Giuseppe and Maribella

The student tried to avoid the close scrutiny by taking a step backward along the dockside. Suddenly another figure farther along the docks caught his eye. It was Bruno, purposefully striding towards the newly-docked ships. Giuseppe decided it was time to leave. He stalked off away from Bruno without even saying goodbye to the Captain. He didn't see Bruno approach the same man.

"Bon Giourno, Captain. Was there any student trying to book passage?"

"Yes, there was, just now. I told him a sea story about needing a pass from the City Guards." The Captain grinned at his own mischief.

Bruno laughed along with him. "I need a favor. I want two sailors that are good in a fight. Have you any men to spare?

"Aye, that I do." The Captain realized that this was a chance to get rid of a couple of lazy crewmen. "I'll send them to you after we've finished unloading the cargo."

======

Giuseppe hoped that Maribella would take the opportunity to visit Rosetta while Bruno was occupied down at the docks. A quick glance over the garden wall confirmed his hopes. There was Maribella, wrapped in a cloak and sitting on a garden bench, chatting with her friend. Her pregnancy was starting to be visible and the nobleman took a moment to stare at her in awe before leaping over the wall.

"Maribella, thank the saints that you're here so I can see you at last." Ignoring Rosetta, Giuseppe kneeled in front of Maribella and kissed both her hands, then leaned forward and kissed her belly through her gown.

"Don't look at my tummy." She protested. "It's so big now I feel like I'm ugly, distorted."

She tried to lean back away from her lover, but he pulled her back towards him.

"You are beautiful, you've always been beautiful and you always will be."

He gently pulled her to her feet and tried to lead her into the house.

"We can't, won't that hurt our baby?" She protested.

"Not until you're farther along, didn't the midwife tell you that it won't hurt the baby?"

"Our baby." Maribella corrected him. "I'm certain that you did this to me. Sfortuno wasn't able to perform at the right time. I lied to him about how far along I was."

"Oh Maribella, that's wonderful." Giuseppe's grin widened.

"But I think Sfortuno might be suspicious anyway. I'm afraid for you, you might have to leave the city."

"Don't worry bella mia, I've been trying to book passage by sea. For both of us."

Maribella gasped at this news. "But Sfortuno has a lot of influence with the ship captains, you won't be able to find anyone to take us."

"But you can't go by land in your condition. What else can I do?"

"I don't know." Maribella was downcast.

"Let's go inside, it's getting cold out here." The student led her into the house and helped her up the stairs.

Back in their special room, he helped her undress and get under the warm blanket before stripping himself and joining her. Gently, he teased her passions awake with his ardent caresses of her breasts and bottom, and eager work with his tongue and lips on her mouth and nipples. It took her a few moments to relax enough to respond, finally reaching down to run her hand along his hardness. He dived under the covers and buried his face in her muff, making her squeal when he found her clitoris in the dark. She took his hardness in her mouth, easing the head past her teeth and running her tongue around its perimeter. However Giuseppe had other plans and withdrew from her mouth as soon as she moaned in orgasm. He positioned himself above her, entering her slowly, savoring each moment that they were connected. Because of her condition, he kept his thrusts gentle and steady, supporting his weight on his extended arms. It didn't take long until she was gasping another orgasm, soon followed by his own shuddering explosion inside her. As usual, they stayed connected until he softened, whispering sweet little endearments to each other. Giuseppe was reluctant to leave, but Maribella insisted that he go before Bruno appeared, fearing for his safety.

======

Some days later Giuseppe walked slowly through the crowded market square searching for a flower merchant with the right blooms to make another batch of his special scented water for Maribella to cheer her up. Now that winter was here, the right flowers were impossible to obtain fresh, and even difficult to find dried. Giuseppe was wondering what dried flowers he could substitute for his original formula, yet still have it smell as sweet. A harsh voice startled him out of his preoccupation.

"You there, student!" Bruno's hand rested on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "I've seen you around my master's house. I'm warning you, stay away."

"Scuzi, but I don't know who your master is." Giuseppe feigned confusion.

"Don't act stupid. Signore Sfortuno doesn't play those games, especially with students. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away."

"Ah, now I remember. Signore Sfortuno, he's the ship owner." Giuseppe gestured broadly with his left hand to try and distract the bully, but kept his right near his rapier. "Didn't he marry Maestro Grassello's daughter, what's her name?"

"I've seen you with her, don't mock me." Bruno's sword hissed out of its scabbard.

