Forfeit of Dreams Chapter 11

K.L. Morgan

Gondolas glided smoothly along the canal, midnight waters rippling with the light from torches linking the banks. The slim crafts deftly weaved through the network of canals, moving together like a flock of water-bound birds. Nighttime sounds surrounded them, echoing off the tall, majestic buildings that flanked their watery roads: a child crying, sleepy chatter, muffled revelry. The whispering waters - and the night - swallowed up the noises with a secretive smile.

The boats were decked in elegant, if simple, trappings. Each had a new coat of fresh white paint, gleaming with moonlit luminescence. The bare sitting slats were softened with pillows of satin and velvet. Cords of twisted white silk trimmed the lithe vessels as they skimmed across murky waters, shining like pearls.

Individuals began, at an irregular pace, to break away from the fleet. They darted down the smaller, unlit canals, gondoliers whistling low and soft so that their charges would step out of their houses. Laughter drifted across the water as richly bedecked parties climbed into their watery chariots.

A single gondola slipped apart from its brothers, driver ducking beneath low-slung bridges. He muttered to himself as he threw his weight against the pole, surly with displeasure. His grumbling grew louder as he neared his destination, until he began to speak aloud, snapping irritably at no one at all.

“Nobles,” he grunted. “Run here, fetch this, paint your boat. Do as you’re told, don’t ask questions.” He snorted with disgust, shoving his weight against the pole so violently the canal waters sloshed against the sides of his boat with wet, smacking sounds. He continued regardless, ignoring the upset as his craft bobbed unsteadily along the waterway. “Damn snotty aristocrats.”

He was a tiny, gnarled man, hunched and doubled over with bad temper until he looked more like a dwarf than a man. A cap was smashed down upon his head, pulled low until it touched frantically bushy eyebrows. A weathered face of indeterminate age lay beneath it, and eyes with a sly gleam darted every which way as he skillfully guided his flat-bottomed boat.

He paused, carefully pushing the gondola up against the stone ledge lifting the street away from the murky canal. He whistled sharply, impatiently drumming his fingers against his palm. When no response followed, he called a curt “Ho!” and whistled again.

The door opposite him opened, and a servant’s face peeked out. She curtsied shyly, drab dress brushing along the cobblestones, then hurried back inside. As he waited, he heard voices within.

“Hurry!” someone hissed. “Before the old bat wakes up!”

Muffled laughter. “Nicole, you can’t mean…” A pregnant silence. “Nicole! You mean your aunt doesn’t know about this?”

He could hear the soft rustle of cloaks being dinned, heard the maid fussing as she fastened ties beneath chins and drew hoods over elaborate hairstyles.

“She wouldn’t have liked it,” came the mulish reply. “Oh, she would have allowed us - even Aunt would never have refused this invitation - but she would have wept and cajoled and pleaded…” The two emerged in the doorway, girlish figures swathed in heavy fabric. “And who wants to endure that sort of trouble?”

“Still.” The taller girl lingered, face hidden in the shadow of her hood. “Perhaps a note, or -”

“I left the invitation by her bed,” the first girl said, tugging on her friend’s arm. “She will find it when she rises, and it will be fine.” A manservant (hiding a yawn at the late hour) adroitly sidestepped them both, and then helped the first young woman into the waiting vessel.

The second girl sighed, and then held out an arm for the manservant to hold. “All right,” she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. “However, if she becomes furious, you know I will claim you led your poor, helpless cousin astray.”

“Hah.” Nicole settled into the cushions along with her friend, shaking shining blonde curls free of the heavy hood. “She would believe you, though. She thinks I am the devil,” she said airily.

“You should stop tormenting her dog, then,” the friend said.

“Nasty little creature,” Nicole muttered as the gondola skimmed across the water towards the main canal. “I don’t believe it’s really a dog - she must have accidentally fed a river rat all these years, and now it’s tame.”

Her friend laughed, turning a hooded gaze in the direction of the horizon, where the light of the low moon polished the ornate buildings and rippling water with a glimmering sheen.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed. “Venice is so beautiful. I cannot imagine why Father went to London.”

Lady Nicole smiled, a bit wistfully. “I imagine it is not so beautiful,” she said, “when the one you love has left it.”

“True,” her companion replied lightly. “But one may suppose the same for all the world.”

