The Medici Girl: Reluctance

The Reluctant Bride

"Father, you cannot be serious!" Ezio had not expected this. "Contessina? What will Cristina think?" The young Florentine paced in his father's study as his mother sat watching. Giovanni was expecting this reaction, so much that he was willing to bet Ezio would be shocked and furious about the match. 

"Ezio, you know that you cannot marry Cristina. Her father is in line with the Pazzi and we are supporters of the Medici. I gave Lorenzo my word that I would support him and I shall." Giovanni told his son before looking to his wife. Maria could only give him a small smile of courage because Ezio could be reasoned with. "Son, I know you love Cristina." He walked over to the young man and put a hand on his shoulder. "But you have a duty to this family too. A duty to your city." 

"Perhaps Contessina feels the same as  you do right now. If I were to have a choice, I would have you marry for love like us." Maria interjected placing a hand on her chest before standing. "Ezio, my son, Contessina is not the worst choice for a bride. She is your friend after all and who knows, she may be your greatest ally." Ezio wondered if there was a way to still hang on to Cristina while being married to Contessina. He was not willing to give up the love of his life just yet and the beautiful blond woman he had known for the last several years of his life could also be a constant companion. He looked at his mother and relaxed his posture. 

"Alright. I accept Contessina as my bride." He said sadly. Maria could tell his heart was aching at the news. 

"You are making the right choice, Ezio." Giovanni put his hand on the back of Ezio's neck in comfort. "I am sorry. I truly am." He pulled his son into a hug before letting him go. "We are going to Palazzo de'Medici for dinner tonight to announce your engagement." Ezio said nothing; only nodded before slowly walking out of the study with a broken heart. Giovanni wondered if this was all a mistake, but perhaps it was not. Perhaps Contessina would allow his son to be free and not hold him to the standards that most marriages had. She was at least agreeable. 

"I wonder if Contessina loves him already." Maria said walking over to her husband. "She has known him all this time, but I've seen them together before he met Cristina. She works in tandem with him, not against him." 

"Like you and I, my love?" The Assassin said leaning over to kiss his wife on the cheek. "Perhaps this will end up better than we all anticipated." 

Ezio found himself walking towards Cristina's home after the conversation he had with his parents. A thousand thoughts were racing through his head, all of them on how he was going to break the news to his beloved. More importantly; how it was going to change the relationship he had with Cristina and Contessina. Both women knew that their place in society was to eventually marry the sons of nobles in order to maintain alliances, but it did not change the fact that he loved Cristina. 

He wanted to blame Contessina, but he could not. She could not have known the choice her cousin made and he cared for her a great deal as well. Fate, it seemed, was not in favor of his heart and part of it withered away the moment his father announced that he was to be married. The blond beauty was not Ezio's choice, but he could not disappoint his family. The thought had crossed his mind to run to Cristina and tell her to run away with him; to elope in the countryside and all of this could be avoided. The truth was it would only make things worse with the Pazzi. Messer Vespucci would likely call for Ezio's arrest and the elopement would be immediately annuled. 

He only had an hour before the dinner, so he had to make the conversation quick. Ezio stood below Cristina's window like always after the sun had gone down and called her name. After a few moments, she opened the window and looked down at him. The look on his face told her that something was not right. 

"Can you come down?" He asked her. 

"I will meet you in the square." She said quietly trying not to grab anyone's attention. "Go! I'll only be a minute or two." Cristina smiled at him. Just as she said she would, the brunette met him in the square with a concerned look on her face. "Ezio, what is wrong?" She put a hand on his arm.