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Audacity

Francesco glared at his grandfather. He half expected this reaction from the man, but had thought he would have tried to stop him.

"Go ahead," Luciano urged.

Another moment of silence passed between the two before Luciano started walking towards the boy.

"I told you. A king can only be a king in his kingdom. This is not—"

Luciano was just out of reach when Francesco stepped back. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. The boy dragged the knife across his neck in a single swift motion.

"NO!"

It burned. A lot more than he was anticipating. It hurt like hell! The hot blood gushing down his chest soaked his shirt. Francesco dropped to the floor. His grandfather's hand pressed tightly against his wound. He thought he would have passed out; maybe the cut wasn't as deep as he'd hoped. Nothing seemed to be going as well as he'd hoped. Still, Luciano was shouting, his stone-cold face now a panic-ridden mess.

Francesco was aware of his grandmother rushing into the room, of her arguing with Luciano as the doctor administered to him. Claudia got physically aggressive with her husband, yet he did not fight back. Everything she threw at him, Luciano accepted.

The boy awoke to his grandmother at his bedside, her hands holding his as she whispered prayers. Dried tear streams marked her face. He squeezed her hand.

"Piccolo, you're awake." Claudia cried.

His body felt numb and laden. Breathing was uncomfortable; his throat ached and burned, and he could feel the tubes running down it. The bandages around his neck also added to the discomfort of every breath. His mouth felt dry and was sealed shut.

Claudia swept a gentle hand across his forehead, pushing locks of his hair back. "Piccolo, you worry me. If anything happens to you, I can never face my Aurora. You could have talked to me first. This is too much for my heart; pity your nonna."

Talk to her? She didn't have the power to help him. As loud and aggressive as she was, Claudia had no influence on Luciano. Luciano loved his position and needed to keep it. He was the key to Luciano keeping his position, but Luciano didn't see him as a threat. The recollection of Luciano's broken calm brought the boy satisfaction. His grandfather would have to listen to him now.

Francesco had been flown to a private hospital to have his injury treated. Following the operation, he was unconscious for two days. After the boy woke up, the doctors performed a series of checks and kept him on assisted ventilation for another day.

The boy spent two weeks in the hospital with his grandmother by his side. Not once did Luciano ever visit him, at least not when he was awake. Claudia stayed with her grandson as his companion and nurse,giving him sponge baths and recounting stories of Aurora's childhood. She promised to help the boy reunite with his mother, going so far as to take Logan's details from the boy. Claudia's determination gave Francesco some hope that his attempt had invigorated her to help him later.

Upon his release from the hospital, Claudia escorted Francesco, not to his house but to a villa held in her name. The staff were few and all new to the boy. Claudia's excuse was that she did not want Luciano's pawns around him. But, feeling less than comfortable with the new faces, Francesco requested to have Stella transferred to take care of him personally. Begrudgingly, Claudia agreed to the boy's request.

The longer Francesco stayed with his grandmother, the more similarities he found in the way Aurora was with him, and the more he craved his mother. Claudia embraced him; warm hugs, head pats, and kisses greeted the boy every day. But they weren't the same. Aurora's affection had made him feel like the only child in the world. He wasn't just somebody to her; he was her son. His grandmother did not have the same affection.