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Part one, chapter nine: facing the danger
Vongola Residence
March, 1600
To say that the last weeks had been full of events was an understatement.
The switch from the relaxed and calm society to a suspicious and alerted individual was so quick that it was easy to miss it - it almost seemed as if one day everyone just woke up with a completely different perception of their neighbours and made no attempt in containing their sudden disapproval. And perhaps it wasn't such an overestimation of the state of affairs that were shaking the core of their Town. As well as the ones surrounding them, as it turned out. The bad news seemed to be arriving with the consistent persistence in the last few days, giving them barely a few hours of break between a new letter or visit from Carlevaro House messengers. But Giotto didn't complain about that fact. At least it helped them keep a hand on the development of the gruesome events that had been happening without the need to gather it illegally and from the cover sources. And even though the month had barely begun, it seemed that it would be one of the worst of the year.
There were five more kidnappings and four dead bodies discovered in the span of the last three weeks and that pushed all of the nobility to the edge. The pattern was easy to determine even without dwelling too much into the details of the case, which were still hidden from the public. Gabriel had been strongly refusing any inquiries about releasing it to anyone not directly involved in the investigation, as there was no doubt the panic would only reach a new level if others were to find out what horrendous things had been done to the victims they had been discovering. So far, only female members of the Noble Houses were taken away in the manner that made many wonder who exactly the kidnappers were as even the Mafia members were not spared from the ongoing nightmare. That was an indication that they were facing a strong and cunning opponent.
Giotto rubbed his forehead, pushing the pieces of meat on his plate around instead of eating it. He felt no hunger, despite the fact that he had last eaten a few hours before in his office, looking through the letters. The silence that surrounded him was a welcomed difference from the usual chaos. ANd even though he normally enjoyed the craziness of his Guardians, he had needed that change greatly. His head was throbbing from fatigue, indicating that his body demanded more food and sleep, even though he wasn't ready to yield to its demand at this point.
He had been receiving requests of protection from different directions. And he had to choose which ones he would be helping without weakening the safety of his own Residence - not when they had the endangered ladies in it as well. Some of the Guardians were already somewhere else. Lampow's family requested his assistance in keeping their own daughters safe. Ugetsu was delegated to help Alaude and Carlevaro's forces, though it was done partially to keep the Cloud Guardian in check, as Giotto had already heard some complaints about the man's temper when it came to dealing with the men of the Founding House. Which was a surprise, as they had a good relationship before, but he put the blame on the stress everyone was experiencing lately.
So it was only G and Knuckle he would be able to send to support the ones not able to protect themselves. With Alexandra and Elena in the Residence, the risk of them being targeted themselves was high - both with the high noble statuses, they both fit the victims type perfectly.
Even if Elena was an estranged daughter, she was still a daughter of Duke, one of the most powerful members of the nobility. She also had ties to Spade House and Vongola House. He didn't want to put Demon in the position where the man would need to choose between heading the order of his Lord and protecting another Family while leaving his fiancee behind in a situation where a danger would be looming around the corner. Even with his strength and experience, Demon would have a hard time concentrating his entire attention on someone else if a worry about Elena's safety clouded his judgement.
Alexandra worried Giotto as well. Not for the first time ever since he had accepted Francesco's request, he wondered whether he took too much on himself - not because she was a burden in any way, but because he was starting to have doubts whether he would be able to keep her safe in the face of growing danger. She had a high status in both Nobility and Mafia society, and they had already witnessed that the higher position the families had, the more damage was inflicted upon the found victims. There were already people targeting her for some reason, and their attempts at doing so had been quite worrisome. Even though the last days brought them a moment of relief, their level of strength was definitely higher than it had been at the beginning during the first attempts when Alexandra had arrived at the Vongola Residence.
"Should the cook prepare something else to eat, Lord Vongola?"
Matteo's voice brought him back from his referee and he barely stopped himself from jumping in his chair in surprise. Giotto looked at the butler with confusion, before turning his eyes at the plate in front of him, admiring the mess he had made with the food.
"No, there is no need. I just don't have much appetite at the moment." he replied, putting the fork down.
He would force some of it in himself eventually, to have some strength for more work at least.
"Healthy eating habits are very important."
Giotto raised the corners of his lips in a smile, despite his dark thoughts. The older man had always reprimanded him about the hours of meals he hadn't been keeping and the care he gave for his Lord's health for heartwarming. Ever since he had crossed the threshold of the Residence, Matteo had never expressed any form of doubt or judgement at the man that was now his Lord to serve, instead making sure that all the needs and demands were take care of immediately, giving as much support as he could to the effort showed by Giotto in the task of raising their name to higher rank.
"It's fine. I'm used to eating irregularly." he said to appease the man's worry.
Since Matteo had been aware about the past of his employee, there was no need to point out that there were days in his past when Giotto had done days without any solid food because there was no one to provide it for him and he had a very limited means to doso himself as a child living on streets. They had been lucky if they had been able to knock something off.
"Perhaps it's a good time to grow more healthy habits."
Matteo probably wouldn't dare to speak so freely with any other Lord, but Giotto had made sure from the beginning of his reign in the Vongola Residence that he wanted everyone to be as honest in their speech as possible, despite him being the employee and noble. He had tried to make the boundaries as little as possible between the staff and himself, as he didn't see it fitting to present himself as anyone of a higher position than they were. After all, some of the maids they were hiring came from better households than he had once been in.
The butler cut it short when some tried to use the opportunity to form more than a friendly relationship with the Lord to ensure a better future for themselves. And the urges were many, to the older man's despair and frustration. Matteo would never say it aloud to the man itself, but he awaited the day when a Lady of the House would take her duties in the Residence, making the most daring maids to drop their attempts. And taking the burden of stopping them from his shoulders.