Giuseppe immediately whipped his blade out and the two faced each other. The crowd edged back into a circle, trying to stay out of harm's way and giving the combatants room. Bruno was the veteran of many shipboard fights and carried a naval sword, shorter and thicker than the student's graceful rapier. Giuseppe had trained with the sword since childhood. He had even fought several duels to first blood, but had never killed. Bruno's style was rougher and more brawling. Giuseppe was used to formal duels that depended more on finesse than grappling. They circled, each waiting for the other to reveal some weakness. Giuseppe attacked first. He changed lines, faked a thrust to Bruno's head then whipped his sword down to carve a shallow scratch along Bruno's forearm. The sailor hissed and retaliated with a thrust at Giuseppe's upper body that turned into a slashing cut at his arm. It narrowly missed its mark, leaving a small, ragged tear in the student's upper shirtsleeve. They circled again, jabbing and feinting without full commitment, testing each other's defense.

Giuseppe found that it was more difficult to block his opponent's heavier weapon, but his longer rapier had the advantage in reach and speed. Giuseppe moved in again, faking thrusts at the sailor's body and legs, making him align his sword point off center. This left Giuseppe the opening he wanted, Bruno's neck was momentarily unguarded. Giuseppe aimed a quick lunge at the bully's throat, but a stout wooden cudgel knocked his blade off target. Another baton knocked Bruno's sword out of his grasp, clattering to the cobblestones. It was the City Guards, soldiers of the Duke who kept peace in the streets. Giuseppe didn't want to be detained in the lockup, especially along with Bruno. While Bruno struggled with them, inadvertently causing a distraction, Giuseppe slipped from the guard's hands and dashed into the crowd, leaping over the edge of the fountain.

Giuseppe knew he would have to be careful when on his way to or from Rosetta's house. Back at his room, he dug into his storage chest, searching. From near the bottom of the chest, he extracted a small but powerful crossbow and a leather quiver containing eight wickedly sharp bolts.

======

There was no towel on the railing, but Giuseppe cautiously peered over the wall to check the situation anyway. Maribella was there, sitting on a garden bench despite the cool weather and wrapped in a thick blanket. She looked up, smiling at his presence but her smile turned to a look of concern when she saw him armed with his crossbow as well as his rapier under his dark cloak.

"Giuseppe, what's wrong? Has Bruno threatened you?"

He ignored the question. "Why are you out in the cold? Come inside and I'll keep you warm."

"Giuseppe, you didn't fight with Bruno, did you?"

Giuseppe looked at the ground, he couldn't bring himself to lie to Maribella. "Yes, my love. Bruno drew on me in the market. I almost had him when the City Guards stopped the fight. I got away, obviously."

She quickly stood and grabbed him in a hug. "Don't fight in the streets. I don't want Bruno to hurt you or the City Guards to take you away. Please."

Giuseppe stroked her hair. "It'll be fine, don't worry bella Maribella. Worry will disturb the baby."

"But my tummy is getting even bigger, I look terrible."

"You are more beautiful than ever." Giuseppe backed up his words with a deep kiss. He gently led her inside the house before she could protest and half carried her up the stairs to the little bedroom.

"I'll be gentle for our baby's sake, but I have to have you again." He stopped her words with a kiss and deftly undid the laces of her gown.

======

The evening was almost completely dark when Giuseppe left Rosetta's and headed for his rooms. He kept the dark cloak close wrapped around him as he walked down the narrow streets, as much as for concealment as for warmth. He was near his rooms and thought he had avoided any danger when two men approached him.

"Ah, it's Giusppe the student. I thought I'd find you around here." The mocking voice belonged to Bruno, approaching along with one of Sfortuno's sailors. The sailor already had his long dagger out of its scabbard and Bruno was drawing his naval sword. Giuseppe heard more footsteps on the cobblestones down the lane behind him.

The young nobleman whipped aside the cloak and Bruno started to move in, probably to try and catch Giuseppe before he could draw his own blade. However, Giuseppe already had a weapon in hand. Aiming quickly he leveled the small, powerful crossbow at Bruno and released the deadly bolt with a soft twang and a hiss. Bruno stumbled and dropped his sword, clutching at the sailor's arm and causing him to drop his dagger. Blood spurted from the front of Bruno's leather doublet.

Seeing the first two assailants tangled up, Giuseppe wheeled around to find a second sailor approaching with dagger held high. The student dodged quickly. The second sailor's knife whooshed narrowly past him, tearing a hole in his cloak. Without time to reload his crossbow, Giuseppe swung the solid oak stock backhand at the sailor as hard as he could, bashing him in the face and knocking out a couple of teeth. The man slumped stunned against a wall with his hands pressed against his forehead where the tip of the steel crossbow prod had torn open a long, bloody gash. Giuseppe dropped the bow and drew his own rapier, backing into a position where he could face both remaining assailants at the same time.

