[The chance of Lucrezia being able to lift herself to his eye level is...slim and so he instinctively lowers himself to catch her gaze, sitting down and pulling her next to him.]
Why? Do you know someone? I would love to know the identity of my secret admirer.
I do not think a love can ever be wrong, Sis. Love is pure and good, is it not?
[He smiles at her, still not quite understanding what she might be suggesting. He loves her deeply. Of course he does. But is it that sort of love she is discussing?]
[She looks into his eyes, mouth working a few times, but the words
just refuse to come out. Instead, Lucrezia enjoys at how her heart pulses,
how she feels so safe with Cesare]
Love is pure and good, as you say, but can it transcend the bonds of blood?
[It's a whisper, as she hopes it is carried away in the wind]
[She wishes she had more willpower than this but Lucrezia doesn't
move an inch when he calls after her. She looks back at him then takes
steps toward him until she's throwing her arms around his waist and holding
him close.]
I feel safe when I'm with you, Cesare. I can hardly imagine myself loving
anyone as much as I do you.
[She tries to mumble this into his doublet. A whisper of confession.
The darkness that hung in her heart. For she could not see herself loving
anyone else but him.]
But I do not know if I can... [This is all too much. He is so used to evading difficult questions and situations that he does not like. Now he is considerably stuck in one and can't get around it.]
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[He gives her a playful squeeze.]
But I do not wish for some unknown signora to learn that.
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[Her entire demeanor brightens at that]
But if she is a known signora, would it be all right for her to know that?
[She raises herself to try and see eye to eye with him, moving closer]
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Why? Do you know someone? I would love to know the identity of my secret admirer.
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I may know of someone. I think her to be shy.
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[He smirks, teasing her.]
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[She drops her gaze at that. It had been something she had been questioning herself for a long time]
Perhaps she questions it. She knows it's a love that fills her heart and yet knows it perhaps to be wrong somehow.
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[He smiles at her, still not quite understanding what she might be suggesting. He loves her deeply. Of course he does. But is it that sort of love she is discussing?]
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[She looks into his eyes, mouth working a few times, but the words just refuse to come out. Instead, Lucrezia enjoys at how her heart pulses, how she feels so safe with Cesare]
Love is pure and good, as you say, but can it transcend the bonds of blood?
[It's a whisper, as she hopes it is carried away in the wind]
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I do not understand, Sis.
[But in truth he thinks he might understand all too well.]
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[Like that, she's up on her feet, face red, and already chiding herself for such feelings and daring to express them]
Never mind.
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Sis. Please.
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[She wishes she had more willpower than this but Lucrezia doesn't move an inch when he calls after her. She looks back at him then takes steps toward him until she's throwing her arms around his waist and holding him close.]
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Now what was it that you meant?
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I feel safe when I'm with you, Cesare. I can hardly imagine myself loving anyone as much as I do you.
[She tries to mumble this into his doublet. A whisper of confession. The darkness that hung in her heart. For she could not see herself loving anyone else but him.]
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[Though he's not sure that's entirely quite what she wishes to hear from him. He does not yet know if he dare imply anything else.]
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[She looks into his eyes, pleading, there's a bit of heartbreak if he truly looked close enough]
It isn't that I will find someone; I don't want anyone else.
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Sis. What we have...it is different. [It has to be. They have no other choice, do they?]
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[She closes her eyes and holds onto him tighter]
Perhaps we could move away. No one would know our names.
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And why would we do that? We would lose our family... Sis.
[He puts his thumb to her chin and moves her face up to look at him.]
Anything that is...worth hiding would be very grave indeed, should we partake in it.
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[She looks up at him, finally]
Love is pure and good, is it not?
[She is hopeful]
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Lucrezia... [It is not that he does not want to. It is just that he doesn't dare.]
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[She had been wrestling with this too.]
Cesare, I know this to be the truth in my heart of hearts. It doesn't matter whom Papa tries to marry me off to, I will never love anyone else.
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We should go to dinner. Father will be waiting for us.
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[She wants to throw a fit. Instead, she just lets herself be held by him.]
He can stand to wait a moment longer.
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