"I don't think my eating habits are that bad." Giotto commented, actually thinking it over.
"My lord, I am the one that usually brings you food and takes away the tray."
Both the tone of voice of the butler and the look he threw at his Lord made Giotto drop any counter argument he could have for the statement. Not that he had any in the first place. But he tried to eat three meals a day, despite the period of time separating them.
"And I'm sure Miss Carlevaro would agree with me." Matteo added suddenly, his voice slightly raised.
Giotto glanced at the man in surprise and confusion, not certain why Alexandra was suddenly brought into the conversation. A movement caught his attention and he turned his head in the direction of the door leading to the dining room.
She was in the corridor, heading towards the stairs leading up to the guest room she was occupying. The brunette stopped suddenly in the corridor hearing her name, looking into the room in question before taking a few steps in, hesitantly accepting the obvious invitation to include her into the conversation. Not that she had much choice, as refusing so would be perceived as rude for both Matteo and Giotto.
He almost missed it, but Giotto was quite certain she hastily hid something in the pocket of her dress, trying to look as if nothing occurred.
"What would I agree on?" she asked suspiciously, eyeing Matteo.
"That eating on regular hours is a very crucial aspect of a healthy lifestyle, Miss." the butler provided helpfully.
"Oh, that I agree with. Eating in general is a healthy thing to do." Alexandra agreed quickly.
"Extensive eating is not healthy, though, from what I heard." Giotto interjected.
He tried but failed to keep the humour out of his voice, if the glare of teal eyes was any indication. He may not have joined that many meals together when Alexandra was with them, but her eating habits were becoming quite famous in the household. But there was no real anger in her look and there was a trace of a smile on her face, so she wasn't really offended by his words.
It probably wouldn't have as much impact if she wasn't so petite, despite the amount of food she was able to consume on a daily basis.
"I don't see your point." she replied calmly, before changing the subject. "Have you heard from Lorenzo recently?"
He shook his head.
"I received a word from Claire today. She gave birth a few days ago. To a boy." she replied, her smile more prominent than before.
A relief washed through him with a great strength - for a moment, he was afraid there was a more ominous reason behind her question. But it was the first good news amongst the bad ones in the last few days and he greatly appreciated it.
"That's great. I take it the baby and mother are both alright?" he inquired.
"Yes. At least that's what Claire wrote in her letter." she confirmed.
"Should I prepare a customary gift to send to the new parents, my Lord?" Matteo asked, bringing the attention of the two to himself.
Giotto nodded his head, deciding to leave the subject fully to the butler and his knowledge of how to handle such matters. Matteo was the one that usually took care of all presents that had to be sent out with Vongola name attached to it and he had never failed him so far in doing so.
"Actually, Claire asked if both of us could visit them in a few days. She still wants to gather her strength back, but she believes she should be alright to host us sometime next week. If it won't be too much trouble, of course."
She added the last bit as an afterthought, biting the inside of her cheek. It was obvious she wanted to visit her friends and the new addition to their family, so much awaited by anyone that was close to Cavallone House, but at the same time didn't want to bother him with a trip that would take the entire day off his calendar. The trip to Cavallone would last at least three hours one way, considering the weather and the state of roads after the reoccuring rains.
He was surprised though that Claire's invitation included him as well, though he decided it must be due to the protection Alexandra required for the time being. She hadn't travelled anywhere alone ever since she had started living in the Vongola Residence and that wouldn't change in the nearest future, not with the newly found danger looming around the corner.
"That won't be a problem. I am definitely looking forward to congratulating both of them personally." he replied, despite the sudden ominous feeling that clouded his mind. "So we can bring the gift as well with us, instead of sending it."
He directed the last bit to Matteo and the man nodded his head, probably already thinking what would be most suitable to add to the gift from the Vongola House.
"I will need to check when I can take a day off, though." he said, turning back to Alexandra.
"That's fine. I will write to Claire once you confirm when."
Giotto made an attempt to stand up from his chair, the dinner already gone from his mind in the face of the newly obtained information. Before he was even able to fully raise, Matteo's words reached his ears.
"Miss Carlevaro, I don't think you have eaten dinner. Would you like to do it now?" the butler asked, standing by one of the empty chairs by the table. .
Giotto halted his movement, watching the butler suspiciously.
"I ate already, Lizzie brought it to my room." she replied carefully, her brows furrowing.
"Then you most definitely need to try the pie made by the cook, Miss. It's the most delicious thing."
Alexandra hesitated when Matteo moved the chair invitingly. Blatantly refusing would be not perceived to be polite and while not many would be concerned with the feeling of a servant, she most definitely didn't want to hurt the feeling of the older man that had been nothing but kind ever since she arrived at the house.
And she would never refuse the baking of a Vongola cook, Alexandra realised holding back a defeated sigh while taking the seat and thanking Matteo once he stepped away from it.
Giotto met the butler's eyes, not missing the victorious spark in them even despite the man's try to conceal it. He took his seat back as well. He knew perfectly well what the man was doing. Leaving Alexandra alone by the table would be offending and he would never make anything that could leave a bad impression on his guest.
Taking a fork back in his hand, he took a bite of his dinner.
UNKNOWN LOCATION
March, 1600
"Do you have everyone from the list?"
The man looked at his companion, not answering straight away.
Instead, he looked at the wooden doors adoring the long wall of the dark and musky corridors, taking great pleasure in the sound of cries coming from behind them. It was music to his ears and he blatantly took a precaution of taking the victims a bit sooner than they were supposed to, to only give himself the possibility of enjoying the sounds of pain and sorrow before giving them away to the ones responsible for their future. He had regretted many times he would never see what exactly was happening to their victims once they were taken away.
