Taking The Mantle

Chapter 26 - Rosa POV

I think this is a perfect idea. Let Gio and Luca get their revenge, kill who they need, and finish this war. And keep all of that the hell away from me.

As fucked as it might sound, I'm not as upset as them. I was never close with Antonio. We just didn't get along. It's not that I don't miss him but I'm far more okay than Gio. Victoria is pretty okay too; to be fair she's only known him a handful of years.

This will be nice. Just me and Vic enjoying the Italian countryside. It's summertime and I'll be damned if I don't show Victoria how we do things here. We're in my territory now and it's time for some fun.

The boys will join us when they're done but for now it's just us. And the only supervision we have, are the guards I hand picked myself.

The kids are here too, all three of them, but Alice and their guards can watch after them. I want to show Victoria how to have fun. From what I understand, she was practically a prisoner growing up and she became a mother so quickly she never got the chance to make up for lost time. I'm going to fix that.

First things first, we're going into town.

The castle doesn't have much food in stock and the local markets are some of the best in the country. I love coming here, especially in the summer. Aside from the castle and handful of manors, the town is mostly made up of farmers and blue collar workers. Everyone is nice here, being removed from the bustle of city life really makes a difference.

Victoria and I walk side by side down the cobblestone streets. We pass by vendor after vendor but I know exactly which stall I want to stop at.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Victoria asks, glancing over her shoulder.

"It's fine," I dismiss, waving my hand, "there's guards all over, don't you see them?"

Her brows furrow and she begins to look over our surroundings. I'm not sure if she can see them, but I can. There's one walking the street parallel to us. Another two trail a few meters behind. Three more are spread out amongst the crowd. They all behave casually, even ditching the suits in favor of more casual clothes, but I can feel their eyes on me.

It's a skill I picked up somewhere in life. I can always tell when someone's watching me. It probably comes from how often I would try to sneak out of my house or run off growing up. I've always been followed by large men and loaded guns, I guess I just developed a sixth sense.

"Over here," I say with a smile, taking Vic's hand and pulling her with me.

I stride over to the fruit stand and patiently wait for the shopkeeper to finish with another customer. Her white hair is pulled into a tight bun and when she smiles, wrinkles frame her eyes. Victoria begins to look over the produce carefully. Ms. Leone turns her attention to us and gasps.

"Mia Rosa!" she exclaims, shuffling out from the wooden stall, "è passato troppo tempo."
(it has been too long)

She pulls me into a hug and kisses both of my cheeks. I hug her back with a smile. She releases me but keeps me at arms length as she looks me over.

"It's good to see you," I reply, adding, "non sei invecchiato di un giorno."
(you haven't aged a day)

"Mentire è un peccato, bambina," she scolds playfully.
(Lying is a sin, child)

"This is Ms. Leone," I introduce Victoria, "this is my sister-in-law Victoria."

"When did you marry?" Ms. Leone exclaims.

"Non ancora," I say with a chuckle, "ma abbiamo intenzione di sposarci entro la fine del mese."
(Not yet. But we are planning to be married by the end of the month.)