A Loom of Years

Twentyfifth Weaving
@Anne E. Fraser 2006

Olivia woke the evening followng Martin's execution, already feeling much better. The pain in her head had decreased although she still did not feel up to getting out of bed. Nor would the physician allow her to do so.

"Patience, signora," he advised her while applying more salve after removing the old dressing.

"For pity's sake, don't go Egyptian on me again," she begged him, seeing him getting out fresh bandages.

Blaine glanced at the still-ugly, though healing, wound on her head. "Let the doctor do as he sees fit, darling," he told her.

Perhaps remembering that the wound had come from her failing to obey well-intentioned orders, Olivia quietly submitted to having her head wrapped up again. There were times when she actually did what Blaine told her to.

"You'd better get going along to your pre-meeting meeting," Olivia warned her Prince. The Council would be meeting tonight, to discuss what had happened with Laurent Martin and of course also to invest young Wilhelm as the new Prince of Germany. She couldn't spare much energy wondering about Wilhelm. She couldn't spare much energy, period.

"I suppose so," Blaine agreed. "I'm sorry you'll have to miss this meeting, darling."

"I'd miss some of it anyway." Investitures of new Princes were secret ceremonies, closed to mere consorts.

Nicco popped his head in the doorway of the room. "Princess Genevieve is waiting for you, Prince Blaine," he announced.

"Prince Genevieve, Nicco," Blaine corrected him. "We are all Princes, regardless of gender."

"Si, the boy agreed. "It is silly." He smiled at Olivia. "You look better. Did my sleep help?"

"Very much, thank you Nicco." Olivia looked from him to her hovering hubby. "Go, Blaine; don't keep Gen waiting."

"Later, then, darling." He kissed her and departed, though Nicco lingered.

"Carmine beat Uberto, you know," said the boy mage after a moment.

"What?" Olivia stared at him.

"Uberto blamed himself for that," Nicco pointed at her bandages. "He asked Carmine to beat him. So Carmine did. With that stick Prince Blaine sent for Carmine to beat Jean with. Uberto's back was all bloody and he went away happy because now he doesn't have to feel guilty."

Olivia fought her anger, and lost. "Nicco," she growled, "would you be good enough to ask Prince Carmine to step in her for a moment?"

"Si," the boy replied, and disappeared.

A few moments later, Carmine came in. He looked down at her, puzzled at her summons.

"Cara?" he asked. "Is there..."

"How dare you?" Olivia forgot that he was a prince, and she merely a consort–or perhaps she did not forget.

"Shall I offer you my head?" Carmine asked, looking slightly taken aback.

"If I weren't consort, and you prince..." she was sputtering in her anger at him.

"We have been friends for many years," Carmine replied. "You may speak honestly to me, as you always have."

"How could you?"

"How could I what?"

"Beat Uberto, with that dreadful stick... it was me, Carmine, me with my stupid fears! How could you do that to him?" There were tears in her eyes, which made him horrified.

"I did beat Uberto," Carmine admitted.

"I may never forgive you for this," she threatened.

"Then I will miss our friendship," Carmine replied. "But I have duties, and must bid you arrividerci." He got up and walked towards the door.

"Carmine?" Olivia was openly weeping now, at the thought of no longer being friends with Carmine.

"Cara?"

"Would you send Uberto to me?"

"Of course."

Blaine, meanwhile, was meeting with Genevieve, and Hans. The four of them were mostly spending time speculating about the new German Prince. Wilhelm had been whisked away and sequestered–under the pretence of security reasons–the second he had set foot in the villa, and nobody had seen him. He had not been invited to any of the gatherings that inevitably happened between groups of Princes prior to a meeting. He was an unknown factor, although it seemed safe to assume he would follow closely in Lothar's footsteps and be sly and hard to deal with.

The other two Princes inquired after Olivia, and Blaine assured them that she was much improved. The talk turned to the upcoming meeting and investiture.

Carmine appeared and joined the three of them. He had requested this meeting. He wanted to push through a series of Council reforms, especially an end to the mandatory deaths of deposed Princes and their entire courts. Assured of their support on this, Carmine moved on to the next group of Princes.

