Part one: chapter thirteen
April, 1600
Purple eyes watched her in the darkness that surrounded her like a stiff blanket. It was pulling her closer with every tick of the clock that she could not see anywhere in her peripheral vision. Was it even there? She wasn't sure. The overwhelming emptiness of her surroundings suffocated her, robbing her of the ability of clear thinking.
She couldn't see anything other than the purple orbs, shining and glowing with the unnatural light as they watched her unstoppingly, not sparing even a second to blink. Every twitch of her muscle, every intake of breath she made didn't go unnoticed, she could tell that. Her heart was beating unnaturally fast, the sound of it echoing in her ears and she had no doubt the owner of the eyes could hear it too. Like a hunter watching a prey, knowing perfectly well there was nowhere for her to run to, nowhere to hide from the gaze.
Ready to pounce and attack at any second deemed as perfect for doing so.
Forcing her body to move seemed to be an effort beyond her abilities, but she tried to do it anyway, to move away from the penetrating and terrifying gaze. It made no difference as she couldn't tell whether she moved forward or not. Even if a part of her was certain she did so, the purple eyes unyieldingly remained in front of her, not changing its position for even a friction. It moved neither closed nor further away from her.
The only thing she could do was to anticipate her faith, whatever it was.
Teal eyes snapped open when a carriage hit a stone on the road, stirring her awake, followed closely by a hiss of pain when her head hit the side of wall as the result.
"You hurt yourself even in your sleep. It's a talent."
Alexandra glared mildly at G, rubbing the part of her forehead that got hurt. The bangs that adorned the sides of her forehead had gained a functional role. If the bruise formed, she would at least have a way to cover it.
There was something Vongola carriages had against her, she thought to herself, still a bit dizzy from the impromptu nap she had taken.
"Aren't you here to protect me from getting hurt?" She asked, clearing her throat when her voice came out all hoarse.
It was G's time to look at her in slight offence
"What you do in your bedtime is none of my business."
Despite the throbbing of her head, Alexandra couldn't hold back a smile at G's obvious displeasure of being in the carriage. She had no idea how Giotto had convinced the man to accompany them - together with a bunch of Alaude's guards following them on horses.
When Giotto informed her of the invitation he had received from Lorenzo, she had expected him to explain why they couldn't go. But Giotto had surprised her by agreeing to attend the party to celebrate the birth of Cavallone's heir. It had erupted in the loud discussion between him and G, who had accused the Lord of not being careful enough, though, eventually and begrudgingly, the Storm Guardian had yielded only after ensuring he would accompany them together with enough guards to cover the Royal March.
While she had agreed with G on the matter of safety at that instance, Alexandra had stayed on the side, not participating in the argument, as she really wanted to meet the new addition to the family. And she had had no desire to be on the receiving end of either G's or Giotto's glare if she backed up either one of them.
Though she wasn't certain the latter one would do so in the first place.
After some consideration, she realised it had been no incident that Giotto returned her the present she had bought for the little boy - it had been found safe and unscathed in the fallen carriage when Vongola men went to collect the wrack - barely a few minutes before picking up the subject at the breakfast table. If she had backed G up in the argument, he wouldn't force her to go.
The way he averted his eyes with a smirk when she glanced between him and the packed toy suspiciously had told her she had a good hunch.
After a few days of preparation and organising, they found themselves packed in the carriage and surrounded by heavily trained guards. What surprised her, though, was the sight of Cavallone's men patrolling the route as well, as they had passed a few of them on their way.
"Lorenzo is really making sure no one gets hurt." She said aloud when another man dressed in the uniform with a horse on its crest passed their carriage.
"He promised in his invitation to ensure the safety of the travellers. I don't know who exactly he invited, but it was mentioned that a few other families will be there as well." Giotto said from her side, glancing through the window as well.
"He shouldn't invite them in the first place." G mumbled under his breath, a scowl deepening on his face.
