It happened again. Just like it was three days ago. First it was Ariana, then Chanelle, now Arviano! Damn  stronzo  keeps stealing my stallions! I don’t know what’s getting into this idiota’s  mind but he keeps on taking them away without permission! Not even paying.  Does he know how much it takes to tame a stallion? He thinks he can just whisk them away, given with the privilege that I’m not always there at the stables? Damn Viaggio clerk doesn’t even care anymore about the horses.

Yeah, sure. As if I don’t have enough problems already. Monteriggioni’s slowly fading away now. And I’m doing the best I can to make my paintings sell at the local Mercante d’ Arte and hopefully, make Monteriggioni come alive again.

My family has lived in this town for generations. It would be a shame if we would just get up and leave since Monteriggioni’s getting sloppy and no one has to tend to the fields for food since no one gives them supplies. The blacksmith is almost out of business—wait, almost EVERYONE’S almost out of business. Including me, of course.

At least no recent accounts of pick-pocketing and stealing have been recorded. Why would anyone steal from a town that’s already been stolen from? Ever since the Pazzi has gotten most of the San Gimignano bowing on his whim, our neighbor city has cut off all economic ties with Monteriggioni, knowing that Auditores have been handling this town for quite a while.

“Oi! Seen anyone suspicious yet?” I said, slamming my palms angrily on the Viaggio counter, startling the dozing clerk.

“Huh? Huh? Oh, uh, no.. No.” He immediately replied.

I knew he would be slacking off at this hour so I was stupid enough to ask him to begin with. I am this desperate to save the last of my horses. I have to get to the bottom of this. Somehow.

~

It was getting dark. The sun was at its weakest hue and is slowly disappearing over the horizon. For the past few hours, I have been hiding above the rooftop of the stables, checking to see every person who comes near the stables to see if they’re trying anything strange.

I was at my most untrustworthy point. Slumber’s arms are slowly pulling me into their comfortable death grip. I must not let it consume me. I was really tired. Just yesterday, I spent the whole night just finishing up my portrait of my latest horse. I can still see the picture in my mind. Very detailed, it was. No wonder I spent the whole night on it. Maybe I should consider taking a whole day off for a cha—

One of my horses down below whinnies and that’s when I realized that I have been drifting to sleep for the past twenty seconds. I looked down to see a hooded man drenched in white and with stripes of red. His long, flowing cape was moving gracefully across his left arm as he hoisted himself up on Carmen. Wait, hoisted? That  figlio  da  puttana  is stealing one of my horses! Fully awakened by the sudden wrong deed, I jumped down from the semi-high roof just as he was turning Carmen around. A small smile crawled on the only thing coming out of the hood.

“Finally caught you, you  bastardo!” I said, pointing my finger at him.

“You haven’t caught me yet.” He said, that smile now turning into a faint smirk as he charged past me, almost landing me on top of my bottom. The dust from the ground Carmen made, made me cough for a bit. Enough time for that thief to make a possible getaway. POSSIBLE.

Powered by rage and nothing but pure hatred, I ran to my remaining horse, Alfonso, and immediately mounted on him, not having any second thoughts to stop but say a loud “Hiya!” to follow after the hooded man in white with Carmen. I decided to take the shortcut, saving me time and distance instead of making that semi-circle turn which that  cazzo  might probably take since I know this route better than him. Bad luck for him to start with when going against me.

The pathway was going straight and slightly uphill but I know Alfonso can handle the jump when he gets down. All of my horses do. In my spare time, I ride with them, feeling the wind on my face and just imagine like you’re chasing eagles and feeling the clouds. Now, with all that practice, I’ll put all of them into good use.

Alfonso was nearing the edge, and I swear I could hear alternate horse hooves down below. Checkmate. And there it was. The jump. The landing. And the halt. The man riding Carmen was trying to get past by us as we finally made our presence known to them but I just covered his path by putting Alfonso in his way.

