Lucrezia

[autcaesar_autnihil]

Though she'd been texting him all night and let him know at length that she was all right--ah, but was he? Poor Lucrezia, his sweet little sister, face like an angel, raised to be as paranoid and bloody-minded as the rest of the Borgia brood. He'd tried so hard to preserve what innocence a Borgia could retain, but this last thing he'd asked of her felt like raising the white flag, to Cesare. It wasn't that he thought Lucrezia couldn't do it; he knew she could, she was the most capable person he'd ever known. It was that she shouldn't have to.

And yet, she had. And Micheletto had gotten the pictures. And was now on his way to Rover with a busted face and bruises mapping out the story of their evening all over his wiry body. For his part, Cesare's hands weren't in terrible shape, just a little swelling around the knuckles of his right hand, and a small indent from a ring on the left. He knew how to be careful--even with himself, though he rarely bothered. He didn't give a toss about his hands, he just didn't want to worry Lucrezia.

He rang the bell and waited, knowing he was expected, but it was still late-ish to come calling. Hopefully, Allan was off drunk in a pub or sleeping at the office, tonight. Cesare didn't think he could handle that level of stupidity, after the strange night he'd had.

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[borgiafatale]

When Lucrezia opened the door, she was wearing a nightgown and robe, and her face was etched with worry. "Cesare," she said, almost sounding like a scolding, and pulled him inside and then into a tight embrace. "You can't just make it obvious that you're doing something stupid and then not tell me what that stupid thing is. I worry."

[autcaesar_autnihil]

He smoothed her hair, smiling into it, and held her for a long moment in silence. The scolding would've been irritating from anyone else in the world. From her, it was pure sunlight--though he wouldn't admit it.

"I'll explain everything. First tell me how you got on." He pulled back, holding her by the arms and inspecting her as if he expected to find damage somewhere.

[borgiafatale]

And of course she was perfectly fine. "All you put me through was an hour of boring company," she pointed out. "Now, would you like tea or scotch?" She pulled away and gestured for him to join her in the kitchen.

[autcaesar_autnihil]

"Scotch. It's been a hell of a strange night." He followed, sauntering into the kitchen as if he owned it and leaning one hip against a convenient counter. "Rover bored you half to tears, did he? Not bad--but I'm still sorry I had to ask you."

[borgiafatale]

"Yes well, I can make a guess in broad terms for why you might have wanted to get him out of the way for a time," Lucrezia said, picking out a bottle of good scotch and getting out two glasses. "Now, would you like a list of members of Parliament who are probably in his pocket?"

[autcaesar_autnihil]

Cesare stared for just a few seconds, trying to decide if she was playing some game with him. She could be very kitten-like, when it suited her, and he deserved it just then, no doubt.

But... no. "And how would you have that, my dear sister?" Though he already had a very, very good idea. Little minx!

[borgiafatale]

Lucrezia sighed. "If you're going to set me a task you may as well make it something useful to you, brother. I borrowed his phone while he was in the loo."

[autcaesar_autnihil]

"You clever little brat." Cesare barked out a laugh, one with actual sound to it, as opposed to his usual silent, reserved one. He shook his head and watched her with appreciation. "God help the man that underestimates you. Especially me."

[borgiafatale]

Lucrezia looked quite pleased with herself. "I texted you a list, brother. I do hope it's helpful. Now will you tell me what you were doing tonight?"

[autcaesar_autnihil]

"Extremely helpful," Cesare said, then opened his mouth to tell her to be careful about that kind of thing in future.

But paused. For once in his life, looking at her with--not new eyes, but at a slightly different angle, perhaps. She'd done his business for him; she deserved to know. He flexed his hand involuntarily, just thinking of it. "Breaking in a new employee. Someone who can get us inside Rover's organization... someone I hope turns out to be trustworthy."

[borgiafatale]

"Breaking in," Lucrezia repeated, wondering exactly what that meant. And also not wanting to ask. "Then I too hope that they are trustworthy. You are treading a dangerous line here, Cesare. Does father know what you're up to?"

[autcaesar_autnihil]

"If the new man is half as clever as he seems, he will be," Cesare said with a small, black humor smile that was very much at home on his face. "I'd rather keep father out of it; what he doesn't know, no one can use against him.

"They're playing dirty though, sis. When they couldn't find anything to use against him--anything new--they decided to invent their own. That's what we've just prevented."

[borgiafatale]

"I am glad for that," Lucrezia said, but she was frowning a little.

"Come here," she said, and sat down on the couch, holding a glass out to Cesare and also putting out her arm so that he could sit down and lean against her.

[autcaesar_autnihil]

He obeyed without hesitation, as he would obey no one else in the world. Sinking low into the couch so his dark head could rest against her blond one, her arm around him, his hand--faintly abused about the knuckles, though not much--in her lap. "You've helped me protect the family, tonight, Lucrezia."

