The Mistress

Chapter 16. Fragile as a Flower

16

1493 Pesaro, Italy

I kept staring at the bruise on Lucrezia's eye. She knew I was staring and she gave me a look that told me not to ask. I will ask, maybe not now but I will ask. Cesare did not seem to notice at all, he was too overjoyed to see his sister. I could see how different she had become. Instead of her eyes being full of hope all I saw was despair. This wasn't what she planned for marriage and I don't think it is what Alexander planned either. He would be heart broken to find his princess was being treated in such a way.
I walked myself to Lucrezia's room after dinner to see her. I wanted things to be like they were before, where we could giggle and tell stories to one another. But that time was over, everything has changed. But I wanted Lucrezia to know that I was still here for her and she didn't have to hide herself away.
When I opened her door, she ran to me and threw her arms around me. She didn't even say a word she just held me. I think she missed being around people she knew. "You smell like home" She whispered. But then I heard sobbing, that's when I held onto her even tighter. She was a child in a adult word. That's when I realized how strong she really was. She was in a world she didn't know and she somehow found something that would keep her going. Lucrezia and Giovanni were strangers when they met and from what I saw they were still strangers. She was in a house full of strangers and she still manages to endure.
"Why don't you lay down?" I ask her. She nods and walks over to her bed. She crawls in like I always remeber her doing. When she was younger she would come into my room when she had a nightmare and to get her to go to sleep I would sing to her so she could fall asleep. I never thought I would be doing the same thing years later. I lay in bed next to her and listen to her breathing, it was heavy as is she had just ran from France. I held her as she curl up to me. I think that all she wanted was her old life back with her family. Trust me, I know how she feels.
"Will you stay with me?" She whispers as I stroked her hair.
"Of course, for as long as you would like." I knew I wouldn't be able to stay all night like I know she wants me to. But I could stay as long as I could. It is sad that she is controlled like this, she is more like a pet instead of a wife. Her laying here with me was probably the safest she has felt in a while. Giovanni beats her and I know she will say he doesn't but thats a lie. How else would she become this beaten up? Not by falling off a horse.
I heard her breath and it sounded as if she was asleep. I bet she doesn't sleep at all. She probably lies awake in fear that Giovanni will come into her room.
I hear the door knob start to turn and Lucrezia jumped out of her skin and latched onto me. "He's here!" She starts to shake. The door creeks open and there is Giovanni walking into her room.
"Leave." He orders me.
"Lucrezia wants to be with me." I try to persuade him.
"Now!" He screams. I jump up from the bed but Lucrezia is still holding on to me.
"Don't go!" She begs but Giovanni violently pulls us apart.
"She will be free to talk in the morning." Giovanni drags me to the door, pushes me out and slams the door behind me. I try to open the door but he has locked it. I press my ear up against the door to see if I can hear anything but the door is too thick. I can't even imagine what could be happening to her in there. I was right. I could only guess what was happening but now it was obvious. It wasn't really hard to guess. It was known that most arrange marriages don't end in love or happiness. It seemed as this one didn't.
"What are we listening for?" Cesare whispered in my ear and I jumped. "Did I scare you?" He chuckles.
"No." I turn to him but look over my shoulder at the wooden door still wondering if it was as awful as I imagined. Maybe he wasn't rough during sex, hopefully he wasn't abusive at all times of the day. But considering Lucrezia's reaction I would say that's not true.
"Well why don't you come to bed? It's late." Cesare takes my hand. His warm touch soothes me, calming me just enough to where I wasn't on edge.
"Okay." As I walk he comes up behind me and puts his arms around me cocooning me with his body. His chin sat perfectly on the top of my head. "Stop!" I squealed as he started kissing my ear and it caused me to giggle. "Not in the hall."
"Sorry." He released me and I continued to walk ahead of him. "It's hard for me to keep my hands off of you." I heard his feet moving quickly and before I could react his hands grabbed me. One hand went to my butt and the other to my waist. A shriek escaped my mouth but it was quickly covered by my laughter. Quickly he put his arms around me once again but I wiggled free. "Walk in front of me." I ordered and he frowns. "If you can't behave then walk in front of me." I tried to be serious but my smile gave me away. He played along with me however.
"Yes my lady." He gave me a deep bow with a smirk. "But I know it's because you just want to look at my ass." He stepped out in front of me and I doubt he saw me roll my eyes.
I follow him back to our room but I don't go to bed. I start to pace back and forth while Cesare watches in amusement. He sat in a chair near the fireplace as he watched me, drinking some wine as he did so. I can't stop thinking about what he has done to her. Lucrezia is as fragile as a flower and he was as gentle as a bull.
"Sit down." Cesare recommends as he brought the glass of wine up to his lips. "If you keep pacing you will create a hole in the floor." I scoff at him. "What is the matter?"
"Lucrezia!" I finally blurted out.
"What about my sister?"
"She is miserable, she has bruises all over her and she flinches every time Giovanni talks."
"Come here." Cesare reaches out his arms for me and I sit down in his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist but still I could not relax. Still he tried, kissing my shoulders and rubbing my back. "Are you truly worried?" I nod. "I will check it out in the morning but right now it is late and you need sleep." Stand up from his lap I climbed into bed. Falling into the silk sheets their gentle texture brought me slight comfort but not nearly enough. Laying on my stomach I pulled a pillow up to my face and sunk into it. Perhaps I would cry, it felt as if it was coming. The lump in my throat was there and if anyone asked me if I was upset I knew the tears would surely come. "Don't worry, I will take care of it." My eyes were closed but I felt Cesare standing over me. The sheets moved over my legs as he pulled them slowly over my body. Once I was tucked in he kissed my temple. He stayed up just for a bit longer. At the desk in the room he wrote something but I'm not sure what. But that was not my concern as he always has work he is doing. But finally when he came to bed I immediately rolled over to him. He chuckled as he had to adjust himself as I clung to him. Putting his arm around me as I lay my head on his chest. His heart beat was the only thing that I could hear. But I felt as his hand stroked my back. Even though it was just a bit, he brought me comfort. But still in the back of my mind my thoughts were full of Lucrezia. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch.

