The Venetian Republic in the 17th century was, to say the least, a fascinating place and the experience of the Venetian Court was quite unique compared to other great monarchies. A centre of power, culture, art and social life, with more liberties and allowances than anyone cared to admit. That said, what brings you to Venice is beside the point (more or less) - but what will it take for you to show up for a private masquerade hosted under the veil of night?

And you are...
... noble lady, maybe a merchant, an artist, or perhaps part of the clergy (would not recommend it, I think) or something else? Venice was an interesting place at the time - there was more playing field for non-nobles at the time and the government was far from monarchy as in most of Europe
...you are here to have fun, or maybe get a match, or your match is left at home and you really want to have some proper fun - I think most things will work

Our Rules
• Rounds will last for 168 hours, which is a week.
• Please be mindful of the relationships & personalities of the extras.
• It's a story-writing contest, so you need to have some story and interactions with extras in order to get impressions.
• Your characters co-exist in the same place, but I do not expect anything more than that.
• The deadline is real, please try to keep it.
• Ask, ask, ask! I am happy to provide resources and options, answers, and help in general.
• Give to get: super simple rule when it comes to impressions - the more I get, the more you get (also, quality over quantity)
• The contest is supposed to be light and fun, so you're here to stir towards romance, or some intrigue, or whatever makes you happy!

The Calendar
Round 1, The Wake of Soon-to-be-Dead Conte Leonardo di Malvolio, ends October 16th.
Round 2, The Aftermath, also known as Rising from the Dead, ends October 23rd.
Round 3, Leap From the Gallows and Straight to the Aisle, ends October 30th.
Round 4, The Undoing of Masks: Tricks, Traps, and Terrible Truths, ends November 6th.
Round 5, One Last Temptation before Ascension…?, ends November 13th.

Now, let's get to the paper people, and then Round 1.

Last edited by Zaralee (21/10/2024 at 16:29)

Paper People


Leonardo di Malvolio, future Conte di Montefeltra
FC: Sam Corlett
Age: 25
Traits: Charismatic, demands attention. Humorous, witty. Empathetic. Spoilt. Open-minded. Selfish. Confident, also arrogant. Loyal, genuinely cares for the people he loves. Resentful, on a bad day. Optimistic, on a good one. Tends to see the silver lining, doesn’t mind to drink his way into seeing it occasionally.
Connections:
Antonio, twin brother, always somewhere between love, annoyance and resentment.
Ottavio, Bastiano and Domenico, closest friends.
Olympia and Cesare, friendly relationship, he enjoys their company (occasionally).
Andrea, his favourite architect, potentially a friend.

Leonardo is well-known to all classes of Venice, and unlike a lot of people, he is well-liked by most of them. The gorgeous son of Doge Malvolio of Venice is a versatile man - he’s witty, with sharp humour, he’s charming in his interactions, mostly kind to everyone he talks to, and manages to walk the delicate line between confident and arrogant easily. Genuine in his interactions, he tends to be exactly what everyone needs him to be, but somehow without much pretending. This is why his activities in the shadier parts of the city either go willingly ignored or at least less frowned upon than those of most people in a similar position. He knows how to have fun, but manages to lean into the path made for him. The only thing that truly rattled him so far might have been the marriage arranged by his father.

Antonio di Malvolio, son of Conte di Montefeltra
FC: Leo Suter
Age: 25
Traits: Adventurous, lives for the rush. Curious, never stops exploring. Secretive, doesn’t like people to know too much about him. Charming, very much aware of it. Resourceful, to the point of ignoring the rules. Empathetic. Has a flare for drama. Cocky. Unapologetic. Spoilt, egocentric. Very self-indulgent, sometimes at his own expense.
Connections:
Leonardo, twin brother, always somewhere between love, annoyance and resentment.
Baltasar, a friend as of recent, they get along well.
Alexandre, fits into the category of friendly people he met along the way.
Domenico, used to be closer to him, before he left Venice.

The prodigal son who managed to run out of Venice before his story was written for him, Antonio has always been bad with the rules of society. Growing up privileged, he never really understood the meaning of no, so it came as no surprise he picked up his things and left Venice as soon as it got boring. Despite rather vocal protests from his father, Antonio left 5 years ago, on a merchant ship that sank outside of Venice - while most were presumed dead, Antonio managed to get out and continue his travels. He kept in touch with his twin through letters, announcing his return to Venice all of a sudden. While no one is sure why he’s back, or when he plans to confront his father, most seem to be anticipating some type of showdown.

Cesare di Ravella, Procuratore di San Marco and Marchese di Savona
FC: Matthew Goode
Age: 43
Traits: Ambitious. Cunning. Possessive. Intelligent. Charming, when he wishes to be. Influential and manipulative, he is quite convincing when he has an agenda. Calculated. Observant, well-respected (or sometimes feared).
Connections:
Olympia, his second wife, and an asset, in his mind.
Alexandre, brother-in-law, conundrum.
Ottavio, family of a sorts, thinks he has a good head on his shoulders, and recognizes his ambition.
Leonardo, considers him a potential ally, friendly relationship.

Cesare is the current Procurator of Venice, the highest position except for Doge, and his only intention is to go up from there. Ambitious - with brains and social intelligence to back it up. Social norms are just a checklist to him, and he’d cross them off easily. He has a very cosy palazzo, manages his estates well and only socializes with the right crowd, and other than the fact his first wife died during a plague and he remarried only six months later, he hasn’t had any slip-ups along the way - he is still not sure if Olympia is willing to keep with the pristine reputation he is easily handling. Cesare is a man who knows what he wants and finds a way to get it. He’s well-connected and keeps a lot of people on his payroll, making sure nothing in Venice gets past him, using the information to his and the state’s benefit. Mostly.


Olympia di Ravella, Marchesa di Savona
FC: Emilia Schule
Age: 25
Traits: Passionate. Mischievous. Spoilt, likes to get things her way. Stubborn. Diplomatic on the outside, judgmental on the inside. Charming and confident, she believes she can achieve anything. Eloquent. Sophisticated. Sweet, until she is not. Open-minded. Hungry for life. Grew to be more selfish and manipulative with age, to make sure she always enjoys as much as she can.
Connections:
Cesare, husband, she’s always between hating and admiring him.
Alexandre, half-brother, she’s keeping an open mind.
Leonardo, finds him quite amusing, they have a friendly relationship.
Ottavio, related to her husband and she occasionally enjoys his company, but prefers his wife.
Coming from a less-than-desirable background that is slowly (yet surely) beginning to fade out of existence, Olympia ended her tour of courts in Venice where she was allegedly about to be married to a lord she met during her time in France, but things changed quickly as she found herself in the middle of her father’s ambition again, marring Cesare. Olympia is a determined woman, smart when it comes to court matters, and never says no to some good party, she grew into her ambition with time, trying to make the best of a situation which she is not enjoying at all - or she does, occasionally. She’s aware she does not have her husband’s approval, but she is determined to play around it and get away with some freedom.

Bastiano Farnese, son of Duca di Parma
FC: Edward Bluemel
Age: 24
Traits: Clever, although he doesn’t like to show it. Observant, to the point of a fault. Leans into introverted, but he is very relaxed with his circle. Open-minded towards everything. Likes to explore and try new things. Mischievous, likes to push limits. Prefers to bend the rules, rather than outright breaking them. Stubborn, insanely. Hates to admit it, but he cares about what people think of him.
Connections:
Leonardo, Domenico and Ottavio, his closest friends.

Might be the least loud of his friend group, but certainly not the one to fall behind in any category that matters. He might be sitting on the sidelines, but make no mistake - mischief is something that comes rather naturally to him. His humour might be dry and scathing at times, and although he means well, it puts him through some trouble along the way. Bastiano comes from a large family which runs the clergy in Venice, with quite a colourful reputation. It doesn’t prevent them from playing their game to a beat, and while Bastiano is not always in the mood to play them, he can’t deny the benefits he has from them. However, he is not keen on the strings that come attached, in his case, the unspoken promise of an upcoming ordination which he is determined to avoid - at all cost.

Ottavio Giustiniani, Conte d’Aquilano
FC: Nicholas Galitzine
Age: 26
Traits: Cold towards most people. Loyal, family means a lot to him. Calculated. Ambitious, hates to see things fall through. Responsible, when he starts something, he makes sure he finishes it. Vindictive, holds a grudge like a champ. Selfish, the only thing that comes above him is the family. Discreet, you can trust him to be discreet at all times. Strategic. Amazing at compartmentalising. Hedonist, enjoys finer things in life. Doesn’t deny himself anything.
Connections:
Leonardo, Domenico and Bastiano, closest friends.
Cesare, they are connected through a branch of the family and have been socialising on many occasions. Friendly with his wife, Olympia.

Ottavio comes from a very long line of ambitious people. Most branches of his family have been married into different branches of European royalty and courts; his connections are as vast as the canals of Venice. There is a sense of purpose instilled in him at birth - each family member has a role in the big scheme of things, and that was about it when it came to actual closeness in the Giustiniani family. Ottavio knows he has a purpose to serve, and outside of that role, he knows he is free to do whatever he wishes, as long as he does it discreetly. After his father's death, the role of Conte d’Aquilano came with a marriage condition, and he did as he was asked. One thing that you should know about Ottavio is that he truly can separate different parts of his life - he does things for pleasure, and he does things for duty - he doesn’t necessarily see those as connected. He’s cut-throat, ambitious, straight-to-the-point and always pays his debts.


Domenico Battista Savona, future Barone di Villanova
FC: Manny Jacinto
Age: 24
Traits: Charismatic, demands attention no matter where. Loves to engage in conversations and battle of wits. Doesn’t care for all society's rules. Enjoys his freedom. Outgoing, easy to talk to - most days. Likes to push people’s buttons, playfully. Competitive, can’t help it. Self-centered, mostly without considering that he is being such. Loyal and kind friend, always happy to help.
Connections:
Leonardo, Ottavio and Bastiano, closest friends.
Antonio, they were close before - neither of them is keen on letter writing, tho.
Donata, knows her as their shipping docks are close to one other.

The charismatic child of a very wealthy merchant and an impoverished baroness, Domenico might just be the personification of having your cake and eating it, too. Well, mostly. Growing up belonging neither here nor there, he had enough time to learn how to find loopholes in the rules laid before him, while not ignoring the proper educational milestones his mother laid out for him. Not that he is a fan of fitting into the society that is very intentional in keeping him at bay, he just sees you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. It’d be an overstatement to say he’s been an ideal heir, but he does his best. He loves to have fun, and he enjoys the gossip it causes at times, but at times, he needs to remember his actions have consequences on more than just him. He’s not willing to admit it openly, but he’s quite convinced his life would have been easier had it not been for the title he is going to inherit.


Andrea Palladio, formerly known as Andrea di Pietro della Gondola
FC: Richard Armitage
Age: 45
Traits: Intelligent, well-educated. Mysterious, or tries to keep that appearance. Well-spoken. Inspiring draws attention and knows how to keep it. Precise, in his words, actions, work. Kind, but aloof. Tries to be fair, but oftentimes gets lost in his own ways. Self-indulgent, secretly. Sceptical, more than he’s willing to admit.
Connections:
Donata, his preferred shipping partner, knows she’s respectful of his materials.
Leonardo, his current patron, potentially a friend.

Talented from the moment he first started his studies, Andrea always knew he was destined for greatness. He didn’t let his humble roots get in the way of that but rather built good relationships with all the wealthy patrons in Padua until he found his gold ticket out. He studied for years - masonry, and architecture - but his goal was to get a good sense of each and every part of the art that took to build a palace. His first build was the breakthrough he needed - his talent was well-known in Europe. Villa Foscari - his latest project - is unlike anything he has built so far, under the patronage of Leonardo who let his vision run wild. Andrea is perfectly aware his position in society is dependent on patrons, he knows how to behave like that. He’s always a pleasant company, never without a topic, and you’ll really have his heart if you manage to actually know something about architecture.

Donata Morosini
FC: Beren Saat
Age: 28
Traits: Exceptionally good with money and numbers. Determined, or stubborn, it’s a matter of perception. Witty, sometimes too much for her good. Ambitious, eyes-on-the-prize attitude. Extroverted, learnt how to read people. Tries to think ahead. Kind and loyal, once she considers you a friend. She’s emphatic, although she’s hesitant to admit it. Brave, as long as she is sure about her decision.
Connections:
Andrea, knows him through her business, she likes his work.
Domenico, they have met a few times before, she enjoyed the conversation.

Donata grew up in the Republic of Ragusa, daughter of a wealthy but vice-prone merchant who managed to marry her off much better than anyone could have hoped for - the catch was, it was to a Venetian merchant much older than she was. The good thing was that Bernardo Morosini recognized the potential of his new bride, involving her in everything he did. Their 13-year marriage did not produce any heirs, but it produced a whole fleet of ships trading with the Ottoman Empire, and five years after Bernardo was proclaimed dead after vanishing in a storm, Donata continued thriving - in business and her status. She’s smart and ambitious, which has kept her from forming friendships outside of those circles - and now when she’s on her own, she’s attempting to change that, craving a closer relationship - friendly or more.


Baltasar Manuel, Príncipe de Asturias, future king of Spain
FC: Sterling Sulieman
Age: 26
Traits: Intelligent and well-educated, normally not too keen on showing it early on. Prideful. Charming. Diplomatic. Excellent at hiding his true emotions. Observant, likes to discover what makes people tick. Enjoys good wine, company and books. Relies too much on best-laid plans, and likes to scheme, which often leads to over-planing and overthinking. Curious.
Connections:
Alexandre, cousin and friend, they grew up together and he really trusts him. He’s curious to meet Olympia.
Luisa, cousin and friend, he is very protective of her.
Antonio, friend as of recent, he enjoys his company.

The first child of a king is bound to be set in his own ways, but given he’s been given everything, he grew up into a decent person. Sure, he likes to get his own way, from plans to playing chess - the only thing that saved him from being absolutely selfish was the fact he was raised surrounded by siblings and cousins. Baltasar enjoys being surrounded by people, and so far, he is keen on hearing the word no - occasionally. He’s contradicting himself at times - he can be very determined and decisive about bigger matters of life, then go on and become very indecisive about trivialities of every day. Rather than just taking things as they come, he seeks the outcome better for most, unwilling to take part in despair. He loves to keep himself busy - curiously exploring, learning new languages or skills, talking to scholars and artists - he is already a patron to many.

Alexandre de Nemours, future Duc de Saint-Simon
FC: Laurie Davidson
Age: 23
Traits: Bon vivant. Friendly. Charming, well-spoken, can talk to anyone. Diplomatic. Resourceful. Observant. Manipulative, easily gets information out of people. Indecisive. Scared of responsibility. Mischievous, finds amusement in that.
Connections:
Baltasar, cousin (secretly) and close friend (openly), they get along well as they grew up together.
Luisa, wouldn’t call her a friend, but he enjoys her company most days.
Olympia, half-sister, they aren’t close, but they are finding common ground. He’s unsure of what he thinks of Cesare, but not interested enough to explore more - yet.

Born out of one passionate affair between his father, the infamous Duc de Saint-Simon, and the equally infamous (and at that point, unwed) princess of Bastille, Alexandre has leaned into the in-betweenness of it all. He was brought up as a protege of his uncle the king, forming a close relationship with his cousin and the future king, Manuel. In the meantime, he went between his parents, families, and countries. He’s well-spoken and educated, speaks various languages and generally enjoys his position - or, he did until recently. By legitimising him, his father took out the lack of responsibility from his plans and made him a very eligible bachelor all of a sudden. Instead of embracing it, he decided to run - a normal way of dealing with his problems, if he cannot talk his way out of it - under the pretense of visiting Olympia and accompanying Baltasar to Venice.

Doña Luisa de Ibarra, Marquesa de Eril
FC: Hera Hilmar
Age: 22
Traits: Confident. Bubbly. Sharp-witted. Good at reading people, enjoys observing how people behave. Playful, sometimes even childish. Likes to be right, likes to win. Adaptable, but her buttons can be pushed rather easily. Prudent, pragmatic. Tactful, most days. Intuitive. Warm, kind-hearted.
Connections:
Baltasar and Alexandre, cousins, she’s friendly with both of them, although she is closer to Baltasar.

Born to play the court to her music, Luisa seems to be right at home there. Kind and confident, never in a bad mood or without a word of praise for anyone, she’s been a well-liked guest at every gathering since her arrival to Venice a fortnight ago. She arrived in the city with Infanto Baltasar and his company, normally not straying far from her crowd. Luisa seems a bit shielded - easily noticed through talking to her - but she means well most days. She’s not a stranger to occasionally wandering around alone, mainly towards the library - she seems to be finding a new love for poetry this time around - and cloth merchants - silk seems to be something she enjoys now, too. Luisa seems to be liking Venice more than she thought she would - at least so far.

Last edited by Zaralee (20/10/2024 at 08:19)

Round 1: The Wake of Soon-to-be-Dead Conte Leonardo di Malvolio

Rumours have circulated for a few weeks prior, as Villa Foscari, the most interesting rural estate project in Venice's recent history, is nearly finished. Now, with the coming of spring, the house is finished and the rumours have proved to be true. 

A footman will find you on a stroll through one of the campi (open square), crossing a bridge to get to a calli (narrow street) you were rushing into, or perhaps catch to your gondola while you are returning home. They will deliver you a sealed invite for one person, and with a theatrical note.

“You have been cordially invited to attend the wake of the soon-to-be-dead Leonardo Malvolio, at his summer palace Villa Foscarini, outside Venice. The invite is for one person only, non-transferable, and you should join only with an open mind, a light heart, and your identity well hidden.

May the God rest his wicked soul.”

You are to show up, with your invite, dressed in white, silver, gold or yellow, and with a mask hiding your identity (more or less).

How you got invited is entirely up to you, but there will be a lot of people around once you arrive at Villa Foscarini (by gondola, your own) - feel free to be amazed at the magnificent building and the property around it. An amazing paved path leading to the house is surrounded by lavender, rosemary and basil, soaked in the setting sun - and at one point you should also figure out there is a larger garden with smaller gathering points scattered across it in the back. The Villa is yours to explore - or the majority of it is - and luckily, the moon is full and high, so your masked party is shy from perfect.

This is a group of wealthy, powerful and/or talented people who are letting loose here, and you are one of them. Throughout the night, you can catch glimpses of people vanishing into the hidden corners of the Villa. Music, wine, food, and even entertainment of various forms is scattered around the Villa.

Leonardo will be easily recognizable, the only one dressed in black, light in layers of silk and very informal. The usual players will be there too, you can choose to recognize them - or pretend you did not. The rumour has it that the architect is there, too, and if you are keen on hearing the gossip, you will easily find out Leonardo's twin brother made an appearance as well, after missing from Venice for a long time. To top it all, most will realize Antonio did not come alone, but rather brought the future king of Spain with him, for a very wild night ahead.

The point is to have fun, run wild, and do something you might or might not regret the following day.

This first round can spread over the days before the masquerade party and it should end as you are embarking on your gondola, sailing through the canals back home, before the sun rises.

Requirements
• Form (Full name & title. Age. Face Claim. Traits & Bio. Connections, include relevant information and please let me know if you wish to make connections to some of the extras.)
• Interests, up to 4, state if romantic or friendly.
• Outfit for the masquerade party, which must include a mask.
• Please write a story of the events of the round, focusing on the masquerade party!

Round closes on October 16th.

Last edited by Zaralee (11/10/2024 at 22:31)

What happens at the wake, stays there.

Luisa, Alexandre & Baltasar
Alexandre offers his hand to Luisa as she disembarks from the gondola, and all three of them take the paved road towards the Villa. He took the lead, leaving Baltasar and Luisa behind, chatting something in Spanish, as he took in the view.

The sun was about to set, the fragrance of the herbs planted around was astonishing, and there was a moment when the sun was directly behind the villa, shining brightly.
"There's a biblical reference I could use, but heresy is not in my plan for a little while more," Alexandre chuckled to his own joke as Luisa and Baltasar approached him. He pulled his mask up, ready to start the evening. "Let's get inside, shall we?"

"What did you say the architect's name was?" Luisa asked, glancing around as they stepped in.
"Andrea Palladio," Baltasar jumps in. "Leonardo gave him complete control over the building, as far as I understood."
Luisa mussed something, nodding, moving away from their earshot.
"Antonio said he would be here, too," Baltasar commented. The party was beginning, being tame at this point, but they took some wine, before walking towards the center. Luisa zig-zagged around the room, observing the palace in such detail it felt she was there for it alone.

Alexandre glanced to see if there was someone he recognised, but his eye kept going towards Luisa, dressed in white, still staring at a fresco in the foyer. Baltasar looked at her, then Alexandre, brows furrowed under his mask, and he chuckled. "What's the matter?"
"I'm wondering when you're going to tell me who she is, really," Alexandre is quieter than he would normally be, but Baltasar says nothing to his comment. "We have known each other for our entire lives, I noticed you whisper something together, the servants don't recognise her."
"People change, Alexandre,"
"You introduced her as a cousin on your mother's side, then your father," Alexandre chuckled. "Have you reached a decision on that?"
"She is our cousin, it's not my fault your memory slips you," Baltasar replied playfully, but Alexandre was done probing. "Let us enjoy this evening, and the month ahead."

Alexandre - annoyed - takes a sip of the wine just as the girl is returning. "Fine."
"Fine?" Luisa asked, glancing up at him.
"Wine is fine," he nodded. "Frescos?"
"Absolutely stunning," she noted with excitement, her accent bleeding into each word. "I'm eager to see more, at some point,"
"Knowing what we know about Leonardo, you need to start exploring before there are more people around," he chuckled, glancing at her confused expression, visible even behind the mask. "Oh, just ignore me, I am far too sober and tired to do this. Let me see if I can find my lady sister."

"You could have told him, you know?" Baltasar looked at Luisa, speaking in Spanish. "It's-"
"Not necessary, Baltasar," she shrugged. "Everyone will find out eventually, anyway."
"I guess so," he nodded, glancing around the room. Near the terrace overlooking the northern side of the palazzo, not far from them, there's a familiar chuckle. Donned in white, with a very deeply cut dress, he recognises Marchessa di Savona easily - her hair colour matched that of her brother, and her style still reflected her time in the French court. "There she is, do you see Alexandre?"

Luisa noticed Olympia, both she and Baltasar watched as she spoke to a tall man, cup in front of her lips, and he leaned in, whispering something at her. Unbothered by the people moving around, they seemed completely enthralled in their conversation.

"I wouldn't peg you for someone keen on close observation," Alexandre jokes as he returns with a drink for Luisa.
"I might still surprise you," she jokes back, thanking him for the drink.
"We've successfully located our dear Olympia," Baltasar nodded towards the people talking.
"Marchese and Marchesa di Savona seem to be very close," Luisa chuckles, the idea of a loving marriage is a very nice one. The conversation seemed to be passionate - or getting there, they stood close to each other, ignoring the people around them entirely. For a second, things looked optimistic. She glanced at Alexandre, gaze turning back to Olympia a moment later.

Alexandre lets out a sharp exhale. "That's all lovely and well, but that's not Cesare."

Olympia, Antonio and Cesare
"I had thought you no longer intended to return to Venice," she mused as he took his place next to her, both having their backs toward the painted wall, drinks in hands, masks covering their faces only as a formality.
"Everyone comes home eventually," he noted, she scoffed. It makes him chuckle, and he turns a bit more towards her, head leaning closer, his voice becoming more silent. "Did you miss me?"
"Oh, heavens," Olympia exhales.
"Was that an admission,"
"Most certainly not," Olympia replied calmly as he moved a little bit closer, looking at her discomfort. "Listen—"
"You slipped away without a word. Tell me, what possessed you to vanish so suddenly? Did you not trust me with a proper farewell?"
"I do not trust you at all," she smiled, doing a poor job of pretending she was not glad to see him. Smiling, she glanced between him and the room to make sure no one was paying attention to them. "I reckon I have told you I am not there to stay a long time."
"It seems I must have overlooked it, or my attention might have been elsewhere."
"You must have," she nodded.
"But we did not waste time talking all that much, you must admit," he chuckled, playfully, she shook her head as a small chuckle escaped her lips.
"Heavens, pray no one hears you, otherwise—"
"Everyone here is aiming to have a lovely time, I assure you they will not notice us when we leave," he interrupted.

"My husband is approaching," she looked over his shoulder shortly, taking a very discreet step back.
"Meet me by the labyrinth's exit at midnight," he mused, hand reaching for her hair. "We can celebrate my return, or perhaps you can tell me how utterly you despise my presence."
"I most certainly won't—"
"Oh, I doubt that very much," he grinned, moving his hand just as Cesare was close enough, joining them.
"Olympia," he reaches out to take her hand shortly, glancing at the man next to him. "Antonio, welcome back,"
"Thank you," he noted.
"I wasn’t aware you had made Antonio’s acquaintance before," he looked at Olympia with a glimpse of curiosity in his eyes.
"Our paths crossed purely by chance," Antonio replied before she got the chance, a smug grin still curling his lips. "I find myself in poor manners, Cesare—I’ve neither offered you condolences for your late wife, nor congratulations on your recent marriage."

Olympia exhaled, annoyed, rolling her eyes as discreetly as she could, while Cesare just looked entertained by whatever Antonio was hoping to achieve. "The entire Venice suffered without your presence, such warm words would have been quite a consolation on various occasions."
"Rest assured I will do my best to remedy it," Antonio replied, glancing one more look at Olympia before turning his attention to Leonardo. "Now, I will excuse myself, I believe my brother demands my attention at once."
"It would be unlike you to make him wait," Cesare smirked as Antonio left in the direction of his brother and his friends. He turns his attention to his wife a moment later, Olympia looking as calm as ever.

Cesare looked at her until she looked back. "Is there something I have to know about this?"
"No," she lied without skipping a beat.
"Remember, Olympia—"
She exhaled, annoyed. "Yes, my love, I remember," her hand reached for his face, landing on the jawline. "Only things you do not know can hurt us."
Cesare smiled. "Very well, you remembered."
"Of course I did," she nodded, a bit annoyed with the smugness of his words - or more importantly, his expression. "If something should change, I intend to inform you at once."

Leonardo, Antonio, Ottavio, Domenico and Bastiano
"Ah, now it feels like the festivities can commence!"

Leonardo's voice carries very well, several people are raising their cups to the scene of two brothers hugging. Leonardo donned black fabric with a black-and-red mask depicting a rather heretic figure from the Bible, and Antonio, all in white, with a simple white mask whose satin strings tangled in his wavy long hair.
"Welcome home, brother," he added as they hugged.
"I would not dream of missing my brother's wake," he nodded, glancing at the trio standing next to them. "But I am glad to see you have been in good hands while I was away."
"That is debatable," Leonardo laughed, holding onto Antonio's forearm. "It truly is good to have you back."
"You might be the only one who thinks that," he mused. "When is she coming to town?"

"Who?" Leonardo seems confused, but luckily Ottavio is still on his first cup of wine.
"Your future wife, my friend," he seemed amused, and Antonio just nodded to that.
"Good thing we have Ottavio to make sure we all make it to wherever we should be," Bastiano downed his cup of wine, turning shortly towards Domenico whose attention was already gone, off to the next gorgeous figure in the room.
"Ah, I believe you meant to say executioner," Leonardo laughed, along with the rest of them. Antonio glanced at him, but his brother seemed to be unrattled by any of it. If he didn't know better, he would have assumed this was all a folly, a pretend. Leonardo seemed to have made peace with doing what he must. "You could ask father, I believe he should know when I am to wed."
"Not the conversation I intend to have any time soon," Antonio replied.
"He is bound to find out you are back," Leonardo replied. "You already spoke to Cesare, the news will reach father by morning."
"Then I have this entire night to do as I will," Antonio grinned.
"It seems we share faith tonight, then," Leonardo grins back at him, genuinely happy to see Antonio there. "I want to talk to you tomorrow after we recover, but right now, I need us to give me a proper farewell, it's not every day a man is to die!"

Antonio smiled, squeezing his shoulder.
"Ah, no!" Leonardo pushed his hand off, playfully, recognizing the look in Antonio's eyes. "You do not get to pity my death yet!"
"Yes, but then it defeats the purpose of holding a wake," Bastiano smiled, locking eyes with Ottavio, who seemed to be in a good mood tonight - although most would not deduct that from the way he looked. His attention shifts to Ottavio. "And your lady wife could not join us?"
"My lady wife is perfectly happy knowing nothing, spending time outside of Venice, preparing for a child, or a puppy, or perhaps both," Ottavio grinned. "The secret to a good marriage is not ever living together for more than six months, my friend."
"You truly have it all," sarcasm dripped from each word, as he chuckled at his own joke. "Besides, that won't be a problem I will have to worry about."
"Plans change, Bastiano, each and every day, you know that,"
Bastiano smirked, giving a playful little shrug. "Do I?"
"You should," Ottavio nods, glancing at their empty cups. "Now, let's find some better wine, I do not intend to be sober for the rest of the night."

They move from the group, only then catching Domenico's attention, and he moves closer to the brothers. "Did something happen?"
"They experienced wine deficiency," Antonio laughed. "Are you searching for someone?"
Surprised by the question, Domenico blinked. "What?"
"Your mind seems to be elsewhere," Leonardo replied and he smiled at them.
"I just thought I saw someone out there," Domenico says. "She did not seem like someone who would attend a party such as this, yet—"
"She?"
"Yet you invited her?"
"She is a merchant my father works with occasionally, her ships are close to ours," he explained. "Young, widowed—"
"Promising," Antonio laughed, and Leonardo shushed him. "Apologies, truly." Antonio places his hand on his chest, humbly.
"I am not after her, at all," Domenico sipped on his wine with a huge smile. "She is simply far too young to behave like an old man."
"The goodness of his heart,"
"Would you believe it?"
"I forgot how well aligned you two are when you are together," Domenico smiles before his attention flees elsewhere. "There she is," he grinned. "Talking to your architect."

Both Antonio and Leonardo turned around.
"What did you say her name was?"
"I didn't," Domenico smirked. "I know you far too well to do that."

Donata and Andrea
He might never get used to these vapid festivities and the way he would attend many of them for a chance to do something meaningful shortly after. Leonardo shared his vision, he was not bad to work for. It's far from it. He just expected they would celebrate the finishing of Villa the same way, and had it been for his own decision, he would have left for his studio a long time ago, working on his next project.

"Allow me to applaud you," Donata takes Andrea by surprise, not even the mask can hide the surprise on his face as he sees her.
"Donata," he uttered, she pushed her lips into a tight smile, hand tilted a little bit.
"One could assume you have just laid your eyes on a spectre," she said.
"I trust I would have handled that far better," he smiled. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I had to see this house myself," Donata said, following in his step as they made a round through the room. "If one could call it only a house, it is majestic."
"I wouldn't have taken you for a flatterer."
"Then you should not," Donata explained. "I am merely being honest, I could not get enough of this space."
"You are too kind," he continued.
"I was here early, you know?" she added, perhaps in the giddiest tone he had ever seen her take, but there was a glass of wine in her hand which he believes is not something she did often. "Took a stroll through the gardens, all of them, and even part of the maze. It is splendid."
"I should take you to sing my praises everywhere," he turned over his shoulder, noticing a few people heard them.
"Apologies," she smiled.
"No need to do that," Andrea says. "Had I known you had the intention to attend, I would have asked for an invite—"
"If I can be honest, I was uncertain if I would attend," she admits.
"What made you change your mind?"
"Domenico Savona," she admits, to his surprise.
"His father was a friend of my husband, they started their companies at the same time, we share docks," Donata explained. "I have known him for a while, he sang the praises of the Villa Foscari, or your praises for a while now, I could not stay away."
"Then I am grateful for it," he nodded. "It would not have been possible had you not been so punctual with shipments,"
"Nonsense," Donata dismissed him. "There is no string tying your talent and my ships, believe me. This place is outstanding, I am simply delighted."

"You certainly seem to be," Leonardo joins the conversation all of a sudden, startling both of them a little bit. Donata nods her head a little bit. "I apologise, I did not mean to impose on the conversation,"
"You did no such a thing, Leonardo," Andrea smiles. "Allow me to introduce you to our partner, Signora Donata Morosini, without whom we would not be standing here today."
Surprised, she tries to stop the conversation, but without success. "That is an overstatement, I—"
"Then I am eternally grateful, my lady." Leonardo gallantly nodded towards her, and she managed a smile, somewhat disinterested. "With a heavy heart, I need to take Andrea for a moment, there is someone I wish to introduce to him."
"It was not my intention to occupy Signore Andrea any longer," Donata mused, but before she could excuse herself, Leonardo made sure she had no space for it.
"Please stay, enjoy the wine and the food," he says. "This evening is only getting started, and I can promise it only gets better from here."

Last edited by Zaralee (11/10/2024 at 13:51)

Lady Lucrezia Gonzaga

Name:
Lady Lucrezia Gonzaga, Duchessa consorte di Modena e Reggio

Age: 24

FC: Anya Chalotra

Traits: Charming. Spoiled. Wild. Discreet when the situation calls for it. Ambitious. Flirty. Intelligent. Prideful. Sometimes a bit naïve. Doesn't always play by the rules. Impatient. Impulsive.

Bio:

Lucrezia has been spoiled in her upbringing as the oldest daughter of  Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duca di Mantova e di Monferrato and his second wife, Eleonora de' Medici. Since a young age, she has learned all about social rules and proper etiquette. As she grew older she realised that rules were meant to be broken occasionally... especially if it meant gaining an advantage for herself. Her charms and smiles are her favourite weapon and it isn't too hard to see that Lucrezia thinks highly of herself and her family.

It was Ferdinando's, her brother and the current Duca di Mantova e di Monferrato, decision that Lucrezia was to wed Francesco Este, Duca di Modena e Reggio only months after her 19th birthday. A man twice her age, recently widowed and already a father of four children... if not more if she thought of the rumours of his affairs to be true. There was no love between her and Francesco... in fact, he hardly paid attention to his young wife. Choosing to spend his time on the hunt, drinking or in the company of his mistresses.

Not that Lucrezia particularly minded as it allowed her to have more freedom. She used the time for her interests as she always enjoyed arts and music. She would travel around the ducato and find time to visit her family occasionally. With her husband still not showing interest in her, Lucrezia started to seek the beds of other men... enjoying the pleasure and thrill it brought to her life. Always being careful and discreet about any of her affairs and she didn't want to bring shame to her family name.

Lucrezia has been residing in Venice for less than a month now. She enjoys being quite far away from her husband... it means more freedom and a chance to make connections with interesting people. Lucrezia wants to enjoy herself and she is curious about what will happen during her stay.

Connections:

Lucrezia has heard the name of some of the important people in Venice... might even have seen them before but she hasn't had the time yet to make any real Connections.

Interests: Andrea, Antonio, Leonardo, Olympia

Cred to Nina

Venetian masks... timeless tales

La dolce vita in Venice

The Canal Grande was truly a beautiful sight and had easily become Lucrezia's favourite spot in the city. Ever since her arrival, she would spend hours walking along the water or enjoying a gondola ride. Travelling to Venice might have been one of the best decisions she had made in recent years. Not just because of the city itself but also because of the freedom that came with her stay.

The distance from her husband made it easier for Lucrezia to enjoy the company of other men for a night or two. The thrill of not being the Duchessa but simple Lucrezia proved to be far more exciting than she could have imagined. She didn't know yet how long she would stay in Venice but she certainly planned to make the most out of it.

