The Art of Power and Love ( A Medici Masters of Florence the Magnificent fanfic)

Chapter 20

Giuliano was coming from a tavern, when Ginevra approached him.
"Are you joining the supper?" She asked after questions about how he enjoyed his day.
"What supper again?" He asked confused.
"With the Pazzi".
He laughed "The last supper. Must I?".
"Do you have other plans? Or you need some rest to recover? It seems you can barely walk" she offered her shoulder to help him.
"No, I need your help to evade" he whispered into her ear "I don't want to get bored with the Pazzi, I can use my time in a better way".
"How?".
"Help me meet Fioretta" he replied with no hesitation.
"Again? Giuliano, do you understand how dangerous it is for both of you?".
"I know but I turn more dangerous if I stay away from her. Will you help me?".
She tried to hide that she was more than happy to help him.
Knowing he would have been busy all night out of the palace, she sighed with relief, but now she had to face the supper with the Pazzi.
She had insisted to be one of the servants at the tables as an excuse to stay around Lorenzo and watching over him. While Giacomo was patrolling near the doors.
The guests were first checked by the guards, then welcomed with all the honors and a luxurious and expensive supper.
Ginevra scanned them carefully. Jacopo was fully self confident, he didn't look impressed by all the ostentation of richness.
His nephew Francesco looked more amazed and giving attention to details. Until his eyes crossed Ginevra's ones.
She hurried to look away and focus again on the tables, but soon the young Pazzi approached her.
"Hey" he said with a friendly tone.
"Messere" she greeted keeping her head low.
"You can call me Francesco. Where's your seat, beauty?".
"I'm not..." she mumbled, fearing that they were atrracting the attention of the other guests, but what was making her panic was the fact that he remembered her also after years.
"Ginevra is your name right? I hoped to meet you again. You know, I never forgot about you. And if my family had you, you definitely would not be a servant".
She gaped in surprise. Shocked that he still remembered her name, confused by his nice but provocative comment.
"I'm sorry, sir".
"Don't be sorry, beautiful. I'm sure your blind master will agree to let you join my house" he leaned closer to her, whisperng to her ear "You will never serve again, I can assure you".
She held her breath, paralized, and she noticed that Lorenzo and Jacopo were shooting them unreadable glances. Francesco joimed them and shook Lorenzo's hand with a wide smile and flattering words.
Someone elbowed Ginevra and she forced herself out of the shock, getting busy again with her duties.
The supper proceeded smoothly.
Lorenzo and the Pazzi talked a lot about politics and business. They looked like old best friends.
But Ginevra couldn't forget Giacomo's words and proofs about the conspiracy and felt disgusted in front of that play.
Plus the young Pazzi kept shooting to her glances that made clear his interest.
She noticed his uncle gesturing to her and she hurried to change his plate, feeling a rising tension between an irritated Lorenzo, the infatuated Francesco and Jacopo, who looked the calmest of all.
But when he helped her piling the plates, he let something fall to the floor, making a clear sound.
"I'm sorry, sir" she hurried to say although it wasn't her fault.
Ginevra ducked to pick the fork and the corner of her eyes caught a sparkle at the side of the eldest Pazzi.
A dagger.
The girl held her breath and stood up keeping her face expressionless, asking the permission to leave for getting a clean fork.
She forced herself to act like her eyes didn't see anything unusual, but she couldn't see that Jacopo's eyes were following her, knowing what she knew.
She knew she had to stay and warn Lorenzo, but she needed to clear her mind. Jacopo was so close to his prey. He could stab him in the blink of an eye. She knew it was all a play and the Pazzi were good actors.
She stepped out of the hall too quickly and left the plates to some random servant. She needed to find Giacomo but she wasn't even able to speak and ask where he was.
If she had looked back she would have noticed Jacopo Pazzi following her. Instead she suddenly felt a hand grabbing her wrist and pulling her to a dark corner.
Before she could complain she felt something sharp touching her throat.
"Is this what you saw?" Jacopo hissed pointing the tip to her neck, cornering her until she could only see him or the walls.
She froze, her eyes widening at the sight of the dagger menacing her.
"A nice work of art, isn't it? And very sharp. Would you like to try it?".
"No, messere" she whispered breathlessly.
"Then we have to make a deal. You keep your lovely mouth shut and no harm will come to you" he removed the dagger and hid it back under his clothes.
She stared into his eyes. He looked calm as usual, but she could see he was cunning and someone who liked having everything under control.
