Leonardo sat up straight, his hand going back to Ezio’s shoulders and rubbing gently. Ezio had fished out a pendant bearing the Auditore crest from beneath his robes.
“Even after all these years, their deaths still haunt you?” Leonardo asked, assuming Ezio was referring to his family. “There was nothing you could have done, Ezio.”
“Deaths?” Ezio repeated a little blankly. He looked at Leonardo and then back at the crest. “Oh,” he said flatly, guessing what Leonardo was referring to. “No... I mean, yes, they haunt me, they always will, but this... I gave this to Cristina.”
“Cristina? Cristina Vespucci?” Ezio nodded. “I was... unaware she had passed away.”
“How could you have known?” Ezio said with a small bitter laugh. “You were in Milano. And it’s just as well you were... I hate to think what Savonarola would have ordered done to you had you been in Firenze. As it was your former workshop was destroyed.”
“Ah,” Leonardo said, understanding, “the Bonfire of the Vanities.”
Ezio nodded. “She was... I was too late,” he finished brokenly.
Leonardo stood up suddenly and offered his hand to help Ezio to his feet. “Come,” the artist said. “This is not the place to discuss such things. I would suggest La Rosa in Fiore but...”
“No,” Ezio said. “It is too risky. Cesare may be ill, but his eyes are still everywhere. We have lingered too long already. I cannot keep risking your safety for my sake. If the Borgia even suspect –”
Ezio fell silent when Leonardo held his hand up to stop him. He put his other hand over Ezio’s forearm and gave a reassuring squeeze. “Ezio. Do not worry. And we will talk about this. I have been a poor friend, merely gossiping about today instead of catching up on yesterday.”
“You have not been –”
“There is a little bar not far from here called Antico. I’ll go one way and you go the other,” he said quietly, ignoring Ezio’s protest. “Ask for Alessia at the bar and you’ll be taken to one of the private rooms. I shall wait for you there.”
“But Leonardo...”
“No buts,” the artist asserted. “There is more than enough time. Your apprentices can go home and have a well earned rest.”
Ezio sighed and rolled his eyes. “Which one can you see?” he said exasperatedly.
Leonardo chuckled. “None of them,” he said. “You have trained them well. But you fuss like a hen over her chicks when they’re around and don’t settle. You can’t possibly relax when they’re around.”
“Fine,” Ezio said, flicking his wrist. There was silence for a moment following the gesture, but then a small thud and frustrated swear word echoed around the courtyard. Ezio scowled slightly and Leonardo put a hand over his mouth, coughing slightly to cover up his laughter.
Leonardo patted Ezio’s arm fondly as he turned to walk away. “Try not to be too long,” he said in passing. “I can’t guarantee the wine will last long. It’s been a long week.”
Second Chances [2/?]
“Even after all these years, their deaths still haunt you?” Leonardo asked, assuming Ezio was referring to his family. “There was nothing you could have done, Ezio.”
“Deaths?” Ezio repeated a little blankly. He looked at Leonardo and then back at the crest. “Oh,” he said flatly, guessing what Leonardo was referring to. “No... I mean, yes, they haunt me, they always will, but this... I gave this to Cristina.”
“Cristina? Cristina Vespucci?” Ezio nodded. “I was... unaware she had passed away.”
“How could you have known?” Ezio said with a small bitter laugh. “You were in Milano. And it’s just as well you were... I hate to think what Savonarola would have ordered done to you had you been in Firenze. As it was your former workshop was destroyed.”
“Ah,” Leonardo said, understanding, “the Bonfire of the Vanities.”
Ezio nodded. “She was... I was too late,” he finished brokenly.
Leonardo stood up suddenly and offered his hand to help Ezio to his feet. “Come,” the artist said. “This is not the place to discuss such things. I would suggest La Rosa in Fiore but...”
“No,” Ezio said. “It is too risky. Cesare may be ill, but his eyes are still everywhere. We have lingered too long already. I cannot keep risking your safety for my sake. If the Borgia even suspect –”
Ezio fell silent when Leonardo held his hand up to stop him. He put his other hand over Ezio’s forearm and gave a reassuring squeeze. “Ezio. Do not worry. And we will talk about this. I have been a poor friend, merely gossiping about today instead of catching up on yesterday.”
“You have not been –”
“There is a little bar not far from here called Antico. I’ll go one way and you go the other,” he said quietly, ignoring Ezio’s protest. “Ask for Alessia at the bar and you’ll be taken to one of the private rooms. I shall wait for you there.”
“But Leonardo...”
“No buts,” the artist asserted. “There is more than enough time. Your apprentices can go home and have a well earned rest.”
Ezio sighed and rolled his eyes. “Which one can you see?” he said exasperatedly.
Leonardo chuckled. “None of them,” he said. “You have trained them well. But you fuss like a hen over her chicks when they’re around and don’t settle. You can’t possibly relax when they’re around.”
“Fine,” Ezio said, flicking his wrist. There was silence for a moment following the gesture, but then a small thud and frustrated swear word echoed around the courtyard. Ezio scowled slightly and Leonardo put a hand over his mouth, coughing slightly to cover up his laughter.
Leonardo patted Ezio’s arm fondly as he turned to walk away. “Try not to be too long,” he said in passing. “I can’t guarantee the wine will last long. It’s been a long week.”
x.x.x.x.x