The Medici Girl

Pulling Weeds

At dawn, Contessina was pulling weeds again out of frustration. All night she found herself wide awake without Ezio's warmth next to her. Fiona had slept in the bed next to her, but there was just a strange feeling of being extra careful around the girl. She hoped pulling weeds would undo her frustrations, but all it seemed to do was frustrate her more. Nannia's words from the day before sometimes ran through Contessina's head giving her this angry feeling that took time to go away. She could not stand it so she pulled the weeds from the ground angrily.

Before long she had a pile of plants beside her and she was covered in dirt once again. Soon it would be time for breakfast, but she did not want to go into the villa feeling as she did. If anything she wanted to sleep, yet she knew that sleep would not come to her until Ezio was back. She needed to know how he felt just as much as she wanted to tell him and she did not know if she could hold out any longer. Especially if Nannia's words were true.

"What did those weeds do to you, Neice?" Mario's voice caught her off guard as she pulled on a particularly hardy plant that refused to give up. She huffed before sitting back on her heels and wiping her hands on her apron.

"Nothing." She said with an annoyed grunt before turning to look at her uncle and seeing him standing there with a letter in his hands. "What is that?" Contessina eyed the letter knowing there was some news within it.

"A letter for Giulia." He told her before handing it to her and she gladly accepted it. "It came just before dawn." He did not have to say any more when she popped the wax seal and opened the paper to begin reading it. Her eyes read every single word closely before taking a sharp breath at the words Poliziano wrote to her. The news was not good. "Well?"

"Sixtus has ordered Salviati's body delivered to Roma immediately." Contessina told Mario before handing the letter back to him. "They know that Salviati is still alive and that they hung a farmer in his place. They are looking for a reason to place a siege on Firenze and if Salviati's body isn't given to them, they will have an excuse."

"They will have an excuse regardless. Even with a body, Sixtus will find a way to underhand the Medici." The man said as Contessina stood up brushing herself off. "This is not our war, Contessina. Lorenzo must fight the battles he brought on himself and you know this. Your concern for the people gives you credit, but you cannot get involved." The thought of Ezio fighting for Lorenzo did not sit well with her, but at the same time she did not want innocent lives to suffer.

"Then what can we do?" She stopped to look Mario in the eyes, pleading for him to give her a suggestion. She dearly hoped he would say something that could ease her fears or worries over the place she had lived for so long. "Uncle, there must be something I can do."

"There is." He put a hand on her shoulder to give her comfort. "Continue your correspondence with your informants in Firenze and wait. You are part of our family now and the wife of an Auditore, this is what you are ment to do." Contessina saw a glint of pride in his eyes at her willingness to help others as much as she did. She had proved it to him with taking care of Fiona during the night. "There will be a time when we can do more."

"Alright." She nodded as she looked down at her hands feeling useless again. Mario must have caught on to her emotional state before putting his arm around her shoulder.

"You are a very good woman, Contessina and I see why Ezio holds you in such high esteem." He squeezed her closer to him as she seemed beat down by her sleeplessness. "Not to mention, you have earned my respect as well." He let her go before standing in front of her and putting both hands on her shoulders with a jovial smile on his face. "You have done so much for my Nipote and by doing so you have done a lot for Monteriggioni. That in itself is something to rejoice about."