"You know what my father used to say? Always keep a dagger close to you and you can enjoy the day" he said in a friendly way "In his youth he was once attacked by drunk peasants and only his dagger allowed him to survive".
Ginevra thought back to all the bad things that Andrea Pazzi did to the Medici family: killing Cosimo's younger brother, killing members of the Signoria, doing everything to replace the Medici as bankers of the Pope and as the most powerful family of Florence. And the version of the attack she knew was that Andrea Pazzi was stabbed by him own dagger and his future wife found him abandoned in a narrow street bleeding to death.
Jacopo realized that she didn't react, so he stepped back and placed a hand on her shoulder to pull her to a corridor.
"This is really a lovely night. You should enjoy it too" he touched her face making she wince "You're really beautiful. You must be more than a servant".
"Instead I'm just a servant" she mumbled checking around her to dind someone who could help her, but all the servants were walking fast and focusing in the dinner "If you excuse me now..."
"No, I can't let you go" he raised an arm to stop her "Ginevra, right? You must miss your family, don't you?".
She glanced at him confused, then replied with pride "This is my family now".
"Of course it is. Isn't this why they adopted you? But the question is..." He stepped closer and whispered to her ear "Why didn't they also adopt your poor old father?".
She stepped back scowling at him "Don't you dare mention my father".
"Why not?" he scoffed at her "Do you think he's proud of you now for how you abandoned him? Old, weak, and abandoned by his only daughter. I'm surprised that the magnificent Lorenzo didn't insist to let you take care of him. Or are you so good at entertaining him that he forgot about it?".
She felt tears tickling her eyes, no matter how hard she was trying to keep her reactions under control. His words hurt her deeper than anyone ever did.
"What is it that you want, messere?" She hissed feeling the frustration and the anger boiling into her, but he was the one wo was holding the dagger, not her.
"Nothing. I'm just curious. And if you're so kind, can you follow me and help me bring a special gift for your master?".
She hesitated, but wasn't in the position to say no to a guest of her masters who just menaced her, seemed to know her too much and mentioned a gift for Lorenzo.
"Poor old Andrea" he commented while they were reaching the courtyard "I thought the Medici cared for the real artists, how is it that instead the old man got forgotten and lost into a small village? He barely recognized Florence when we brought him back. He's impatient to see his daughter again, after so many years. If you will support me and my family, you'll be allowed to reunite with him and have a better life".
Ginevra felt her head spinning. She feared she could faint. Jacopo looked tranquil but he knew he centered her weakness.
"Are you blackmailing me? What a sick game is this?" She said with disgust.
"This is just business, my princess. Be a good girl and support me and you'll be a real princess".
He reached his carriage, instructing his servants, who brought out a wooden box. He kindly asked Ginevra to help carrying it to the supper hall.
The box was heavy but she had no idea of what could be inside. Nothing good, she was sure of that.
She glanced at the other servant who was carrying it on the other side, but he didn't look troubled at all. He was checked by the guards but no weapons were found on him. Ginevra wondered how Jacopo had been able to hide the dagger to them.
Jacopo stepped back into the hall making a scene and presenting his gift.
"Your servant is so kind she agreed to help me carrying it inside" Jacopo smiled at Ginevra, who instead noticed Francesco's smirk and Lorenzo's frown since Jacopo called her servant.
The servant of the Pazzi opened the box and revealed a bottle of dark wine.
"The best year ever. It's the best wine you can ever taste" Jacopo claimed "Can't your brother join us for at least one toast? He doesn't know what he's missing".
That was the alarm bell that rang into Ginevra's mind. Only one word risked to slip out of her lips.
Poison.
That was poison.
Jacopo sat back next to Lorenzo while his servant cared to pour the dark liquid into the masters' glasses.
"I'll drink it for him too" Lorenzo replied with a forced grin "He already drinks too much and it would take to long to wake him up and making himself presentable. And I don't wanna wait".
Jacopo laughed making his glass ring agains Lorenzo's "You clever boy. Cheers!".
Ginevra started panicking. Nobody was realizing what was happening and she didn't know how to stop it. She had to tell about the dagger, the conspiracy. She had to ruin that fake happy supper.
She stepped closer to Lorenzo, ignoring the glances that she was attracting, and whispered to him "You shouldn't drink it".
Lorenzo turned to look at her with a questioning look "Excuse me?".
"You heard me" she said coldly, adding too late "Messere".
