The Mistress

Chapter 14. Pesaro

14

1493 Rome, Italy

Juan kept far from me now that Micheletto followed me day and night. He kept his distance but he still kept a close eye on me. Sometimes I wondered if he ever slept or ate. I always thought about Micheletto and his life before this. What makes a man turn into an assassin?

I just woke up but I stayed in bed, I haven't been getting out of bed much anyway. I kept my eyes close in the hopes that I would just fall back asleep. The thing I waited for the most was Leonardo to give me some news but I have gotten nothing and I'm worried. But there is nothing I can do, I can not rush him because it won't get him done faster. I felt a hand stroke my cheek.
"Is that you Cesare?" I ask with my eyes close.
"Yes, my love." I open my eyes to see Cesare kneeling next to the bed. The sun glowed behind his head like a halo.
"Good morning." I smile.
"Morning?" He questions. "Lena it is mid day."
"And you are here with me?" I close my eyes. "Then I must be dreaming."
"Get out of bed my love, I have no more work to be done."
"Why?" I open my eyes.
"So we may spend this beautiful day together."
"Cesare you work every day, what you need is to rest." It was my attempt to get him into bed so we could nap together. He needed to sleep and I just wanted to.
"You lay in bed all day, you need the fresh air." I roll over in the bed and face the other way, pulling the sheets over me.
"You have too much fresh air, maybe you need to lay in bed." I close my eyes and try to go back to sleep. I hear him sigh. What's even the point of getting up? We can spend time here together, we don't need fresh air.
"You are going to lay in bed all day like you do every day?" He knows me so well because that's correct.
"How do you know I lay in bed all day?" I roll back over. He sat next to me but he had taken off his Cardinal hat revealing his dark curls that I enjoyed so much.
"Micheletto tells me." Cesare starts to play with my hair. "Is there something wrong my love?" he tucks my hair behind my ear.
"No, why would you think that?" I give him a fake smile. He will worry too much if tell him what's the matter. Instead of just Micheletto Cesare will give me a protection detail. Juan scares me to my very core. He is a monster. He could do anything to me and that's what scares me the most.
"No I'm fine, just a little lonely since you decide to leave me every morning and come back late at night." I sit up in bed and wrap my arms around his neck.
"No more of that." He kisses me.
"You promise?"
"Yes." he smiles his beautiful smile.
"I've missed that smile." He smiles even more. He runs his thumb across my lip.
"I remember even as a child your lips were as red as a rose and they still are." He puts his rough hand on my cheek and I nuzzle my face into his hand. I've missed those hands I thought to myself.
"Why are your hands so rough Cesare? You are a Cardinal, your hands should be as soft as your silk robe."
"Being a cardinal is harder than it looks."
"What are you having secret battles?" I teased
"No, nothing like that." He runs his hand against my face and tucks my loose hair behind my ear. I kissed him, gripping the collar of his robes so I could pull him into bed. My persuasion attempt didn't work.
He had convinced me to get out of bed and even got me to put on proper clothes, though my hair was just left loose. I had barley left my room for the past few days, I was too frightened of Juan. I did have Micheletto but he could only do so much. What was he going to do? Kill Juan Borgia? You can't kill a Borgia. My father used to say that Borgia's are somewhere between gods and men. The only one who can take them from this earth is the same one that put them here, God.
"Is this not better, my love?" Cesare had taken me through the gardens because he knew I enjoyed it, it reminded me of my father. "Better than that stuffy room you cooped yourself up in?"
"Yes, it's much better." I only said that because I had not yet seen Juan. I held onto Cesare's warm hand, I love his hands. My hands are always ice cold.
"So will you tell me what is bothering you so much that you are locking yourself in your room?"
"Cesare you worry too much." I try to reassure him that I am fine but Cesare is smarter than me. At the entrance to the gardens stood the Holy Father in all white, he was always dressed like god. But next to him was Juan, they were chatting and they looked like they were talking about business. Juan turned his head slightly and looked at us. I hid myself behind Cesare because I knew he could protect me. Juan wouldn't try anything in front of The Holy Father but I don't want to risk it.
"Micheletto wasn't lying." Cesare said while looking at Juan and I start to walk the other way. "Juan has been bothering you hasn't he?"
"No" I could tell he didn't believe me but he played along anyway. Micheletto would have told Cesare everything about Juan. Micheletto had never seen Juan hit me but he knows, it isn't hard to figure out if you pay attention enough.
"Than what is it?" I sat down on a bench and started to fiddle with the fabric of my dress. I wanted Cesare off the topic of Juan because it will only drive a bigger wedge between them. Plus, Juan likes a good fight with his brother so he will continue to bother me just to start more trouble.
"Since you are off doing your duties and Lucrezia has gone off with her husband I have no one to talk to." I put on the saddest face I could for Cesare. Part of what I said was true so it wasn't like I was lying to him. Cesare sat down next to me and rubbed his chin. He could tell that I was unhappy anyone with eyes and a brain could see that. I stared at him and smiled, the way the light was shining on him was beautiful. The sun was behind him and it looked like a halo, it made his hair look reddish brown.
"Would you like to go see Lucrezia?" He asks. I had been waiting for him to ask. I want to leave this prison. I have friends here but it doesn't feel like it since Juan is always around the corner. I would rather be with the French men who kidnapped me than with Juan. I've never been so afraid of anything in my life.
My eyes lit up and I smiled ear to ear. "Really?" I almost jumped in his lap.
"Yes really." He smiles at my excitement and kisses my forehead. "Lucrezia was like your little sister and I can tell you miss her." I miss her but what I think he is seeing me missing my father and being afraid of Juan.
"When can we go? You are coming with me aren't you?"
"Yes I am going and as soon as you want my love." He loves Lucrezia as much as I do but the reasons for wanting to go see her are different. I also assume he wants to spy of Lucrezia's husband as well. We have not heard from Lucrezia so Cesare must be worried and he probably wants to find out what is going on, if there is anything going on.
Cesare looks at me, scans my face for an answer although he didn't ask a question. I said nothing because I didn't know what he wanted. So when he doesn't say anything I stand up.
"And where are you going?" He says still sitting down while holding my hand.
"I want to get started. We are going on a trip aren't we?" He doesn't believe that this was all that was wrong with me because he knew what was wrong with me.
"Yes we are My Love." He always calls me that and I love it. He stands up and holds tight to my hand.

