[IC] Locked Out Of Heaven [Mature] (NekoInk & Duke]

[NekoInk]

Lily stared at him while he talked, her blue eyes made her look a lot younger than she was. "You want something other than money, sir. I can tell by your face...Those who want funds can easily get it. You could have me up in front of the guards and get a reward, more than what I took. Besides, you're an assassin. My big brother is too...he has the same eyes as you."

She rubbed her wrist slowly to ease the ache then added, "What is it? I can get anything."

~*~*~*~*~

"He has never been cruel to me...or the baby, until now...I..." Alessandra looked down at the child then sighed. She could not deny he had left the baby but surely he didn't realise. It must have been an accident. He would never have left Lucio alone on purpose...would he?

She laid the baby in the cradle once more then rocked him gently to try and sooth him into sleep. "It is hard," she agreed. "But I would not change it. I love my son and I was destined to have him, it seems. Had God wished it, he would have died at birth. I would not have him gone for all the riches of the world...but I cannot deny, things would have been easier if I had not given birth. I think...I think Lucio does not love me as he did. I was his little sister, a child, when he last saw me and now I am a woman and mother. I think he struggles with that."

[Duke]

Pietro looked down and stared at the floor as she talked. She was trying to rationalize her brother's actions, all the more convincing to him that she was still dedicated to Lucio despite his behavior. "I see." He looked up to speak more clearly. "I see my siblings every day and am amazed at how quickly they grow and change. I can understand how he would still want to see you as a child."

Pietro rose from the bed and padded his way over to the crib next to her, reaching around her waist and just resting his hand there more as a show of comfort than affection this time. "If I were him, I would be proud of you though. "I did not know you before, but I'm getting to know you now and I both admire and adore the woman that you have made of yourself."

He looked down at the child in the crib finding a bit of relief that he was at last growing calm. He would prefer Alessandra to salvage some sense of relief after a day that had started so well for them.

-------------

Lucio was surprised to find this girl was the younger sibling of an assassin. He couldn't think of another in the Brotherhood who had been from Forli, but that wasn't to say there wasn't one. Many of the assassins knew very little of each other and in many cases it was best that way. He wasn't surprised she figured him out to be one, though her ability to confirm it by the look in his eyes was impressive. "Canterella," he said simply. "I assume you know what it is and where to find it?"

[NekoInk]

She nodded. "Yes. I know of it. And where to find it...There is little in Forli, the Mistress does not trust those to use such methods but there is enough. Some fifteen vials or so. How much do you require?"

Lily spoke with far too much clarity to be a simple peasant girl turned thief and yet if she was Noble, which was highly unlikely, she would not have been in rags nor would she be unaccompanied in the streets or in fact, pickpocketing! She looked around them to check if anyone was passing but they were alone; it seemed she could not relax.

~*~*~*~*~

Alessandra smiled gently. "I do not doubt he is proud, in his own way. Though I think he wishes I had done as mother did; marry and become a proper noblewoman with no such drama. I do not think however that I was destined for such a life. I would much rather have some excitement."

She looked down at the snowy white silk that lined the cradle and smiled. Her own cradle had been much the same, white silk trimmed with gold. A spot of red appeared suddenly on the white silk; a splash of vivid colour on the pristine surface. Alessa frowned and touched it, as if she could not believe what she saw. Then another dropped appeared.

"What?" She felt something warm on her lips and reached up; when she brought her hand down, her fingers were stained with blood. Alessandra blinked and swallowed; the taste of coppery blood filled her mouth. "Pietro..." Everything began to swim before her and stumbled backwards.

[Duke]

Pietro glanced to Alessandra when she weakly spoke his name, the sight before him sending a shock to his system that nearly froze him in his spot. He felt her slipping away from the arm he had wrapped around her and he quickly redoubled his effort and wrapped both hands around her and catching her before she fully fell.

His eyes grew wide at the sight of so much blood seeping out of her mouth. His breathing grew heavy as panic threatened to set in, thinking immediately that some grave illness had taken her, possibly one she brought to his home with the child. "Alessandra!" he called to her but she seemed only vaguely aware of her surroundings.

He held her close and picked her up, carrying her over to the bed and laying her gently down. "Help..." he said weakly, his fear seemingly taken his voice. He was lost as to what to do. He spun his head around, looking for someone or anything to solve this problem. He spotted the towels next to the bathtub and he rushed over to them. "Help!" he called, finding his voice louder this time. "I need a medic!" He yelled through the open door to the hall hoping somebody was close enough to hear.

