Loving an Assassin [Ezio Auditore]

Loving an Assassin [Chapter 6]

Assassins? My chest aches, almost like my heart has stopped. The word is familiar, but something about it makes my stomach churn. The way he says it makes it seem positive, almost endearing. However, I cannot bring myself to even attempt to enjoy it. I climb back up the ladder and into the bed, which has lost my body heat.

My soup, like the bed, has grown cold, and I can't even think of trying to eat. Maybe I should try to walk some more? I just don't want to lay here like an invalid. I grab a red robe to cover myself and I sneak back downstairs and make a right turn.

The room I enter is absolutely gorgeous; it's perfectly lush and cozy. There is a large bed in the middle of the room, hidden behind a changing screen. And crouched beside the bed is Maria Auditore, the woman who, had the arranged marriage not fallen through, would be my mother in law. She doesn't speak, she only sits and prays, asking God for things unknown in silence.

"She's been like this for days. The guards, they were brutal to her," says Ezio as he sneaks up behind me. I jump, startled by his presence. "She won't speak either, but I think she would be glad to see you."

I cautiously step forward, my stomach twisting. When Maria sees me, she pauses, then turns back to her prayers. "I guess she doesn't want to see me," I say to Ezio after stepping back.

"It's okay. Let's talk somewhere else," he says, leading me downstairs. Ezio stops whenever we reach the courtyard and we sit on a bench. "How did you even get here?" He asks.

"By horse. I took what my parents left me, stole a horse, and left the city. The guards burned the house down," I explain.

"Well, we will have to find you a room to sleep. And clothes too. You can't go around in your undergarments, though I wouldn't mind it," Ezio adds suggestively. I roll my eyes at his words. "Hey! We were going to be married!"

"And the deal fell through-"

"Well, maybe not. There's nothing that could stop us from getting married," he retorts.

"You? Marriage? With me? Those are three things that I didn't think would go together," I reply.

"Maybe one day Caterina. I wouldn't mind seeing you walk down the aisle," Ezio says, kissing my forehead gently. My face heats up at the contact. "It's a shame things happened the way they did. Maybe, by this time now, our families would have been planning our wedding. And we would be happy, prepping for everything, especially for the wedding night," Ezio adds.

"Of course, you had to bring it back to taking my flower. Can't we have a normal conversation without talking about your desire to deflower me? But, we could get that out of the way, couldn't we?" I ask, my hand going to his crotch.

Ezio blushes immensely. "Cat!" He squeaks. I giggle and pull away.

"I was only kidding," I reply, smiling.

"You'll pay for that," he warns.

"Fine. After your next assassination then," I respond. He nods and kisses my cheek before standing up and walking back inside.

And now, I'm counting down the days until Ezio's next assassination. His target- Vieri de Pazzi. Oh, how we'll celebrate Ezio's victory.