Part one: chapter twelve
Giglio-Nero Residence
March, 1600
Alexandra watched the doctor with expectations, waiting for him to confirm what she had been thinking since yesterday and Giotto had been stubbornly refusing to hear without having a professional opinion. Even Luce seemed to be agreeing with her, even though she refrained to only allow her out of the bed for meals and small strolls - and yet, amusement was clear on her face whenever she listened to the discussion on the matter exchanged by the two of them. .
The host, while silent, was also watching every move the doctor had been making ever since his arrival to the guest bedroom. For obvious reasons, she banned Giotto's for participating in the meeting, though Lizzie was there as well, sitting quietly in the corner, ready to help with anything that would be required.
Dan was taking his time with giving her a reply, packing all his equipment, occasionally throwing her a thoughtful look, as if assessing her state once more. He had been very thorough with his examination, she had taken notice of that fact - while he had done a great job the last time she had had a chance of meeting him, this time he seemed to be even more careful with giving his opinion. But, she reasoned with herself, she had been in a much worse accident than being held captive in the forest. Certain level of caution was expected.
It had been three days since she had woken up and the stay in bed was making her restless, despite all the help and care she had been receiving.
"You are good enough to travel. But without much strain, please." Dan said finally with a sigh, closing his bag. "Straight back to Giotto's place without any stops on the way, preferably."
She didn't jump in her bed in joy, trying to conceal it mostly for Luce's sake, as she didn't want to make the woman feel as if she didn't appreciate everything she had done so far. Because she did, very much so, but there was only as much resting she could take.
"Thank you. For coming here and checking on me." she said instead, smiling with gratitude at the doctor.
"Don't worry about it. I will send my bill straight to Giotto." he replied with a shrug of his shoulder.
She made a mental note to intercept it before he had a chance to pay for it. There was no reason for him to take over her expenses.
"Will you stay for dinner? We are going to eat something soon." Luce said from the other side of the bed.
"No, I have a tight schedule today. And a few ladies in the village are expected to give birth soon, I want to be around in case that happens." he replied, picking up his bag.
Luce nodded her head, not a sign of disappointment showing on her face. She was used to Dan's constant rejections of any offer of staying in. But with the amount of work he had taken upon himself, it was something she had no hard time to forgive.
"I will walk you out of the door."
Once the goodbyes were said and the door closed behind the two of them, Alexandra sighed, resting her head against the headboard of the bed. She still had a recurring headache, something she had mentioned to Dan, but played it down a little bit, afraid that it could lead to her longer stay under the care of others.
"Are you sure you are alright, Miss?" Lizzie asked, standing up and nearing her side.
"Yes, I'm fine." Alexandra replied, raising her head and throwing the maid a smile. "You don't need to worry anymore, you know how it usually is."
The maid nodded her head, though didn't look fully convinced by her words.
"Do you know what happened to my dress? I was changed, but I can't find it anywhere in the room." the brunette switched the subject.
It was actually nurturing her ever since she had taken the opportunity to get off the bed for the first time and take a small stroll around the room. As they were probably going to leave soon, she needed to have something to dress, as travelling in a bathrobe was not something too tempting.
"It was taken to be cleaned. After the accident it was quite dirty." Lizzie replied.
Alexandra stilled for a second. In the chaos of everything that happened, she had forgotten about the piece of paper that had found its way into her pocket during their trip to the Town Centre before going to Cavallone Residence. Seeing a network that had been involved in delivering it, the note could concern only one thing. It would be impossible to get the copy of that or reach out to whoever sent it. Not when the paper was the only thing consisting of that information. She had never had to track the source down through the network and she had an honest doubt it would be a quick or smooth thing to do.
"I took everything from your pockets, Miss." Lizzie added, watching the reaction closely.
"There was a piece of paper in one of them. Did you get it as well?" she asked, trying to conceal the urgency in her voice.
"Yes, I have it in my room. Do you want me to bring it here?"
She heaved a deep sigh of relief, not even realising just how much stressed she had been over the matter.
"No, no need. I will look at it once we are back at Vongola Residence." she replied.
She didn't need to ask whether Lizzie looked inside of it or not. Lizzie had already been let into many of her secrets, though this one Alexandra had kept closely locked away from everyone. Including the younger girl into it would go against every protocol that they had put in place to secure their actions and no one was meant to share it with anyone without the agreement from all sites involved.
"But I will need help from you with one matter." she added after a second. "Once we are back, I will write a letter that will need to be delivered straight to my sister. Can you do that?"
"Of course, Miss." Lizzie replied with no hesitation.
Alexandra nodded her head with gratitude. Even though Giotto was going to oppose it once he found out what she was planning to do, she couldn't stay in his Residence much longer. Not with the danger that she was bringing to the plate at the moment. She still had to work out all the details, mostly how to ensure her safety in her family's house, but she was certain she would be able to get it done.