“What do you mean?”

“All things considered, I would rather he stayed in Venice, despite my mother’s death. The English court holds its own wonder, but I would have liked to know my mother’s city.”

They were silent together, listening to the canal waters swirl around them. After a moment, Nicole shook herself free of its hypnotizing spell.

“Well, you will know it now,” she said firmly. “And this party is the absolute best way I could have chosen for you!” She squealed with delight. “Can you believe it? “A private gondola! With satin cushions! And with the sumptuary laws resitricting excess of grandeur - only the Prince could manage it. I cannot even imagine what awaits for us at his house,” she ended with a deep feeling of satisfaction. She sighed lustily, eyeing their surroundings. “For heaven’s sake, Sarah. If you do not take off that hood, I will succumb to the persistent paranoia that you are making faces at me.”

Her companion laughed again, easily throwing back the hood of her cloak. The gondolier -- one eye on his path, the other on his charges -- nearly pitched forward into the canal in surprise.

He knew her.

He had never seen her before in his life; he knew that, as well as the network of canals that snaked through his beloved city. But her knew her. The dark hair that lay in sumptuous curls against her white neck, the proud green eyes set in an oval face - he knew it all, knew the cut of her features as if they were those of a cherished friend. He stared, letting the boat go adrift. She caught his gaze with her own, and within her eyes he spied the same sense of recognition.

He lips, faintly pinked with coral shine, parted softly in wonder. She stared back, and her hands lingered, forgotten, on the edges of her hood.

“I’m Sarah,” she said after a moment. She gave him an open smile. “I feel as if I know you.”

“Doubt it, my lady,” the man mumbled, ducking his head as he returned to his task.

“No, I know you,” Sarah insisted calmly. She regarded him with curiosity, head to one side. “What is your name?”

He flushed hotly, struggling to regain his control of the boat. “Don’t like my name,” he grumbled. “Friends call me Hoggle.”

“Hoggle?” Nicole’s head peered over her friend’s shoulder, blinking in surprise. “That’s not a name, that’s the last gasp of a dying frog.”

“Huh,” he grunted significantly. “Shows what you know.”

Sarah’s smile widened. “Hoggle,” she said fondly, as if accustomed to the unorthodox sound. “It’s good to see you.”

“Thank you then, little man,” Nicole called gaily, “for escorting us to the Prince’s house forthwith.” She made a melodramatic flourish. “Our gratitude is yours.”

Sarah’s eyes shone with excitement. “I’m not sure I understand,” she laughed with good-natured confusion. “I thought princes lived in castles.”

“He’s not a prince,” Hoggle said, eyes on the canal. “Not a real one.”

“Venice doesn’t have kings,” Nicole added. “We have a Doge, may his Venerableness continue until even porridge is too exciting for the old coot.”

Hoggle shot her an evil grin. “Your host is his nephew. “The Prince” is his nickname.”

“As he is a prince among men!” Nicole proclaimed dramatically. Laughing at herself, she settled deeper into luxurious pillows. “He’s lovely, Sarah.”

“Is he so grand?”

“Grander than the grandest Duke of Europe. All the women swoon for him,” she said, matter-of-factly. “And his house is the jewel of Venice. A small palace, really. The Doge insisted.”

“But I’m not looking to capture a prince, authentic or otherwise,” Sarah teased, running her hand lightly thought the water and delicately flicking the errant drops at her friend, who squeaked and ducked. “I’m spoken for, remember?”

Nicole smiled slyly. “Lord Brian will be there, also.”

“Nicole!” Sarah gasped. “Did you tell him I would be there?”

“No,” her cousin returned impishly. “I did not have to - as a son of a great Venetian family, he was invited on his own merits, I’m sure.”

“And a member of the same stocking club,” Hoggle grumbled behind them. “The Ardent, isn’t it?”

Nicole gave him a close look. “You,” she said pointedly, “know quite a lot, don’t you, little man?”

“Th’name’s Hoggle,” he replied. “And ‘course I know a lot. Part of the job.”

Nicole grinned at him. “There is no such thing as a secret in this city, Sarah,” she spoke to her friend. “Someone always knows about things - and more than likely it’s a gondolier.”

“This isn’t fair!” Sarah cried, laughing. “I feel as if you two had your own language - stocking clubs? What are those? And why do gondoliers know everything?”