Lips curled into a smile, Lucrezia was about to slip into one of the many small alleys leading away from the Canal Grande when she caught a movement in the corner of her eyes. It was a young man - barely 20 years old - looking around... his eyes lightening up as he spotted her.

"Duchessa Gonzaga." He said with a small nod of his head, "I have been instructed to give this to you."

One of her eyebrows arched up as she looked at him and then at the letter in his outstretched hand.

"By whom?" Lucrezia asked as she plucked the letter from his hand but the young man just spun around his heel rushing away.

"Interesting..." she muttered under her breath as she carefully tore the letter open. She wasn't expecting any correspondence... and only the household staff knew where she usually spent her time at this hour of the day.

“You have been cordially invited to attend the wake of the soon-to-be-dead Leonardo Malvolio, at his summer palace Villa Foscarini, outside Venice. The invite is for one person only, non-transferable, and you should join only with an open mind, a light heart, and your identity well hidden.

May the God rest his wicked soul.”

Leonardo Malvolio was a name Lucrezia had already heard a few times around Venice... she had yet to see the matching face. The invitation was a pleasant surprise though she had to admit it did leave a few unanswered questions... especially considering she had yet to make any connections with the important people of the city.

But she knew that a celebration with an intriguing invitation like this one was bound to promise a night filled with excitement and her curiosity was most certainly peaked.

Lucrezia looked over her shoulder before she knocked on a wooden door.

"Federico," Lips curled into a bright smile as she greeted the young man... an artist she had met last week and whose bed Lucrezia had already shared a few days ago.

His eyes lit up before he pulled her into his house... his lips claiming hers in a passionate kiss. Pleasure was an all too familiar feeling for Lucrezia and she shivered as she felt one of his hands moving up the skirts of her dress.

"I have missed you too, Federico." The lie easily slipped past her lips as she followed him into the bedroom.

It was the pleasure... the thrill of doing something forbidden and exciting that she missed. And Lucrezia certainly planned to make the most of it while she was in Venice.

Venetian nights are made of dreams

Villa Foscari... a building Lucrezia had only heard people whispering about as she had walked through the streets of Venice. The rumours about its magnificence were true but if not a slight understatement. She stepped off the gondola with a smile on her lips making sure that her white and golden mask was still in place before she headed up the small path leading to the villa.

The gardens had been decorated with lights and a small orchestra played music in one of the corners. The sight was stunning... it was quite obvious that Leonardo Malvolio hadn't spared any expenses for his wake. Smile on her lips Lucrezia grabbed a goblet of wine before she set off onto one of the paths leading towards the Villa.

It was even more impressive on the inside... a mixture of open spaces, arcs, high walls and ceilings.. all of them with beautiful hand-painted details. It wasn't like any other building that Lucrezia had ever seen before.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

Tilting her head to the side, she met the gaze of brown eyes behind an elegant silver mask and a charming smile on her lips.

"Very beautiful." Lucrezia replied, "And I haven't seen all of it." She chuckled before bringing the goblet to her lips.

"And one night might not be enough time to see all of it." He took a few steps closer, "Antonio."

"Lucrezia," the young woman introduced herself, "I had feared as much... might as well make the best out of it."

Antonio offered one of his arms in her direction, "I'm rather curious myself... if you wish we can do some exploring together. Maybe find a secret or two."

Lips curled into a charming smile, Lucrezia accepted his hand, "Four eyes do see better than two." She chuckled playfully. "Where should we look first?"

"You might have too much faith in my abilities, Lucrezia." He said with a wink while leading her to the staircase, "I have seen about the Villa as much as you have."

"It could be quite the adventure ahead of us. Hopefully, we won't end lost." The young woman teased playfully. 

He led her through a smaller room which appeared to be an art gallery... her eyes kept wandering from painting to painting... and yet she ended up looking at Antonio.

"Oh, I don't think we will." He pushed a door open... leading outside to a stone balcony overlooking the gardens, "It seems already hard enough to find an empty spot."

Antonio slipped his hand down to her lower back as they navigated around the other couples only the balcony until they found an empty corner.

"It is a celebration, Antonio." Lucrezia reminded him with a smile, "And people tend to be awfully curious at new places... not that I can blame them."

"Neither can I." He leaned against the wall with a grin on his lips.

She took another sip from her wine before resting her arms on the balcony railing looking down in a smaller part of the garden. "Coming to Venice... I could have never imagined seeing such a beautiful sight."

"Are you speaking of the gardens or me?" Cocky smirk on his lips he looked at her, "When did you come to Venice?"

"Mhm, I haven't decided yet, Antonio." She teased with a playful smile. "A month ago."

"And do you like it?"

"Oh, I do." Lucrezia chuckled, "I almost regret not travelling earlier but then I would have likely missed the celebrations tonight."

"It would have truly been a shame." Antonio agreed as he took a step closer leaning against the railing next to her, "Though Venice has to offer more than just celebrations."

"You speak as if you know the city well." She noted, "You must have lived here long."

"I recently returned but a few things always stay the same." He replied with a shrug of his shoulders... his gaze drifting down to the crowd gathered in the gardens beneath them.

"Mhm, I suppose that's true." Lucrezia mused with a smile playing on her lips.

Antonio took a step away from the railing reaching for Lucrezia's hand and pressing a kiss on the back of it, "It was very lovely meeting you, Lucrezia."

"It was indeed, Antonio." She smiled, "I do hope the next time we meet there won't be a mask covering your face."

"I knew that the sight you spoke of was me." Lips curled into a charming smile he let go of her hand, "I do quite enjoy the mask... the thrill of the unknown."

Lucrezia shivered at the gaze of his dark eyes, "Enjoy the night, Antonio."

"Same to you, Lucrezia." He whispered before disappearing around the corner of the balcony.

Dancing on a Venetian Night

Not for the first time Lucrezia spotted a man dressed in black and donning a match mask among the crowd. The dark attire made him easily stand out from the other guests who were dressed in different combinations of white, gold, yellow and silver. She took a sip from her wine while her eyes followed the young man as he kept moving through the crowd.

Something was intriguing about him... not just because he managed to stand out but also because it seemed that everyone knew him. Lucrezia's interest and curiosity was certainly peaked.

"It has to be Leonardo..." she heard a woman close by whisper loudly to her companion, "It is his wake after all... and he is the only one dressed in black."

Oh, well if that isn't interesting... Lucrezia thought to herself as her gaze moved back to the young man. She had been wondering if she would be able to spot the gracious host of tonight's celebration... not thinking that he would make it rather easy.

Lips curled into a smile she stepped into his path, "Leonardo," Lucrezia greeted him like an old friend despite knowing nothing about him, "I want to thank you for your invitation... and for throwing such a wonderful wake."

He shot her a surprise but recovered rather quickly as he returned the smile, "I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying yourself. Though it seems that you have an advantage over me."

"Lucrezia," she introduced herself, "Well, your reputation precedes you." She looked left and right before leaning a bit closer, "Though I wouldn't have been able to figure out that it was you without a little bit of help."

"And I thought that my attire would be enough." He teased playfully.

"It is... very fitting for a wake though shouldn't the guests be the ones dressed in black?" Lucrezia mused. Her gaze moved from head to toe before looking back at the dark eyes behind the mask... eyes that seemed almost oddly familiar.

"They would but I wanted to add a little twist to it." Leonardo pointed out with a chuckle, "And seeing everyone dressed in black does sound like a rather boring affair."

"Mhm, it does." She noted with a smile, "And tonight is anything but boring... I must admit that I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I'm enjoying myself greatly."

"And I'm glad to hear it, Lucrezia." Leonardo replied, "Would you like to dance?" He offered his hand looking at her with a smile playing on his lips.

"Gladly." Lucrezia returned the smile before she accepted his hand. The young woman licked over her lips, "And the Villa... simply beautiful and I haven't even seen everything yet."

He laughed as he briefly pressed his hands against hers as they moved with the music, "You are not the first one to say this and hardly will be the last one." His eyes found hers again.

"Well, you can't blame us, can you?" Lucrezia jested with a chuckle, "Beautiful Venice... beautiful Villa, it feels all very fitting." She did a little turn before facing him again, "I wonder if there is anything yet to come that will top this night."

"Oh, believe me, Lucrezia... there will." His hand found hers again as they moved along the other couples, "But you speak as if you haven't been long in Venice yet."

"Merely a month... nearly not enough to see everything." She tilted her head to the side as she looked at him.

"Why Venice?"

"Why not?" Lucrezia retorted, "And shouldn't you speak better of your city, Leonardo?" She chuckled playfully, " Curiosity... hearing stories about the City. I wanted to see it with my own eyes."

And a husband who doesn't care much for me... who doesn't mind where I go and how long I stay away.

"And I truly like what I have seen until
now." She added licking over her lips, "I'm curious though about what I haven't seen yet." Her eyes rested on his face and brief second longer.

"I  hope the rest of your stay will also be to your expectations, Lucrezia."

His hand moved away from hers as the music came to an end and she briefly lowered her head, "Thank you for the dance, Leonardo."

"The pleasure was all mine." He flashed her a charming smile, "I hope you will enjoy the rest of my wake."

"Oh, I most certainly will, Leonardo."

Venetian Elegance wherever you look

Lucrezia was slightly out of breath as she bid farewell to her dance partner... a young man with a charming smile who had unfortunately omitted his name. Brushing loose strands of her hair back before she reached for a new goblet of wine... only that someone was faster. Her fingers brushed briefly off those of a young woman dressed in a low cute white dress.

"Scusa..." Lucrezia chuckled as she grabbed one of the other goblets, "Beautiful dress."

"Grazie." The young woman replied with a smile on her lips.

"I have never seen such an interesting cut before." Lucrezia noted, "It is not very Italian."

"French... I couldn't resist for the night."

"Very understandable." She giggled, "What would be better than tonight for a moment like this?"

The young woman laughed, "It is Venice. There will be plenty of other festivities."

"So I have been told but I have yet to see it." Lucrezia jested, "But I'm looking the wrong way... or I haven't met the right people yet." She brought the goblet to her lips taking a sip, "I'm Lucrezia."

"Olympia." The young woman introduced herself, "So a new face in Venice... how do you enjoy it so far?"

"It is quite refreshing." Lucrezia mused licking over her lips, "And tonight has been a very pleasant surprise."

"Tonight has been..." Olympia pressed her lips together, her gaze briefly wandering around the crowd before she looked back at Lucrezia, "It has been something else. I have attended a few of Leonardo's celebrations but this is a new one... even for me."

Lucrezia laughed, "So should I be expecting more intriguing ideas like tonight?"

"Oh, you can never know." Olympia chuckled playfully, "Leonardo can be full of surprise but with the return of his brother... I suppose we will see." She took a sip from her wine, "Though I'm curious now... what brings you to Venice?"

"Mhm, we will." Lucrezia mused, "Nothing in particular." She shrugged her shoulders, "I have heard about Venice and as much as I enjoyed Modena... the festivities and the people can hardly compete."

"That sounds awfully dreadful."

"It is," Lucrezia agreed with a shake of her head, "Luckily I don't plan on leaving Venice anytime soon... plenty of time to see more." Flashing a smile at Olympia, "Hopefully enough time to meet more interesting people."

"If there is anything Venice doesn't lack is interesting people, Lucrezia." Olympia said with a confident smile, "You just need to keep your eyes open.

In Venice, every path leads to wonder

Lucrezia wandered aimlessly through the gardens... another goblet of wine in her hands and a slight away in her steps. She was already feeling a bit lightheaded and part of her knew that she was pushing her limits tonight. But how could she stop when she was enjoying herself... and no obligations were waiting for her the next day.

Tomorrow she was most likely to regret all the decisions she had made tonight. Lucrezia frowned as she lifted the goblet only to realize that it was already empty. For a brief moment, she contemplated heading back to the Villa but it was nice to enjoy the quiet for a moment... to be able to do a little more exploration without constantly meeting other people.

"Is that a maze?" She muttered in amazement as she walked around a corner... taking in the sight of beautiful marble statues and a little fountain.

"It is, Signora."

Lucrezia spun around surprised, one of her hands pressed against her chest as she took notice of the man dressed in white and silver... talk, dark hair and blue eyes behind a mask.

"I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It is alright Signore." She breathed out, "I was too lost in the scenery. I thought that I couldn't be surprised after everything I have seen but it seems that I was wrong."

"Villa  Foscari is full of surprises, Signora."

"Oh, I could probably spend hours looking in every corner and still find something new." Lucrezia chuckled with her cheeks flushed, "A shame that the night can't last forever." Her eyes drifted back to the maze briefly.

"You wish to explore it?"

"I do but the chance I will end up lost is high." She jested, "Where are my manners tonight?" She took a step closer in his direction, "Lucrezia."

"Andrea," he replied with a smile on his lips, "I could accompany you if you don't mind... and make sure you find the way out."

"I would like that." The young woman agreed with a nod of her head.

"You seem quite impressed by the Villa," Andrea commented as they had already walked a few moments in silence.

"You have no idea." Lucrezia smiled brightly, "It isn't like anything I have seen before... the arches and all those little details everywhere." She tilted her head looking at him, "Are you not impressive by it?"

"I am. It wouldn't make a good impression if the architect wasn't satisfied by his own creation."

Lucrezia blinked a few times... her mind needed a bit longer to process what Andrea had just told her. "You are the architect?"

"I am," Andrea repeated with a soft smile.

"This is a pleasant surprise." Lucrezia breathed out, "You must be quite proud of your work."

Andrea pressed his lips together as they walked around a corner, "Villa Foscari isn't my first creation in Venice but there is something special about it."

She gasped out in surprise when they reached the middle of the maze... a fountain with statues instantly caught her attention. "Mhm, there is." She turned back in his direction looking at him with a smile on her lips, "You have a good eye for details, Andrea."

"It is quite freeing to let my imagination run wild."

"Oh, I can imagine." Lucrezia clasped her hands together behind her back as she walked closer to the fountain, "I'm curious if I will be able to spot your other creations in Venice."

"Maybe if you look close enough, Lucrezia. Though a little warning, they are quite different than Villa Foscari." Andrea smiled, "Shall we head back?"

"I have always enjoyed a little challenge." Lips curled into a grin she looked at him, "Lead the way, Andrea."

"You don't want to give it a try?" He offered looking at her with a smile.

"If you want to spend the night here, gladly." Lucrezia teased playfully, "Who had the idea with the statues?"

"Some were Leonardo's idea and some were mine." Andrea explained as he led her through the maze, "The gardens looked too empty without them and we thought they would add an extra touch."

"They do." She agreed with a nod of her, "They are beautifully crafted."

"They are indeed." Andrea hummed.

It didn't take them long to reach the end of the maze and back into the path of the gardens where they had started their little adventure.

"Thank you for accompanying me, Andrea." Lips curled into a smile she tilted her head to look at him.

"It was my pleasure, Lucrezia."

Last edited by schoggettchen (17/10/2024 at 21:45)

FRANCESCA MANCINI // 23 // COURT MUSICIAN
INCOMPLETE

Name: Francesca Mancini

Title: NA

Age: 23

Face claim: Noémie Schmidt (in Versailles specifically)

Traits: Adaptable, compassionate, creative, determined, discreet, graceful, hardworking, humble, intelligent, intuitive, kind, passionate, patient, perceptive, poised, thoughtful, trustworthy. Disingenuous, indecisive, insecure, jealous, perfectionist, secretive, unforgiving.

Bio: Francesca comes from a simple but respected family in Venice. Her mother is a seamstress and her father is a cloth merchant. She also has an older sister, who Francesca rarely sees anymore since she moved to Austria with her husband 3 years ago.

Francesca always grew up feeling loved. Her mother was the type to sing her to sleep when she was little. Which is probably why Francesca herself fell in love for singing. From the age of 4, she could often be found down the local plaza singing for passersby in exhange for pennies. Whilst Venice is certainly more accepting than most other places, opportunities for women to perform were still rare, meaning Francesca trained as a seamstess under her mother.

Francesca regularly headed down to the palaza to sing after work. One day when she was 18, reknown composer and singer Signora Adriana Basile happened to walk past. Adriana was impressed by Francesca's voice, and offered to take Francesca on as her protégée. Which of course Francesca said yes to.

Francesca spent the following 2 years with Adriana in Rome. There, she learnt how to better control her voice and also how to play the harp. Adriana had connections to the Doge so she also prepared Francesca for court life, teaching her the manners, etiquette and politics needed to survive in such a setting.

For the past 3 years Francesca has been a singer and harpist for the Venetian court, performing often as intimate gatherings, state occasions, and private events. Despite her success, Francesca is very much aware that court favour can shift.

Connections: Francesca knows (or at least recognises) most people due to her position at court. She would consider Leonard a friend.

Interests: Antonio (friendly/romantic) // Baltasar (friendly/romantic) //Luisa (friendly)

Last edited by Fashion-Chic (13/10/2024 at 23:42)

Lady Fleurance de Châtillon Duchess of Beaupréau
Age: 24
FC: Alexandra Dowling
Traits: spoiled, easily annoyed, social and charming when need to be, diligent and loyal towards her family name, realistic, confident, witty— something along these lines

Bio:
Fleur was born in France to the duke of Châtillon as the youngest of four children and the only girl born five years after her last brother. In other words she’s spoiled rotten, showered in gifts and attention. The oldest brother died in battle two years ago at the age of 34 and the second oldest died of blood rot when she was 16 and he 24. While her youngest brother these days bravely tries to live up to their memory when he’s not busy ducking responsibility like they were arrows.

At 22 Fleur was married to a good man, a good name all according to her own plans which for the first time in her life fell flat. The marriage crumbled behind closed doors as she was kept busy keeping his infidelities hidden. Around half a year ago she received news of his passing while he was sent away for business by the king. These were news she kept for herself for three months while waddling in denial.

Connections:
Cesare - beloved cousin she tends to treat him more like a brother.
Olympia - knows her from exchanged letters finding the woman witty and drawn to her smarts.
Leandro - met a few times during their youth always got along due to his sincerity, she’s fond of him as a friend. (Met Antonio but barely more or less).


Interests: Leonardo (friendly/ I don’t know), Bastiano (friendly/ I don’t know), Olympia, Cesare

invited

“Duchess—“ it had been raining during the night, outside greenery bloomed, cracking anything in its way to make sure it could grow.

“Yes,” she wrinkled her eyebrows at the letter extended between them, - “except I’ve taken up this residence for merely one day and one night.”

“Lady Fleurance de Châtillon Duchess of Beaupréau,” the man prompted nearly causing the feathered hat to take flight.

“Indeed. Clearly you are well informed,” she snatched the letter out of his fingertips.

“What I do my lady I do well,” the man bowed out of formality.

“This I can not deny you,” Fleur gave a faux smile and sent him on his way. One read invitation later, a coat and a short gondola ride as the sun rose on the horizon she stepped inside her cousin’s mansion.

“Good Morning Fleur,” fingertips blackened from the single page now resting at the breakfast table. - “It’s a newspaper, handy, peculiar and splendid,” Cesare gave it a light tap which caused an older woman to appear with a wet cloth.

“May I?”

“Of course. And please take a seat,” he gestured towards a chair which just like the wet cloth magically had staff available to be drawn out. - “Does it interest you?”

“Does what interest me?” The blonde woman took her seat as the paper was pushed across the table.

“Well there’s a section of foreign affairs, wars and politics.”

“Ahh I could. I could take up an interest,” she picked the page up and reclined in her chair. - “I enjoy art,” she put the page down again.

“So do I,” Cesare nodded with a smile similar to pulling back the curtains on a warm summer’s day and you caught in the rays. - “Hungry?”

Time had passed between them. The last time she was here his first wife had sat with them at the table. Sometime before that her brothers had been here and she could almost make out their presence at the table. Much in the soothing way a warm cup of tea with honey could still an ache. Fleurance eats and he speaks of Venezia, the booming of Maritime merchandise and Villa Foscarini.

the night is young

Water shimmered from shifting colors of the night sky and hundreds of dangling lanterns swaying, casting a dancing reflection along the waterway. A soft melody filled the air as her gondolier expertly maneuvered their vessel as it glided through the narrow canal towards the Villa. Through the large double doors laughter mingled with soft melodies and gilded masks reflecting the light from candelabras.

“You made it,” Olympia appears the same feverish way glasses of champagne in their hands do.

“Either this or sulking in my bed over my dead husband,” she shrugged her shoulders, - “I was told it couldn’t be missed.”

“Did he compare it to maritime?”
“Of course I think he slipped in something about Galileo.”

“Well— whoever the sun or earth rotates around they both circle Leonardo,” to which Fleurance laughed unlike with a faux smile her cheeks lifted and squeezed her eyes.

“A grand theme for his next party.”

“Right it’s your first one,” Olympia had an alluring smile on her lips.

“And—“
“Enjoy. Nothing more nothing less. Simply be in this moment and Venezia because it’s not like France.”

“Closer to the Vatican,” Fleur pointed out jokingly.

“Yet further from God,” Olympia’s grin became hidden behind a glass of champagne. - “We should make some introductions.”

“Proper.” Cesare appeared from behind, sipping on a cup of wine, - “she’s an extension of our reputation while she’s here. I can’t have her run around with—“

“With who?” Olympia questioned, - “also I’ve got the finest taste in men.”

“So I’ve heard,” the couple exchanged a glance as if Fleurance wasn’t standing right there rolling her eyes. - “Anyways—“

“I’m capable of introducing myself when needed,” Fleurance interjected.

“Yes but don’t you hate small talk with simpletons? Because I have the advantage of knowing who’s worth talking to,” Cesare gave a quick smile, - “roll your eyes again and you are on your own.”

“Can’t help that I’m sensitive to dust particles from the construction here.”

“Has there been construction sites around you your whole life?” Her cousin chuckled and she spit the drink down into her glass.

“Are you saying I’m a —“

“Yes.” He nodded with a smile.

a fleeting moment

She’s paused by one of the grand marble statues of an angel admiring the artistry while at the same time avoiding being asked for yet another dance.

“You’ve never been a fan of a ball, but here I find you,” a shadow moves up beside the statue, - “the architect went above and beyond,” Leonardo gestured up towards the statue.

“Why even wear a mask when it’s clear who you are?” Fleurance wrinkles her forehead.

“Why dress for attention when you want none?” The man teased back and extended one of the two wine cups in his hands.

“Ouch,” the woman accepted the cup, - “I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t—“ because she was now a widow, no it would just be another letter for the pile, - “to support you.”

“I know,” he nodded, “you good?” His dark figure depicting from the bible slid by and leaned against the railing, legs crossed by the shins.

“No. I’m bored—“ She half smiled and shifted as if everything inside tipped over.

”That’s okay,” he chuckled, swiveling the drink to his lips and then placing it on the railing. - “May I?” A courteous bow with a voice blended with charm and sincerity. - “It’s a simple yes or no duchess,” his hand stayed extended.

“Can’t be known as the boring widow,” she slipped her fingers over his.

“Never,” he assured her in a low voice and gestured towards a group of people, - “ there’s no one here with the morals to judge.”

“God?” She mused.

“Paid him good money to look the other way,” his mask concealing all but the mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

all good things come to an end(Bastiano)

The candles flicker and the night goes on as if the morning would never break. She’s somewhere amidst the twirling skirts shifting between gold and white. She’s somewhere amidst one dancer and another but there’s no way off the parchment floor. She’s somewhere amidst— a few drinks, not flat out drunk but she makes a mental note that puking is never fun. The dance was like a storm with the pulse of thunder rolling through the crowd. She becomes a blowing leaf struck by lightning.

“I’ve got you—“ he’s a crooked, warm smile.

“So you have—“ she blinks a few times as her feet are slowly guided towards solid ground.

“I do not recognise you,” he guides her away from the worst of the crowd.

“Otherwise the purpose would be defeated I believe.”

“I believe a purpose is not always a straight and narrow line,” he smiles with a hint of mischief.

“Hah— well my name’s Claudine.” Close enough it was her mother’s name, the one who had taught her how to whipstitch. She had claimed there was nothing more useful in life than a whipstitch and this held true when mending clothes or sliced flesh.

“Liar—“ a smile cracked over his face as he leaned back on his heels, - “it’s not. You are not a Claudine.”

“Just a bad liar.”

“No— no,” he shook his head, - “I believe you are more aware than you should have how you are perceived.”

Done

Last edited by Mimira (18/10/2024 at 09:36)

Beatrice Cornaro
Face claim: Maddison Jaizani
Age: 22

Bio & personality

poised, forthright, open-minded and free-thinking, knowledgeable, rational, spirited
unemotional, critical, finicky, proud, awkward and tense to some degree

A daughter of one of the oldest and most influential Venetian families, Beatrice Cornaro is just returned to the lagoon she's supposed to call home and supposed to have lived for her whole life, though she grew up half a continent away and has only stepped foot in it once before. It's a homecoming which promises excitement, everyone keeps telling her, but Beatrice holds onto her scepticism like the French court holds on to their wigs. It is to her father's greatest dismay that she still prefers to speak French, or just about any other language she knows (which is quite a few), and the fact that she is utterly terrified of the waters of the canals.

Fredrico Cornaro, being a younger son, decided to find purpose and serve his duty to the family further from home and found it as an ambassador to the French. Visiting the court of Brussels he later also found a wife in the esteemed Marguerite, one of Duc de Lorraine’s many daughters. Who’s own mother came from one the Roman clans, it all tied very neatly together. To those it concerned – it was found to be an advantageous union, and the couple themselves found it very happy.

Out of the marriage also came two children, at least which lived past the first years. Born barely a year apart, Alessandro and Beatrice could not have been more opposed. Two halves of one whole, people would say as through those first years they seemed always to come attached at the hips.

As a children Alessandro found boredom where Beatrice found the most enjoyment – at lessons, where she excelled, and at the floor of her fathers study, reading anything she could get her hands on – be it discussion of changing trade routes, taxation bills, travel journals or letters in foreign (although soon enough familiarised) languages.

Entering society, Beatrice was in many ways the accomplished young lady. Except for it seemed no amount of lessons, or innumerable outings quite managed to teach her subtle tact and social grace deserving of the word. People usually end up being a curious conundrum which she can’t always tell if she wants to stay away from or explore further.

After having reached adulthood, all while amidst her parents mission of diplomatic intricacies – meddling between the fickle french and two branches of equally vain Habsburgs on either side – a series of unfortunate and surprising events had Fredrico skyrocket towards heir apparent of the Cornari and so, it was suddenly time for the family to make it back to the homeland. 

(might update if there's time as not quite happy with it but the gist should be there)

I. Masks and mystique

“Make sure to hold it steady.” Her Italian flowed perfectly as if she had learned it at the breast.

It wasn't a deserved comment. It might only have been a week since she arrived, but Beatrice was rather certain the gondolier had been in the family's service for longer than she had been alive and the barge had barely moved as Alessandro had stepped into it, but the waters it lay in demanded a constant sway.

No. Not barge, not boat, like she had by mistake called it the other day to the outright outcries of all these family members that suddenly with proximity had all too much interest in her life. She would, pettily, continue to call it a boat in her head if it wasn’t that it might slip out again and cause much embarrassment by presenting her as incompetent in a different setting.

Alessandro grinned as he stretched out a hand towards her. He stood daringly, feet just wide enough apart, like he had been born on deck and raised on the water, not a land crab just like her.

“If you fall in, I promise you can pull me down with you.”

“That's not helping,” she responded tartly, and in French, as she gleaned the water between the edge of the doorway and the gondola and imagined it gobbling her up.

It did help a little. He wouldn’t willingly take an evening bath, not with the destination they were heading and not in the silks he was wearing. Nor would he much like that the invitations Beatrice held in hand took a plunge and have the ink on them bleed to be unreadable. All this, and despite the better judgement she refused to realise – that it was quite safe and just about the same as any other step for a venetian – the growing panic ate at her. But standing there was neither an option, so she drew in a deep breath and grasped his hand

“It’s the water that feeds us,” she muttered for her own ears, as well as His above, and she took the leap with a quiet, “God help me.”

It was the words which had filled her ears countless times. The water of the lagoon was the fountain of fortune which had blessed them with riches and favour, time and time again as centuries passed. Their father had fed the words to them ardently, like a nursemaid giving nourishment to a newborn, to place it close to their heart while leagues away. But it must have been in vain, because it stirred nothing more than bitterness in Beatrice at that moment.

The leap which was a mere step passed without any blunder, she found herself safely seated in the cabin and they were on their way.

As anyone with siblings knows, it’s your greatest privilege and delight in life to mock them on their unfortunate events and embarrassing actions. Though the sign of a truly great sibling-relationship is the deftness to withhold chiding remarks in certain dire situations, no matter how pathetic they may seem on the surface, and simply let it pass by uncommented, with pretense of the faults not being noticed. And so, Alessandro only sat back, pretending to look out through shuttered windows while Beatrice begrudgingly settled in for an uncomfortable journey. She would have to brave the movement of the water and the smell of it in the air, but at least she didn’t have to watch it during.

It was weird, the invitation to which they were heading. She had yet to understand what it was with this party that had Alessandro so excited, but then she seldom shared his level of excitement for parties.

He had arrived a month earlier than her, and so had a head start on familiarising himself with their peers. There had been no doubt that he had been overcome so far. Beatrice herself had only arrived a few days prior, after having fallen ill during the travel and had been forced to inconvenience herself on a supposed acquaintance to convalesce – and that for three whole weeks before she was declared fit to travel on. She should have known it was an omen.

As of arriving, all everyone kept telling her was that she was lucky to have arrived just in time for this kick off which surely would be the thing on everyone's lips for some time to come. Even more lucky to have such a considerate and charming brother, who had so favourably spoken of her arrival to procure her one of the exclusive invites. She would have corrected them by saying surely it had more to do with influence of the family, rather than Ale’s charm, but he did possess a good deal of it when he wanted, so she had let it slip. Looking at him now, she smiled. It was a little tense, but she was trying.

Between them Alessandro took out the boxes which contained their masks, they had arrived from the mask makers a few days before. Lifting off the top, two masks in white, gold and light yellow lay on black silk. Alike in colour but differentiating in design.

“What is the thing with masks?” Beatrice struck up the conversation. All the sounds of the water, the oar finding new ground and pushing them forward was a whirr in her head. Anything to keep her mind off the death trap surrounding them.

Trying it on for the first time, Beatrice had found it restricting but as per instructions after little wear it had moulded to the contours of her face. A decorative second skin which if not comfortable, it wasn’t uncomfortable. And obviously well made.

“Masks? You’ve been to masquerades before.”

“I mean masks and Venice, they seem to bear a special preference for them.”

“Part of the culture and tradition. Our. Mystery and mystique, it flows through the heart of this place.” He took out his own mask and started fastening it across his face.

“Hmh,” Beatrice uttered a disgruntled noise. She liked knowing things for what they were. It was sometimes a terrible inconvenience to her how complex and obscured things were.

“Under a mask and the cover of darkness, what isn’t seen isn’t known.” He held out hers to her.

“Propriety only matters when it’s perceived.” She scooted herself towards him half forgetting to be afraid about upsetting the balance of the boat.

He leaned in closer to help her fasten the mask, without messing up the carefully pinned hair.

“It is part performance to be sure,” she mused, “but what does standing and society matter at all if you keep no sense of morality to back it up, personal and spiritual.”

Alessandro chuckled. “You are definitely joining in the party mood aren’t you?”

This was her kind of party. “Don’t let yourself get caught up in anything damned.”

“I wouldn’t.”

“Besides, I would claim, you are never not perceived, it simply depends on who is turning a blind eye towards what. Isn’t there a short and long list you could present to me on who you believe will be attending this wake?” He didn’t disagree with it. “Proving my point.” A word she had just spoken snagged in her head. “And why is it that we are attending a wake?” She frowned, not that it did much with a masked face. “I’ve heard nothing about the Doge’s son lying on his deathbed, is he ill? I did hear that the younger one had returned from the dead, perhaps that would be more appropriate for a celebration?”

“Ill? No, I do not believe so,” Alessandro said, amused.

“Oh? An assassination attempt soon to strike then? I heard they are more cutthroat towards their enemies here, under masks and cover of darkness, and all.”

“More likely I believe, but no. Not as far as I know. Remember to be less literal, sister.”

She silenced and pressed her lips together, challenging herself to think outside the box her head liked to force upon her.

“Remember hearing about the upcoming marriage?” Alessandro helped her, after letting her think on it without finding a solution.

“Is this what this farce is about? Marriage as death?” Beatrice laughed outright. It wasn't a wonder her thoughts hadn’t run there quickly, it was possibly ridiculous. “It says a lot about his character.”

“Don’t judge too quickly.”

“I don’t!” She said as a soft bump rocked the gondola and it was apparent they had arrived. “Already?”

He gave her a look that said she indeed tended to judge too quickly. “You are too easy to distract.”

She pressed her lips together in disapprovement, her lips, at least, were showing even with the mask. Not that he saw because he had already turned his attention towards getting out.

A word called out from the gondolier, Alessandra had promptly opened the cabin which had shielded them, he stepped out onto land. Beatrice had just time to stand up and for a second consider this next bravery she faced by simply stepping off before sturdy hands firmly took hold around her waist. With dress and all, she was like nothing lifted onto land.

She glared at him, with little effect as he simply offered his arm.

Without lingering bitterness, she took it and they continued up the paved path. What was left of the sun was a purple gradient, from lavender to indigo and into the endless growing navy of the starlit firmament. Against it the Villa grew with their approach. Torches burned, lining the way. The flames sent dancing shadows into the greenery on either side. The way led them as much as the sound of merriment.

“I should introduce you to our host,” Alessandro said as they came up towards the house, “indeed there are many you should be introduced to.”

“Of course there is, but why do people seem to think this is the place for it  – come with your identity well hidden so we can introduce you to all of society!”

They ascended the stairs into the Villa as they spoke. People crowded around them, all in as equally bright garb as theirs.

“Hm, you’re not wrong. Perhaps it’s the night where you should shroud yourself in the mystique and let the night and the cover of darkness wash you into its propriety-less embrace.”

“Who stole my brother and left me with this mediocre poet, as he seems to know little about my character.”



“Mediocre truly breaks my heart, one ought to be terrible or terrific, and on that scale I know where my poetry falls. It’s all just an act, Bice, try it you might just be surprised,” Alessandro said as he expertly guided them towards refreshments, a good way to start off any outing.

“Me living up to be a mistress of the night, even just acting, seems as likely as you waking up blonde and sky eyed.” With a wine glass in hand, Beatrice started her once over of the space. However it was rather the villa itself that drew her interest, than its guests.

“We’ll see,” Alessandro smiled.

“Father spoke of the architect, Andrea Palladio. With the commissioned Bernini done, he wanted an eye out for something new. I said it would be better to look for and bring forth a new star rather than building on what Doge Malvolio had already taken credit for but, this is something special I think. We should try to meet him, Ale, look.” She had turned her head towards the beautifully ornate, vaulted ceilings. In a moment of pure awe her lips parted and she wasn’t at all listening closely to her brother.

“As easily amused as that, you go find him, and I’ll catch you a little later.”

“You don’t dare leave me alone here,” Beatrice chided him once her head decided to process the words spoken to her. It was a little too late. As she turned to look at him, he was gone from her side and spinning to look around the whole room she found him nowhere to be seen.

II. What to make of a wake

And so Beatrice stood alone in the middle of the hall. As if on queue, she suddenly felt like everyone and anyone was looking and talking about her behind their fans. It was the worst thing to find oneself at a social gathering – unwillingly alone. But she took it in stride. Keeping her neck tall and taught, she strode off to the side, just aimlessly continuing the admiration of the build. While secretly cursing Alessandro’s ass behind pressed lips.