At least, no one else would be hurt at her expense.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality. I don't think anyone has ever taken such good care of me before."
Luce waved her hand, though seemed pleased by Alexandra's words. It was decided they were going to leave the next day, to avoid travelling in the dark and to let her get some more rest. So soon after they had eaten their breakfast, a carriage was already awaiting them, secured with two armed drivers. They didn't seem familiar, even though the crest on the door was a clear sign it belonged to Vongola House, but Alexandra realised that she had probably never met all the staff hired by Giotto. As far as she was aware from her father's stories and from her time spent in Vongola Residence, it seemed like at least Alaude had his own team that he was working with.
Either way, precautions had obviously been made to ensure nothing happened during their trip back.
"It was no issue at all. You were the most pleasant patient I have had in a long time, so I consider it a pleasure." Luce replied with a warm smile.
Her usual patients had been Vongola members and Arcobaleno team, so she really considered Alexandra as one of her least problematic guests.
"Please let me know how I can repay you." the brunette requested.
Luce was about to refuse the offer, but the look on the younger woman's face told her she was going to be stubborn about it. Alexandra hated being in debt to anyone, as it seemed.
"I will think of something and let you know. I know where you are staying, so reaching out won't be a problem."
She wasn't certain if she was imagining things, but a problematic and a bit guilty look crossed Alexandra's face. Luce was usually fast in recognizing the emotions of others and guessing what they were feeling and why. That made her curious. It didn't make much sense for the brunette to feel that way about staying in Vongola Residence - it was going to be her home in the future, as far as she was aware. Considering how much time she had spent there already, she should get used to it by now.
"We are ready."
Both turned to G, who stood in the doorframe of the house, looking at them with bored, but polite, expression. There were not many bags to be loaded anyway, only the ones he and Giotto brought with themselves, as everything they had packed for the visit in Cavallone Residence had been left behind in the fallen carriage.
Together with the gift she had bought for the newly born child, much to her dismay. She had really chosen the perfect present, which most probably had been destroyed during the impact.
Alexandra nodded her head, before turning back towards their host.
"You can visit whenever you want. And bring Giotto with you, as the man has been quite neglective with that." Luce said before she had the opportunity to open her mouth.
The invitation was honest, there was no doubt with that and Alexandra had wondered whether she would have the opportunity to do so anywhere in the future. If her plan was successful, she would probably not be around for a long time, at least until her father was back. And then her ties to Vongola House would be severed as per their original agreement.
She wasn't certain whether the invitation would be forwarded as well then. Luce was Giotto's friend, after all, and Alexandra suspected her open attitude was partially caused by the current idea she had about their relationship.
For the first time, she had wondered just how many ties would be broken together with their engagement.
Vongola Residence
March, 1600
Alexandra didn't know why sending one letter could evoke so much stress and anxiety - especially since she sent it to her own sister. Lizzie had picked it up and delivered it in the evening the prior day, as soon as they had returned to the Vongola Residence and rested well enough for Alexandra to organise her thoughts enough to send it.
The logical part of her brain was telling her that the message from Elsbeth wouldn't be sent back in at least two or three days - her sister rarely replied straight away to the letters, considering the amount she received on a daily basis. She had no doubt that Elsbeth would prefer to first take care of her duties, before getting to the more private messages.
She needed to know if the Council was still looking for a way to break her engagement to Giotto. With her desire to return home, she had to plan it properly to not damage his reputation amongst her family. The Council, while a bother occasionally, still held a great power in the Carlevaro Family, and giving them any insinuation she wanted to return home would be read incorrectly by them. If they read it as if she was mistreated by Giotto, the relationship between the two houses could be strained.
With the help Giotto had offered so far to her, the last thing she wanted to do was to impair the man's rise in the ranks in any way. Even though the anxiety she had felt after the attack was pushing her towards packing her bags and disappearing in the middle of the night, she stopped herself from acting on the rush of her emotions. Instead, she forced herself to think it through and decide on the proper way of doing so after she had all the cards in her hands.
But it still didn't stop her from fidgeting nervously in the main library of the Vongola Residence, where she was sitting with Elena and enjoying the quiet afternoon.
"Alex!"
The louder voice made her jump in her seat and she looked at the woman in front of her startled, brought back from her thoughts.
"Are you sure you are alright?" Elena asked. "I have been trying to catch your attention for some time, but you were so gone in your own world nothing would reach you."
Blue eyes shone with worry as she observed the brunette, trying to read anything from the alarmed face. She felt a spike of guilt seeing it, uncertain whether raising her voice was such a good idea, considering the events the brunette had gone through.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about… something." Alexandra replied, pushing her hair behind her ear nervously.
