widowed willow

lucrezia’s first wedding was hardly something to be trifled with in the eyes of the rest of the continent. sure, she was a princess, but she was marrying the head of a minor ( at least compared to the medicis ) florentine banking family. he had no noble blood — just a lot of money. her second wedding, however, seemed to stir the continent from its war-filled sorrows. the successor of the man who had placed italy in the hands of the norwegian empire was marrying the leader of the resistance? most people were surprised to hear of their genuine interest in each other; the act of resistance was almost too perfect.

she also ensured that the heads of the other kingdoms that had been conquered were invited. more so, she ensured that they would arrive and attend the wedding. when she heard that the swedish delegation was pulling into the port, she wanted to be there to welcome them.

as the swedish princess descended from the ship, lucrezia offered a friendly smile. “welcome, your highness, to italy. i hope your journey from sweden fared well. if i must be honest, i am very honored that would be a guest at my wedding.”

The next morning, when he woke up, it felt like the world was different. Waking up for Lorenzo was never hard, it always felt like a shock that the world was going on and him falling asleep was more like falling into a coma. There was always a reminder that the war was going on and there were battles to be won and agreements to be made. But with Lucrezia`s arrival, a change was coming. One great change, for Italy and for him. Suddenly he did not know what mattered more. But both his heart and his head were content. The agreement between the Queen and the Rebel felt like a logical thing and his heart was suddenly younger by 20 years. Surely, he was slowly but steadily falling in love.  A quick splash of water on his face, he spent his morning by doing state things. He checked the bills, talked to two farmers and arranged two of his group of fighters to destroy the new convoys of Norwegian soldiers. There were still bribes to be done to set free the captured fighters and business to be made with French, but things went fast and he could keep his word about taking his future wife on a tour of the city that he hoped they would rule together.  Her staying in another part of his castle, did not take him long and he knocked on her heavy door in anticipation. Lorenzo did not doubt that she would forget about their little arrangement but he could only imagine the head of state could be busy at any time of the day. He prepared himself for patience and when the door open he quickly scanned the room, whether it was perfectly prepared as he had instructed. ‘My Queen’ he bowed ‘may I take you for a tour?’ The weather was just splendid, summer was already here, but the sun was yet to be terribly hot and he only prayed she`d say yes because the red sky and fresh air would make the things perfectly romantic. 

even with the world at war around them, when she woke up, life simply felt wonderful. even her maids, surprised that they were to stay in naples for a week ( they didn’t even expect to stay a night, much less an entire week ), noticed that their queen had a slight bounce in her step, and a grin on her face. everything seemed to be falling into place. 

lucrezia received her breakfast in bed, attending to army reports and various inventories. as grueling as the numbers were, she took them with glee, like the blissful bride she was to be. it was then that she decided to write a letter to robbie. they had agreed not to contact each other while he was away, mostly for his safety but also so that he could fully cut ties with the throne that he had abdicated. she tried to ensure him that they could still keep in touch while he was away, but that required an intricate network of spies and messengers to which only a vittoria was privy. and that was the entire problem. but, with the news of her marriage, she would rather pay loads of florins to mercenaries to deliver this one letter. for she would rather have robbie hear it from her before he could hear it by word of mouth, wherever he was.

she sealed the letter carefully, then got up to get ready for the day. she dressed in a light blue gown that perhaps exposed a little more than she should have. ( she innocently used the excuse that it was a hot day, and that she expected to be outside and didn’t want to be uncomfortable during their tour. ) her maids were still brushing her hair at his knock.

“oh, darling,” she said, turning away from the looking glass and towards him. “you needn’t be so formal.” she motioned to her maids as they stepped back. she took hold of her parasol and her purse before approaching him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “i was hoping you didn’t forget about my little request. i suppose it’s no longer that so much an indulgence of my curiosity than a tour of my future home. our future home.”

a letter from her majesty, queen lucrezia vittoria of italy addressed to @buonoroberto​

Talking about their children eased the situation. It was lovely to dwell on the family life rather than on the situation that their country was in. Perhaps they were lucky to planning a wedding in those times of war. Their marriage would not be as frowned upon as if the times were peaceful. The main thing was he was an Italian patriot, ready to sacrifice his life and known for it. She was the queen that proved herself true to her country, brave, intelligent and unafraid to show her stance. After all, Orsini had never proclaimed love to Norwegians. The reason he had survived so long without being killed was because that part of Italy was rather useful to … everyone including the Norwegian brutes. They were rich in food. 