As he was about to do the same again in the open space right beside us, I held my palm out for Carmen to see. She stopped diligently. The hooded man shouted, kicked her sides and pulled the reins but it was of no use. Everybody knows that only I can stop my horses. I just wasn’t there for the past three days of his reign of horse-jacking hours. The only thing Carmen did was lean back, balancing herself on her two hind legs behind her, hoping the man in white would fall off. And he did.

“Now, I’ve caught you.” I said, huffing as I placed one strand of my hair behind my ear.

~

“Hmph. That’ll teach you to steal my horses without paying.” I triumphantly declared, having satisfaction of the justice I self served. I tied his hands to a nearby tree with an extra belt from Carmen’s saddle. To my surprise, he didn’t give much of a fight as what I had expected. Oh, well. Less effort for me, then!

My eyes drifted for a moment on his face, then to his pouch. Sure, I have been a goody-two-shoes all my life but now I’m desperate. I slowly took off his pouch to see what’s inside of it, hoping there are florins in there.

 “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing?!” he said as he was trying to break out of the belt.

“Compensation. For the three days you haven’t returned my three horses and this… One short ride with Carmen.” I replied, smiling at him.

By this time, he was struggling so hard that he moved his hood backwards by just flipping his head. It revealed a tanned man with long bangs and a semi-healed scratch on his bottom lip. His brown, wavy hair was tied up in a pony tail, revealing the features on his face…. ANGRY features on his face.

“I don’t want to have to do this… But you leave me no choice.” He said, looking at the ground. Now, I had a little feeling of regret about taking his pouch and now I just want to give it back to him… But still leave him tied to the tree all the same (:D)

And in a flash, I hear a small mechanism behind his back, just where his hands were. Then suddenly, his hands were free of themselves and he immediately came at me with a hidden blade on his right arm with his left behind my back, threatening to push me towards the weapon that’s suppose to pierce right through me.

I can hear my horses getting crazy behind me. I guess, they’re the closest thing to what I have as friends. Now, back to my possible death. I was thinking about kicking him where the sun don’t shine and I was about to when he said something.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You see, there’s another hidden blade in my left arm which is behind your back. You do what you’re about to do and its either my right or left hand going through your body.” He said in a matter-of-factly, stiffing me to the bone. His words were terrifyingly persuasive. Now that he’s noticed that I’m calm and can do whatever he says, he has the freedom of speech.

“OK, I’m going to let you go now. I just want to talk.” He adds. He slowly loosens his grip on me and I could hear the blades sheathe back to their mechanisms. He completely lets me go now. I thought about just taking off, riding the nearest horse either Carmen or Alfonso then just bolt. But, why do I feel like my body wants to stay. Maybe it’s the feeling of fear, perhaps.

“Now, first off, what is your name,  bella?” he says, turning around, avoiding eye-contact as he brushes his bangs over his head but it just falls back down again. I placed my hands on my waist, rolling my eyes at his sudden change of personality.

“…. Stefani.”

“I’m Ezio. Please, Stefani, I think we’ve got off to a bad start, I mean I really wasn’t thinking about those times when I just took off with your horses.” He now turned to face me, his brown eyes looking intently at mine.

“Uh-hm?” I remarked with my arms crossed. I want more from him rather than just a lame apology. I want a HUGE apology. An apology worth of three good horses lost.

“Well, let me make it up to you, then. Why don’t we stop by my uncle’s house then I can pay you back with some florins?” Now his sentence starts making a little bit more sense to me.

“Wait, ‘some’?” I asked, trying to make sure.

He sighed. “Florins equivalent to three horses and one half ride.”

“…. Alright, let’s get to it, then.” I agreed, letting Carmen walk towards me before I grabbed her reins and gave it to Ezio.

~

I was expecting him to run off again but realizing that I have power of the horse he was riding, I guess he’d give it up. We returned the horses back to where they belong and walked inside Monteriggioni. Only very few people walked out in the streets today.

“Just wish you could do something about it, eh?” he tries to start a conversation as we walked pass the clinic and the art shop.

I looked at him, glaring, but the subject at least put me at ease for a bit. “Yeah. This used to be a wonderful place.”

“What happened?”

“… The Pazzi..” This time, I opened myself up to him a little bit. “They cut off our economic supplies with San Gimignano.”