So he would take what he was given, giving up to his own desires later on, once the task they were on would be finished.
"I am still missing one, as you know." he replied eventually, turning to glare at his companion.
"Not my fault. You gave us a long list and little time. We couldn't spare too many people to break through her guards." the sigh was long and tired. "The man is fucking irrtatitng. And it doesn't help that she is barely outside. It is much easier to snitch her from the streets instead of breaking into the guarded Residence of her damn lover."
"Fiance." the man corrected automatically.
His companion snorted in amusement.
"Yeah, right. I bet they have their wedding night behind them."
"I hope not. She is more valuable if she is pure."
"Don't be naive. He has a young and delicious woman right next to his bedroom. Like hell he will keep his hands to himself."
The man felt an irritation rising in him at the words, though kept himself from exploding.
"I thought you despised her for all she took from you." he said.
"I am, but I still have eyes."
He was fed up with the situation as well - they were sure it would be easier to kidnap her once she had moved away from her family Residence, believing the Vongola House was not much of an obstacle once they put their mind into it. The Lord and his Guardians had proved to be quite capable so far, though the opponents they had faced before were nothing close to the level of the man and his companion's current strength.
"Isn't it curious? How he is so strong without any known background in the Mafia." the man said thoughtfully. "None of the defeated idiots confirmed the existence of his Flame, right?"
His companion shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
"He is an orphan. Bastard, most probably. Who knows who his father is. And no, they didn't. But no one has faced him personally so far. None get so far through the guards." the anger was audible, as was the visible scowl.
"We need to take him down. She is supposed to be our most valued gem here."
"We can always keep her for the second round."
"If I wanted her for a second one, I wouldn't put her on the list now." the man said, turning around suddenly and heading towards the exit of the corridor.
His companion looked after him, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. The obsession her boss represented when it came to the Carlevaro girl was a bit alarming. He had barely been showing emotions during their tasks, but apparently the challenge she presented was making him break his usual demeanour. She wasn't certain whether it was directed at the target herself or at the person guarding her, as obviously both had caught his interest, but either way, the matter was concerning. She wasn't able to estimate just what exactly the man would do to the girl once she was in their possession.
Not only because of the obsession itself, but also because he was looking for a way to vent for losing the leadership on their current job. With someone else directly pulling the strings attached to the limbs of their team, the tension could be almost cut with a knife once the two of them were in the same room.
She was also a bit concerned with the suspicion that was increasing in the Towns they were working in - it was easy enough to take the victims so far, as none of them had really any protection. Now, they would need to be more cover in their actions. They were aware the issue would arise eventually, though they still hoped they would have more time to fill the list, especially with the enormous benefits that the person of their current leaders and employee gave them. There were still a lot of names that needed to be crossed, including the ones they were most greedy for.
"M-miss, there is a problem."
Turning around, the woman didn't hide her impatience at being spoken to and the boy behind her shivered at the cold look in her eyes. He was one of their newest acquisitions - the poor soul looked for a quick job to support his family and probably didn't know he would never return home after they were done with their task. There was too much risk of him opening his mouth and selling them out, even accidently. But the money was good enough to cover the needs of his mother and sisters, so in her own books, the actions they were going to do to him in the future were well paid for.
"What is it?" she asked harshly.
The boy shivered, swallowing nervously. The news was going to be bad, she already knew it.
"The lady in cell six hang herself… She somehow cut the material from her dress." he replied shakily, taking an involuntary step back.
The woman cursed, stopping her initial urge to take her frustration on the messenger. They needed him to look after the prisoners. She couldn't remember who was in cell six, they had a few of them at the moment and she didn't care enough to pay attention to the names. But she was certain that they held the more valuable ones in the first cells.
Still, it meant the loss of income and she seriously hated that possibility.
Letting another string of curses loudly, she passed the nervous boy and went straight to cell six to inspect the matter herself.
MARKET
March, 1600
Alexandra wasn't fully convinced the shopping was a good idea. Apparently Giotto didn't agree with her and was far more convincing that she expected him to be, as she found herself in the middle of the market, accompanied by the man himself and Lizzie, who obediently tagged behind them, obviously glad about the possibility of being outside.
Considering the suspicions running around lately, she had thought that the market would be more empty than it was in reality, though it was hard not to notice that every lady was accompanied by someone other than her maid during the stroll. Aside from a male member of the family, there was also a hired guard present, securing the safety of the employee that paid his salary.
"What is the best thing to buy for a newborn?" Giotto asked suddenly, bringing her out of her thoughts.
She glanced at the man as she looked through the collections of the wooden toys available on one of the benches. Even though he had originally requested Matteo to take care of the present, something along the way changed his mind and he decided it would be better to choose it personally, especially since he had Alexandra to advise him on the matter.
She suspected he was fed up with being locked in his office.
"A rattle is the most common present. Though I expect Claire and Lorenzo will have a small collection of it after all the visitation." she replied after the moment of consideration. "Silver if you want to be more extravagant. Wooden if you want to just serve its purpose."
Giotto hummed in answer thoughtfully, not fully convinced whether it was the thing he was looking for.
"Silver spoons are also quite popular." she added.
He took a step away from the stand, turning to look at her with a curiosity all over his face.
"I have never understood this one." he admitted. "As far as I am aware, they barely use it for feeding."
She shrugged her shoulders, starting to walk again slowly through the strolls, navigating through the people gathered there. Despite the amount of them, it was far easier to move around as it seemed everyone tried to keep a closer distance to their own company than they had previously.