If she wasn't so worried about her new friend, Elena would smile at the miserable attempt of avoiding her question.
"You seem to be drifting away very often recently." she pointed out.
Leaning forward, she put her book aside and rested her elbows on the table separating both women. They didn't have time to talk about it - Alexandra had barely returned the previous day, tired and seemingly sleep deprived, joining her only for dinner before retiring to her bedroom. Giotto hadn't told Elena much upon her inquiry other than she already knew from his previous stay in the Residence soon after the attack. He had only requested her to not push too much unless Alexandra was willing to speak on her own.
The brunette looked at her for a moment, before sighing.
"I can't sleep too well since our return." Alexandra admitted eventually, turning her eyes towards the window. "I have some nightmares that keep me awake."
It was a partial truth, but it was the only part she could share with Elena at the moment.
She had been waking up, gasping for air, ever since she had regained her consciousness in Giglio Nero Residence - the hooded figure had been occupying her dreams, always hiding somewhere in the shadow of whatever dream she was having, the looming danger always present there, even when she was trying to get some rest.
"Is it caused by the attack?" Elena asked, her eyes turning compassionable.
"The accident itself was a scary occurrence, but the men that came after it left the lasting impression." she admitted. "It might not be the first time I experienced it, but the one that attacked me and Lizzie was… there was something around him that still makes me shiver."
"They were Flame Users, right?" Elena asked.
The question made Alexandra's stiffen nervously before she nodded her head, cautiously awaiting Elena's next words.
She had no reason to not trust Giotto's promise - the man had done nothing yet to betray her confidence in him, but at the same time she was well aware that the bond he shared with his family was one of the deepest she had ever seen. He probably wouldn't tell her secret out of animosity, but if it was for the sake of her protection… she wasn't certain what to fully expect of him yet.
"I'm glad Giotto was with you. If it was anyone else outside of the Guardians, I have a feeling it would end so much worse." Elena sighed with relief. "He is one of the most skilled fighters in the Family."
Alexandra nodded after a moment of hesitation.
"Not that I saw much of it, the carriage completely obscured my vision, but he did manage to keep all of us safe in the end." she agreed, before adding. "I never took him for a fighter. Not with the amount of time he spends in his office."
She hoped that Elena would accept the sway of the subject. The blonde seemed to be reluctant to do so at first, but eventually yielded to it.
"He went through the same training as G did when they were younger. And he had been polishing his skills with all the Guardians before the work as the Lord took over his time and kept him in his office for long hours." the blonde leaned back in her chair, a small smile on her lips. "Believe it or not, whenever they had to train together, Demon was… I don't want to say he was afraid, but as much as I love the man, I think it's the best word to describe it. Just like the rest of the guys here. Aside from Alaude, but he is in a different category."
Alexandra titled her head curiously. It was obvious that everyone in the House greatly respected Giotto, but respecting someone and being afraid of them was a completely different matter.
On the other hand, she realised, if Giotto possessed the Flame, the others might have had it as well - ever since she had started thinking of it, the less of the naming of the Wings in the Residence seemed to be accidental. The Sky Flame was the strongest by nature, but it took a skilled user to free its full potential. It wasn't a secret that the Prince of the kingdom, while skipping most of his training, was still one of the strongest users in the nation because of the mere nature of the Sky Flame.
He was still bitten to pulp by Lorenzo, though, whenever they were forced to train together by the King, but not many dared to say it aloud. She had a chance to witness it on her own thanks to her numerous stays at Capitol and the connections she had thanks to Avery and Mia, and she couldn't stop but felt a spike of pride at her childhood friend every time.
"My father's decision is slowly making more sense." she commented, realising that Elena awaited her answer. "Not that I doubted it before, don't take me wrong. But I was curious why he thought I would be safer in the Residence with no trained Mafia members. Apparently, he knew much more than he let on."
"He made the best decision, having Giotto protect you." Elena said gently with confidence. "He may not be in the Mafia yet, but his skills are not lacking in comparison."
Alexandra's forehead furrowed curiously as she looked at the blonde with more attention than before.
"He is planning on joining the ranks?" she asked before she could stop herself.
She regretted not biting her tongue when Elena visibly paled, realising her mistake. It wasn't usually discussed outside of the Vongola House and even Giotto never made it clear that it was a secret in any way, the blonde wasn't certain whether anyone outside of their own members should be aware of it.
"I don't think I was supposed to say that." the blonde said under her breath.
"It won't leave this room. If you prefer, we can pretend we never spoke of it in the first place." Alexandra rushed to ensure the woman.
Elena looked at her for a moment, before dropping her head in defeat.
"Even if we do it, I'm still disappointed in myself." she sighed. "I think I just forget sometimes you are not a part of Vongola and don't know everything that is happening around."
