presents...
|
Homecoming
Game Date: 08/25/06
Redi, Julius 21 While Father Donati was tending to Pietra... Anna had only heard that her mother had died. Lady Donati quietly entered the women's quarters to hear the other strega sobbing and tearfully imploring Theus to explain why. Yes, her mother was old and yes, she had been badly hurt, but she had been getting better and it seemed so unfair that she should just suddenly die like that. Gianina tried to comfort her and, knowing that she'd hear the story sooner or later, broke the news that the death had come from Fate Lashes and that Pietra had been found in the room, wounded nearly to death. Anna, hiccupping, listened as Gianina explained that there had been a Swords Fate Knot between the two. Angela had put it there. Anna could accept that - until Gianina added that Teodora was supposed to have killed Pietra. If Teodora and Pietra had both died, that still would have resolved the Knot - but Pietra was still apparently alive. It didn't make sense to Anna - and then Gianina went on to say that she believed that Pietra was, at age 13 and with only a month or so of formal training, a Lachesis as well. Anna was still trying to grasp the full import of that when Gianina, trying to be reassuring, kept talking and said that Anna wouldn't have to worry about Gianina tugging her strands. To Anna, it sounded more like a veiled threat of some kind, or at least an unnecessary reminder that Lady Donati was in charge, and that she was now a better strega than Anna. The sound of angry voices drew Lady Donati away from the suddenly awkward room. Cristoforo had just gotten the news. Child or not, it sounded to him like Pietra had killed his momma, and retribution was in order. Antonio shot out of his office and got right in his way. Donna Pietra was betrothed to Barone Oreste Mondavi, and Cristoforo wasn't going to lay a finger on her. Like hell he wasn't... and the lord of the house and his captain of the guard promptly began pummeling each other. Gianina, aghast at the top of the stairs, experimentally reached for Cristoforo's strands and stretched out a Swords to hamper his attacks. It seemed to make little difference - neither man seemed to be even trying to avoid the other's blows. They broke apart when Cristoforo's nose was bleeding and Antonio's eye was starting to swell shut, some of their grief and anger spent. Voltadi, Julius 22 Donna Pietra was resting comfortably, awake and aware enough to give her version of events. To her father, she gave the truth. To everyone else, she said that she had snuck into Teodora's room to try and talk to her, to see if they could make peace and thereby undo the Knot. Then Teodora started doing Sorte, and Pietra tried to defend herself sorcerously as well, and both took a lot of Fate Lashes. She maintained that the effort and pain made it difficult to remember exactly what was going on, and she was too busy trying to defend herself to see just what Teodora was doing. She let it be known that she thought it was the Knot's doing that Teodora attacked her, and she didn't hold any posthumous grudge against her grandmother. Soldi, Julius 23 At Teodora's funeral, there was an unexpected visitor - Captain Vincente Favero, from Numa. The captain had come to speak with Lady Teodora Donati but, finding that she had just passed, went to her funeral instead. After some prodding from Angelo at the wake, he said that his mother had been from Monfalcone and that... well, he was somewhat vague, but somehow Teodora apparently knew his mother. Angelo didn't recognize the name he gave and, when Favero was asked what his mother had done for a living or who might know her, he flushed and got evasive. Angelo shrugged and left an offer to introduce the captain to some of the older members of Santa Sophia, if he should decide to be more forthcoming with useful information. Veldi, Julius 24 Angelo went to see Antonio, who was busily getting business in order for the prince's arrival, which was expected tomorrow. The first thing was a question of guards - did they have enough? Because with all the deaths, especially of the family's strong strega, the Masacci might try something. The Donati would be safe while the prince was there, but they should build up strength in the meantime. Antonio concurred. Speaking of Teodora's death, the family needed another strong strega. Antonio was less enthusiastic with that proposition. Besides, where would they get one? Beatrice Caligari, Angelo said. And he outlined briefly his meeting with the great strega, their courtship, and her upcoming annulment. Antonio was distinctly unsupportive. It seemed like a really bad idea to take in the world's most powerful strega just before destroying her entire family. She might, you know, take it the wrong way. Pish, Angelo said. They kept her in a dark tower for fifteen years. She wouldn't miss them. Antonio was unconvinced that, if Beatrice hadn't wanted to be in the tower, she wouldn't have been there. Oh, she just hadn't known that there was more to life, Angelo insisted. He also mentioned that he'd have to tell her about the plot against her family. Antonio reacted very badly to that, and Angelo had to backpedal a bit, insisting that he would only speak in the most general terms and besides, who wasn't plotting against the Caligari? Antonio, cautious as always, was still far, far from sold. What, exactly, did she do with all her power anyway? It wasn't as if Prince Caligari had been outrageously fortunate the past fifteen years out of the last one hundred that he had sat on his throne. All that said... Antonio would consult with the other brothers (who, not being Unbound, had a lot more to lose if Beatrice got angry than Angelo) and of course with Prince Mondavi (since marrying Prince Caligari's adopted daughter would be a high-level political statement) and then get back to Angelo. That night, a rider came thundering up to the gates. Cristoforo, on duty, thought at first that the prince was come early. But no - the rider told him to make ready to receive just three visitors. The capo raised both eyebrows and frowned down at the man. Who, exactly, was coming, that they thought they could make these demands without even identifying themselves? "The Tessatore." Continue to next game.
|