"Not really, they just lay on display to be admired. But it is a sign of high birth and the premonition of privileged life. I think I got five of them in total when I was born. And a few silver rattles as well." she added after a moment of thought. "It was taken away and hidden when I accidently whacked Elsbeth in the head with it."
Giotto laughed quietly, lining his steps with hers. He seemed to be fully relaxed, but he still paid a lot of attention to their surroundings, the atmosphere weighing on him as well, even though he tried to keep the mood light and easy.
"You were a violent child." he noted.
"I disagree with that sentence. I was a very docile child." she said with an offended tone, which only seemed to amuse him.
"The stories I am hearing prove differently."
She glared at him sideways, though refrained from commenting.
"If we had more time, we could visit the toy maker. He often makes custom things for the ones willing to pay." she changed the subject instead. "I will probably order there for a Christening and buy something symbolic for now."
"It was the most convenient date. And you said Lorenzo and Claire requested our visit before others would start swarming their house." he pointed out the obvious.
Alexandra felt a bit of guilt, wondering whether he didn't take her words as a complaint. Which was the last thing she wanted him to do - the man took the time off his calendar especially to accompany her on the journey. Though the fact that the invitation was extended to him as well by name diminished the feeling a bit.
"But I am going to base my decision in the matter on your knowledge, because I have no idea what I should buy for an heir of one of the most prestigious families." he continued.
"You must have bought such a gift at one point or another." she looked at him doubtfully.
"I did, but not for a noble. And for someone I consider a brother, so it is a bit of a different situation." he explained with a shrug of his shoulder.
He was friends with Lorenzo and their relationship was a good one, but it wasn't the same as he shared with Cozatto and the people he had grown up with, facing all the difficulties they had had.
"G has a child?" she asked in a surprise.
He looked at her in confusion, before a wide smile showed on his face.
"If he had one, I doubt he would let it off his sight." he answered with great humour, before adding. "I have another very close friend I grew up with. His name is Cozatto. He has a child."
She nodded her head with a hum, a hesitation showing on her face as she recognized the name.
There was another letter she had received about the man and his actions in the Capitol. While she had known that Lorenzo had warned Giotto about it previously, Alexandra was certain there was no possibility to do so by her friend this time - she herself had picked the envelope holding the news barely before breakfast. And she wasn't even sure he got the news himself.
But passing it to the man by her side while they were surrounded by other people didn't seem quite right.
"But there is someone we can go to for such things. He has quite a lot of inimitable items that he made himself." Giotto added suddenly, breaking her hesitation.
Instead of going further between the booths, he made a turn to direct his steps to the outskirts of the market. She followed him curiously. Usually the main destination of the buyers were the merchants that were the constant in one of the most occupied parts of the town at this time of the day - it was a strategic planning of place, as it was close to the part where many liked to stroll around lazily or organising picnics for their families. The presence of the small lake was also a greatly desired destination, especially for the courting couples, as the boats that would be rented there for a small pay served as a perfect purpose to have some private time for the young people while being under the watchful eye of the assigned chaperone.
"Who is he?" she asked.
"An old acquaintance of mine who I met through a mutual friend." he replied.
She got a feeling he didn't want to share any more details with her, so she didn't pursue the subject.
When a small body collided with her at the height of her waist, she looked down in surprise, especially when she felt something in the pocket of her dress. She was about to grab a hand responsible for it out of instinct, though the look on the small girl's face stopped the movement when the recognition settled in her mind.
And also the worry, as she had sent the warning to not contact her until she was back at her family House.
"I'm sorry, Miss. I wasn't looking where I was going." the girl said, taking a step away from her.
"That's fine, don't worry about it." she answered absently.
The girl threw her one last disarming smile and ran away, navigating easily between the people. No one really paid much attention to her, aside from glancing at her with different levels of displeasure. It tended to happen when one of the dirty street kids gathered enough bravery to roam around the time when the nobility took over the streets for their strolls.
Alexandra watched after her for a moment, her brows furrowed as she stopped herself from reaching to her pocket to take out the piece of paper she knew the girl planted there - she wasn't afraid something was snatched away during it, as she barely carried anything in her pockets after it had happened a few times in the past. Usually, she would give a child a silver coin for their efforts, though it would look too suspicious to do so after the girl bumped into her. She turned back, catching the way Giotto looked after the running girl. A feeling of anxiety washed over her as she became worried that he had noticed the girl's actions, though she tried to convince herself it was not possible - she doubted the kid would catch his attention until she collided with her.
Though Alexandra didn't take into consideration the fact that Giotto was far more familiar with the ways that the street kids worked and paid much more attention to their surroundings than she was. The child was far too agile to accidentally bump into someone, considering the way she had skilfully avoided even grazing anyone else in the market. But it wasn't the only thing that confirmed his original surprise when the girl caught his attention barely a second before bumping into Alexandra. The kids growing in the lower class didn't know the proper way of addressing the female of nobility - all of them were simply "Lady" for them, despite their marital status. There was no way the kid would call Alexandra "Miss" without meeting her previously and being corrected to do so properly.
Someone less familiar with the way of street life would not notice it. And someone less attentive wouldn't catch the difference in Alexandra's body movement once she recognised the girl. But Giotto was learning quite easily how to read his pretended fiancee with the passing time.
It wasn't the first time she had tried to hide the fact of receiving correspondence from others - the way she had tried to do so back in the Residence came to his mind instantly. And he was becoming curious as to why she had been putting an effort in doing so.
