The Medici Girl

Unspoken

The feast that Mario had gone on and on about the day Contessina arrived in Monteriggioni was nothing more than a dinner between the family. That did not mean that she was not suspicious of what he really had planned in the weeks following the dinner. Every morning she walked through the quiet streets of the little village trying to get acquainted with the people, but they all seemed to avoid her at best. Every now and then one of the womenfolk would smile at her as she walked by, but that was all. It was as though she were not welcome into this small world of theirs because of her maiden name.

Contessina found it difficult to walk through the streets after a couple weeks of feeling shunned and invisible. She wondered if she even belonged there at all, but when she brought up the subject to Ezio, he was very sure that the people were glad she was there. He also seemed a little concerned at their behavior since when he spoke to some of the villagers, they seemed to be genuinely excited about Contessina. If anything, he expressed his confusion over the matter to her himself. This did not dull her concerns, but she at least put herself to work by beginning to weed out the garden herself.

She was not the queen of gardening, but having spent time with the Medici gardener as a child gave her some knowledge on the subject. She had spent many mornings as a child speaking with the gardener about the different flowers that grew there and what it took to keep them alive. Now she was recalling these things to benefit the village, if not her own sanity. Within the two weeks she had been there, she had properly weeded the west side of the garden which allowed for the growth of the flowers already planted. Taking a step back from her work, she felt accomplished in her task.

"This is looking better by the day." Ezio said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist before giving her a kiss on the cheek. She put her hands on his and leaned back into him, smelling the musk he gave off. He had been practicing his combat skills again, but the smell was almost intoxicating to her.

"If I can weed it all within the next couple weeks, I may be able to have it survive the winter without issue." She said looking at her handiwork and then down at her dirty hands. "What about you, any word on Salviati?" Contessina asked him before turning around in his arms.

"That is what I'm here to tell you." Her face fell as she realized the news was going to take Ezio away from her for a day or two. "We found him." Ezio told her before pulling away. "I leave tonight and I will try to be back in a day or two."

"So, I get the bed all to myself tonight?" She said with a smirk on her face and he was caught off guard by the question. Contessina laughed before giving him a kiss. "I'm only joking."

"It didn't sound like a joke." Ezio responded before kissing her back with a little more force behind it. He was sure that if he went any further than kissing her at that moment it would be a disaster. So, far she had not given him any indication of having intimate marital relations besides their wedding night. He did not want to push her either. Ezio loved her and respected her enough to let it be her choice, just like he had been taught to do by his parents. "Will you see me off?" He asked her breaking the kiss.

"Of course. Why would I not?" She said giving him a very endearing look that seemed to go through his soul at that moment. The blond put a hand on his chest feeling the warmth he gave off and his hot blooded nature kicked in at that moment. He had to restrain himself from acting on those urges, especially when she smelled so sweet with her natural scent and the smell of earth on her. "You will be careful, won't you?" She asked him with pleading eyes.

"I will do my best." The smirk that Ezio plastered on his face made Contessina glare before she hit his arm in protest to his remark. He knew she did not take what he did for a living lightly, but sometimes he did and when he did she often protested.