But talking about their children also reminded him of the reality. This was not going to be easy on the personal level. She was young, far younger and yet she had already lived her life. Lorenzo was far from the romantic prince charming and yet hearing her speak of her husband, whose daughter so resembled him, he could not unhear the heartbroken tone of her voice. She loved him and as strange as that was at that moment, he was a bit jealous. Jealous? How pathetic. He was jealous of the dead man. He was jealous of the love that he had. Will he even have her heart? Their marriage was practical but he could not stop himself from wanting more. There was part of him that was hard to fight and it screamed he simply wanted more. 

“You must be a wonderful mother and by this marriage our families will be tight together. Our children are lucky to have such a big and lovely family. I can imagine only how loud the household is going to get. “ He chuckled, already imagining the family bliss. There was a lot to be done and Lorenzo was always itchy to do more but he also knew how to enjoy la joie de vivre. 

“Have you already thought where and when would you like to get married?” He asked, though he did not expect her to know the immediate answer, though the question was just there hanging in the air. Plans were plans but he was ready to do the deed. 

lucrezia couldn’t help but feel even the slightest bit silly ( and perhaps giddy ) at the idea of marrying again. even if their marriage was political in a way. once she had first heard of the resistance, surviving the war seemed almost impossible. how could she win with norway and naples wanting her to be dethroned? but now survival seemed inevitable — they were talking about children after all. of course, they were talking about their children from their previous marriages, but the idea that seemed to linger in the air was the possibility of bringing another child into the world, together. after all, she was still only twenty-four.

at the same time, part of her shamed herself for betraying ronaldo, the marble of his tomb still freshly cut. though their vows only bound them until death did them part, to marry another man felt like some kind of betrayal. but she had to keep pushing that idea out of her mind. this marriage meant survival — not only for her or for him. but for italy. if they were to make their aspirations come true, of separating from the norwegian empire and changing italy for all italians, they had to do it together. she wondered briefly if he felt the same way about his late wife though he hadn’t mentioned her. it was simply the way the flowers were arranged and where the paintings were placed, even in this dining room. it had a woman’s touch.

“i shall do my best to be a good mother, even to my stepson who is just as old as me,” she laughed, still wrapping her mind around the idea. if she wasn’t queen it would definitely be cause for a minor scandal. “after living in a family that was constantly separated from each other—” she thought of how she and robbie were always separated when they were younger, and just when their lives intersected, they were pulled away again, seemingly indefinitely. “i would love nothing more than a rambunctious household.”

she smiled at his question. “eager, are we? we’ve hardly been engaged an hour and all the details are already in place?” she thought for a moment. “well, let’s not fuss too much about it. if i am to move my capital here, then we should get married here. as for the when,” she leaned forward. before she pressed a kiss to his lips she whispered, “the groom can decide that.”

He was thankful that she did not want to participate in small talk. So following suit he got straight to the point. “I wanted to see the new ruler of Italy myself. I wanted to make sure that the arrangements that were previously made are to be held. Or if new arrangements need to be made” He opened his hands while he talked, being inviting. “I want to know what can Norway and Italy do to move everything forward for the betterment of the people”

“well, here i am, your majesty. take a good look,” she jested, making sure to hold her head up high. even from a slight distance he towered over her. her fur cloak almost enveloped her, hiding her skinny, womanly frame. “i see you have already braced yourself for a diversion from my brother’s agreement. and, since we are getting straight to the point, that is quite exactly what i am here to propose. i believe that italy’s separation from the empire is all that needs to move forward. for the betterment of the people, as you say.”