Alexandra was smiling, not even aware of it, sitting back in the carriage, the small package sitting securely between her and Lizzie. The place suggested by Giotto greatly exceeded her expectations as the man running the small shop was obviously a master in his own profession.
Talbot was his name if she remembered correctly. He was a pleasant and funny young man to talk to, close to her age, though she had a feeling his extensive flirting was mostly performed to irritate Giotto, who had felt obliged to interfere a few times with a grealy exasperated look on his face.
She instantly fell in love with the mobile to put over the crib for the baby, the glass horses sparkling in the light and wooden elements adorning it seeming like a perfect match in her own eyes. And she was quite certain Claire would also share her thoughts.
Similarly to her taste, GIotto decided to acquire a teddy horse, a toy that was also nicely finished. The assortment took her by surprise, as Talbot had a lot of diverse items in the shop, from jewellery, to house ornaments and toys in his possession, all done by hand if she understood correctly.
"You look happy with the present." Giotto suddenly broke the silence, watching her with amusement.
He seemed to not be a fan of a silence that stretched for too long.
"I'm surprised he isn't more famous. I haven't seen such amazing things anywhere." she admitted, unconsciously looking at the packed parcel.
"He isn't a one looking for fame. He is doing what he loves. And he is also terrible at advertising himself." Giotto explained. "But he has enough customers to live the way he wants."
"But it's a shame that not more people have a chance to appreciate his work. He is very talented." she said thoughtfully.
"He is. Though I had no idea he was so invested in flirting." Giotto said under his breath.
Alexandra made no attempt at suppressing her smirk.
"What can I say? He has a good taste." she replied with a laugh in her voice, before adding. "If he really makes jewellery with stones in the colour of my eyes, I am going to buy it."
"Apatite." Giotto said without thinking.
She looked at him with surprise and confusion and he suddenly seemed embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's a stone close enough in colour, I think." he explained.
Alexandra hummed in wonder, holding back her amusement.
"It would be interesting. I don't have any jewellery with such a stone. Green and blue mostly, though it is still different."
Giotto bit his tongue to not let out any comment. But the simple green and blue were nowhere close enough to it and he would be lying to himself if he said her eyes didn't catch the attention.
When the silence filled the carriage once again, Alexandra glanced at Lizzie, though the girl was fast asleep, just like she expected her to be. The maid, while always ready to serve her miss, could not stay awake during the carriage ride, no matter what she tried to do to reach that goal. It was adorable, especially when she woke up and the disappointment that she did it again showed on her face.
"Talking about your friends." She started, deciding to use the given opportunity.
"We weren't." He pointed out carefully, eyeing her.
"But we are now." she smiled at him before turning serious once again. "You have a friend named Cozatto Simon, right? You mentioned him today."
He turned serious, the amber eyes more calculating and assessing than before as he considered her words, trying to guess the reason behind her question. He also glanced in the direction of Lizzie, making sure that the girl was asleep and wouldn't hear their conversation.
"Yes, that's him. He is a close family friend." He admitted eventually.
"There is a word going around the Capitol that he is asking some inquisitive questions about the people he shouldn't be interested in." She said.
She turned her head away to look through the window at the passing scenery, the intense eyes making her uncomfortable.
"I know you already heard something similar from Lorenzo, but your friend is a bit impatient and didn't wait long enough. The interest from before hasn't disappeared yet and he started to light it up again." She continued.
"How do you know about it?"
That was a question she had dreaded, but she knew there was no possibility he wouldn't ask that.
"You know I spent a lot of time in the Capitol. I have some friends there. And they are aware of his connection to you and, consecutively, your connection to me." she replied.
There was no need to share the names, not yet at least. Though if the issue turned more serious at one point or another, she would be forced to do so to give the matter more pressing status.
"It would be best if this friend of yours stopped his actions for some time. At least a few weeks preferably. Until the ones he was looking into will calm down and ensure themselves there is nothing to worry about." Alexandra continued, not giving him time to interrupt. "If he is able to leave the Capitol for a short vacation, it would be really good."
"So you mean he is in danger if he stays there." Giotto asked.
He knew that Cozatto could be impatient and unnecessarily haste in his decision, especially if he discovered something of great interest that could push the matter he was working on forward. A clue that would give them more specific information would push him towards the careless actions and he wouldn't even realise straight away that he was putting himself in danger.
But it was becoming concerning - he knew Cozatto's stay in the Capitol was prolonging far more than they had expected, but he had never thought his friend would do something that endangered the family he had with him there. Ugetsu had mentioned that he had promised to stay covered until the matter would be hushed, but it seemed like the man had acted against his own words, a situation surprising and concerning itself.
"Maybe not a grave one, but there is always a risk someone may try to persuade him to lose the interest." she confirmed. "They are feeling persecuted and endangered by him looking into their business. Whatever it is."
"I have a hard time deciding whether you know more than I would expect or you know very little about the issue you are talking about." he admitted.
"I know enough to hope that your friend is smart enough to take a step back." she replied immediately. "So if you have any power to influence his actions, please do it. For his own safety."
The conversation was very similar to the one he had with Lorenzo and Giotto wondered whether they had the same source of information from the Capitol. He wanted to push her for more information, to gather as much as he could from her to assess the danger that his friend was putting himself into.
He was stripped of the opportunity when a deafening sound of the gunshot cut through the air, sending his instincts on high alert.
