The Medici Girl

A Talk Between Brothers

To say that Ezio was well connected with the young noblemen of Florence was an understatement. There were those who supported the Pazzi, but the rest, well the rest were always ready to fight at the Auditore's side. As soon as word spread of Contessina's humiliation by way of Vieri de'Pazzi, Ezio had no problem finding his restless gang of friends. The oldest of the bunch was Ludevico Santorelli, a merchants son who like Ezio and his brother had a beautiful wife to care for. When Ezio approached the tall man of twenty two, he did not hesitate to take up the cause to fight. 

"Can you get word to the others?" Ezio said walking beside Ludevico. "Tell them to meet at the Ponte Vecchio before sunset."

"Si, Ezio. I'm sure they will not pass up an opportunity to fight Vieri and his thugs. It's been a long time coming, Brother." The young man held out his hand for Ezio to take and the Auditore held no hesitation in clasping Ludevico's forearm. "At sunset." 

Ezio nodded with a victorious smirk, but it faded as soon as he was left alone on the street. Most of the crowds had returned to their homes to carry on with other responsibilities leaving the city mostly sparse of people. The young man did not mind this at all because it gave him time to think for himself. There was a better place to think and so he made his way there. 

Climbing up onto the rooftops above the Piazza Signoria, he watched the people below move to and from their destinations before sitting there with his knees bent. If there was ever a day he was more confused about his relationships with both Cristina and Contessina, this was the day. Contessina's bruised face set off a fire inside of him that he never really felt with Cristina, however the Vespucci girl was not as much of a target. When Ezio saw Vieri standing there with his hand digging into Contessina's scalp, he had not expected to say the words he did. He had called Contessina his wife in a fierce possessive way that he had never done with Cristina. 

Seeing the beautiful blond girl hurt and humiliated did something to Ezio. He did not know exactly what, though he was sure to find out sooner or later. Inside he was being pulled into two different directions and the talk his father gave him that afternoon made it worse. Giovanni Auditore had never told his son's how to go about their life, but he told Ezio that there was no way of keeping the relationship with Cristina going. Not because of propriety or rumors, but because Contessina's life would be wasted. He was doing a disservice to her by keeping the affair going with the Vespucci girl despite his love for her. The problem was not Cristina, it was Contessina. She had distanced herself from him so much that he almost did not know her anymore. 

The morning after their wedding, Contessina had gotten up early and left him in bed. He had no idea if she felt shame in her actions or if he did something to upset her. From then on, when they slept in the same bed there was no talking. Sure, she allowed Ezio to hold her during the night, but that was all. She had become cold, not the warm and smoldering Contessina he knew from when they were children. Ezio knew that it had to do with Cristina and now he was seeing his best friend fall apart before his eyes because of his actions. 

His father was right. Ezio would have to make a choice and it was not an easy one to make. Would he choose to watch one woman wither away or let the other move on with her life without him? 

"I thought I'd find you up here." Federico's voice disturbed Ezio's thoughts. 

"If you've come to tell me to leave Vieri alone, you know it won't be that easy." Ezio turned his head as the elder Auditore sat down beside him to watch the people below as well. 

"Little Brother, since when have I ever tried to stop you from doing something that you already had in your mind to do?" Federico said putting a hand on Ezio's shoulder and giving it a gentle shove. "It is not like anyone has the power to change your mind anyway."