He dampened a towel in the bathwater and brought it back to Alessandra. He dabbed gently at her face to at least clean, oblivious to the blood that had smeared across his white shirt. He didn't know how this could possibly help but he didn't know what else to do. He turned his head to the door and yelled again. "Is anyone there! I need a medic now!"

He looked back to Alessandra and continued to clean her up. "Alessandra, what is this?" he whispered. "I don't know what to do. Help me," he pleaded as if she would somehow know the answer, if she could even hear him.

------------

Lucio found this girl very peculiar, even wondering if he were in fact mad for entrusting her with this task. "Bring me as much as you can carry, without being seen. And again, be quick. If it eases your mind know that I have no enemy in Forli destined to ingest it."

Lucio could only hope he wasn't wasting his time with her. He had few options and he was losing time if he were to save the child for Alessandra.

[NekoInk]

Lily rolled her eyes. "I live on the streets sir. I care not who you kill," she darted away as soon as she finished speaking and disappeared into the streets.

~*~*~*~

Alessandra coughed and gasped, more blood splattered onto her pale lips. She could already feel the fever coursing through her veins as the last of the Canterella left her body. "P-Piet-ro,"she managed to whisper, her eyes glazed over.

"N-need...Lu-lu-Luc...g-get..." She could get nothing else out before she lapsed into unconsciousness.

Caterina, who had been walking past the end of the corridor, heard her son's shout and followed, intrigued. She paused at the open door and looked in. What she saw made her nearly recoil. "What on earth?" She said loudly and stepped into the room, a hand over her mouth.

"Pietro, what happened? Tell me!" She crossed to the bed and looked down. Then it dawned on her. "Come away, come away from her," Caterina dragged her son away with remarkable force. "Get out! I fear she has consumption, I would not have you sick! Get out!" She shoved her son towards the door. "Fetch a medic and wash yourself. Go to your room and lock the door. Allow no one in. I must contain this."

[Duke]

His heart stopped and his body froze when Alessandra forced a few weak words. Pietro barely understood what it was she had said, even less so of why. It sounded as if she were asking for her brother. Here he was, in front of her in this crisis and still she thought of only him. Pietro couldn't help but feel insignificant, couple that with the terrible weakened state she was in made him feel even more lost for what to do.

He hadn't even noticed it was his mother who entered the room until she was beginning to drag him away. "Consumption?" he quietly repeated in a dumfounded matter after his mother had all but thrown him out. It took a few moments for the word to sink in before he realized what this meant.

He had spent the entire day with her, had just now been in front of her as she coughed up blood and the child seemed ill as well. He realized that he was very likely to fall ill to the horrible disease too, having been so close to somebody that appeared infected.

Once the realizations dawned on him he set in to motion to follow his mother's commands. If he was going to fall ill he would want the medic nearby for himself even if it was too late for Alessandra. He jogged through the halls until he found the first servant he could, this time it happening to be the maid Henriette. "Fetch the medic! Immediately!" he commanded. To reiterate his point of urgency he pointed to the blood that had gotten on his white shirt.

He turned away from the maid and trotted back to his own room, not even waiting until he was inside before he started stripping off the blood stained shirt. He removed it, threw it in the fire grate. He followed with everything he had on, even his boots and belt. All of it went to the fire grate and now in the nude he knelt down next to with a ready flame he lit the clothes and let the fire cleanse any trace of the potential disease.

His room didn't have a bath ready for him but he still had a small wash basin so he quickly went to work cleaning every inch of his body with a wet rag hoping he was not too late to avoid the illness.

-------------

Lucio watched the small girl leave him and get to her mission. He truly doubted her last comment. If she cared for no one, she would not be handing out free money to the poor, regardless of how she got it.

There was nothing for him to do now but wait.

[NekoInk]

What seemed like an eternity later, Lily appeared out of nowhere beside Lucio and held out a box of silver and ivory. "Here. I took everything he had," she handed him the box then stood back and looked at the man, her head on one side as if surveying him.

"It's the purest form. Deadly but tasteless."

~*~*~*~*~

"There is little hope, my Lady," the medic looked down at Alessandra and shook his head. "I would not fear for your son however...she has already progressed to this stage and will not have infected him. In my experience, patients are only a risk to others in the early stages. This poor soul is beyond that and beyond my skill...I will pray for her soul but can do little else."

Caterina looked livid. She looked as though she would take on God himself if he dared to appear. "And the boy? Is there nothing can be done?"

The medic barely glanced at the child. "I can summon the priest to have him baptised before he dies. That is all I can do for him; save him from hell."

"Thank you," Caterina said softly, her voice laced with anger. "Before you go, inform my son he may leave his room if he wishes."

"Yes, my Lady," he bowed and retreated.