Making her way out back, into the garden she found more people and laughter. Situated by a pillar, she observed a small group where a man dressed from top to toe in black held court. He looked smart and vibrant, standing out against the white gowns and golden jackets. It was little question that it was the man of the hour, of the night, himself.

Observing the future Conte di Montefeltra, lost in her judgemental thoughts, the creeping awareness of herself being watched came over. To her left she met the eyes and mask of a man wearing white. They had obviously acknowledged each other and she couldn’t simply bolt like a scared filly – like she had when she was just out. Tilting her head as an invitation to join her, he broke from his pose. Now, neither could he just leave if that had been his desire. And as the meeting was unfolding, she realised it had indeed not been inevitable, not up until she had tilted her head. She could have just taken off and no one would have been the wiser. No one knew her after all.

“Good evening,” the man had a soft voice and the greeting came with a bow of the head, showing manners and respectability.

“Good evening,” she greeted in return. “There was something I wondered. Pretty spry for a soon to be dead fellow, wouldn’t you say?” She said looking towards the host. She had been caught staring at him after all.

“Bursting of life, for one last night,” he said, conversationally, amiably. “And graciously invites us to share in this last supper of overabundance.”

“Graciously,” she hummed in some kind of agreement. She had already been on the warpath regarding the topic with Alessandro, this young man got the continuation of it. “All this because a married life is not worth living?” She said, if he was surprised but the direction she chose  – she couldn’t tell. That was another con to these masks, one could barely read expressions even if she tried. “As I understand, it is what we should contribute to the cause of death.”

“Ah yes, it’s been said it is what shackles him to the pyre.”

“Pyre? Shackles? You make it sound like you are equally afflicted, or soon to be, my lord.”

The man chuckled and made the decision to take up his battle axe.

“When one's will is taken out of the arrangement, wouldn’t you express yourself the one way you could?

“A public declaration?”

“When they refuse to reason with you, be unreasonable.”

“As I understand he has settled on unreasonable without even not knowing his bride, how heinous could she be?”

“You settle on it being the fault of marriage or bride, but what about agency. Don’t you care about yours?”

“Of course, but don’t doesn’t it seem a dramatic way to put it?”

“I don’t think anyone will deny that Leonardo has a dramatic flare,” the man chuckled.

“Excessively so.”

“You are not a champion of drama?”

“I enjoy plays and theatre as much as anyone else, something Venice is a great place for  – I’ve heard  – something to look forward to.”

“Are you new to the city?”

“Yes, but my point being – it's still inconsiderate.”

He chuckled “It may also just be a gest – if you find that you have some sense of humour?”

“Isn’t he insulting his father, family and future bride?” She went off before suddenly pausing. “Are you calling me and my line of inquiry dramatic?

“I’m not sure I’d dare.”

“Hmh,” she said disapprovingly. Best as she tried, she couldn’t keep a straight face and a small laugh slipped past her lips. Because she had really gone off on it. “I’d not admit to being in the wrong, because I believe I’m not.”

“As long as you can see I can also be in the right.”
“I can admit to that. This has been informative,” she said as she thought she saw a head of familiar curls pass around the other edge of the villa. She shook her head at her own choice of words in her absentmindedness, “pleasant.” Yes, that was better for social situations, though informative was equally correct to her. “Though I did just see my dear brother, who I need to skin alive.”

“Skin alive?” Not even his mask could hide his raised eyebrows now.

“Now, that is what I call dramatic,” she grinned and let herself have time for a small curtsy before heading after the apparition of Alessandro. She did kind of want to skin him. A little bit.

III. An imposter

“Andrea Palladio?” Beatrice asked softly. It was directed towards the man sitting alone on a stone bench, she had found him as she had veered out a little into the garden to breathe some lone air.

If she had seen Alessandro earlier, he had managed to escape her chase after him. The property might be large but the party wasn’t that widespread. Still, he managed to elude her. Instead Beatrice had found a group of tittling women she had joined for a spell before their squeaking giggles had her ears hurt. But before she had left she had brought up the subject of the architect  – everyone agreed he had done a marvel – and one of the young women had been so good as to point him out. At the time the man had been so surrounded with people, Beatrice had thought it better to wait and not add to the group. But now it was fortunate for her to have happened upon him in a more quiet setting. Or at least she thought at the time.

He must not have heard her the first time so she repeated the question.

“You are Andrea Palladio, are you not?”

The man turned his head to face her now.

“I am.” It was hesitant, but he looked at her expectantly so she continued.

“I’ve heard so many sing your praises todnight, I’d like to add my voice to them.”

There was a short pause before he turned properly on his seat to give her his full attention. “There have indeed been many, and most lack the originality to be memorable.”

“It is easy to join in the opinions of others when one can’t determine the beauty of it, I can imagine. I had wondered if the vision of it is all yours, or if di Malvolio meddled in the design?”

“Are you of the belief that nobility distort everything with their vulgar frivolities?” He cocked his head, a grin was slowly establishing over his lips which was the only thing she could make out of his face.

“Well, I know we can be arrogant enough to think our mind superior,” she said, with a furrowed brow. It sounded like this man bore some arrogance himself. “But sometimes they are, and if so it would be equally his praises we should sing.” Which I’d rather not, she thought to herself. 

“We? Who might you be?”

“Beatrice Cornaro, sir.”

“Is that so? Well you are correct, fair Beatrice, the sole brain of this operation sits before you.” He gestured towards the might of the villa.

“Then I will congratulate you on a work well done, you’ve excelled from idea to execution.”

“One can say, it’s also just bereaving nature of its stones and stacking them together.”

“We harvest wheat from the fields and grapes of the vine. Bread feed our bodies and wine delight our palate.” She noted towards the cup he held in one hand. He cheered towards her before lifting it to his lips. “Refining what is, is a gift of God, is it not?”

“Delightful indeed, tell me more about the marvel of my design?”

“I think the last thing I can say is that I commend you for seemingly bringing forth the soul that was in the boulder from the very start.” It was only so much praise one could give when a person, so egoistic, asked for it, but there was still something about the man which kept her in the conversation.

“So poetic. One would think cold, hard stone wouldn’t bring everyone into such romantic fits. When it’s so unrelenting to touch?”

She was only taken aback for a second. “As opposed to something warm and soft?” She wouldn’t also give him ‘to dig your fingers into’ and she didn’t need to because he still laughed with mischief. “I’d say the cool can bring both temperance and thought. I’d like to believe everything of God’s creation can awaken various feelings within us,” she added assertively and she would have continued, and so it looked like he would have too, but another voice spoke up before either could.

“Signora?” A sing-song-like voice spoke up behind her and Beatrice turned to find a smiling woman approaching, the silver and gold in her dress gleaming in the dancing firelight. “I think you are being played by the nose as that is most certainly not the architect Andrea Palladio.”

Blinking, looking from the new arrival to her conversation partner, the man was now grinning widely.

“Ah, I guess that means my act is up, identity shattered. Good fun, Beatrice, and good night.” He gave a slight bow of the head, a quick ‘ladies’, and then the shadows of the garden gobbled him up.

And in the space of a breath all the pieces fell into place, the tone of them ‘I am’ had been a question, not a statement. The weirdness of the conversation which she had attributed to artistic eccentricity, simply not so – had he been mocking her? There has been the strange but also reasoning which had intrigued her. And the giggling of the group of young women she had spoken with, who had pointed out the wrong man to begin with. Turns out bitches thrived everywhere.

“I am mortified,” Beatrice said simply, because she was. The heat flushing her cheeks were fortunately hidden in part by the mask and in part by the night and dim light.

“Don’t be,” the woman spoke with an earnestness Beatrice wasn’t in a position to recognise at the moment. “I must say you spoke such passionate words, I couldn’t help but to listen or I would have intruded earlier.”

“I’m not sure passionate is a word to commend me in this situation.”

“Charming then, if it is a word you find more agreeable.”

“Charming is seldom a word used for me so I am unsure I’ll believe you.”

The woman let out a laugh. “You spoke as if you were in earnest, which was why in the end I felt I needed to step in to disrupt you being led astray. But those are the last ones I will offer as you seem to find slight in anything I say.” There was a sharpness to the light-hearted tone now, and it brought Beatrice out of her spiralling thoughts.

“Oh no, you must forgive me. I’m ever so grateful for the rescue. I am simply … mortified.” her thoughts were tied up in the emotion so she could barely find her words. She sat down on the stone bench the man had occupied. Beatrice let out a sigh, regaining some composure.

“No need to be, I assure you.”

“As long as you don’t have the intention to spread the tale of my momentarily naivete,” she looked down at her fiddling hands and let out a tense laugh. She looked up at her rescuer – she wore carefully styled dark curls, and a white gown – which was basically every other female at the gathering. But even through the mask, Beatrice thought she could catch bright eyes beyond.

“This is nearly not a good enough story to gossip about,” the woman said jokingly and Beatrice had found enough calm to recognise it as such.

“Did you know the man? Since you knew he wasn’t who I believed him to be.”

“I’m afraid not.”

“I am growing incredibly fed up with these masks. Aren't they just the worst?”

“I would say there are always two sides to everything. They are delightful, and detrimental. Don’t judge too quickly.” The woman sat down on the bench next to her.

“Someone already told me that once tonight. Right now it's only making my nose itch. If you’ll just excuse me for a moment” Beatrice started to unfasten her mask.

The woman chuckled.

“I never asked your name, how rude of me,” Beatrice said, looking over at her.

“Donata Morosini,” she said and removed her own mask for the moment. Making it a true introduction.

“Thank you again.” Beatrice smiled at the friendly face. “I’m Beatrice, but I guess you already heard that.”

“Yes, I did, but it’s nice to make your acquaintance. Your family is well respected here. Though I have not heard of a Beatrice Cornaro.”

“I only arrived a few days ago… Donata Morosini,” Beatrice said searchingly and then the recognition of the name hit her, “Oh, I have heard of you.”

“You have?”

She had read ledgers listing every notable merchant and their trade operating out of Venice, you know, for fun. The roads crossing countries had not been an eventful affair. A widow with a reputation for driving a hard bargain had been something which stood out. “It’s said you are capable, a praise worth even more because of your sex. And profitable. But you would know that better than me.”

“Is that what is said? And only a few days in the city, you said,” Donata chuckled, as well as looking a bit quizzical. 

“I take an interest,” Beatrice said, with a bit of a smug smile.

There were a few moments of silence between the women before Donata spoke up. “The reason I knew it wasn’t Andrea Palladio is because I know him quite well.”

“Oh.”

“I could take you and introduce you, should you like to meet the real him.”

“Oh,” Beatrice repeated herself, “it is truly great work he has done with the Villa.”

“Finest work I’ve ever seen.”

“I’d be even more grateful to you, but let me suggest some wine first, so I can properly wash away the taste of bitterness.”

“Excellent.”

Done!!
There is some clunk in the conversation still, because even if this might have been the slowest write every to be written there was still a lot of rush in the end

Last edited by tricole (20/10/2024 at 01:34)

Name: Lady Sophia Bloomwood

FC: Hannah Dodd

Age: 22

Personality: Cheerful, kind, naive, shy and curious. She can be playful, patient and endlessly empathic to those around her- good or bad, however her major flaws lie in her relentless fool hardy optimism in people, where her people pleasing tendency poses to be self detrimental more often than not.

Background

Orphaned at a young age, she has been passed around from family to family, never truly belonging and always keenly aware of her unwelcome presence. Despite some mistreatment from relatives, she maintains a kind, curious and optimistic disposition to life, graciously accepting whatever is demanded and following through with an almost foolish hope to be accepted. She is skilled with the piano, one of the rare respites she allows herself along with books.

Interests: Dominico, Octavio, Luisa

Outfit:

Story:

Chapter I. A fortuitous meal

There was something to be said about the discourse that occurred during mealtimes. Granted, dinner with the patriarchal head and his fellow children was rarely a happy occasion, but still she had hoped once again, that an invitation with almost the entire household would pave the way to bountiful news. Instead, she was forced to sit and wait while her relatives; namely her aunts, uncle prattled about inheritance. Thankfully their children were out and about the city, while the elders were all seated and waiting for the grandfather- current head of the family to make his appearance before the meal could be served. But as usual, due to his age and recent weakness of his knees, he would come rather late, and once again, in light of the possibility of his failing health, the family had taken it upon themselves to discuss the matter of heirs and distribution of property.

It made her feel queasy to overhear such conversations while her grandfather was still of sharp mind and boasted of a healthy heart despite his failing knees.

“It is perfectly reasonable for the portion of Glutbergs mansion to be given to brother Kyle, but seeing as he bears no children, unlike I, that should be the most he receives,” her aunt declared.

“Of course,” her husband nodded, grimacing as he considered the serious nature of the matter. “Though your father may think otherwise. He is the only son-”

“But I am the eldest,” another one cut in with a scowl. “Father as of late is quite the progressive sort.”

“Perhaps he is, but that alone is not enough to ascertain anything, my dear. Progressive thinking does not always mean sound decision making.”

Sophie felt the air tense as both her aunts and uncle acknowledged her presence with an icy sneer.

Swallowing her discomfort, she smiled politely at them, hands folded tightly on her lap.

“Sophia,” one of her aunts called her name distastefully, as if affronted by even having to word it out from her mouth. “I trust you are aware of this sensitive period in my family.”

“Ofcourse, aunt Hilda,” she nodded empathically, ignoring the slight jab at the distinction.

“You should do well to take heed of the urgency of finding a match this season. My father may have grown charitable to you as of late, but do not expect the same from the rest of us. ”

“As it stands, our house may find itself overcrowded with new roles and positions in the following year,” her uncle added unkindly. “We cannot fathom the undertaking of what would be expected of us.”

He didn’t have to say it. Sophie could hear the silent ‘ There is no place for you here ’ statement as if it had been screamed by a banshee.

“I understand. I am only grateful for the kindness and generosity that has been bestowed upon me by the family thus far,” Sophia said graciously, forcing a genial smile. “When the time comes, I will leave just as I have arrived.”

Meaning, with a pocketful of her mothers jewels, a small bag and a very worn out dress.

Mollified, her aunt turned her attention back to her husband.

“Let us hope for a fortuitous beginning and ending.”

Thankfully, nothing more could be said as a maid entered the room announcing her grandfather’s expected arrival. All four of them stood up in respect.

Sophia felt her heart lurch as her grandfather hobbled into the room with his wooden cane, noting with relief his healthy countenance and ferocious scowl.

“Sit, sit,” he growled as he sat at the head of the table. His sharp gray eyes appraised them one by one as they obediently sat down in their seats.

While the servants moved swiftly to serve their meals, her aunt sighed dramatically, her face transformed from the early arrogance into concern.

“Father, you have lost your color! You should have rested more!”

“I shall rest when I am dead,” he scowled, ignoring the gasp her aunt made. He turned to Sophia and said, “I trust you have had a good rest here.”

“Yes, grandfather,” she smiled in response.

“It has only been two weeks, but surely Venice has been more enjoyable than that, that place you were in before.”

She hadn’t been quite able to scour the city as she would have liked as of yet, but she couldn’t let her grandfather know that because then she would have to mention how her aunt and uncle practically locked her in the room all day saving meal times.

“It is lovely, but I do find myself struggling to navigate the city due to my ignorance of the culture and landscapes. I find myself more comfortable staying in my room reading.”

“Nonsense!”Her grandfather shook his head. “A young lady such as yourself must be out and about in the city.  I shall see to it that you have your escort tomorrow.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary, father,” her aunt interjected. “She is quite comfortable in her room.”

“She needs to be out to know what she is missing,” he waved his hand dismissively.

Her aunts eyed each other dismayed, but there was nothing they could do.

Tempering down the surge of affection for her grandfather and excitement for the morrow, Sophia simply nodded as if acquiescing to her grandfather.

Satisfied, he started on his meal and on cue, everyone else picked up their silverware and began eating as well.

Chapter II. Masquerade Play

Sophia's heart leaped out of her chest for the dozenth time that night. The night was cool, moon hung smugly across the starry sky and music across the entire manor could be heard.

But ofcourse, the cherry on the cake was that her identity was a secret thanks to the mask she wore.

When she had received the invitation by a very well dressed butler while out lost on a stroll in the park, she had thought perhaps the butler was mistaken. But no, her name was elegantly written on the letter and so she absolutely had to come. She feared her aunts would mock her if she showed them the invitation, so she had kept silent and snuck out that night to attend.

Excitement and wanton curiosity filled her as she gazed upon the room. Masks made no difference because ultimately she didn't know anyone anyway and she didn't expect to stay long enough to connect with anyone anyway.

Feeling slightly braver than usual, she decided she needed to make some conversation with a peer before she left. She scanned the room, observing how  people were dancing in the ballroom, some drinking in the corner and engaging in quite scandalous displays of affection. There was chatter and laughter filling the hall and she felt rather envious. She wanted to feel that too.

She noticed a masked man walk near her, but just as she opened her mouth to ask something intelligible about his interest in Venecian cheese, another masked female figure hugged him from the back.

She couldn't help but remain frozen as both of them, clearly in the middle of some love situation laugh at each other affectionetly before disappearing back into the dance floor.

Feeling rather intimidated, Sophia decided that no, perhaps the garden was the best place to socialise instead.

As she made her way down the steps, cheerful at the thought of potentially meeting someone, she caught sight of a rather familiar female figure laughing amongst friends near the door, heading straight upstairs.

Oh drat, of her cousin were to find her she could only imagine the chaos it would bring to the house. And her grandfather!


Heart pounding in fear, just as they neared her, Sophia grabbed hold of a passing masked person and without thinking, buried her face into their chest.

She swallowed nervously as she heard her cousin pass and only once the staircase was empty again did she finally notice what she was doing.

"Ordinarily, I never complain if a beautiful women were to pounce on me," he started to say, his voice a very smooth velvety kind tinged with humour. "But I draw the line of being accosted without some consideration to my well being. I am more than a slab of meat you know, pretty thing that I am."

Embarrassed, she immediately stepped back, grateful for the mask she wore. She realised with shame that she had grabbed a man, whose dark eyes focused on her in amusement.

"I wasnt- I beg your pardon, kind sir," she stammered, face reddinng. "I only meant to use you as a cover."

"Aha, so you did set out to treat me like slab of meat."

"Not at all," she shook her head. " I only meant to hide away." She tilted her head up to face him properly, gaze sincere. "You have a very broad chest. It was very useful."

The masked figure lifted his hand to his mouth, body shaking slightly. It would have alarmed her in any other situation, but she had the sneaking suspicion that he was laughing at her.

All things considered, laughter was much better than anger so Sophie smiled cautiously back at the masked stranger.

"I am serious you know," she said and he shook harder, shaking his head. "I was in fear that I were to be discovered, so I am grateful that you were there."

"Oh sweetheart," the masked stranger chortled, "for the well-being of my reputation, I shall insist I show you a better means of use. Surely I could offer better service than that of a lowly furniture."

"You proved yourself better than some lowly furniture," she insisted. She made her way down the stairs, and to her pleasant delight he followed after her.

"I cannot continue to live with pride knowing furniture is resting on my platitudes."

"I wouldn't tell a soul," she promised and as they reached the door, she abruptly turned to him. "I am heading towards the gardens," she announced.

"What a coincidence, as am I."

"Alright."

As the servants opened the door that led to the gardens, she could hear his footsteps follow her.

She entered once of the rosy archways, wondering what she were to do with this masked stranger. She never had the chance to dally with a stranger like this before so she wondered what one were to do in such cases. Perhaps they danced under the moonlight like in the stories.

She stopped and turned around to face the stranger, noting how much taller he stood from her and how more bulkier. He looked a little intimidating under the shadows, and the darkness in his eyes under his mask only served to add to it.

"Tell me your name," he said softly.

A slight breeze wafted through the air, lifting some of her very carefully arranged hair.

She peered at him curiously, but seeing no reason not to answer she replied, "Sophie."

Grinning, the masked stranger lifted his mask. "My name is Domenico Battista Savona, please to meet your acquaintence, Lady Sophia."

Her heart thumped in her chest. He seemed very charming.

"Are we allowed to remove our masks?"

"No," he shrugged casually. He stepped closer to her and leaned forward, "Why, will you tell?"

"Oh no," she shook her head. "I wouldn't know who to tell."

"That does quell my nerves, your blatant unfamiliarity with the peerage here, but I lay here exposed-"

"You are hardly exposed," she pointed out glancing meaningfully at his very well dressed attire of expensive suit.

"I am bare to the bones," he continued to say, ignoring her comment and shaking his head pitifully. " You have used me as furniture and now you have trapped me into this garden."

She opened her mouth to protest her dignity and innocence, after all he followed her , but he continued on, "You have my name and my status and now you have glimpsed at my face."

"You have a very handsome face," she agreed, and he grinned in response.

"I shall take your compliments, and acknowledge you to have very keen eyes. But I still say I am at disadvantaged here. A victim if you may."

Oh, this stranger was quite diabolical, but a very charming one. She could feel some of her earlier intimidation ebb away to be replaced by intrigue.

"Oh very well," she smiled, moving to lift her mask. However, her very complicated hair arrangement was serving to deter her quite unceremoniously.

Domenico leaned forward, and gently moved her hair, helping her slide the mask off.

His presence, she noted felt quite warm. She peered at him curiously, taking in the same reflection of curiosity in his eyes, that was mixed with a twinge of humour.

"You are quite beautiful," he said softly, placing his finger gently under her chin and  tilting her head upwards.

It was just a slight touch of a finger, but she could feel her entire body fuse with some kind of energy.

"I don't think you should be touching me," she all but whispered, dazed.

"Why not?"

"It isn't proper."

"Fun things never are," he smiled at her, but she felt that it was more of a predatory smile than one of actual elation.

He leaned forward, and immediately she squeezed her eyes shut, heart beating erratically in her chest. She wondered if he could hear it. He had to.

Contrary to what she thought she would feel however, Domenico whispered in her ear, his warm breath ticklish. "My, my lady Sophia, what improper thought were you entertaining at my expense?"

Embarrassed, her eyes flew open to see him step back with a mischievious grin.

"I was only attempting to move a stray leaf caught in you hair," he said innocently as Sophie burned.

"Oh, you have my thanks," she said turning to crimson, clutching her mask tightly. Oh, she could be so silly sometimes. Ofcourse he was only picking on some wayward leaf nesting in her hair. Strangers don't just kiss under the moonlight.

They both heard his name being called, so with a well practiced bow, Domenico took hold of her hand and kissed it.

"Until the next entrapment, Sophie," his gaze promised more flirty banter, but she wasn't sure how much more her heart could take.

"I am sure I will find another use for you then," she stated softly, unsure if she would ever run into him again.

He grinned in response and as he walked away, she buried her face in her hands.

Somehow, she was sure that this was not the Venice experience her grandfather had talked about.

Extremely rushed  but more or less done

Last edited by MissKiki (16/10/2024 at 19:29)

Hi everyone! Just a short heads up on the fact we will close the round tomorrow night

Another heads-up is that with the week-long rounds, I have no right to give extensions in the contest, by the moderator’s rule.

Round 1 is now officially closed, while I make preparations and snippets for round 2, feel free to finish your rounds!

Thank you for joining 

Round 2: The Aftermath, also known as Rising from the Dead

The festivities might have been the blast, but the recovery should be a bigger one.

For most, that is. The Malvolio twins were seen skulking around the Villa on the following day, allegedly not to wake up the few guests who had spent the night. Scandalous, is it not? There was a white mask left behind in Leonardo's room, that did not belong to him and a caped woman managed to sneak out of the palace moments after the dawnbreak - thankfully, only a few dozen servants, musicians and other entertainers have seen it, so it should all stay contained. Perhaps that's why the Malvolio's stayed behind, perhaps to avoid Doge's scolding - it's yet to be determined.

Leonardo's coterie left with the night, each in their unique state of body and mind - and with their own story to tell, rest assured, just like the rest of the guests. While the rest of the crowd has made it through the night, our Spanish visitors have been seen leaving a little bit early - possibly shocked or even mortified by the level of debauchery that went on in the villa. Or, at least that's the rumour that flew around the following day. Who can tell at this point?

With all of the comings and goings, it is becoming frightfully hard to keep track of all the newcomers here, yet the arrival of Francesco Orsini, the newly-appointed Papal Nuncio, or Pope's personal delegate to Venice, hasn't gone unnoticed. Traditionally, Papal Nuncio is here to form a delicate diplomatic bridge between Venice and the Pope, but knowing Francesco's reputation, there is very little diplomacy involved. Oh, was it mentioned that aside from taking on the new role, he is also there to officiate the marriage between Leonardo and his future wife, Doña Beatriz de Villena, Marquesa de Valdemoro. Was it mentioned she is yet to make the appearance to her own nuptials which are scheduled in a fortnight or a bit more? Well, Leonardo does not seem concerned, the rest of the society can only follow in the sentiment. Of course, you will find information about Cardinal Francesco Orsini in the information below.

So, what are you to do?

Oh, a lot! 

Firstly, Papal Nuncio has taken residence in a large palazzo near the main canal, which is unlike doings of any cardinal, but very in character for Francesco, and you will be invited to attend his first formal gathering a week after his arrival. No masks this time, come as you are. There is apparently a more intimate, but larger gathering happening after the official part, only snagging the invite to it will be quite an endeavour for most. 

Secondly, the annual Vento di Primavera regatta is starting soon, with most of the largest families being patrons to a gondola participating in the race - and the gatherings before, during and after are really the best reason to be there. The sun is up, the food is scrumptious, the wine is flowing in abundance and the competition is lighting the fire of competition in everyone around. Doge is there to open the race and award the winners, so naturally, everyone should show up and enjoy the day. Strolling around the calli, indulge in sweets at the squares, passionately (but tastefully) cheer your gondoliers or simply use this chance to steal a few moments with a special someone. 

The round will take place over two weeks or so. Your requirements are as follows.
• Name.
• Interests, up to 4, state if romantic or friendly.
• Outfit for Vento di Primavera, the theme is spring colours.
• Please write a story of the events of the round, including your personal aftermath of the masquerade party, the official (and maybe unofficial) gathering at Francesco's and Veneto di Primavera. There might be some in your personal plot that might need your attention, and an unofficial gathering invite - if you manage to snatch it, will be mentioned there.

Cardinal Francesco Orsini, Papal Nuncio

FC: Gregg Chillin
Age: 35
Traits: Charismatic. Extroverted. Calculated risk-taker. Manipulative, cunning. Opportunistic. Temptation-prone, easily enamoured (ish). Decadent. Ruthless. Amoral, or morally flexible, always serving his own interests.
Connections:
He is familiar with all the important names, he has met Doge before, as well as Cesare.

The infamous cardinal whose rise to power had to do everything with the fact he is the alleged son of the Borgia clan and most likely had some very delicate information about the otherwise boring Pope Clement X. Frequent guest of the clandestine gambling houses in Rome and not unfamiliar with other establishments, Francesco leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to his spiritual guidance, at least in the traditional sense. He's a very charismatic, social chameleon who reads both people and situations easily. While he likes to push boundaries, he is not impulsive - he makes sure there is some insurance or precaution he can take before making any move. His own downfall could be his vices and the utter inability to resist a beautiful woman - especially if she has the brains to back it up.

Snippets
"The Dawn" takes place straight after the wake is done.
"The Cardinal" takes place during the official part of the event.
TBC

The Dawn: Bastiano, Ottavio and Domenico

It started to dawn when the gondola sailed across the canal, heading towards Venice again. It wasn't a long ride, but Domenico managed to lie down in the front, head prompted on the edge of the boat, feeling the sun warm him up a little bit as the wind blew cold and he seemed to be missing a few layers of clothes.

Bastiano, leaning on his elbow, glancing at his friend and his blissful smile, wondering at which part did their evening went differently. He chuckled, to himself, getting Ottavio's attention immediately. He did not bother to open his eyes, sitting deep under the cover of the canopy of the gondola, as if trying to hide himself from the sun, or the people, and most likely both. It was not something he should have done, not at all. Bastiano glanced at him.
"You could have taken a horse and gotten in from the other side of the canal if the point was to go unnoticed."
"This is more than enough movement as is, Bastiano, do not make a fool of yourself," Ottavio retorted, making his friend chuckle again. "Besides, I would have crossed paths with the lovely lady leaving slipping out of Leo's chambers in secret."
"It would not have been the first time," Bastiano shrugged.
"I reckon it will not be the last," the voice came from Domenico, who seemed to be awake, again. Or against the odds.
"He lives," Ottavio smirked, closing his eyes for a moment. Not one of the three of them could have said how they returned back to their abodes.

The Cardinal: Francisco, Leonardo, Baltasar, Alexandre and Luisa (+ Antonio)

Francisco imagined getting out of the Vatican many times before. Run away. Get killed. Lead some mission to someplace so far out of everyone's way he would not be considered under the law of God, let alone men, but getting to do a diplomatic mission to Venice seemed wilder.

Yet, he is there. To stay there. In hindsight, it was laid out for him years prior, yet there was this dwindling dot of delusional optimism that kept him thinking there might, in the end, be another way out. He was in no way a small-parish-and-some-good-Christian type of a man, but sometimes - just sometimes - it felt plausible.

Wine in one hand, his other behind his back - a stupid habit he picked up from some of the older Cardinals - and he made his rounds. Luckily, Doge came in early and left soon after they had a conversation, not forgetting to mention Leonardo is attending to go over the readings for the upcoming nuptials, which seemed quite unbelievable in regards to Leonardo. Antonio showed up soon into the event, avoiding his father as every good young man does and the whole ordeal amused Francisco immensely.

"Your Eminence," Leonardo said smoothly, bowing just enough to honour the cardinal’s rank without lowering himself too far. "It is a rare pleasure to find myself in such esteemed company."
"Signore di Malvolio, the pleasure is mine, though I confess I had hoped our meeting would occur under more celebratory circumstances."
"I am merely grieved that you missed my wake," Leonardo remarked with a hint of amusement.
"Rest assured, I shall attend the funeral," Francisco replied, a smile tugging at his lips. "I look forward to your company."
"There is still time to flee," Antonio sounded more serious than he should have. "Your bride has not graced Venice with her presence, yet."
"Ah, but I recall only one prodigal son in the scriptures," Leonardo said, casting a sidelong glance at Francisco, who grinned.
"Indeed," Francisco murmured.
"The authority has spoken. I would hardly dare to trespass upon your domain—you’ve perfected it," Leonardo added, his tone dry.
"Rules are made to be bent, stories to be rewritten, or some such nonsense," Antonio shrugged, his gaze drifting over the gathering. "Though I must say, your jest was as dreadful as any I've heard." His attention lands on Francisco. "Have you been introduced to all present?"
"For the most part," Francisco nodded. He had, of course. Those worth knowing, either by title or reputation, now filled the room—a gathering summoned on the swiftest of notice.

Half-way through Antonio's second attempt at finding that lonesome rebellious bone in his brother's body through a very direct invite to skip town, the future king of Spain walked through the doors, accompanied by a few of his nearest and dearest, including the future Duc de Saint-Simon and a familiar face he met last spring at the Spanish court. Francisco mussed some apology, leaving to greet the newcomers.

"Welcome," he greeted Baltasar mainly, hands landing on his shoulders. "I trust your stay has been agreeable?"
"I cannot fault it," Baltasar smiled.
"I believe my sister is on her lonesome self," Alexandre nodded, excusing himself.
Before he could, Francisco turned around, getting his attention. "I reckon you will join us later for the salon?"
The invite, spoken in French, silent enough for the two of them alone, managed to put a smile on Alexandre's face. "Myself and Olympia would not miss it."
Francisco contently nodded.

"Marquesa, I was under the impression you would be late," Francisco smiled at Luisa, who managed to inhale sharply before he smiled at her, turning his attention to surprised Baltasar. "I have just had a chance to converse with your aunt, not a fortnight ago, and she spoke very highly of you."
"Perhaps you failed to mention which nephew you spoke of?"

Last edited by Zaralee (20/10/2024 at 22:03)

Impressions will come here, hopefully as soon as possible 

DONE, for Sophia, Fleurance and Lucrezia.

NOTE
Baltasar and Luisa will not attend the later, unofficial gathering - no one is sure if they were invited and declined, or simply were not invited.

Andrea and Donata will not attend the first one, neither will be invited.

Lady Fleurance de Châtillon

Leonardo was sure he made a pass at her at one point or another, perhaps he just didn't remember it at all. He would have been quite stupid to miss the chance, he believes, but at the same time, it was something quite enjoyable in their relationship as it was. Honest, very scathing when she believes to be in a safe company, and she was a very nice company to keep, indeed. While the circumstances might have been quite dull - his nuptials and her widowhood - it has been lovely having her around, even to roll her eyes at stupid conversations.

Bastiano has enjoyed the moment, brief as it might have been, but it was pleasurable nevertheless. So much so that he even considered searching for your name with Leonardo - yet there has been a moment where he decided against it. He believes he would be able to recognize your voice and the little features of your face he had caught a glimpse of - and he goes with that.

Olympia likes Fleurance. Being a part of the French court is definitely a part of it, but in many ways, Fleuarance reminded her of a good friend in some of the things she has done. Only now, it made her think it has always been quite hard to hide things from Amelia (said friend), so she wondered if Fleurance had the same sharp observation skills to her, or not.

Cesare was not happy about the situation Fleurance found herself in, but there was a part of him that saw the silver lining in the grey of it. She was a valuable asset, a great match to be made - she was young, educated and cultured. Aside from that, she was entertaining to have around, and he believed she and Olympia would be kind company to each other.

Cardinal has clearly invited Cesare to join him for the luncheon, and Fleurance is also invited to attend with him and Olympia. She'd be more than welcome to socialize on her own or simply stick to either Cesare or Olympia. Most others are there, including Leonardo - without Antonio - accompanying his father. Bastiano is there, too, with his uncle (also a cardinal) and you can choose to have them interact and recognize each other during the party or at the one after. Fleurance can easily notice there are only certain guests Cardinal Orsini is inviting aside to talk to, and after he chats with Olympia, she approaches Fleurance and invites her to join her and Cesare at Cardinal's private soiree a little bit later that evening.

Added
The gathering after the official part seems to be a bit more like a salon, there are discussions about art, about politics, and there are not as many people around, but there are definitely some questionable people present there - think everything from heretics to hookers to some opium-enjoying people - basically, not a company Cardinal would keep, yet he seems to be acquainted with all of them. Cesare will find his way into Cardinal's company quite soon, and no one would mind Fleurance (with or without Olympia) joining in on the chat. If she does, she'd easily get a whim of Cardinal being sent to Venice to get the hold of Doge and his "overstepping". While there, Leonardo and Bastiano will be in a good mood. While Leo is somewhere between flirting and hiring a female sculptor, Bastiano seems to be enjoying adding fuel to the fire of a political discussion and heresy - and knowing more about Fleurance, of course. Both would be pleasant company there (flirting not out of the picture), the only topic that could spoil the mood could be the upcoming marriage for Leo and any talk about the future, with Bastiano.

Vento di Primavera is a grand event, with Olympia making sure she and Cesare have a competitor this year. This means they would attend, taking Fleurance there with them. Cesare seems to be running around with some goal on his mind, while Olympia would socialize and do her role to the point. It's also the time both Malvolio twins would join you two, for a conversation, wine and some food, both in a good mood. Note their father will not attend. At the same time, Bastiano is also there, attending, so she can have a chance to talk to him, too.

