries were to be short lived. Mario turned back to his nephew.

"Ezio, we must attend to some tasks."

"Of course, Uncle. Give me a few moments and I will join you."