The Hidden One

I

March 11th 1524

"Padre, could you tell us the story of your old friend?" The little boy, Marcello asked his father who was picking some corn as his children were helping him. "From Federica, she said this woman was very brave, oh papà, how I wish to brave like her." Flavia said as she twirled when she said 'brave like her'. The old man chuckled as his mind drifted to the first woman that he loved the most. The woman who gave him everything, who was loyal to him and only for him.

The woman he misses dearly.

"Well let's not waste time and finish the job and I'll tell you the story, bene?" The old man asked and both children nodded. They continue picking corn until they were satisfied of the amount. They went in the villa as they placed the baskets filled with corn and went in the living room, children pulling their old father to the arm chair as he laughed while watching them preparing them selves to listen the stories which he told them most of the time. "Oh Ezio, could you please tell Marcello to wait he needs to finish his practice for school?" His wife, Sofia asked him and he turned towards Marcello and sighed. "Its okay father, I'll wait." Marcello said as he stood up and hugged his father tightly, as if he doesn't want to let go of him.

Ezio Auditore, the man who had most of his adventurous life to assassinate the people who followed the Templar order. He was the mentor of the brotherhood and many people who followed him, became encouraged to face their enemies who's desires were to conquer and to rule the world. Although, the assassins still gets inspired by his past, Ezio was the one who made an end from his entombed life. Now, sixty-five year old Ezio settled down as a family man who was surrounded with joy and love from his lovely wife Sofia Sartor, and his beautiful children who were named Marcello and Flavia. His life as an assassin and mentor was done for good and he never looked back to it. The man who was jaded and trapped in the life that he was forced to live in and now he finally got his freedom after the epoch of his journeys. Now the people of Florence are most filled with pride since now is without any dukes or lords in the city. The people finally feels the independence thanks to the assassins, they have moved on from the past and started to rebuild the beauty of Florence.
Joy always been their for the Fiorentini and to the Auditore family, but something that kept Ezio in the past. The woman that his children named and promised to tell them about.

Marcella Acerbi.

The daughter of the Acerbi family, Fausto and Rodrica Acerbi along with her younger sister Angela Acerbi, and the woman who was innocent and sweet before and grew to become a bolder and loyal woman who was never ashamed of her battle scars. But the same woman who stole his heart never to be returned.

Ezio never got his thoughts away from his first love, as married man, he had to let her go. But he couldn't. His daily life, he would spent it in his study room, aside from his villa, roughly writes his thoughts, expressing them but he never found the right words. His mind doesn't stay on point, his thoughts drifts to Marcella, neglectfully.

After an uneventful dinner, everyone from the Auditore villa went to prepare their selves to go to sleep after a busy sunny day picking corn and doing chores, but as Ezio went past to his son's room, seeing his daughter whispering words to her little brother, they caught their father and called out for him. "Papà, I think you forgotten something?" Flavia asked her father as she stood up and walked towards him. "And what may I have forgotten, bella mia?" Ezio walked towards Marcello's bed and sat down on it as he smiled at them. "The story of your old friend, father." Marcello whined as he got annoyed that his father forgotten. "You promised us, padre." Ezio laughed as he nods and said, "Sì, I know and I remember. Shall I start telling you the story about my friend?"