"One day of normalcy will be good for everyone." Alexandra said absently.
"You just want to see the kid."
She smiled at G's accusation, making the man huff in annoyance.
She had learned not to take the man's harsh behaviour to her heart, as Giotto and Elena explained to her, as it was one sign that he was in fact caring.
"Everyone has been on edge lately. For those not involved directly with the investigation and search, it will indeed be a good break from the daily anxiety." Giotto agreed with her, before adding. "We can't really spend all day locked in houses."
"And you just want to get away from paperwork."
Giotto didn't even try to pretend not to be pleased with himself, smiling wider with each of G's mumbled responses.
Even though there weren't many reasons to be smiling lately. The situation was far away from being good - the local towns had joined forces, sharing with each other the results of their investigations, but while it was better than nothing, they were still far away from getting any breakthrough. Alaude had been away for over a week now, following the lead given to them by Reborn. He wasn't certain whether the Cloud Guardian had made a detour to Luce's house first to question the man as well, or went straight to the location of the mentioned town. Giotto hoped that his prolonged absence meant that he was onto something that would help them.
Because they were in desperate need of it.
They had reached a total of ten people missing, combined from all towns. While there had been no new body discovered in the last days, stopping the total count on four unfortunate victims, he was far from being relieved - he doubted he would be until they had brought home all the kidnapped people. Having to work from the shadows, without Gabriel discovering their actions, put a hindrance in their work. They could interrogate anyone openly, instead working from the shadows and basing their assumptions on the information given from second or third hands. It was far from being perfect and efficient, though they had to do their best on working with what they got. Giotto was getting more irritated with the man for not requesting their help, in the light of the growing anxiety and fear of their friends and allies.
And he somehow wasn't certain whether Gabriel had been using the information they had been sneaking anonymously to him whenever they came across something - there was this nagging feeling at the back of his head that the man was ignoring him to a certain aspect.
Another hiss of pain made him look at Alexandra with a slight amusement and worry. She just dozed off when he got lost in his thoughts, though another brick on the road brought her painfully back from her rest.
"Are you alright?" He asked, trying to hold back his laughter when she looked back at him with pained eyes.
"For fuck's sake, seriously?" G wasn't as eloquent in holding back his irritation.
"It's not like the road is smooth and even." She defended herself.
Giotto watched with curiosity and growing mirth as the Storm Guardian, muttering profanities under his breath that he didn't even try to decipher but from what he heard was glad Alexandra couldn't understand that due to her inability to speak Japanese, rolled the jacket he had previously thrown with no care on sit between himself and Lizzie, before sticking it in front of the brunette's face.
"Dammit, woman. Put this under your head." He said, his scowl deepening even more.
Alexandra looked at the piece of cloth with confusion for.a moment, before smiling widely.
"I knew you care." She said with a silent laughter, taking a self-made pillow before it was snatched from her.
"I don't want Cavallone on our asses if you arrive bruised all over."
—-
Sitting securely in Claire's room Alexandra couldn't keep the small smile away from her face while watching her friend. Not only because she was glad for the change of scenery, because as comfortable and eye-pleasing was the interior of Vongola Residence, she really was getting a bit tired of being surrounded by the same walls.
"Motherhood suits you."
She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Claire so happy, even if the woman was a joyful person by nature - she seemed to be tired and in need of more sleep, and yet the joy radiating from her was a telling sign she didn't mind that side of motherhood at all. Alexandra didn't blame her. Little Dino was such an adorable child that even at barely a month old it was hard to resist his charm. With brown eyes and the first signs of blonde hair one had to wander if he would take after his father in any aspect.
"I must say I'm much better at it than I expected." Claire said with a laugh, taking her son from the crib. "I mean, he survived so far, so it's a good sign, right?"
"He looks quite content with himself." Alexandra admitted. "Does he keep you a lot at night?"