They paused in their attack. The first sailor had picked up his knife, but kept looking down at Bruno lying on the stones. Blood bubbled up from the mortal lung wound in the ruffian's chest. The second assailant had recovered his balance, but was still hindered by the blood flowing from his forehead into his eyes. They had been hoping to easily overcome Giuseppe, thinking him a dandified student. Now they found themselves facing three feet of gleaming steel in the steady hand of an obvious expert and their leader was dying in the street. They hadn't bargained on this. With only a quick glance of agreement at each other, they ran off.

Giuseppe let his breath out in one sigh of relief. He hadn't realized that had been holding it. Now that the immediate danger was past, he realized that he was in far greater danger. The two sailors would undoubtedly go straight to Sfortuno who would summon the City Guard to detain Giuseppe. The authorities had little regard for the testimony of students. With two witnesses and the powerful Sfortuno against him, it was likely that he would be executed in short order. He could only think of one plan of action. He retrieved his small crossbow and ran for the Church of St. Fabiola. If only he could convince Padre Pietro to hide him, there might be a chance to escape.

======

"Padre Pietro you know me well enough, I'm not looking to betray Giuseppe. I want to help him." Francisco pleaded with the Priest. "Take me to him."

"How did you know he was here? I've told no one." The Priest was confused and might have even suspected Francisco of sorcery.

"Because I've looked everywhere else for him, his rooms, the university and... other places. This is the only other place that he would hide." Francisco didn't mention Rosetta's garden or the body of Bruno being found early that morning along with one of Giuseppe's crossbow bolts. The Priest probably already knew about the fight.

Pietro headed down the stairs to the crypts below the church and stopped at one iron grating, unlocking it with a key on his belt. Giuseppe was inside, crouching behind a large, ornate tomb. He leapt up when he recognized Francisco.

"Thank the saints that you're here. You've got to get word to Maribella, let her know where I am. I've got to see her."

"Giuseppe, the City Guards are in an uproar, they're looking for you at the University and keeping watch on your rooms." Francisco shook his head. "Sfortuno won't let Maribella leave his villa at all, even to go to Rosetta's."

"What am I to do?" Giuseppe wrung his hands in anguish.

"We've got to get you out of the city by land. Every sailor in town is looking for you. Bruno wasn't well liked, but Sfortuno is a powerful enemy."

"There's a caravan leaving in two days for the northern trade fairs." Father Pietro added. "If you shave off your mustache and cut your hair in a tonsure you can leave with them disguised as a monk."

"But how can I leave Maribella?"

"Giuseppe, listen to me." Francisco grabbed his friend by the shoulders, forcing him upright to face him. "Sfortuno is very old, he can't last forever. All you have to do is wait him out. I'll get word to you."

"Can you at least get a message to Maribella, tell her why I'm leaving? I don't want her to think that I'm abandoning her."

"Rosetta might be able to speak to her, but I don't think that a written message would be wise."

"Just have Rosetta explain to her." Giuseppe slumped down again. "Can you get something from my room? It's a carved box." Giuseppe explained to Francisco about the poems in the box and why it was so important to him.

"I'll bring the box, but you'll need some money, too. A few bribes in the right places can ease your journey." Francisco advised.

"Anything you need to bring, go and fetch quickly. The caravan won't wait for anyone." Father Pietro cautioned.

Giuseppe nodded and told his friend where to find his moneybag and the box of poems. He told Francisco that he could keep everything else. Ever a loyal friend, Francisco ran the errands immediately, sneaking into Giuseppe's rooms and bringing the money and poems back to the church.

The caravan left on time as usual and none of the City Guards noticed an extra monk with the travelers. Even one clutching a carved box to his chest, quietly weeping.

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Author's note: The ages of the main characters in this story are given as 20 years and 18 years because of editorial necessity. In the Renaissance period, these lovers would probably have been much younger, probably between 15 and 17 years of age. It is said that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet were supposed to be even younger than that.

The study of the Renaissance period is fascinating, these were lusty folk that lived closer to the cycles of nature than we do today. They often wrote about their sexual adventures, mostly in veiled terms, but sometimes explicitly. Readers of this story are urged to find actual stories from that time. Boccaccio's "The Decameron" is a wonderful example of a collection of stories from that period, many of them rather explicit.

Thank you for reading this far, I hope you enjoyed this little tale.