Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors.

Chapter Eighty-Two: The Riot in Florence.

30th of June 1535 - Florence, Italy

Taking Margaret of Austria's hand as they stepped out of the chapel, Alessandro de' Medici held his head high as they exited with their guards around them. The slow trek back towards the Palace lay ahead of them and the summer sun beat down upon those who had been inside the chapel for their Sunday mass.

The dirty peasants stood feet from her and Alessandro, their dirt covered faces seeming to watch every step that Margaret made and eye the expensive gown that she was wearing. It had not been her choice to wear such finery, especially when the city was being besieged by an army and they were trapped inside the city with no supplies getting in. No, the idea had been that of her husband who was dressed in his Sunday best.

Alessandro had spared no expensive in his new wardrobe when he had been made a Duke; no one would have ever guessed that he was from common origin. The royal standards of his wife were highlighted around him, he wanted no one to doubt his power or that which came from his marriage to the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor.

His guards pushed people out of the way as they secured the route that would led the Duke and Duchess back to the Palace, they surrounded them as they moved through the streets. Margaret cast a nervous look towards the crowd, most calling out blessings to the Duke and herself yet she could not place the uneasy that she felt about the crowd. The voices of well wishes were slowly being drowned out by others, voices that were angry and harbored such hatred towards the nobility that passed them by.

"Please my Lord, my children are starving," one of the crowd spoke through the growing noise, other pleas slowly started to make themselves heard as others asked for aid. However, their words were met by indifference from Alessandro who continued on his way; it was almost as if he did not hear their words, their pleas for aid as the city crumbled around them.

Looking at the crowds, Cosimo eyed the gathering knowing that this could take a turn for the worse at any moment; he could almost feel the anger towards Alessandro growing as he continued on his way not offering the people any kind of comfort. The people were starving while the nobility hoarded whatever food was left in the city, there had been runs on any place that had once stored the cities food and thieves were popping up around the city.

Despite the fact that they had known the army was coming, Alessandro had done little to prepare Florence for a siege that was now bringing the city to its knees. Before any could react or see what was about to happen, a cow pat struck Alessandro across the left side of his face; it knocked him off balance and he stumbled slightly as he tried to stay up right.

The guards around him pulled their swords and turned towards the crowd, prepared to protect the Duke from the mob that was starting to form in the crowd. Wiping the crap from his face, Alessandro flicked bits of it onto the floor before he released his hold on Margaret's arm and made his way towards the crowd that had started to shove back against the guards that lined the street.

"Who threw that? Bring me the man who dares strike down his liege lord," Alessandro demanded, he pushed through the guards as he grasped his sword and started to strike down the people that made it through the line of guards that had separated the crowd from the nobles.

Margaret clasped at her ladies hands as she watched the scene before her, the fighting growing steady worse as more people broke the line of guards and made it into the street. She could only watch in terror, her heart pounding in her chest as the crowd push further into the street; men using whatever they could get their hands on to strike down the guards. The guards around Margaret deserted her in an attempt to help push back the fighting and stop the killing that was happening in the street.

The toothless grin of an older man caught her gaze as he made his way through the mayhem, his eyes firmly locked on her quaking form as Alessandro disappeared from Margaret's line of sight. One of her ladies bravely stepped in his path only to find herself roughly pushed out of the way, she hit the floor and cried out as she fell at an awkward angle onto her arm.

Margaret opened and closed her mouth, her mind racing with thoughts and a plea on her tongue as his hand caked in brown God knows what reached for her arm. She could not bring herself to scream as she stared at him, her mind racing and she tried to stumble back away from him only for his hand to grab onto her arm.

"Please…" Margaret whimpered, she did not know how to make the man understand and she flinched as he reached up to snatch the necklace that her mother had gifted her on her wedding day. It broke under the force of his hand pulling it from her body, the hold on her arm tightening for a moment before there was a sound that Margaret could not describe; she felt the hold on her arm release and she stumbled away from the man.

Something wet splattering across her face and she opened her eyes, not having realised that she had closed them to find Cosimo standing before her. His sword covered in blood and a wild look in his eyes as the old man slumped to the floor, his hand still clutching her necklace in a lifeless hold; the colour gone from his face as he lay motionless on the floor.

Margaret felt sick, her hand reached up to touch her face and flinched at the wet substance that was splattered across it; she pulled her hand back and stared at the blood that rested on her fingers. Bile forced it's way up her throat, causing Margaret to turn away from Cosimo as she threw up on the street; her vision swimming and she wanted nothing more than to forget all this. An arm wrapped around her and she flinched at the touch, she glanced to her side to see it was Cosimo; a concerned look on his face while his guards ensured that her ladies were well and protected from the riot.

"My Lady, we must go," Cosimo urged her, he did not know what had gotten into Alessandro but he cursed his cousin for leaving Margaret unattended and undefended while he dealt with the riot. How could Alessandro not know that his display of finery and riches would upset the people of Florence especially when there was not enough food to go around. There were children starving in the street while Alessandro threw elegant parties to establish his power and redecorated the Medici Palace; it was clear that Alessandro was unpopular with the people.

They already did not like how he run the city, his further actions with the management of the siege had ruined his reputation and Cosimo feared what might happen especially when they were already rioting in the streets. Leading Margaret and her ladies through the streets and towards safety of his home, Cosimo dared not look back and he wanted nothing more than to get out of the streets before they became their riots next targets.

He noticed how Margaret seemed to tremble, he was sure what had happened had been a horrible shock to the thirteen-year-old; she was of gentle nature and had probably never seen death before. Cosimo was relieved when his villa came into view, his guards clearing the way and allowing them to hurry into the house without anyone getting in their way. Cosimo slowly released his hold on Margaret allowing her ladies to take care of her, he ordered the injured lady to be taken to see his doctor.

"Thank you," Margaret whispered from where she had been seated, her eyes wide and she trembled as her ladies tried to comfort her; all of them having a few years on their mistress but no less shaken by what had happened. The crowds turning on them was not a good sign for Alessandro's rule, everyone knew that it only took one wrong riot to allow the army inside the city and his rule would be over. They had all heard the stories of what had happened in Milan, the late Duke having been badly injured in battle so the city had fallen with the army almost fleeing to get away from the alliance.

"It was my pleasure, my lady," Cosimo replied bowing his head to her, he pretended not to notice the blush that covered her cheeks as he bowed his head. He turned away from Margaret hoping that God would forgive him for what he would do, his eyes catching on Lorenzino as he pondered his next move. They both knew that Alessandro would burn the city if he thought for a moment that his reign was threatened, he wanted nothing more than to protect Florence even if he had to protect it from Alessandro.

Cosimo sighed, he moved towards the door knowing that he would have to make a decision on his actions sooner rather than later.

I recommend Bed of Deceit by BellalunaMcKenzie, For Even as Love Crowns You by wizardfantasy and Sanctuary by Cattyfan. Also check out My Lord Husband,The Enemy by Esme24, That Subtle Wreath by EvilFluffyBiteyThing and its sequel, A Progress in Kent.

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