Another Dellamorte AU idea
Cesario and Caterina have their affair... AND GET CAUGHT.
Cesario grabs Caterina and flees with her to Tamriel. Caterina is less than pleased about this but what can she do. Ricardo knows. He'd definitely hurt her if not kill her if she goes back. She misses her children. She's heartbroken, if not showing it.
But Cesario is here. She's too busy looking at a whole new city to think about what she's lost for too long. And she's also got his sister to reckon with, who is presently shouting at her brother in a mix of archaic Antivan and some language she has no idea about but that sounds vaguely elven. And then there's the boy who will Not Leave Her Alone and keeps staring at her and giggling.
Stelmaria's livid. Her brother had an affair with a married woman, got caught and now it's her problem?? At least Cesario has the decency to stick around this time. And then they find out Caterina's pregnant.
That does thaw things out with Stelmaria at least. Fabio's born in the Imperial City, and his birth is recorded as Fabio Cesario Di Rosso, son of Cicero and Caterina Di Rosso (nee Dellamorte).
Caterina's been spending the unexpected downtime learning Tamrielic, reading all she can get her hands on, and to her surprise, she's becoming quite fond of Cicerito. He calls her Auntie. She's rather charmed by him. He's very polite. Never sits still but he's polite and friendly.
Cesario does eventually return to Orlais, but with Caterina at home, he might not ever father Leliana. With a son to think of, he's also a bit more cautious... but not cautious enough and still gets caught by the Chantry. News of his death devastates Caterina and Stelmaria both... but by this point Caterina has been proving her worth as head of security for the gallery Stelmaria was running, including brutally stabbing one unlucky thief and getting the Dark Brotherhood's attention. She's a member of Cheydinhal Sanctuary - she doesn't live there full-time, and she never takes the boys there. But she's bringing in more than enough from assassinations to keep a roof over Stelmaria's head.
Fabio and Cicero are both heartbroken over losing their father figure, but they grow closer to each other as a result. As far as Fabio is concerned, Cicero is his protective big brother, and Cicero definitely considers Fabio as his sibling. Stelmaria teaches them both how to fight. Caterina handles lockpicking, stealthier skills, assassination techniques, brings in tutors from the Brotherhood. She does not lay a finger on them physically but she can be relentless in other ways, although Stelmaria is there watching.
War breaks out. Caterina is not having this 'fight for the city' rubbish. Caterina says they're leaving. Or at least she is and she's taking the boys. Stelmaria might have kept Cicero but Cicero doesn't want to leave Fabio. So reluctantly, she leaves with them all, and they flee north. Nowhere in Cyrodiil is exactly safe, but there's a Sanctuary in Falkreath, and Caterina decides it's out of the way enough for safety.
They find the Emperor there too, amassing the Legion to him... and Stelmaria investigates and finds Kodlak again. Which is awkward as hell explaining where she went and that there's a son, oh and this is Stelmaria's sister-in-law and her son, Stelmaria's nephew. Kodlak is overjoyed to see Stelmaria again, but neither likes nor trusts Caterina. That feeling is mutual, but if he's actually Cicero's father, she supposes he can stay. Wait, what do you mean you two are joining the Legion and going to liberate Cyrodiil. You've got a child to think of!
Caterina doesn't win that argument and ends up taking sole charge of Fabio and Cicero. At least she gets to keep them at Jorrvaskr. Plenty for them to do, there's the twin boys who are the same age as Cicero, it'll keep them busy.
Kodlak and Stelmaria both return, with Skjor who they've recruited for Jorrvaskr. Caterina chooses to move out once they're back, leaving Cicero behind - she supported Cicero Senior's family for love of him, but she sees no reason Kodlak can't look after his partner and child himself. She buys a house in Whiterun, takes Fabio with her, employs staff, joins Falkreath Sanctuary and is soon running the show. It's not Astrid who rises to become Speaker.
Cicero comes of age and signs up as a full Companion. He will eventually become a werewolf and love it. Fabio relocates to Solitude to join the Bards' College... but Caterina also offers him the chance to join Falkreath Sanctuary, and he does accept.
No Illario in this verse. Back in Treviso, House Dellamorte perhaps still has its house war. Unknown if anyone makes it, but Lucanis survives. As does Carlotta - she's not a Dellamorte. The Dellamorte marriage alliance fell through but she was friends with Luciana, Lucanis's mother, and kept in touch. After their deaths, she was the one to lead a bunch of De Rivas to find out what happened, and found a terrified Lucanis as the sole survivor. She keeps him. House Dellamorte aren't pleased but they have bigger problems... and Velardo wipe them out without Fabio and Caterina. Carlotta changes Lucanis's name and raises him as a De Riva. He's better adjusted than in canon but the trauma of losing his family still scars him.