"Occasionally, though I can't say it's too overwhelming to be honest. Not enough for me to reconsider my decision about hiring a wet nurse." Claire said, shifting a bit in her chair. "But we have started looking for a nanny, as I will need to return to my duties eventually."
"Do you have anyone in mind already?" Alexandra asked.
The uncertainty passed through Claire's eyes as she considered the question for a few seconds.
"We are looking for some recommendations, but no one has really caught my eye so far. I may write to Mia soon if there is anyone in the Capitol she can vouch for, though I am not sure if they will be willing to travel so far."
"For the possibility to work as a nanny of the next heir of the Founding Family? I don't think anyone would pass on that opportunity." Alexandra said with certainty.
Becoming a nanny for Dino Cavallone would be a life changing opportunity, she realised, watching the little boy. He was, after all, the first to introduce the next generation of the Lords of the most prominent Houses, in both Mafia and Nobility. If the woman lived to expectations while performing her duties during her work, a lot of doors would open for her, including the other Founding Houses. Neither Carlevaro, Lacertosa nor Allegri had yet welcomed their heirs to the world.
When the word would reach the Capitol that Claire Cavallone was looking for a nanny, there would be chaos. And the young mother would not have enough time to get through the applications and recommendation letters.
"You can call me picky, but I want to be sure that the person watching over my son when I'm not here is the one I can trust." Claire explained a bit sheepishly, as if anxious that Alexandra could think badly of her because of her indecision in the matter.
Alexandra was far from thinking so.
Claire had ushered her to the nursery as soon as they had arrived, earlier than any other guests. The brunette barely had time to say hello to Lorenzo, though she wasn't going to oppose it. She had missed Claire deeply lately, especially when she had thought that there was no possibility for her to visit Cavallone Residence until the killing spread was stopped.
"I think your worries are understandable." she said with a smile.
Claire sighed deeply with relief.
"Good. I don't know if I'm paranoid or imagining things, but I think everyone thinks I'm being spoiled with my requirements."
Alexandra watched her friend for a moment, keeping the grimace away from her face. Claire had been getting a lot of digs and thrusts about the way of motherhood she had chosen, deciding to do her best at raising her firstborn - and any sibling he might have gotten in the future - as much on her own as her social function allowed her to. The fact that she had openly refused the need for a wet nurse had been a cause of few whispers amongst other ladies and there was no doubt it would resurface again once they would discover that she still hadn't hired one.
She made a promise to keep a close watch over the guests and clamp down any murmuring from reaching Claire's ears.
"Don't think about them too much. You are doing what is the best for your son. Don't let others get into your head." she said after a moment, straightening herself in the chair. "How are you feeling, anyway?"
"Perfectly well. It took me a few days to gather myself after the birth, but I was lucky enough for it to go without any complications." Claire replied with a small smile. "Lorenzo has obviously been a great help, as soon as he stopped panicking about the possibility of dropping the baby."
Alexandra held back snort hearing that, though it was something she could easily imagine. He might be mostly over his clumsiness that he had been exceptionally showing until his late teenage years, but it still could occasionally show up here and there.
She watched the baby for a moment, smiling involuntarily when the little eyes blinked open. She wasn't certain whether it was possible at this age or not - she didn't have much experience with babies, aside from seeing occasionally her nephew at various range of development - but she couldn't shake the feeling that the toddler was looking straight back at her, watching her with as big of an interest as she observed him. Through the time she had spent so far in the room with the mother-son duo, Dino had not made much of a fuse. When he wasn't napping, content in his mother's arms, he looked curiously at his surroundings, taking in both women, as well as the room itself.
She didn't resist from reaching out and taking one of his tiny hands in her own, rubbing gently a finger over the soft skin. She smiled when little fingers closed around one of her own.
"The guests are going to be here soon, so we don't have much time." Claire said suddenly, glancing through the window as if expecting the carriages to arrive. "But there is something I want to ask you."
The brunette looked back curiously at her friend.