Nicole relaxed against the soft cushions; heedless of her crushed blonde curls. “Stocking clubs,” she said with a gleeful smile, “are a tradition among the best and brightest sons of our fair city. Something to amuse themselves with before they have to don a black patrician’s robe. Oh, they do everything: stage battles, put on plays, arrange parties… loads of fun. They all have names like The Ardent, or The Patriotic - something wonderfully romantic and idealistic. And you can tell which one they belong to by a badge on their cloak or coat-sleeve or their stocking. The Ardent is the best. Last year, during Carnival, they staged a Turkish invasion! It was amazing!”

“Nearly put the Doge in his grave,” Hoggle muttered, still grimly poling along the Grand Canal.

“Ah yes,” Nicole agreed, nodding. “They did look awfully authentic for a moment there, did they not?”

“And gondoliers?” Sarah demanded, eyes sparkling.

Nicole giggled wickedly. “I believe our little friend here should answer that question.”

Hoggle glared at her good-naturedly. “We’re required to keep all secrets of our passengers,” he said gruffly. “Everything we are privy to - betrayals, plots, affairs. Or we’re banished from the Brotherhood.”

Sarah laughed delightedly. “Venice is like something out of a dream,” she said, shaking her head. “Dramatic clubs, secrets, parties in the dead of the night…”

“This is the perfect time for a party!” Nicole insisted indignantly. “Of course. The Prince would never do anything inappropriate. Well,” she added thoughtfully. “Nothing inappropriate that wasn’t expected.”

Their gondolier chuckled unexpectedly. “You have the right of him, my Lady,” he said.

“Come now, Sarah,” Nicole chided gently. “Close your mouth, darling child - or you will look a perfect foreigner, and no one will ever believe your own mother was a Venetian.”

Sarah laughed, a little wryly. “I’m not sure being the daughter of a courtesan is anything to boast about.”

Nicole stared at her in amazement, tempered with pity. “My dear cousin,” she said softly. “I know you have grown up far away from us, in a Puritan court, but… this is Venice. And when your mother was alive, she was one of the most beloved and respected courtesans of the Lion City.” She laughed slightly. “My father joked about fighting over her with your own father - even when I was a child. And you are her daughter.” Sitting up, she placed a slender white hand over Sarah’s own. “We welcome you back home, Sarah - we welcome you back where you belong.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hall was magnificent. It simply took her breath away - jasper columns rising from a dark floor of stained oak boards, chandeliers filling the air with light and the scent of hot wax, candlelight catching on the scrolls and flowers of gold that graced every edge and corner of the walls. And there were mirrors everywhere - wide, shining planes of reflecting glass that caught at the chaotic, vibrant swathes of color in the room, throwing them back into a melee of celebration.

Sarah stood hesitantly on the edge, fan clutched tightly in her gloved hands and held against the silken material of her dress. She felt admittedly out of place. Nicole had abandoned her - not out of any ill nature, but she had spied friends and rushed to them unthinkingly, and Sarah hadn’t wanted to be a nuisance. Not only was she a stranger to everyone here, she looked a foreigner - a paler complexion (though many women boasted skin of the same shade, hers was natural and unaided by paints), and dark hair where the favored shade of Venetians was a golden blonde. Her manner of dress, though elegant and stylish, could not hope to match the stunning array of satin, jewels, and lace she saw around her. Her midnight colors, edged in silver, looked positively plain in comparison. And the elaborate hairstyles on the women, as opposed to her own simple cascade of curls… No. She should have stayed home - she should have never let Nicole talk her into coming -

“Lady Sarah?”

She started, turning toward the polite inquiry. Her eyes met a tall young man dressed in the height of current Venetian fashion: knee breeches of dark wool, pristine white stockings, elegant buckled shoes… His coat, heavily embroidered with gold thread, was open to show the splendor of his silk waistcoat, effusive lace spilling out onto his wrists and at his throat. The tricorn hat that would have completed the outfit was missing, naturally, probably resting somewhere along with his cloak. Soft brown hair fell softly to his shoulders, and dark eyes smiled pleasantly at her.

Sarah shivered, suffering from the same shock of recognition as when she had met Hoggle - somehow, though she had never seen him before in all her life, she knew this man.

“Yes?” she returned, a trifle wary.