When she arrived, she was no one else but a Vittoria, the queen, an establishment he wanted to demolish and within hours he became not only her ally, friend but also a husband to be. Somehow, that young woman in front of her (almost a girl) showed him her strength and he wanted to protect her. No, no, don´t destroy her. He could not let her speak so frankly to anyone but him, he did not want anyone to see her nothing less but a strong and capable leader. He was sure she was going to show them. But not only that, he looked into her big green eyes, her beautiful soft hair, her almost fragile body, her long fingers and he knew there was something more about her than just a queen, she was a beautiful woman. That sealed the deal for him. Perhaps he wanted to protect her, be a part of the change that was surely coming but he also wanted her … in his bed, he wanted to feel her skin, her kisses, he wanted to fell asleep next to her and wake up next to her. Like an old fool. Funny how God had his own plans.

He squeezed her hand and let his mind imagine all the possible scenarios how Italy should be better. It did not take him long. He had already imagined them so many times. He knew he would have to fight for his ideas, perhaps there would be days they would disagree and they would slam doors and they would not speak to each other, but weirdly he could not wait for that. He was never the one to like women who were brought up to be silent and obeying. His first wife, dear Alice (let her soul rest in peace) and his daughters were not like that and he was glad his future wife wasn´t.

Children, the topic all parents (or the good parents?) liked to talk about. His eyes lightened up when she asked him about his children. He was ready to boast. “Oh well” but he started with a shy smile. “Aitano is the oldest and he is married, has two sons and he is often at home because he knows it annoys me. He is twenty-two. I´d say you´ll have lots in common.” He laughed.  “Battista is twenty, a bit of an intellectual, lives in Milan, naive and an idealist but a supporter of the Resistance. Married and with two sons as well. He is nice, gentle I would even say. Takes after his mother. My other son is named Cornelio, you see we went alphabetically. Somehow we thought that would be funny” he laughed another time “He is married as well and lives in Naples, though his wife is from Sicily. He is seventeen and is this tall, lanky thing. My oldest daughter, the one that will live with us, she is 12 and her name is Daria, she is a bit of a principessa, but she´ll get used to the idea of not being the woman of the house. My son Ezio is ten and he is shy and charming and no trouble at all and then my youngest Fiammetta, my little flame. She is a handful but a chirpy little thing, loves new people, loves to dance and laugh as if she had absorbed all her mother´s joy. I think she´ll instantly love you.” he smiled and touched her hand. Though he was worried about Daria who will surely make a bit of a drama out of her new mother and sisters but will get over her sulk and if she won´t, well Lorenzo was not that type of father you would like to cross and setting boundaries was no problem. He loved his children but he despised brats.  He wondered whether they would have any children together. ‘What are your girls like?’

were they being too hasty? was it fate? or were their circumstances too suspiciously convenient that they had no choice but to join in holy matrimony? regardless, there was hardly turning back now. of course, they hadn’t exactly changed vows, only engaged themselves to each other. to move forward, they needed each other. her mind was easily made up — she would marry this man. her heart would catch up sooner or later. her body, on the other hand, might have beaten her heart to the punch. his presence simultaneously comforted her and excited her. when he looked at her, not only did she feel like a queen — powerful and divine — she felt like a woman, filled with a carnal desire she’d hardly known before. but now was not the time to act on those desires; that would come in due time.

she listened intently as he described his children. she had hardly realized that he had so many; some even had children of their own. his eldest was only two years younger than her. the idea of having a stepson that theoretically could also be her husband made her nervous. age gaps between bride and groom were hardly taboo, but this was something entirely new. she wondered how aitano would take it — would he hate her? would they get along because of their common interests, like he said? “from their descriptions alone your children sound absolutely charming,” she hummed, excited ( but also nervous ) to meet them. “perhaps because they take after their father,” she teased softly. “i promise to cherish them as if they were my own.”