"Will you be the godmother?" Claire asked, a wide grin on her face.
It took Alexandra a moment to comprehend the question, but once it settled in, a smile made a way on her face. She honestly didn't expect such a question. Even though she knew she was one of the closest friends for both Lorenzo and Claire, she was more adamant on believing that they would choose someone else. Probably someone with more stable social standing in their hometown than herself.
There were many responsibilities with the role of a godparent - aside of the religious meaning and the task of guiding the child with the proper religious upbringing, as well as being an indispensable part of the family, there was also a side of politics, as in everything that concerned nobility. While in the Cavallone House case their own name was enough to guarantee their son a privileged start into life and its development, not everyone was in such a good position. For smaller Noble Houses it was crucial to choose a godparent that could provide their child things they weren't able to, often choosing the marital standing of the person over the relationship he or she had with the family.
For Claire and Lorenzo, the choice was purely made based on the closure and friendship they shared with her, Alexandra realised, as their social standing was better than her own, even if their Houses were in the same position. She was an unmarried, young woman, and it was yet uncertain where her future could land her when it came to society - it was still possible that she could end up having no ties that would be helpful for the boy in the future, despite her own standing in the Capitol. With the Lacertosa trial from a few years back still hanging over her head the chances of her finding a husband standing high in the society were slim, especially when the Gossip Corner reminded everyone about it. But the fact that they held her high enough in their standards to ask her to be godmother of their firstborn made her happy, more than she had probably been in a long time, Alexandra realised watching both the mother and child. She wasn't even aware that her smile was just as wide as Claire's own, as rare as it was, but it wasn't something she cared about at the moment.
"It will be my honour." she replied honestly.
"Good." Claire laughed, before making soothing noises when the baby in her arms stirred at the sound. "I'm sorry I waited for so long asking. We were debating about a godfather for a moment and I wanted to ask both of you as soon as the baby was born, but then your accident happened and it wasn't something I wanted to ask through the letter."
"I wouldn't be offended by the letter. It's an honour to be asked, no matter the form."
"I know. But my own morale didn't let me do it anyway." Claire let out a sigh, a smile still plastered to her face. "To be honest, I was a bit worried you may refuse it."
"How could I? It's the biggest honour I ever got. You could have chosen so many much more suited people than me, you know." Alexandra pointed out.
"None of them is more suited than you. I don't need someone to ensure he will get an entrance to the clubs and meetings, though I do believe you would be able to do that." Claie looked at her with meaningful eyes. "I need someone who will care for him like I do, especially if something is to happen to me. Someone who will show him the importance of family and love, without the pressure of politics and social ladders. And you are the only person I could think of to fill the requirements as a godmother. Not to mention that you are like a little sister for both me and Lorenzo, obviously."
Alexandra decided to ignore the "little" part of the sentence. Instead, she cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the tightness that suddenly gripped it. Claire always knew how to bring the emotional aspects of her nature.
"Nothing will even happen to you. Neither Lorenzo nor me could let it happen." she said once she was certain her voice wouldn't quiver.
"We never know. Which is why it's important for me to ensure the best for Dino in such a situation." Claire said, before adding as an afterthought. "Oh, and Lorenzo should be asking Giotto to be the godfather right now. So if you two decide to get married for real, it would all fit into a perfect picture."
Alexandra promptly choked on her own saliva, earning the amused look from her friend. And the boy in her arms as well, she could swear.
She found being a godmother - even if not officially yet, as the baptism would be held in a few weeks - quite useful. She had volunteered to take over watching Dino when Claire couldn't convince the boy to fall asleep, but had to take care of greeting her guests and performing the duties of the Lady of the House, as it was her who organised the event in the first place.
Claire was convinced it wouldn't be long before he would take a nap. Well fed and safe in the familiar environment, it would probably be minutes before he succumbed to sleep. At least that was what his mother believed, as Dino himself was far more interested in looking at all the people gathered in the dining room, not at all affected by the quite high number of them.