His smiled deepened, eyes sparkling at her caution. “You must excuse my rudeness,” he said frankly. “My family was sent a miniature of your portrait, and I thought I chanced to recognize you, although we did not expect you in Venice quite yet --”

“Are you…” she hesitated. “Lord Brian?”

He shrugged slightly. “I beg pardon for not introducing myself properly - I am afraid we are a little short on propriety in His Highness’s court, and I am bred in absolute boorishness. That does not,” he hastily amended, “excuse my conduct, of course - what I mean to say is -”

“You are forgiven,” Sarah said, laughing slightly. “I assure you, I wasn’t offended - just surprised. I hadn’t expected to meet you so soon.” She blushed a little, dropping her gaze. Her father wanted her to marry this man. He was young, handsome, and of a good family. Of course, she herself was the daughter of a prominent ambassador to England - but Lord Brian’s family was recorded in the Golden Book. Marrying him would mean the best possible future she could hope for - and she would get to live in Venice, her mother’s city.

Then why did some part of her hesitate?

“His Highness’s court?” she asked abruptly, to cover her sudden discomfort.

He chuckled. “The Prince, as we all refer to him - we grew up together, all of us who are now members of the Ardent.” He motioned absently with one hand to the stylized design that graced the stocking of his right leg. “He was always the leader of us boys, and whether his direction did more harm than good, it is yet to be seen.” He grinned. “He rules us still - he’s the prior of our stocking club.” He caught himself. “But this must sound all gibberish to you --”

“Not at all,” she said smoothly, smiling. “I was given a lesson in the gondala, by my friend,” and she motioned toward her cousin discretely with her closed fan, “the Lady Nicole. She is, after all, a native of Venice,” turning back to Brian, “and is well-knowleged in these things.”

They smiled at each other, warmly, openly, and Sarah could feel the beginnings of an easy friendship between them. Yes, she liked him - very much.

They chatted easily for a few moments more, and Sarah explained that she had traveled ahead of her father in order to spend more time with her cousin. Lord Brian, apparently, knew Nicole through reputation only. Sarah threw a quick glance at her cousin - who was surrounded by a veritable flock of male admirers. Her fan, a gorgeous piece of tortoise-shell spokes and painted silk, was fluttering rapidly as she cooled herself, then used it to flirt: tapping her own cheek, rapping someone’s wrist at an impudent remark. Sarah knew the language of fans, but she had never seen it used so effortlessly (and constantly) as she did now, surrounded by the ladies of Venice. The women around her spoke on a wide range of levels - speaking coquettishly in fact, the movement of their fans contradicting every other word. A handle to the lips was an invitation for a kiss, despite the scathing manner with which the lady mocked her suitor in public. And, no matter how warmly she laughed at the innuendoes around her, a sharp twist of a closed fan was a clear message: Do not be so foolish.

Nicole noticed Sarah’s eyes were upon her, and she smiled at her cousin with secret delight. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and with a deliberate gesture, twirled her fan in her left hand.

You are being watched.

Sarah frowned slightly. Still laughing at a joke Lord Brian had just told her, concerning antics of sons of the Council of Ten, she let her eyes roam over the crowd. Yes, she was being watched - she caught more than a few gentlemen giving her quick glances while their ladies looked the other way, and many women were outright assessing her from behind their gorgeous fans. But who would concern Nicole…?

She saw him.

He had draped himself casually over a chair set in one corner, almost rude in his utter comfort. He was surrounded by others - male and female friends grouped around him in other chairs and a bevy of women with yellow and red silk dresses, like wild tulips, at his feet. Their painted faces were upturned adoringly, and he tousled the hair of one with an elegant white hand, the aged lace at his cuff mixing with her fair curls. His coat was unbuttoned, revealing a waistcoat stitched so heavily with silver, it looked stiff and armor-like. Lace again, this time at his pale throat. His hair was an unbelievably faded, frost-blonde, falling in rough locks around his face. Dark eyes a sharp contrast to his fey complexion.

Shock swept through her, leaving her still and cold. Where the others had been a mere note of recognition, this was a chord. She felt like a bell that had been struck, and she was now inaudibly ringing, from coifed head to slippered toes. It was impossible, and it was inconceivable - but she knew him.

