Fearless Francesca

Chapter Thirteen - Portrait of Annabelle

1517 February, Kitchen

The weather had grown warm and by now, the bump on her stomach was too hard to hide. She did her best to conceal everything. The Old Maid Caterina however took notice to the swelling of Annabelle’s stomach.

“You are a fool.” The Old Maid spat as she looked at her stomach.

“Call me whatever you please you old bat but as soon as this child is brought to the world, everything will be wonderful.” She gushed happily.

“That should never happen.” The Old Maid said.

“It will.” She jeered back.

“That child is a sin to what you have done.” The Old Maid fumed.

“A creation from our love.” She said with a smile.

That night before the arrival of the doctor, she bathed herself. Annabelle washed her body with soaps and lathered herself with sweet scents. She rested her back on the door until it was swung open to her dismay. She stood face to face with the Old Maid Caterina. Before she could process what was happening, a loud thick rod was slapped across her body. She cried out in pain as she collapsed on the ground.

“What are you doing?” She hissed.

“I am sorry Annabelle but you can not ruin this household for your own selfishness. That child should not exist. Forgive me my lord.” The old woman said as she muttered quiet prayers.

The thick rod marred Annabelles body as she fell on the floor with a crushing impact. She screamed but her energy was soon lost. Her body felt ready to burst and as she got herself up she slammed the door shut. But to her widening eyes she looked down below. Her legs were trickling with oozing red blood.

She screamed as her water broke and her body felt crushed with an unbearable pain. It lasted for so long as she held the contractions on her own. The fetus that had developed inside of her slowly slid out. Covered in blood and muck. She did her best to cut the cord down with her comb.

She grasped for it while hugging it to her chest. It was four months too early but it was alive.

It was a son.

She rejoiced. But it didn’t last long. Within minutes, the baby stopped breathing. The mesmerizing golden eyes shut close forever and his matted blond hair lied limp. She cried and screamed for help as she passed onto the floor in darkness. Her arms grasping the bloody corpse of what remained, her son.

Annabelle awoke, crying as she imagined the nightmare she had just dreamt. But to her hysteria, the doctor sat on his chair in front of her bed. Giovanni was besides him and she looked down at her stomach.

“I am sorry, but you lost the child.” The physician said with a shake of his head.

“No!” She screamed, “Give me my son, my son! He is alive!”

The doctor shook his head sadly.

Giovanni looked at her coldly, “it’s dead. We are finished. Good night Annabelle.” And then he was off.

Annabelle grasped for the physician but he managed to escape. Like always, she was shunned in the darkness alone with nothing. She refused to accept the truth as she stripped down into nothingness. Her breasts were still heavy but her stomach. It was empty. The blood had dried from her legs and served as a memory to that night’s events. She sobbed and wept. She had nothing now. She cupped her stomach as she caressed it, crying for her child that she had lost so fatefully.
 

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Annabelle did not fair well for next few days as she mournfully hummed to her stomach. The other servants looked at her, whispering among themselves at such a shameful waste of a girl.

She had come to the Medici household at such a young age and the memory remained fresh in her head. She had been taught as a common maid. Her mother and father had sold her off in need for money. Since the age of six, she lived in the Medici household.

She was only twelve at the time when she met Giovanni who was twenty three. He was beyond handsome but looked at her like a child. She had purposely cut her dresses into plunging necklines that revealed buds of breasts. She fattened herself to fill in the weight of her chest. She constantly followed Giovanni wherever he went to obtain his attention. He didn’t even take a second glance but she was determined. She had sworn her heart to his and fallen head over heels with him.

When she was thirteen, she had finally had her first bleeding. She couldn’t contain her happiness at the sight. She was finally a woman and could be of equal worth to Giovanni. Within months, she grew in height as her frame became petite. Her bosom grew in size and she flaunted herself in front of him countless times. At first he had been uninterested until she caught him like a fish when she had served him many glasses of alcohol. He had touched her than like a woman she wanted to be.

It had hurt her at first when he kissed her all over. But she grew accustomed to such pleasurable pain. From then on, she did her best to pursue him and he began to eagerly bed her. She was made for him, made for him to relieve his desires. When news of his engagement was heard, it shattered her completely. However it was postponed a year later and it was enough time for her to plan.

She had hoped the child would have brought him to her completely but it no longer existed. She was just an empty shell. She craved for his attention that was now gone.

That evening as she was about to enter the chambers of her lover, her own eyes widened. Giovanni had lain with his wife who he was kissing so gently. He tenderly touched her while she reciprocated his touches with her own.

Annabelle walked away onto the streets. Her feet forced her to wander into the dark districts that Giovanni had once so often visited. She watched the men appear with women. The noises that escaped the perimeter tortured her. The old crone looked at her, smiling.

“Why are you so sad dear?” She said as she touched Annabelle’s hair.

“I’ve lost my child.” She responded miserably, “I want my son, my son.” She murmured as tears fell down her face.

The old crone laughed, “I can give you back a son.”

Annabelle stopped sniffling and looked at the woman. “You can?”

“Yes, tell me, what did he look like?” She asked gingerly as she beckoned her to come closer to the brothel.

“Beautiful blond hair and glistening brown eyes.” She replied as if in a trance.

“I can give you that dear. All you have to do is come.”

Annabelle willingly followed and entered the brothel as her eyes widened at the variety of men present. Some youthful, others old.

“You see that man? Pleasure him and you will have your son.” The old crone said with a cackle.

Her finger pointed toward a man who was of the same height as Giovanni with lighter hair but startling hazel eyes. Annabelle walked to him and the man smiled. He picked her up and brought her forth to one of the chambers.

Her vision slowly clouded as Giovanni came into form. She cried out loud as the man roughly stripped her down naked and pressed his body against hers. It was Giovanni; it had to be as her mind continually told her. She sucked in her breath as the man advanced even further into her realm.

She woke up the next morning alone with a bunch of other women.

“Hurry up new girl.” One said.

“I am not new, I need to go home.” Annabelle said as she looked down at her bare image. She choked up as the fluids started piling up inside her throat. It was the same as the first time. The old crone had been right about her promise. She quickly got up and dressed her dirtied gown. And then she proceeded to run.

“Madam! She’s escaping.” One of the girls called.

“Let her, she earned me a pretty sum yesterday.”

Annabelle returned to her home as she threw up again. The same sensation of her first pregnancy had changed her whole body. She saw feet come into focus. She looked up to see Giovanni with Francesca.

“Get out of sight you whore.” He spat and then he walked away with his wife.

“I have another child, I have another child.” She sobbed.

A/N: Violence is the answer to everything xD No jkjk, ta da. Ikr, like the hell, why did Caterina do what she did? :p so many things to explain and you'll all see why soon! Annabelle is the most psychotic kind of character I've ever written and I honestly enjoy it so much, like wow. Anyways, sorry for the extremely slow updates. I've been so busy that I can't do anything besides spend a few times checking up on other peoples updates and reading that. D: so sorry, I'll try to get things done soon. I'll have maybe two more chapters? This story will come to a close soon ;-; and I'm sad because I don't want to part with it but ... oh well, life. Anyways, comment, vote, whatever else you feel like doing, like ya. DO IT 8D cya lovely people soon! (hopefully ;;)