“my children, oh dear, are the lights of my life. where do i even begin? i suppose with my eldest, contessina. she’s only ten years old, but she acts like a grown woman more and more as each day passes. she’s not the complete lady quite yet; in fact i think she enjoys riding horses and archery much more than her lessons and embroidery. i see quite a bit of my younger self in her,” she laughed. “my next girl is maddalena. she’s only seven, but she talks as though she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. i have never met a more kind and compassionate person than her — and i have met the pope! although, to be frank, that hardly proves much.” she joked. “my youngest, serafina, is three. she is my angel; she seemed to be the only child who inherited all of my late husband’s features. my largest regret is that she’ll never know that man. not entirely, at least. i hope that you might be a father to her. you’ve clearly had a lot of practice,” she jested, reaching hold his hand in hers.

lucrezia couldn’t bear to sit around and watch her country dissolve into a conglomerate because of a power-hungry man. she could hardly believe that any of the countries considered to be part of the norwegian empire wanted to be there. that’s when she decided to personally pay a visit to the other leaders. if she were to be a leader of the resistance, she needed to show the other leaders that she was serious.

bordering milan, it was surprising that she’d never been to austria before. then again she’d hardly travelled outside of italy before now. she’d never heard much about the austrian king, only that he was quite genial. but she wondered how well a young, inexperienced queen could convince an older, experienced king to join the resistance against norway. it was worth a shot.

“your majesty,” she greeted as she was presented, curtsying so low her knee was practically on the floor. “i apologize that we must meet under these circumstances.”

It was strange. So quickly was his life changing. Some hours ago he was a widower, now his children could expect a mother coming back home and not just any mother but the Queen of Italy herself. He wasn´t planning it and so it felt even more charming. How very little he knew about her but the future for once, was promising. As if he needed even more reasons to fight for freedom. He could not wait for peace, not only because of chivalrous reasons but also because he could not wait to spend the time with his beautiful young wife. 

He was sure there were many things going on in her head as there were in his. Some were rather intimate while others were nothing short of pragmatic. How were they going to rule this country? Was he going to be “just” a consort or was he going to be a King with all powers. “Well, for now we have to concentrate on war and then, we can concentrate on how to ease the burden. How to …” he still wanted to change the society, he still wanted the parliament but this was going to be a long run and he knew it “make things work. How to make most of our ideas come true.” Sure, he was glad to hear a certain hint that she did not want to rule alone but he was not getting his hopes too high. Perhaps for once in his life, he did not want to sound like a manipulative prick.  ‘Should we tell our families?’ He still had three children that were living with him, so that made things a bit harder for that matter. Not that they had any say in who he was going to marry or what he was doing but still. 

it was funny to think that, when she arrived at the palazzo, she was but a widower. but when she would leave in a week’s time, she would be engaged to marry again. ( perhaps she could be convinced to lengthen her stay a bit; if she were to decline it would only be because of the war. truthfully, she wished she could stay to get to know him more. perhaps have a picnic on the beach, maybe even go and see the countryside. but there’s hardly time for luxuries in a time of war. ) 

in her mind, she believed that the divine right to rule italy was granted solely to her. but she saw how queen consorts were pushed to the side to churn out children until their wombs were raw. now that the roles were reversed, she didn’t want to him to be pushed to the side. besides, he was handsome, but it was his genuine concern for italy and sharp mind that attracted her the most. a queen with all the odds stacked against her needed someone at her side. “yes, the war. we must focus on getting our italy back from the grips of the norwegians. then we can change her for the better,” she replied, smiling up to him.

“i think we should,” she said with a chuckle. “they’d be bound to figure it out once they saw us leaving the church.” she wondered how her own children would react. maddalena and serafina were too young to completely remember their father, but all three of them ( especially contessina ) would know that this man is not him. would they resent her for marrying again? lucrezia was still young; some would say she was still in her prime. “now tell me, what are my future step-sons and daughters like? i would hope that they like me. or else i suppose i could accuse them of treason,” she said jokingly.

