Lorenzo the Magnificent

The question

,,Sorella listen to me,'' I heard from behind the locked door but I remained silent. ,,We need to talk, seriously. Can you open the door please??'' I didn't move an inch. ,,Sorella...'' What can I do anyway?? ,,Do you want to stay there and avoid me the whole day?? Fine. And then what?? Then you'll go to Lorenzo??'' that made me quite angry. I stood up, unlocked and opened the door and stepped into the hall. ,,Why would you say that Francesco??'' I asked kinda dissapointed. ,,And what am I supposed to be thinking about all of this??'' ,,About all of what??'' ,,About you going to see the Medici as often as you possibly can, perhaps,'' he said with irony in his voice. I grabbed his hand and dragged him into my room. I slammed the door and made him sit on my bed. ,,Francesco listen...it's not like what it seems like,'' I said simply. ,,So tell me then. Why would you go there?? Why would you go there when I told you to stay here?? Why don't you listen to me Sorella??'' he seemed really sad and dissapointed. ,,Because you keep me from everything. I want to know what's going on with all of you, but I'm always told to stay here.'' ,,Don't you understand I'm trying to protect you??'' Protect me, huh?? ,,Then why didn't you protect me down there??'' ,,I don't know what to say Sorella...I-I froze. I didn't expect Jacopo to even touch you and when he slapped you...I just couldn't move. I'm so sorry Sorella. I can't even express how much. It just happened so quickly and I failed to react..." he stopped and probably expected me to say something but I remained silent. ,,Could you please say something??" Nothing. ,,But you know it's not all my fault. I told you to stay here. And you didn't. It surely had to have some consequences..." he said somehow ashamed. And I think it was because that are the conditions he grew up in. You act the way you're not told to and so you have to deal with consequences. Which I strongly believe are mostly physical attacks.

He stood up and stepped to me. I looked down but he softly lifted my chin and made me look into his eyes. Into his beautiful eyes. But these eyes weren't only beautiful. They were also sad, tired and...disappointed??  ,,Sorella can you forgive me??" he whispered. I hardly swallowed. I wanted to say something but it felt like I couldn't. ,,Is it because you're scared of me??'' he suddenly asked with his back facing me. I was quite shocked to hear him say that. Did he- ,,I heard you and Guglielmo on the balcony yesterday.'' I just kept staring at his back. ,,It kinda broke me, you know?? That the person I had always loved and believed she loved me as well...is scared of me. I seem not to be able to deal with it,'' he addmited as he turned back to me. ,,Francesco I...don't know what to say,'' I mummbled. ,,Sorela I want you to know that I would never in my life hurt you. I mean this more than anything else in my life. I would put my life for yours. I really, trully care about you and I always want you to be safe,'' he said staring into my soul and holding my hands. I just couldn't take it anymore, embraced him and burried my face into his chest. 

,,I want to get away with you for a few days,'' he said after a few moments and pulled away from me. ,,Is it a good idea?? I mean...what about your uncle?? Is it not going to make him mad??'' I asked worriedly. ,,He'll deal with it. We're going and that's it,'' Francesco smiled at me and I smiled back. ,,We're leaving in an hour,'' he said as he walked to the door. ,,Wait. Are you serious??'' I asked shocked. ,,Yes.'' ,,But-wait,'' I stopped him before he left my room. ,,I wanted to ask you...about Orsa,'' I said and waited for his reaction. He just stood there like he froze. ,,Where is she??'' I continued and he slowly turned to me. ,,How would I know?? My uncle is in the place to deal with the servants,'' he said quite unsure. ,,So you don't know??'' I didn't give up. ,,I can ask him.'' ,,Alright. Thank you Francesco.'' This doesn't feel right. 

I quickly grabbed a few belongings of mine and put them in a bag. I don't even know for how long we are going to be away. I stepped out from my room and headed to the servants chamber. I need to ask other servants about Orsa. When I arrived to their chamber I slowly opened the door and immediately noticed a few of them sitting on the floor with their heads in their hands. ,,What happened??'' I asked right away. They all looked at me quite scared and didn't say anything. ,,Hey...why don't you talk to me??'' ,,Please don't be here with us, signorina,'' the older one said. I recognised her. She was worried about Orsa. ,,What-why?? I wanted to ask you about Orsa-'' ,,We wanted to ask you the same. She's gone. Because she got too close to you. We warned her...and now she's gone,'' another one said angrily. ,,But-'' ,,Go away, please,'' another one said. I just raised my eyebrows and walked away. They can't be serious. Why are they acting like I did something to her?? Is it really my fault that she's gone?? ,,What are you doing here young lady,'' I heard familiar voice behind me. Jacopo. I turned around and saw him scanning me. ,,I actually wanted to ask you something Messer Pazzi,'' I started and my knees started shaking suddenly. Just his presence was quite scary. ,,Are you sure you are the one asking questions here??'' he smirked. ,,Well-'' ,,There are you Sorella. I have been looking for you,'' Francesco suddenly interupted me and my conversation with Jacopo. ,,Come. We need to go,'' he said, grabbed me by my waist and dragged me away leaving Jacopo behind us. ,,You don't want to have any conversation with my uncle right now...or ever...alone,'' he whispered as we entered his room. ,,I need to know,'' I sighed. ,,You can stay calm. I already asked my uncle about the servant. He said she was sent to the tailor workshop in Roma,'' he smiled at me. ,,Really?? Why don't the other servants know??'' I asked suspiciously. ,,It was kind of a last minute idea,'' he said as he continued packing his stuff. 

,,We're ready to go,'' he said after a few minutes, stood up, walked to me, kissed my forehead and grabbed my hand. We walked to the main door and waited for two men to open it for us. Right behind the door was a horse carriage waiting for us. Francesco helped me to get in and then Guglielmo stepped to him. ,,I really hope you'll enjoy every moment,'' he smiled at Francesco, embraced him and patted his back. ,,You know what to do when you get any information about the Pope's thing. Just send a messenger right away and we will get back as soon as possible,'' Francesco gave his instructions to Guglielmo and then entered the carriage. ,,How far are we going??'' I asked immediately. ,,Not that far,'' he smiled at me and put his hand on mine. 

After an hour of driving and watching a beautiful scenery outside our carriage stopped. ,,We are here,'' Francesco annouced and stepped out as one of the servants opened the carriage's door. He then reached his hand to me to help me get out of it as well. I looked around and couldn't believe my eyes. All the beauty that was surrounding us. The beautiful smell of all these flowers and trees. ,,Are we in heaven??'' I giggled. ,,With you, there is always a piece of heaven, everywhere we go.''

We spent the rest of the day with Francesco all alone in this beautiful garden just behind the small villa of the Pazzi family. We talked about everything and anything for hours that felt like days. We kept remembering things from our childhood and we kept laughing and laughing. The moon was already above us and we were still lying there in the grass next to each other with our arms under our heads. ,,I would give anything to have you in my life the whole time. But even when we lost so much time...these days I feel like you had always been here. And I feel happy for the first time in such a long time,'' Francesco said, turned to me and rested his head on his arm so he was looking at me. ,,I feel the same Francesco,'' I smiled and turned to him as well. ,,I need to ask you something Sorella. I wanted to ask you since the first moment but I think this is just the right time,'' he stopped and my heart started beating really fast. ,,Will you...will you be my wife Sorella??'' 

,,Yes.''