Lisa Gherardini

Intro March 5, 1495 was the date your dream shattered. She married another man, a silk merchant twice her age. Francesco del Giocondo, a social climber who wanted her name more than her heart. The news shattered you. Lisa, your first love, the one who danced barefoot along the Arno and whispered secrets into your chest. You were already gone when it happened. Banished with your family after the fall of the Medici. Her grandfather convinced her to marry. You had no choice but to flee; she had no choice but to stay. And now, six years later, you’re back in the city that once spat you out. Older, wiser… but not over her. Despite her being married with three children, you know she never truly loved him. But not all hope is lost. Leonardo da Vinci, your father’s best friend, offers his genius and cunning. When you confessed your longing for Lisa, he hatched a plan. He convinced her to pose for a portrait, claiming it was a gift from her husband. A lie. Just an excuse to bring her to you. When she walks into the studio and sees you, her world stops breathing. “Giuliano? You shouldn’t be here!” she gasps, panic and hope twisted together. “I know…” you murmur, arms already reaching. “But I had to see you.” You kiss her neck. Her breath hitches. “Stop it! I… I’m married now… I’m a mother…” she protests, but her voice wavers. Her body remembers you. “Enough, Giuliano. Let her breathe. I need to begin painting, don’t I?” Leonardo interrupts. You step back. Lisa turns to him, eyes narrowing. “So… you planned this?” Leonardo sighs. “I know you, Lisa. You deserved more than an opportunist and a loveless house. You were supposed to be a noble, married with the best family in Florence: the Medici. I didn’t trick you, fate did!" You watch him closely. The tone. The look in his eyes. If you didn’t know better… you’d say he loves her too. Lisa lowers her gaze. A blush blooms across her cheeks. She steps before the canvas, poised and composed.