Lady Sophia Bloomwood

Domenico would have been very shortsighted had he not asked around a little bit to figure out who Sophia was (after he slept his hangover off, clearly) - it felt as if Venice placed a limit on several strangers coming into the city to stay, it feels silly to say it even. Lady Bloomwood seemed to be set in her Western ways of conduct, all prim and proper, but he could not figure out if her initial entrapment was a ruse to meet him, or not - although he tends to believe it really was by lucky chance they have run into each other.

Ottavio and Luisa haven't had the chance to meet Sophia yet, but this can be remedied soon.

Sophia's grandfather will be invited to attend the official gathering at Cardinal Orsini's palazzo, and instead of bringing the family, he will choose to bring Sophia alone with him. This will give her the opportunity to meet both Ottavio, who is there as a representative of his family, accompanied by his wife who will excuse herself before the luncheon is over, vanishing as quickly as she has appeared. Luisa will be there, too, accompanying Alexandre de Nemours. Clearly, Domenico is there with his father, barely hiding he is uninterested in this official part.

During the evening, you can notice Cardinal Orsini talking privately to some of the people, shortly and very secretly - namely, a brief discussion with Alexandre and Luisa which leaves her a bit surprised and somewhat rattled (feel free to socialize with her or both of them before or after); and his very short (and seemingly sweet) talk to Ottavio and Domenico. Before the luncheon is over, Domenico will seek Sophia out and hand her a small parchment with an address, telling her she can join if she's willing to overlook the lack of proper behaviour at the event. Let me know if she attends ASAP, it might add some changes to the round, or add a plot point if she chooses not to risk and go.

Added
Should she manage to sneak out, she could be surprised by the gathering after the official part seems to be a bit more like a salon, there are discussions about art, about politics, and there are not as many people around, but there are definitely some questionable people present there - think everything from heretics to hookers to some opium-enjoying people - basically, not a company Cardinal would keep, yet he seems to be acquainted with all of them. Domenico will be happy to see her there, and somewhat amused by how she should behave in such a company. Nothing there should feel threatening to her (mind you, he knows a lot of the people there, too), and he won't necessarily turn into a cavalier and escort her through the experience - he wouldn't mind her company and some flirting, of course. He'd introduce her to Ottavio at one point in the evening if she hadn't met him earlier in the day.

All three of your interests will attend the Vento di Primavera event. Domenico with his family, later joining his friends as they each cheer for their champion, and Luisa will be there with Baltasar and Alexandre. You can choose to approach them here, everyone should be in a lovely mood.

Lady Lucrezia Gonzaga

Andrea rarely enjoys occasions during which he normally gets to explain the nudity of the statues, the atmosphere in the perspective on the frescos, or even get to touch the topic of the placement of the building against the terrain. The night did look up a few times, one when he took a stroll with Lucrezia around the gardens. She was a beautiful woman, to say the least, and she seemed like an interesting company to keep.

Antonio enjoyed their brief back-and-forth, she could hold her own. It felt very strange hearing she was bored in Venice, especially since she was attending Leo's wake, so he imagined his brother must have met her quite recently. Well, Antonio has time on his hands and he would not mind spending some of with her.

Leonardo could not think for the life of him where they met before or how she got the invite, but he had a fond memory of meeting her during the party - she seemed to be enjoying herself naturally, which was rather nice and he enjoyed that. He didn't remember seeing her around Venice, he did manage to find out she was there, taking up a very large palace alone, which definitely intrigued him at that point.

Olympia wondered how she missed Lady Gonzaga before, but finding out she was there without the company of her - most likely boring - husband, she concluded Cesare simply did not have any business with her. She did enjoy their short chat - a good eye for fashion was a very nice thing to have, Olympia just hoped she was not a complete bore outside of that.

The invite for the official luncheon will come to the name of Lucrezia's husband, but of course, she is there to attend in his place and Cardinal would not mind that, at all. The atmosphere of the official event should be quite formal, with many important people gathering there - she might notice there are quite a few people Cardinal will chat with there, including both Malvolio twins at one point. Both of them are mainly in a good mood, pehrpas Antonio a bit better than Leonardo is, but whichever you bump into first will discreetly invite you to the actual fun gathering after this official one. The gathering after the official part seems to be a bit more like a salon, there are discussions about art, about politics, and there are not as many people around, but there are definitely some questionable people present there - think everything from heretics to hookers to some opium-enjoying people - basically, not a company Cardinal would keep, yet he seems to be acquainted with all of them. Andrea will be attending this part, too. Everyone is in a good mood, and should she be eagle-eyed, she might notice Olympia and Antonio having a heated discussion at one point during the evening, but she would be one of the few who'd notice.

During the Vento di Primavera event, Leonardo and Antonio are both there - their father is not - and they would both be in a good mood. While Leo would make rounds, greeting people and socializing with Ottavio, Domenico and Bastiano; Antonio would vanish occasionally and stick to the race. Both are in a good and even flirty mood. Olympia has a competitor in the game and she is very, very passionate about the win this time - she'd be in the best mood ever (wine would help, too). Also, Andrea is there, actually enjoying the event, too, and willing to take a stroll along the canal at any point.

Lady Francesca Mancini

Antonio, Baltasar, Luisa

Lady Beatrice Cornaro

It wouldn't be the first time he played a joke on someone, but this time it might have been the most amusing of all times, even for Antonio. Was she upset? He left before he could find out, perhaps just her pride was a bit bruised, but hell, it was fun! He hadn't had the chance to meet Beatrice Cornaro before, but he was not around. But she really was entertaining, that much he can conclude. Had he mentioned it was extremely entertaining? It was.

It rarely happens that someone approaches Bastiano with a map of how to push the buttons and in which order, but it has been entertaining. She spoke very openly, which he enjoyed, and it's been the first time he met acquaintances with Beatrice Cornaro, although her brother was quite enjoyable company - perhaps a tad less judgmental - Beatrice was more entertaining to talk about to, she had some spark to her. Easier on the eyes, too.

Donata normally stays out of trivial silliness such as that, but the girl seemed like she needed someone to step in. In all honesty, she did not feel like someone who could not hold their own, yet she did. Step in, contrary to reason. She just could not stand it - and she seemed to be right. Surprisingly, it did pay off - that was the third most pleasant conversation she managed to have through the entire evening.

With the arrival of the new Cardinal, some shift is noticeable and soon after the Cornaro family is invited to attend the official gathering Francisco planned. She can attend with Alessandro or with her father, both work. During the gathering, Bastiano would approach to say hello, playfully asking for some comment on this current situation and levels of drama involved, given no shackles nor skinning are happening. He could hint there is something else happening a bit later, asking her to join the unofficial part if she's willing to overlook either excess drama or the lack of it, he could not vouch for the levels of it. Cardinal would introduce himself at some point, you can choose the context of the event and if you wish to write it out (I can give more information once I know who she's attending with). The gathering after the official part seems to be a bit more like a salon, there are discussions about art, about politics, and there are not as many people around, but there are definitely some questionable people present there - think everything from heretics to hookers to some opium-enjoying people - basically, not a company Cardinal would keep, yet he seems to be acquainted with all of them. Both Bastiano and Antonio would attend, and Donata in the company of Andrea and occasionally seen chatting with Leonardo. Bastiano would continue with his playful antics, and Antonio would use a more teasing approach and see what happens there. He seems to be more at home here, and rather in a good mood. He'd also spend a lot of time with his brother, between playfully teasing and some knowing glances exchanged between both. Francisco - less uptight than in the official part - will come say hi too, if you wish to entertain that interaction.

During Vento di Primavera, the Cornaro family has their gondola in the game - which should be entertaining. Everyone is there, having a rather good time (more or less), and without Doge being there, both Antonio and Leonardo are making an appearance. While Bastiano is mostly accounted for at all times, she could notice Antonio slipping away on an occasion or two, and more information can be provided on that. Surprisingly, Donata would approach her during the event for a conversation and perhaps some cheering, if you'd like to keep her company at any point.

Last edited by Zaralee (20/10/2024 at 12:53)

Beatrice Cornaro
Face claim: Maddison Jaizani
Age: 22
Interests: Bastiano (optimistic towards), Antonio (irritated with), Donata (impressed by), Francisco (unimpressed by? tbd)

IV. Detangling

The gossamer curtains rose and fell gently, billowing tidal waves in the breeze from the wide open window. The air was both sweet and pungent, a mix of water and the presence of people.

On the floor at the foot of her bed, Beatrice sat with brush in hand, gently teasing out the snarling curls after last night's updo. She had sent away her maid, whose hand had been as deft as a dock worker. Surely determined to pull out half her hair with each stroke. At a viciously sharp tug Beatrice had shrieked loud enough that she would have awakened the whole house, if it wasn't already long past noon. Only a few days and it was already written firmly in the stars that the maid's service to the house would not be long standing.

So, she sat there in the stillness in her shift and morning robe. Getting dressed would mean calling the maid back, which she would not deign herself to do before the irritation settled. Either way the rest of the lengths would still take some time.

The door was assertively pushed open. Looking over her shoulder she found Alessandro striding in and threw himself on the bed. His hair had a matte grey coating to it. As they had reconvened later in the night he had shown with his hair completely powdered. As close enough to blonde that he could manage, the joke was he claimed, as if he had taken their parting words as a bet. Neither had he elaborated how it had come about, he had simply fallen asleep on the gondola back.

“Did the night have you come around to all the possibles of Venice?”

“As you can see I’m not in a carriage on my way out of here,” she said and returned to teasing apart a clump, “but then I am not yet decent, perhaps we’ll see.”

She was partly jesting, pettily so, because of how he thrived. Worst was, he knew.

“Don’t think I don’t miss it,” he said, switching to French, the carefree smile dropping from his face. She looked down at the floor instead, fingers stopping for the moment. “I’m just determined to not let what was great there ruin our future here.”

The momentary silence which filled the room was pregnant with her intense sulking, before she sighed and had her fingers start up on their work again. “Stop being so wise. I’ll try it’s just, you know  –” she searched for words which had an actual bearing point, but failed, “so much water here.” She threw a glance with a smile over her shoulder.

“I did not, tell me more,” he sat up and scooted himself to the edge of the bed. Picking up a tendril at the back which had yet to be worked on he started separating strands with the gentlest of touch, and to a pace which wouldn’t have them finished before dinner. “Tell me at least you enjoyed yourself somewhat last night.”

“I did,” she said, determined to try to remember the positive. She spoke about the meeting with Donata Morsini, who it was clear she had been impressed by, and the later meeting with the architect, who had been agreeable. She refrained from divulging what had preceded meeting Donata, as she still felt like the fool and it was little she despised more. “Then I spoke with a man who was diverting.”

“Who?”

“I didn’t get his name as I thought I saw you and was still in the mindset of chasing you down to give you a piece of it. Good height, dark haired. Well cut clothes and, could you guess, a mask!”

“Which could easily have been half of the attendees, I get your point.”

“But we agreed on the dramatic nature of a wake, though we conceded to some differing opinions. He could hold a conversation. But I think I got a little intense.”

“We all love you when you get intense, it can lead to the most delightful outcomes.”

“You love me no matter what, there's a difference.” She leaned her head back to look at him. “You really ought to wash that out of your hair, you look like you aged decades.”

“We ought to have mother’s ladies maid come and take care of this rat’s nest, or you’ll never get out of here.”

“Soon,” she said simply, going back to brushing but with a little more determination.

“If you can give more detail, I might be able to at least tease out your evening’s mystery –”

V. Unmasked

Beatrice didn’t mind being paraded for a round as the properly genteel daughter for a spell, and this was the venue for it. It demanded mostly of her to look spotless and admirable, to make her father look good. And she didn’t mind it because he knew very well she had a head much more use than that. But on his arm she did her best to bite her tongue and not to say anything more than pleasantries. It was only out of other’s earshot she let forth the tart comments regarding how the Doge was an important man, who knew just how important he was, or how the newly arrived Cardinal was acting surprisingly upright compared to the downright gossip surrounding him. To which her father only hummed, of course he would never offer such opinions in this setting and it irritated her again how her tongue ran off quicker than her thoughts could control it.

Once that round was over, Alessandro stole her away for more informal formal mingling.

“I’ve someone you should meet properly, Bice,” he said, leading her over to the other side of the palazzo’s grand reception hall.

“Properly how?” She asked, joking. He was containing the eager excitement, but she could tell.

With a small hand gesture he caught the attention of a young man, standing in a group of church men, once he seemed all too keen to exclusive himselfs from with the proper excuse to do so.

“Is this a proper enough gathering for your fierce scrutiny?” He said much like someone she had already met. Because by his voice alone she now realised that she had. Improperly so, to a fashion. He met the description too, good height, dark hair. With no mask he wore a nice face.

“It’s you,” Beatrice said, allowing little excitement to her expression to start off with and then she turned to Alessandro. “How did you know?

“Simple enough,” he said nonchalantly and under her loaded stare he continued in a whisper which was loud enough for the whole trio to hear. “You do make a certain impression.”

“Though I hardly would believe him at first, as he did have his skin intact.”

“I started with asking a very reasonable question and he believes me so uptight, oh don’t deny I could tell,” she said in a rapid pace so as not to get cut off, “that I can’t make a joke apparently. It seems I can do no right.”

“I think that is more than enoughs for names. Beatrice, you have met Bastiano Farnese. Bastiano, my sister Beatrice.”

Beastiano offered a nod with a small quirk of the head and she graciously bent her neck.

“Sounds like I failed on many fronts then, as you didn’t seem very convinced by my arguments.”

“Oh, no need to worry, you received the highest of praise,” Alessandro said merrily.

“Oh?”

Beatrice rolled her eyes.

“She said you could hold a conversation.” Alessandro grinned.

“A compliment… to be sure,” Bastiano said with amused bafflement.

“It is praise, some of your points weren't even terrible, and so distinguished you,” she said, putting on a very serious face, “but then the standard has been appalling so far.” Looking him squarely in the eye, he didn’t disappoint by looking away, to which she let herself smile and eased up.

A few rounds of chatting back and forth. She felt better with Alessandro at her side, he could always assist by redirecting her jabs or slips. 

“Such a merry conversation at this gathering, I’m sure that can’t be right.” Another new face joined the group.

“Did the cardinal manage to reform you?” Bastiano said. He was obviously well acquainted with the man.

“Definitely trying by scheduling long, unnecessarily readings. Alessandro, good to see you.”

“Leonardo, meet my newly arrived sister. Beatrice, meet the esteemed host from the other night, Leonardo di Malvolio.”

“This can be amusing,” Bastiano snickered.

“Amusing? I’d say I always enjoy meeting a lovely lady. Pleasure to meet you, Beatrice” Bowing gracefully with the words, he wasn’t only charming – he was so smooth she almost took slight from it.

“I believe he finds it amusing because they are aware I find fault in you.”

“Bice,” Alessandro laughed warningly.

“Find fault in me? You haven’t even met me. But I'm sure you are right and if it’s truly the case, you’d have some points of interest to speak with my father about.”

“I’m sure I can find faults in him too,” she said to smooth it out. Laughing a little, it was received with chuckles.

“We are all full of faults.”

And the conversation kept the lighthearted tone.

“I feel like I arrived to early, when was it the stimulating part of the gathering starting?”

“You should have waited a little longer, not just staking out the entrance and coming in when father was leaving.”

A man had swept up behind Leonard, who responded as only a sibling could with an intermingling of annoyance and affection. Beatrice barely glanced at the man, the query seemed not like it was meant for the masses and as if prompted by it, Bastiano leaned in towards her and Alessandro.

“I shouldn’t forget, if you are both available,” he lowered his voice, “we are gathering for a … curated salon later. If it is too dramatic for the lady’s sensibilities, you are very welcome to join.”

“I think you are confusing opinions and sensibility. You might now know I have plenty of the first, but do refrain from assuming any of the second, yet,” she bit back, playfully.

“What might curated mean?” Alessandro chuckled.

“A more selective guest list for an open and stimulating environment, the invitation is just an extension from the Cardinal.”

“We’ll sure do our best to make it,” Alessandro said, after exchanging a glance with Beatrice.

“And who might this be?” The man who had arrived, which Beatrice already easily had deduced must be Antonio – the runaway and resurrected son, asked and properly stepped into the ring of conversation as Bastiano, successful with his mission, drew back again.

“You already met Alessandro, I believe, and then this is the latest Cornaro to arrive, much easier on the eyes if I may say so –”

“I believe that might depend on who you are asking,” Beatrice and Alessandro cut in as one. Though one said it with mirthful charm and the other with a scathing humour. The siblings shared a glance and a grin.

“Beatrice Cornaro. My dearest brother, Antonio,” Leonardo finished.

“But – ah, believe Beatrice and I have already met.”

She hadn’t paid too close attention to the man but at his words her eyes snapped to him. It took until a self satisfied smirk settled itself into the beard for the realisation to come upon her. The pitch of the voice and yes, a surge of discomfort washed over her again.

She had not given Alessandro a description of the impersonator of a man. Indeed she had told him of the whole situation, only fleetingly mentioning a leering man Donata Morsini had saved her from.

“I can’t recall meeting any di Malvolio before today,” she said, doing her best to sound confused but her spine was turning into cold iron. “If so, it can’t have been very memorable, I’m afraid.”

The odious man didn’t contest it nor brought up the actual encounter, but that grin stayed on his face as the conversation carried on. Alessandro excused themselves only a little later, claiming they needed to touch base with their father before he left, but Beatrice well knew it was mostly to offer her to step away.

“And you with your as good as eidetic memory, Bice,” Alessandro leaned in and whispered to her, words full of mirth.

“We all have our faults, didn’t we agree?” She spoke calmly. As calmly as she could, because it had most likely not undergone any of the company’s notice just how rigid her posture had turned with the interaction.

VI. Abundance

There were things to ride your eyebrows towards your hairline in this salon they had been invited to. The Cornaro siblings weren’t the sheltered kind but through her upbringing they had been imbued with a strong sense of morality, not necessarily one that followed church and sanctum to the teeth, but the sheer bulk of substances and indulgence gathered did not not provoke in part. And that part she stayed clear from.

Listening with half an ear to Bastino and other gentlemen’s not so gentle discussions was a part that didn’t provoke.

She sipped her wine as he approached, the debate obviously had put him in great spirits.

“You must have had time to properly judge us, please let me hear it,” he said playfully.

She scoffed a bit. “I’ve come to understand why you so passionately defended Leonardo at our first meeting, bringing up shackles and pyres. Other than being a good friend of course.”

“Of course.”

“Your heart is bound, though not for marriage in your case.”

“Heart is the opposite, but to their idea I’m sure marriage comes along soon enough too. Is that your judgement and execution, coming here to sacrifice the good mood?” He said dryly and with some revulsion which was the first for their interaction.

“Nailed hand and foot to the cross then. But I was going to say, if this is an accurate representation of life of the clergy in Venice, how bad could it be?”

“And there we have the judgement,” he chuckled, “I think the point is that it is not, but perhaps an interesting addition to it.”

“Cardinal Orsini came as a saving grace?”

“I’d still like to avoid the prison gates by any means.”

“Advocating for your own agency.”

“Yes.”

“I just think that if you are rebelling against something, you ought to rebel towards something too. What would you do when you are free?”

“I thought you were listening in on the debate earlier, you looked like you could hardly hold yourself back.”

“With so many people I’d stumble into a disaster,” she chuckled. “In the end debating all day doesn’t necessarily get you anywhere in life or solution.”

“But it may get you a diverting night, let’s get another glass of wine shall we?”

*

“It wasn’t that unmemorable.”

A voice that had now etched itself into her head, surely to wake up that aversion for all eternity, spoke all too close to her ear.

Beatrice had sought out an open window for some fresh air. In this place there was so much all around, that even if you didn’t indulge in it you had to be careful to keep your head with you.

She drew in a deep breath before she spoke.

“I certainly don’t remember one Antonio di Malvolio.”

“It was such a simple thing, with you asking so prettily, how could I not? And with the most delightful outcome.”

“Pray tell me, what was so delightful – me looking like a fool or you lying to achieve it?” A quirk of the head betrayed her irritation.

“The interaction itself. It added much to my evening.”

“Then it couldn’t have been very great to begin with. But what I have come to find some delight in, is understanding that scurrying away like that is quite a habit of yours.” She glanced his way to at least acknowledge his presence. “Away from Venice, away from your father’s sight. Like a cowardly little rat, only appearing when the cat's away. And that unkempt chin wig of yours makes it look like you’ve just come in from the rough, and keeping it makes me think you’ll soon run off into the wild again. Even for the better.”

Turning fully, her eyes wandered up his face to look him in the eye – only to find that he stood all too near – and while that beard was undoubtedly unfashionable, at this proximity it looked well groomed and smelled agreeably of rosemary.

“You find delight in that do you?” He brushed a knuckle across the line of his jaw, but she thought she could see traces of pricked pride.

“Everyone knows the only use of such a long beard in good society is to hide a weak chin.” It did actually appal her how she had managed to overlook it in the first instant of their meeting. She needed to rectify what she saw past only because of artistic eccentricity.

He chuckled. It was something of a petty line, even though it wasn’t untrue.

“Because what I think, is that you are just a little too proud,” he said and she could smell more than alcohol on his breath, reminding her to take the proper step back. “If it is the deception you take issue with  –”

“As well as weakness of character,” she added.

“ – which I contest – but if you value honesty, tell me, up until the, in your mind, disastrous reveal, did you enjoy it? Because I believe you can’t admit it, even if it’s true.”

There was a silent stalemate of locked eyes for a moment.

“Only because you leer too much already,” she said softly and then with a more cruel edge, “one does better not to fuel the fire of arrogance. This place surely does it enough already. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

He took a step back and with a sweep of his arm, that nearly spilled the wine from his glass, he presented her the path to leave. Which she took, after giving him and his leer a last scathing look, and found her way to a group of seats where Donata and Andrea sat with few others, Leonardo just then leaving his seat by their side.

*

“Signora Cornaro, don’t tell me you are leaving so soon?” The Cardinal came up to Beactrice as she stood, cloak already over her shoulder and waiting for Alessandro, who was only exchanging a last few words of goodbyes. She bowed her head as he approached, steeling herself to keep her tongue in check. This was an important man, though the turnaround regarding the gathering had raised even further questions of what kind of holy man he really was. “I would have liked to talk to you and your brother, but alas might be too late.”

“I don’t blame you for not finding the time, Cardinal, with all these distractions,” she said, making sure her eyes did not drift. Alessandro better hurry up.

The quiet shift of the smile on his face said that indeed judgement had passed between the both of them.

“With so many new faces arriving in Venice, destined to be a part of its future. With new Cornari coming from abroad, I expected an open minded approach and will to be a part of that shaping it but perhaps I overstepped and assumed.”

It was as he knew exactly what poked the bear in her, and she tried to keep it back, in vain.

“I’m sure we can agree it would be a worse world if the whole clergy merely consisted of holy men practising strict self-flagellation and celibacy  – it would put them very far from the minds, temptation and reality of men, and so how could they best guide them? But then the hypocrisy of the absolute opposite would be worse. And worse, such a man would be rather simple and disappointing would he not?”

“You bring up the absolute opposite of the spectrum, which is seldom the case, if you want to discuss the complexity of absolution, this might be exactly the right venue for it.”

She was about to manage to wade herself into too deep water but luckily Alessandro joined her.

“I think what my sister is saying, your eminence,” he quickly cut in, he must have caught the dire state of the conversation, “is that there can be too much of everything and that it’s time for us to bid goodbye for tonight. Though we thank you for the consideration and invitation.”

VII. Faint Dignity

There was excitement all around. The nobel’s had their wine and parasols and camps to cheer on their runners. The mingling in between merry until a race began and the rivalry threw down splinters between some. Or at least Beatrice thought so by the rise in voices and tones, she didn’t invest herself in the watching and cheering.The water and the commotion had her so tense she couldn’t think straight. For some reason her father had thought it best to take half a turn around the city in an open faced gondola as a pre-celebration.

“I believe you are turned the wrong way,” Bastiano said, teasing, at one point when he had come over from the Doge’s gathering with some others Beatrice only half noticed. She did mainly notice one was not among them. Alessandro did better at playing host.

“You might tell me if we are winning, and I’m content,” she glanced over towards another race which started to an eruption of cheers. Because even if she might feel slightly sick, she still cared about winning. It would be a good start to her father as head of family, and all that. And she just liked to win.

“I don’t think you have a gondola in this heat.”

“No? How they drag out on it.”

“Which some may say is a boon, prolonged anticipation and drinking.”

*

“They do this every year?” Beatrice said with a displeased wrinkling of her nose.

Donata had come over after Bastiano had abandoned her after rightly deeming her not in the best mood for good sparing.

“For as long as I have lived here, and long before that.”

“How long have you been living here?”

“Coming on thirteen years now,” she chuckled, disbelieving, “time rushes by.”

“This day is trickling,” Beatrice gumbled and met Donata’s amused gaze. “Would you mind perhaps walking with me? I think standing still is making me madder. Not that I want to steal you away from the excitement.”

“Thirteen years so far, and hopefully many to come, I think I’ll find walking with you will be more of a novelty for now. Besides, I don’t think we’ll miss the commotion of the upcoming finale anyhow.”

They started their walk quietly, moving helped Beatrice relax even though she had to calculate her steps when the water ways came up to close, the conversation distracted and eased too.

“Don’t you have a gondola  in the race?” She asked. The sun was shining high though it was only spring, even a little harsh. Beatrice wished she had taken her parasol with her.

“No, this is the time for the honourable families' time to shine, if they let in more the risk of losing might be too great,” Donata teased, lightly. “Though I’m sure I have a man who could beat at least some of those embarrassing stragglers.”

“As long as you are not suggesting that one of ours was among the stragglers,” Bice joked dryly.

“Of course not.”

“And if you truly did let me know and I must rectify it as soon as possible,” Beatrice said her thought returning to the conversation. 

Donata laughed a little. “No, truly.”

“But, yet, you seem to hold high standing among many.”

“I should not?”

“Not what I meant. Did it sound like I did?” She knew she could be too straight faced and not nuanced enough, it wouldn’t have been the first time it caused a problem.

“It’s fine.” It didn’t sound like Donata had taken any slight. But she did walk on a few steps before she realised Beatrice had suddenly stopped, the calli narrowing ahead. Not too terribly of anything but with other people passing it came off as a needle eye with death on either side. “Anything the matter?

“Would …” Beatrice swallowed as a wave washed over dread washed over her. It wasn’t like her to act up so, or at least not be able to mask it better, perhaps was it the shouting from the race, the sun – the combination of everything. “... judge me terribly if I said I’m not too great with the water.”

“Oh, of course not, here,” Donata turned them around and led them down another way, which quickly widened out into a piazza. “That must be an inconvenience to be sure.”

“Terrible,” Beatrice muttered, irritated with herself to no end, she sought her last thoughts to divert herself again. “But what I was saying is that you are an interesting specimen.”

“Specimen? Oh dear.”

“In the most impressive way – a widow who independently run her operations with great success and is held in high esteem, invited to the exclusive wake. I could continue.”

“I think that is quite enough,”Donata chuckled, “and Andrea, working closely with Signore di Malvolio, made a great introduction.”

Beatrice glanced at her but didn’t comment.

“Of course I know marriage is waiting for me down the line,” she continued instead. “Once it started being a possibility that we would return here, it turned into a waiting game for a few years in Paris  – I knew proposals wouldn't be considered but now we are here and one father has his footing I know it's imminent. It’s just – I have never been the best at simply looking pretty, I just hope the bargain doesn’t require me to chop off my head.” 

Passing a smaller offshoot of the way they were walking, not far from but out of sight from the main gatherings she caught sight of faces she recognised. While there had been faces all around she recognised, perhaps it was the covertness of this meeting which drew her gaze. Antonio, joined by the Marchesa di Savona, in talks which blossomed heated. She drew her gaze away as not to be caught noticing, but they seemed preoccupied with their own.

“A headless bride sounds unbecoming to any,” Donata teased, well meaningly. “Well, I had no choice in the initial union, I don’t know if you might. But you have a choice in everything you do after and before that.”

Beatrice knew she had a say, her father had never been a cruel man, but he had also come to a harder outlook now that he was the one to make the name for himself. And Bice herself had too many preferences for what she knew she wanted in a husband and a marriage that she knew deep down, she’d have to make harsh decisions regarding it. That feeling too was a suffocating wave. Breathing in deep, she tried to settle that shakiness which had started up within her.

They had turned back towards the free flowing wine and cheering under the cover of parasols, the volume form it was growing.

“I think the grand finale is coming up, if we cut through here we might just make it,” Donata said cheerfully. The woman seemed to know her way when Beatrice couldn’t distinguish one calli from another and was happy to follow her.

As they turned into the way leading them back, the common folk were gathered thicker to cheer in the triumph of the gondolier in Venice, Donata laughed a little tensely as there was still some passage to walk through perhaps not the ideal situation, especially for a vain daughter of the nobility.

“Are you alright,” Donata asked.

Beatrice waved off handedly that she was, because she wasn’t sure she could speak. It was even less ideal for such a daughter with an underplayed fright for the water, the noise and commotion awakening memories of chaos and panic as the water seemed to rise out of the canal.

“Let’s go this way instead,” Donata said and veered off into a less crowded side street.

But barely aware of surrounding realities now Beatrice stumbled ahead, knocking into someone and losing her balance, finding herself eye to eye with the water that leaped out to get her before it all went black.

When the darkness was pulled from her eyes she could still feel the lingering dreams of water rippling in her lungs and she sat off with a cough that expelled nothing more than air. Another panic took momentarily over, as the cough subsided, as she found herself in an unknown place. She was propped up on a couch, which most likely not usually used for fainting as it was much too simple and practical.

“You simply fainted in the street, you’ve not been out for long though,” someone she knew spoke, and over his shoulder a middle aged woman she definitely didn’t know. “I felt like it might be best to get you out of the street and this seamstress running the closest shop seemed like the best candidate to loosen your corset.”

“You think I'm the type that would tight lace to the degree that I couldn’t breathe?” Beatrice lashed out in French, appalled by the fact that anyone would.  “I’m not that vain.”

The lingering confused state was slowly wearing off. Why would he have to have been the one to have found her in this silly predicament. She could feel that her laces were slacker, but the woman must have fastened the bodice back up again, as Beatrice’s dress all seemed to be in order.

“Now how would I know that,” Antonio answered, too, in french (as good as expected by someone who had a proper upbringing), collected and to the point.

She glared at him because that was who she was, not because he deserved it. But she took a few breaths to check that they worked like they should, providing her air and easing her lightheadedness. “It was simply the sun, I’m quite alright,” she said in clipped words. “I’m just sorry if I managed to interrupt your tête-à-tête.”

“I can assure you, you interrupted nothing. And I’m not as bad as I would let a lady I knew lying in the street.”

She looked at him then, beard and all, at least he wasn’t all smirks. 

“Then if I may impose on you I was in the company of Donata Morosini, but we got separated. I’m sure she couldn’t have gotten very far, if you would go and see, it would be best if she would take me back.”

With a curt nod and “I’ll go check” he turned on his heel out into the shop front and into the streets.

The seamstress and shop owner came forward, fussing with all her might, as this was not the kind of establishment which usually got this elite clientele, conscious or not. Beatrice accepted and offer of some watered wine and she drank it while the woman scared off the girls working for her, who had gathered in a group trying to get the best possible look at the strange occurrence from the doorway to the backroom.

Donata swept into the room with a frantic edge to her eyes. “What happened?” She asked, sitting down next to Beatrice on the couch.

“I’m so sorry to have brought this upon you,” Beatrice continued in French, not willing to give up all her personal griefers to seamstress and god knows how many of her workers who were listening in.

“As long as you are alright,” Donata answered, confirming her understanding.

“I should have told you. I’m not great with water because I fell into the canal when I was little. My first and only memory of Venice, prior to this return, is breathing the water of the bottom.” Her sentences had an awkward stilt as she pushed down the bubbling emotions. The screams from the surface growing fainter as the water rushing in killed her own screams and filled her lungs. The layers of skirts pulling her under like death's sirens had latched on and drew her towards the bottom. She smiled wryly.

“All but pleasant memories,” she looked up from wringing her hands as she spoke. Donata had a hand on her arm, she looked collected and calmer now. Beyond her Beatrice caught sight of Antonio, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Catching sight of him, she paused. She hadn’t really expected to include him in this offering of confidence. She hadn’t really expected him to come back with Donata, having been released from responsibility. She looked back to Donata and continued, “though I do not know why it decided to get to my head like this, right now.”

“With everything today, perhaps it was just a little too much.”

“I’m feeling all better, along as the commotion has died down I’m sure I should get back, if you dare take me.”

“I dare quite a lot, would have been worse if I’d have to return you dripping wet or dead after you set out in my company,” Donata glanced over her shoulder at Antonio.

“Even so, it wouldn’t have been either of your faults,” Beatrice said tartly, a sign of return to full form.

“I’ll just go out and check the state of the streets and we’ll take a quiet route back,” Donata rose and went out.

Beatrice rose too, reinstating curls into their proper place and righting skirts.

“I’m sorry to have imposed myself on you,” she said softly as she approached him on the way out.

“As long as you let me know next time you are planning on fainting under dire circumstances.” It was something of a lightness to his voice now.

“I will certainly not,” she said with a snort.

“Faint or let me know?” He chuckled.

“Neither, but thank you.” She met his eyes briefly before starting to rummage her pockets to pull out a coin purse.

“I already gave the woman some coin for the trouble.”

“I should give it to you then.” She held out a half open palm with coins.

He only shook his head, refusing any alemoney.

“Waste your money then,” she said tartly. She would have liked it better if he had accepted, it would have felt less in debt. Beatrice turned and put the coin on the table to the woman, and offered her greatest thanks and excuses, before she left to join Donata.

“Are you sure you are alright?” Donata had taken her arm as they headed back down emptier streets, both because of Donata’s choosing and because it seemed the race might have passed. Holding a tight grip so as not to lose Beatrice again. “I’m sure it can’t be easy.”

“Quite sure, and even more sure I should get grip on this fear of mine before it makes me actually fall into my death,” Beatrice joked, macabrely. “I'm thankful for our walk for your company,” she chirped up, trying not to feel like a total spaz. “Steer me back to my family and Alessandro can take me home and I’m done troubling you.”

“Not a trouble, you simply gave me a fright, that's all.”

“And I think we missed the conclusion of the racing.”

“Perhaps that was your goal all along,” Donata joked and Beatrice chuckled. “There’s always a next year.”

Complete!!

Last edited by tricole (26/10/2024 at 22:14)

Lady Fleurance de Châtillon Duchess of Beaupréau

one

“Something on your mind?” Venezia offered another beautiful day, the sun was rising, breaking the sky between pink and orange. Cesare breaks his gaze from the window towards his cousin.

“The usual,” he replies with a razor sharp voice not out of anger but precision.

“I heard differently,” Fleur stabbed at her pancake. She hadn’t, it was a fib but he did the same thing by rolling one finger over the other which her mother also did while lying.

He nodded and shifted on his seat, probably crossing his long legs, - “Cardinal Francesco is arriving.”

“Of course ,” the woman chewed a few times and Cesare cocked his head to the side, - “that’s precisely what I heard.”

“I’d value your informative words about me or anything else for that matter.” She shrugs and casts a glance across the table where Olympia smiles back at her.

“Cardinal Francesco is known to find skeletons in the closets of saints,” a grape stabbed through a fork waved in the air as his wife spoke.