His eyes, she noticed, were strangely mismatched: the unequal pupils made one seem darker than the other, shading the pure, crystalline color. Those eyes laughed at her with dark, wicked delight, his lips curling in a decidedly feral grin.

Come, those eyes beckoned. Come to me. We both know that you want to - and I will welcome you with open arms.

She turned away.

Lord Brian gave her an amused glance, mouth quirking into a grin. “And I see you have met the Prince,” he drawled. “I won’t be offended it you take a moment to catch your breath - even if you are my intended.”

“We aren’t engaged yet,” she muttered - ignoring the fact that her breath was a little short. “So that is the Doge’s nephew?” She raised her head, mouth set stubbornly. “He looks like a lout.”

Brian laughed outright in surprised delight. “You would be the first woman of my acquaintance to say so,” he said, “but I agree.” He shrugged lightly. “He enjoys freedoms the rest of us only dream of. So, he tends to put aside propriety. He is forgiven, because he is Venice’s favored son - but the rest of us must conform to what is expected of us.”

“Who are those women with him? In the red and yellow dresses.”

Brian shot her a sly grin. “Courtesans.”

“Courtesans!” Her head whipped around to regard them again, in amazement. “But - I thought the age of courtesans had disappeared with the Inquisition.”

“And so it has.” Brian shrugged lightly. “But the Lion City still has its wayward children. We no longer counted them among our most valued assets - do you know of Veronica Franco, who was presented to a foreign king by the Doge himself? - but eliminating courtesans from Venice would be like trying to run all the rats out of London.” He sneered, and Sarah regarded him somberly.

“Do you dislike them so?” she asked quietly.

He shrugged again. “I understand they are amusing, and it is always fun to have them at such parties, when their presence shocks our revered elders - but no, I do not like them. His Highness… well, he will make friends where he pleases. But the rest of us will strive to have better taste.”

“I see.”

He turned his head, catching her grave expression. “Come,” he said, smiling. “Enough of this talking - I would dance with you.” He swept a bow, one leg behind the other, offering an outstretched hand. “May I have the honor?”

She simply looked at him for a moment, and then a smile appeared on her face - like the sun breaking through the clouds. A hint of mischief in her eyes, she curtsied and placed her gloved hand in his own.

The minuet is a precise, exacting dance: every step coinciding with a clear note, each demure curtsey and courtly bow signaled by a fall of music. The dancers move across the floor like trained swans - even the most graceful of men and women have trouble breathing life into the rigid choreography. It is more of an excuse to move while conducting polite conversation than a dance, and every grand lord or lady knows this. So they smile, and flirt with lowered eyelashes, soft voices traveling no farther than themselves as the partners cross each other’s paths.

Sarah and Brian danced, together with many others, gliding across the smooth wooden floor within the confines of the dance. They spoke politely as they followed the steps, speaking of his family, or her time in the English court. Eventually their manner relaxed, grew more casual - she laughed openly at his jokes, and he let his hand linger on hers before turning into the next movement.

So it was something of a shock - like dashing into cold water - when an arm suddenly curled around her waist, and a stranger’s voice (but she knew it so well, somehow) spoke close to her ear:

“My turn, Brian.”

And she found herself whirled away, just after catching a glimpse of her previous partner’s scowling face before she was caught up in the minuet again. Stunned, hardly knowing for certain what was going on, she moved too quickly, jumping ahead of the music so she could see who she now danced with.

Pale hair fell roughly around dark, mismatched eyes, and he lifted an eyebrow in amusement at her expression. “Are you enjoying my party, Sarah?”

She glared at him, furious and still confused, angling her head to see that Brian had stalked away in fury. “I was,” she said darkly.

He laughed, allowing his hands to brush against her brocaded waist as they passed each other in the dance. She stumbled slightly, eyes wide. She considered leaving the floor - but only for a minute. They had already caused enough of a spectacle as it was. It would be nice putting off becoming gossip fodder at least for a few days.

Besides, she wasn’t going to run from him.

“Your Highness honors me with his presence,” she said, allowing a faint note of mockery to enter her voice, and was rewarded with his slight frown. “Although I hadn’t expected to be introduced to Venice’s favorite son quite so soon.”

“Protocol is foolish, don’t you think?” he asked airily, catching her hand with such possessive abruptness that the skirt of the gown flared behind her, silver thread shining in the candlelight. “It only serves to delay the inevitable.”

