The Mistress

Chapter 8. Leonardo

8

1492 Rome, Italy.

It was the sun that had woken me up, Cesare's room was bathed in sunlight in the morning. How he deals with this, I'll never know. Turning my head to see him I found that he was still asleep. I sat up slowly as to not wake him. My hair was a mess, still partly in the braids that I sported to the wedding. We really didn't take the time to take out my hair so it was very tangled. Never doing that again. I started working on one thick braid but it proved to be difficult. My bare skin shivered as a cool breeze came through the window. Quickly I stood and took a robe that was hanging on a chair. I took one stroll around the room to look at things. His room was messy, stacks of books and scrolls everywhere. He had a few weapons laying around as well. A fireplace was on the far wall and it seemed as though the sitting area in front of it was used quite frequently. The red velvet chairs were worn and the small wooden table had a few glasses sitting on it.
After my loop around the room I sat back at the desk and continued the detangling of my hair. My plan for today went through my head. It was today that I was leaving to meet Leonardo in Milan. It was a long trip and I had already had everything prepared. Also Lucrezia was leaving with Giovanni for Pesaro. I would be leaving before she does so I don't even have a chance to say goodbye but I will be seeing her soon. Perhaps on my way back to Rome I would go see her.
Cesare started to move in bed and he let out a groan. He is moving to get up but he had not noticed that I was sitting across the room. Still as I observed him starting to rake my fingers worked on my hair. He sat up and rubs his eyes to adjust to the light. "Why are you over there my love?" He asks when he sees me sitting at my desk. His voice was so raspy it put butterflies in my stomach.
"You know I leave today for Milan, have to get an early start." But honestly the way my hair was it seemed that I wouldn't get on the road until late tonight.
"You still have time, come back to bed." he waves me over and even moved the sheets out of the way for me. Of course I came to him, sitting on the edge of the bed letting my legs hang over the side. He came up behind me, pushed my tangled hair away from my neck and started to kiss it. I moved my neck to the side to give him better access. As soon as I felt his teeth rake against my skin I knew this was a bad idea. I wiggled from his grip and stood but he was able to grab onto my hand. He brought my hands up to his lips and kissed it. He was charming and he knew that it worked on me. It always did.
"I have to get ready." I remind him. He gently pulled me over to him as he had sat up. Pulling me into his lap, he snaked his arms around my waist.
"At least let me go with you, I can offer protection." He whispered in my ear as I started to fiddle with my hair once more.
"Cesare I will be fine." I reassure him but I knew it would never work. Ever since we were young Cesare was protective over me and Lucrezia.
"At least have Micheletto go with you." he insist. I guess he noticed me messing with my hair because he too started to unbraid blonde mess.
"Your man servant?" It was hard for me not to giggle at the thought. Micheletto is quiet so little is known about him. All I knew is that him and Cesare were close and they met in school. Not sure how Cesare's school friend would help me. "I will be fine your father is sending two of the papal guards with me."
"I would still feel much better if I went with you." He was better than me as he was able to detangled a braid faster than me.
"You can't because you are to busy and this is a personal visit." I would enjoy Cesare coming along with me but he can not come, what I need to talk to Leonardo about is personal. I was hoping he could give me answers to why my father had just left me here with no explanation what so ever other than a box with miscellaneous things in it. It isn't even the explanation I crave it is the fact that I don't know if he is okay or not. I just want to know that I will be able to see him again.

I stood out on the Vatican steps saying goodbye to Cesare who still wants to come with me. But he is a man of the church and has to many duties to attend to that he can not do from Milan. He tucks my long golden hair behind my ear right before kissing me on the forehead. My father used to do that. He told me that a kiss on the neck shows the persons lust for you, a kiss on the lips means they are in love you and a kiss on the forehead means they genuinely care about you. He actually said that my mother told him that every time he would kiss her on the forehead. When my father speaks of my mother it was always the little things. It was like it hurt him to talk about her. When I was very young he told me that every person has one soul mate and he found his.