“I see..”

I stopped, noticing that we were at the foot of the stairs in the middle of the street, leading up to the Villa Auditore. I only go there when condottiero Mario calls for me for a good stallion or target practice. Ezio looked back at me as he realizes I stopped. He motions for me to follow.

“What? Not a fan of stairs?” he joked.

“No! That is the Auditore Mansion… I’m not allowed to go there unless it’s for business.”

“Well, then I’m allowing you to.”

I looked up at him. Is he crazy?

No.

NO!

NO WAY IN MEDICI’S BANK IS HE AN AUDITORE!

~

After that sudden realization of truth that he is the nipote  of Mario Auditore, I found myself walking inside the Mansion I have dreamed so long to get in. I only get to see the interior of this house from the outside. We made a right turn to the nearest curve to find a brightly lit room with a small scale model of Monteriggioni.

“Salute, Claudia.” Ezio’s voice can be heard in front of me but I was too mesmerized by the objects in the room.

“You’re here to look at the book?” a female voice replied which made me look at her.

“No, actually, I’m here to pay someone a huge debt.”

“What is it now, Ezio?”

“My little  sorella.” Ezio manages to whisper to me before answering her. “I borrowed three horses overnight and I haven’t given them back for three days.”

“Ezio, what were you thinking? I’m sorry, for all the trouble he’s cost you…. Uh…” Claudia said as she turned to me.

“Stefani… Stefani Esfanorza… Oh, please, the trouble is all mine.” I answered back as my eyes drifted to the intricate and slowly fading designs of the ceiling. I am the one who feels ashamed now. A girl wearing a white polo and brown pants with measly masaglias boots doesn’t deserve to be in such a place as decent as this.

“Oh, no, no. How much do we owe you, then?” Claudia replied, standing up and getting some florins from a little chest behind her.

“My apologies. You are an Auditore, I should have known. I could let you take all of my horses if I knew you were one.” I said, looking at the ground as my condescending aura finally lowers. Everyone was silent. I could feel Ezio smirk mockingly at his sister.

“Va  bene… Ezio would still make it up to you.” Claudia decided, making Ezio flinch in surprise that he would still have to do something.

~

“Why did you let me go that easily?” Ezio asked as we sat on the banisters of the sparring ring.

“My grandfather was working for the Auditore for years as a butler. His master treated him like a brother and defended him when faced with a trial on smuggling letters from the Gonfaloniere.”

I noticed Ezio fidget at the word at the end.

“My grandfather was only trying to prove the Auditores’ testimony of further renovation of shops. The Auditores saved my grandfather from a life in prison. Therefore, I owe my life and future Esfanorza family generations to the Auditores. Something a million horses won’t pay.” I turned to him but to my surprise, he was looking back at me. It was sort of awkward but I felt my cheeks lighten at some point. As if my heart intentionally skipped a beat to give myself a hint over what I’m actually feeling right now.

He patted on the remaining space between us, asking me to close the gap and get closer. I looked at him, about to hastily turn down the offer.

“You’ll get a good view of the Monteriggioni watch tower from here.” He said, smiling.

I did as he told me to and scooted next to him. It didn’t look that much different at all. Just a different perspective. Then I finally realized it. I’ve fallen for his trap.

“That ‘watch tower’ thing was a pretty smooth move, you know.” I complimented, smiling to myself.

“My sister said I could make it up to you.”

“OK?”

“Maybe this would suffice.” He puts his fingers under my chin and lifts it up to his.

Oh, no, no, no, what am I doing?! Uhhhhhh… My feet were shaking, my cheeks were burning and my heart is pounding. Probably from the shaking, I fell feet first into the sparring ring before anything else happened. Chuckling to himself, Ezio dropped down walking towards me.

I was afraid, yet enjoying at the same time. Afraid that he’ll actually steal my first kiss away and enjoying it because… Well. I grabbed my weapon of choice from the ground, a spear. Sure, it might kill him, but… I know he can live realizing that he once got a blade so close to my face without fail. He was surprised but soon gave into the playful response.