Vitorio, one of Carmine's security staff, had gone in to visit Olivia along with Uberto. Uberto had been proud of the stripes on his back, Olivia was shocked to discover. He told her he had demanded them from Carmine. He told her it was his fault for allowing her to be hurt, and that he had begged Carmine to give him the lash. Olivia shook her head. No, no, it was her fault, but Uberto gave her such a fierce look that she subsided. Vittorio sighed and indicated that Uberto was quite likely not all there.

"Vitorio," Olivia turned to the other vampire, "I hate to use you as a messenger boy, but would you be good enough to ask Carmine to come here?" She felt as if she was going to cry again... she had wronged Carmine so badly... Uberto had demanded this punishment from him.

"Si, signora," Vitorio nodded. He wagged a finger at Uberto. "You... don't you tire the signora with your nonsense."

But Uberto stood proudly and just waited manfully for his Prince.

When Carmine did return, Olivia was in tears. "I'm so sorry," she said, interrupting his own apology.

"For what, cara?" Carmine asked, looking rather at sea.

"Uberto has shown me his back. He tells me it is his penance for failing you. How did you put it, Uberto?"

"I demanded the right of the lash," said Uberto as if this was a normal request.

"Where is that stick?" Olivia asked Carmine.

He looked at her in alarm. "Uberto has already been punished enough..."

"For me!" Olivia felt as if nothing else would absolve her of her guilt... guilt for the way she had treated Carmine, guilt over Uberto's flogging, guilt over her insistence on leaving the plane. "How could I think so badly of you?" More tears fell.

"Cara, please, Blaine might..."

"Blaine would use that stick on me himself! You must hit me with it."

"Ai," said Uberto, moving to protect Olivia from Carmine. She very nearly laughed.

"Uberto, leave us, please," she said.

"I promise not to hit her," Carmine told his shifter.

Uberto smiled a bit uncertainly and sidled toward the door. Carmine made shooing motions at him and he finally left them alone, although he was reluctant to close the door. When that door finally closed, Carmine took a deep, entirely unnecessary, breath. Olivia and he looked at one another and suddenly they were laughing. At what? At each other? At the absurdity of life? At the relief that they were not to be sworn enemies.

Blaine stuck his head through the adjoining door. "Anything I should know about?" he asked.

Olivia stopped laughing and thought about answering him but instead began laughing again.

Blaine looked a bit confused. "E niente," Carmine told him. It's nothing.

"All rightie-oh then," he said and withdrew.

"Carmine… seriously… Please forgive me for thinking you were unjust in striking Uberto. I am so ashamed of myself." Tears were threatening again.

"Cara, only if you forgive me for endangering your life."

"You did not endanger it," she said. "I was foolish and selfish. I should be punished." She looked up at him, wondering if he would agree. "I demand the right of the lash,." she said firmly.

She'd gone too far. Carmine's eyes darkened and narrowed. "Cara," he said, quietly, "if you repeat that, what you will get is the palm of my hand on your bare backside, and not for what happened at the airport, but for your presumption. Capice?"

Olivia shrank slightly away from him. She didn't doubt for a second that he would do as he threatened. "You flogged Uberto," she said. "For less of a lapse than mine."

"Uberto is in my service, and has the right to make such a demand of me. No, Olivia. If you really wish penance for your actions at the airport, then I will decree your punishment."

"Yes," she said, chin coming up. Whatever it was, she would bear it as bravely as Jean de la Mare had borne his flogging.

Carmine looked down at her, sternly. "It is this," he said. "That you remember. Remember the stripes on Uberto's back. Remember the sound of the gun going off, the feel of the silver bullet as it hit you. Remember that you endangered not only your own life, but Blaine's and your entire retinue's. Remember that you disobeyed the orders given to you by experienced security personnel, all for the sake of a phobia. Remember that you were selfish and wilful, and what this very nearly cost us all. I want you to remember that every time you touch the scar on your head, and I want you to stop and think the next time before you do something so foolish again. That is your penance, Olivia." He stood up. "I must go to the meeting. I want you to think this over. Arrividerci."

He left her feeling much, much worse than if he'd struck her.