Lorenzo the Magnificent

The defender

Francesco must be already looking for me. How can I get into the house without him knowing?? I can't just come knocking on the door. I started quickly walking to the house.

What should I do?? What should I do?? I kept asking myself. Oh wait a minute. There must be a window leading to the servants's chamber. I realised and walked around the house to find multiple of basement windows. I started looking through them one by one when I finally found the right one. I saw two older women standing there talking about something. I knocked on the window and when they turned around I recognised one of them as Orsa's friend. I gestured them to go to the main door and open it for me. I was happy that it wasn't that difficult to get in but when the door opened my smile dropped. Francesco was the one who opened it. I swallowed hardly. He didn't say anything but the look in his eyes said it all. ,,There she is. We were looking for you young lady. Where were you??'' I heard Jacopo behind Francesco. Oh my God kill me or Jacopo will. ,,I was looking for Orsa. I can't find her anywhere. I'm quite worried about her,'' I didn't even know where that came from but it seemed to work. ,,The servant??'' Francesco asked. ,,Yes,'' I nodded. ,,And you were looking for her...outside the house??'' Jacopo asked with irony in his voice. ,,Well I couldn't find her anywhere in the house,'' I kept on. ,,Come inside,'' Francesco finally said and I stepped behind the door. ,,Sorella...where were you??'' Francesco asked again. ,,I-I just told you,'' my voice started shaking because I knew I was screwed. Someone grabbed my arm really harshly and made me turn around. ,,Listen young lady. We all know that is a lie. But what we don't know...is the truth. So now you are going to tell us all where you had been!!'' Jacopo yelled into my face from just a few inches distance. I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I had a huge lump in my throat. ,,Speak!!'' he yelled again and slapped me really hard. I lost my balance and collapsed to the ground. Don't cry. Just please don't cry.

,,Give her a rest!!'' I heard Guglielmo all of sudden. I hoped Francesco would be the one to save me from the situation but if it wasn't for Guglielmo the two of them might do something terrible to me. Guglielmo bowed down and helped me to get on my feet. Then he put his arm around my waist and led me away from the house entrance up the stairs right into his room. Jacopo and Francesco were calling after us but Guglielmo remained silent. He locked the door behind us and made me sit on his bed. He sat right in front of me in his armchair and rested his head in his hands. He started shaking his head. ,,Sorella...what the hell had you been thinking,'' he sighed and looked at me awaiting an answer which wasn't comming. ,,Why would you risk by such an act??'' he asked in disbelief. ,,Because...I want to know what's going on with everyone,'' I said simply. ,,So you have to sneak out from the house, tail us and infiltrate the Medici house and the Priori's gathering??'' I was in a shock to hear that. ,,Did-'' ,,Oh of course I saw you Sorella. Maybe if you weren't staring right into the room at least...'' ,,Guglielmo open the door!!'' we heard Francesco from the hall suddenly. ,,Go away Francesco. Sorella doesn't want to talk to you right now!!'' Guglielmo yelled at him and it was followed by Francesco's kick in the door. ,,Thank you. You are still the same. The same defending older brother,'' I whispered. ,,And you are still the same stubborn young lady. Sorella listen...Francesco is trying to defend you as well but you're not really listening to him. Are you scared of him??'' I didn't know what to say and he knew that. He wanted to make me think about Francesco and about my feelings toward him. He didn't say anything, just waited for me to start talking.

