[A/N]: Thanks for reading! Feedback is always welcome!

Chapter 106

Throughout the next several months, Ezio, Rosa, and the three Assassins gathered as much information as they could about Savonarola and his most influential followers. Under Machiavelli's advisement, they narrowed their list of potential targets down to nine and made their plans to strike. The list included an artist, a farmer, a doctor, and a priest, among others. Each, through his occupation, had managed to maintain Savonarola's power over the Florentine districts, and the death of each (the Assassins and Rosa hoped) would embolden the other citizens.

As the year wore on, conditions in the city deteriorated. Soldiers ransacked the homes of those suspected of disobeying Savonarola's teachings. Mobs of children, under the guidance of the so-called "mad monk" himself, began publicly shaming and terrorizing even their own parents for such indiscretions.

As they suspected, Paola's brothel did not remain safe for long. Paola converted it into an inn to avoid trouble, but still offered the services of her courtesans to those people she knew she could trust to provide her with valuable information. La Volpe was able to call in a favor and find a relatively tranquil place where the rest of them could stay until their work was done.

With time being a limited resource, they made their first move as quickly as possible. Ezio began with the artist, and crossed the names of the other targets off his list as he eliminated them. As planned, Paola and La Volpe spread the news of each death and stirred up discontent among the citizens. Machiavelli, ever the political scholar, helped them do develop strategies to organize the growing number of angry Florentines into a powerful enough force to threaten Savonarola's remaining followers.

For her part, Rosa lent her skills as a thief to La Volpe, and occasionally acted as a courier between him and Antonio (although it was rarely safe enough for her to go in and out of the city). In their spare time, she (begrudgingly) practiced leaping from increasingly high buildings into bales of hay with Ezio, who rarely received much in the way of gratitude for the lesson except several ominous glares.

When the situation called for it, she would help Ezio reach his target by distracting guards (as was the case when he had to get to a priest perched atop the Santa Maria del Fiore) or help him fight off anyone who came after them.

Ezio was still uneasy about getting her involved, but it was becoming more and more apparent to him that he had about as much reason to fear for her life as she had to fear for his. In everything except title, Rosa was becoming one of them, whether she knew it or not. It had been happening for a while, actually. The Rosa whose life he had saved from an archer at the Palazzo della Seta was different from the one he had met after his time in Forlì, who was herself different from the one that fought alongside him now.

He certainly thought of her differently, in any case. The whirlwind of feelings he held for her when they first kissed had evolved into something he couldn't exactly explain, but by any indication, Rosa felt the same way. They were both wary of rekindling the romance they originally had for fear that they might be separated again, but Ezio still loved her, maybe now more than ever. It was a different kind of love, perhaps something more closely resembling a powerful friendship. It was a love that was able to accommodate (even embrace) their duties in a way that was easy for both of them.

Ezio was musing to himself about this when, on one afternoon in late May of 1498, Machiavelli opened his door (without knocking) and informed him, "It's time." With that, Ezio put on his robes and followed him out the door.

[A/N]: Here's a quick bit of history about Savonarola (for anyone who doesn't know), just for fun:

Savonarola actually did become something of a de facto religious leader of Florence for several years, and made himself a powerful enemy of Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia). Even the almighty Medici were expelled from the city! He was excommunicated in 1497, and when he later tried to prove his divine right to rule the city by a public "trial by fire" (that is, walking over a fire, red-hot embers, etc. without being burned, thus proving God is on your side), it rained, and many took this as a bad sign from God. With the city now against him, he was arrested and imprisoned in the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio. On May 23, 1498, (with the support of the Vatican) he and two of his supporters were hanged and their bodies burned in the Piazza della Signoria (the same place where Ezio kills him in AC2).

If you visit Florence today, you can walk into the cell in the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio where he was imprisoned (and where Giovanni Auditore was imprisoned in AC2). You can also visit the San Marco church and attached convent where Savonarola lived, and inside you can find Savonarola's room, some of his relics, and a painting of his execution.