"I have been here for some time now. Longer than we all expected." Alexandra agreed, reaching out and squeezing Elena's hand. "But as I said, I won't share it with anyone else. It's not really my business to stick my nose into it."
Elena nodded her head in gratitude, squeezing back, but it was obvious that the situation was going to bother her for a long time to follow.
Clearing her throat and straightening, she continued speaking in hopes to make Elena's mood better.
"On the other hand, I may help him gain some contacts in the Capitol once he will be open about his intentions. You heard of Duke Bianco di Cervo, didn't you?" when the blonde nodded her head, Alexandra added. "My aunt is married to him. It will be the least I can do for all the protection he is giving me. I'm sure neither of them will have anything against pushing forward my, by then, ex-fiance."
She added the last bit with humour, which seemed to have some effect on Elena, as a smile appeared on her face.
"Duchess Amelia is your aunt?" the blonde grasped the subject. "Now that you mention it, there is a similarity between the two of you."
"Yes, she is my father's sister. She lived with us for a great part of my life, so we are quite close to each other." Alexandra confirmed. "Have you met her?"
"A few times. I had a chance to talk to her, but it was mostly a polite small talk than anything else. But I heard she is very close with the youngest princess."
"That's true. She and Avery are basically inseparable. They can be of great help for Giotto when he tries to expand." she confirmed.
"Unless he will get in their bad graces after you two announce the break of engagement." Elena said teasingly.
"Oh please, he will just charm his way into their hearts. They will love Giotto before we both know it." Alexandra waved her hand dismissively.
"Who will love me and why?"
The additional voice in the room made them both freeze for a moment, both looking guilty.
Looking over her shoulder, Alexandra's surprise only deepened when she noticed that Giotto was not standing alone in the entrance of the library.
"Who and for what would not love you?" she asked back testingly, mostly for the sake of the additional guest.
Elsbeth looked at her sister with raised eyebrows.
Alexandra replied with furrowed ones.
Both sisters failed to communicate without words.
Giotto looked between the two of them for a split second, slightly amused and confused, though eventually turned back towards the brunette.
"That's a very diplomatic answer." he pointed out. "I took the liberty of showing your guest a way here."
"I can see that. Elsbeth, I didn't know you were planning to visit." Alexandra directed her attention towards her sister, a questioning look on her face. "Is mother here as well?"
"No, she is at home. Sorry for dropping unannounced, but I was in the area. I thought it would be a good opportunity to check on my beloved younger sister." Elsbeth replied politely.
If Alexandra had a lesser grip on her emotions, she would be collecting her jaw from the floor right now. It was possibly the nicest way Elsbeth had ever described her for anyone and she didn't know how to feel about it.
"Miss Baudelaire, it's lovely to meet you. I hope Alex is not too much of a bother to you."
Alexandra mentally nodded to herself, feeling a bit of relief washing over her - that sounded more like her sister.
She knew she failed to contain her mimical expression the moment she caught the look of amber eyes, noticing the way Giotto kept himself from laughing while observing her. She sent him a glare, though it didn't make much of an impression, as he seemed to be only more amused.
"She is a perfectly joyous company, Elsbeth." Elena replied easily. "Would you like to join us for some tea?"
"Maybe some other time. I don't have much time, but there is something I must urgently discuss with you, Alex."
This time, Alexandra didn't have much of an issue with reading her sister's eyes - the irritation and a hint of worry was visible there. She expected Elsbeth was there due to the letter she had sent, though she failed to see why it would evoke such a reaction from her.
"You can use my office if you need privacy." Giotto offered, apparently reading the atmosphere between the two sisters.
"I don't want to keep you from your work." Alexandra replied, tearing her eyes away from Elsbeth. "We will go to my room, if that's fine."
"Whatever you are comfortable with." he said with a shrug.
Giotto followed the two sisters with his eyes as they left the room.
It had been the first time he had seen Elsbeth so expressive.
When he had met with her in the corridor as Matteo was inviting her over - a coincidence, he was on his way to the kitchen to find some snack - she was biting the inside of her cheek, a troubled expression on her face, which she had made sure to cover as soon as she had become aware of his presence there.
He couldn't help wondering whether it was connected somehow with the matter of the spy amongst the Carlevaro House, the one Francesco had been worried about before he had left on his mission.
"I might have done something bad."
Elena's voice made him turn back towards her with a questioning look on his face. The guilty expression and the apologising glint in her eyes made his worry switch to the woman in front of him.
"What happened?" he asked instantly.
He made his way towards the table and took the seat on the chair that Alexandra had just left.
"I accidentally let it slip that you are planning to join the Mafia." she admitted with a hesitation, watching him for a reaction.
Giotto watched her for a moment, waiting for continuation, but it never came.
"To whom?" he asked.
