The Serpent Queen

44. Familie ties

May 20th, 1536, Florence

"My lord, you have a visitor." announced the footman. Alessandro nodded disinterestedly and continued to read Catherine's letter.

Catherine had written to Alessandro on several occasions about her dissatisfaction in her marriage. In fact, the situation had become so serious that Catherine begged Alessandro to petition for her divorce from her husband. She wrote that she would rather be known as the fallen French princess than have to watch her husband betray her one more time.

"Cousin." Said a voice that Alessandro recognized right away. Alessandro looked up at Ippolito standing in front of him.

Ippolito was dressed in his black cardinal attire. On his gloved hand he held his hat, which he had previously taken off his head.

Despite the long journey from Rome to Florence he had made on horseback, he still looked clean.

"Go away!" cried Alessandro in exasperation but in vain. Ippolito went on to the table at which he sat and sat down opposite him. He took off his gloves revealing his jeweled hand.

"I come here in peace cousin." Ippolito said with a smile. "There is no reason to oppose me. The last thing I want right now is a discussion with you. I have heard about the problems you had here in Florence."

Alessandro rolled his eyes. "So you came here to laugh at me?" He poured wine into his cup. He gestured with the wine carafe to Ippolito.

Ippolito shook his head. "I have come here to support my family and blood in times of trouble. Something I have sworn to the holy father; to always support the Medici's."

"Aren't you here secretly to take my place as soon as the people chased me away?"  Alessandro took a sip of his wine. "I don't understand why you keep thinking I want to take your place."

Alessandro grimaced. "When our uncle gave Florence to me and forced you to settle in the church, you were furious. our aunt preferred you as Duke of Florence to me, she made it very clear. There were many who had the same thoughts as her.  So you have every opportunity to take Florence from me."

"It is true that I was furious, but time has changed me. I am at peace with it and I wish you had been at peace with it too.  I'm happy as my cardinal and wouldn't have it any other way. And although I have no official obligations to Florence, I do have them to you." Ippolito smiled at Alessandro. "My cousin, my brother for a long time. We grew up together and we went through a lot of tragedy together. It pains me that we have clearly grown because of the ambitions of others."

Alessandro smiled emotionally. He had missed Ippolito in all honesty. But he has been suspicious of his cousin for a long time. This was due to the ambitions of others, as Ippolito himself had said. But Alessandro was willing to give his cousin a chance. Especially in the matters he should be handling now.

"Very well then, cousin. I am happy to work with you again." he said with a smile.  "I suddenly had a heavy burden on my shoulders."

"Share your burden with my cousin."

"Caterina wrote to me. She wishes to divorce her husband on the grounds of adultery. Her husband is having an affair with a woman twice their age. She is ignored and shamed by her own husband."  he said, looking at Ippolito. His eyes had taken on a hard look. "Can she just get a divorce then?"

"The holy father had the king sign a document stating that if Catherine wanted a divorce, she would get it on the condition that she cede her French county to the French crown and she would get back her dowry in full. All that is needed is the consent of the pope." Alessandro explained.

"The king would never want to give up her dowry, he would make a great loss."  Ippolito noted. "Then he should have educated his son better. Caterina will get her divorce and then she will return to Florence where I would give her a worthy marriage."

Ippolito nodded slowly.  "I will return to Rome to share Caterina's request with the Pope. Hopefully he will accept."

"You will rest first. I will have rooms prepared for you and I will have a feast to celebrate our friendship and show everyone and our enemies that the Medici are invincible."  Alessandro got up.  "Come cousin. I will introduce you to my children and the new heir of Florence."

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Alessandro and Ippolito entered the nursery where Margarita sat on the floor surrounded by Alessandro's bastard children.  She held little Simonetta in her arms and sang her a song while the two boys played with toy horses.

"Lady wife." Alessandro said, making Margarita look up. At the sight of the cardinal she stood up and curtsied with Simonetta in her arms. "Your Eminence."  she greeted him.

"Please get up, Lady Margarita." He grabbed her hand and helped her up. "Is this your daughter." He looked at Simonetta, who, with her brown curls, was a spitting image of Alessandro.

Alessandro nodded proudly. "Yes this is Simonetta, my youngest. And there you have Giulio, her twin brother and Lorenzo, the eldest of them all." He lifted the two boys. Both boys had hair as dark as was known to the Medici.

It had only been Caterina who had different features than the rest of them.  Her French genes had been stronger than her Italian genes. As a child, Ippolito and Alessandro used to tease her for that reason.

"May God keep your children from all evil."  Ippolito said as he stroked Giulio's cheeks.  "A wonderful family in indeed." he complimented.

Margarita smiled. "The children bring us a lot of joy, I feel blessed." She said. She gave Simonetta a kiss on the top of her head. "Family is very important to me, so I am very happy to see that you and your cousin have been reunited. Are you planning to stay in Florence for a long time? I believe you and your cousin have a lot of time to make up."

"I'll be leaving again tomorrow morning, there's a lot I'll have to arrange in Rome in connection with our dear Caterina."  Ippolito replied politely.

"Oh no, so soon?" She turned to Alessandro. "You must ask the cardinal to stay a little longer, husband, perhaps until after the party you have arranged."

Before Alessandro could answer, Margarita was already speaking to the cardinal. "For the occasion of our dear Lorenzo, we have decided to have a feast. So that everyone will be able to meet the future Duke of Florence. It will only be good if you stay until next week. I will have your rooms prepared and I will expect you at supper tonight." She placed Simonetta in Ippolito's arms and walked out of the nursery.

Ippolito looked after her in bewilderment.  "She's dominant."

Alessandro nodded. "She is indeed, but she is the most perfect woman I could have. She immediately accepted the children as her own. She looks down on my affairs, she is helpful and thinks along."

"Only she didn't give you an heir. That must be a nuisance to you?" Ippolito remarked. "I don't care. I'm a bastard who got Florence under my grip. Why shouldn't my own son who's been recognized in the eyes of the pope and God get the same chance?" He looked at his son and stroked his head.

"Come cousin, you need to eat something and freshen up." He handed Lorenzo over to the nursemaid and escorted ippolito into the hallway.