The Mistress

Chapter 11. Awakened

11

1492, Italy

I look up at the blur that is Micheletto. Are we still in the forest because all I see it white. It's like we were floating or in the sky but that can't be, the sky is a beautiful blue. I could hear the crunching as Micheletto walked I turn my head and see Cesare standing there. I reach my hand out for him. I try to speak but my mouth is too dry. My tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth and I can only do so much a grunt or groan. My heavy breathing wasn't making it any better.
"Let me." Cesare says. At least I think he said it, I did not see his lips move but I heard his voice. That voice I had missed so much, I have not heard it in so long. I felt Micheletto release me into Cesare's arms. I close my eyes when I start to feel him carry me off. He kissed me on my forehead. "She is as cold as ice." He says that but all I feel is warmth, his warmth. I had felt no better feeling in such a long time. All my pain and suffering seemed to go numb. I try to open my mouth to talk but nothing comes out. "Quiet my love, you are safe now." He whispers to me. "Get the carriage" He ordered Micheletto. "You're going to be just fine." He keeps reassuring me. I don't mind, I like to hear his voice. I hear the horses approach us. I still can not tell if this is a dream or real life. But I want to believe that it is real. Then all of a sudden I start to lose it, lose grip on reality. Everything begins to muffle and sound distorted. I try to open my eyes but I can't see anything, not even light. I try to move my hand to reach out for something but I can't even move. Was this what death feels like? Am I looking into the abyss that I have heard about before? But then again where is God? He is not here to meet me. So this can not be death, but it sure does fee like it. All my senses have gone numb, I can not move, I am not even sure that I am still on earth. I do not feel Cesare carrying me, or hear his voice or feel the cold air on my skin. There was nothing. But it can not be my time to go, I have not yet seen my father or even say goodbye to Cesare.

