𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 || 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬

Juan Borgia x reader [Pt. 2]

The answer to my question came sooner than I had hoped it would. It was true that as the days dragged on and I saw no indication of Juan's appearance in the city that I became remiss of my own apprehension. Heedless of the repercussions it could cause, when the opportunity arose for a temporary placement in the Vatican as an additional servant because of Juan's family - I took the job.

There were many servants milling about the Vatican along with cardinals, bishops, and all manner of other ecclesiastical persons. It would be easy to blend into the crowd. Besides, it was money I desperately needed and the chance of seeing Juan was very slight. The idea of him recognizing me or indeed even acknowledging that he once had known me as much more than just a simple servant were again very slim.

"In truth, she's not a very kind woman. I saw her kick a puppy with her shoe as they arrived," Salvaza commented, eyebrows raised in a comical manner as she balanced a stack of towels in her arms.

I swept into the room behind her, carrying a stack of my own while I tried to stifle a laugh, "I highly doubt that, Salvaza. From what I've heard of her - and that's not much, mind you - she seems like a respectable woman, if not a bit on the serious side,"

My fellow servant only shrugged to this in response, spreading out the towels on a side table as another maid walked around the room preparing for the cardinal's luncheon.

"Believe what you want but I know what I saw. In fact, just this morning, Gianetta told me-"

But apparently I was never to know just what Gianetta had told her for at that very moment, a pair of high-born men walked by, talking very loudly to each other in heated tones. It wouldn't have meant much to me - I was never the type to gossip or eavesdrop but...one single voice arose above the other, reaching my ears and making my mouth go dry.

"I couldn't exactly leave her behind, though, Cesare - you know this!" a haughty voice spoke bitterly.

His brother Cesare responded in an indifferent tone, "What do you want me to say, Juan? This marriage was arranged and we both know it. All I'm saying is that in a brief visit such as this, you needn't have brought her along. I wouldn't have had it been me,"

"Yes but you shall never be married, brother, thanks to those crimson robes of yours-" Juan responded unkindly before both voices were carried far away down the hall.

My heart pounded erratically in my chest and it felt like my world was spinning. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen - I wasn't supposed to even see him, let alone be this near. Swallowing down a lump of apprehension mingled with an overwhelming amount of fear, I muttered an excuse of "needing more towels" to Salvaza before swiftly exiting via the opposite doorway.

When I could no longer hear the cacophony of noise behind me, I broke into a run as my heart raced inside of me. This had been a bad idea from the start - I knew that now. I needn't have come, Angelo and I could have sufficed on my pay as a laundress. But for once, I had wanted something special for my boy - to have more than I'd ever been able to give him before.

All of these thoughts clouded my mind and I found myself arriving at my house in a bit of a daze. A stout, middle-aged woman with a head of graying hair and a warm smile came out of the run-down building that served as a sort of apartment for the working-class women in the area. She was drying her hands that were still red from scrubbing on her apron as she we walked over to greet me.

"Back so early? I thought you would be at least another three hours," Francesca said genially, sending me a small smile.

But before I could reply, Angelo came racing past her to me and collided right into my legs. Laughing, I leaned down slightly to hug him and press a chaste kiss to his auburn locks.