Hearing footsteps approaching her, Alexandra looked to her side, expecting to see either Claire or Lorenzo. The sight was much more surprising and unexpected.
"Good afternoon, Miss Carlevaro." Lady Lacertosa's voice was shy and quiet. "Congratulations on becoming godmother."
It was probably the first time Alexandra had heard Rose Lacertosa speak. The woman was usually seen standing silently and dutifully by her husband's side, partially hiding behind him and very rarely participating in the conversation - even if a question was addressed to her, it was his who answered it before she even could try to do so.
That demeanour made it very easy to omit her during the events. It was obvious that she had participated in probably every party and ball that had been held in their community, seeing her position, but Alexandra couldn't really recall any memory of her dancing or talking. Looking at her now, she realised that - if Rose had more luck when it came to her marital fate - the woman would be very popular amongst men. She was very pretty, with dark black hair surrounding her pale face and big brown eyes looking around with caution, as if she was ready to flee at any given moment.
"Thank you, Lady Lacertosa." she replied, realising she was watching her a second too long. "Are you having a good time?"
"I do. The joy of parenthood from both Lord and Lady Cavallone is communicable. They seem to really be enjoying their new roles."
"That's true. It's their vocation." Alexandra agreed with a smile, looking at the baby in her arms. "They really couldn't wait to become parents."
"Motherhood will suit you too, Miss Carlevaro, when the time comes."
Rose had a delicate smile on her face as she took in a scene in front of her. Despite the time of their marriage, she and Lacertosa Senior hadn't had the opportunity to announce the happy news yet. It was hard to say whether it was because of the age of the husband or anything else, but the look in Rose's eyes told her that it was something the woman herself yearned for.
Even if she was a step-mother, it was hardly considered to be an usual situation, with her step-son being older than her.
"We will see. For now I'm going to be satisfied with the position of godmother. "
"With how young you and Lord Vongola both are, there is no need to rush such things. I'm sure it will come when you are ready."
Alexandra cleared her throat, trying not to react in any other way, though there was a heat rising on her cheek.
She looked around, assessing how many people were within earshot. She probably wouldn't get a better opportunity to speak with Rose in the near future and she knew the time was of the essence - it always was in such cases.
"Has anyone from The Covenant reached you yet, Lady Lacertosa?" she said, keeping her voice a bit lower, just in case.
From the corner of her eyes, she noticed that the woman tensed, not expecting Alexandra to know anything about it in the first place. She wouldn't expect so herself if she was in Rose's position, she thought to herself.
"How…?" the fear was lacing the woman's voice.
"There is no need to worry, Lady Lacertosa. The cause is quite close to my heart." Alexandra said with a sigh. "I was wondering for the last few days how to contact you without raising any suspicions, so we may as well use this opportunity."
It was going to be a headache, she realised, considering the hindering of the current situation.
"I didn't know who was going to contact me, but I must be honest, I never expected you." Rose still watched with the same expression, before it relaxed slowly. "But it makes sense, seeing as Lady Amelia was the one hearing me out."
That clarified a few things for Alexandra - she was curious for the last days who was brave enough to take a case of a Founding Family and insane enough to redirect it to her. She should have known that only Mia and Avery would believe she was able to pull it off.
The Covenant was something her aunt and friend created a few years back, after watching for a long time the hardship and suffering many women had to go through for the sake of politics and material needs of their family. The ignorance and indifference in the marriage was one thing, but the bruises and wounds was something neither of them could turn a blind eye on, despite the fact that many others had done so happily. She would be lying if she said that particing in the cause hadn't scared her occasionally. The position and power their names held could make some of their actions be overlooked, but even it wouldn't save them from repercussions if they started openly mendling in the affairs of other families. Though it also gave her a sense of meaning and fulfilment in the few cases when they received good news.