He broke their kiss with a little laugh. It was sweet, sweet how she tenderly kissed him, sweet that someone who he had considered an enemy simply because history dictated him to was now in his arms. When she said his name he looked into her eyes, so green like a forest. ‘So, will you marry me?’ There were many things he should have been afraid of but somehow marrying her was not one of them. He knew her what, a day barely? And yet he knew he would grow to love, admire and even adore this woman. He could already see she would be a challenge and he even hoped she would. So one of her biggest enemies was now turning into one of her biggest supporters. 

‘We will drive those Norwegians from our country and YOU will rule as the rightful queen.’ He kissed her hand and with a bow showed her his respect. Lorenzo was ambitious, for Naples, for his part but somehow it came to him that perhaps meddle into her politics too much would simply drive her away. He had his ideas and he was excited to finally have someone who he could passionately work on them but there was no need to hurry. ‘I have never really dreamt about marrying again, to be honest, but now it seems like the most logical things in the world.’ 

her fingers brushed over the hair at the nape of his neck as she gazed back into his eyes. how silly she must’ve looked: a queen regnant with her arms thrown over a man who had proclaimed his hatred for her up until the very moment the met. all at the same time, it felt . . . right. “i will,” she whispered, for once completely feeling entirely sure of herself. he was someone that believed in her enough to both support her and challenge her to make her better. there were places where they fundamentally disagreed; however, there was always room for debate when the future of her kingdom was involved. as long as they supported each other and supported italy, all was just in the world in her eyes.

as he spoke, she wondered if he would expect her to be much of a wife. their attraction was obvious, so that part would happen naturally. but she wondered if he expected her to run a household from the campgrounds at the battle front. she wondered if there was a part of him that expected a wifely obedience from her. from the way he spoke, she didn’t suspect that, but she’d known him, what, barely a day? this engagement was quite a gamble, but she had every hope that it would be for the best. but she pushed those ideas out of her head, and focused one thing: they were going to bring back the italy they were proud of, together. “i must admit i feel the same way. the thought alone of ruling the country all by myself now seems completely absurd to me.”

Halvdan as always made sure to make his rounds to his surrendered nations. Italy was one that he wanted to keep a close tab on. They had a new queen, a queen had had not initally made his arrangements with. In a way to resolve this, he figured that himself and Lucrezia should have a moment to speak on their own. 

When she finally arrived, he sighed not entirely thralled with her greeting. “All I could hear as I traveled first to Italy was the amazing smile of Lucrezia of Italy” He opened his arms wide. “Welcome” He nodded his head in a motion of respect. “I appreciate you coming all this way to talk. I figured such matters would be better in person. How was your travel?”

italy had only just been surrendered when lucrezia took the throne. at the time, she’d only ever wanted to support his endeavors, even the ones that she didn’t necessarily agree with. but things were different now. even robbie’s own councilmen — who encouraged him to surrender — were quick to express their opposition. but everyone knew taking back italy would not be easy.

as he spoke, she kept her calm gaze, only breaking to offer the smallest smile, but not the ‘amazing smile’ he spoke of. “thank you, your majesty, for your invitation. my travel was just fine, although italian winters hardly ever get as cold as this,” she replied, hugging her cloak around her petite frame. “what exactly are the matters that you wish to discuss?”

