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Roma, 1502
"Ezio?"
Ezio looks up. Claudia is standing by the balcony door and is closing it behind her, drowning out the sound of laughter and drinking and merrymaking.
"Si, Claudia," he replies, looking back to the horizon. The sun has just finished setting, the last vestiges of orange light disappearing behind the tops of the villas, all of Roma replacing the sun for lamplight.
"Not interested in coming in and making merry?"
There's a bit of teasing in it, and Ezio laughs, under his breath, before looking at her and teasing her back.
"Would I get a discount?"
She joins him by the railing, and he's not sure if it's to spend time with him or just so she can punch him in the arm, which she does. The smile doesn't leave his face. They are, in a way, eternally fifteen and seventeen, instead of forty-one and forty-three.
"That's not what I meant," she replies, though she's smiling. She folds her arms and leans them against the railing. They fall into a sort of silence, both watching the canals behind the Rosa in Fiore and the gondolas drifting around, and the men in the streets carousing with the courtesans.
"Do you enjoy Roma?" he asks, finally, keeping his eyes trained on the city.
"Fft," she scoffs. "I will always be a citizen of Firenze in my heart, but I suppose it isn't so bad here. It's certainly more exciting than Monteriggioni."
He nods.
She continues, prattling away: "Besides. It's good to get to do something useful, rather than just manage finances. The Rosa is better than it ever has been in history, the girls are better cared for, we have better doctors for Mother..."
"Hmm," he says. "How is Mother doing?"
Claudia shrugs.
"She's not bedridden, at least, but she's almost seventy, Ezio. She's fortunate to have lived this long, especially the way her children carry on."
There's a crash somewhere behind them, and both pause to look over their shoulders. Someone inside has knocked over a potted plant, and everyone is laughing.
"I should visit more often," he replies, finally. "Before it's too late."
The look she gives him is immediately annoyed, her mouth bobbing open to tell him off, and he already knows what she's going to say. Mercifully, though, she doesn't say it –– not because she'd ever let him off easy, but more-so because there's a more pressing thought at the front of her mind. She pauses, leaning her shoulder against his.
"Ezio," she says. "If Papà hadn't been killed, would he have made you an Assassin anyway?"
"Probably," he says. "Frederico was, so why not? It only would have been a matter of time, I suppose."
"And me, too." She looks a little self-satisfied by it, daring him to argue differently. "Not Petruccio, though. He would have been too sickly, even to do finances."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Ezio shrugs. "He's an Auditore. He would have found the strength to endure somehow."
"We all do," Claudia admits, with a slight nod.
"And you... well, I don't think he would have had a choice. You would have dogged him until he gave in," Ezio adds, and Claudia elbows him again. He smiles.
"I would," she says, proudly. "And soon, I will have advanced combat skills that will match all my other talents. Don't be jealous when I surpass you, brother."
He laughs.
"I'll try."
"Ezio?"
Ezio looks up. Claudia is standing by the balcony door and is closing it behind her, drowning out the sound of laughter and drinking and merrymaking.
"Si, Claudia," he replies, looking back to the horizon. The sun has just finished setting, the last vestiges of orange light disappearing behind the tops of the villas, all of Roma replacing the sun for lamplight.
"Not interested in coming in and making merry?"
There's a bit of teasing in it, and Ezio laughs, under his breath, before looking at her and teasing her back.
"Would I get a discount?"
She joins him by the railing, and he's not sure if it's to spend time with him or just so she can punch him in the arm, which she does. The smile doesn't leave his face. They are, in a way, eternally fifteen and seventeen, instead of forty-one and forty-three.
"That's not what I meant," she replies, though she's smiling. She folds her arms and leans them against the railing. They fall into a sort of silence, both watching the canals behind the Rosa in Fiore and the gondolas drifting around, and the men in the streets carousing with the courtesans.
"Do you enjoy Roma?" he asks, finally, keeping his eyes trained on the city.
"Fft," she scoffs. "I will always be a citizen of Firenze in my heart, but I suppose it isn't so bad here. It's certainly more exciting than Monteriggioni."
He nods.
She continues, prattling away: "Besides. It's good to get to do something useful, rather than just manage finances. The Rosa is better than it ever has been in history, the girls are better cared for, we have better doctors for Mother..."
"Hmm," he says. "How is Mother doing?"
Claudia shrugs.
"She's not bedridden, at least, but she's almost seventy, Ezio. She's fortunate to have lived this long, especially the way her children carry on."
There's a crash somewhere behind them, and both pause to look over their shoulders. Someone inside has knocked over a potted plant, and everyone is laughing.
"I should visit more often," he replies, finally. "Before it's too late."
The look she gives him is immediately annoyed, her mouth bobbing open to tell him off, and he already knows what she's going to say. Mercifully, though, she doesn't say it –– not because she'd ever let him off easy, but more-so because there's a more pressing thought at the front of her mind. She pauses, leaning her shoulder against his.
"Ezio," she says. "If Papà hadn't been killed, would he have made you an Assassin anyway?"
"Probably," he says. "Frederico was, so why not? It only would have been a matter of time, I suppose."
"And me, too." She looks a little self-satisfied by it, daring him to argue differently. "Not Petruccio, though. He would have been too sickly, even to do finances."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Ezio shrugs. "He's an Auditore. He would have found the strength to endure somehow."
"We all do," Claudia admits, with a slight nod.
"And you... well, I don't think he would have had a choice. You would have dogged him until he gave in," Ezio adds, and Claudia elbows him again. He smiles.
"I would," she says, proudly. "And soon, I will have advanced combat skills that will match all my other talents. Don't be jealous when I surpass you, brother."
He laughs.
"I'll try."
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