It had been the death of Mia's friend as a result of politically arranged marriage that led to The Covenant creation. And the lack of persecution of the man who had been responsible for it. The idea behind it was a noble one: to help the ones in need find a way out and start a new life away from the violence and fear of their own lives. It had taken them almost two years to prepare everything. One thing had been to set up a communication system by hiring street kids to deliver and pick up notes with encrypted information. The other had been to find and prepare accommodations in random places of the country where the victims of abuse could start their new lives under new names and memoirs. It had taken a small fortune to acquire furniture and houses in the secluded and mostly forgotten villages, but with Mia's and Avery's money, they were able to do so without much of an issue.
Alexandra had been let into the secrecy only after she had reached adulthood. For two years she had been helping and supporting her aunt and friend in their actions, creating new identities and thinking of the possible ways to get the women out of their current lifestyles. With the need to keep their actions in the utmost secrecy, Mia and Avery had spent many months investigating the situation before heading into it and contacting the women, leaving it to their decision whether they wanted to start the process or not. While all of them felt the need to help the women as soon as possible, they also had to ensure the safety of everyone involved in it.
She still wasn't certain how they ensured that no one gave away their secret.
So far they had saved five women. Alexandra helped them with two.
They failed once and it was a painful lesson for her.
"I can't tell you much at this moment, but we are working on it." she said eventually, scanning the room once again. "I am also not able to say how long it will take. But once everything is ready, I will reach out to you with the date and place. Everything else will be given to you on the final day."
It was a new part for her. She had never spoken with any of the women before, usually working in the background, leaving the face to face meeting for the others. She wasn't certain how it should work or what she was exactly supposed to do, but she definitely didn't expect the next part.
"It needs to be done in the next six months."
Alexandra looked closely at the woman, her brows furrowing. It probably would happen sooner anyway, but the specific timeline surprised her. There was a sudden change in Rose's voice as well. It was still as quiet as before, but there was an edge to it that she wasn't certain how to name.
"In six months my husband will become a father. I'm not the mother, as you can guess." the woman continued. "I'm more than certain he will do his best to ensure the position by his side is free once it happens. I can do my best to stay as safe as possible until that time, or try at least, but the time is limited."
"Are you sure he will try to… eliminate you? Children out of wedlock aren't that unusual." Alexandra asked before she could hold it back.
"I thought the same. I am not stupid. It's probably not his first one anyway. But that was until I learned the name of the mother." Rose paused, biting the inside of her cheek. "I haven't given him a child in the years of our marriage, which was my only purpose for him. Now that he is expecting to father one with the bloodline from two Founding Families, he is going to eliminate the only obstacle standing in his way to take all benefits from it."
Alexandra's arms tightened around the child in her arms, glad she didn't drop Dino in her shock. The boy seemed to listen as carefully as she did, though she was certain it was her imagination.
"Who is the mother of the child?" she asked, even though the choices were limited.
Only Carlevaro and Allegri Founding Houses had daughters.
"Katherine Allegri hasn't been joining many events recently, has she?"
The answer made her partially relieved. She was quite certain that Elsbeth wouldn't be tempted to get into the impromptu relationship with the man that could be easily her father, but her sister proved to surpass her expectations barely a few days ago, ensuring her that she didn't know as much about her own family as she thought.
But it also made her anxious for completely different reasons.
"How certain are you of it, Lady Lacertosa?" she asked.
Rose smiled at her, full of sadness and resignation.
"She has been quite a frequent guest in our mansion. At first, I thought Samuel was the reason behind it. But then I saw her in my husband's bedroom a few times. They shared the news with me and Sam personally."
Alexandra opened her mouth to give her condolences, but she wasn't certain how to exactly voice it.
"I was even happy, to be honest with you, Miss Carlevaro. When he was busy with Katherine, he was not interested in me. I was even able to fully heal for the first time since I stood by the altar." Rose continued, looking down at her hands and the wedding ring that adorned one of her fingers. "When Lady Mia reached out to me, it was yet before Katherine came into the picture. It was a really hard time for me back then."
