From the highest star

9

"We have arrived" They had arrived in front of this building, outside a man, Vespucci, was arranging furniture for his servants.
But then he saw Sandro and his anger towards those poor men disappeared. "Botticelli ... finally"
The man approached, Giuliano in the meantime was cleaning an apple, taken from a merchant, in his jacket.

"Messer Vespucci let me introduce you to Giuliano de'Medici and Madonna Beatrice Ridolfi" the man lowered his head "Messer De 'Medici" Giuliano did the same.
"Madonna Ridolfi, what a pleasure to see you" the man kissed her hand.
"The pleasure is all mine, Messere" "I was beginning to think that I would never see you again"
"It's only been a month, Messere" Sandro looked sadly at the man who seemed angry, Marco Vespucci then looked at Giuliano who was quietly eating his apple.
"Date therefore"
"With pleasure ... after I have my florins" The man began to laugh "you will not think that I would deny you the payment"
"I'm just an artist Messere ... I can't wait" replied poor Sandro.
"Very well" the man turned and walked away.
Giuliano looked at Beatrice and then at Sandro, the noise of a carriage distracted them from the attention they had on that man.
And when Giuliano saw the ring, he quickly approached the carriage door.
Simonetta looked out, looked around and found Giuliano in front of her holding out his hand, behind him were Beatrice and Sandro.
The latter ran to her and placed her cloak on the horse droppings, setting the commissioned work in the hands of the Medici, who did not give up to bring down the beautiful Simonetta.
"Yes, long ago ... at a carousel" "Your florins" The man passed the money to Sandro and Simonetta noticed Beatrice.
"Beatrice!"
"Simonetta!" The two embraced warmly.
"Come Simonetta" the woman left the three characters led by Marco. Both of them, Sandro and Giuliano, had been electrocuted.
Beatrice placed herself in front of them.
"So Sandro and Giuliano, what are you saying?" "She can't really be married to that idiot, when she told me I thought it was a joke" I looked at Sandro who looked at Giuliano. "She's beautiful," Giuliano said, Beattice felt excluded from the conversation, lowered her head and turned around. But no one noticed her leaving sad.

Rome
"Lorenzo then?" Lucrezia Tornabuoni asked hoping for an excellent answer, the pope had not granted anything to Lorenzo. "The other cardinals didn't even listen to me ... Salviati smiles very pleased" "Will there be anything you can do?" Carlo asked "Maybe my father was right, the only way to save Florence was to have it burned by Sforza"
"Don't even say it as a joke" Lucrezia said as she looked around.
"Maddalena ... I can introduce you to my son Lorenzo" an adult woman approached Lorenzo and his mother, Lorenzo bowed. "Lorenzo ... she is my daughter Clarice" the boy looked at the young girl in front of him, it was she, she was the woman he had seen that morning, the one who had burned him by her beauty. "And you already know Father Carlo ..." said Maddalena "I know him and I admire him" answered Clarice. "I saw you this morning," exclaimed Lorenzo "Really?" Clarice asked "In Trastevere, you were at the hospice" "Ah ... yes Clarice devotes many hours to the poor and needy" Carlo asked himself "From what they say, you are a patron Lorenzo" Maddalena approached Lucrezia. "Yes ... I love the arts, philosophy and poetry, high vocations"
"High vocation?" Clarice asked confused "I didn't just mean the high ones, I ... I love horseback riding and any form of activity ... I would say that I like everything" There was a moment of silence.
"And my family obviously takes care of the poor in Florence, we are very generous actually"
"Father Carlo speaks very highly of you Messere ... it was a pleasure"
Clarice made a slight bow and disappeared with her mother. "It seems that girl and I have different interests" "No ... what does it matter if Cardinal Orsini's uncle" Lucrezia moved towards the buffet table. "I don't understand" Lorenzo was interrupted "Clarice has a noble title, the Orsini are very influential in Rome, see Beatrice" Lorenzo stopped his mother "mother are you suggesting me to marry her" "Orsini ... can convince the Pope to extend our credit if you marry his niece" "And you've already talked about this with Cardinal Della Rovere" "I told you I had some business to attend to in Rome," Tornabuoni replied. "There is a problem though ... I have known the girl for some time, she is very devoted and this morning she revealed to me that she intends to take the vows" interjected Carlo. "This is an obstacle ... even if it is possible that it is not insurmountable for a young man of your charm" Lucrezia looked at Lorenzo with the goblet in her hand, he sighed and turned his gaze towards Clarice. "So Lorenzo, what are you saying?" "I can try" "So you want to get Clarice away from her devotion" "See Carlo, our family in Florence depends on this ... uncle" Lorenzo lightly slapped Carlo who was not entirely in agreement. In the meantime Clarice had gone out onto the terrace and Lorenzo joined her. Clarice turned and Lorenzo leaned against the balustrade. "I think I owe you an apology" "For what?" For what would have seemed superficial to such a profound woman " "I didn't know you were superficial Lorenzo, but you value the things of the world and I don't" Lorenzo smiled "eh the world is the work of God?" "I'm not the right person to talk about philosophy" "The unfortunate you are helping, wouldn't they want to enjoy the beauty the world has to offer if they could?" Lorenzo turned and looked at Rome, that beautiful panorama.

"Where do you want to go?" "We serve God by giving help to the needy but we also serve him ... recognizing the beauty of the world he created ... and we help others ... allowing them to see it too" "It's true what they say, you are good with words" "They are more than just words Clarice ... you know that our mothers talked about marriage" "I found out" "Please ... be in favor of the proposal" "Because your family is powerful and mine has noble blood" "And because if you give me your heart, I promise before God that I will take care of it" "You don't even know me Lorenzo, don't give such promises" "No ... I don't know you ... and you don't know me ... and you don't love me ... but with time you would love me and I would love you, with all that I am, now and also in the future" Lorenzo took the msno fi Clarice. "If anyone could convince me it would be you ... but no one can" Clarice after these words, left Lorenzo alone on the terrace. Alone with the problems he would face, alone with the hope of finding a way to save Florence and the bank, alone with the desire for Clarice to turn around and change her mind.