There was the silence that he was hoping for. That time when the words needed to be processed. She was young, he wasn´t, not by the standards of their time and yet he knew no one would dare to frown upon his choice in bride. Well, that if he was successful with his proposal. Sure, it was rather a rushed decision but not entirely based on emotions. It made sense if only in his head, while she was making hers, he had nothing to think about. He had six children, all (God bless) healthy, he was rich, he had a purpose in life. He knew where he was going. He wanted Italy to be great, he wanted it to be free. But he was unsure whether in his position he was even allowed to ask a woman, who was also his queen if he wanted or not, to marry him just like that.  She could have had him killed and while he did not fear death, there was still so much he intended to do, he`d gladly wait a couple of years.  He expected a lot. A remark about his rudeness, a shocked expression on her face, lack of words, maybe even some swearing coming his way but he was surprised with a very rational, yet emotional question. Will this woman ever stop surprising him? ‘Love has many faces, Your Majesty’ he said gently, standing up to get closer to her. This felt like something he really didn`t want to share with a person being separated by this absurdly huge table. ‘While being in love is a wonderful thing, I prefer marrying someone I can respect, trust, who is going to stand by me not just when the passion calls for it but also when the bad times do. I cannot promise you to always agree with you. There might be arguments between the two us, we will certainly disagree, people will not see it too favourably at first but they will accept it and in the end, might even be happy to see their queen married to one of them. You are what we all need, quite a revolution, but I can promise you to always respect you, to challenge you and I would rather die than to see any harm come to you. Plus’’ he laughed ‘I do find you rather beautiful which might help’ he leaned closer to her, so close that their lips were almost touching ‘it might make things easier in bed.’ and then he kissed her, a gentle, quick kissed and deepened as their bodies responded. ‘Let`s change Italy.’ 

she watched, almost in awe, when he stood up and walked to her side of the table. she stood as well, although that proved practically futile when he still towered over her. she didn’t know what kind of answer she was expecting. nor did she know what answer she wanted. quite honestly, she didn’t know why she even asked. as they had both agreed that they wanted love in their children’s marriages, but could they grant themselves the same? as he spoke, she felt almost like a little child — a feeling that’s she hadn’t felt in so long. but she didn’t feel any sense of inferiority when he spoke to her. quite the opposite, actually; there was a certain comfort in his voice — in his presence — that she did not know she had missed.

as he got closer, the exhilaration she felt was practically palpable. as she gazed back into his eyes, her hands reached for his, their fingertips just brushing against each other. maybe he did not say it, but from lucrezia’s understanding of love, his answer was a resounding yes. perhaps part of her longed for the thrilling romance that some had experienced, but certain luxuries had to be given up when you’re the monarch. but what she needed more was someone who she could entirely trust, someone who she could completely share her burdens with, someone who respected her enough to challenge her when she was in the wrong, someone who saw her potential when she was sometimes unsure of it herself. soon enough they were so close that it was hardly a surprise when she found his lips on on hers. her hands reached to hold his face as they kissed. by that alone she was sure that this felt right. her cheeks flushed red at the mention of bed; she knew that some slept for pleasure, but she’d only ever done it for the sake of bearing children. sure, part of her enjoyed it, but pleasure was usually a byproduct and not the goal. although, the prospect of it enticed and intrigued her. this feeling of being desired in such a way was entirely new to her. "i suppose i don’t find you completely repulsive,” she joked, brushing a hair out of his face. a tear pricked at her eyes at his declaration: “i think you might’ve been the answer to my prayers, lorenzo.”

It was good to know of the Queen’s insight on Valentina and the matter of Italy. Hearing it from Robbie’s mouth that she was no longer Italian hit a nerve in her that she truly could never forgive. Alas, she had managed to turn a blind eye to it–she will never live it down with the idea. She will always be Italian, no matter who she was married to, no matter where she rules from. 

“Yes, Henry is with me. He travels wherever I go now. I understand, yes it is very unsafe for a young boy. But, it is better than Scotland,” Valentina answered the woman. “He was with his aunt for most of the year. However, having to travel back and forth from Scotland to the countries that need me more just became difficult. He will be raised Italian despite his father’s blood in him. I believe the world is shifting, anyways.” The woman admitted. She glanced around, making sure there was no lingering ears or eyes. 

it was almost horrifically funny how things did not turn out the way they were supposed to. long ago, when robbie was still just a prince ( and the italian delegation to france ) and valentina was his intended. eventually they would rule italy together. it almost seemed like the perfect match, even if it wasn’t intended to be that way. they balanced each other out; they fit together like a puzzle. lucrezia, on the other hand, was never meant to be much more than a wife and a mother. now, not only was she the queen regnant of italy, but she was also queen in a time of war. if you had told her this years ago, she would’ve laughed in your face.

