Year: 1476
Repubblica Fiorentina, Italy.

The next day...

Many people are crowded together in the piazza. I push my way through the crowd of men and women, until I'm able to see what all the commotion is about.

Messer Auditore, Federico Auditore, and Petruccio Auditore all stand with ropes being tightly secured around their necks. The scene looks like a hearing, but for what reason do they require a hearing? That is what confuses me.

Many men and women push into me as I stare in shock and disbelief at the scene that is in front of me. Tears blur my vision as I stare at those who I considered part of my second family. Breaking out of my daze, I quickly search and scour the crowd for Ezio. He must be here, I know he's here. Pushing past men and women I find myself in the middle of the crowd, searching rapidly for the familiar face of Ezio Auditore. I know he will not be happy to see me, due to the fact that he wanted me to be safe with Claudia and Madame Maria, but I knew I had to find him.

Two hands clasp on my shoulders, and turn me around. My breath gets caught in my throat as I stare at a white hooded figure in front of me. I look up at the face and can't believe the identity of the man.

"Ezio?" I whisper, remembering that the guards are still after him.

"Valentina, what are you doing out here? You should be with Mother and Claudia, safe!" He says.

"I had to find you!" I respond as tears roll down my face. "What's happening?" I silently ask.

He looks down at me with kind eyes, but then up at the scene in front of him. "There's no time to explain right now. Please, go back to where it's safe. I'll be there soon." He says, now pushing past me towards the dreadful scene. I'm left there, watching Ezio pull the white hood of his cloak farther over his face.

I start to push through the crowd, but away from the scene. Of course I'm not going to listen to him, I'm just going to see if I can find a way to help the Auditore's.

A man, who I recognize as Messer Uberto, begins to speak. "Giovanni Auditore, you and your accomplices stand accused of the crime of treason. Have you any evidence to counter this charge?" He asks.

"Yes. The documents that were delivered to you last night!" Messer Auditore yells.

"I'm afraid I know nothing of these documents." Messer Uberto responds.

"He's lying!" Yells the voice of Ezio from somewhere in the crowd.

I quickly run through the crowd, and stand on a fountain. I can now see the figure of Ezio running through the crowd, desperately trying to reach his family in time. My heart breaks at this sight as I cling to the fountain, watching in horror.

"In the absence of any compelling evidence to the contrary, I am bound to pronounce you GUILTY. You and your collaborators are hereby sentenced to DEATH." Messer Uberto yells.

I cover my mouth as tears flow down my face. My breath becomes trapped in my lungs as I watch the horror in the faces of the Auditore's.

"No!" I yell, "Please!" No one can hear me from the back of the crowd, so my words are useless.

"YOU are a traitor, Uberto- And one of THEM! You may take our lives this day- but WE WILL have yours in return! I swear! We wil-" Yells Messer Auditore, but before he can finish his last sentence, the floor vanishes from beneath all three of them, and they now hang, only their heads seen.

I cry out in mournfulness, and then cover my mouth. I shake, clinging to the fountain until I feel my legs go completely numb. I now fall onto my knees and burry my head in my hands.

"FATHER!" I hear Ezio cry out from somewhere in the crowd.

My heart breaks entirely at this. I slowly stand to my feet, and walk through the crowd, desperately trying to find Ezio before something even more awful can happen. The back of Ezio's body can be seen running straight through the crowd towards Messer Uberto.

"There! Grab the boy! He's one of them!" Messer Uberto calls out.

My mind now focuses when I realize that if they indeed catch Ezio, he will be hung as well. I take off sprinting through the crowd towards where I last saw him. I stop in my tracks when I see two guards grab onto each of Ezio's arms. I cannot bear to watch my best friend die.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Ezio yells, threatening Messer Uberto as I watch him struggle to be free of the guards grasps.

"Guards! Arrest him!" Messer Uberto commands.

I fight my way through the crowd to try and reach him in time, until I see Ezio flings both of the guards onto the ground and pull out a cutlass from his belt.

A guard, heavily armored and much taller than Ezio steps in front of him. The guard uses his axe to knock Ezio's cutlass straight out of his hand and onto the ground.

"Abbattetelo! (Put him down!)" Yells Messer Uberto.

"You'd better run, boy. And fast!" A man off to the side says to Ezio.

I see Ezio look at me in the crowd. To my surprise, I see him run straight towards me, grabbing my wrist, and pulling me with him as he runs. We're both running now as fast as we can.

"You got a plan?" I yell to him.

"Escape the guards!" Ezio yells back.

We are literally running for our lives.