The Medici Girl

Learning the Truth

April 24th 1478

The warm days of April were a comfort to Contessina as she sat in the garden of the Medici home. She watched as Cammillia sat in the grass playing with Renato, who was barely a year old but had begun to take his first steps. The little boy looked so much like his father it amazed Contessina. The only difference between Renato and Federico was the shade of his hair. Instead of the dark Auditore locks that Federico and Ezio had, Renato had a dark auburn; something he had clearly inherited from his mother. Either way, Contessina loved the little boy very much. 

Renato Auditore babbled about anything he saw with his dark eyes and even had gone to lengths to reach for those things. Since his birth, he had been the center of Cammillia's attention and she often forgot about everything going on around her. She barely asked about Ezio these days unlike before, but there was a reason for this. Contessina had known for a while that Cammillia was growing despondent to the lifestyle of the Medici. The blond could not blame her friend for this at all. Lorenzo had finally given in to letting Contessina go out of the Palazzo by herself, but he did have guards in the city looking out for her. Cammillia on the other hand, stayed in the Palazzo of her own volition. 

Contessina smiled as Renato fell on his bottom again. He was determined to walk if only he could get his balance as it was the only problem he had. The little boy laughed because he clearly had no fear of falling and then he began to grab at his mother's skirts to pull himself back up. Sometimes, Renato reminded Contessina of Ezio in his pure determination to get something done as a child. 

She looked down at the letter in her hands from Ezio. Seeing his handwriting after almost a year had lifted her spirits a little. Contessina had started to think he had forgotten about them, but in this case, he had not. Ezio had been busy rooting out Francesco de'Pazzi and his associates, finally following the man's trail back to Firenze. She had sent him many letters of the events going on in the city since then, but he had never replied to her. This letter came as a surprise and he apologized for his lack of keeping in touch with her. 

If she did not know any better, Contessina would say that Ezio was already in Firenze, but the problem was finding him. She at least knew where to start. She gently folded up the letter and put it in the bust of her corset before standing up. Her actions cause Cammillia to look up and give the blond a questioning look. 

"Contessina? Is everything alright?" The auburn woman said as she held on to her son's little hands. 

"It's nothing. I'm just going to take care of an errand and speak with Leonardo about something." Contessina said dusting off her skirts. "Do you need anything while I am out?" 

"Don't you think it is a little late in the afternoon to go out?" Cammillia said as she picked up Renato and set him on her hip. 

"It hasn't stopped me before and it won't now." The blond said with a determined smile. "I will be back soon." She said walking up to Cammillia and kissing the babbling Renato on the cheek. "Goodbye Little Man." 

She did not waste any time going up to her room and changing from her uncomfortable day dress into something more fitting and easy to move in. She made sure to take the dagger Giuliano gave her and place it in her boot before leaving the room. Making her way down the stairs quietly without being seen. As soon as she made it to the garden, she looked to see if Cammillia was still there and thankfully she had gone to put Renato to bed. 

Once out in the streets, Contessina made her way to the only place she knew Ezio might go. It had long since been abandoned, but it was still where he spent a good deal of his childhood and she had not been there since he had left Firenze. By the time she approached the Palazzo Auditore, the sun was inching lower in the sky casing red light on the city. The torches were already being lit for the night and she managed to grab one before opening the gate.