The carriage took a sharp turn, throwing the people in it around. A scream of surprise followed, though Giotto couldn't estimate whether it came from Lizzie or Alexandra as he tried to gather his surroundings - but the alarm in his head was ringing louder and louder and his senses were becoming more sharp than usual as the looming feeling of danger only increased the confusion clouding his mind. The terrified neighing of the horse reached his ears right before the wheel bumped onto the rocks on the side of the road, causing the carriage to tip over to the side, only to eventually lose with gravity and crash hard onto the ground. Giotto winced in pain when his head hit the wood of the side of the carriage painfully, trying to grab onto something to keep himself from being trashed around. It didn't do much though, as a smaller body soon collided with his own, leaving him breathless for a moment. Someone hit the wall next to him, a pained gasp reaching his ears.
It lasted barely seconds. The overwhelming silence that followed the accident, broken only by the sound of raindrops hitting the fallen carriage, seemed to be much longer when he used the time to gather his senses and look around himself, blinking hard to recognize who exactly was where.
It was Lizzie that crashed into him, he realised as soon as the girl moved to push herself away, her eyes wide and terrified as she looked around.
"Are you alright?" he asked, satisfied when she nodded her head.
She seemed to not sustain any bigger injuries as she moved away immediately, as much as the space in the fallen carriage allowed her to.
"Alexandra?"
The silence followed and he felt his heart grip in fear. Despite the pain he felt in his body, he turned his head where he heard a sound of collision earlier.
She wasn't moving.
WIth a groan of pain, Giotto turned his body towards her, trying to have a better look on her. Even though it was quite dark inside the fallen carriage, he had no trouble in seeing just how pale she was. It was hard to estimate where exactly she was hurt.
"Come on, answer me." he said quietly, trying to keep the panic at bay and reaching out to push some of the brown strands that partially covered her face.
Her eyes snapped open when his hand touched her skin and he felt a wave of relief as he bent his head with a long sigh. Alexandra groaned loudly when she tried to move, closing her eyes again for a second to collect herself.
"What the hell happened?" she asked, her voice coming out hoarse and pained.
"We crashed. Are you alright?"
It was obvious she had more problems with moving around than he and Lizzie had, which concerned him. The crash he had heard before was a loud one, the force she had been thrown against the hard side of the carriage strong. She winced everytime she tried to move her body, biting her lips to stop herself from letting the gasp out.
Giotto tried not to think of any possible damage her body could have sustained from it, despite his treacherous mind's attempts to do so. He didn't want to panic.
"No. It hurts a lot." she replied honestly, raising her head with a wince. "Lizzie?"
"I'm here, Miss. I'm alright." the maid replied, her voice fearful.
He needed to get both of them out of the carriage. And to the doctor immediately.
"You two stay here, I will go outside to see what happened." he said, sitting and looking around once more.
The only way to exit the fallen carriage was to climb through the door of it, which was now right above his head. Giotto listened for a moment, trying to catch any strange noise that would break the total silence outside. There was nothing. No footsteps around the carriage or breaking twigs from the direction of the woods.
Also no sound of the carriage man rushing to help them.
Giotto made an attempt of standing up, making sure to not step accidently on any of his companions. A hand gripping his sleeve tightly stopped him suddenly and he looked down on Alexandra, meeting her widened eyes.
"There was a gunshot."
"I know. But I need to check what is going on outside and make sure both of you are having the medical attention immediately." he replied, keeping his voice calm and sure to diminish her worries. "I will return as soon as I make sure it is safe."
"The person shooting can still be out there."
She was shaken and the idea of him leaving the carriage seemed to terrify her. Giotto didn't blame her - his heart was still beating like crazy, the sound of it filling his ears, the adrenaline in his body rising with every passing second. It was almost as if the tension around was steadily growing, getting ready to reach its highest peak. And he was afraid of what it would uncover.
But he smiled, wanting to calm her down at least a bit, and reached to squeeze the hand that was gripping him and stopping his movement. Her skin was cold to the touch and she was shaking. It was so light he probably wouldn't notice it if he didn't touch her.
"I will be fine." he promised, gently moving it away from his sleeve.
Alexandra didn't look fully convinced, but didn't stop him anymore when he stood up. As soon as he freed the space, Lizzie moved over to her side, checking for any visible injuries as much as she could.
It took some force to have the door opened, but he managed to do it eventually. Gripping the sides of the wall, Giotto hoisted himself up, ignoring the protest of his body at the movement. He was going to end up with some bruises, most probably, as he couldn't feel any more intense pain. There were no broken bones or open wounds, as far as he could tell. Which increased his spirit, as something was telling him he was going to need his strength.
The scene outside the carriage proved he was right.
The horses were nowhere in sight, taking the opportunity when the falling of the carriage freed them from the harness and running away from the danger, giving in to their instincts. Giotto hoped they would eventually find their way to the Vongola Residence, alarming G and rest that something was not right. There were too many imprints of the hooves on the road that the panicked horses had left behind, to determine for sure whether the animals had taken the direction of their home as their destination.
He followed the trail of wheel marks instead, directing his steps to the place where the sharp turn was visible, marking the moment the carriage was out of control. He wasn't as much surprised as he should be at the sight of the carriage man with a blooming red stain on his shirt, the bullet impaling him straight in his chest, ending his life immediately. Giotto's lips tightened as he watched the fallen man for a moment, regretting the unnecessarily lost life. He didn't know the man personally, but it was still hard to swallow, the guilt already clouding his mind - he was there because of him, he was the one that gave the order to set for the journey. If the man had chosen any other job instead, he would probably be still alive and breathing.
Stepping away, he looked around, listening. The silence that surrounded him was more unsettling than calming and he couldn't get rid of the alarm that was ringing in his ears. There was nothing incidental in their accidents and the body he had in front of himself was proof of that.
So when the attack came, Giotto was prepared for it.
