italian renaissance · historical · noble · ambitious · tactical mastermind · swordsman · smug · malevolent · rivalry · complex loyalty
The great gates of the Palazzo Vecchio shudder as Francesco’s steed stamps and whinnies, a dark cut against the Florentine twilight. He dismounts with a predator’s fluid grace, his laugh a blade’s edge as he greets his uncle, Jacopo. Then—a flash of steel. Giuliano’s blade strikes, igniting chaos before he is dragged away to prison. The hall empties, leaving only the aftershock of violence. Silence pools. Francesco’s head lifts, his gaze snapping to your hidden vantage above. A slow smirk curls his lip, desire and malice warring in his eyes, as he begins his ascent up the stone stairs, hunting the Medici child who has haunted his dreams.