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Her brother's only redeeming trait was his great, blind arrogance where women were concerned. The little monster killed her father, and then her brother, all before he could grow a proper moustache, but kept his mother around to do witchery for him until he married, and he figured he'd use his sister as a political chip. Principessa Villanova blinded herself to what her son had done, but Francesca waited and watched. She was maneuvering for a marriage to Vestini. Her mother agreed to the idea, and together they worked the strands delicately, setting up relationships which a marriage would neatly resolve. And then the old Principessa suggested the match to fifteen-year old Giovanni. "No, I'm marrying a Vestini because they're the most beautiful," he proclaimed. "Two marriages with them would be a waste. It's Lucani." He wanted a family presence in the Lucani courts, all the better to keep the family under the Villanova thumb. Francesca was dumbfounded. Lucani? Lucani? She'd fall under their curse, unable to even look at her new family's strands, lest she see something there and be tempted to offer good advice about it. Of course, Giovanni was counting on her to look anyway, and to report to him what she saw. A good sister, a good strega, she bowed her head submissively behind her veil. A good Villanova, she started plotting. Her plans were overturned when Alberto Lucani ended up being a much more pleasant man than she'd expected. He tried too hard, which was pitable, but he did dote on her and their daughters. And even behind his over-compensation was a real drive to better his family, which he was slowly accomplishing without murdering any blood kin. When Villanova courtiers came to pay their respects to Lucani, Francesca sent home dull reports of small value, saying little that wasn't obvious - because she wasn't looking at Alberto's strands. She would honor his efforts to improve his family's lot by not tempting Fate by skirting the curse. On the other hand, she kept a close eye on her brother's strands. She saw from afar that something was not right between him, his courtesan, and his pretty Vestini wife, and also that the Vestini was doing her best to conceal that. Francesca subtly lent a hand, confusing other relationships in the court (with which she was familiar from her youth) to prevent the other Villanova strega from easily untangling the knots Valentina was weaving. She wasn't exactly sure where things were going there, but it seemed to be the best chance her father and brother would have to be avenged - and at the hands of the women Giovanni always discounted, no less. Francesca watched the strands eagerly, noting the shifting relationships with the amazed attention of an opera-goer. Things began to get rocky at home; Alberto was not comfortable discussing marriages for their daughters. Then one day, he suddenly decided on a match for their eldest, which he announced with no preparation or sweetening. The girl, predictably, resisted - what did he think she would do? And he beat her. Beat her daughter. There was no provision in the Lucani curse for afflicting family members, and the enraged Francesca pronounced a Swords curse on her husband before collecting her girls and sweeping off to a distant wing of the palace. He was so apologetic the next day, and the next week, and the next month. She was relenting, slowly, dragging concessions for future marriage negotiations out of him as she inched towards forgiveness. Then the assassin struck, suddenly and - since no one could watch the strands - without warning. Poor, dear, uncertain Alberto finally found a real man's courage and held off the killer long enough for those impeccably gracious courtiers of his to evacuate Francesca and the girls. She didn't dare go home; she was afraid a close inspection by the Villanova witches might reveal her role in recent events there. Prince Donello Falisci agreed to harbor them, and Francesca began to put together the pieces of what had happened. She could go by one of two roads: try to restore Lucani power, or strike at Mondavi in revenge. Restoring power would be the harder goal and besides, lashing out would give Francesca and outlet for her own feelings of guilt: would Alberto have died if he hadn't been under her Swords curse? The Lucani may have lost their lands, but she'd see to it that the Mondavi were utterly destroyed. Vestini would be her preferred cat's paw, but his wife Fiametta would guard him against any meddling on her part. Donello's mother was Montaigne and no strega; his sister is Twice-Blooded and will never amount to more than a Clotho. He has strong strega in his court, but Francesca is hoping to win his confidence and his ear. He can marry one of her girls and keep his Montaigne infatuation as a mistress until he tires of her. She'll "see" power and glory for him in the strands, if he opposes Mondavi. She can act as a foot in the door to an alliance with her brother, who she knows will not forgive Mondavi his attack. Falisci's own brother, the cardinal, could open doors to the devout Vestini and, via Cardinal Ciosa, to Bermoulli. She'll pull them all together in a web of Swords, cementing alliances with her daughters' hands in marriage where needed, and direct them against the Mondavi line, to wipe them out man, woman and child.
Francesca Lucani, Hero?
Brawn 2, Finesse 2, Wits 4, Resolve 3, Panache 4
Advantages: Above Average Appearance, Keen Senses, Left-Handed, Specialty (Cold Read), Toughness
Courtier: Dancing 2, Etiquette 4, Fashion 5, Oratory 5, Diplomacy 3, Gossip 3, Mooch 2, Politics 4, Scheming 3, Sincerity 5
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