The Art of Power and Love ( A Medici Masters of Florence the Magnificent fanfic)

Chapter 16

Ginevra took care of her friend, helping him to get used to the life into the villa.
He got a small room and new clothes. After he bathed himself, he looked like a new person.
And the Medici looked at him with trouble and surprise. But Giacomo stated clearly that he wouldn't accept their kindness just because he reminded them of their beloved Carlo.
"Are you at least looking forward to meet your twin?" She asked while they were walking in the courtyard. He felt easy only near the stables, so he instinctively moved there.
"Will he be back soon?" He asked nervously.
"I don't know. It's been a long time that he doesn't visit his family. And since the Pope argued with Lorenzo, I'm scared".
He eyed her with worry "He wouldn't betray his family".
"He may have no choice".
"Then someone should go to save him. It's Lorenzo's fault if he is a priest now, it wouldn't be that shameful if now he wants some revenge".
She smiled "His name is Carlo. You can say it".
"It's just...odd. Thinking of the name Carlo de Medici and thinking that I should call him brother. Not only brother, but twin".
She nodded, then after a moment she confessed "I was scared that he looked like your father so I avoided to meet him. And I never realized that I had his twin right in front of me".
He chuckled "I don't look like the gorgeous Cosimo".
"You are gorgeous, just your own gorgeousness. You're not a copy of him. And that's good" she playfully grabbed his arm, but noticed his suspicious frown "What?".
"That one" he nodded towards someone that Ginevra saw sneaking away "I don't like him".
"He's just Guglielmo, the swordmaster. He's diffident towards strangers".
"No, it's not that. He was irritated when Lorenzo introduced me to him, and I could see how much he hates seeing me with you".
She snorted "Oh come on. Don't act like the jealous one now".
"I'm not the jealous one. He is. You can't see it because he acts kind and nice to you, but I can see it and I can assure you that jealousy can become dangerous as much as I potentially was when I was born so Contessina had to give me away".
She dragged him away "I can take care of it. Now, you ended up knowing who you really are because you came to give me good news. What news?".
His face brightened as he lowered his voice "The impostor's sins brought to great damages. He made a miller filled with debts to him, until the miller hanged himself".
She widened her eyes and signed herself "God, it's awful!".
"Yes. I attended the little funeral his family wanted to make anyway for him and I heard his desperate brother claiming justice. He seeks revenge, he can be the best ally".
"Is he that desperate he would kill a priest?".
"You can talk to him, before he acts against any plan and fail this big opportunity you have to get your own revenge. Maybe knowing that the impostor is not a holy man but a sinner of the worst kind will make it appear to the poor man as a holy mission".
She eyed him doubtfully, trying to find any resemblance to his father, but she just saw her friend Giacomo.
"If your brother would get killed, would you kill to revenge him?" She asked carefully.
"I don't know my brother, but if someone hurts you, I would kill the responsible without a second thought" he held her shocked stare without blinking, then added "We'll move back to Florence next week, so we have time to plan everything".
Ginevra looked forward to deal with the city life again and to meet her new ally. Although she recalled that she had to be careful not to cross any Pazzi again.

Lorenzo gave a last big party in the villa, also to give start to the vintage of that season.
Giuliano made all the old wine of the cellars available, turnirg the celebrations into a drinking party.
Giacomo was working hard to learn his duties as a guard and trained a lot with a ruthless Guglielmo, who was very demanding, except when Ginevra was around, so she agreed to witness Giacomo's trainings to be sure the two men wouldn't kill each other and sometimes she duelled with the sword with them.

Giacomo didn't join the drinking challenges with the other men. He helped Ginevra carrying the bottles of wine from the cellars, then agreed to join the artists who were painting and writing sonnets about that party.
The wine soon started to run short.
Ginevra found one last dusty barrel and heard noises behind her.
"Help me with this" she said thinking it was Giacomo, but when she turned she spotted Guglielmo in the dim light.
He approached her, but instead of helping her with the barrel, he put his hands on her.
"The barrel is there!" She jerked away but she noticed the strong smell of wine from him and goosebumps raised on her skin "You're drunk".
"I don't want wine. I want you" he said with an evil smirk, his eyes shining red.
"No, you need some sleep" she looked for something to use to hit him, but he caught her off guards and she understood she was trapped. He was skilled in any kind of duelling and although he wasn't sober she knew she had little chances to win over him.
She screamed and kicked, trying to get the freedom. Tables and things fell noisily on the ground, but the man didn't get distracted. He focused on his pray.
Struggling just made him more violent and she found herself trapped between the wall and his aroused body.
His hand tightened around her neck to make her stop fighting while the other hand was abusing of her body.
She preferred dying than live that shame, so she keep struggling, feeling the air being locked away from her needy lungs.
"Hey!" A voice shouted suddenly.
Gugliemo stopped for the first time and turned, just to get a violent punch right on his face.
Ginevra inhaled deeply and fell to the ground coughing badly while Giacomo punched and kicked the drunk man, but then he kneeled and hugged the shocked and crying woman.
"What the hell is going on here?" Another voice thundered.
Ginevra gasped, grabbing Giacomo by his collar "He can't see me like this...".
But Lorenzo ran to them and pushed Giacomo away, his face turning from anger to pitiful, while she curled more to herself and hid her face.
"What happened?" He asked breathlessly.
"Your swordmaster here tried to rape her" Giacomo said kicking again the drunk man hiding in a dark corner.
"What?" Lorenzo stood up and gave his dose of punches and kicks to his servant screaming to him "How dared you! I'll kill you!".
Giacomo grabbed his arm and pushed him away from the badly beaten man "Killing him won't fix anything. It's your fault!".
"Mine?" Lorenzo turned his fury to Giacomo who didn't dare to fight back excepw with his words.
"Yes, yours. You made this insane party. You allowed your brother using all the wine from the cellars, so don't blame us if your servants are drunk and dangerous. Look what have you done to her!".
"Stop!" Ginevra cried covering her ears with her hands.
Lorenzo walked back to her and took her into his arms "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry".
He helped her up and she felt his lips touching her cheeks to kiss her tears away.
"I let her stay here thinking you were able to protect her" Giacomo said gloomily "But since you can't, I'll take her away from here".
"It won't happen again, I swear" Lorenzo said without hiding his desperation "He will pay for what he did".
"You knew his obsession for her, still you didn't do anything to prevent this".
"I know. And I'm sorry" Lorenzo placed his arms around her shoulders "Let's go away from here. Giacomo, take care of him before I kill him with my hands".
Giacomo obeyed and soon instructed some guards to imprisone their fellow, then he followed Ginevra.
"I was looking for you to tell you that grandma wants to see you" Lorenzo said to Giacomo after giving Ginevra some water and helping her recover from the shock.
"Okay, I'll go. But you should come too".
"I don't want to leave her" Lorenzo said immediately.
Giacomo shrugged "Then she should come with us as well".