,,What do you want me to say Guglielmo?? Of course I am sometimes scared of him. He had changed. Sometimes he's so kind and sweet and the other moment he gets angry and yells...'' I finally started getting it all out of my chest. I stood up and walked to the balcony, leaned against the wall and looked into the distance. Guglielmo followed me to the balcony and leaned against the wall right next to me. ,,Well Sorella...what were you expecting when you were comming?? That everyone stayed the same?? It had been ten years. Ten years of believing you were dead. Ten years of not hearing about you. Of course he changed. We all did. You did.'' ,,I didn't come on my own Guglielmo, you know that. And sometimes I wish I never got here again. Sometimes I wish I could stay at my uncle's house being a servant and dreaming about better future. I was supposed to run away with my lover the day I was dragged away. Did you know that?? I would always chose running away with Dante over going here and losing him. Because I knew everyone was going to be different. I just didn't want to believe to it...I guess.'' ,,You didn't answer my guestion,'' he said like he ignored all I just said. ,,Yes I did. I said I am scared of Francesco. Because Dante never even raised his voice at me.'' ,,What about Jacopo...are you scared of Jacopo??'' ,,No. I do fear Jacopo. But I'm not scared of him. Because he had always been a person I'd expect to hurt people around me and me myself. And that's the difference between Jacopo and Francesco. You see?? I would never expect Francesco to hurt me or anyone around me. And yet he attacked Giuliano so brutally. And he yelled at me...not even talking about our first encounter,'' I started explaining. ,,Wait...you were at the court as well??'' Guglielmo asked in disbelief. ,,Well...yeah. And then as I was trying to get back here I found someone lying on the ground. He was beat up really bad and I knew it was Giuliano. I helped him to get to his house,'' I admitted. ,,Hold on. So they already know you are here.'' ,,I told Giuliano not to tell anyone...'' ,,So it's probably just a matter of time when he's gonna tell them,'' Guglielmo said. ,,I am sorry Guglielmo. I am only a burden for your family. I think I should go away so you can all live your lifes the way you lived them until now-'' he interupted me by embracing me tightly, pressing my head to his chest. ,,Don't you ever say something like that. Francesco would be destroyed. He'd blame himself for the rest of his life. It's all going to get better. Trust me Sorella. I am gonna marry Bianca. You're gonna marry Francesco and our familes will be connected again and for good,'' he said dreamily. Oh should I tell him what I heard at the Medici house about Bianca and Bastiano??

,,That would be perfect,'' I smiled and pulled away from him. ,,I think you should go to your room already,'' Guglielmo smiled back at me and walked me to my room. ,,Sleep well Sorella.'' ,,You too Guglielmo,'' I smiled at him one more time and closed the door. I noticed a dress lying on my bed but it wasn't set there as Orsa would do it. Orsa where are you?? What happened to you?? I need to find out in the morning.

Loud voices woke me up in the morning. They were comming from downstairs and I recognised it was Jacopo and Francesco. I quickly jumped out from my bed and run toward the voices. I hid behind the corner and started watching them. ,, I need actions, not excuses!!'' Jacopo yelled at Francesco and smashed a plate against the ground. ,,I've done as you asked, uncle,'' Francesco said way more calmly. In that moment I noticed Guglielmo came from outside as well. He noticed me and smiled at me sadly as he walked to Jacopo and Francesco. ,,You're either a liar or a fool!! You've done nothing of the kind!! I asked you to stop Lorenzo de' Medici...and this is what you bring me?? Half measures?!'' Jacopo kept yelling. ,,Uncle-'' ,,What's happened??'' Guglielmo got into the conversation. ,,Lorenzo's riding to Rome, seeking credit from Pope Paul,'' Francesco explained to him. ,,Now is our time to strike a blow.'' ,,Uncle, cousin Salviati is an aide to the Curia...'' Francesco kept trying to calm his uncle. ,,It is the Pope who makes the decisions, not the Curia!!'' he just got more angry. ,,But the Curia influences the Pope. And our cousin influences the Curia.'' ,,His influence in no match for Lorenzo's silver tongue,'' Jacopo sounded hopeless. ,,Lorenzo is clever, yes...but inexperienced. He can be defeated,'' Francesco said surely. ,,Why must we defeat him??'' Guglielmo asked all of sudden. ,,How dare you ask such a thing??'' Jacopo mummbled. ,,The Medici have been given a reprieve, thanks to the Priori. Thanks to you. Our father believed that Florence was stronger united-'' ,,Your father is dead. I make the decisions now...and I say what benefits the enemy, harms us. We must not give the Medici an inch,'' Jacopo made sure they both understood. ,,And we won't. Whatever advantage Lorenzo seeks from the Pope...Salviati will block it. The papal accounts are the source of the Medici's power. And those accounts will be ours. Mark my words,'' Francesco finished. ,,Yeah they better be,'' Jacopo ended the conversation and Francesco with Guglielmo walked out from the room into the entrance hall.

,,Do you think uncle was behind the attack on Piero de' Medici??'' Guglielmo asked his brother. ,,Would it trouble you if he was??'' Francesco asked coldly and they stopped. ,,You know our father wanted peace, Francesco. And he would have it if he'd lived long enough,'' Guglielmo said sadly. ,,Hey. Our generation will end the feud between our families. But on our terms. Not theirs,'' Francesco told his brother and Guglielmo seemed quite happy to hear it. He walked away and Francesco kept standing there for a while. Then he turned around and saw me. He seemed really surprised. ,,Sorella??'' he whispered and started quickly walking toward me. I jumped up on my feet and run to my room. ,,Sorella!!'' he yelled after me. I quickly closed and locked the door behind me and sat on the ground with my back leaned against the door.

,,Sorella listen to me.''