“I’m sure you could as well,” her words have Olympia delay another bite with a barking laughter.

“That’s the difference,” the dark haired woman leaned in over the table, magenta earrings dangling. - “While others pull the covers over their heads pretending that there’s no hand reaching for them underneath a pitch black bed, I’d grab it.” She settles back in her chair and cracks the skin off a grape between her teeth, - “I’m sure you would as well.”

“No. I’d dangle an ankle at it. So it wouldn’t per say be of my own volition, in case it goes bad. So which one is the Cardinal?”

“He believes the world is his stage and once the curtains are pulled he’s the main act.”

“Basically he’s full of himself? But we still want to stay in his good graces?”

“Yes,” Olympia nodded.

“Except we try to steer from playing games with him,” Cesare interjected, - “he’s an intelligent man with power and I am not sure which he has the most of.”

“So I should not play stupid? Because I am generally good at that.”

“You aren’t, you are just full of yourself and getting a little too good at cruising social life in court,” his words said one thing but she thought he looked rather proud.

“I got married, hurled girlhood to the side and then waited for myself to become myself again. But you know all that time the sky was still the sky. Anyways I’m rather bored so I could help or I could turn into trouble for you,” Fleurance leaned back with a smile and the voice of velvet.

“An engaged man and a future clergy,” Olympia replied in amusement.

“You forget Ottavio but he would spread it for anyone I heard,” Fleur grinned.

“Not everything we hear needs repeating,” Cesare cocked an eyebrow at her.

two

”Should I still call you Claudina?” They are amongst the crème de la creme or some sort of assortment which propels his purpose forward.

“You could but it’s my mother’s name,” she glances over her shoulder and gives a Mona Lisa smile, - “Fleurance.”

“I’m Bastiano,” the woman nodded as he perched on a windowsill.

“And why are you here?”
“A god fearing man like myself?”

“As if—“ She turned to face him with a narrow, scrutinizing gaze, - “I saw you and Leonardo. You and Ottavio.”

“So guilty by association?” There it was a crooked smile like the bent back of an old man.

“Haven’t decided yet, I heard you come from a clergy family but I’m unsure if that means anything in this city.” Pia’s words rang inside her head and she had never felt further from God, not at that point, - “so you have a deeply rooted belief?”

He smiled boyishly the way all of them by association seemed to have picked up. “More unavoidable, the same way I believe in a chair when I trip over it, all of a sudden it turns very real,” she laughed louder than she should have, which had it ending in a snort. - “I’m nice.”

“You can’t say you are nice, it’s awkward.”

“You’ll see,” Bastiano rose to his feet and excused himself since his father was waving him over by the Cardinal Francesco.

“Don’t flirt with him if you don’t like him,” Pia walks over two glasses of wine and the observation of a hawk.

“Like you said he’s from a family of clergy, which means he’ll probably be ordained?” Yet she took a big gulp of the wine, it trickled down her throat.

“He’s still a man. Besides, isn't it rather cruel to confuse him?”

“The smile on your lips says differently,” Fleur pointed out.

“I’m indulging.” She placed a hand on Fleurance's back, - “anyways we were invited to the Cardinal’s after party.”

“You were. I haven’t talked to him.”

“By proxy you are as well obviously,” she sighed.

three

”What criteria did he have for cherry picking among the masses?” She gestured with a nod towards a group of people laying on a couch pupils constricted even in their dark corner. - “I am not sure we should be flattered?”

“They are enjoying themselves,” Leonardo smiled, - “you should give it a go.” She was sated in a gilded lounge surrounded by an eclectic group of people to say the least. While he inspected his own mirror image before moving over to a painting next to it.

“We are not kids anymore.”

“Correct but life is still a game, just a more adult one,” Leonardo turned and sat down in a chair next to her. In all fairness men were still just boys with beards, she thought.

“Yes, now it’s peek-a-boo underneath women’s skirts,” she replied sullenly.

“It’s a pretty skirt—“ he quipped back.

“Don’t—“ she licks her lips and he laughs while leaning back and sipping his drink. - “Didn’t you have anything better to do?” She saw a sparkle in his eyes and then how he settled into a new thought. Disturbing.

“No. You’ve thoroughly distracted me.”

“From what?” How frequently did he say the exact same words to other women? She believed it incurable thought it was part of the charm was it not.

“I was trying to find a female sculptor,” he replied with sincerity in a matter of fact voice.

“Why? An effigy?”

“A tasteful bust perhaps? Or is a full body more in style?” He asks with legs crossed and one foot dangling.

“Sorry I’m more of a quilt and embroidery sort of person, want your bust embroidered?” Fleur stood up tapping a finger at her glass, - ”a gift for your soon to be wife.”

“I’ll think about it, see you later.” Leonardo replied with a cloudy voice as she peeled away to get another drink. Acutely aware she could have realized beforehand never to mention Leonardo’s pre-designed future plans.

”Wine?” Antonio asks as he stands by the drink cart, a flask in hand.

“On a scale of 1-10 how badly does he want to avoid the subject of marriage?” She watches the wine bottle hover above her glass for a second, - “your brother that is.”

“Ahh what you need is brandy spiked with wine,” he nods and pours.

“I just mentioned it,” she grumbled, - “have you been here the entire night?”

“Yes.”
“Hiding?” She asked, catching a small smile.
“Obviously,“ Antonio lifted his glass to his lips.
“Perhaps he’ll find you a match as well.”

“Out for blood tonight?” He mused and strode around the drinking cart.

“Obviously I’d like my tongue cut out,” Fleur murmured back and caught the gaze of Olympia a few steps down the room. she thinks she imagines it, the way he finds Olympia for a second and— no she just tried to deny it and he was just a boy spotting his favorite toy. To be fair she understood, Olympia was a creation made to be desired.

“Try being more adventurous— no one has died from harmless flirting,” Antonio had a smile as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

“I’m the overly ripe widow no one wants to take me on an adventure,” sometimes Antonio’s mannerism perfectly matched those of her dead brother and she could have sworn it was him speaking. To be fair they’d known each other and much alike Antonio he had been the one born after their older one.

“From my sources that one might,” a grin cracked across his face as her cousin accompanied by the Cardinal gestured for her to come over.

“Your eminence, allow me to introduce my cousin Lady Fleurance de Châtillon,” Cesare has his arm reached out as she approaches and she lowers her gaze towards the ruffles around their necks. Silently she curtsies for two breaths because like her mother said bad omens always came in three.

“And what would bring you here from France?” He pompously asks bringing a golden goblet towards his face only oscillating eyes left uncovered.

“If I speak frankly—“ which she shouldn’t, - “France's negligence towards the Protestants uprising seemed like less of an appealing choice.”

The Cardinal breached into a smile, a deluge swimming in his eyes, - “we just spoke of the significance in being selective or else risk impudence and condemnation.”

“Indeed impudence,” she repeats and takes a sip of her spiked wine which now seemed like a poor choice.

“Yes. A bad choice can’t be hidden by a drawn curtain the light will soon enough illuminate,” the Cardinal

“I’ll confess I dog-eared my book of scriptures,” Fleurance replied in jest and mischief in her eyes or perhaps it was the brandy.

“Innocence is fetching until it’s ignorance,” Cesare remarked after a second of silence.

“Innocence is less shallow than a puddle,” the Cardinal agrees and laughs like a hound, a warning.

Fleurance stays, sipping her wine while the men do the majority of the talking. Mostly not to embarrass her cousin from the buzzing in her head and her mother told her when in doubt silence adds to a mystery. But mostly she wanted to make it out without a thunderbolt striking her down.

“You good?” There’s an arm scooping her up.

“Like a—“ but Fleurance couldn’t think of a brilliant comeback fast enough.

“You are drunk,” Olympia chuckled and patted her arm as she cruised between them.

“Yes. Undeniably so, I can't remember the last time yet I am composed.”

“If it means flushed face and stumbling over the carpet then yes,” the woman nodded.

“Prop me against a doorway and I’ll do just fine,” there was little assurance in her words but they stopped by the doorway close to a company of men squawking.

“Let me collect Cesare as well and we’ll be on our way,” she turned to leave but came back and took the goblet from Fleurance hands.

“Smart,” she admitted, causing the woman to chuckle.

four

”Goodmorning—“ it really wasn’t. The way her voice echoed inside the massive hall had her head throbbing again. - “Not sure why I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Bastiano smiled back in testament that he could hold his liquor better than she could. - “What’s the occasion?” He took a step closer and placed a book on the table next to him.

“Bought flowers for the church from a vendor, a gift because I’m very spoiled like that,” she shrugged. Also because if there was a god and there of course was, since she was a devout Catholic, or so she reminded herself everyday. But in either case she had doubts that any amount of holy water could wash away the company she kept during the Cardinal’s after party.

“Thank you.”

“Not my money I just spend it on good flowers. But if the Cardinal asks, it was a gift from Cesare.” She added the last part after thinking for a second.

“Which would bring about the existence of bad flowers?”

“Well yes,” she pulled off her gloves and looked at the holy book, - “for a service or a home that is. A sunflower is pretty but it’ll only look towards the sun and never let anyone else adorn it.”

“Is that an analogy for something,” Bastiano leaned against the wall as if he was part of the fixtures.

“Most likely,” she smiled back at the man and looked around at the religious icons dressing the walls. - ”Did you enjoy your evening?”

“As much as one can, you left earlier than most.”

“And yet I am in worse condition,” he tilted his head at her words and smiled as if he was about to say something but shook it off.

“Not fitting into Venezia isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Bastiano replied after a second of silence as light filtered through the stained glass windows.

“Metamorphosis doesn’t happen overnight.”

“Actually in some places it’s instant,” the man leaned in and picked a dead flower from the vase crumpling it in his hand. - “The river stands in constant flux yet remains the same river, under the same name.”

“Clearly you’ll make for a fine clergy,” she smiles at him but his own falls short.

“I’ve got a few tasks which need attending,” Bastiano excused himself.

It was a beautiful spring day when she left the church. - ”Did the Cardinal find your skirt pretty?” Fleurance twists a leftover flower between her fingers while walking down the narrow path by the canal.

“Leonardo.” She saw him twitch ever so slightly.

“Fleurance I—“

“Sometimes you have the worst comedic timing. Here I was about to apologize—“

“Why?”

“I mentioned something I shouldn’t have,” she turned to face the twins. And she had a feeling it was a recurring phenomena.

“Cannot hold you accountable to know my every likes and dislikes,” he chuckled lightly and in those moments she time and time again became enamored by his flip towards mature behavior.

Done
Rushed but I’d rather be here on time and make sure I can finish something even if not near perfect.

Interests: Leonardo (friendly/ I don’t know), Bastiano (friendly/ I don’t know), Olympia, Cesare

Wanted to add in someone this round but haven’t had the time

Last edited by Mimira (23/10/2024 at 14:44)

Lady Lucrezia Gonzaga

Name:
Lady Lucrezia Gonzaga, Duchessa consorte di Modena e Reggio

Age: 24

FC: Anya Chalotra

Traits: Charming. Spoiled. Wild. Discreet when the situation calls for it. Ambitious. Flirty. Intelligent. Prideful. Sometimes a bit naïve. Doesn't always play by the rules. Impatient. Impulsive.

Bio:

Lucrezia has been spoiled in her upbringing as the oldest daughter of  Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duca di Mantova e di Monferrato and his second wife, Eleonora de' Medici. Since a young age, she has learned all about social rules and proper etiquette. As she grew older she realised that rules were meant to be broken occasionally... especially if it meant gaining an advantage for herself. Her charms and smiles are her favourite weapon and it isn't too hard to see that Lucrezia thinks highly of herself and her family.

It was Ferdinando's, her brother and the current Duca di Mantova e di Monferrato, decision that Lucrezia was to wed Francesco Este, Duca di Modena e Reggio only months after her 19th birthday. A man twice her age, recently widowed and already a father of four children... if not more if she thought of the rumours of his affairs to be true. There was no love between her and Francesco... in fact, he hardly paid attention to his young wife. Choosing to spend his time on the hunt, drinking or in the company of his mistresses.

Not that Lucrezia particularly minded as it allowed her to have more freedom. She used the time for her interests as she always enjoyed arts and music. She would travel around the ducato and find time to visit her family occasionally. With her husband still not showing interest in her, Lucrezia started to seek the beds of other men... enjoying the pleasure and thrill it brought to her life. Always being careful and discreet about any of her affairs and she didn't want to bring shame to her family name.

Lucrezia has been residing in Venice for less than a month now. She enjoys being quite far away from her husband... it means more freedom and a chance to make connections with interesting people. Lucrezia wants to enjoy herself and she is curious about what will happen during her stay.

Connections:

Lucrezia has heard the name of some of the important people in Venice... might even have seen them before but she hasn't had the time yet to make any real Connections.

Interests: Andrea, Antonio, Leonardo (kinda romantic-ish); Olympia (friendly)

Center to Nina

Embracing the Venetian pace of life

Just another day in Venice...

Two days had passed since the wake and Lucrezia had been possessed with a feeling of restlessness ever since that night. As much as she had enjoyed herself and the thrill of the unknown and the exciting of flirting with a strangers, she couldn't help but feel curious about how they looked without a mask. More than once she had caught herself observing the men among the crowds whenever she was out for a walk... wondering who of them might be Leonardo, Antonio or Andrea.

"Duchessa Lucrezia."

Lucrezia looked up from the correspondence to her brother that she had been trying to write for what felt like an eternity.

"Yes, Vittoria?" She gazed at the young housemaid hovering in the open door... a white envelope pressed against her chest.

"A letter has arrived for your husband."

"My husband?" One of her eyebrows arched up she beckoned for Vittoria to enter, "Let me see."

There was indeed her husband's name written on the envelope but as far as she knew Francesco had no business in Venice... probably being too busy with another of his mistresses while she wasted a thought about him.

"You may leave." Lucrezia tore the envelope open with more force than necessary.

Cardinal Francesco Orsini was written neatly on the top of an invitation.

She had heard about the arrival of Cardinal Francesco Orsini, Papal Nuncio... hard to miss when the people on the streets hadn't been whispering about about anything else. But Lucrezia cared little for the church... the last time she had prayed to God had been the night before her marriage.

The young woman quickly read over the rest of the letter. It was invitation to the official luncheon at the palazzo Cardinal Orsini had taken residence in.

"Am I supposed to ask for forgiveness for all my sins?" Lucrezia wondered with a chuckle.

With her husband occupied... and luckily anything but near Venice at the moment, she would be attending on his behalf. Neatly folding the invitation before she rose to her feet walking over to one of the windows overlooking the Canal Grande.

Usually she loathed those dull affairs without any deeper meaning but she would be a fool not to see the opportunity... the chance to potentially run into one of her masked men from the wake again.

Embraced by Venice's charm

Olympia was the first person Lucrezia managed to recognise as she let her eyes wander around the room... though she couldn't tell if it was her elegant aura or the subtle hint of French fashion in her outfit that caught Lucrezia's attention first. There was a man at her side - a bit older - and his hand casually rested on Olympia's back.

Lucrezia's gaze briefly drifted away from the couple and over to Cardinal Orsini. He wasn't anything like she remembered men of the church... tall, handsome, dark hair and she had admitted a nice view to look at. But still a man of the church and Lucrezia had no intentions to burn her fingers by messing with the wrong person. She lifted the goblet of wine to her lips when she noticed in the corner of her eyes that Olympia was now alone.

"Olympia," Lucrezia greeted her with a smile on her lips.

"Do we know..." Olympia replied before a look of recognition flashed across her face, "Lucrezia Gonzaga, I assume?"

The young woman blinked in surprise. It seemed that Olympia had done her research, "You are correct. Though it seems you have an advantage over me as I only know your first name."

"Olympia di Ravella."

"Oh, that's a name I have heard before." Lucrezia chuckled. She had heard about Cesare di Ravella briefly after her arrival in Venice... one of the important people in the city but a man she had yet to meet in person.

"Your husband did not join you today?" Olympia asked not beating around the bush.

"My husband," Lucrezia took a deep breath, "He didn't travel to Venice with me. He decided stay in Modena as he has other duties to take care of."

Duties had become the norm term for his mistresses... for the women he choose to share his bed with.

"Alone in Venice... it must be quite interesting... albeit maybe a bit lonely too." Olympia commented smile playing on her lips.

"It is though I have to admit that times have been less exciting than I had been hoping for. But lonely? I haven't felt lonely once since I arrived in the city," Lucrezia mused smiling, "But it seems things are about to get more interesting... Leonardo's wake did leave quite an I'm on me. It was almost like a promise of more to come."

"Oh, there is definitely more to come, Lucrezia. Spring is ahead of us... plenty of occasions that call for a good celebration."

"I will have to trust your word on this, Olympia." The young woman chuckled, "You must have been in Venice for quite a while now."

"Long enough to understand how Venice works and who is important and who isn't." Olympia explained before she took a sip from her goblet.

"And who is important?"

"Well there would be of course the host of his wake... the event that got all of Venice talking about." Olympia chuckled head tilted to the side, "There he is speaking to today's host... Cardinal Orsini."

Lucrezia followed her gaze until she spotted a young man... catching the first glimpse at the face of Leonardo di Malvolio.

"It sounds like you didn't have the pleasure yet."

"Not without a mask covering his face at least." Lucrezia hummed before taking a sip from her wine, "But it might be time to change that. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Olympia."

"Likewise Lucrezia."

♤

Finding a moment to speak with Leonardo alone proved to be harder than Lucrezia imagined. After his chat with Cardinal Orsini, he was immediately engaged in another conversation. The son of the Doge was obviously among the more popular people in Venice... something she had already taken notice of at his wake.

Goblet in hand Lucrezia easily navigated her way through the other guests... eyes kept on Leonardo who was once again engaged in a very lively conversation with one of the other guests. His gaze briefly met hers and she lifted her goblet in a silent toast... one he returned with his own drink and a smile on his lips.

"It seems you know me but I don't remember you Signora." Leonardo said once he had made his way across the room and joined her at one of the tables.

"Mhm, I simply enjoying having an advantage over you, Leonardo." She chuckled.

"You have one indeed." He mused flashing a charming smile.

"Well, sometimes an advantage is the best weapon a woman can have." Lips curled into a smirk, she locked her gaze with his, "I will give you a hint..." her voice dropped, "Last time we met, I was wearing a mask."

Leonardo laughed, "This hardly narrows it down." He licked over his lips, "It almost felt like I spoke with half of Venice that night." He laughed, "But I think I do remember now... Lucrezia."

"And there goes my advantage." The young woman jested playfully, "Though I must admit I do quite enjoy finally knowing the face to your name, Leonardo."

"You do?" He hummed, "I hope you don't believe everything you hear."

"I haven't decided about that yet." She mused with a coy smile, "After all, we have just met but I do look forward to changing that."

Lucrezia had heard about people whispering about his upcoming wedding on the streets... one of the reasons why Cardinal Orsini had come to Venice in the first place. Not that a marriage had stopped her before.

"Though I'm curious if you plan on organising more intriguing festivities like your wake."

"I'm very pleased to hear that you have enjoyed the celebrations." Leonardo flashed a smile. His gaze moved to left and right before he looked back at her, "There is another gathering happening once the official luncheon is over... maybe something that might interest you, Lucrezia."

Her breath hitched though she couldn't tell at the mysterious invitation or the look from his dark eyes. "Oh, you do have my attention and I would be most certainly interested."

Leonardo's lips were curled into a playful smile, "I will be seeing you tonight then, Lucrezia."

Venetian night whispers

The crowd at the Cardinal's palazzo had gotten smaller... there were a few faces missing that she had seen back at the official luncheon. Though there were also a few questionable people among the guests... women dressed very revealing lunching on the sofas or enjoying the company of a few men. Not the crowd Lucrezia would expect at the palazzo of a Cardinal.

But their host seemed at comfort... goblet in his hand as he spoke with various people. It was an unusual sight and Lucrezia wondered maybe if her initial impression about Cardinal Orsini was a wrong one.

Gaze wandering around the room until she spotted Leonardo... back turned in her direction and for once he wasn't talking with someone.

"You were right, Leonardo." The young woman said lips curled into a smile, "This is certainly an interesting gathering."

"I'm very glad to hear that." He replied before he turned around, "But I believe you are mistaking me."

Lucrezia drew in a sharp breath as she got the first look at his face... the eyes looked vaguely like Leonardo's but the beard was different... the look in his dark eyes flirty and mischievous.

"But you would hardly be the first one to confuse me with my brother." He added with a playful smile on his lips.

"Brother?" She blinked licking over her lips.

"Antonio di Malvolio."

Lucrezia chuckled, "I believe we already had the pleasure at your brother's wake... Lucrezia." She took a sip from her wine, "I was wondering if we would meet again."

"I must have left quite the impressed on you." Antonio pointed out with a cocky grin.

"Maybe you did... or maybe I'm just lucky to have found a familiar face." Lucrezia jested playfully, "Not quite the gathering I was expecting."

"Never judge a book by its cover, Lucrezia." He teased, "What did you think might happen? People on their knees praying to God?"

She licked over her lips, "One or two might knee down tonight though I think praying is the last thing on their mind."

"You have quite an interesting imagination, Lucrezia."

"Thank you for the compliment." The young woman laughed.

"So, tell me... is Venice finally living up to your expectations?" Curiosity laced his voice as he looked down at her.

"I think it is slowly getting there." She mused, "But maybe I also did set my expectations a little bit too high." She took another sip from her wine, "Though if there are more gatherings like tonight... well I'm definitely not going to complain."

"No more thrill of the unknown?" Antonio asked with a grin, "I got the impression that you quite enjoyed that."

"And I did," Lucrezia smirked, "It was hard not to enjoy not knowing who was hiding behind the mask... letting a bit loose and having fun." She bit into her lower lip, "But I think you know too well what I speak off."

"I do," His voice dropped as he gazed at her with his dark eyes, "But you don't need to hide behind a mask to have fun or don't you agree, Lucrezia?"

"No, you really don't." The young woman drew in a sharp breath, "And occasionally all you need is to have a little fun."

"I like the way you think." Antonio commented with a smile on his lips.

"I thought you would."


♤

"I didn't promise too much, did I?"

Lucrezia slightly turned her head to look at Leonardo who was leaning over the back of the sofa with a relaxed smile on his lips.

Now that she knew Antonio was his brother a few more small similarities where easy to spot.

"You did not." She agreed with a smile, "It must have been lucky day to run into you... just imagine if I had missed this." She added with a chuckle.

"That would have been likely a very boring night for you." He walked around the sofa before sitting down next to her.

"Very boring indeed." Lucrezia licked over her lips, "How can I repay you for saving me from boredom?"

"Mhm," Leonardo pressed his lips together, " I'm sure I can think of something later... but how about you keep me company and tell me a little about yourself."

She swirled the goblet around in her hands, "And what would you like to know?" She mused out loud.

"I know why you came to Venice but I don't know where you are from."

"Straight to the point... I like it." Lucrezia laughed, "Mantua."

The lie slipped easily from her lips. Though it wasn't far from the truth as she hadn't been in Modena in months.

"I did a few travels recently so it has been a while since I was back home."

"So Venice is just another stop for you?" Leonardo leaned one of his arms on the back of the sofa while his eyes remained locked on her.

"I haven't decided yet." Lucrezia replied truthfully, "But the festivities have been wonderful and the company is quite interesting and intriguing... no reason to leave yet."

"Venice can easily draw people in." Leonardo hummed, "Many have come and not all of them have left."

"Who knows maybe I will be one of them." Lucrezia said with a shrug of her shoulders.

It was a tempting idea and with Francesco occupied otherwise, he wouldn't even realise if she was gone for a longer period of time.

"Not to mention it would be a shame to leave before you have seen everything."

"Oh?" She arched up an eyebrow, "It sounds like you know something that I don't."

"The perks of growing up in Venice." Leonardo laughed, "The annual gondola race will be held soon... a day all of Venice celebrates."

"What is with this city and its surprises?" The young woman chuckled, "But in all honesty... it is a nice change." She added with a soft smile.

"Mantua isn't known for it festivities?"

"Not in the way Venice is. There is no famous carnival, no masked wake... and most certainly no elusive gathering organised by a Cardinal." Lucrezia brought the goblet to her lips drinking the last bit of wine.

For a brief moment her gaze drifted away from Leonardo and in the distance she spotted Antonio and Olympia in the middle of a heated argument... hands were thrown in the air and even from her spot she could see the anger on their faces.

"Lucrezia?"

She shook her head before she looked back at Leonardo, "Scusa. It seems I got lost in my thoughts... and the lack of wine. " she smiled playfully, "Did you say something?"

"Nothing important." He replied shaking his head slightly, "Would you like more wine?"

Lucrezia rose to her feet, "Grazie but I think fresh air would be better. Not that I do something I might regret tomorrow." She added with a wink and a smile playing on her lips. "Have a good evening, Leonardo."

"I wish you the same."

As she headed to one of the doors leading into the little yard of the Palazzo she let her gaze wander back to the spot where Antonio and Olympia had been standing but it was empty... both of them nowhere to be found.

♤

Lucrezia's cheeks were flushed as she stepped back inside... the fresh air had felt good and had helped to clear her head. Her gaze drifted across the room when she felt a soft bump against her shoulder... turning her head she looked at tall man, with dark hair and blue eyes... there was something oddly familiar about those eyes.

"Scusa Signora," He said holding up his hands.

"No harm done." Lucrezia replied with a smile on her lips, " You seem familiar but I fear your name must have slipped my mind."

He looked confused for a second, "Andrea... but I don't recall meeting you before."

"Oh, the architect of Villa Foscari." Her smile got wider. "You lead me through the maze."

"Lucrezia... I remember now." Andrea said with an apologetic smile, "It is harder to make the connection when I haven't seen your face before."

"Well now you have." She chuckled, "It is indeed harder to recognise anyone from the wake than I could imagine."

"I suppose all part of the mystery." Andrea gently reached for her arm to lead them out of the way, "Before someone else has to navigate around us."

"Thank you." Lucrezia looked at him, "But now I can rest easy... your face was the last one to uncover." She added with a playful smile, "If only I had the same luck in discovering any of your other creations."

"I never said it was going to be easy." He laughed briefly, "And it would be quite boring if every building looked like the Villa Foscari."

"Mhm, I suppose that's true." Lucrezia mused, "And I did say that I like a good challenge."

"That you did." Andrea agreed chuckling.

She licked over her lips, "It is a nice way to explore more of Venice... to see what the city has to offer. There always seems to be something hiding around the corner."

"You enjoy your stay?"

"I do." The young woman breathed out, "Mantua is beautiful too but the Canal Grande... it is unique." She flashed him a smile.

Andrea leaned slightly closer, "Speaking about the Canal Grande... maybe if you look close enough, you might discover something."

She breathed out, "Thank you, Andrea." Lucrezia tugged a loose strand of her hair back, "Maybe I will finally get lucky during my next walk."

Venetian dreams, gondola scenes

The sun stood high as Lucrezia strolled along the Canal Grande... gaze shifting between the crowd and the gondolas that were softly swaying in the Venetian waters. The air was buzzing with a good mood and it was hard not get infected by the laughter, smiles and chuckles. It was quite a sight to see all of the city out on the streets... a sight most likely only toped by the famous carnival.

"Lucrezia."

Her head snapped to the left spotting Olympia easily among the crowd... bright smile on her lips and dressed in an elegant gown in dark pink.

"Olympia," she said returning the smile, "You are in an awfully good mood today." She added in a playful jest, "Though it seems all of Venice is."

"You better get used to it." Olympia chuckled before she linked her arms with Lucrezia's. "Spring is upon us."

"Mhm, it is." Lucrezia mused, "Do you have a gondola partaking in the regatta?"

"I do and I'm very passionate about the win this year." Smiling brightly she lead them through one of the stalls that offered wine, "I hope you will be cheering for my gondola today."

Lucrezia accepted the goblet with a smile, "I haven't promised my cheer to anyone else today... so it is all yours, Olympia."

"Grazie." She took a sip from her wine, "I have a good feeling about this year."

"I hope your feeling won't prove you wrong."

"Oh, my feelings hardly prove me wrong." Olympia laughed.

From her flushed cheeky Lucrezia reckoned that this was hardly her first goblet of wine on this wonderful day.

"Come," Olympia reached for her arm again, "Let's walk... there is still time before the regatta begins and I'm too young to die of boredom."

"Oh, that would be utterly horrible." The young woman chuckled, "What would we do without you?"

"It would." Olympia laughed, "Oh, you would be a lot of things." She lifted her goblet of wine, "Let's celebrate that I'm not dead yet."

Lucrezia chuckled, "And hopefully you will be with us for a very long time." She drank from her wine. Her gaze briefly drifted across the people around them... the good mood quite obvious. "This sometimes I could get used to."

"Then stay."

Lucrezia slightly shook her head, "It isn't this easy... my husband might not miss me at the moment but hard to tell what might be in a few months."

"A shame." Olympia pressed her lips together, "Mhm, then you have to make the best out of your stay."

"That was the idea." She said with a soft smile.

"Olympia... I have been looking for you."

It was the man Lucrezia had first seen at the official luncheon.

"Cesare... have you meet Lady Gonzaga yet?"

"Lucrezia please." The young woman intervened quickly with a slight dip of her head.

"I didn't." Cesare replied looking at her, "Charmed to meet you. You haven't been long in Venice."

"Likewise. Almost two months and hopefully there will be more to come." Lucrezia smiled playfully.

"I hope you enjoy your stay. Unfortunately, I have to steal Olympia away." There was a charming smile on his lips.

"I will be seeing you around, Lucrezia. And don't forget to cheer for me."

" I wouldn't dare it, Olympia. I tend to keep my promises." The young woman laughed.


♤

"Venice must doing something wrong if you sit here on this lovely day with a frown on your lips."

Lucrezia tilted her head to the side... it was Leonardo looking down at her.

"Nothing serious." She let out a sight before she rose to her feet, "Just me being silly. Don't let your good mood get ruin by me."

It had been the talk with Olympia that had caused an inner turmoil... travelling to Venice had been just another way of escaping her husband. It wasn't meant to be something permanently and yet that thought kept crossing her mind.

Leonardo offered his arm to her, "You wish to talk about it?"

Lucrezia shook her head, "It is nothing important. And you are right... it is a too beautiful day to be in a bad mood." She accepted his arm, "Do you have a gondola partaking in the regatta too?"

"My families does... it would be the 5th consecutive win this year."

"If you win." She pointed out with a smile on her lips.

"Well, with a little bit of luck." Leonardo returned the smile, "You are welcome to cheer for our gondola."

"I'm afraid that I have already promised my cheer to Olympia." Lucrezia chuckled shaking her head.

He leaned a bit closer, "I'm not going to tell her if you want to break your promise."

The young woman licked over her lips, "That is very generous from you, Leonardo. But I'm afraid that I have to decline your proposal."

"I can't say that I haven't tried." He laughed, "But I have made you smile again."

"That you did." She agreed with a slight nod of her head.

"Always a pleasure, Lucrezia."

For a man about to get wed soon, he acted without any care in the world... a feeling she could relate to all too well.

"Wine?"

"Maybe a bit later." The young woman replied, "I'm trying to keep a clear head for the regatta." This time it was her who leaned a bit closer, "And I might have overdone it a bit at the gathering."

"Who hasn't?" Leonardo jested playfully, "But we can hardly be blamed given the occasion."

"No, we really can't." Lucrezia mused, "Though it seems Venice offers a lot of those occasions."

"Is that a complaint I hear?" He teased.

She laughed slightly shaking her head, "I would never dare... especially not in your presence, Leonardo." She licked over her lips, "Just me still adjusting to everything... after all I have been here not even two months."

"Time will past quicker than you think Lucrezia. A blink of your eyes and the months have gone by."

"I hope not too fast. It would be a shame to miss moments like this if it passed by in a blur."

"Are you talking about the festivities or about my company?" Something flashed through his eyes as he looked at her from the side.

"Well, it isn't everyday that I get to attend a gondola regatta but..." she paused tilting her head to get a better look at him, "I also don't get to enjoy your company everyday... a company I'm starting to enjoy more and more with each opportunity."

"That's a compliment I can gladly return, Lucrezia."

♤

The regatta was over.. the winner was crowned but the celebrations were far from over.

"Looks like you are enjoying yourself, Lucrezia."

Antonio stood in front of her... charming smile on his lips and a look in his eyes that send a pleasant shiver down her spine.

"I am." The young woman returned the smile, "Not quite the opportunity to let completely loose but I think I can survive."

"Or you just haven't found the perfect secluded spot yet." Antonio offered with a shrug before he sat down next to her.

She shivered again and for a moment she allowed her mind to wander... a narrow dark street or maybe a little yard providing enough cover... hands under her skirts and lips on her neck.

"That sounds quite tempting." Lucrezia breathed out.

If only there wasn't the worry about getting caught... she was no fool... she knew playing with fire could mean burning herself.

"Got lost in the moment?" Antonio broke through her thoughts with a teasing and playful smile.

"Something like this." She admitted licking over her lips, "It could be a very wild moment." She found herself shivering again under the gaze of his dark eyes. Part of her was half tempted to drag him... or let herself be dragged into a small alley.

"I know but it would be a shame to just leave... it is too much of a wonderful day for that."

"It would," Lucrezia agreed with a small nod of her head, "And I wouldn't want to miss anything important."

"I'm glad that we agree on this Lucrezia." He inched a bit closer... she could almost feel his breath against her skin, "But being assured, there will be other opportunities."

"And I will be awaiting them." The young woman muttered.

It had been a long time since someone had made her feel like this... hot and an itch under her skin that was begging to be scratched. Antonio knew how to give and also how to take and Lucrezia enjoyed it a lot... being seduced instead of being the one who did the seduction.

"I hope you won't keep me waiting too long Antonio."

"Patient is a virtue, Lucrezia." He replied cocky grin on his lips as he rose from the bench. "I wish you a pleasant day."

"I wish the same." She put on a smile, "Though I must warn you... patient has never been my strongest suit."

Her mind was still racing as she watched him disappear in the crowd... thinking about the moment she would finally let loose and come undone under his hands and lips.


♤

"Andrea... just the person I have been looking for." Lucrezia said in a lieu of greeting once she finally spotted the man.

"Me?" He replied sounding quite surprised.

"There is something that I have discovered but it needs your expertise." She explained looking at him with a smile on her lips, "Will you take a walk with me?"

"You made me curious now." He said returning the smile, "Shall we? This time you have to show the way though."

"Luckily Venice is no maze and it isn't too far from here." Lucrezia chuckled, "And it isn't too far from here."

"It sounds like you might have discovered one of my creations." He mused as they strolled along the canal.

"And spoil the surprise?" She laughed shaking her head, "Maybe I have found something else."

"Not very unlikely in Venice." He said... the noise of the crowd growing quiet in the distance, "How did you enjoy the regatta?"

"It was quite interesting though I have yet to understand the purpose. But maybe I haven't been in Venice long enough." She tilted her head to look at him, "What about you?"

"I do." Andrea smiled, "It is a sign of spring to come and of new opportunities. And the regatta can be quite exciting with new contenders every year."

"Mhm, it is nice to see the city in a good mood." Lucrezia brushed a loose curl of her hair back, "It is quite the refreshing change and it makes me curious for whatever might come next."

Silence settled between them as they strolled along the Canal Grande though occasionally Lucrezia's gaze would drift in his direction. She liked in his company despite not knowing him for too long.

"So, here we are..." she came to halt in front of a building overlooking the Canal Grande.