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I walked through the halls of the Vatican apartments, I was on my way to meet Cesare because we were leaving later today for Pesaro. We did not inform Lucrezia that we were coming to see her, we want it to be a surprise. I imagine she is as lonely as I am, probably more so than me. She is in a strange place with no friends, she must be miserable.
"You grow more beautiful every day." It was Pope Alexander who had approached me. He wore a white satin gown just as he always does but in this lighting it looked like gold.
"You flatter me Your Holiness." He stand there in front of me and looks down at me as if he was examining my face. I'm very short so everyone has to look down at me. I assume I take after my mother because my father is a very tall man, he towers over the Pope himself.
"Cesare tells me you are leaving today for Pesaro." He starts. "Good thing too because he has been missing his sister and not hearing from her has made him quite sour." We walked together down the halls, we were in rhythm with each other's steps.
"I hope this trip will change that" and hoped it would change my mood as well.
"Are you sure you are okay my dear?" He asked me in a tone that reminded me of my father.
"Why would I not be?"
"Well what happened with those men and your father being gone."
"I'm fine, thank you Your Holiness." He nodded but I could tell he did not believe me. Everyone with a brain could tell I'm miserable.

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Late update but it's summer and I'm working a lot more because I'm going to Disney World so I'm trying to save money. I'll do the best I can to update when I can :)

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