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Paradisa, Year ?
Ezio and Cesare were to spar, simply for entertainment's sake, but that did not excuse the tension hanging in the air.
Ezio bowed, somewhat sarcastically, and he drew his sword. Cesare did the same, and they circled each other for a moment. Ezio immediately moved to the defensive, as he always did; Cesare's unbridled passion would complement it well.
"What are you waiting for?" Ezio grinned, voice taking on a taunting tone. "Come and get me, coward!"
And so Cesare did -- he lunged, slashing his sword towards Ezio, and Ezio met it with his own with resounding clang. Ezio almost laughed as he stepped back again, letting Cesare direct the flow of combat and rush him again. Ezio could tell that the Borgia son had training and practice in wielding a sword, but his skills were still tainted by youth and inexperience, while Ezio's body and skills had long been honed for battle. Cesare needed practice, needed more attention to his footwork, needed to face men who would not merely bow to him when weighing the fight against the politics of fencing with a cardinal.
It was clear to Ezio that Cesare had never truly fought for his life. Not yet, anyhow. How many noble, pampered eighteen year olds had, other than him?
So for the meantime, Ezio trounced him with considerable ease, eventually finding himself pinning Cesare to the ground, sword tip hovering above Cesare's heart, more for show than practical purpose. Cesare looked up at him with disdain, cockiness gone, and Ezio just laughed, sheathing his sword.
"You fight like a cardinal," Ezio teased.
"You do not fight like any nobleman I've ever met," Cesare replied, sulkily, and Ezio offered him a hand up. Cesare took it, and Ezio helped him to his feet.
"So I have heard."
Lucrezia and Stephanie were clapping, politely, and they both joined the men at the bottom of the stairs. Lucrezia greeted her brother with a hug, laughing.
"It was a fine show, dear Cesare," she informed him, stepping back just slightly to look up at him. "It was also kind of you to go easy on him. Poor Ezio would have suffered if you had shattered his confidence."
Ezio laughed, despite himself.
"I'm afraid that is true," Ezio said. He reached to clap Cesare on the shoulder, and for a moment their eyes locked. Ezio smirked. "I had wondered if that was all you were capable of."
"Florentines," Cesare replied, a touch dismissively. "You scholars and thinkers need an opportunity to excel every now and then."
Ezio laughed again, and he put an arm around Stephanie, who gave him a funny look.
"Next time," Ezio said, confidently, "I trust you'll show me what you're truly capable of. But for now, you should rest... you look tired."
Cesare, still breathing hard from the exertion, nodded.
"I did not sleep well last night," he said. "Excuse me, I must retire."
Cesare pulled away from Lucrezia to stalk off, and Lucrezia looked between the two parties for a moment, a gentle smile on her face. She reached to touch Ezio's arm.
"You performed beautifully, Ezio," she informed him, before turning and rushing off after her brother.
Stephanie looked up at Ezio, who turned to her.
"You're not worried that he'll realize you're more than just a banker? I mean, he seemed a little surprised about that, and there was a loooot of passive aggression floating around there..."
Ezio shrugged, hand running down her side to rest at her waist.
"We'll see what comes of it," he said.
Ezio and Cesare were to spar, simply for entertainment's sake, but that did not excuse the tension hanging in the air.
Ezio bowed, somewhat sarcastically, and he drew his sword. Cesare did the same, and they circled each other for a moment. Ezio immediately moved to the defensive, as he always did; Cesare's unbridled passion would complement it well.
"What are you waiting for?" Ezio grinned, voice taking on a taunting tone. "Come and get me, coward!"
And so Cesare did -- he lunged, slashing his sword towards Ezio, and Ezio met it with his own with resounding clang. Ezio almost laughed as he stepped back again, letting Cesare direct the flow of combat and rush him again. Ezio could tell that the Borgia son had training and practice in wielding a sword, but his skills were still tainted by youth and inexperience, while Ezio's body and skills had long been honed for battle. Cesare needed practice, needed more attention to his footwork, needed to face men who would not merely bow to him when weighing the fight against the politics of fencing with a cardinal.
It was clear to Ezio that Cesare had never truly fought for his life. Not yet, anyhow. How many noble, pampered eighteen year olds had, other than him?
So for the meantime, Ezio trounced him with considerable ease, eventually finding himself pinning Cesare to the ground, sword tip hovering above Cesare's heart, more for show than practical purpose. Cesare looked up at him with disdain, cockiness gone, and Ezio just laughed, sheathing his sword.
"You fight like a cardinal," Ezio teased.
"You do not fight like any nobleman I've ever met," Cesare replied, sulkily, and Ezio offered him a hand up. Cesare took it, and Ezio helped him to his feet.
"So I have heard."
Lucrezia and Stephanie were clapping, politely, and they both joined the men at the bottom of the stairs. Lucrezia greeted her brother with a hug, laughing.
"It was a fine show, dear Cesare," she informed him, stepping back just slightly to look up at him. "It was also kind of you to go easy on him. Poor Ezio would have suffered if you had shattered his confidence."
Ezio laughed, despite himself.
"I'm afraid that is true," Ezio said. He reached to clap Cesare on the shoulder, and for a moment their eyes locked. Ezio smirked. "I had wondered if that was all you were capable of."
"Florentines," Cesare replied, a touch dismissively. "You scholars and thinkers need an opportunity to excel every now and then."
Ezio laughed again, and he put an arm around Stephanie, who gave him a funny look.
"Next time," Ezio said, confidently, "I trust you'll show me what you're truly capable of. But for now, you should rest... you look tired."
Cesare, still breathing hard from the exertion, nodded.
"I did not sleep well last night," he said. "Excuse me, I must retire."
Cesare pulled away from Lucrezia to stalk off, and Lucrezia looked between the two parties for a moment, a gentle smile on her face. She reached to touch Ezio's arm.
"You performed beautifully, Ezio," she informed him, before turning and rushing off after her brother.
Stephanie looked up at Ezio, who turned to her.
"You're not worried that he'll realize you're more than just a banker? I mean, he seemed a little surprised about that, and there was a loooot of passive aggression floating around there..."
Ezio shrugged, hand running down her side to rest at her waist.
"We'll see what comes of it," he said.