"Damn it." The Lady of Forli paced back and forth at the end of the bed and watched as Alessandra fought for each breath. "You were my key..." She could not bear the smell of the blood and marched from the room to find her son. They would have to act quickly; if Alessandra was indeed to die...well, plans change.

[Duke]

Pietro had grown restless. He laid upon his bed after dressing himself only in a pair of trousers and socks. He closed his eyes several times, hoping he would open them to find it had all been a terrible dream but his wishes never were granted. Sleep was impossible, he wasn't tired to begin with and now his mind was too busy thinking of Alessandra, the child, himself. As much as he didn't want to lose Alessandra the fear for his own well being seemed strongest. He wondered if that made him a terrible, uncaring man but never the less his mind was wracked with worry.

He rose off of his bed and began to silently pace, searching his room for anything to occupy his mind outside of this endless waiting. As if this small wish were granted there was a knock on the door and he quickly scooped up a clean shirt and threw it on as he marched to the door. He flung the door open and saw a stranger before him but recognized his attire to be that of a medics. "Yes?" he asked, his heart skipping a beat as he assumed this man was here to check him for disease.

"Your mother wanted me to inform you that the chance of infection is very unlikely. You should be just fine." The medic informed him of the good news though his voice was rather somber.

"And the Lady Alessandra?" he inquired hoping her condition was some kind of passing fit. The medic immediately looked down and shook his head. Pietro closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you," he muttered then turned away from the medic.

He was just informed that he was in good health yet he felt no relief. The worry he had felt for himself had changed into anger. He was furious that she had gotten sick, so much so that the more he thought about it he physically began to shake. He wanted to destroy something, find somebody to blame. There was only one person he felt he could blame, the man he had blamed for so much adversity that came unto Alessandra already.

Lucio. The sweet woman that had charmed him so easily in the course of a couple of days was dying an awful death and her horrible brother wasn't anywhere to be seen. Pietro didn't care how strong the man was, how deadly he could be. Pietro would have his head for this.

-----------

Lucio took the ornate box from the girl and knelt down, setting it on the ground and opening it. Sure enough inside there was over a dozen small vials of the deadly canterella. He took one vial and pulled the stopper, pouring a small amount onto his finger tips and examining the color closer, feeling the texture of it until he was satisfied this was what Lily claimed it to be.

He realized he couldn't be seen carrying such a box inside the Sforza villa so he began removing the glass containers and fitting them in every available pocket and pouch he had. Once everything was removed he looked back to the girl. "You can take the box. Some one will likely buy it off of you." He turned to leave and then stopped himself, turning back to her. "I may have work for you again in the future, and I will pay well, so keep yourself out of trouble."

With that he set off at a brisk walk back to Alessandra. He knew the quicker he got back the better but he didn't want to risk a curious guard, especially when he was carrying so many weapons and now poisons. It would do no good to have to fight his way back.

[NekoInk]

Lily bowed as he walked off then snatched up the box and grinned. It would fetch a pretty enough penny; an amount that would feed everyone for a few days...

"I could get some new shoes maybe," she looked down at hers and sighed. They were well worn and getting thin; soon she would be walking in bare feet.

The little thief vanished down an alleyway, a smile on her face.

~*~*~*~*~

Caterina entered her son's room and threw herself into a chair. "We need to rethink, Pietro. If Alessandra is to die, as is likely, we will have to come up with a new plan. The boy may survive...I saw no blood around the child's mouth, perhaps he has a fever and that is all. We must pray the child survives. Find your brother's and have them go to the chapel; have the town informed that their prayers are needed but say not who for...just someone of importance."

She sighed and brushed her neck with her fingers lightly. "And where is Lucio? I have not seen him for hours!"

[Duke]

Pietro listened to his mother, his head dropping and he gave a heavy sigh. "Last rites, of course," he muttered in response to them needing to go to the chapel. He grabbed a pair of shoes and sat on his bed, putting them on and lacing them up. He didn't want to rethink plans. Now that she was about to leave this world he found himself wanting Alessandra more than ever.

"I don't know where Lucio is!" he snapped at his mother, the simple mention of his name only fueling his anger towards the man. "We've been playing these angles on him and his sister this whole time, who's to say he hasn't been doing the same!" Caterina didn't deserve his shouting, he knew that, but he couldn't contain himself.

"How do we know this wasn't his own plan? We got in bed with a heartless killer and who's to say he didn't sacrifice his own sister in an attempt to spread the plague through all of Forli? He claims to hate the Borgia, who's to say he's not working for them!" The idea was ludicrous but his mind was not rational.

His shoes on he stood up. "I'll send Ottoviano out to fetch a priest." He muttered and walked past his mother to find his brother.