Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 17.2: The Secret

"So, you're interested in how I dealt with your loss, are you?" Max asked as they continued to stroll amongst the dead; however, he didn't wait for Reine's encouragement to continue.

"With you gone, I had even less of a reason to remain in Florence for extended periods of time. The ghost of your presence haunted me constantly, but more so at home. So I avoided it as much as I could," he said.

Although his story was fueled by death, everything around them was a reminder of life: the spider continuing to industriously spin her web, the butterfly fluttering from one flower to the next, and the crow perching on the edge of a nearby tomb, surveying his domain.

"Three years eventually passed." He sighed. "By then, I had spent the last six months in Milan, securing partnerships with merchants that would build my family's business to greater heights. Having gotten word that my mother was ill, I was on my way home when it happened." Pausing briefly again, he focused his eyes on the gravel path.

"I usually preferred to travel alone, but as it happened a representative of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan at the time, was on his way to reaffirm the Florentine Republic's pledge - made after the temporary ousting of the Medicis - not to seek any claims upon his territories. You see, Milan had enough trouble from the French and wanted to make sure that they didn't have to worry about their neighbors to the south, as well. I'd met this man in court several times over the previous months and found him to be good company, so I agreed to his offer to travel with him."

"We were but a half day's ride from the city walls when we were ambushed. Outnumbered by a group of outlaws three to one; we had no chance. They were there for the gold and jewels that Sforza meant as tokens of his friendship. Had I stuck to my usual method of travel, I would have avoided the whole affair. But instead, it became the day that I died."

Reine drew in a sharp breath. She knew that the explanation was coming, but it still affected her more than she had imagined.

"They couldn't leave any witnesses behind, so the envoy, the carriage driver, and I all met with the sharp end of their swords. I'm not sure how long I was out, but by the time I had awakened, night had fallen. The pain was unbearable, and I couldn't understand why I had no visible injuries. But I was thankful to be alive and would worry about the details later. However, I also knew that I couldn't tell anyone the whole truth about what happened since I couldn't remember anything myself. So I changed out of my bloody and tattered clothing and drove the carriage back to Florence under the cover of darkness. The less people who'd see its arrival, the better."

Max paused again, as if turning to another chapter of the story.

"I left it, along with the bodies of my unfortunate companions with the local guard. They didn't detain me for long after they learned I had amnesia. They'd obviously recognized me given the nature of my status within the city, and they promised to keep the matter from the general public. Even if the bandits had somehow found out that there was a survivor, I had hoped that my anonymity would deter them from exacting any future revenge."

He pushed his fingers through his hair. "I wanted to go back to living my life the same as before, and I didn't want to run. Just to be cautious, I grew out my beard, in case any of them came upon me by chance. But I remained in my parents' house and tended to the business locally for more than a decade. It was only when those around me - my family and friends - began to show signs of age and ill health that I could no longer avoid the persistent curiosity within me of why I wasn't doing the same. That's when I met Antonio Della Catena."

Reine remembered the name from an earlier conversation. "The Marchese who founded the Confraternity?" she asked with piqued interest.

"That's right. He became my mentor," he said.