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Nothing seemed right, not at all. At one moment I was cold and lifeless but now I feel warmth. What was going on between the moment I was found and now? Because I do not remember. I thought I was gone and I mean completely gone. But did I come back or was this warmth I felt God finally coming to greet me and take me to heaven?
I started to hear voices fill my ears and they were the voices I had recognized from before. It was Cesare, Micheletto, Juan and Alexander. That's when I knew I was not dead. If I was dead then I would not hear their voices taking around me. I tried to wake myself up but I couldn't. I kept thinking I could just wake myself up but nothing was happening. As the voices started to quiet down I stopped trying all together.
I started to get feeling back. My hand ran down the smooth silk sheets, my legs were wrapped in the warm blankets. I could feel something wrapped around my ankle, it was the same ankle the dog had sunk his teeth into. I felt the warm sun on my skin and I instantly felt better. Then I heard birds chirping, they sounded familiar. My eyes opened when I recognized the sound of the birds. The harsh light strained my eyes. I had been in the dark woods for so long that my eyes had forgotten what the warm sunlight felt like. My eyes looked around as they adjusted to the light. I was back in my room in the Vatican. How long had I been here? The window was wide open and birds were sitting on a tree just outside. I push the blankets off of me and look down at my ankle that has been wrapped up ever so nicely. When did that happen? I didn't feel anyone touch me. I sit up quickly and the room starts to spin and become blurry. I place my hands firmly on the bed so I can get my handling on things. I shouldn't have gotten up so quickly.
I look over to the window that was open and was letting in blinding sun light. I slowly get out of bed, my toes touch the cold stone floor and put a shiver up my spine. My legs were weak and they start to shake as I try to walk. I become short of breath and I collapse on the floor. I hadn't even taken two steps and before my body had enough of this. I turn back the the bed and try to pull myself back up but my arms were too weak. Grabbing at the sheets and wooden bed frame but nothing can help me if my body is too weak.
I hear the wooden door swing open and I look over at it. The room had started to become blurry. "Lena!" Cesare's sweet voice fills my ears. I reach out my arm for him and try to speak but my mouth is too dry once again. He runs over to me, gently grabs hold of me, and places me carefully on the bed. "What were you doing my lotus? You would try and get out of bed so quickly?" He says in the sweetest voice. I point to the window that is letting in the blinding light. "You wanted the window closed?" he asks and I nod. He goes to the window and only closes one side. "You need the fresh air so I shall leave half open." He comes back over and sit at my bed side. "Would you like some water?" He asks when reaching for the pitcher and glass that sits on the table beside my bed. My stupid self hadn't noticed that before, if I would have maybe my mouth wouldn't be too dry to talk. Cesare poured the glass before I could ever nod. He helps me sit up and drink the fresh cool water. It felt so good to have water flow down my throat, it had been so long since I could drink this much. "Better?" He asks.
"Yes." I answer quietly my dry mouth being hydrated. I would have never thought that I could crave water like this.
"Ah! She speaks."
"How long was I out for?" His chipper attitude wasn't something I cared for at the moment.
"Just a few days my love." He says while tucking strands of my blonde hair behind my ear. "You would wake up sometimes but only for moments. I was terrified when you did not return, I searched for you and I when I thought I would never find you I-" He looks as if he was going to cry at the thought of losing me.
"It is alright, I am safe now." I begin to think of the days I was kept with those men. But then I think of François. He was not like the other two, he didn't feel right doing this. "Did you find the men who kidnapped me?"
"Oh find them we did!"
"What did you do to them? Did you kill them?" It seemed like the thing Cesare would do.
"Of course we did. They dared to lay a hand on you!" Again, not surprised.
"Even the kid?"
"All of them." I did not want him harmed. He was the only one to show me kindness and he shouldn't have been harmed. "Let's not talk of that now. You must be hungry."
"I am."
"Then I shall bring you something my love." He kisses the top of my head and retreats from my room.
Cesare's anger would always get the best of him and that must be the reason he killed that boy. I'm sure that François begged for his life and Cesare should have granted his wish.
I hear the door swing open once again.
"That was quick Cesare." I say and look up but it is not Cesare.
"You insult me by calling me that name." Juan says. I could tell he had been drinking, it was his normal affair. "I just heard Cesare speaking to the Holy father of how you have awaken. So I decided to come see you, the girl who has turned Cesare into a little child."
"You insult your brother Juan?" He runs his hand along the silk sheets as he walks up the side of my bed.
"I only insult what needs to be, Lady Lena." He sits down at my side. "I suspect that you will be back in my brothers bed as soon as you can walk again?" He chuckles.
"I think you should leave Juan." My whole body recoiled, a natural reaction to being near Juan.
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Because you are drunk and I don't want you to do something you might regret." And I also just hate being around him.
"You are missing something Lady Lena." He takes his hand and starts to stroke my face. It puts a shiver down my spine and a lump in my throat. "I do what I please and I regret nothing." He takes his thumb and runs it across my bottom lip. He could probably feel my body shaking under his touch
"Juan please-" He puts his finger over my mouth and hushes me.
"Do not speak, you need your rest." he was playing me. He cared not for me, he always played these games with me even when we were children and I hated every single moment. "Lena you were always the most beautiful prize that Rome holds and you still are." He starts to run his hand up my leg.
"Stop please." I beg. Just being near him made me sick but having him touch me was sending me over the edge. My entire body was cold and I stayed so still that I might as well be a painting.
"No no no. Remember what I said, no talking." I had no power to fight him off if he tried anything. I couldn't scream either, my voice was to weak. He has a sinister grin plastered across his face. I recognize the grin from when we were younger. It is always on his face when he was about to do something awful. "I wonder, what is it about Cesare that you are so fond of? Is it that you like weak men?"
"He is more of the man then you ever will be." He removes his hand from my leg and forcibly grabs my face. He squeezes his hand around my jaw and it makes me wince in pain. I try to move but his grip is too strong. He was crushing my jaw.
"You dare insult me when you are nothing but a whore!" He squeezes harder and my eyes start to water. Just then I hear the door swing open again. Juan quickly let's go of my face and turns back to Cesare who is walking in.
"Brother, what are you doing in here?" Cesare asks when sitting a tray down on the end of my bed. Juan stands up and starts walking to the door.
"I wanted to see if our darling Lena is okay." Juan lies, most of what spills from his mouth is a lie. "Its good that you found her." He opens the door, winks at me and leaves.
"Did he bother you?" Cesare asks when sitting at my bedside.
"No, he was just being Juan. Nothing I can't handle." I lie. I would rather not start anything, there is already tension between Cesare and Juan. I didn't want to make it worse. But Juan isn't the most stable person in the Vatican so I might want to sleep with one eye open.

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Sorry for the late update, classes started back up and I have a lot of school work. I hope you enjoy the chapter, there is more to come. Lena's story is just getting started :)