When the Brotherhood falls apart, Fabio's sent to retrieve the Night Mother, with assistance from Cicero who is also a secret Dark Brother after Fabio recruited him. Caterina was not expecting to end up as Listener, but she'll take it. The Night Mother gets a new crypt in Ilinalta's Deep, and the Brotherhood is being run rather more like a Crow House. Cheydinhal Sanctuary survives. The Brotherhood starts to expand again. Caterina sends Astrid and Arnbjorn out to resettle Wayrest Sanctuary, always plenty of people needing them in High Rock, plus Caterina can tell when someone's too ambitious for their own good and decides giving her her own Sanctuary somewhere else is best for all concerned.
Fabio's mostly living in Solitude. He befriended Elisif when she first came to Solitude as a young girl and has kept an eye on her ever since. He's not there when she's widowed but finds her afterwards and practically moves in at court. And when she's proclaimed Dragonborn, guess who isn't letting her do this alone.
Cicero's at Jorrvaskr, finds all this fascinating, joins up, finds out Elisif's real identity, and now Elisif's got two Di Rossos, the bard and the mercenary who can turn into a werewolf apparently. Fabio didn't know that part either. How the fuck long have you been able to do that, Cicero. Do your parents know?? Caterina fucking doesn't, I can tell you that. What do you MEAN your father's one??
Other than that, quest proceeds mostly the same. No Dark Brotherhood contract though. The Night Mother didn't bother passing it on. Fabio's Speaker by this point, it might not have gone well.
Elisif and Fabio ended up in Cidhna Mine together - Fabio supported her while Cicero thought this was a waste of time and left them to it, meeting Eola instead. He has a great night, but is less happy when he finds out Elisif and Fabio are missing, and despairing when he finds out they're in Cidhna Mine.
"No no, Eola, you don't understand, we HAVE TO FIND THEM. Cousin Fabio's mother is Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, we are NOT leaving this city without them."
Eola does see the problem. So the break-in happens. Madanach meanwhile is talking terms with Elisif and discovering her bard bodyguard is actually kinda OK. He's less sold on the man's cousin, especially when he finds out this maniac is seeing his daughter. But he can cope with two Dark Brothers on his team.
Fabio and Argis have a bit of a rivalry going on. Neither exactly trusts the other, and Fabio was Quite Capable of guarding Elisif, he doesn't need some Nord getting in the way. Excellent chance they'll end up snogging.
Wolf Queen ends as expected. Age of the Dragon though... Fabio's going to find Elisif, that's a given but he visits his mother first to tell her. She's horrified but understands the situation and sits him down to tell him about Thedas. All of it. She'd never told him any of this. Fabio thought he was an Imperial. What do you mean there's this place called Antiva? I'm half-Antivan?? I have siblings?? You had a husband? And you think Elisif is there? Draw me a map. What do we need to worry about. What do you mean magic's illegal. What the hell are Templars.
Kodlak passed a few years before, but he died cured. Stelmaria is still alive but elderly and doesn't want her son to go either... but understands.
Thedas expedition goes slightly smoother with Caterina's intel. Fabio just flat-out implies he's an Antivan Crow from House Dellamorte (he has been a Di Rosso all his life, this is a stretch but he's adapting). Cicero is his part-Fereldan cousin. They're here guarding this lot. Old family friends, of course they're not betraying them. They're nowhere near Antiva, Crow politics are hardly well-known outside the Crows and elite Antivan Circles, who's going to know.
Fabio goes with Fiona to Val Royeaux and reunites with Elisif, just hugging her and telling her of course they'll help, just come to Redcliffe, and he's coming with her. Cicero remains at Redcliffe with Eola. Meaning when they all wake up and realise the timeline is Wrong, there is one obvious solution and Madanach takes it. They could all sneak out of Redcliffe and risk getting caught... or...
Alexius is dead within hours, and Cicero's back with his Very Informative notes on the Venatori. Quite a few of the ones in the castle are also dead, and with this terrible tragedy upon them, the rebel mages will just have to join the Inquisition, oh no.