[borgiafatale]

Lucrezia put a hand up to stroke his hair lightly. "So did you, apparently," she said. "And you've hurt your hand."

And it was, of course, at this moment that Allan walked out of the office and stopped in his tracks when he saw them.

Lucrezia didn't pull away from Cesare, but her hand did still. "Hello, darling," she said. "Are you going to bed? I won't be long, Cesare stopped by to talk about some boring family business."

[autcaesar_autnihil]

Lazily, Cesare extended his hand against Lucrezia's knee, both displaying his injury and as if to say, Yes, that's right, she's here. With me. Ostensibly, he ignored Allan until Lucrezia was done speaking to him. And then, slowly, as if he might be a housecat wandering into the room unbidden rather than his own brother-in-law, Cesare finally looked up and met Allan's unimpressive gaze with an intense one of his own. The faint upturn at the corners of his lips would be taken as the beginning of a smile by anyone who didn't know him. He assumed Allan wasn't quite so stupid. "You know how it is, with our family. Always something," he said almost musically.

[borgiafatale]

Lucrezia had had many conversations with her husband about how he disliked Cesare. They had increased in frequency as time passed. Perhaps because he knew how much these upset her and he cared less about this than he used to.

... no, that was an uncharitable thing to think. Perhaps it was because Cesare cared less and less about endearing himself to Allan.

"Always something," Allan agreed, and his gaze went visibly to Cesare's hand on Lucrezia's leg.

"It's late," he said. "Come to bed, Lucrezia."

She looked a bit surprised, then hesitated. Finally she said, "I'll be right behind you."

[autcaesar_autnihil]

The gaze Cesare fixed on Allan went from intense to malicious, almost glinting; the smirk increased slightly, but enough to be evident even to someone of Aragon's limited intellect. How dare this ineffectual idiot presume to command Lucrezia Borgia to 'come to bed'. She'd 'come to bed' when she damn well pleased.

Cesare held his peace for the moment, though. He'd had enough of dramatic scenes, today, and didn't want to spoil his sister's evening entirely. Just turn around and go back into your room, you bloody fool...

[borgiafatale]

Allan looked at her for a moment, then walked over and bent over her (and necessary, over Cesare as well), and kissed her. This made her uncomfortable, but she only smiled a little at him.

"Goodnight, Cesare," Allan added briskly as he straightened up again, and then headed up the stairs.

[autcaesar_autnihil]

The hand on Lucrezia's knee curled into a fist as Allan bent over him. It'd be easy, so easy, to free her of this weight--which was all Allan Aragon was: dead weight.

But Cesare held his temper with more ease than usual, worn out from the days exertions and comforted still by Lucrezia's touch. When Allan's footsteps stopped, he sat up, pulling away from her with obvious reluctance, but irritation written all over his face. "How reassuring to know he bothers to notice when you're not in bed. Does he often attempt to dictate your schedule?" This was said with the kind of mock-lightness that, in Cesare, was inevitably dangerous.

[borgiafatale]

Lucrezia did something unusual at that point.

Her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Really, Cesare," she murmured, and looked down.

[autcaesar_autnihil]

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, but the smirk, far from being quashed, only grew. "Apologies, sis, but it's the first time in a long time I've seen him act anything like a husband. Even if it's like a bad one."

[borgiafatale]

Lucrezia pulled away from him, then. "He isn't a bad husband," she said. Cesare knew very well what her first husband had been like, and Allan was a saint in comparison.

[autcaesar_autnihil]

Of course, he thought of Giovanni, and his face darkened. "Not bad isn't good, sis. I only want the best for you."

[borgiafatale]

"Then maybe you shouldn't have let father pressure me into making an advantageous marriage for his political ambitions," Lucrezia snapped, and stood.

But her face softened almost immediately, because she simply couldn't think poorly of him, more so than anyone in the world. "I'm fine, Cesare. I love him, it's fine." She even almost believed it, still.

[autcaesar_autnihil]

"You said you loved him," Cesare said quietly, the fire in his eyes quelled by obvious guilt. "I thought you deserved love, after what he put you through the first time."

But if this was love, then God save them all from it. This was a different kind of misery, this... mediocrity.

[borgiafatale]

"I did," said Lucrezia hastily. "I do."

And the truth was, she thought she had. Though she also realized that one of the things she'd loved about Allan was... he didn't try to control her. Not one bit. She just hadn't realized at the time that it may have meant he didn't care as much about her.

"You should probably go, Cesare," she said. "Why don't we have lunch tomorrow?"

[autcaesar_autnihil]

He stood in one smooth, quick motion, and leaned down to press a kiss into her forehead. "Good night, sis. Text me where you want to meet for lunch, then."

And he turned before she could get a good look at his face. Because it still wore that mixture of slow, but hot-burning anger and, the rarest of all, on him, guilt.