"Mhm, very beautiful." Lips curled into a smile Andrea looked at the building and then back at her, "But not one of my creations."

"It is not?"

He shook his head, "No. There are a few similarities but this is from the 15th century if I'm not mistaken."

There was something fascinating to listen to him when he talked about architecture... the way he gestured around with his hands and the way his eyes sparkled.

"And here I was hoping that I finally got lucky." Lucrezia chuckled, "I will just have to try harder."

"Maybe I should have mentioned that it isn't a Villa or a Palazzo that you might discover along the Canal Grande."

"What do you mean, Andrea?" Eyebrow arched up she looked at him.

With a smile playing on his lips he pointed at an impressive looking church located on a small island.

"San Giorgio Maggiore... finished only last year."

Lucrezia blinked a few times before she laughed, "A church was the last building I would have suggested." She shook her head, "It seems that Villa Foscari left a bigger impression on me than I initially thought."

"There are a few other villas designed by me but there are outside of Venice or in Vicenza."

"Maybe one day." Lucrezia smiled softly.

"I'm curious though. Why the interest in architecture?" There was no judgement in his voice as he looked down at her.

"Oh, I have always enjoyed art... tried my hand at painting though not always as successful as other famous artists." She explained with a chuckle, "And using art to create a Villa or church... that's quite impressive."

"Hard work too." Andrea added laughing, "But also my biggest passion and I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world."

"I hope that there will a lot more of your creations to come."

"Thank you, Lucrezia." Soft smile on his lips he looked down at her, "Shall we return to the festivities?"

"Gladly."

FINALLY.... it is rushed and there will by typos which you are allowed to keep

Last edited by schoggettchen (29/10/2024 at 20:52)

Name: Lady Sophia Beckett

FC: Hannah Dodd

Age: 24

Personality and Background

Cheerful, kind, naive, shy and curious. She can be playful, patient and endlessly empathic to those around her- good or bad, however her major flaws lie in her relentless optimism and naivety in people, where her people pleasing tendency poses to be self detrimental more often than not.

Orphaned at a young age, she has been passed around from family to family, never truly belonging and always keenly aware of her unwelcome presence. Despite some mistreatment from relatives, she maintains a kind, curious and optimistic disposition to life, graciously accepting whatever is demanded and following through with an almost foolish hope to be accepted. She is skilled with the piano, one of the rare respites she allows herself along with books.

Interests: Domenico (RI), Ottavio, Luisa (FI)

Outfit:


Story:

Chapter III. Aftermath.

Sophia gently touched the soft white feather from the mask she wore at the masquerade. She had placed it in a box and meant to keep it hidden away under her bed, however, from time to time she couldn’t help but to bring it out and gaze upon it. She sat on her bed, the box with the mask on her lap.

She felt giddy at the memory of what transpired that night, almost scandalized from the forwardness of the peers in Venice. People here were so very different from the uptight and proper peerage in London and clearly she had to readjust and adapt to the culture here.

A certain handsome stranger came into mind and Sophie couldn’t help but to squeeze her eyes shut as her face reddened with the embarrassing memory.

  “Until the next entrapment, Sophie,” he had said with a flirty grin, after placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

There would never be a next time.

Slightly dismayed, she opened her eyes and moved to close the box with the mask. It was pure luck that she had even managed to sneak out that night with no one in this house the wiser, but she wasn’t sure she could do it again.

“Open the door at once!” a voice snapped outside her room.

Alarmed, Sophie immediately rushed to place the box under her pillow and moved to straighten up just as the door opened.

Her cousin, a young lady close to her in agevwith glorious blonde curls and baby blue eyes  strode in arrogantly, her delicate features scrunched up unattractively as she surveilled Sophie with annoyance.

“Good afternoon, Clarissa,” Sophie greeted her politely, hands folded together.

“I heard grandfather had given you an escort to follow you around in Venice.”

“Your grandfather is a very kind man,” she acknowledged, lowering her head. “He pities me and I could not refuse him.”

Sneering, Clarissa walked past Sophie and went towards her desk. Taking an ink bottle, she lifted the sealed cap.

“Oh yes, my grandfather is known to be considerate to stray vermin, but surely you wouldn’t be so shameless as to take advantage of it?”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“Yes, I am sure you wouldn’t.”

Something cold dripped on the top of her head, but Sophie remained still. Her eyes went to the feet of a maid that stood silently by the doorway of her room. It was always like this. Back in England and here as well.

Clarissa, threw the now emptied ink bottled across the room, shattering it against the wall.

“Your hair disgusts me,” she said disdainfully as she moved in front of Sophie. “I thought I saw a glimpse of it at a masquerade I attended. It almost ruined my night. But don’t worry, I fixed it for you.”

Sophie lifted her gaze to meet Clarissa’s, noting her outright hatred reflected in them. The ink on her hair was now dripping down the side of her face.

“Right, it would be impossible for someone like you to  be invited to something like that,” she giggled, shaking her head. “Can you imagine a whore’s daughter carrying any significance?”

Sophie swallowed the hurt of the insult, reminding herself that this moment, like many others, would subside and pass.

“Do not ever forget your place, because when the time comes, you will be lucky if we spare you a single coin.”

Sophie remained silent as she watched her cousin exit the room as arrogantly as she had entered, and the maid, seeing the damage, quietly moved to gather the shattered glass.

Slowly, she walked towards her vanity and stared at her reflection. She had never liked her auburn hair, and seeing the black ink staining her hair only served to drive the dislike more. Her expression seemed blank in the mirror, so Sophie forced out a smile as she used the sleeve of her dress to wipe away the ink sliding down her cheeks.

Tomorrow, she vowed to herself, will get better. And if not then, the day after. Eventually the day will come where she will be blissfully at peace with a home full of love like before.

Brown eyes stared back at her in the mirror, betraying some sadness and doubt. Sophie took a deep breath and tempered down those feelings.

Tomorrow will be better.

Surely it will.

Chapter IV. Carriage Talk

Sophia forced herself to display an air of grace and calm - despite the fact that she felt anything but. She nervously eyed her grandfather who sat across her in the carriage, arms folded with a stern expression on his face. Unable to conjure a pleasant conversation, she peered down at her hands. They were enroute to Cardinal Orsini’s palazzo, and she was clueless as to why her grandfather had insisted she join him.

They had sat in awkward silence for almost twenty minutes before her grandfather finally spoke.

“I know you must find it strange that I brought you along,” he began to say, his tone carrying a note of struggling gentleness, and Sophie immediately looked up at him. “Granted, the family will be full of nonsense at this hour -”

“I wouldn’t blame them for their anger, grandfather,” Sophie said softly, a genial smile tugging at her lips. “It is an honor to be invited to Cardinal Orsini’s palazzo - or so I’ve gathered. I am sure Clarissa and Aunty Hilda would have rather liked to be the one to come…”

“I am the one with the invitation, child, so I decide who shall accompany me!” he said with such force that it startled her.

“Of course, grandfather,” she said, returning her gaze to her palms folded across her lap.

She heard him sigh and when she glanced back at her grandfather, he was shaking his head ruefully.

“I don’t have much patience for their relentless babble, but neither do I want you to sit here wallowing in fear.”

“I am not-”


“I have heard of the incident with Clarissa.”

Immediately she stilled, anxiety bubbling in her stomach. She wanted to say that it was nothing. That it was just two cousins in small disagreement. That she wouldn’t upset her anymore. She would promise it, and if necessary plead for forgiveness. She would do anything, but she couldn't leave just yet. She had nowhere else to go.

Somehow, however, her jaw locked. The words wouldn’t come out. Worse still, the carriage seemed to be getting smaller, almost suffocating her -

“I wish you had come to me about it, though considering the circumstances I understand why you did not.”

Surprised at the calmness of her grandfather, she refocused on his face, noting concern etched in his features instead of anger.

“I did not bring you here for you to be put in such a situation, and I want you to know that I have addressed this matter sternly with her and her mother. You should not need to worry in the future, as such a thing will no longer occur.”

Sophie could feel her heart slowing, and her breathing easier, but still the anxiety bubbled in her stomach.

“Clarissa isn’t a bad person,” She  found herself saying. “She found herself in an uncomfortable position with someone like me suddenly appearing and forcing myself in her world. As you know I am not very adept at social situations, so I made a few mistakes and…”

Her grandfather held up his hand with a frown. “You do not have to defend her, child. Her actions were unfitting of a Bloomwood. Regardless, I want your stay here to be comfortable.”

“I am grandfather, truly.”

“Very well,” he frowned momentarily as if lost in thought. “Tell me child, how familiar are you with the peerage of this city? I hope you have been learning about the nobility we shall be seeing this afternoon.”

“I am afraid I do not possess appropriate information about them,” she apologized. She hadn't bothered to know simply because she hadn't expected to stay long. She felt rather ashamed now that she let herself remain clueless.

“See to it that it is remedied,” he directed her sternly. “I shall not allow ignorance to be associated with the  Bloomwood family.”

She couldn’t help but smile at her grandfather’s remark. A Bloomwood family!

“I will do my best grandfather,” she promised. 

“Good.”

The following silence was more comfortable, and while Sophie was busy thinking of how to get information on all the gossip of the city, she almost missed her grandfather muttering to himself, saying, “And who knows? Perhaps you may find a match for yourself.”

Sophie rather doubted she would ever find anyone who would want her, but rather than to spoil her grandfather’s mood, she simply nodded in silence.

Chapter V. The Luncheon

Meetings with the Peerage

Sophie smiled brightly as introductions were made upon their entrance to the rather impressive palazzo. Cardinal Orsini was a rather dark haired handsome man, whose quiet confidence and charisma did nothing to dispel the sharp and manipulative gleam in his eyes.

“It is my ardent hope that you find your stay fortuitous,” he said as he shook hands with her grandfather.
“I hope the same for you, Cardinal.”

Cardinal Orsini raised his eyebrow when it came to Sophie, so her grandfather smiled and gestured at Sophie to step forward. 

“This is my granddaughter, Sophie,” he introduced. “She has only recently joined the family in Venice.”

Sophie smiled politely as she felt Cardinal’s rather interested gaze appraise her.

“Pleasure, Signorina” he smiled at her, nodding politely.

Fortunately, after some small talk of how her previous stay in England was, he moved along to greet other guests that entered the Palazzo. As they walked across the foyer, her grandfather excused himself to meet and discuss some pending business with some of the other gentlemen in attendance, so Sophie found herself alone.

She wandered around, accepting a glass of champagne and swallowed it. She felt very out of place, but still she had promised her grandfather to put effort so she needed to acquaint herself with the other guests. But first, perhaps she would touch up some of her make up at the powder room.

“Oh drat it all!”

Sopie peered cautiously inside the room when she heard the dramatic exclamation. A pretty brunette was combing through her hair with a dissatisfied expression.

“Is everything okay?” She asked tentatively as she approached her.

The girl looked up, relieved at seeing her. “Oh thank heavens! If you don’t mind, one of the pins of my side comb has gotten stuck somewhere in my hair and has been giving me a horrendous headache all day!”

“I would love to help,” Sophie replied and moved closer to her. As the brunette bent her head towards her, Sophia slowly reached for the unruly comb intertwined between some locks of hair.

“This might hurt a bit,” Sophie warned.

“That’s alright. I just want this headache to end!”

Sophie carefully pulled the comb, straightening out the locks that were stuck beneath. She apologized as the girl winced, but waved her hand for Sophie to continue. Once the side comb finally came out of her hair, the girl breathed a sigh of relief.

“I cannot thank you enough,” she said with a grateful smile.

“It was nothing.” Sophie handed her the side comb which she noticed now had some very pretty floral decor.

As the girl received it, she grinned up at her. “Well now I am quite keen on meeting your acquaintance. I implore you to give me your name. Mine is Luisa, Dona Luisa de Ibarra.”

“Sophia Bloomwood,” she said shyly. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Bloomwood? I can't say I have heard of that name. I hope you forgive my ignorance for I have only just recently arrived in this city. ”

Sophie shook her head, smiling. She rather liked this friendly girl. “I will forgive you if you can be gracious with my ignorance as well as I have also recently entered this city.”

“Well, then, we needn’t worry as I believe that  woeful ignorance between friends may pave way to only the most disastrous of affairs… ”

“ but how alive can the city feel with the chaos of its bond so long as forgiveness exists between the pair ,” Sophie completed the phrase, her beating in excitement. She had only read the phrase a million times in her favorite novel “The Rose of Versailles.”

Luisa’s mouth gaped for a moment in astonishment, before turning into a squeal.

“Oh how lovely it is to meet a fellow reader of only the best novel of the century,” she exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands in glee.

They chatted a while regarding the various other books of the author, both quite pleased to have the fortune of meeting each other.

“As a token of our friendship, I think I should like you to have this comb,” Luisa declared as they exited the parlor room, grabbing Sophie’s hand and placing the floral side comb into her hand.

“Oh, I couldn’t..”

“Of course you can.”

“Took you long enough.”

Both heads swiveled to a rather pleasant looking fellow who raised his eyebrow at Luisa with amusement.

“Oh Alexandre, my apologies. I got carried away talking to my new friend today,”Luisa giggled, patting Sophie on her arm.

“I see,” his eyes turned to her and nodded in greeting. “My name, as you heard, is Alexandre de Nemours.”

“Sophia Bloomwood,” she smiled in greeting.

“Ah, Bloodwood,” he nodded thoughtfully. “I believe your family has built up quite an interesting business in Venice and London - or so I have heard.” He looked pointedly at the other end of the room where Sophie noticed her grandfather stood with his cane, surrounded by some gentlemen in what appeared to be quite a serious discussion.

One face amongst them however stood out to her, causing the blood to rush to her face. It wasn’t because that particular face seemed bored, but because it looked quite familiar.

“Until the next entrapment,” he had whispered in the moonlight garden.

Domenic Battista.

Reunion
meeting with dominc/meeting otavio

In progress

Last edited by MissKiki (22/10/2024 at 15:25)

Round 2 is now closed, and Round 3 will open later today.

Let me note that I will post all the snippets unedited (for the 4th time) so they can be posted on time. I will apologise in advance for any mistakes that might occur in spelling and/or grammar.

Thank you for writing 

Round 3: Leap From the Gallows and Straight to the Aisle is now open!

I believe it can be concluded that the citizens of Venice have been patient enough in their waiting for the wedding that is already becoming the main event of the season. The thing is, the wedding has been postponed - not by the soon-to-be newlyweds, but rather by the weather. 

The tempestuous Venice weather has brought many things to a halt, making space for some intimate gatherings and cultural moments. Around one week has passed since Vento di Primavera, but the spring has forgotten to spring and three days before the wedding the entire city is veiled under a thick coat of chilly fog. Which should not be an issue, we can agree. But, it is, as it prevented the bride-to-be from arriving in Venice and walking down the aisle. 

The Doge Malvolio and both his sons - yes, Antonio managed to grace his father with his presence at their ancestral home - seem to be taking the change in weather as it came, deciding to leave Venice for a few days and seek refuge in Villa Foscari (also wrapped in fog). Then, one day after their departure, a selected few will get invited to join them for a few days of activities. You are all staying at the Villa, as nobles usually did, so let's imagine the Villa being large enough with enough spacious (not huge) rooms and not getting too lost in layouts.

The Guest List (in order of my remembering, not at all importance!)
・ Cardinale Francesco Orsini
・ Marchese Cesare di Ravella, with his wife Olympia and his cousin, Fleurance de Châtillon, Duchess of Beaupréau (Mira, her invite is attached to Cesare, but she would have gotten it regardless of his presence)
・ Bastiano Farnese
・ Conte Ottavio Giustiniani, with his wife Laura Giustiniani
・ Conte Fredrico Cornaro, with his children Beatrice and Alessandro Cornaro (Tric, the siblings can be the only ones to attend)
・ Duca Francesco Este and his wife Lucrezia (Schog, she can attend alone, of course)
・ Lord Bloomwood, accompanied by his granddaughter Sophia (Miss K, you can add Clarissa to the bunch, or have the two girls represent the family)
・ Domenico Battista Savona
・ Andrea Palladio, accompanied by a friend, Donata Morosini, at his own request
・ Principe Baltasar, with Doña Luisa de Ibarra
・ Alexandre de Nemours
Please note there are more people there; like the members of the council, close friends of the Malvolio family and such. There are also musicians, singers and servants around.

On the day of the arrival, given most guests would start pouring afternoon, as it is not polite to bother the hosts first thing in the morning, you will all be invited to attend a banquet - lavish, great food, nice wine, quite relaxed in atmosphere. In case you're not afraid of the dark, the thick, cold drizzle will prevent you from exploring the gardens and outside of the house, bounding everyone to the comfort of the main salon with a large fireplace, and by the courtesy of Prince Baltasar himself, you will be served a proper decadence - hot chocolate with either some tonka beans or chilli flakes - to additionally bring heat to talks, discussions and business that might be happening around the room. 

The second day is a bit more relaxed, as you begin with a lovely breakfast followed by various activities such as garden strolls (and getting lost in the fog, mayhaps), games by the fireplace of the main hall (for those coming in from the cold) and general cosy time left for you to explore and subject to your own devices. The evening will be reserved for a private concert dedicated to the music composed by Antonio Vivaldi, and of course, you are expected to dress accordingly. 

The third day has a surprise in store for everyone - Doge has left the palace on an urgent matter before most have gotten out of their chambers, leaving his sons as hosts for the rest of the trip, which might prompt some of the other members of the council to depart for work (Cesare and Cardinal included only they both return at nightfall, you can decide on your own patriarchs), and some older guests to take their leave and return to Venice unwilling to experience the entertaining practices of Leonardo. The decision seems to be good because a rather dull salon seems to have turned into an evening of games and gambling, not as wild as other parties he throws, but the mention of Ridotto (the most famous casino) is thrown around as guests enjoy playing bassetta and biribi.

The fourth day takes everyone by surprise as the sun shines through the thick fog, coaxing everyone into a short hunting trip quickly organized by Antonio and Domenico. Those who wish to attend will only miss out on...well, the snippet is below. By the end of the day, everyone seems to be packing up, ready to head back to Venice.

The round will take place one week after the ending of the last one and over the course of a few days. Your requirements are as follows.
• Name.
• Interests, up to 4, state if romantic or friendly.
• Let me know if you will participate in hunting or not.
• Outfit for the private concert, and if you wish to add more, don't hesitate to do so, just tell me what it is for.
• Please write a story of the events of the round, including your personal plot points which you choose to address. The focus should be the four days spent at the Villa Foscari during the fog that delays what should have been the wedding weekend. 

Last edited by Zaralee (23/10/2024 at 21:07)

Impressions

Lady Fleurance de Châtillon

Leonardo, Bastiano, Olympia, Cesare + Antonio, because I was late and because he enjoyed their brief conversation a lot.

Leonardo was not the type to question things, especially good things, unlike his brother (he likes to point out). Things happen as they do and he likes who he likes, and he truly enjoyed all of his conversations with Fleurance. They flew with ease, these conversations, but to deny she was kind in the eyes while they talked would have been quite silly. She was smart, he could not deny that, but he could say he enjoyed her unapologetic observations more, even when he didn't, not at first. Yes, he was not happy about the marriage, but ignoring it for as much as possible seemed like a good idea. Was it? He was no longer sure.

Bastiano enjoyed her cleverness - she was the type of woman to be able to keep the conversation going, which he could appreciate more than some, he reckons. She was well-liked, it seemed, he noticed her around different people and he noticed he always managed to adjust to the situation. He admired that in others, although he was not skilled in that, not as much as he wanted to be. Aside from thinking her clever, he also assumed she was funnier than she realized - the humour was on the point and he would be lying if he said he did not look forward to their interactions.

She was far more observant than she would let on, which might be another thing they had in common and in moments, Olympia would consider they might have been cousins and she accidentally just sent the letter addressed to Cesare instead of her, naming the wrong Rivella as her kin. Then, in some moments, she could feel the calculating glimpses of Cesare in his cousin, reminding her who she was. Not that Olympia was worried about who Fleurance was or who Olympia was around her. Life has brought them together, now it's up for them to see for how long.

Cesare managed to forget she was in the house for most of the time - and it is meant to be a compliment. He is not worried about Fleurance, except when she is left alone with his wife. Other than that, he found her company refreshing, yet he realised he would have to spend a bit more time thinking of how he could marry her off to advance their family. The time flew by quickly, and there is only so much a man can do on short notice.

Antonio noticed Fleurence the first time she showed up with Olympia, and enjoyed conversations with her - although he could tell she was related to Cesare, which was not at all something he liked in people. Nevertheless, she turned out to be a surprisingly lovely company, with - occasionally - sober overlook on life.

Note: The invite would arrive for her, too, not just Cesare - it's just assumed they would travel together.

Day 1
Cesare is late, as per usual, so Olympia will urge Fleur to come with her a bit earlier than most to get out of the town, and actually get to pick their rooms before most. She's in a good mood, even singing some praises to her husband, and during the gondola ride there or once they arrive, she would be quite curious to hear Fleur's plans for the future, hinting that Cesare will want to have a chat with her (consider it a friendly warning, I'd say). Just like she assumed, Cesare would take her to the side at one point during the evening, hinting this is not the time nor the place to have a serious plan laid out, but he would like to talk to her about marrying again soon.

Day 2
The first half of the day is quite relaxed - Olympia will lead a group of people playing cards near the fireplace, Leonardo will spend the morning riding with his father and later socialize with just about everyone, Cesare is mostly socializing with Cardinal, and Bastiano is roaming around the library. Everyone is more than willing to socialize with Fleour, approaching her or by her approaching them - both ways work.

Day 3
With a few key people off to Venice, such as Cesare, which means a little bit of wilding or an actual relaxed mood. Leonardo will take care of the entertainment as the evening approaches, but during the day most are left to their own devices. He himself will go take a stroll through the gardens (as much as fog permits), asking Fleur to come along if she is feeling up for it. On your way back, you can run into Antonio and Olympia (nothing mischievous has happened, rather a casual walk and stroll, they could hint the topic might have been Leonardo). Later in the day, Fleur runs into Bastiano hiding out in the library, a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people in the house. The evening, however, has the wine flowing, Olympia will crack out her tarot cards for a very, very discreet group of people (as it can be seen as something heretical), but she does it in good fun, playing off the idea Leo's end is approaching. She'll also be quite lucky with the cards, and once Cesare makes it back to Villa, she will join him for a private conversation (you might notice they are both looking rather cheerful after spending time together, again, nothing dirty, just two people in a good mood).

Day 4
Antonio and Domenico plan out the hunt and it somehow turns out more surprising than one might assume, because Leonardo will not join, but both Cesare and Cardinal will, and both of them alongside Bastiano and Antonio can keep her accompanied during the hunting. Olympia stays behind and after the hunting party has returned (very successfully, might I add), she'd make sure to greet Fleur and Cesare on the way back. She'll discreetly alert Antonio to go find Leo, dart a rather dirty look at Cardinal and her own brother, before approaching Fleur and Cesare, taking them out of earshot to explain what happened. Apparently, Leo's future wife has been here all along (it's Luisa, or actually Beatriz), covertly testing his character - and apparently, she told him in front of so many she does not plan to marry him before storming out of the Villa and heading to Venice.

Leo will vanish to his chambers, and Cesare will suggest you go back to the city.

On your way back, Olympia will share with the two of you that Cardinal recognized Luisa right away and went along with it, while she is angry her brother did not share anything with her.

Fleur has a chance to talk to Bastiano before they head back, but Leo is kinda locked in his room with Antonio for the rest of the day.

Lady Beatrice

Antonio might have been amused by her antics so far, yet the insults caused by one small little jest (quite a short one) seem to coming at a fast pace each time they meet and if he didn't know better, he would say she was enjoying it. And if he didn't know better, he might have concluded he was seeking her out to annoy her more often than not, yet there was no malice behind it, or some assertiveness - Antonio wanted to playfully push her buttons, coaxing witty remarks from a clever girl was (surprisingly) something he enjoyed more than he wanted to admit - even when she spewed insults. And then, he was quite worried seeing her faint, even if she proved to be quite okay in her signature way of snarky remarks.

Bastiano has spent quite a good amount of time in witty arguments with various ladies of the court and not many could be as quick-witted as Beatrice, but knowing her brother, it was expected. It would be rather silly to say he did not enjoy her company - even when she seemed to be determined to make a point she did not like Venice, the people, the things happening, or just about anything else around the whole place. It seemed strange to listen to her go on about all the things she disliked about all the social events there, yet she missed none. Which is something he would be more than happy to bring up the next time they see each other - and he'd make sure they did.

Cardinal (Francisco, but otherwise, it would have had this lovely alphabetical order) was amused by the girl, although he was clear the feeling was not mutual. It seemed strange that arriving from the French court would get her into such a mindset, yet it shouldn't be as surprising. There were a few families he is yet to come to good terms on, just for the sake of his mission, and he was not unhappy he didn't have to appease Beatrice Cornaro to do so.

Donata likes Beatrice, and to her shock and surprise, it feels that their conversations are getting easier with each spoken sentence and aside from tossing too many compliments around (not all untrue, but she saw her life as something she chose to create, not something extraordinary to be praised) - Beatrice was one of her favourite companions in Venice which speaks volumes. She's not quite certain if her family would approve of their socializing, given their life was not rooted in Venice, but Donata hoped that it would pose no challenge because she liked Beatrice's company far too much.

Day 1
Beatrice can go with her father and/or Alessandro a bit later in the day, or she can head out on her own earlier in the day. Antonio, Bastiano and Donata will already be there ahead of most, giving them time to chat with a bit more privacy before the rest of the guests arrive to the banquet. Should you decide to arrive a bit early, you will find Antonio in conversation with his father, quick to interrupt it to greet you - however short or unpleasant that might be. Bastiano is in the library (which is now even fuller than it was at the party), browsing some foreign sections with Domenico (whose fleet helped carry the majority of them) and they would both be quite happy to insert her into conversation (active criticism). Donata, however, will not be around, at least not obviously - and should Bice decide to look for her, you might find her emerging from the cabinet in the private area of the house, quick to remove you from there. The rest of the evening goes according to plans, more or less.

Day 2
Relaxed, but not well-rested Donata will seek Bice to take her for a stroll in the maze - regardless of the fog, because she knows the layout - because there is a very nice statue of Orpheus in the middle and she doubts Bice managed to see it on her first visit (in the middle of the night). The conversation should be quite easy-flowing and open, she feels much more talkative and relaxed around Bice. You might run into Antonio on your way out if you head out the same way, in which case he would not hesitate to throw some remarks your way. Upon your return to the house, Bastiano might be playing cards with others in the main salon, if you wish to join. The evening is relaxed, do as you wish in approaching all three.

Day 3
Well, it starts quickly - with the departures of a lot of the guests, Bica can decide if Alessandro leaves with her father and who's returning (if anyone). During one point between morning and afternoon, you can run into Antonio on his way towards the maze (again) and should they have a moment alone, he would not hesitate to rob her out of a few moments. Donata will be around Andrea for a while, going over some plans for work, but neither mind interruption at all. Bastiano is hiding from the number of people in the library, as per usual, it feels like an office of his he is taking visits at - until evening, that is. Evening turns into a fun one, full of games, cards and some light gambling and if she should indulge in some, there could be some interesting wagers thrown around - and do with that what you will - given this is day 3/4, I can help with suggestions once we come to that bridge. Donata is in a lovely mood, Antonio seems to be there as well and Bastiano will find himself more talkative than ever. One entertaining - or maybe not - moment might be a small tarot session by Olympia in the evening.

Day 4
Given she is skipping the hunt, she will - along with Donata - bear witness to the argument between Luisa and Leonardo, uncovering that Luisa is the woman he is supposed to marry and she came to Venice to covertly find out his character before marriage. She does it in front of so many, ending their fight by telling him she does not plan to marry him before storming out of the Villa and heading to Venice. Please note Bice and Donata will not hear the entirety of the conversation, but rather step in at one point after the voices get loud and they follow them.

Lady Lucrezia

Andrea could hardly resist a gorgeous woman, most of those close to him knew it. There have been a few occasions where he would recklessly venture into the forbidden territory that married women of high standing were, yet those few times, he didn't regret it. Lucrezia was smart, she was witty, and she was beautiful, yet somehow managed to add a bit more to it by having good taste in art - she was far too young, he believed. Through a few brief interactions with the right people, he managed to find out her husband hadn't appeared in Venice yet, which allegedly didn't spoil her mood at all. So, perhaps there is no need to cut the interactions short - although he is aware he should know better than to do so.

Olympia could imagine having Lucrezia around most of the time - she was well-educated and always ready to have a conversation about art or architecture, which seemed to be on par with her own knowledge (which is a compliment). She's also not oblivious to her flirtings, wondering what type of a man Lord Francesco Este was to send his wife in his stead, and mainly alone. It didn't take too long to find out, sadly, which only made Olympia more determined to have Lucrezia enjoy her stay fully (whatever that might mean for Lucrezia).

Leonardo doesn't mind flirting with married women - normally, it stays there. At flirting, that is, yet with Lucrezia it felt like she was not worried about anything but her own pleasure, which is a tempting thing right now. He was no stranger to doing so himself and given his marriage is happening soon, he doesn't have any blocks ahead of him. Whatever happens, he can say he enjoyed their interactions a lot, even if things remain at just words.

Antonio can't deny it was a very lovely interaction - she challenged him, he challenged her - and her wits were holding up with the conversation which is one of the things he truly enjoys when it comes to women. Perhaps someone could have missed signs he did not find subtle at all, but she seemed to be on a mission to spend some lovely time in Venice, not worrying about what comes next at all. Something he admired in people, for sure.

Day 1
Olympia will send a letter in the morning to tell Lucrezia she is heading to Villa a bit earlier, advising her to do the same as it is better to settle ahead of the most. Should she decide to do so, Lucrezia will be greeted at the gates (quite a lovely coincidence) by Leonardo, and soon after her arrival, Andrea and Donata will join the party. The conversation should be pleasant, resulting in Lucrezia learning there is a small Olympus-inspired temple on the top of a hill that has just been finished. Andrea will want to check it out after finishing touches and they could invite her to join him. Since she says yes, he'll ask her to meet him by the maze after breakfast the following day so they can head out together. The banquet is very relaxed, according to plans.

Day 2
Bright and early, Lucrezia will run into Olympia and Cesare breaking their fast, and while Cesare is meeting Doge in his study, Olympia will be more than happy to keep Lucrezia company for a short while, giving them a chance to gossip for a moment or two. They should head out together, Olympia will escort Lucrezia and end up heading into the maze on her own. The walk up the hill might be a bit more than regular walks, but nothing that she can't handle - it's rather giving her a nice flush, not more. Andrea is talkative, as if he is aware they are alone, he might be a bit more relaxed in the conversation and venture outside of their regular topics of art and architecture. During that, he could let it slip subtly that he knows her husband hasn't been in Venice at all, but he'd stir from the topic quickly after. Feel free to flirt here, yet at this point, she would have to hint she's open to having something more happen between them. Upon their return, he will tend to some matters about a project, but she can have Leonardo keep her company at any point.

Day 3
With most of the people gone, the crowd is getting a bit too relaxed, and the entertainment options are up for the twins to handle. Which should be fun for most. She can run into Antonio wandering around the maze, Leonardo is in the main hall (and around), and Andrea is socialising. As the evening approaches, the wine gets stronger, and at some point in the evening, Olympia and her brother Alexandre will pull her in for a game of cards in the corner of the main salon, which quickly private (or semi-private) session of tarot. Teasingly, Olympia might predict a passionate lover in her future, which is clearly just fun and games but can be an incentive for a few chats indeed. Both twins are in good spirits, playing cards and throwing some wagers during their time there. You will, before departing, have a brief moment alone with Andrea and should you decide to let him know which chamber is yours, he might be inclined to visit a bit later that night. Play at your own volition.

Day 4
Well, the morning will highly depend on how she ends the night, but the house is empty quite early so it should not be an issue. Then, given she is not hunting (either by choice or by sleeping too much, or by not sleeping a lot), she is bound to witness the drama that takes place between Leonardo and Luisa (or Beatriz). At one point, as everyone is grabbing their things to leave discreetly, Andrea will find her and offers her a way out of there, unseen and without a chance to run into anyone. Mind you, Donata will be there on the gondola with then, and after dropping her off, the two of them are free to head their own way (clearly, this depends on how the evening went, but he would offer her a way out in any case).

Snippets, previously deleted by chance

The Arrivals. Donata and Andrea

The plush fabric of her cape did little to shield her from the cold. Donata shifted slightly, her spine tingling with the damp chill that clung to Venice. The gondolier, noticing her discomfort, handed her a cover with a quiet nod. She smiled as she draped it over her lap, eyes scanning the narrow canal, trying to guess if Andrea would come soon. The drizzle tapped lightly on the gondola, fogging her thoughts until the vessel rocked gently with his arrival.

"Forgive me," Andrea murmured, settling in beside her. "Time seems more elusive with every passing day."
"Oh, I gave up hope of you being punctual years ago," she teased, and before the words were fully spoken, they were gliding away from the pier. "Weren’t you the one who once said art cannot be hurried?"
"I would have said anything to buy more time," he chuckled. "But yes, it’s true, tonight I was entirely at the mercy of a sketch."
"So the villa in Padua may yet live?"
"No," he said. "Conte Anello decided a more ‘conventional’ design would better suit his legacy."
"Conventional," she scoffed. "What an uninspired conclusion."
"It seems fate has decided that project is not mine to complete," Andrea replied lightly, though his shoulders slumped with the words.
"Fate!" She rolled her eyes. "This was hardly the work of fate, Andrea. We can’t rely on some invisible hand to guide us."

"That sounds…” He hesitated, a hint of a smile playing at his lips, “…very resolute."
"Not a word of that kind, if you value our friendship." She glared, though there was a glimmer of mirth behind it - dramatic was not a word she could accept at this time. "Fate is a luxury for those who can afford to leave things to chance. For people like us, we forge our own paths."
"Ah, but not everything can be willed into being," he replied, glancing sidelong at her. "There is beauty in surrendering to what is meant to be."
"To surrender,” she replied dryly, "would be to accept the life I narrowly escaped: confined to a palazzo, a babe in my arms, another child clinging to my skirts, while he roamed the world.” 
"Would that have been so dreadful?"
"A gilded prison is a prison all the same,” she murmured, casting a gaze over the dark waters, admitting in silence that really sounded dramatic. "No, Andrea. Fate must be taken in hand, and bent to our purpose."

Andrea watched her in silence for a moment, studying the fierce resolve in her expression.
"Perhaps you’re right," he said softly. "Though I wonder if fate is merely another word for choices we have not yet recognized."
Donata laughed, a low, knowing sound. "Or perhaps it’s simply a convenient excuse for those afraid to make them."
Andrea tilted his head, smiling. "Then I shall count myself fortunate to have a friend unafraid of fate—or of challenging it."
"Challenge it,” she began but trailed off immediately. "Some of us can only survive by refusing the roles we’re given."
"And yet you don’t refuse them entirely," he murmured, casting a thoughtful glance at her. "You are here tonight, as the world expects, elegant and sharp as any noble of Venice."
"Perhaps," she admitted, thinking it was only because she chose to do so. The day she stopped choosing is the day she might disappear into the shadows of those palazzo walls.
The gondola slowed, and they both turned as the villa’s lights appeared through the trees and the fog, illuminating the canal in a soft glow.
"One more thing I could add, if I may,” Andrea murmured not waiting for her reply. "You seem happy, with whatever is happening behind closed doors."
She lifted her chin with a smile, holding out her hand as they approached the steps. "I could say the same about you."