“Don’t play hard to get, Stefani. You know it only makes me want you more.” Ezio said, grabbing a sword from the ground, readying his stance. He charges at a steady speed at me, holding the sword at an awkward angle, as if intentionally throwing his guard down for me.

“Oh, Ezio… You’re making me think that I can SWEEP you off your feet!” I exclaimed as I turned around to confuse Ezio but to sweep his legs as I was halfway finished turning. I was surprised to see that that actually worked and he’s on his bum, grinning at me with his sword about a feet away from him.

“Not bad for a girl.”

“Whatever. Here, let me help you up.” I can’t believe it. I was finally opening up to him. And to think that an hour ago, I wanted to send this person to hell. I dropped my weapon and offered my hand to help him up. Our hands touched and were linked together. But an unexpected tug caused me to lose my balance and fall towards him.

Our noses were touching and I was taken by surprise at the sudden speed that it happened. He was still holding my hand as his other hand was brushing my falling hair to the side, clearing them from my face. Then he leaned in for the finish kill. There was nothing I could do. I FEEL like there was nothing I could do. My body wants to experience something from Ezio that I just cannot resist.

My body heated up as the passionate kiss ensued. And right then and there that felt like my body was content. I could feel the buckles of his accessories as our bodies pressed harder against each other. His legs were getting tangled on my own and I could feel his hand slither down to my waist with the other hand still not letting go. Then I hear voices and footsteps coming closer.

“I hope condotierro Mario plans to widen the fighting ring soon.”

“Yeah. So that we could train more students fast—“

Ezio and I both looked up to see the instructors looking right at us.

“What?” Ezio asked, annoyed.

“N-Nothing.” They both said in unison as they both leave us to our business.

“Say. How about you and me take this upstairs?” Ezio suggested.

“Ha,  pazzo.” I whispered before getting up and walk away, leaving him smirking.

I know what he can do. And I won’t do it so quickly on a first date. I want to make it last longer. Keep his longing for me fresh that will make him want me more, just like he said when I’m going to play hard to get.

~

Ezio has been making frequent trips outside, taking Carmen and sometimes Alfonso out to errands that even he won’t tell me. But I know he always comes back unharmed and in one piece. There was one particular day when something eventful actually happened. I passed by the art shop to see how my paintings are faring. I was surprised to see that my works are missing. Enraged, I asked the owner where they went.

“Mi  dispiace,  signora Stefani but… They are gone.”

“Gone? What you do mean gone?!”

“Sold.”

And that was it. My expression changed completely. It was heart-stopping. After all those hard work, it went well in the end. The owner gave me the money we had agreed on by splitting it up with a fifteen percent increase in my half.

“You like it?” a familiar voice said behind me.

“Ezio! You’re back! How was your trip?” I said, running to hug him.

“It was fine. Carmen’s getting used to me now.” He kisses my forehead lovingly, holding me tight. “I knew it would make you happy, so I renovated the art shop first.”

“You renovated it?”

“Yes. Bards will sing of this upgrade and heralds will announce this to the city, people will spread the word and more will come here. It won’t be long before I renovated all of these to restore Monteriggioni to its former glory.” Ezio answered, looking into my eyes. “I’m sure your grandfather would have wanted that.”

“Thank you, Ezio. Ti  amo.” There, I said it. Happy?

“Ti  amo  troppo. “ We nuzzled together for what seemed like an eternity until he broke the moment. “I’m going away for a while soon…”

“For how long?”

“Can’t say.”

“Promise you won’t forget me?”

“I won’t because you know I’m always watching at a distance.”

Nothing could’ve sound more reassuring than the words from his lips.

Glossary:

Stronzo  - as*h*le

Idiota  - idiot

figlio  da  puttana  - son of a b*tch 

bastardo  - bastard

cazzo  - d*ck 

bella  - beautiful 

nipote  - nephew  

salute  - health (I know, I know it sounds weird but.. That's the actual word they used from the game!)

sorella  - sister 

va  bene  - alright 

pazzo  - crazy 

mi  dispiace  - I'm sorry 

ti  amo  (troppo)  - I love you (too)