Elisif arrives in the aftermath of all this, is delighted to see Maia again, reunites with Madanach, and is also rather impressed by this Dragonborn warrior Cicero found in the cells. Can't sneak, but can stop magic, excellent in a fight, Useful, Helped.
Plotline is standard AoD at that point. The Inquisition doesn't have Leliana as she never existed, Charter is the spymaster instead, which rules her out as Divine but... at Halamshiral, without Fabio as Celene's personal bard taking out Gaspard and stopping the war, Elisif sees no reason to change tack, and they end up with Briala running Orlais through Gaspard. Why not do something similar with the Chantry? And so they do, with Mother Giselle as Divine and Charter as her Left Hand, enforcing all the pro-mage pro-elf policies.
Even before Halamshiral, the Dellamorte cover is starting to fall apart, what with Charter knowing enough about Crow politics to know the former First Talon house is no more. Velardo briefly held the First Talon post... until another Crow war broke out a few years later, and House De Riva went from Fifth Talon to the new First. Diego De Riva and his sister Carlotta run the show now. Neither ever married, but they have Carlotta's illegitimate son of mysterious origins and their nephew from their sister as heirs. Josephine knows immediately they're not really Dellamortes, but she also knows about Tamriel by now so knows the real story... and is surprised they even knew the name. She'd not expected the former First Talon's wife to have fled to Tamriel with the Black Rose and had his son there. He was a Cyrodiilic spy all along?? That raises questions for Elisif regarding if there's any more out here but that's for the future.
Charter warns them the Crows might not take too kindly to a lost Dellamorte turning up. And so it proves. At Haven, the Inquisition wasn't high-profile enough to be noticed but at Skyhold it's different, and a routine mission to the Hinterlands goes wrong when Fabio gets chatting to these two handsome Antivans in the Gull and Lantern... and ends up bagged and dragged and being interrogated. House Dellamorte was wiped out. Who are you. Are you after the money. It's in trust. You aren't getting it. We need a reason not to kill you but...
One of his captors looks shockingly like Fabio's mother. And he's looking very strangely at Fabio. Were there more of... did you flee the violence? Who are you??
"Fabio, son of Caterina. She was married to Talon Ricardo and got caught having an affair. She fled Antiva with her lover. I was the result. I never bore the name Dellamorte until I got to Ferelden. I didn't know about the House war! All my siblings... none of them made it? None of their kids?"
The one that looks like his mother sees genuine grief and lowers his sword and tells the other one to do likewise.
"He's genuine. The First Talon's wife running away with the Black Rose... that was a shocking scandal. My father never got over losing his mother like that. We learnt not to talk about her, but he still had her portrait in secret. I remember him telling me a bit about her but that I wasn't to say anything to anyone. She was fierce and cunning and beautiful and he missed her deeply."
"That sounds like her," Fabio whispers, realising not all the Dellamortes died. "She's alive. She's doing well. Cesario - Papa - got her to safety. She didn't want me to come. But Elisif's my friend! I wasn't leaving her!"
Lucanis's face is softening and he's putting the weapon away... and then notices Viago is looking very nervous with a knife at his throat and this pale redhead that otherwise really resembles Fabio managed to sneak up on them without a sound.
"This is all very touching but if we are doing the family reunion, I want an invitation and I think you should untie my cousin."
"This is cousin Cicero on my father's side. You really ought to untie me. He's as bad as any Crow."
Lucanis can see that. Lucanis frees Fabio, introduces himself properly as Lucanis Dellamorte, now a De Riva after Carlotta rescued and adopted him. Viago's a real De Riva... and his boyfriend.
"We're not actually related and legally we're cousins not siblings. So we got together. Eventually."
The look Lucanis gives Viago implies that this took a lot of work on his part, and Viago is blushing furiously, but seeing as Fabio is... not a legitimate Dellamorte, the reverse in fact, but not an impostor either, he relents. Lucanis and Viago join the Inquisition, and while Viago takes his sweet time warming up to anyone, Cicero is befriending and mentoring young Lucanis from the get go, while Fabio and Lucanis are swapping news, each eager for connection. Lucanis thought he'd lost his entire family. Fabio hadn't even known he had other relatives but he's delighted with this one.
