The Medici Girl: Reluctance

Courage in a Bottle of Wine

"Contessina!" Ezio called after her as she stormed through the halls of the palazzo. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. "Contessina! Wait!" Her footsteps echoed through the building as she ran towards her room; barely making it to the door before Ezio caught up to her and grabbing her. "Contessina, stop. Tell me what is going on?"

"They were all staring as if I were some prized broodmare auctioned off to the highest bidder." She pulled away from Ezio and started to pace in the corridor. "Is this how it is? Is this how it feels to be...betrothed?" She stopped and faced him looking for answers.

"I do not know." He sighed. "All I know is that everything has changed and I am not sure how I feel about it. At first I was angry and then all I felt was heartbreak. I had to break Cristina's heart." 

"I am sorry, Ezio. If I could do anything, it would be to see you two together and happy for the rest of your lives." She put a hand on his arm and squeezed. "This is all a mess." Contessina said with a helpless sob as she started to pace again. "I don't know what to do. I don't know if I can sleep or eat." Ezio stopped her by grabbing her hand and pulling her away. "What are you doing?" 

"Distracting you." He said taking her to the kitchens and grabbing a bottle of wine before pulling  her out of the door. "Come on." Ezio told her as he pulled her along to the side of a building. "Can you climb?" 

"Ezio, I am wearing a dress." She knew he was very good at climbing, but she was very rooted to the ground. "How do I climb in a dress?" She asked him as he stuck the bottle of wine in his belt. 

"Come on, I'll show you." He held out his hand to Contessina and she hesitantly took it before he showed her where to grab on to the window seal. "I promise I won't let you fall." She did not believe him at first, but the look in his eyes told her that he was not lying. Contessina did as he asked and pulled herself up, not without resistance from her dress. 

The young woman went slow so that she could place her hands in the same places Ezio did before her. She watched him carefully as he pulled himself up to the next window, securing himself before looking down at her. When he saw that she was struggling, he quickly descended to help her. Once on the roof he pulled her up and helped her get her feet under her, but the way she stood surprised him. There was that look of awe and wonder on her face, something he had never seen on Cristina's face before. 

"What is it?" Ezio asked her as she slowly stepped forward across the tiles on the roof of the palazzo. He looked around and then realized what she was seeing for possibly the first time in her life. The skyline of Firenze. "Oh." 

"It's so beautiful." She managed to mutter out as she took in the view of Firenze in the moonlight. "The Duomo is more beautiful at night." She looked out towards the walls of the city and saw the rolling hills over Tuscany as the stars sunk below the horizon. 

"I forget that you have never seen Firenze like this. Federico and I see it so often that we really don't pay attention to it." Ezio said as he moved to sit down on the peak of the roof. "Not anymore at least." He held out his hand to her and she sat down next to him. 

"I had no idea Italia could be so beautiful." She rested her elbow on her knee and rested her cheek against the palm of her hand. "It is like a dream." Contessina watched as Ezio pulled the bottle of wine from his belt and putting the cork in his mouth to open it before spitting it out. "Have you ever brought Cristina up here?" 

"No, she is afraid of heights." Ezio said before taking a sip. "This isn't bad. Lorenzo de'Medici has good taste." He handed the bottle to her and she followed his lead. "You are the first person I ever brought up here. I had a plan to bring Cristina up here when I could finally ask her to marry me, but that has changed."