mother had said when she took part in her last Marriage with the Sea.
Except that she hadn’t really taken part; Silvia, the last Duchessa, had used a body double. But now it was the real Duchessa shivering as her waiting-women rubbed her with towels and took away the soaking-wet violet dress while Arianna gulped down warm spiced wine.
‘Can we do away with it, Father?’ she asked, when the waiting women had wrapped her in a scarlet velvet robe. ‘Will Bellezza ever believe in its continued prosperity without this ritual?’
‘You should be glad that it’s just a drenching you have to suffer,’ said Senator Rossi, who was comfortably seated inside the barge. ‘In the days when the lagoon people worshipped the Goddess, you might have been drowned as a sacrifice to Her.’
‘I can’t wait to get back home and see this year’s display,’ said Arianna. This was the third time she had taken part in the Marriage with the Sea and she was already weary of it. The best part of Ascension Day for her would come after the formal dinner, when Rodolfo’s fireworks would light up the lagoon.
‘Though I wish Luciano could be here to see it too,’ she added sadly.
‘I miss him too,’ said Rodolfo. ‘But you forget – tonight is also my wedding anniversary. You will have to be cheerful and help your mother and me to celebrate.’
Arianna smiled at him. Three years ago, she had not known Rodolfo or Luciano, let alone that the one was her father and the other the man she would marry.
‘I will be cheerful,’ she promised. ‘As cheerful as I can be without Luciano.’
*
As soon as she arrived in Fabio’s workshop, Laura sensed the excitement in the air.
‘The announcement is going to be made this evening,’ said Fabio. He didn’t need to say which announcement; there was only one topic of speculation in Fortezza.
‘Will I be here for it?’ asked Laura. She had to stravagate back home before dark, but the next day was Sunday in her world so she might get away with getting up late.
‘I hope so,’ said Fabio. ‘Are you planning to see the Manoush again today?’
He was being very kind, Laura thought, but she didn’t know if she could bear to see Ludo again after the day before, when he had wept in her arms and she had accepted that she loved him.
‘I don’t think so,’ she said. ‘We said all we had to yesterday. Now all we can do is hope that we won’t end up as enemies.’
‘Your . . . closeness has developed very quickly,’ said Fabio. ‘Is this how it happens in your world?’
Even in her unhappiness, that made Laura smile.
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’ve never even had a boyfriend before – if that’s what Ludo is. What he might have been, if it hadn’t been for the situation here. Just my bad luck.’
‘And if the “situation” had been different?’ asked Fabio. ‘What would you have done?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ said Laura. ‘It was always going to be over before it started, wasn’t it? I mean you can’t have a boyfriend who lives hundreds of years in the past and in another world. It would be like loving a ghost.’
Fabio did not have time to answer her, because a servant in Fortezzan livery came with a message. Both the swordsmith and his ‘Guest, Signorina Laura’ were summoned to the castle. Princess Lucia wanted to talk to them.
*
Most of the di Chimici had remained in Fortezza. It was far too important to discover the Council’s decision about the inheritance to leave. And it was a useful distraction for Princess Carolina to have so many family members to make provision for. Only the Pope and his Cardinal had returned to Remora.
Neither Fabrizio nor Gaetano liked being away from their wives for too long but a messenger had been sent to Giglia to explain the delay over their return. The two brothers were in the salone with their cousins Filippo and Alfonso facing a long day of waiting.
‘Filippo,’ said the Grand Duke, ‘now might be a good time for you to
Except that she hadn’t really taken part; Silvia, the last Duchessa, had used a body double. But now it was the real Duchessa shivering as her waiting-women rubbed her with towels and took away the soaking-wet violet dress while Arianna gulped down warm spiced wine.
‘Can we do away with it, Father?’ she asked, when the waiting women had wrapped her in a scarlet velvet robe. ‘Will Bellezza ever believe in its continued prosperity without this ritual?’
‘You should be glad that it’s just a drenching you have to suffer,’ said Senator Rossi, who was comfortably seated inside the barge. ‘In the days when the lagoon people worshipped the Goddess, you might have been drowned as a sacrifice to Her.’
‘I can’t wait to get back home and see this year’s display,’ said Arianna. This was the third time she had taken part in the Marriage with the Sea and she was already weary of it. The best part of Ascension Day for her would come after the formal dinner, when Rodolfo’s fireworks would light up the lagoon.
‘Though I wish Luciano could be here to see it too,’ she added sadly.
‘I miss him too,’ said Rodolfo. ‘But you forget – tonight is also my wedding anniversary. You will have to be cheerful and help your mother and me to celebrate.’
Arianna smiled at him. Three years ago, she had not known Rodolfo or Luciano, let alone that the one was her father and the other the man she would marry.
‘I will be cheerful,’ she promised. ‘As cheerful as I can be without Luciano.’
*
As soon as she arrived in Fabio’s workshop, Laura sensed the excitement in the air.
‘The announcement is going to be made this evening,’ said Fabio. He didn’t need to say which announcement; there was only one topic of speculation in Fortezza.
‘Will I be here for it?’ asked Laura. She had to stravagate back home before dark, but the next day was Sunday in her world so she might get away with getting up late.
‘I hope so,’ said Fabio. ‘Are you planning to see the Manoush again today?’
He was being very kind, Laura thought, but she didn’t know if she could bear to see Ludo again after the day before, when he had wept in her arms and she had accepted that she loved him.
‘I don’t think so,’ she said. ‘We said all we had to yesterday. Now all we can do is hope that we won’t end up as enemies.’
‘Your . . . closeness has developed very quickly,’ said Fabio. ‘Is this how it happens in your world?’
Even in her unhappiness, that made Laura smile.
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’ve never even had a boyfriend before – if that’s what Ludo is. What he might have been, if it hadn’t been for the situation here. Just my bad luck.’
‘And if the “situation” had been different?’ asked Fabio. ‘What would you have done?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ said Laura. ‘It was always going to be over before it started, wasn’t it? I mean you can’t have a boyfriend who lives hundreds of years in the past and in another world. It would be like loving a ghost.’
Fabio did not have time to answer her, because a servant in Fortezzan livery came with a message. Both the swordsmith and his ‘Guest, Signorina Laura’ were summoned to the castle. Princess Lucia wanted to talk to them.
*
Most of the di Chimici had remained in Fortezza. It was far too important to discover the Council’s decision about the inheritance to leave. And it was a useful distraction for Princess Carolina to have so many family members to make provision for. Only the Pope and his Cardinal had returned to Remora.
Neither Fabrizio nor Gaetano liked being away from their wives for too long but a messenger had been sent to Giglia to explain the delay over their return. The two brothers were in the salone with their cousins Filippo and Alfonso facing a long day of waiting.
‘Filippo,’ said the Grand Duke, ‘now might be a good time for you to
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