"Alex. I'm sorry. We were talking and it just came out." Elena continued. "Is it bad?"
He shook his head immediately, resting against the back of the chair in relief.
He wasn't certain what he was expecting to hear, but it was definitely much better than anything else.
"No, not really. I will need to make my movement more visible soon anyway, and I doubt I will be able to do anything without the support of Carlevaro and Cavallone House. Francesco already knows about my aspiration, so Alexandra would find out sooner or later." he replied.. "So don't worry about it, it could be much worse."
"I'm sorry." Elena repeated herself, a sheepish look on her face.
Giotto laughed, shaking his head at her while reaching to steal one of the cookies displayed on the table. It had become a ritual between the two females in the house, he noticed. He had his suspicions that the snacks were more for Alexandra's sake than Elena, but he kept it to himself.
"Elena, there is nothing to be sorry for." he said, looking at her with a smile before turning serious. "I'm much more relieved that you have a female companion to talk with. I was worried you are becoming lonely here."
"That's true. It's nice to talk to someone without forcing some subjects on them." she replied.
Giotto looked at her with a clear sight of offence written all over his face.
"You are not forcing any of us to do anything," he promised.
This time Elena looked at him with a gentle smile, making herself comfortable on her chair and watching the man in front of her for a moment.
They didn't have many opportunities to talk to each other anymore - while she had a lot of time on her hands, his own was occupied by his work and numerous businesses he was overseeing to ensure the growth of the family he felt responsible for. They had been doing it a lot more often in the past, soon after she had joined Vongola. She didn't feel abandoned, though. It was Demon who was her most beloved companion and while she loved Giotto as if he was her own brother, she would not let go of the time she could spend with her fiance, whenever she could.
"I know you all do your best for me, but I am quite certain none of you enjoy certain subjects. And while it's impossible to feel lonely with all you guys, it is still nice to have someone to discuss the matters I can't with you." she admitted.
"There is something you can't discuss with us?" he asked in turn with a humour in his voice.
"You would be surprised. Amongst other things,I don't think you would be open to discussing the physical assets of other men." Elena said.
She watched, with a teasing glim in her eye, as a cookie paused in the middle of its way to Giotto's lips and he looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
"You two are gossiping about other men?"
"Not really gossiping, more like exchanging our reflections and observations." swh smiled wider at the look on his face. "Why? Are you jealous?"
"That's Demon's work to be jealous about other men you pay attention to." he pointed out with exasperation.
"For me, yes. But your fiancee is also participating in those conversations, you know." she pointed out. "Alex seems to be more favourable to blonds than dark haired men, just so you know."
He tried so hard not to blush that she barely could stop herself from laughing out loud.
"Despite my role, it's not my place to discuss or concern myself with Alexandra's… taste of men," he replied.
"I was thinking. Now that you know what it is like to have another woman around, perhaps you will take into consideration actually getting engaged for real." she continued, fully enjoying the way he was rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just going to point out that there is already a fiancee of yours in the Residence."
"And I'm not diving into that conversation."
Elena's laughter was following him when he made a haste escape from the library.
Alexandra watched patiently as her sister looked around the guest bedroom she was currently occupying. As if assessing the conditions her younger sister had been living in ever since leaving her family home. Usually, Alexandra didn't expect Lizzie to clean all her mess, especially her desk, but since they came to Vongola Residence, the maid was in desperate need of some work - she was usually helping the other staff around the Residence, but at the same time she had to keep her main role as chaperone to Alexandra. So whenever the brunette was not in the presence of Elena, she made sure to be by her side. As it was expected of her.
And yet, it made Alexandra missing the moment of solitude, which now she could only have at night, when Lizzie was sleeping in the bedroom next to her
It was almost like a vacation for her, Lizzie said during one of the conversations, pointing out that she was going to go crazy without any tasks. So Alexandra yielded and let her organise her stuff around the bedroom.
It was probably the cleanest room she occupied ever since she had been born.
"I got your letter." Elsbeth said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"Good. I was hoping to hear back from you soon."
Elsbeth turned towards her sister, both watching each other for a moment.
It had been a few weeks since they had last seen each other, but Alexandra didn't see much difference in her older sister - she was as elegant and perfect as ever, with accessories carefully chosen to fit her clothes and her hair perfectly done by her personal maid. There was no thread out of place. Though it came as no surprise. The older woman had a long list of experience and recommendations to take care of the future Lady of the Founding House.
"Why are you interested in the Council?" Elsbeth inquired.
"I'm not interested in them in general. I'm only curious about their perception of my engagement." she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.
The dark haired sister didn't look convinced.
"You never paid too much attention to them. Why now?"
"You were the one who told me a few months back that they were looking for the possibility of breaking my engagement. I just wanted to follow up and see if it has changed." Alexandra explained, sitting down on the edge of the armchair.