He could too, he realized, as they walked the stairs of one of the grandest things his imagination had conjured thus far, wrapped in fog and drizzle, looking as enchanting as ever.

The Concert. Antonio, Olympia, Domenice and Alexandre

There was a delicate thread between judgment and observation, a truth Antonio had learned early in life. Small remarks, tossed out in passing like pebbles skipping across a lake, always carried that slight, nearly invisible shift—from mere commentary to subtle indictment. But his father, ever deft with words, seemed an artist at blurring that line, each casual reproach leaving Antonio with a taste as bitter as the brine of the canals.

A faint rustling disturbed his thoughts, and he turned to find Olympia threading her way through the maze, draped in a fur-lined coat that was surely out of place amidst the Venetian mist.

"The stars themselves seem intent on drawing us together," he remarked with a wry smile. She let out a soft chuckle.
"I fear it's merely good fortune that my chamber overlooks this maze, Antonio—no hidden strings pull me here."
"Then welcome to my sanctuary." He offered a small bow, to which she smiled, bemused. "To what do I owe this visit?"
"Only to see that you are warm enough." She took a few steps, casting her gaze over the statues, as though seeing them anew. "It has been some time since you ventured out."
"Keeping a watchful eye, are you?"

Olympia rolled her eyes, exhaling with exasperation. "Must you twist everything into—"
"No," he cut in, his voice edged with mockery.
"There is no need to put on airs, you know." Her tone lightened, a playful glint in her eyes. "I’ve seen you unguarded and half-sprawled in confession after enough wine that I may as well have been your priest."

He looked at her with faint amusement. "Are you here to lift my spirits, or sink them?"
"I’m here as your friend," she shrugged, stopping before a towering statue of a muse. "To tell you that hiding away will serve you little."
"You evaded me for weeks."
"And here I am, in the heart of this maze, beside you, with no clear path out." She laughed, her voice soft as the mist. "I warned you, didn't I, there was no point in hiding?"
Antonio chuckled. "Very well. I will return, and soon."
"Preferably before you catch a chill—I’d hate to be obliged to attend another wake so soon."
"It would be difficult to rival Leo’s, certainly."
"Your wit’s intact, so we yet have time to avoid it." She extended her hand. "Come, let us head back. Food will be served soon, and I am famished. You might tell me what troubles you."

He took her hand, placing it gently on his forearm as they began their way back. There was little use, she thought, in hiding things already too far gone.

"Your father is glad you returned," she said, after a pause. Antonio offered no reply, and Olympia tilted her head to catch his gaze. "Cesare told me so."
"He may yet reconsider bing glad," he muttered.
"Then let that thought trouble you when it comes to pass," she replied briskly.
"When, and not if?"

"Hope left me long ago, Antonio, and I’ve lost the patience for your antics." She softened, nudging him with her elbow. "Now, what else plagues you?"
"Leo," he replied, unwilling to weave around the subject. Or pretend Cesare’s influence did not color everything beneath the Venetian sun. "The postponed nuptials seem… peculiar."
"There have been no ships to Venice these four days," she replied thoughtfully, her brow furrowing. "I doubt you can summon the fog."
"Perhaps I am just more watchful of what unfolds and what does not, but something feels amiss."
"Perhaps," she murmured, though she could not deny the curiosity he stirred. "Or perhaps your mind is spinning stories."

Ahead of them, through the gathering fog, two figures appared.

"Sister, you should carry a torch to signal your presence in the mist," Alexandre smirked.
"Does my spirit not shine bright enough?" she retorted.
"Your laughter echoes through it; that much, I’ll admit."
"You're wicked, do you know that?"
"Cannot deny it; it runs in the family," he quipped, making her smile.

"At a gallop," she replied, before turning to Domenico. "Forgive us, Domenico—we wicked siblings seem to have overtaken the conversation."
"Oh, I was rather enjoying it," Domenico smiled. "Though perhaps we owe you an apology for interrupting."
"Not I," Alexandre interjected. "I’m merely ensuring my sister’s safety."

"Commendable," Antonio nodded. "Is that not what we siblings are for—to guard one another?"
"—no matter how tiresome they may be," Olympia added pointedly.
"—no matter what," Antonio concluded with a smile.

"Let us conclude before this becomes sentimental," Alexandre laughed. "I was, in fact, searching for you, sister, and helping Domenico locate Antonio."
She raised an eyebrow, ignoring the implication that she would be found with him. "Oh?"
"Yes, we were meant to play chess. I thought perhaps you’d found a more engaging partner."
"Never. I merely lost track of time," she said as they turned back toward the villa.

Falling a step behind, Olympia’s voice dropped to a whisper, her words slipping into French. "Something strange is happening here, isn't it?"
"If you mean your flirtation with—"
"That ended on the eve of the wake," she interrupted softly.
"How fitting," he chuckled.
"I thought so, too," she agreed. "But you are evading my question."
"Why would I?" Alexandre replied easily. He knew much, but saw little value in unveiling secrets prematurely. "Things come to light in time, no?"
"If you won’t say more, then tell me only this—" she paused, her gaze sharp. "Does Cesare know of it?"

Alexandre paused, but pride kept him from admitting uncertainty. "Does anything escape him?"

She regarded him briefly, and for a moment, let herself hope that some things indeed might.

The Reading. Bastiano, Ottavio and Cesare.

Cesare arrived back at the villa alongside Cardinal Francisco, both men exchanging promises to resume their conversation by morning, though each knew it would be long after the lamps dimmed tonight. The villa buzzed sur with an energy that was hard to ignore, and before he even stepped inside, he caught murmurings about Olympia’s cards and the gathering intrigue surrounding the forbidden amusements. Her tarot had come out to play, a risky spectacle under the Cardinal’s gaze. Yet, only moments later, Cesare spotted Francisco himself, entertained and absorbed, leaning into her performance.

“Curious choice, to indulge in charms and card play around one so devoted to God. Yet, your wife seems to be accruing favour, not firewood,” Bastiano observed, settling himself into the armchair beside Cesare. It was a compliment, he thought, layered under the faintest touch of caution. Cesare smirked, casting a glance toward Olympia, who was fully immersed, her hands hovering over cards, her voice lulling her, albeit small, but attentive audience.

When they had first met, he had asked her if she truly practised the tarot. She had denied it, insisting she knew little of the ancient art—if, indeed, it could even be called that. But with time, small truths began to emerge: her mother’s occasional foray into such matters, whispered traditions passed down from a maid once in her family’s employ, always lingering between deceit and truth. Cesare, however, could rarely tell where fact ended and Olympia’s storytelling began. But then, wasn’t that the allure of a good tale? A tale so convincing it dared one to forget the truth altogether.

Perhaps that was why he never pressed for more. Maybe it was because he never cared to learn.

“Olympia seems capable of succeeding in whatever she endeavours,” Cesare murmured, eyes fixed on her. “Though, if only her pursuits leaned toward more useful matters.”
Bastiano, lost for a moment, snapped back to the conversation, a touch late. “What?”

“Nothing, Bastiano. Nothing at all.” Cesare lifted a hand, summoning a servant with a tray of wine. Once both cups were filled, he passed one to Bastiano. “I imagine Leonardo must be rather pleased that his wedding has been postponed.”

“I wouldn’t say pleased,” Ottavio interjected, slipping into their midst with ease despite the surrounding laughter and music. Leaning slightly on the armchair, he watched the lively scene before them. “It’s more irksome than anything else—to delay what’s bound to happen.”

“I suppose,” Bastiano mused. His own waiting seemed endless, devoid of a certain conclusion. “One might argue it’s cruel to prolong the inevitable.”

“The sooner he acquaints himself with his bride, the better,” Ottavio remarked. “Understanding one’s strengths—and shortcomings—seems a fitting beginning.”

“I’m relieved to hear you speaking so pragmatically. I feared something sentimental might slip past your lips,” Cesare teased.

“Don’t hold your breath,” Ottavio replied dryly, casting a sidelong glance at Cesare, whose attention was yet again drawn to Olympia. He wondered briefly if there had been any shift between the couple, some softening, some crack in the polished veneer of formality. Yet knowing Cesare, such attachments felt unlikely.

“Then love, it seems, is irrelevant. Choices are made for purpose, not passion, and life may be joyless, but it is lived all the same.” Bastiano drained his wine, slapping his knees as if to punctuate his sentiment. “And with that, I believe it is my cue to go spoil the mood elsewhere. Perhaps I’ll pay Leonardo a visit and remind him that all is futile.”
“It’s hardly the late hour yet,” Cesare joked.
“Indeed,” Bastiano chuckled. “I’ll pace myself, fear not.”

With a final laugh, he drifted from their gathering, leaving Cesare and Ottavio to observe Olympia’s performance, which, like the night itself, would soon draw to its inevitable close.

The Hunt. Leonardo, Luisa, Francisco, Baltasar.

Had she not known better, she might have thought Baltasar was avoiding her these past days. The villa buzzed with deliveries, letters always arriving as if conjured from thin air. But her father's reply—the one she had so fervently awaited regarding her plea to dissolve the betrothal—was still nowhere to be found. With each passing hour, the reality of her walk down the aisle grew more certain. She suspected Cardinal Orsini’s hand in this silence; he was not one to withhold words, especially on matters of his favored churchly alliances. Yet, here she was, Luisa the spectator, condemned to wander the villa and admire its beauty, each corner a tormenting reminder that she was bound to witness this wedding, not flee it.

At last, she stumbled upon Baltasar.

"Ah, there you are!" she greeted, her smile wide and conspiratorial. He turned to her, gesturing toward a servant girl departing with a bundle of letters.

“No reply, I’m afraid,” he muttered, glancing around cautiously, as he assumed her next words will be related to the burning matter at hand. “Perhaps we might conduct this discussion in private?” With a slight nod, he ushered her toward the library. Once there, her questions poured forth in rapid Spanish, tumbling one after the other until he stopped her with a sharp, “Beatriz!”

She paused, surprise.

“Forgive me,” he rubbed his temple, sighing. “I did not mean to raise my voice. My patience grows thin as this headache deepens, and you seem… less inclined to listen.”
“But you’ve said nothing! No letters, no answers, no action! You could halt this madness now if you simply wrote to your father—”

“That I am here under false pretenses?” he interrupted, his voice a harsh whisper. “That rather than celebrating my cousin’s marriage, I am partaking in her scheme to test her groom? That she wishes to sever an alliance because he shows no interest in a marriage to a woman who is not of his choosing? Tell me, Beatriz, are you and he so different?”

Taken aback, Luisa barely noticed the subtle rustle from the far corner before a book fell, echoing in the silence. From the shadows, the man they had been speaking of—Leonardo—emerged, eyes narrowed.

“I’d heard whispers, but did not think them true.” Leonardo stepped forward, disregarding all ceremony. Luisa paled, casting a desperate glance at Baltasar, who had already slipped from the room, trailing after Leonardo.

Her pulse quickened, yet she followed, hoping to intervene. Ahead, Leonardo and Baltasar had broken into a heated exchange, their voices growing loud enough to draw curious onlookers.

“Please,” she interjected quietly but firmly, “this is a private matter.”
“It’s a touch late for privacy,” Leonardo snapped, turning on her. “Or is that the point? Avoiding the inevitable?”
“As you have sought to avoid this marriage?”

Leonardo’s face flushed as he regarded her with a mixture of disdain and amusement. “My lady, I urge you to remember your cousin’s words, or was he your friend? I confess I’ve lost the thread of your tangled loyalties. But let us recall his insight: you seem as unwilling in this match as I am. Should we really argue our differences?”

The gathered audience, tucked discreetly in parlours and nearby rooms, observed the scene with rapt attention. Luisa ignored them, as did Leonardo. Only Baltasar appeared discomforted in this public display.

“Oh, but we are different!” she retorted. “I never sought to degrade this marriage as if it were my tombstone, nor did I spend my final days of freedom dallying with women of questionable repute—”

“My conduct outside this union should concern you little,” he declared coldly. “My duty remains paramount, and I would see it upheld, and let me assure you, a different man would step out of the cathedral.”

“Yes, with the same steadfastness as you uphold your other principles?” she countered. “There is a rebirth happening at the ceremony?”

“Forgive me, my lady,” he said with derision, “but I am at a loss with your accusations. Which one of us shirked duty? Lied about their identity? Travelled with the express intent of halting this alliance? Vows change allegiances. I would have respected mine.”

Luisa faltered, his words hitting like stones. He spoke them smoothly, too smoothly—as if reciting a practised defence.

“Sounds just as the fables told to children,” she murmured, her voice firming, “I would never wish to be bound to a man such as you!”
Leonardo laughed, a genuine, amused sound. “Then, my lady, who am I to stand in the way of your divine ambitions?”

“Then let me leave!” she demanded, raising her chin defiantly.

“I’ll see that a gondola is prepared,” he replied, his words barely spoken before she turned and strode away, her steps resolute. She spotted the returning hunting party at the villa’s entrance but ignored them, her focus only on escaping this gilded cage.

“Leonardo,” Baltasar’s voice caught up to him as he dismissed his servants, instructing them to make haste with the gondola preparations.

“I’d rather not, Your Highness,” Leonardo replied concisely, “for I’ve had a trying enough day.” Baltasar nodded, giving up as he followed his own entourage toward the waters. Leonardo remained behind, flushed and watching as the villa guests retreated to their rooms. In his silence, he felt a strange emptiness, words he’d wanted to speak now absent, thoughts only half-formed.

Then, a hand gripped his shoulder. He turned to find Francisco, a hint of mischief glimmering in the Cardinal’s eyes.

“I see you’ve finally met your prospective bride?” Francisco’s smirk widened.
“You might have warned me, your eminence,” Leonardo replied, voice barely above a whisper. “You never mentioned her lurking at every turn.”
“I told you to mind your actions,” Francisco chuckled.
“You warned me of her proximity, yes, but I took it for a courtesy, not a threat,” Leonardo sighed, irritated. “I’m afraid deciphering riddles is not among my virtues, though I daresay your skill in their delivery is lacking as well.”

Francisco rolled his eyes, amused and exasperated, catching Leonardo’s arm before he could turn away. “Let’s not add fuel to the fire. The wedding is no longer necessary, and as I recall, that was your wish?”

“My wish was beside the point,” Leonardo muttered, freeing his arm. “This was my father’s design, not mine. But you’re right—no wedding, no obligation. Perhaps your visit will be blessedly brief.”

With that, he turned, leaving Francisco watching, a bemused smile lingering as Leonardo moved with purpose down the villa’s silent corridor.

Last edited by Zaralee (29/10/2024 at 23:12)

Lady Fleurance de Châtillon Duchess of Beaupréau


Interests: Leonardo (friendly/ I don’t know), Bastiano (friendly/ I don’t know), Olympia, Cesare

Spoiler Click to display

Father taught her how to fold a fist when she was nine. By the newly planted apple orchard a twelve year old boy becomes familiar with her new talent. Tears streaming down connecting to the blood from his nose and feet running he never looks back. It’s not a proud moment but simply a moment of how the world turned. Father had a boisterous laugh when she shrugged her shoulders as to why she did it.

“Don’t call me that,” a bundled fist taps against the wooden boat.

“Pretty? Beautiful? It’s tiring to hear. Isn’t it?” Olympia’s features contrast in the rising morning sun a golden hour.

“Don’t boil me down to something insignificant. Anyone can be beautiful—“

“One day it will fade and you’ll never have to hear it again,”

“How vain,“

“How true,” Olympia retorts back, - “if it wasn’t no one would say it. And Fleurance has to admit she had a point though she allowed the silence between them to deliver that answer. - “Point being,” she took a seat next to Fleur, - “are you having fun in Venice?” The gondola swayed and the sun glistened in the water.

“Yes,” Fleurance looks her dead in the eyes and nods as if it added conviction.

A smirk spread across red painted lips, - “liar. Then tell me who.” A part of her detested when people challenged her at the same time it was sort of amusing and she allowed the latter emotion to win.

“I did intend to,” she retorts, - “but I can’t be the widow and the— you know.”

“It’s Venice no one cares, besides without desire you’d starve.”

“I’m more of a burning sandcastle by the ocean.”

“Make sure the wave arrives before Cesare with a bucket,” Olympia chuckles and pats her hand, - “he’ll want a plan, it’s Cesare after all.”

They are one of the first few to arrive at the villa all according to Olympia’s schedule as she paced down the halls, heels clicking away. In addition to the fog a drizzle settled in which set the pace inside the villa. Fleurance unpacks in silence watching the painted tree stretch up towards the ceiling and it makes her think about her late husband for a split second. It spills over into her thinking what a fool she was and then her head went silent again as she closed the wardrobe.

“You’ve been fixed on the angels this evening, but I can not decipher if it’s good or bad?”

“They say the only thing distinguishing man from animals are our prayers,” Fleur released the angel from her gaze and turned towards the dark haired man. - “Also why are they depicted as babies?”

“Less frightening?” Bastiano took a step closer the width of a feather away as he sipped a cup of wine and gazed at the giant baby with wings.

“Why?” The man equipped a crooked smile.

“Perhaps due to their close ties with fate and man’s relationship with the consequences of their actions?”

“God forgives— which I swear everyone here abides by,” Fleurance stole a glance at the man, at the stars of mischief constantly waiting for a moment to appear from behind a cloud.

“So he does, once you’ve repented for your actions. No man comes unscathed from the stories in the bible,” he pointed out and swung his gaze towards her. A few years younger she might have played a shy maiden and pretended not to look but she had grown awfully unbothered. - “But you could ask the architect Andrea yourself,” Bastiano gestured towards a man just a feet away.

Caught up in their conversation Andrea turned to look at his own work as if he hadn’t viewed it before. Perhaps he hadn't, not from this view point at this point in time and he drew a deep breath before tilting his head with a smile. - “Are they not our salvation? I imagined it more tasteful than naked grown men.”

“Would keep in theme—“ the men looked at her, - “I mean we’ve all seen more earnest kisses here than in a church.” As fate would have it Cesare waved her over before she could dig her hole even deeper.

“Enjoying the evening?” He asked, illuminated by the lit fireplace as she came over.

“Been enjoying the stay in Venice,” she pearched herself on the armchair.

“Anything I should decrypt?”

“No,” Fleur smiled with ease, - “I don’t have a plan you know.”

“Figured it out on your own or Olympia?” Whichever way he looked more proud than annoyed that they had been keeping an even pace with him. She gestured towards his wife, - “not asking for a plan at the moment.”

“Then what are you asking? Because I know you and you do not waste our time like this,” she chuckled.

“A proposition for you to remarry again soon. Which I am saying now so you have time to digest and think about it,” he had the gaze of a hawk which couldn’t be avoided.

Fleurance glanced around at the men in the room, - “you know my last marriage wasn’t— well it wasn’t what I had imagined it would be like.”

“I know,” he nodded, - “but I know you” he shifts and draws a new breath, - “and I don’t want you to be lonely ten or twenty years from now.” It’s the silence, the murmurs around them which fills the space as she twiddle with her necklace, - “think about it.”

two

”Coming?” Fleurance gaze rose towards Leo hanging in between the open French doors heading into the garden and the villa. Like a larger than life creature walking the line of living and dead. During the years of friendship she knew he had two sides just like a coin; one who could handle whatever came his way and the other side which didn’t know the difference between compassion and passion. Lately she became awfully earnest with herself, once in a long time, she liked Leo an awful amount. Fleur doubted he registered her agreeing nod but it took two strides until her arm was hooked underneath his. - ”If I had known it was this easy—“

“To have me? Then what?” She shoots back at him playfully. Despite the clogging fog Leo’s strides had a sense of purpose but it was more or less the way he took on life she thought. In between the bed hopping of course. She simply imagines that unlike his brother he’d truthfully have a hard time filling the void of duty.

“I’d have done this a long time ago,” Leonardo replies with conviction, she doesn’t need to see his face to know how he smiled. Fleur can feel his gaze on her.

“What dragged me out into the fog? Feels more like the plot of a murder mystery,” she returns a gaze, - “anyways we never stood a chance.”

“You followed a man out into the fog.”

“Because I trust you,” she pats his arm, - “but I would never.”

“Are you aware of the upper hand in being selective with the truth?” Leonardo makes a turn as they hear the water before they could see it. Most likely he could traverse the garden in a complete blackout maybe as an escape plan.

“I try not to be scathing—“ she barely has time to finish the sentence as he laughs loudly, - “well I guess marriage makes the tongue grow sharp.”

“Did you not marry out of love?” She looks at him in silence for a second, hindering their pace for half a step before falling into it again. He didn’t mean anything with it, nor pry this she knew with certainty. - “I didn’t—“

“And you did not,” Fleur didn’t mean to give a frigid delivery. Except she’s uncertain of what to answer because there was a deep layer of humiliation. - “I was naive and young, strung up on his every word.”

“Words are cheap,” Leonardo replies with some form of distaste slipping out.

“For being so cheap Ottavio manages to have not just a piece but the entire cake for free—“

“Anything else?”
“Trying out being tasteful with my truth,” she nods.
“Heard tomorrow is more suited for that.”

“I just hope. For everyone involved that his private regions are as inflated as his ego.”

Antonio and Olympia are barely visible silhouettes at first breaking through the fog. They hadn’t heard their footsteps either in the damp grass but now they all stared at each other for a brief moment. - “Speaking of the devil himself,” Antonio broke their silence with a grin.

Midday comes and goes, outside the sky is gray and sunlight is nowhere to be found. Inside the candelabras were already lit. The villa Foscarini wasn’t meant to be barren; the halls carried sounds like an opera house. That was until you reached the thick wooden doors of the library which held like a barricade. An amused smile played on her lips as she slid inside the library. From behind dark curls he looked up with his legs crossed in one of the velvet chairs. - “I feel as if either I should leave or pick up a book.”

The words of invitation hung between them for a few seconds, she saw him harken in the chair, - “which one would you pick?” Bastiano finally asked.

“The understated are usually of more intrigue but I tend to fall for whatever trend demands attention at the moment,” Fleurance walks along the bookshelf closer towards the man, she taps at the spine of a book.

“Shakespeare’s works are articulately penned,” his voice was dry as if he hadn’t been speaking much before now.

Fleur chuckles and nods, - “afraid they lean heavily on tragedy. Now don’t laugh but  am more Don Quixote.”

“Why would I?”

“And you?” She tilts her head, - “Newton. Heretics?”

“Gravity is more indisputable than God himself,” a smile cracked on his face for the first time as he shifted in the chair, planting both feet against the ground. Fleurance nods and moves into the chair next to him, - “would you not rather enjoy the company of more talkative souls?” She doesn’t ask the same because it seemed rather obvious.

“Humans tend to find solace with each other, so I’d rather stay here for a moment longer,” she knows that this was what his peace looked like and it made her wonder about her own.

She extendends her legs and it’s childish; undoubtedly a trait of hers, but the way her foot was close enough to knock his, brought a childlike fascination. An excessive hope. Bastiano closed his book, - “how was your day?” He asks instead and settles into the chair, like a child prepared to hear a story. And she tells him the little things like taking a stroll with Leo and spending time with Olympia, trivial matters.

three

“I am privileged getting to work with what I love,” Andrea’s horse trots next to her own. For once in a few days due to the sun rays breaking up the fog it’s possible to see a few feet ahead.

“You are not. I am privileged. You are hardworking, can’t be compared to most of us here,” Fleurance is once again reminded of her sharp tongue and chuckles lightly.

”I have to agree with Andrea,” hunched over to avoid a branch Bastiano came up beside them, - “having a choice is unusual for both nobles and common folks. Of course, even more so if you are a woman.”

“Would you have chosen a different path?” Andrea questioned.

“Would not just about any man?” The men exchanged a knowing smile which Fleur couldn’t quite decipher to her great annoyance.

“So what made you choose to become an artist?”

“To show people what they wouldn’t otherwise see and create something beautiful, there can never be enough beauty,” he had a lofty tilt of his chin and eyes towards the sky. - “Despite being privileged or not I do know I got to take a portion of good fortune in this world.”

“A good concept.” She agreed as they maneuvered into a small clearing, - “there’s no shame in taking since the world isn’t going to give anything to free.” She looked at him and Bastiano looked back with a smile; it was the feeling of warmness like she’d been drinking tea. - “You don’t agree?”

“Good fortune doesn’t always have to be seized,” Bastiano replied solemnly with his common quirk to his smile as if she had it all wrong.

“Do you give more instead of taking because stronger virtues are tied to being generous?”

“Do you think so?”

“More of an ask. But I do think being passive means letting good opportunities slip between your fingers.”

They are alerted by the dogs barking and they wait until it starts coming closer. Rustling of leaves until a red stag bounces out from behind a thick bush. Fleurance takes an aim though misses as the stag leaps for freedom another shot rings out and it stumbles to the ground.

“Pity to let it get away,” Domenico gave a self fulfilling grin as he lowered his gun. In the distance a hoof kicked foliage and a cry could be heard from the creature.

“Apparently not accurate enough,” she’s already on the ground.

“Wanted to allow the ladies first to have a shot,” he chuckled, leaning forwards on his horse, - “someone just has to end its misery,” Domenico pointed out.

“She’s got it,” Cesare pointed out as Antonio was about to dismount as well and her hand was already gripping one of the horns.

“I’d heard she had a reputation for being merciless towards suitors,” Fleur wiped the knife off against her skirt which was already stained as she looked at Antonio.

“They won’t complain when I take one of their limbs before gangrene does out on the battlefield,” she pointed out and headed back towards her horse. - “But people see what they want to see. I am the cover of a book which they are too illiterate to read.”

The hunting party returns in the afternoon met by Olympia and a spine chilling air inside the Villa. Which becomes their cue to start packing along with a large group of the visitors. Bastiano stands in the doorway as they are about to leave. Fleur tells the others to go ahead and she’ll be right behind. - “We are leaving.”

“I can tell,” he nods with his crooked smile as she slides up against the dark wood of a linen closet by his doorway. Quickly she looked out from behind and down the hallway before back at him.

“I was just—“ she smiled amused at him.
“Right,” he nodded and leaned back.
“You don’t know what I was about to say.”
“Does it matter?” He asks.

“No, not one bit—“ Fleurance smiles again, fingers tapping against the wood, - “I really was just going over to say goodbye. Which feels redundant now.”

“Not from my point of view,” there’s some solace in his words.

Someone walks by and she pulls him into the room. The door stays ajar despite the thought hitting her of closing it which seemed like a bad idea, then again he was a man of God— sort of. Almost. She looked back up at him again after contemplating the door.

“What?” He asked once again.

“Reminding myself I have no self-respect,” she regretted how it sounded the moment the words slipped out, - “but you are a man of God.”

“I’m a man—“ he reminded her.

“And the door is open,” she pointed out as if a light push wouldn’t have sufficed. Well if anyone wondered she could claim it was a gush of wind. - “Again I was just going to say goodbye.”

Bastiano nods again, - “you have.”

Done

Last edited by Mimira (03/11/2024 at 15:46)

Beatrice Cornaro
Face claim: Maddison Jaizani
Age: 22
Interests: Bastiano (friendly), Antonio (romantic, I'm still not sure they'll be compatible in the end but the road might be diverting either way), Donata (friend and idol, or smth)

VIII. Eurydice

“Thank you for joining me,” Donata said as she led them into the maze. She had asked if Beatrice had wanted to explore the maze, as it was likely she had not had the pleasure yet. Beatrice had agreed in a heartbeat, happy to be put up with and taken away from the crowd. The arrivals had seemed endless and the house was alive top to bottom, seeping into every corner with nowhere to hide.

But out here, the garden offered some calm, lost among the high rising hedges.

“It’s I who should say thanks, you are so good to ask me.”

“Why? I appreciate your company. As long as the compliments are spaced out,” Donata smiled smugly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Have I made you uncomfortable with them?” Beatrice answered in all seriousness.

“No, nothing wrong. I’m mostly teasing,” Donata quickly corrected, taking pity on the girl. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, Beatrice.”

“So have I. It’s just – I don’t always have the easiest time to make friends. And not because I compliment them too much, but unwittingly the opposite,” Beatrice said, sheepishly. It wasn’t something she would usually readily admit, but in the short time she had stayed in Venice she very quickly had become comfortable around Donata. And in this new place it meant a lot. “They say honesty is a virtue but what they actually want you to have is tact. And mine always arrive much too late,” Bice grimaced.

“I’ve been working lately on getting better with friends myself,” Donata spoke up, though not without suppressing laughter, a confession of her own in exchange. “I was busy proving myself , I had to run it all by myself when the only one who had really believed I could was gone. It made me think, for the longest of times, that each kind outstretched hand came with a backhanded motive. I guess all we can do is try to be better.”

“But you seem so good at it,” Beatrice said, and as Donata shot her a faux irritated glance, half a grin broke through on her face.

“You might have managed to make me lose my way,” Donata said, suddenly stopping the otherwise decisive promenade at a crossroads, “no yes, this way.”

“What is this prize in the middle we are seeking?”

“It is a feat to find the centre  – ”

“It’s not much of a feat when you are guiding me by the hand,” Beatrice said, pointedly. It was just another clue that Donata was much more familiar with the house than one would expect. And she skirted around the fact as usual. It said a lot about how Bice valued the newly found friendship that she tried to be diligent and had not adamantly sought the answer.

“Your reward will be one of my favourite of the statues, as happens. Ah yes, here we are.”

A last bend brought them out into the hexagon which made up the heart of the maze, three paths converging.

“Orpheus. I think it might be one of Andrea’s finest,” Donata said, with a sort of pride as they moved around the statue to face it from the front.

Bound in stone, Orpheus stood looking over his shoulder. For eternity captured in the irremeable moment. The exuberance of once more laying eyes on the wife he had braved hell to get back. The fatal error of the action to do so.

“If he had just been able to hold on to faith a little longer – he could have had everything he ever wanted.”

“Perhaps,” Donata said, standing next to Beatrice. A face of compassion next to one of judgement. “Or it was the most innocent of slip ups, so eager to finally embrace his love, to hold her in his arms again, he hadn't realised she had yet to pass into the world of the living.”

Beatrice did her best to listen.

“What's that like?” She said softly, growing transfixed by the imminent tempest of emotions the man before her faced – frozen in stone, destined to batter him never and yet forever. Before her sight his features crackled into the desolation of dust and rubble. It was mind boggling and foreign at the same time.

Beatrice blinked, finding that Donata was now looking at her rather than the statue.

“Perhaps,” Beatrice said, gathering herself, “but if we brushed off everything as innocence or love, where would that get us?”

“You are quite right,”

“Signore Palladio obviously has talent for some thought provoking art.”

“He’d be most pleased you find it so. And now we only need to find our way out of here again.”

“If your memory fails you, continuously left turns should lead us to find the way out eventually. Or right, you can pick either,” Beatrice said matter-of-fact.

“Oh, what’s the fun in that!”

“The fun lies in that they won’t find bones dressed in our fine satins.”

“I promise I can get you out before starving, though you are right, we shouldn’t stray too long.”

They took up the chase of finding the way out at a moderate pace.


(There should be a bit more Bice/Donata dialogue here but I can’t figure it out atm)

It must have been the first time she laughed properly since coming to Venice.

“What’s this revelry in the midst of the maze?”

A turn bright them face to face with no other than Antonio and Bice’s laughter stopped in an instant.

“Hope it does not offend,” Donata said, keeping her light hearted tone, “this house wasn’t built for somberness, if I’m not mistaken.”

“I think my father would find you dearly mistaken, but you’ll hear no complaint from me

“There’s a time, place and company for everything,” she said quickly , to cover the fact that a wariness had passed over her, but with some mirth withstanding. Her pulse was rising.

“Let me not ruin the mood then and let you be on your merry way,” Antonio chuckled and stepped aside to let them pass.

With a nod of goodbye Donata took up the pace again and Beatrice followed.

Before the next turn took them out of sight Bice turned to look back, finding that so had he. Their eyes locked for a second before the hedge maze obscured them from view.

For some reason, after all, Beatrice felt so alive.

IX. Sink or Swim

Library with Bastiano ideally but i have no clue how to write it right now so we might just imagine it.
*

The gentle splattering from the fountain was soothing, the water icy across her wrist as Beatrice gently swirled her hand through the shallow pool. Long enough had she done it that she could hardly feel it anymore. It felt good to numb herself a little, she highly disliked feeling like her head was spinning out of control.

Some had been out strolling the garden earlier but now she found herself mostly alone, seated on the raised marble rim.

“Should I be worried to find you in such proximity to water?”

Sitting just by the fountain, she hadn’t heard his steps approaching on the gravel path. And of course it was him. Other than married women, he also seemed to have a preference for a stroll through the maze, as it seemed that was what had drawn him there. Perhaps he combined the two, what did she know?

“This is shallower than a bathtub, I would think I’m not in danger of drowning,” she said a-matter-of-fact looking at the water rippling across the fountain pool and then back at him. “Unless you plan on helping me along.”

“You’ve got even darker humour than me,” Antonio said with a grim smile.

“I’d almost think you considered me devoid of humour.”

“Adding a smile sometimes helps, but subtly can be underestimated.”

“It does you credit,” she said with exaggerated soberness. A shiver went through her causing her to fail with keeping a smile a bay. She withdrew her hand from the water, with the distraction she had forgotten how cold she was.

“Are you praising this little rat now?” He pressed a hand to his chest, as if heartily struck by the possibility. Perhaps the flare for drama ran in the blood. “Should I be shocked at this rapid turnaround?”

He approached closer, to a more appropriate distance for conversation. She stood as he did, feeling too small while seated in proximity. She paused to really look at him and scoffed a laugh.

“I compared you to one once, if you are self identifying after as little as that, you must be worse off than I thought.” Looking at him, perhaps his self-esteem wasn’t on par with the boyish arrogance he exuded. “While I won’t dismiss all the charges, I think one of my main ones was you hiding from the cat, but here we find you back at the bosom.”

“I think you and I have very different definitions of bosom,” he said, wryly but the smile dropped.

“I’m not going to deign myself to about your definition, since you obviously seem to be fishing for it,” she said to bring the conversation back to the sharp sparring, because his serious manner made her varier than his his grin. And he didn’t seem to linger in it, because the grin was back. “So you are to leave again soon then?”

“I hate to be as predictable as all that.”

“You left on a merchant’s ship, last time, didn’t you? It sank,” she asked bluntly, spurred by a sudden line of thought.

“Are you keeping track of my actions,” he teased, “or dire faults, as you’d think.”

“I’m I as predictable as that?” She said dryly. “How did you survive?”

“How do they say I survived? If you are so informed.”

“I heard some say you got rescued out of the water by a pirate ship  –”

“I think that is the story I should start endorsing.”

“ – which anyone could tell is utter nonsense.”

They spoke almost as one, to varying degrees of amusement.

“But you didn’t drown.”

“I believe my present existence lives to tell that part of the tale.”

They exchanged a few more words before she left him to disappear into the maze and she headed back to the villa.
(frankly I couldn’t find a good ending to this hehe) 

*

(might add some siblingry here if I find the time and proper inspiration)

X. To Play the Cards Right

With the authority away many saw it as a sign that gone was the need for the extra restraint too. At least to some degree and even Beatrice found it nice to let relax a bit more, especially when she now felt more comfortable with knowing the company she was surrounded with.

Of course she didn’t offer herself Marchesa di Savona’s card worship, but she did listen in to some of it. It seemed like an innocent enough play, though some of the Marchesa’s victims seemed quite taken with their foretold futures.

