The Medici Girl

Sweet Goodbye

The ride to Firenze from Monteriggioni was more uncomfortable than Contessina remembered it being the first time. Her sturdy little gelding was keeping pace with Urgullo as they made it to the east gate of Firenze a little after dusk. The lamp lighters were out with their lanterns and torches as the gates opened to them with the removal of Contessina's hood. It seemed the Firenze guard still remembered her face even though it had only been over a month or so since she left. 

Ezio rode beside her as she made her way to Palazzo Medici, but he was not going to stay there. He had told her he would be going to meet with Volpe somewhere near the Ponte Vecchio and Poliziano would be joining them later. Ezio did not speak to her much throughout their ride to Firenze and she guessed it was because he was still upset that she was leaving for Pistoia. She appreciated that he felt that way only because it told of how much he really loved her, but she did not excuse his lack of speech. Before they parted ways, she was going to make sure that he was the only one who could make her feel the way she did. 

As Contessina and Ezio came to a stop outside of the Palazzo Medici, one of the guards took the reins of her gelding as her husband got off of his. Ezio went to her and helped her off of her horse as the doors opened to reveal Poliziano in all his stoic glory. He bowed to her as one of the men lead her little gelding away before she turned to her beloved. The look on his face was surprisingly passive, but the turmoil in his eyes spoke volumes. 

"I am not leaving until you come to say goodbye to me in the morning." She told him. The cowl of his hood kept his eyes hidden from everyone else's gaze, but she could see them perfectly as he was debating with himself. "Ezio, what is it?" She asked him putting a hand on his cheek and he leaned into it. 

"I am worried that Riario is going to find out about Pistoia." Ezio's voice was heavy with worry about the situation. From all that they knew about their foe, he was cunning and he had his own party of spies who were just as cutthroat as he was. "Do not send any letters with the Medici name on it, like we used to do." 

"I do not intend to write unless absolutely necessary." Contessina said with a smile before reaching up to kiss him. "I will be safe and if it comes to it, I can at least defend myself." She said before lifting up her dress to reveal the dagger that Giuliano gave her tucked in her boot. 

"That is not what bothers me." He glided the back of his gloved hand on her cheek and then looked at Poliziano who was waiting for her to step inside the Palazzo. "I will see you in the morning." Ezio said leaning down to kiss her before getting on his horse and trotting away. She watched him for a few moments before she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Turning around she saw a man in clergy robes with a silver cross hanging around his neck and a smirk on his face. He looked so much like their grandfather when he was younger it was uncanny. 

"Carlo!" She ran up to him and embraced him tightly after not having seen him in so long. The last time she remember seeing Carlo di Cosimo de'Medici was in Roma four years prior. "I missed you." 

"I did too." He let her go taking a step back to look at her. "You have grown up." He said with a content look on his face. "Your father would be proud." 

"I do not know about that, Carlo." She said with a small smile before walking in the palazzo where she saw her aunt standing there. Lucrezia Tornabuoni stood there with all her regal glory intact even after her son had been murdered by the Pazzi family. The older woman had not changed since Contessina had last seen her in Roma around the same time she had seen Carlo. "Zia." Lucrezia smiled widely upon seeing Contessina and opened her arms for the young woman. 

"Mi cara." The embrace was as warm as Contessina remembered, similar to Maria's motherly affections. The blond guessed that Lucrezia had come from Roma with Carlo, or the other way around as Carlo had been imprisoned there for no good reason. "Are you going to Pistoia?" The older woman asked as they pulled apart from one another.