Elsbeth removed her eyes from her sister, instead making her way closer to the window and looking through it. She was silent for a moment, watching the gardens outside it. It was a nice view with a forest and small pond outside the gates of residence visible.
"Everyone is occupied with the ongoing investigation at this moment. I cannot say they are still looking into your engagement, but I also cannot negate it." she said eventually after a short pause. "If they were, what were you planning to do?"
That was a good question. Alexandra hadn't planned so far yet, wanting to first get up to date with everything that was happening in her own family.
She wanted to return to her family Residence - even though she would place herself directly in the danger of the spy's actions, she couldn't put the Vongola family in harm's way anymore. There were many aspects to be considered once she would put her idea in work: making sure Giotto wouldn't interfere into it, avoiding too many questions from her own family and making everything with as little consequences as possible to both herself and Vongola Family.
"I doubt there is anything I can do." she replied honestly with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Are you searching for a way out of the Contract?"
Elsbeth's question took her by surprise - she had made sure that nothing in her letter gave such an indication as she didn't want to raise any suspicions. Bringing up the conversation from the Christmas dinner seemed like a good enough excuse to reach out to her sister at that time.
"Why would I do that?." she replied.
Elsbeth looked over her shoulder at her sister, taking a few seconds to observe her.
"I don't know. But I also still don't know why you got engaged so rapidly in the first place. Or why father had you move to the Residence of your fiance. I don't think even the future Queen trains so long to become a wife." she said, cold blue eyes watching the younger woman.
"Are you implying something?" Alexandra did her best to not waver under the stare.
"I'm just saying I don't understand anything that is concerning your engagement."
The brunette stood up from her seat, straightening her dress and taking a few steps forward. Inside, she was feeling her guts squeezing nervously in the fear of her sister discovering the truth. Elsbeth's reaction, her unexpected appearance in the Vongola Residence and direct approach to the conflict, was something she hadn't considered to happen when writing the letter. She wasn't prepared for going against her sister and telling her all the lies they had prepared for the sake of the cover Francesco came up with. Usually, Elsbeth didn't concern herself much with her sister's affairs and Alexandra expected her to do the same now.
"I got engaged, like any other female out there. You and mother have been the ones to point out that my third season as unbetrothed women would start soon." she replied, not turning towards Elsbeth. "Unlike you, my education lacked many of the aspects that are required in the role of the Lady of the House. Is it really that incomprehensible that I use the time we spent on waiting for father to return?"
"Yes, it is." Elsbeth replied shortly.
Alexandra waited for a moment, giving her sister a time to say anything more, but nothing came. She turned around, looking at her sister questioningly, not fully believing that Elsbeth would leave the growing argument at such a stage, without trying to enforce her own point of view.
Instead of continuing it, she was simply standing in the room, watching Alexandra with her head barely tilted to the side, biting the inside of her cheek. It was so an unusual display of uncertainty on her behalf that it felt as if watching a completely different person.
"As far as I am concerned, the Council doesn't look into it anymore. They are all preoccupied with the ongoing investigation." Elsbeth repeated her previous statement.
"Everyone is involved?" Alexandra asked, not even containing her surprise.
While the Council 's main task was to support their leader, the current one was more involved in the politics of running the House than the actual job that the Lord of it was performing on a daily basis. With the Lord of the House being often absent from the House for a long period of time, there were many matters that could not be left unattended awaiting him. Still, there were situations when Francesco had requested help from one of the members, there wasn't a time where all of them dropped their usual works and joined the Lord.
At least Alexandra couldn't remember such a situation.
"No matter how much time he spent on training, Gabriel is not father. He doesn't have skills and experience that are desperately needed right now. So they are all supporting him as much as they can." Elsbeth replied, a shadow of irritation crossing her face. "I can't fathom how much of an actual help they are, but at least they are not sitting somewhere, occupied by things that I cannot fathom are more important than this and waiting for him to fail."
The brunette watched her sister closely, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Are you talking about our father?" she asked.
Elsbeth didn't answer her to confirm or negate the question, but the way she had tilted her chin up, barely visible to untrained eye, told Alexandra she was right.
"I doubt he is out there for pleasure, Elsbeth. You know the importance of the work he is usually doing."
Alexandra was almost certain her sister rolled her eyes in frustration, though the reaction didn't seem fitting for Elsbeth.
"That's the thing, Alex. We don't know. All we know is that his missions are assigned by the Royal Family. He is the one that always told us how important it was. Have you ever heard what he did in detail?"
Alexandra watched her with confusion, not certain what exactly Elsbeth was implying or where her question came from. They all knew perfectly well what her father was doing - not only inside the House, but also everyone who was aware who the Carlevaro Family was and the role they played as the member of the closest circle of the King. .