"Why not?" He huffed while all the attention was gathered on the two of them.
She turned red and her eyes turned teary again, but she knew what she wanted. She couldn't let Lorenzo fall into the trap, although it was humiliating.
"You should let someone taste it for you first, sir" she suggested trying to look innocent, but the crime was made. Offence to the guests.
"I wouldn't dare to poison anyone" Jacopo claimed loudly "That bottle was sealed since the old year when this wine was made. You saw it with your own eyes".
Lorenzo sighed heavily "Ginevra, I appreciate your worry, but this is too much. Just relax".
He made the liquid turn into the glass. She felt nauseated like she was watching his own blood swirling in front of her. Then he brought it to his lips.
"Lorenzo, please!" she insisted.
Pazzi's stare was unbearable, but she couldn't simply allow him to poison Lorenzo so easily.
She was at the center of attention now, her behaviour was dishonoring the laws of hospitality, but she repeated into her mind that she was ready to sacrifice everything for her masters' safety.
Fast she took the cup from his hand making him gasp and took a fast sip, swallowing the warm wine and waiting for some effects.
Lorenzo stared at her a bit concerned, but as soon as he realized there were no effects, he drank from the same cup.
Jacopo laughed nodding to the other guests to join the drinking "What a smart servant. But I agree with you. It worthed tasting such a good wine, am I wrong?".
Ginevra waited for death to catch her or anyone else, but nothing happened. And the Pazzi drank the same liquid too.
She just waited until the supper was over, feeling numb. She was the one who fell into Pazzi's trap and overreacted.
They and Lorenzo stood up at the same time, shaking hands and flattering compliments.
"Don't be angry to your lovely servant" Jacopo added nodding to Ginevra who stood frozen in a corner "You're lucky to have such a loyal person by your side".
"I'm not angry" Lorenzo replied without glancing at her. He didn't look at her since she humiliated him in front of everyone.
"How much do you want for her? I see you have many servants here. Ours are not so skilled and we'd really like to have someone like her" Jacopo said in a very cheeky way. His nephew Francesco immediately supported his question with too much entusiasm.
Ginevra with dread could only watch and wait to hear her destiny. It wasn't polite to refuse a request from guests, specially after they made a show with a gift that was appreciated from everyone. And probably Lorenzo was angry enough to want her leave once and for all.
"She's not on sale" Lorenzo replied instead "I'm sorry. She's...".
"She's special. I realized it" Jacopo sent a wide smile to her "Never mind. Thanks again for this interesting night. See you tomorrow".
Francesco didn't hide his disappointment, but just followed his uncle.
Lorenzo walked them to their carriage, then stepped straight into his rooms.
Ginevra helped cleaning, but soon she had to leave and stay alone to let her emotions out of her tired and shaking body.
When she spotted Giacomo, she ran to him crying "Help!".
He pulled her into a hidden corner and hugged her "What happened? I saw you were with Pazzi".
"I've never felt so humiliated. And so scared".
"It's alright. It's not your fault. I had to check their other servants, to be sure they were not leaving traps around the palace".
She told him about the dagger and the menace, but she was more worried about Lorenzo hating her for her behaviour.
She never disappointed him and she never acted so recklessly in public to make him that embarassed.
"He will forgive you. You did it for him. Now we should worry for tomorrow, since again the Pazzi will be around him".
A guard interrupted them, telling Ginevra that Lorenzo was asking about her.
"It'll be alright" Giacomo tried to make her positive "He won't bite you. Don't be scared".
But when she stepped into Lorenzo's room he was red in anger.
"What the hell were you doing?".
"I'm sorry" she mumbled.
"Don't you dare humiliating me again".
"I was trying to save your life. That's my only purpose".
"Nobody would dare to poison me so openly, in my house. They had the same wine into their glasses. You overstepped, Ginevra. Nobody is allowed to do what you've done tonight, not even my mother. If you were anyone else I would order you to leave. But you know my affection for you. Just don't do it again".
"I got it, sir" she whispered.
"And don't call me sir. You can go. We both need some sleep. We have another hard day ahead. And it's Easter. So I don't want that what happened tonight ruin the celebrations. We just forget about it and move on, alright?".
She glanced at him and simply said "Thank you, Lorenzo".
He nodded, then added softly "I had been scared for a moment, when you drank that wine for me. I don't deserve to have your life on my conscience".
"As I didn't when you saved me years ago" she recalled before leaving.