All in all, she had enjoyed herself enough that she had forgotten to pay attention to Alessandro at the gambling table, he had mentioned it early with a grin that should have had her worried. And when she heard his groan from the corner dominated by the bachelors, she did start to worry, and made her way over with hurried grace.

The other three at the table were jolly enough to Alessandro’s misery. They were playing cards, at least he hadn’t stooped as low as playing chance games.

“I think you should pace yourself as you approach Beatrice, or fear your grave disappointment might behead your dear brother,” Bastiano called merrily as she approached. She even took his advice, sipping her wine to settle some calm within.

“What foolery are you all performing?”

At the table sat also Antoni and Ottativo Giustiniani, whom she had little dealings with but like many she had found wanting.

“We’ve confirmed that the Cornari have deep pockets, if nothing else,” Ottavio said with plenty of snark.

“Oh we’ve already established that they are pleasant to look at too,” Antonio joked with a grin towards her, before she had the opportunity to bite back, “but then we never expect you to know such things, Ottavio, considering how pretty your wife is.”

“And you should learn there’s much more important to it than pretty.”

“And you’d shamelessly pad your own with it?” Came Beatrice’s retort to Ottavio, as she sought out Alessandro’s sheepish face. He grinned at her, then something more, a quirk to his head and she glared even harder at him. “How much did you lose?”

“More than enough,” Antonio slipped in, leaning back in his chair, as much of a peacock as the other two.

“Un-shamelessly so,” Bastiano grinned while shuffling, “it’s not about the padding but about the sportsmanship.”

“Because you are all quite well padded already, though I see you do little proper work for it,” she said to the table and then under her breath to her brother. “You are not thinking very clearly tonight, are you?”

“Blame the wine for going to my head.”

“I blame a lot for going to your head.”

“Perhaps you’d do best to join us to do some improper work and restore the family pride,” Bastiano.

“You would enjoy bringing me down to your level, would you?” she said dryly to Bastiano, gathering herself for this.

“I’m not sure I’ll enjoy this,” Ottativio said.

“Depends on what she’s to the table,” Antonio added, “monetarily that is. Perhaps even sass-wise.”

“I think I would find that quite enjoyable, yes.”

Beatrice looked at Alessandro once more, he wore a lopsided grin and she shook her head at him. “Vacate.”

“Are you quite sure what you are getting yourself into?”

“You are the one getting me into it.”

There was a round of snickers around the table but Alessandro left his chair for Beatrice to take.

“I’ll play you best of five,” she said a-matter-of-fact, “each of you offering up what you’ve got from my careless brother.”

“I do think you need to cough up something of your own, we’d not even play you for the sheer delight of a game.”

It wasn’t her habit to bring money to this kind of gathering, but she promptly removed one of her earrings and put it on the table. It was heavy with gold and gems which caught in the light.

“What good is one?”

She removed the second and put it next to the first, but only a demanding silence followed. “I do have a third ear,” she said plainly. She would have thought that more than enough. She’d not give up the cross around her neck, nor the sole ring she bore, an heirloom of her mother’s. No matter how good the odds potentially were.

“That should be enough shouldn't it?” Alessandro removed and put down his family signet ring, earning himself another glare from Bice. He was raising the stakes all too much.

“Well, that could come in handy.”

The game started and Beatrice thought she had Bastiano well in hand, the free flowing wine having him a bit too caught up on egging on her pride, to which Antonio joined in too, at least at the start. Alessandro assisted a little with the prodding banter, as she needed some focus to pay at the game itself.

There was a moment of quiet as the last cards of the last hand were played.

“Oh, did I forget to mention? Bice is quite good at this,” Alessandro was the first to break the silence. “Though she might have some high minded opinions about the carelessness about the gambling aspect of it all. The earlier shame was long gone. He rested a proud hand on her shoulder, all while her grin grew wider.

“Opinions I’ll save for a subject of discussion on another day, Bastiano,” she said as she gleefully returned the earrings to bejewel her ears.

“I haven’t seen you touch a game, for any of the social gatherings.” It was Bastiano’s turn to narrow his eyes at her.

“I save wiping the floor with you for special occasions,” she said gleefully as she stood. The fear of failing under the pressure draining away to make her feel like her head was in the clouds.

“In all fairness you should allow us another round to reciprocate.”

“Life isn’t fair. And I think I got what I came for, and then some.”

“My dear sister, everyone,” Alessandro said, taking her by the hand as she stood and spinning her a full turn. It edged on her giddiness, “She says it all comes down to something with probability and this and that …” he trailed off, grinning.

“You never listen to me, do you do,” she berated him, but not without laughing. “And it doesn’t make it too difficult when the competitions’ brains are half gone with drink.”

“You are quite the fool,” she muttered under her breath, “that should not have worked.”

“Come let’s celebrate with some wine..”

It was too late and too much drink had gone to her head. Beatrice wasn’t the first to seek her bed that night but she was further from being the last. She was definitely grinning to herself as she headed up the stairs, not that she managed to get further than a couple of steps before a distraction pulled her to a halt.

“I’d thought you’d stay to gloat longer, after putting on that kind of show.”

She turned to find Antonio there.

“And I thought I might have overdone it, but then I can always continue tomorrow, should I find you all continuing to be insufferable,” she said, trying her best to put on a dignified face, but failed quite spectacularly. “It wasn’t as much me putting on a show as Alessandro knowing how to pull me into it. Though Signore Ottavio was quite good at making me want to shut him up.”

“I’m afraid me learning how is not a very grand story.”

“After that I deserve to hear it.”

She chewed on her lips as she considered him.

“I might have found better company with the old dames than my own peers, one too many times,” she said plainly, it was easier to get that confession out of her at this point of the night “and I can tell you, they might not be so eager at gambling away their livelihoods but they play like vipers compared to your collective barking.”

“I would like to claim a part of the success, mind you.”

“It didn’t undergo my notice how poorly you played that last hand,” he must have caught onto something towards the end, “, but it wasn’t the sole reason for the win, but if you demand a cut of the winnings, I’m not impossible. ”

“Much like you it seems, I don’t like to be underestimated and I played for the most diverting outcome, in the end. But it does you credit to notice.” His voice had dropped an octave.

She snorted a little but her eyes drifted from his eyes, down his face. She felt dizzy, from the wine and victory. Sensations rushing in like the tide.

“Are you regretting not adding the rat’s nest to the wager?” He asked, mistaking the target for her wandering eyes. By the fact that the beard hadn’t been, should have indicated that she was worse under the influence than she knew, but she was enjoying herself.

“To be honest, the look on your faces was more than enough,” she said merrily, “besides I thought you’d come to the astute decision to get rid of it on your own, but perhaps I was overzealous.”

“I wouldn’t have thought I was the subject of your zealous imaginings.” Two swift steps and he joined her on the same level.

“Can’t help that, somehow, wherever I turn I find it staring me in the face,” she retorted, with mockery, the best she could. Because she was rapidly losing her high ground and she knew it now. The water had risen past her knees, lapping at her thighs. Her mind was racing to keep her footing. “But then perhaps your good friends appreciate the abrasion, what do I know?” There was a pointed emphasis on ‘friends’. She needed to return to the shallows, and so she sought elevation up the stairs, but not before she bid him good night.

XI. Curtain call

It was surely not drawn in the original plans, but the villa seemed designed to carry the raising shouts of the melodrama unfolding that last day of their visit. It drew Donata and Beatrice out of their quiet conference, waiting for the hunting party to return, and it drew out about everyone else remaining in the house too.

They arrived close enough to curtain call, but early enough to find the basics of the plot clear to them.

Beatrice laughed wryly, after the actors had stormed off the stage and left the audience to decide the verdict. The theatre had truly come to an end.

“Would serve him right when he showed little care for the fact that there was a human behind the word bride, however little he liked the prospect,” she said spitefully under her breath.

“It’s not always easy to keep others at the forefront of one’s thoughts when oneself is hurting,” Donata cut her off, eyes fixed on the Cardinal who remained alone at the wreckage.

Beatrice closed her mouth, and shut up. The flare of sharpness in her barely contained, but she took a breath and looked at Donata and then at the now empty stage. It didn’t change her mind, but two things could be true at once. As she breathed out the worst edge abated.

“Do you want to go after him?” She said, so quietly that the echoes of the stone halls couldn’t gossip. Donata’s eyes snapped to hers for a second, before looking straight ahead again.

“No. Not now.” Donata cleared her throat and slipped her arm through Beatrice's. “But there is no need for us to stand here staring.”

Consider this done!!
Rushed, and I might add some of the missing pieces tomorrow if my brain decides to cooperate but the most vital (and fun) ones should be here

Last edited by tricole (03/11/2024 at 20:47)

Lady Lucrezia Gonzaga

Name:
Lady Lucrezia Gonzaga, Duchessa consorte di Modena e Reggio

Age: 24

FC: Anya Chalotra

Traits: Charming. Spoiled. Wild. Discreet when the situation calls for it. Ambitious. Flirty. Intelligent. Prideful. Sometimes a bit naïve. Doesn't always play by the rules. Impatient. Impulsive.

Bio:

Lucrezia has been spoiled in her upbringing as the oldest daughter of  Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duca di Mantova e di Monferrato and his second wife, Eleonora de' Medici. Since a young age, she has learned all about social rules and proper etiquette. As she grew older she realised that rules were meant to be broken occasionally... especially if it meant gaining an advantage for herself. Her charms and smiles are her favourite weapon and it isn't too hard to see that Lucrezia thinks highly of herself and her family.

It was Ferdinando's, her brother and the current Duca di Mantova e di Monferrato, decision that Lucrezia was to wed Francesco Este, Duca di Modena e Reggio only months after her 19th birthday. A man twice her age, recently widowed and already a father of four children... if not more if she thought of the rumours of his affairs to be true. There was no love between her and Francesco... in fact, he hardly paid attention to his young wife. Choosing to spend his time on the hunt, drinking or in the company of his mistresses.

Not that Lucrezia particularly minded as it allowed her to have more freedom. She used the time for her interests as she always enjoyed arts and music. She would travel around the ducato and find time to visit her family occasionally. With her husband still not showing interest in her, Lucrezia started to seek the beds of other men... enjoying the pleasure and thrill it brought to her life. Always being careful and discreet about any of her affairs and she didn't want to bring shame to her family name.

Lucrezia has been residing in Venice for less than a month now. She enjoys being quite far away from her husband... it means more freedom and a chance to make connections with interesting people. Lucrezia wants to enjoy herself and she is curious about what will happen during her stay.

Connections:

Lucrezia has heard the name of some of the important people in Venice... might even have seen them before but she hasn't had the time yet to make any real Connections.

Interests: Andrea (romantic... we will see how that goes) Antonio & Leonardo (playful & teasing); Olympia (friendly)


Cred to Nina

A slice of heaven called Villa Foscari

Villa Views

Lucrezia wrapped her cloak tighter around
herself once she stepped off the gondola and a soft sigh escaped her lips as she looked around. Not even Villa Foscari had been spared by the fog that had taken over Venice in the last days... delaying the upcoming wedding of Leonardo indefinitely. Instead she had been invited to spend a few days at the Villa.

It was in the early morning... a time she would usually still be in bed if it hadn't been for the letter by Olympia letting her know that she was travelling to the Villa in the early hours and that she was advising Lucrezia to the same.

"Good Morning Lucrezia." Leonardo stood at the gates of the Villa with a smile on his lips, "I was not expecting to see you arrival this early."

"Neither was I." She chuckled before suppressing a yawn, "Olympia spoke about settling in early but it seems that you have missed her."

"You did indeed. I wasn't even fully awake myself when they arrived." He laughed, "Haven't seen her since then though."

"Maybe she has returned back to bed." Lucrezia teased with a playful smile, "Might not be such a bad idea."

"You are welcome to do whatever your heart desires, Lucrezia. I should mention though that the gardens look quite lovely... even in the fog."

"I'm certain that I will find a moment or two to go for a walk." Soft smile playing on her lips she looked at him.

For a man that just had his wedding postponed indefinitely he didn't look bothered the slightest.

"I haven't thanked you for the invitation yet, Leonardo."

"It is my pleasure. I can imagine it must be quite boring in Venice at the moment... a shame that the fog decided to travel with you though." Leonardo replied.

"It is," the young woman agreed with a small nod of her head, "But there are worst things that could have happened."

"Indeed."

The sound of chatter in the distant and gravel scrunching under shoes had her turning her head... Andrea in the company of a woman was walking up the small path leading to the Villa.

"Good Morning Signora Morsini and Andrea." Leonardo greeted them both with a charming smile.

"Good Morning." Andrea greeted him back before his eyes fell on Lucrezia, "Good Morning to you as well."

She returned the greeting before letting her gaze drifted past his shoulder and to the woman that was in his company.

"I don't think we have met yet... Lucrezia Gonzaga."

"Donata Morsini." She said with a soft smile on her lips, "A new face in Venice?"

"Not even three months and I already regret that I didn't arrive earlier." Lucrezia chuckled.

Walking next to Donata, she followed Leonardo and Andrea as they headed towards the Villa partly hidden by the fog.

"Or perhaps you have arrived exactly at the right time."

"Mhm, that is also a way to see it." She mused out loud, "But does it truly matter if I enjoy my stay? A shame that the weather decided to take a bad turn."

"That is Venice for you." Donata laughed, "Beautiful on one day and unpredictable on the next one."

"So it seems." Lucrezia hummed, "I didn't expect to see others arriving this early... I thought that Olympia might be exaggerating when she advised me to settle in early."

"I wouldn't have minded staying a bit longer in Venice but Andrea was eager to return back to the Villa."

Lucrezia briefly looked at him and Leonardo walking a few meters ahead of them seemingly engaged in a very lively conversation.

"He is very passionate about his work." The young woman pointed out with a soft smile on her lips.

"He is. I have worked with him for a while now and he takes great pride in what he does."

"Oh, are you an architect too?" Lucrezia asked, "Or perhaps another artist?"

Donata chuckled, "Neither. I never had the patient to stare at a blank canvas hoping to be kissed by a muse. I'm a merchant and occasionally I ship materials for Andrea."

Lucrezia's attention was pulled away when she heard Andrea laugh... tilting her head she looked over to him and Leonardo as they stood in front of the entrance door of the Villa.

"Andrea, I have wonderful news." Leonardo announced as he placed an arm around the architect's shoulder.

"What is it?"

"The temple is finally done... they finished the last work just a few days ago." Leonardo said with a proud smile on his lips.

"What temple?" Lucrezia piped up not able to contain her curiosity any longer.

"On top of the hill. It wasn't finished by the time of my wake." Leonardo explained arm still resting on Andrea's shoulder, "It was his brilliant idea and it turned out quite magnificent."

"That are indeed wonderful news." Andrea replied with a smile, "I will check it out as soon as I can. I have been waiting for the temple to be finished for months now."

"You had a temple built?" Lucrezia asked her gaze switching between Leonardo and Andrea.

"It is a small Olympus-inspired temple overlooking the Villa." Andrea explained, eyes twinkling with passion and excitement, "Would you like to join me, Lucrezia?"

"Gladly," she flashed a smile, "When shall we meet?"

"Let's meet tomorrow after breakfast at the maze. It is just a short walk from there to the temple."

"Sounds perfect."


♤♤♤♤♤♤

Lucrezia breathed in a fresh air the moment she stepped outside on the balcony... the Banquet had been a very pleasant affair so far and hopefully it would prove to be a good sign for the upcoming days.

"I'm starting to see a pattern."

"Do you?" Lips curled into a playful smile she turned to look at Antonio, "And which one might it be? That we always meet when the mood is good and the wine delicious?"

"Not the one I meant." He leaned against the railing next to her, "Another invitation delivered to you and your husband... and once again it is only you that shows up."

Lucrezia wasn't too surprised that the news about her being married had finally reached some parts of Venice... she had been expecting it since her arrival.

"Unlike me, Francesco has decided not to come to Venice. I don't think he doesn't even know that any invitations were meant for him too." She explained with a shrug of her shoulders, "And knowing him, he is too drunk right now to care about anything."

"A loss for him."

She turned to look better at him, "Indeed. I wasted too many months trying to find ways to please him."

"And now?" Voice low, he leaned slightly closer in her direction.

"Now..." Lucrezia licked over her lips, "I have learned my lesson and only please those that also know how to please me."

"Sounds like you know exactly what you want." Antonio said, "Is that the reason why you came to Venice?"

She laughed shaking her head, "Not directly. I wanted to travel somewhere new and Venice was the first place that came to mind." She explained, "I didn't think it would turn into such a pleasant experience."

"Almost sounds like you are getting ready to leave again." He jested playfully.

"Oh, no need to worry, Antonio. I plan to stay as long as I can."

Echoes of ancient splendour

"You are up awfully early." Olympia greeted her with a bright smile.

She and Cesare sat in the dining room in what seemed to be in the middle of their breakfast.

"Would you like to join us?" She asked pointing at one of the empty chair across of them.

"No, thank you. I have already eaten and I don't want to disturb you." Lucrezia replied with a slight shake of her head.

"Nonsense. I wouldn't be offering. Please sit down." Olympia insisted, "The coffee is delicious if you haven't tried it yet."

"Well if you insisted." Lucrezia chuckled as she sat down next to her friend, "Good Morning, Cesare."

"Good Morning." He replied before he gathered the papers together that were spread across the table.

"Already leaving?" Olympia asked briefly looking up from the cup in her hands.

"I have agreed to meet with the Doge this morning." He replied pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before heading out of the room.

"So, who is the reason you are up this early?" Mischievous smile on her lips Olympia tilted her head to look at Lucrezia.

"Who says that there has to be a reason?" She shot back with the most innocent smile she could muster.

"Because I know you my dear Lucrezia and you wouldn't be out of bed at this hour without a very good reason." She beamed.

"You won't let go of this." Lucrezia chuckled shaking her head, "I'm meeting Andrea at the maze. There is a temple he wants to show to me."

"Well if that isn't interesting." Olympia pointed out, "I didn't know you and Andrea are close."

"Are you forgetting that I'm a married woman?" Lucrezia jested with a playful smile, "Besides noting happened between us."

"You mean nothing happened yet." Olympia said with a determined smile as she rose to her feet, "Come, I had planned to talk in the maze anyway."

Fog still lay upon the villa and the gardens giving it an eerie look and she wrapped her cloak around her bare arms as she walked next to Olympia.

"Do you wish that something happened between you and Andrea?" Olympia asked breaking the silence that had started to settle between them.

Lucrezia licked over her lips, "I wouldn't be inclined. Andrea is a very fascinating man and we do share a few common interests. And I do enjoy his company quite well."

"You could always find out how he thinks about the whole situation... flirt a little bit or tease him." Olympia suggested with a wink before she reached for her arm, "Have some fun."

Lucrezia looked at the young woman from the side, "You are taking it surprising well that I'm a married woman seeking my pleasure elsewhere."

"I know of your situation, Lucrezia... that your husband remained in Modena and that he must have his reasons for it." Olympia explained, "Reasons I don't understand and honestly, don't care about. But you are here now and I hope you can enjoy yourself as much as you deserve."

Lucrezia tugged softly on her arm, "I'm very glad that I have met you, Olympia. I don't think my time in Venice would have been this pleasant without you at my side."

"I'm pleased to hear that." The young woman replied with a beaming smile, "Oh, look... you are already been awaited."

True to her words Andrea stood outside the maze.

"Will you be joining us as well Signora di Ravella?" He asked with a smile playing on his lips.

Olympia slipped her arm out of Lucrezia's before giving her a slight push into Andrea's direction, "Maybe another time. I didn't have a chance to take a look at the maze. Have a pleasant day."

"You too Olympia."


♤♤♤♤♤♤

"Shall we?" Andrea asked offering his arm in Lucrezia's direction, "The temple isn't too far from here."

"I hope I haven't worn the wrong shoes for this occasion." She jested as they headed up a small hill to the left of the maze.

"It is not quite Mount Olympus itself." He laughed, "And I can promise you that the walk will be worthy it."

"Mhh, I will have to trust you on this." The young woman hummed, "I wonder though... why are temple?"

"Why not?" He shrugged his shoulders, "Leonardo allowed me a lot of creative freedom and I wanted to create something that no one else had in Venice."

"Well, I believe that you certainly managed to do that." She smiled softly, "And I'm convinced that this won't be your last creation.

"I do hope so. Venice is a tough place for architects but I'm determined to make it work." He slightly tightened the grip around her arm, "Careful. The grass is quite slippery here."

"Thank." Lucrezia lifted the hem of her dress and cloak, "I don't think if you ever told me but where you born in Venice?"

Andrea shook his head, "Padua but I have been in Venice long enough that it almost feels like I have never been somewhere else." He laughed, "What about you, Lucrezia? You mentioned Mantua a few times..."

"You have a good memory, Andrea." The young woman chuckled, "I have stayed at other places too in recent years but I make it a habit to return whenever I can."

"Any particular reason?" He asked looking af her from the side.

"My brother and his family still live in Mantua... and a few cousins though I'm not too close with them." Lucrezia replied.

The next step proved a rather slippery one and for a brief moment she feared that she would fall but Andrea made sure that she wouldn't... his grip around her arm steady.

"Careful Lucrezia. It would be a shame to end this lovely day quite abruptly."

"Not just this lovely day, I fear." The young woman pointed casually.

"We are almost there."

Lucrezia breathed out... feeling hot and cold at the same time. The walk hadn't been a long one but her face felt flushed and her breath was slightly quickened.

"Welcome to Mount Olympus." Andrea said with a playful smile, "And we didn't even need to leave Italy."

Her gaze drifted away from him and over to a little temple surrounded by a few statues.

"It is magnificent." Lucrezia said with a bright smile, "I dare to say that you have outdone yourself, Andrea."

"I'm glad that you like it, Lucrezia."

She walked around the statues and the temple... taking in every little detail that she could. Every time she looked up she caught Andrea looking at her with a smile on his lips.

"You know I'm rather glad that the temple wasn't done by the time of the wake." Lucrezia said licking over her lips.

"Why is that?"

She kept her gaze firmly locked on him, "It would be likely full of other people and I wouldn't be able to enjoy a moment alone with you."

"I'm enjoying this moment with you too." He took a few steps in her direction, "Would you like to sit down?"

Lucrezia chuckled shaking her head, "Maybe in a moment... I'm not done exploring yet."  Lifting her dress she walked up the few steps leading inside the temple. "A shame that the weather isn't on our side though... the view down onto the Villa and the gardens must be quiet lovely."

"It is and maybe we will get to see it another time."

"Before Leonardo grows tired of us you mean." She jested with a playful smile. Her arm brushed against his as she stepped back outside, "It could be worse though... it isn't raining."

"Are you trying to jinx it?" Andrea asked teasingly, "You shouldn't forget that we have to head down the hill eventually."

"Unfortunately we do." Lucrezia hummed before she sat down on of the benches, "All good moments must come to an end sooner or later."

"They do but we could always make the best out of it while we can." Andrea replied as he sat down next to her, "Though I got the impression that you are already living every moment to the fullest."

"I do." She breathed out... a pleasant shiver running down her spine as she felt the intense gaze of his blue eyes on her, "What about you, Andrea? Do you also live every moment to the fullest?"

"Those that I think are worth it, yes." He said smile tugging on his lips.

"Then you do understand me, Andrea." Returning the smile she tilted her head to look at him.

"I do and yet I wonder sometimes..."

"What is it?"

"Doesn't it ever get lonely?" Andrea asked, "Travelling to different cities all by yourself I mean."

"You almost make it sound like I'm always on the move." She laughed, "And no, I don't think so. Not when I get a chance to meet new people... interesting people whose company I have to come enjoy."

"But also no husband that travels with you."

The mention of her husband came as a surprise but Lucrezia had long stopped letting him or just the thought of him ruin her good mood.

"We never shared similar interests." She said with a tight smile, "And in all honesty, I can't say that I miss him."

"I hope that I haven't spoiled the good mood now."

"It would take more than this to spoil my good mood, Andrea." Lucrezia reached over to place a hand on top of his, "Especially when I'm in your company."

"I'm almost inclined to believe it if you keep mentioning it." Andrea teased with a playful smile.

"Only speaking the truth, Andrea." She moved a bit closer on the bench until her leg was pressed against his. "And I wouldn't mind if there was more between us."

"You do?" He breathed out.

"Mhm, I do." Lips curled into a smirk she kept her gaze locked onto him.

♤♤♤♤♤♤

Lucrezia wandered aimlessly around the Villa. Andrea and her parted ways upon their return from the temple... he had a few matters to attend for a project. Her mind was still racing with various thoughts and there was an itch under her skin begging to be scratched. The moment with Andrea had left her aching for more despite nothing happening between them yet.

An open door caught her attention and with her eyebrows knitted togehter she peaked inside. It appeared to be an library... another room she must have missed before.

"You can come inside."

Lucrezia startled slightly when she heard Leonardo's voice. He was sitting in one of the armchairs in the corner with a book in his lap.

"I don't bite unless you want me to." Lips curled into a smirk he looked at her.

"If I do, I wouldn't choose this place." Lucrezia jested as she entered the room making sure to close the door behind her, "Public places are quite tricky sometimes."

"I don't see anyone else other than us." He pointed out casually.

Hands clasped behind her back she stepped closer, "Mhm, that's true. And it is a very tempting idea but the thought of getting caught... not so much." She teased with a slight shake of her head before sitting down next to him, "What are you reading?"

"Oh that?" Leonardo flipped the book around in his lap, "Honestly, I picked a random book hoping to appear busy if someone needed me."

"And is it working?" A smile tugged on her lips.

"I don't know... you are the first person to stop by." Leonardo replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "But since you are keeping me company now, I don't need this anymore." He placed the book on a table between them, "How did you enjoy the temple?"

"Quite a lot." Lucrezia replied with a bright smile, "It is an interesting addition to an already very splendid Villa."

"Should I be worried that one day you might not leave?" He asked in a playful tone.

"Don't give me any tempting ideas." The young woman laughed, "But no need to worry. I will be leaving... eventually. Though it is hardly my fault if you keep inviting us."

"You are welcome to decline my invitation next time." Leonardo teased.

"I could," she mused, "But then I would be missing out on all the fun."

Fun: Always a good idea

Lips curled into a smile Lucrezia walked through the maze. The mood had gotten lighter with the unexpected return of the Doge to Venice... both Leonardo and Antonio proving that they were quite a different host compared to their father.

"Oh not again..." Lucrezia cursed under her breath as she found herself facing another dead end.

"Are you lost?"

Spinning around she came face to face with Antonio... smug smile on his lips and arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Why? Have you come to save me perhaps?"

"It would leave a bad impressions on our other guests if they hear we leave someone outside in the maze." Antonio teased, "Come, it isn't much further."

"Thank you." Lucrezia said smile playing on her lips as she followed him, "I thought that I would remember the way from last time but the maze does look quite different in daylight."

"Or maybe you were occupied with something else the last time."

"I was not." She replied, "The thought might have crossed my mind though. The thrill of the unknown... hidden by the darkness."

"What stopped you?" Antonio looked at her from the side.

"I don't know... perhaps I wasn't in the company of the right person or perhaps it didn't feel right." Shrugging with her shoulders,  "But does it really matter now? The moment has long passed."

"Has it though?"

Lucrezia shivered under the intensity of the gaze from his dark eyes feeling that something had shifted in the air around them... she hadn't even noticed that he had lead her towards another dead end.

She swallowed hard, heart racing and yet at the same time she felt excitement bubbling under her skin.

"Perhaps it has not." She whispered before closing the distance between them.

Feeling his lips against hers made her feel alive... the touch of his hands made her shiver and feel hot at the same time.

Breathing heavily she pulled away from the heated kiss looking up into his dark eyes. Part of her longed to pull him into another kiss, letting him touch and undress her.

"And was it like you imagined it?" Antonio asked... face still close enough that she could feel his breath against her skin.

"It was..." she breathed out before taking a step back, "But we should get going now. I have promised to meet with Olympia later... and I don't want her to get worried."

♤♤♤♤♤♤


"Lucrezia, I have been looking for you everywhere." Olympia's lips were curled into a bright smile, "There is someone you have to meet."

Without waiting for an answer she grabbed Lucrezia's hand and giving it a soft tug.

"Sounds quite important." Lucrezia chuckled as she followed her friend.

"Here we are." Olympia came to a sudden halt in front of a small table that had been set up in one of the corners. "Lucrezia, this is my brother Alexandre."

The young woman looked at the man sitting at the table appearing slightly confused, "I didn't know you had a brother." She said to Olympia before switching her attention to Alexandre, "Pleased to meet you."

"You also didn't ask." Olympia chuckled before she pulled Lucrezia down on the bench next to her.

"Likewise. Olympia talked quite a bit about you." Alexandre said.

"Hopefully only good things." Lucrezia chuckled, "So, what is the important occassion."

"We want to play a round of cards but it is no fun with just two people." Olympia epxlained already shuffling a deck of cards in her hands.

"That is indeed a very important matter." Lucrezia laughed, "You arrived with the Spanish delegation, didn't you?"

"I did. I actually grew up in Spain though I also spent a few years in France."

"And now he is in Italy... finally reunited with his dearest sister." Olympia laughed loudly before she dealt out the cards.

One round of cards game quickly turned into  three... the mood was good and the wine definitely helped to keep the spirits up even after Lucrezia lost yet another round to Olympia.

"I'm almost tempted to say that you might be cheating." Lucrezia chuckled playfully.

"Or maybe fortuna is just on my side tonight." Olympia replied with a wink, "But we can also do something else. Have you ever done Tarot before?" She pulled out another decks of card quickly shuffling them between her hands, "But we best not draw too much attention. You never know what people might be thinking."

"My lips will be sealed." Lucrezia laughed doing a little zip motion across her lips.

She watched how Olympia turned around 5 cards from the deck... all of them beautifully done with different art designs.

"Oh, that is very intriguing. I do see a passionate lover in your future, Lucrezia."  Olympia explained finger pointing at one of the cards depicting a couple in a passionate embrace, "I wonder who it might be."

"I don't know." Lucrezia feigned cluelessness, "Don't you see a name or a sign perhaps in your cards, Olympia?"

"I can try but the cards are not very clear tonight but whoever your mysterious lover is, he will leave you feeling very satisfied. And isn't it that the most important?"

Lucrezia reached for her wine, "It is indeed."


♤♤♤♤♤♤

Lucrezia set down the empty goblet at a table before she let her gaze move around the room. The crowd had gotten smaller in the last hour and she was starting to feel exhausted herself. Her steps were not quite as firm as she headed towards the door when she caught a glimpse of Andrea in the corner of her eyes. He sat alone at one of the tables apparently lost in his thoughts.

"Andrea." A smile tugged on her lips as she stopped in front of him, "I must have blind tonight. Why did I only see you now?"

"Or you weren't looking close enough." He replied with a playful smile on his lips, "There will be other times."

Lucrezia hummed, "I know. But it is still a shame. I wouldn't have minded a moment or two with you." She looked left and right before leaning down, "My chamber is on the second floor... there is a lovely statue of Aphrodite outside." Smile on her lips she leaned back again, "Good Night, Andrea."

"Good Night Lucrezia."

Lucrezia walked in circles around in ber chamber, her eyes occasionally darting over to the door whenever she thought someone was walking outside in the hallway. She had undressed, pulled out all the combs and  hairpins but neither her body nor her mind felt tired anymore.

Part of her wondered if it had been a good idea to tell Andrea where to find her chamber... maybe she had been too hopeful that he would follow her invite. The young woman nearly jumped when she heard a faint knock on the door.

Heart beating she opened the door only for Andrea to close it the moment he had entered her chamber.

Lucrezia had never seen his eyes this blue and intense as he looked down at her.

"I can leave if you have changed your mind." He said breaking through the silence.

Instead of saying anything Lucrezia closed the distance between them... one of her hands reaching for his neck before she pulled him down into a heated kiss. He placed a hand around her waist pulling her even closer.

It had been weeks if not months since she had felt this alive... a single touch was enough to set her on fire. A moan came from her lips as Andrea started to kiss her neck while one of his hands slipped under her night gown. It took Lucrezia longer than she wanted to finally get his doublet off... both his fingers and lips proving to be quite the distraction.

"Off..." she moaned in between kisses fingers tugging at his pants.

"Patience." Andrea chuckled against her lips.

"Never and especially not now." Lucrezia took a step back slipping out of her nightgown before sitting down on the bed, "Well, are you coming or not?"

Andrea did not once take his eyes off her while he undressed... his eyes dark, full of lust and looking at her like he wanted to eat her alive. Slowly he made his way to the bed leaning down to kiss her again... hands wrapped around his neck she pulled him down on top of her enjoying the feeling of his body against hers.

"So where were we?" Lips curled into a smirk he kissed her neck before moving down to her breasts and then further down.

Lucrezia moaned giving in the passion and lust that clouded her mind.

Misty morning

Lucrezia woke up to lips trailing down her bare back. She stretched her legs feeling sore but all in the right places.

"Good Morning." She yawned before rolling around, "How late is it?"

"Around Midday." Andrea replied before leaning down to kiss her, "The Hunting Party already left... a shame if you wanted to join them."

"I did not." She murmured against his lips, "And nothing could get me out of bed right now... unless you have different plans."

"I don't." Another kiss pressed against her neck, "But I fear we also can't stay here forever... people might come looking for us."

"Well then we might as well make the best out of what little time we got left." Lips curled into a smirk, she rolled them around. Hands pressed against his bare chest she looked down onto him.

"That sounds like a very good idea." Andrea agreed before pulling her down into a passionate kiss.


♤♤♤♤♤♤

Chaos was the best word to describe the situation Lucrezia suddenly found herself into... only moments after leaving her room  she had taken notice of the drama unfolding between Leonardo and Luisa... or Beatriz. Turned out she was the woman he was supposed to marry... a wedding that had now been cancelled judging by the words that they threw at each other.

Lucrezia watched Beatriz rush out of the Villa and Leonardo storming off in the other direction. She nearly screamed when she felt a soft tug on her arm.

"It is me." Andrea was standing half behind one of the pillars in the hallway, "I can offer you a way out of here... unseen and without a chance to run into anyone but we need to leave soon."

"My things... I can't leave them here." She told him.

"Grab them but hurry... we meet here again." Andrea let go of her hand, "Oh, and wear your cloak."

Lucrezia couldn't decide whether to be surprised or not once she and Andrea stepped outside and Donata was waiting at the Gondola that would be taking them back to Venice.

"What a chaos." Andrea muttered under his breath as he helped first her and then Lucrezia stepped onto the gondola.

"Chaos almost might be an understatement." Donata pointed out with a shake of her head, "Venice will be buzzing with news the next days."

Donata's house was their first stop once they reached Venice and she bid farewell to Andrea and Lucrezia with a smile on her lip.

"You are awfully quiet. Is everything alright?" He asked once it was just the two of them.

"Just thinking... this day took quite a turn." She let out a sigh, "It wasn't hard to see that Leonardo didn't have the best opinion about his upcoming wedding but I don't think this is the way he wanted it to end."

"Neither do I but there isn't much we can do in this situation, Lucrezia."

The gondola stopped at the Canal Grande not too far away from her residence.

"Thank you, Andrea." She looked at him with a soft smile on her lips.

"You are welcome, Lucrezia."

Rushed and typos are Finders, keepers

Last edited by schoggettchen (02/11/2024 at 22:05)

Round 3 is closed now!