It didn't take much to block it - he would probably be able to avoid being hit without using his power, Giotto realised as the red of Storm Flame dispersed in the contact with the orange aura surrounding his hand. He felt the familiar and warm surge of adrenaline once the Sky Flame awoke in his body. It was a small spark at first, almost a tingling sensation that was stirring his senses awake, before it erupted brightly, setting free all his emotions and instincts he had been keeping in containment for the last years. The only outlet he had were the training he occasionally had with other Guardians, but they never went at their full strength at each other, careful not to cause too much damage to their friends. And while his decision to take a step back from fighting and missings, he still missed the adrenaline it brought.
Still, he made sure to keep it at bay.
"So you are a Flame User."
The voice came from the same direction as the attack had and Giotto watched as a man jumped from the bench of the tall tree he had been hiding on. Glancing over his shoulder for a brief second, he made sure that both women accompanying him were still in the carriage and nowhere close to getting accidently hit if the real fight erupted.
"There were rumours you were, but… Sky Flame? That's awesome, man." the stranger continued.
Giotto took a closer look at his opponent, trying to read as much of his posture as possible. It was obvious the man was confident in himself, returning his look with a curiosity and excitement in his eyes while not taking his hands out of his pockets. The Red Flame was blazing brightly, the strength of it emitting from him even despite the distance between them.
They were both assessing each other, none keen on making the first move even despite the buzzing energy that surged through Giotto's body, enhanced by the feeling of protectiveness that swarmed in his mind at the thought that he was the only thing blocking the man's access to the carriage where Alexandra and Lizzie were. He had really hoped that they heard the appearance of the enemy and wouldn't leave their protection.
"We would need to know each other a lot better to talk about such an intimate subject." he replied, polite as ever.
"I doubt we will have time to get to know each other. I really need that girl with you."
The man looked for a second in the direction of the fallen carriage, though GIotto refused to turn around to check it - he knew that taking eyes off the enemy would prove to be lethal in consequences and he didn't want to give him any advantage. The stake was too high.
"I won't let you take her."
There was an uneasy feeling in his gut caused by the fact that he couldn't visibly check on Alexandra.
"It would be easier on you." the man warned.
"But it would make me quite a terrible fiance." Giotto replied thoughtfully.
His opponent shrugged his shoulders with an uncaring expression.
"I have encountered worse. You would be surprised just how easily some change their morals when they are in danger."
Goitto smirked, letting the Flame blaze a bit more.
"Who said I'm the one in danger?" he asked.
It would be better to avoid fighting, he knew that. But the option to do so seemed completely impossible at this point - the man was intent on fulfilling his task and the excitement in his eyes and wide smile on his face were more than clear signs that he was yearning for a fight. It wasn't a frequent opportunity to face a user of Sky Flame.
The attack came immediately and the red string of aura was emitting such heat that it grazed his skin even when he avoided getting hit by it, using his Flame to give himself a speed to do so. It was almost as strong as G's, he realised with a dose of surprise that made him suddenly much more concentrated on the man and his movement. He had been given reports from Alaude's man about the mercenaries that had made the attempts to infiltrate their grounds, though the rare Flame users they had encountered had not left any impression of possessing such strength - if they had, it would be much harder to stop and capture them.
He didn't wait for another attack, the orange Flame blazing when he concentrated his energy on pushing himself from the ground, accelerating his speed and taking the man by surprise, something that gave him a great satisfaction as he caught the look of widened eyes as his opponent barely avoided his fist. He wasn't able to protect himself from the energy that surrounded it, as the force pushed him a few feet away. And Giotto followed him, not wanting to spend too much time on the fight than necessary. He still wasn't certain just how much the man was capable of and giving him too much time could only make the situation tougher to deal with. But his opponent was much more careful now, aware of the strength he was facing, and tried to keep his distance whenever Giotto tried to land a more direct blow, making the man incapable of continuing the fight.
That was his hope, at least, as he wasn't certain one attack would finish it anyway. Not when his blows were being avoided more precisely with each one he aimed at the man. So he pulled back, his eyes never leaving his opponent as he assessed the next move, trying to come up with another strategy, something that would give him an upper hand. He wanted to let all the power that was contained in his body out, to release the pressure it was putting on his body. But it wasn't good already that the man discovered the fact that he was in possession of the Sky Flame in the first place - they all had kept it in secret, not wanting to gather too much attention yet, especially not when it would most definitely reach the ears of the Capitol and the Royal Family. He took a deep breath, calming his senses a bit and to clear his mind.
That was when he felt it - or maybe heard something, he wasn't certain.
He rapidly turned towards the carriage, his eyes widening at the sight of a hooded figure crouching over the entrance, peeking inside. The orange Flame flamed up on his hands as he pushed himself towards it, his attention fully on the person that was already reaching inside. This time, a shriek of fear reached his ears clearly, the voice clearly belonging to Lizzie.
Giotto noticed the attack second before it reached him, barely blocking it as the force pushed him back, forcing him to put his power on stopping the sheer strength of it. He squinted his eyes, the flashing colours of clashing red and orange almost blinding.
The Storm Flame user wasn't going to let him reach the carriage.
He frowned, irritated and anxious, the need to protect the ones trapped in there overwhelming. He realised that, perhaps, G's nagging to have one of the Guardians travelling with them didn't seem like such a bad idea. But they were already quite limited and he had been certain his power was enough to protect Alexandra from anything that would come their way. But that was an assumption based on the knowledge about their previous enemies.
And his current opponent was a completely different level, he realised with a slight worry as he kept increasing the amount of strength he was putting in his punches and attacks. But deep in his mind he wanted to let it blaze to its full power, knowing fully it was a very bad idea. Before Giotto was able to do so anyway, his senses tingled in a different way. He had never felt it before, but it didn't feel dangerous or unpleasant.