"Of course. He takes care of every situation that can endanger the nation or Royal Family." she replied cautiously.
Elsbeth shook her head, sighing in annoyance. Glancing at her younger sister, the woman took a few steps and took a seat on the armchair standing in the room before she continued.
"No. That's too general. Have you heard of any specifics of his missions, as to when and with whom and what for he went there? What danger exactly has he stopped?"
The way Elsbeth was talking was irking Alexandra.
Her first impulse was to launch into a defensive position to protect their absent father from any negative words that could be thrown his way. She had witnessed many times just how tired he had been upon returning from his mission and how much some of them weighed on his mind. But it could do nothing to help the situation, she realised, watching Elsbeth as she sat in the armchair, her face unnaturally troubled and eyes darkened by irritation and worry.
And fear? Alexandra wasn't certain about it.
Taking a deep breath, she closed the distance between her sister and herself, taking a second chair. Now when they were sitting close to each other she could see that Elsbeth was far from being as perfect as she usually was. While her clothes and appearance seemed unphased, her eyes and the circles under them - to an extent which the make up was not able to cover - told a different story.
"Elsbeth, what's going on?" she asked gently. "You have never questioned father's decisions or work before."
Two pairs of teal eyes clashed with each others and both sisters assessed each other.
For a moment, she thought Elsbeth was going to answer her truthfully. But as quickly as it came, the older sister suddenly seemed to close herself off, her face becoming guarded and collected as she locked all her emotions behind the wall.
"It's nothing. I think I am just too irritated with everything that is going on in the house." the older sister replies after clearing her throat gently. "I'm sorry. I have taken my frustration to you."
"You are not telling me something." Alexandra said directly, furrowing her brows.
She waited for a moment, but Elsbeth didn't say anything. Hesitating for a second, the brunette stood up and took a few steps forward, crouching in front of her sister so they were both at similar eye level. She didn't have much experience in dealing with her sister's moods or fears. Whenever the similar feelings were present in any of sisters' lives, both tended to separate themselves from the others, dealing with it on their own.
"If there is anything going on in the House, whether it concerns the Council or anything else, you need to tell me. We can find a way to reach our father, Mia and Josh will definitely help with that." she continued to break the silence.
She didn't take Elsbeth's hand to console her or show her support. It wasn't how they communicated with each other. Doing so would make both of them uncomfortable and - most probably - put more walls between them at the moment. That was the last thing Alexandra wanted to do as she needed to find out what was making Elsbeth behave so much out of character.
The older sister only shook her head.
"It's impossible to reach him, you know that. Never before has anyone been able to do that, even when you were close to death and no one could help you. I still remember our mother's panic and helplessness when she had to deal with your sickness on her own, facing all the doctors failing to help you. " Elsbeth replied.
"He did come back home eventually. And helped with curing me." Alexandra pointed out immediately.
The history hadn't been often brought up, as the memory of it seemed to heavily hang over the heart of Beatrice. She might not remember any of it, as she had been mostly out at that time, but she got the short version of it at one point from maids that served them for many years.
"So there must be a way of reaching out to him." she continued, not certain if she believed in her own words. "Just tell me what is going on."
Elsbeth scanned her face, trying not to let any emotions show up. But the struggle behind her eyes was clear and obvious, the uncertainty of her own thoughts shining in the usually cold and guarded look. That only strengthened Alexandra's confidence in her own suspicions.
She was sure that none other words would reach her older sister, breaking her defensive stature. Which is why the sudden sigh and unusual slumping of Elsbeth's shoulder almost made her fall on her behind, though she collected herself.
"I can't tell you. Not yet at least." Elsbeth said, before looking at her with sudden sharpness in her eyes. "But whatever you do, don't return home."
"What do you mean?"
Alexandra felt a shiver running down her spine, as she swallowed under the imploring look of her sister. There was something almost terrifying in the intensity of it, something that she had never seen before in anyone. And that scared her more than the mystery behind Elsbeth's words.
"I mean that you won't be safe there. And I'm not sure if we can trust the people we have been trusting our entire lives." the older sister continued, her forehead scrunching. "No matter what will be happening and what you will hear, do not come back until I myself will tell you it's safe."
"You believe there is someone betraying the family." Alexandra didn't voice it as a question.
It fell in line with what their father discovered. But she had no idea how Elsbeth could come to the same conclusion, how she could discover it - even Francesco hadn't been able to find out who was behind all of what was happening in their own House. There was no physical evidence that someone was actually doing it other than his own suspicions.
Was someone reckless enough to make a mistake and make his intention clear enough to Elsbeth to recognize the bad intention?
As her heart rate increased, she felt that being so close to discovering the truth for the first time even though she had been away from her own home overwhelmed her. Alexandra stood up, rubbing her shoulder with anxiety. Taking a deep breath, she took a few steps back, even in her current state not wanting to take too much of Elsbeth's personal space for too long to not make her feel as if she tried to intimidate her, standing over her.