Alexandra wasn't going to ask what exactly Lacertosa Sernio had to his wife. She had always expected the worst of that family and, considering what happened to Valentina, she could only shudder at the thought of what the Senior of the House had been inflecting on his own wife.
"Is it possible for you to visit your family for some time, so you aren't around him?" she asked instead.
Rose shook her head, a sad smile appearing on her lips.
"He would go after me. While he obviously isn't much interested in me, there is a specific part of his nature which makes him unable to let me go peacefully. Call it possessiveness or psychopathic tendencies, he is watching my every step closely."
The woman's eyes scanned the room and Alexandra involuntarily followed the same trail. The older man was thankfully busy with the conversation with other Lords, his backs turned to them. She hoped he wasn't even aware they were talking, as the unusual situation would most definitely caught his interest.
"I will do my best to make the process haste, but everything needs to be prepared for you to be safe after you leave." she said, turning her attention back to her companion. "The more details we secure, the smaller are chances your husband will find you. And from what you said, he may be invested in that if we don't do it properly."
Rose looked as if she wanted to continue the conversation, but closed her lips and only nodded her head. Standing up, she turned to Alexandra with a smile.
"Thank you. I didn't really expect anyone to help me, but it gives me hope. And I will take that for the time being." the woman said.
Before Alexandra could say anything, the woman turned around and went to her husband's side, taking a position dutifully behind his back, waiting until he would finish his conversation. The man didn't acknowledge her directly in any way, though the small tilt of his head was an indication that he had noticed the arrival.
Alexandra sighed heavily, tilting her head back. She was at loss. The matter would be hard to organise in normal circumstances, but at the moment it seemed almost impossible. Everything had to be prepared in the smallest possible details, from finding the perfect cover that would stop Lacertosa Senior from looking for his wife, to finding the most secret way for her to travel to the designated place. She still had no idea where Mia was going to put Rose Lacertosa or who would be responsible for her transport. There was another group responsible for the safe trip of the women, but she had not met them nor she had desired to do so. Keeping her identity secret was something she wanted to do through the entire time she would be working for The Covenant.
Biting the inside of her cheek, she looked at Dino thoughtfully, her mind reeling with the thoughts. There was also the matter of Allegri and Lacertosa joining forces. If Rose had been telling the truth about the relationship between Senior and Katherine, there was no doubt that the man would be taking the pregnant woman as his wife once Rose was out of the picture. So far, Allegri had been a neutral force in Mafia amongst the Founding Families, neither supporting the dark aspects of it nor fighting against them, keeping the situation more or less in the favours for upholding the original mission of the Mafia. Once the marriage would officiate their bond, there was no saying what side they would end up choosing.
Alexandra had a problem with expecting how it would influence the organisation, but it would most definitely not be good. The Royal Family was gradually getting involved in more shady businesses than before and the situation of the bastard son appearing to be favoured by the King himself, the heir to the throne was also undecided yet. The Prince was their hope so far, as he was definitely not in the favours of his father's actions, but the newly presented son was said to be the opposite of his older half-brother.
"It's going to be a pain." Alexandra said quietly to the boy in her arms.
Dino gurgled back at her and smiled, as if trying to give her reassurement that everything was going to be alright.
Alexandra found Giotto a few hours later, almost laughing at the sight in front of her.
"Looks like it's your time to babysit." she said approaching his side.
He seemed in great discomfort. Not exactly by the fact that he was holding the baby, who was not taking his eyes of him, but by the fact that also many women around were sparing glances at him, whispering to themself.
She didn't blame them. Giotto looked very natural in his position, at least much more relaxed and in peace than she had when it had been her time to hold the boy. And that, as she noticed with a certain dose of surprise, made him even more attractive. The thought made her strangely embarrassed, though she put it at the back of her mind.