Waking up in the morning Cesare was not there. This was normal back at the Vatican but here it's weird. I felt the bed where he would have been and it was cold, he wasn't here recently. I get out of bed and put on my robes.
I walk through the halls and notice that it is very quiet. Not many are up, I see no one walking around. No workers or guards or anyone. I thought maybe it was because it was too early but in fact it was rather late. It was strange because the Vatican never sleeps. People were always awake and working no matter what time of the day it was. This place was very different from the place I now call home. I walk to Lucrezia's room and just as I was about to knock the door swings open. Cesare charges from the room and swiftly moves past me and down the hall. I see Lucrezia sitting on the bed crying and I run to her side. "What happened?" I ask.
"I told Cesare." She cried. "I told him everything!" Then I realized where Cesare had run off to and I had to stop him! I jumped up and ran down the hall in the direction he went "Cesare!" I yelled down the quiet halls. I ran to where I thought he was but he wasn't there. This would be easier if I knew this castle and what halls led where. It was all so confusing and Cesare could have been any where by now. I stopped and waited for a sound, any sound. I stood there in silence just listening for I didn't know where I would even be going. Then I heard clanging metal. It echoed so loud that the tips of my ears vibrated. I ran in the direction of the sound, it was loud so it wasn't far. Around the corner I found Cesare pinning Giovanni against the stone wall with a dagger to his neck. Giovanna's sword was on the ground at his feet. That must have been what I heard. "Cesare! Stop!" I ran to him. Cesare was screaming in Giovanni's face. I try pulling at Cesare to get him off of Giovanni but he was too strong. He was strong enough to pin down a man that was almost 8 years his senior. "Let go of him!" Cesare presses the tip of his dagger harder to Giovanni's neck and blood starts to run down his neck. "Cesare!" I scream.

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Late update because school started and I have so many papers that are already due and I just got back from Disney World! I had so much fun but now that I am back I have to catch up on homework.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my update. Don't forget to comment and vote.