“indeed, travel rarely ever fares well with children’s dispositions, but being with you is probably safest for him. well, once you two are settled i must invite you to the palazzo so i can formally meet the little king.” she was quite pleased to hear that he would be raised italian. she could not figure out the logistics of that without having him in italy. but if valentina wished for henry to live in her court and keep him safe, lucrezia wouldn’t hesitate to let him in and treat him as one of her own. “and just how is the world shifting?”

When he left, it was so fast, he had never imagined what it would be like to see her again. How hard it would be to know that he might never see her again, his nieces, his sisters, his brother. ‘I did it because I was sure that you would be a better ruler and you are, Lucrezia. You have so much strength in you.’ And while he knew all that, he had to remind himself how young she was. ‘I do not know whether it would be possible for me to ever get to Italy but perhaps I could try to reach Sicily and join them there?’ He was thinking out loud. ‘I know I will never be able to be Robbie, my life will never be what it had been before but I will not leave you before the war is over. Perhaps one day, I will find a quiet life in …. ‘ he thought where it could be and while his initial plan was to travel to South America, the more time he spent without his family, the more he doubted himself. Could he really survive without his beloved? ‘Corsica?’ that was a decision made in a second but somehow it made sense. It was still part of Italy while not being fully integrated because as many islanders, Corsican were still Corsican - independent and proud {wasn`t everyone in Italy?}, it was not that far though and perhaps that could be his motivation. 

He smiled. He knew she did not need a man to lead her but it would have been better. He would feel better because even he, the lone wolf, sometimes felt lonely, so lonely he wanted to rip off his heart but his sister was young and beautiful and he was sure once she would want to marry, she would. ‘I just don`t want you to carry this burden alone, that is all.’ Yes, she deserved better. ‘We are Italians, that is what we do, arguing with each other is the national sport but war should bring us together. We are not very …’ he paused because that was his argument all along ‘good at fighting with swords, we must be clever and I don`t know many people that would do that better than you.’ Hearing about Valentina shocked him. Marriage and with a Norwegian king? He could not believe that. He thought she would never marry again, not unless it would be him. ‘Well, she has to do what she believes is best. ‘ That was the best lie he could come up with. Valentina, the Norwegian Queen, he almost puked. 

hearing him speak and seeing him alive was all of encouragement lucrezia needed. “well, i’m sure if you stick around with the army you’ll likely find yourself back on italian soil. whether it be sicily or corsica, you will find your way back home. and if we both survive the war with our heads still on our bodies we will find our way back to each other. we always have, haven’t we, robbie?” it was truly a cruel twist of fate how they’ve spent their lives constantly away from each other. it was truly ironic that they’d be so close; the eldest son and one of the younger daughters. but they’d always admired each other, even from far away. of course, things would be drastically different from before; he was no longer king, and to spare the wrath of his government and his people, he practically resigned from royalty all together. here he was, against the muck and blood in the backdrop of war, when only a number of months ago he was in a position to lead an army. how exactly would they be able to find each other when the war ended, if the war ended?

“i won’t carry it alone,” she said softly, squeezing his hand in reassurance. “all of italy bears the pain of war in one way or another. then again, sleeping in an empty bed has made one long for a full one all the more. but,” she said sternly, “if i shall marry i swear to you and to god that it will be an italian.” the thought of remarrying had previously never passed her mind; now all of her councilmen couldn’t wait to bring it up. with rumors of marriages popping up all around europe, the widowed queen of italy was quite a prize. but if she were to marry an italian nobleman, who would it be? most of them were already married, except for a few. “i have never been one to openly judge another’s judgement, but i hardly think that she accepted his proposal — if he did propose and if she accepted — because she thought it was the right thing to do for scotland. she and her brother have been trained in the medici art of climbing ranks. i know it must break your heart, so until vows have been exchanged, keep in mind that it is only but a rumor. however, such a marriage poses a great threat to italy. should she be empress of the norwegian empire, i can hardly guess where the rest of her family will side. florence is one of the richest city-states in all of italy, and we would be nothing without their money. but as you know, florence’s money is also the medici’s money.”