"You need to tell me who it is." she implored, not waiting for Elsbeth to confirm her previous statement.
The older sister watched her pacing for a moment, collecting her thoughts and getting a grip of her own emotions.
"That's the thing, Alex. I don't know. And what I heard is impossible to believe in." the older sister replied.
Alexandra stopped her packing, turning towards her companion.
"Heard from whom?" she asked suspiciously.
Elsbeth only shook her head, standing up as well.
"I can't tell you." she replied, voicing her hesitation before continuing. "Alex, I know we were never too close to each other, despite growing up together in one house. But even so, you are my younger sister. I care about your safety. Which is why I cannot answer any of your questions. I will, once I have all the information, but not now."
The brunette stiffened in surprise when Elsbeth suddenly closed the space between them, taking a hold of her arms and stilling any movement Alexandra could make. She forced her to look into her eyes to make sure to read any attempt of lying or avoiding her next words.
"You need to promise me you will stay here as long as it's needed." Elsbeth said.
"You are contradicting yourself. A few minutes before you told me it's not normal to stay here for so long." Alexandra replied, confusion all over her expression.
"It doesn't matter. I just wanted to find out what your letter meant. I need you to promise me, Alex."
A silence fell between them as they studied each other. When the seconds kept passing, Alexandra realised there was no possibility of avoiding answering Elsbeth and telling her what she wanted to hear.
"I will stay here." she said eventually, sighing.
Elsbeth took a moment longer, imploring eyes still watching over her sister, before she nodded her head, taking a step back. It seemed that hearing the promise calmed her down a little, as her face relaxed a tiny bit. There were still worried lines embedded into her forehead, but the intensity of her eyes lessened.
"Also, don't tell anyone about what I just told you." she warned her sister, straightening her dress.
She turned away from her younger sister, taking a deep breath. Once again, she was returning to her role of the future Lady of the House, making sure not an inch of her was out of character when she was preparing herself to face anyone else that she would be passing in the Vongola Residence on her way out.
"Are you safe?" Alexandra asked suddenly, making Elsbeth stop her movement.
"I am. Currently, you are the one whose safety is jeopardised." she replied without hesitation, hoping that the younger sister would not ignore the warning.
Alexandra wasn't certain if she believed her.
"I must be going now. Mother is waiting for me. Once I have something to share, I will visit you." she promised.
"Elsbeth, you need…"
"I can't. And we can spend hours arguing about it, but I won't tell you anything, as I don't know much myself."
Alexandra knew that tone of voice - cutting any argument that she could have, closing the subject that was currently on the table. Elsbeth had returned to her usual self, closing herself off and cutting any connection that could be felt between two sisters barely seconds ago.
"Will you walk me out, please?"
:"If you won't write to me in a week, I will come check on you." Alexandra said instead, looking at her steadily.
Elsbeth raised her eyebrow, a movement in the corner of her eyes indicating she wasn't happy with that statement. But Alexandra could be as determined to keep the end of her bargain as she herself could be.
"I will write to you." she promised with a sigh of defeat. "Just don't come to the house."
It was as much as Elsbeth could give her at the moment and Alexandra had to accept it.
But she couldn't stop herself from feeling a strike of panic in her heart as she watched the door closing behind her sister - the sound of it seemed final, echoing in the hallway, as if something was going to end soon and none of them was able to stop it.
Even though the surroundings were familiar to her after the time she had spent in Vongola Residence, Alexandra suddenly felt lonely as she had never felt before in her life. Until now, the prospect of returning home was something she had taken as certainty.
Now, it was taken away from her with the promise she had to give to her sister.
Alexandra stood in front of the wooden door, her hand raised to knock before she hesitated.
She had spent the rest of the day and evening in her room under the excuse of being tired. No one had asked twice about it, even though she had noticed the worried look Elena cast her way - all new she was still recovering after the hit she had suffered to her head during the accident.
She had to rethink her options now.
Keeping Vongola in a harmful way was not a good option. She also couldn't return to the safety of her own home, as it apparently was no longer going to provide it for her. The helplessness of the situation kept weighing on her, making her irritated and deflected by her own inability to protect herself even despite the power she possessed for unknown reasons. But thinking about it gave her another idea. She just needed to convince Giotto to help her.
He was still working - the flickering light of a candle was visible through the slit at the bottom of the door, indicating his presence in the office. It wasn't going to be easy. Not with his protectiveness of everyone put in his care and the common perception of woman's nature and position in the society.
But she had a bargain she could use. And she doubted he would refuse her, not when it concerned the thing he needed so much.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, releasing the air when she heard a voice inside, imploring her to enter.