Loving an Assassin [Ezio Auditore]

[Chapter 10] -Self Harm TW

(Warning, this chapter contains blood and self harm, though not in graphic detail. I apologize if I trigger anyone from this)

Ezio leads me back to his room, where he bids me to rest. He lays me down on his bed, smiling softly. "If you can, I want you to sleep. It will make you feel better," he says, gently kissing my forehead before going back to his uncle.

But after Ezio leaves, the sinking feeling gets worse. My mind races, from the death of my parents to Cristina and all the other women Ezio adores. I should've died; I'm a waste of space. I was meant to die with my parents.

My vision blurs; I don't remember grabbing that knife, or getting out of bed, but liquid drips down my arm. The pain there relieves the pain in my heart, but only slightly.

I remember when I ran into Cristina's friends the one day, how they stopped me and told me that Ezio wouldn't want garbage like me: he wanted pretty girls, models, ones that could give him sons. He would marry a girl like Cristina, not some ugly cow like me. That was the first night I dealt with pain by inflicting it upon myself.

My body falls against the bed once more, and something in me demands that I cover the wound. Make sure Ezio doesn't see.

I strip down to my undergarments, then I take cloth to the cuts and bandage them haphazardly. It will make due until I find a doctor, and I can always lie about how these came about.

Afterwards, I crawl into bed, closing my eyes, and eventually falling asleep.

In my dream, I am taken back to Firenze, the night of a festival. A memory, of the night I first met Ezio:

My family had just moved from Venezia to Firenze, as father's business and his connections had grown stronger there, and I wanted to explore the new city.

The blue dress I was wearing swished with every step, and contrasted with the rich colors the citizens of Firenze wore. They all stared at me as I walked by, some whispering, others making bold comments. I tried to ignore them all, just focusing on the festivities.

In my trek, I found a dressmaker, who offered me a crimson gown for quite a deal: 100 Florins, and the quality was amazing. After the dress was packaged up, I began to walk back to palazzo Voltaire. However, this wasn't without unwanted company.

"So, you're the beauty I've been hearing about? You would look even better on my arm," a man began as I nearly reached the palazzo door. I turned to him, eyeing up the man.

"I'm not interested," I interrupted. I was only fourteen at the time, and I certainly wasn't thinking about courting or marriage yet.

"You will not deny me," he growled, grabbing my arm. I pulled away from him, snatching a knife I had concealed in my skirts and holding it out, ready to strike. "How cute. A little rabbit who thinks she can fight."

I slashed at him, cutting his arm, and he slapped me.

"That isn't the way to treat a beautiful woman, Vieri," another interrupted.

"Cazzo! Ezio Auditore! Leave us alone!" Vieri shouted, turning towards him.

"No. You insisted on bothering her. I'm going to bother you now," Ezio replied before starting to fight him.

To be honest, Ezio won the fight easily, and Vieri ran off defeated. "Are you hurt?" Ezio asked, and I shook my head. "Here, let me escort you home."

"I'm just a little further away," I answered, taking Ezio's offered hand. He carefully led me to my palazzo door. "Ezio Auditore, correct?" I began.

"The one and only," he replied, a smirk on his devilishly handsome face. It made my heart flutter, and I blushed.

"How may I repay you?"

"Maybe a little kiss? And your name?"

I rolled my eyes with a chuckle. "Close your eyes..."

Ezio closed his eyes, and I gently kissed his cheek. When he opened his eyes and began to protest, I stopped him. "My name is Caterina," I said, smiling softly. It was then that my father opened the door, and I was ushered inside.

My dream ends there, and I wake up with a sad sigh. He didn't want me like that; I'm just a notch on his bedpost, another girl he can fuck and leave. I look down at my makeshift bandages, and I'm shocked to see that the blood has soaked through them.

"You're bleeding!"