As much as he wanted to say that it was his victory that stopped the fight, there was another occurrence that interrupted, making the two of them stop in the middle of their attacks as they turned towards the carriage, both surprised and shocked.
The white, shimmering beam of light that erupted from inside was strong enough to push the man climbing inside a great distance away, his body making a loud sound when it hit the ground painfully, before disappearing, limiting itself to a weak glow that was shining through the open door of the fallen carriage and the windows that adired the side of it.
There was no doubt. He had seen this power before and the Flame was easily recognizable to anyone that had witnessed it at any point of their life - and even though Giotto wasn't supposed to know of its existence, he had worked with Francesco enough to know what the attack meant.
The loud and furious swearing brought his attention back to his opponent, though the man had long forgotten about him. Moving quickly, probably as fast as Giotto himself when he enhanced himself with his Sky Flame, he was by the side of his friend in barely a second, picking the hooded man up without breaking the string of curses, glaring at the carriage.
He still glanced back towards Giotto once he straightened, a cruel and furious scowl on his face portraying the displeasure he felt at being interrupted.
"We will see each other again." he promised.
Giotto didn't want to lose the chance he was given - Sky Flame lighted once again with more intensity as he pushed himself forward.
It was a split of a second, barely millimetres as he felt the heat emitting from the still active Storm Flame. But he was still too late - the indigo mit suddenly engulfed the two men, the aura reaching his senses making it fuzzy for a moment.
His fist didn't reach its target as the space previously occupied by his opponents became empty, the Mist Flame doing its purpose and allowing them to escape him.
While he deeply cared and liked Demon, this type of Flame was probably the one he hated to deal with the most.
The sound behind him caused him to turn back, the realisation of what exactly chased the men away making him narrow his eyes as he moved in that direction, his Flame slowly declining.
Lizzie was already on the ground, looking up at Alexandra, who was sitting on the side of the carriage, preparing herself to jump from the high, her movement uncertain and a bit quivering. The maid looked over her shoulder when he approached them, her eyes still terrified and teary, the experience obviously leaving an impression on her. Her mistress was handling it quite better, as he noticed while turning his eyes to the brunette.
Maybe it was the Carlevaro Flame of Illumination that still lingered for a few seconds before disappearing, but she seemed calm and collected despite how pale her face was. When she met his gaze he noticed that even though her aura was no longer active, her eyes still weakly shone with it, her composure cracking slightly as she swallowed nervously.
Alexandra had seen many expressions of his so far, though it was the first time she had experienced to witness the aftermath of Giotto using the Sky Flame - the glowing of it would still linger for a short time, making him much more intimidating than he had been usually.
The staring consent didn't last long, though. The only warning he got was when her eyes suddenly rolled back and she suddenly leaned forward, her body completely slacking when she fell from the carriage. He caught her before she hit the ground, the action unconscious more than controlled as he held her, looking down at her face as it rested against his chest, the ghostly paleness of it making his heart skip a bit.
He glanced at Lizzie, uncertain and anxious. She looked conflicted for a moment, hesitance taking over her fear as she eventually replied.
"Miss blacks out when she uses her ability."
"So it wasn't the first time she used it." he pointed out.
Lizzie shook her head.
There were many concerning things about the subject. The mere fact that she possessed the Flame in the first place was uncommon - so far no one spoke loudly about any female members of the Mafia Families having it, which led to simple assumptions that only males could use it.
Sighing deeply, he decided to return to the subject with Alexandra directly once they were in a safer and more comfortable environment. The current situation was far from perfect for such conversation - he was stuck in the middle of the forest with one unconscious and the other terrified women, dead carriage man and no transport to remove themselves from the position where the people with hostile intention would find them any second. He wasn't certain whether the Storm Flame user wouldn't return with a back up.
He looked around, adjusting his grip on Alexandra. He wasn't certain just where exactly they were, the fast forest in front and behind them making it much harder to recognize their location. They were probably half the way to the Cavallone Residence, considering the time they had spent in the carriage. Which meant they were still far from the place and walking seemed like a very likely task, not with the unconscious brunette.
"I see you are in a need of help, just like she said."
Giotto almost jumped out of his skin, hearing the voice from his side. He didn't feel or hear anyone approaching, his senses tingling only when the person in front of him decided to make himself seen. The Sky Flame was lingering in Giotto's veins, making him more aware of the surroundings than he was normally, but not to the level he was when using it. How the man exactly managed to hide from him was beyond him.
"Who are you?" he asked, his eyes narrowing when the man made a step closer to the man.
He seemed like an interesting individual. His posture was relaxed as he titled the fedora hat on his head, taking a closer look at the group in front of him, his eyes eventually resting on Giotto, an interest and calculative shine in them. The intimidating aura was emitting from him even when he didn't seem to prepare himself to attack them in any way.
"A friend of a friend." he replied finally. "Who had a feeling you might be in a troubling situation and bothered me until I agreed to come to your aid. Seems like I was late, though."
The man looked around the road, taking in the signs of the accident they had been in as well as the sight of obvious fighting left by the Sky and Storm Flame.
"Which friend are you speaking of? I have a few of them." Giotto brought the man's attention back to him.
A dark eyebrow raised when a smirk appeared in the corner of the man's lips as if he was strongly amused by something.
"And just how many of them can predict that someone is in danger at a specific place and time?"
A realisation hit Giotto accompanied by a wave of relief.
The knowledge that one of the Giglio Nero family members got involved brought a comfort he hadn't felt in a long time.