He looked at her, a relief showing on his face.
"I was hoping you would come here." he said with a sigh.
She was about to ask why, but she caught the answer in the corner of her eyes. Filippa was sneakily trying to make her way to Giotto, though stopped dead in her tracks upon noticing Alexandra by his side. A grimace passed through her face as she battled with herself whether to approach them anyway or to abandon her mission of seducing the man for her daughter. In the end she chose the latter, to the surprise of the brunette.
"How many times has she cornered you so far?" she asked with a smile playing at the corner of her lips.
"A few. I was running out of ideas on how to direct the conversation to small talk instead of how Joanne is better than you." he admitted.
Alexandra had a feeling that the only thing stopping him from rubbing the back of his neck was the baby in his arms.
"You can't blame her for trying. And in a way she may be right. Joanne is much better at socialising and playing piano." she admitted.
He looked at her with exasperation.
"You are supposed to protect me from Lady Allegri, not joining her." he reminded her.
She considered the words for a moment. Obviously, Alexandra would be more than happy to help him in any way possible to repay for what he was doing for her, but the opportunity to tease him was much more tempting.
"I don't think I have ever agreed to that. Though I believe that finding you a good and proper wife would be much more beneficial for you." she replied thoughtfully. "Joanne is a good candidate, you know."
He was smiling, knowing she wasn't sincerely going to play a matchmaker for him, though he still looked quickly around, in case someone might have heard them.
"I may be wrong, but the role comes with the position of a fiancee. Aren't you supposed to be jealous of any women approaching me? That's how it usually works." he pointed out once he was happy with the fact that others were too busy talking to themselves.
There were still a few women watching him, though they were far enough to not hear anything.
"Wouldn't that indicate I'm uncertain of my position? I would much better act as confident in myself as I can." she said thoughtfully.
That made her wonder if she would really have no doubt in their relationship if the engagement was real. Giotto didn't strike her as a man that would do anything to embarrass or betray the trust of his fiancee, but at the same time it would take a lot to remain confident seeing how many young ladies were interested in him, all of them pretty and talented.
"That would mean I'm doing a good job as a fiance." Giotto said, for some reason, quite proud of himself. "You play piano?"
Alexandra looked at him, lost for a moment with sudden change of subject.
"Some. But I can't say I'm a master at it." she admitted. "It's a part of standard education for young women. I had a piano and violin to choose from. The latter didn't survive the first two lessons, so I ended up with piano."
"What did you do with the violin?" there was an obvious amusement in his voice.
"I did nothing. The strings kept breaking on their own. I was just a scapegoat."
Giotto laughed, shaking his head. Dino stirred, more surprised than scared by the unexpected sound, and the blond adjusted his position, making sure the boy was as comfortable as possible.
"You are natural with babies." she commented before she could stop herself.
Giotto glanced at her for a second thoughtfully, before shrugging his shoulders as if it was nothing complicated.
"I had my share of helping with babies when I was younger. The mothers of my neighbourhood had to work to provide for families together with their husbands, so me and G often found ourselves as babysitters." he explained.
Once again Alexandra found herself forgetting about his background. Not that it was important, but she still couldn't comprehend how easily he found himself in the society and learned all the tricks and ways to survive in it.
The commotion at the entrance of the room broke the conversation and brought everyone's attention in that direction. Gabriel was making his way towards them, the hurinnes of his steps making Alexandra grow anxious, expecting the worst.
Lorenzo and Claire were already going their way as well, their eyebrows furrowed and faces worried at what news the man could be bringing. He wasn't supposed to be present at the party due to his investigation. If he showed up anyway, something important must have happened.
And so far it had never meant good news.
"Lord Vongola, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need your help." he said once he reached them, partially out of breath.
"Of course." there was not even a second of hesitation in Giotto's voice. "What happened?"
"We have found one of the kidnapped girls." Gabriel replied, his voice suddenly growing more lively. "She is alive."
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