Charter meanwhile is looking into the Black Rose's death because Fabio deserves answers. She does not like the ones she finds, but the news that he's alive but Tranquil and presently in Montsimmard Circle comes around the same time a cure for Tranquillity surfaces. Elisif hears all this, tells her Di Rossos and they're off to find him. Cicero holds it together. Fabio does not, at all. But they both remember him from their childhoods and he remembers them too, and then it's time to plan the Tranquil strike, liberation, Black Rose is freed and cured and filled in on the past and it's all very emotional. He does still strike a deal with Alistair Vile and goes home to Skyrim after to find Caterina and Stelmaria, moving into Caterina's Whiterun home as if he'd never been away. Stelmaria lives there too now - she's been getting frailer after Kodlak's death, and Caterina actually takes very good care of her. She'll live another few years, and she got to see her brother again. Cesario's amazed Caterina never found anyone else. She must have valued her independence too much. He's not expecting her to take him back but does not object when it happens.
The twins end up in Skyhold, sole difference is that of course they know and love Uncle Fabio and have missed him. New Cousin Lucanis seems a bit on the quiet side but he made them churros and is being very kind so they decide they like him.
Meanwhile Fabio decides to go to Antiva to see Lucanis and Viago, after reuniting his parents and aunt. He would like to thank Carlotta De Riva personally for saving the last member of his Antivan family. He was not expecting to meet a very pretty woman in her early forties, but he's smitten. So's she. Fabio marries Carlotta after all, twenty years late but he does it. There's even time for one child - Illario exists after all, he's just twenty years younger. Fabio relocates to Antiva post-Rialto Accord - turns out with Caterina resurfacing, he's entitled to citizenship so once he gets that, he stays. Illario gets perfectly legitimate dual citizenship of Antiva and the Empire from birth and grows up knowing he's part Cyrodiil.
Caterina, with Cesario and Fabio alive and not having to raise Illario, actually realises she's rather fond of him. But meeting Lucanis is what really breaks her, because he greets her as his grandmother from the off and doesn't hold her past against her and is able to tell her his father never forgot and still loved her and would probably have forgiven her if he'd ever seen her again. That breaks Caterina's heart but it's the acceptance she needed. Of course Lucanis is her favourite even here. They keep in touch. He spends the summers in Skyrim as part of Falkreath Sanctuary, and his winters in Thedas as a De Riva Crow and Demon of Vyrantium. He does not get betrayed to Zara. Not when Illario's not quite thirteen, and hanging round the Diamond trailing after Jacobus and trying to flirt with Teia.
Fabio's the Imperial envoy, not the Black Rose. He's happy for Lucanis to join the Veilguard, but the price is Illario has to go too, which means there's now a stroppy teenager in the Lighthouse staying with his cousin. But it keeps Illario out of trouble, and Illario, while not going on missions, isn't bad with knives already and becomes besties with Manfred. Twins think he's great and Lia only has to threaten him into submission a few times (Taash happy to assist with this). Funnily enough, Illario does not give Stel any trouble, and then Cicero arrives and picks up parenting Illario without batting an eyelid. Davrin sees this kid and starts treating him as a rookie Warden, and it helps Illario adores Assan on sight. Obviously no romance with Davrin and Maia but they're both fond of him. Give it a decade - maybe less. This is Illario after all. He also learnt magic, this getting picked up given he grew up surrounded by mages in a much more supportive environment. Can't rule out him summoning Spite and the pair of them plus Manfred having adventures. Certainly they're visiting the allied faction HQs when bored.
Illario's in one piece at the end at least, although he might have a griffin pet now. And a demon familiar. And was hanging out with Seer Rowan and learning the Rivaini seer arts and... can manifest Spite at need now. And have Spite hop out again. It's disconcerting, Carlotta is NOT happy, but Fabio's oddly accepting. It helps he can see Spite at least.
Illario grows up and heads off to join the Lords of Fortune. Lucanis comes home to Viago his First Talon boyfriend. And Fabio? Fabio is not Speaker of Treviso Sanctuary by this point. Carlotta is. Fabio's her Silencer. No one can work out why House De Riva is picking contracts no one else even knew were a thing... but apparently the Black Sacrament might just work. Cicero was not able to romance an already happily partnered up Lucanis... but Teia's single. Cicero doesn't mind being a dependent of House Cantori At All.
Caterina lives to a ripe old age but does eventually die and is laid to rest in her native Antiva with an Andrastian funeral as per her wishes, the ashes scattered in Villa Dellamorte, now Lucanis's property. Cesario mourns her dearly, and this is the point he finally start detaching from the mortal world, spending more time in the Fields of Regret, there for his kin at need, but no longer a mortal being. The affair that changed his path has run its course, and the world moves on.
