Wow I made good on a promise! I'll try and do it more often...

Illusions

Chapter 5 - Beatings

The night air really did seem to work wonders on Ezio's mind. Crisp and clean, it wiped away his muddled thoughts and rearranged them into a more understandable state. And, once again, a young dark haired beauty was on his mind. Ezio could not shake the feeling growing in his chest, and once again she had proved herself an entirely different person when their interactions were not scheduled. Yesterday's performance of strength had made him realise that she was compassionate and kind to those in need. Those not in need however shone a very different light on her behaviour. Ezio wasn't about to lie to himself and say he didn't like it.

The dark evening streets of Florence were almost completely desolate, the stalls were empty, lights were on in the window frames, and there was naught a sound but the click-clack of Ezio's shoes on the cobblestone.

Then the rumble of many.

Like lightning, a familiar figure came bounding in Ezio's direction. The assassin he and his brother witnessed a number of nights ago had crossed his path once again. Behind the figure, a great huddle of guards, shouting and rawping, their weapons drawn, gave chase. And they were gaining.

It was then Ezio noticed the figure's slight limp, and the arm it wrapped around its abdomen. But before he could observe anything else, it breezed by him, turned, and disappeared around a corner. The guards completely ignored Ezio, as they too shot past him and it was all over before Ezio could even process a coherent thought.

Once again baffled by the appearance of the masked assassin, he headed home, and thought of nothing else.

…

On this occasion, it was Ezio who came for Freyja.

Her house was modest, illuminated in golden morning sunshine, not quite unlike Ezio's own palazzo, with jade green curtains in the windows and climbing vines to match. It was situated in a more quiet district of Firenze, a peaceful change to his own home.

Thinking on homes, he thought to himself as he waited for Freyja to join him in the courtyard, where will Freyja and I live once we.. if we marry?

Pondering further, Ezio watch as Freyja entered the courtyard a step behind her father.

"Do not keep her out too late, signore Ezio, she has her lessons to attend after dusk." Stefano said in an authoritative manner, like tutor might its student. Ezio's heart plummeted as he saw the sorrowed look in Freyja's face.

Bowing, he gently grasped Freyja's hand and brushed his lips along her knuckles. "Do not fear, signore Maselli, her lessons will not be disrupted. Arrivederci."

And with that, Ezio offered his arm to his future bride, and once in place, strode confidently from her courtyard and into an alleyway which would lead them into a main square.

Ezio noticed how her shoulders relaxed, and her back straightened. Yet as she walked, a slight limp followed her, and she hissed under her breath each time her dainty feet touched the floor.

"Bonjourno, Freyja. How are you? Did you sleep we-"

"Ezio, enough with the pleasantries. I have something I wish to discuss with you." She interrupted. Ezio just stared with his mouth open, like she often caused him to do.

"I guess your act is not joining us today?" he quipped.

Her eyes narrowed into slits and she dropped her arm from his. Freyja turned her head in the direction of her palazzo, checking they were far enough away from the prying eyes of her father and his menacing servants. Then, she turned back to her fidanzata.

"Both of us were thrust into this betrothal, and it seems that we cannot escape, however much we want to. I know that you-" she took in a deep breath and gasped, her hand clutched her abdomen and her other grasping at the wall.

Ezio's support was already there, gingerly laying his hand on the small of her back and catching her shoulders as she stumbled.

"Are you alright madonna?" he asked gently, holding her weight with ease. Concern flooded his chest, tight and constricting.

Taking in small breaths, trying to hide her obvious pain, she replied. "I'm fine."

"Well, well, well, who is Ezio trying to seduce now, eh?" a snivelled, cold voice called behind Ezio's back. At the end of the alleyway backed by two of his thug comrades, was Ezio's sworn enemy.

"Vieri de Pazzi." he spat as he turned, still half supporting Freyja in his arms.

"Why don't you put the poor girl down, you lecherous pig. She does not need you to-"

"Why don't you shut your filthy mouth, codardo!" Freyja growled, supporting herself now on her own two feet. "Can you not see were in the middle of a conversation?"

Behind her, Ezio snickered, his arm still hanging loosely on her back.

"You think it's funny, you figlio di troia, that a woman speaks for you?" Vieri sneered.

"I think it is funny when she insults you like that. Like she just did. Now, vaffanculo, attend to your worthless business." Ezio calmly, turning his back to Vieri and facing Freyja, matching her smug grin with his own.

It was then Vieri decided to stage his attack, sending one of his thugs to swing at Ezio with a powerful fist.

Before the thug's knuckles could even come close to the back of Ezio's head, Freyja had already moved, stepping in and blocking the attack, grabbing the clenched fist and twisting the arm to an unhealthy angle. As the bone cracked, Freyja used all of her strength to shove the hulking thug back towards it's master, colliding with him and bringing Vieri down with him.

Ezio stood back and watched the whole thing happen in less than 5 seconds, utterly dumbstruck.

"You really are a codardo, aren't you? Attempting to strike your enemy with his back turned," Freyja said smugly, watching the thug writhe with pain and Vieri attempting to right himself. "Go on you little bambino, vaffanculo!"

Vieri scowled, picked up his injured pet, and ran.

Ezio still could not speak, staring at the young brunette as she stood tall and proud, watching the fool run. "Where… where did you learn that?"

As Vieri and his dogs disappeared from view, Freyja laid a gentle hand on her abdomen once more, sucking in a pained breath. "I had brothers. Brothers who liked to fight."

"Freyja I-" he started as she turned towards him, only to have his sentence interrupted by a pair of soft lips touched gently to his.

Ezio almost stepped back in shock, but her grip on his shoulders and a feeling that spread throughout his body rooted him to the spot. With a muddled mind, he kissed her back, brushing his fingers across her jaw line until they tangled in her hair.

And all too soon she broke away with an embarrassed look on her face. "Scusi, Ezio that was improper of me."

Freyja removed her hands from his shoulders, mortified by her brash action. Ezio was grinning like a madman, pulling her back into his grasp and kissing her again.

Her lips her so soft and innocent, inexperienced and utterly the best thing he'd ever kissed. They moved with his timidly as she settled into his embrace, and all of a sudden, Freyja became enraptured in him.

After a long while of kissing her senseless, Ezio released her lips and pressed their foreheads together. "Well that was fun."

Freyja laughed, a merry, hearty laugh that made Ezio's mind soar. "We're going to have to set a date, you know. It is what I wanted to speak with you about."

Ezio could not help smiling. Maybe this is a good thing afterall. "How about the end of this month? Late July is always warm."

"July it is."

Translations:

Firenze - Florence

Signore - Sir

Arrivederci - Goodbye

Bonjourno - Good Morning

Fidanzata - Fiancé

Codardo - Coward

Figlio di troia - Son of a bitch

Vaffanculo - Fuck off

Bambino - Baby

Scusi - Excuse me

Whoomp... there it is...

This chapter made me all giggly and warm inside. They're getting along nicely, aren't they?

~R