“Oh,” she countered, poisonously sweet, “but it is such a boon when dealing with people we dislike - otherwise our obvious distaste for them” snatching her hand free of his grip as she turned “would be rudely apparent.”

“You always did have a way with words,” he said wryly to himself.

“Beg pardon?”

“I was simply admiring your passionata,” he covered smoothly. “It’s wonderful to meet women with such,” and his eyes and mouth made the innuendo obvious, “fervor.”

Sarah blushed, uncomfortably conscious of the velvet patch, placed by the corner of her eye. “My cousin did insisted,” she said gracelessly. “She swore to me it didn’t mean anything political - like in the English court. I didn’t think there was anything else to it.”

The Prince chuckled, raised eyebrow like an upswept owl’s wing. “You should be more careful, Sarah. Venetians have a secret language in even the most insignificant of details.” She circled him, and his fingertip slid against her cheek as she passed. “Passionata - passion. A mark here,” and he pressed two fingers against the dimple of her cheek, “is civetta - a coquette.” He laughed, stepping back at her glare. “A message, I assume, which is not to my lady’s taste. Here, instead,” and - to her astonishment - he lightly tweaked her nose as he made to bow, “which is sfrontata: forwardness. You do have a talent for being blunt, Sarah.”

Unbalanced and flustered by his actions, she made to turn into the next movement - but her caught her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. One hand, encased in a grey kid glove, gripped her chin and raised her eyes to his. “Or perhaps,” he said quietly, “you should wear the assasina - the most dangerous mark of all.” And he bent to brush his lips, softly, against the corner of her mouth.

“Stop!” She stumbled back, one hand against her mouth cheeks burning. The musicians faltered, violin strains dying in astonishment. The other dancers - the entire room - turned in astonishment at her demanding voice.

The Prince, watching her closely, seemed slightly surprised at her reaction. “You are angry with me,” he stated plainly - yet with a soft note of wistfulness.

Sarah set her mouth firmly, stepping close so as to speak softly and not be heard. “You send away my intended dance partner,” she spoke, low and intense, “and then proceed to flirt shamelessly with me in front of everyone - of course I’m angry!”

He stared down at her, expression aggravatingly free of remorse. “But,” he returned softly, as if lost in his own thought, “something is…” His strange eyes widened. “You’re not afraid of me.”

Sarah blinked. “Of course I’m not afraid of you!” she cried. “I will never be afraid of you, Your Highness. You cannot intimidate me,” she spoke furiously, still trying to keep her voice low. “I don’t care whose nephew you are - we are equals in this court.”

He started at her, for a moment longer. “Good,” he said forcefully, almost savagely.

Sarah held his eyes for a moment longer, suddenly less sure of herself. “Good,” she echoed, feeling a little foolish at her outburst. “Then we understand each other.”

He laughed, low in his throat. Quick as thought, he snatched at her hand and brought it to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on her palm before she drew it away. “Yes, Sarah,” he said, dark eyes on her. “I understand you perfectly.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mornings in Venice consisted of dressing. That was all - something that had initially shocked Sarah a little. The thought of receiving visitors wasn’t even palatable until the hours after noon. And it wasn’t as if Nicole and all the other Venetian ladies slept abed all those hours, oh no. All that time was spent dressing.

A week later, however, and Sarah had become accustomed to the alien routine. She now rose out of bed with the sun, along with her cousin, and took the following hours to leisurely tend to herself.

And, of course, to gossip.

She sat on the edge of her bed, brushing out her dark hair as she watched her cousin. They shared a room - Nicole insisted, saying she had always wanted someone to be a sister to - and ever morning Sarah watched in amusement as Nicole lifted strips of meat away from her face, placing the scraps into a bowl by her own beside.

“That’s disgusting,” she said frankly. “I can’t believe you wear that to bed every night. How can you stand it?”

Nicole sniffed, wiping her face with a linen towel. “Everyone knows,” she replied loftily, “that veal soaked in milk renders the most delicate of complexions. Not all of us were lucky enough to grow up in a land without any sun.”

Sarah laughed. “England has a sun!” she insisted. “The same one that shines over Venice, you goose.”

“Huh.” Nicole dipped the towel in water, cleaning the last traces of milk from her face. “Wait until you see that “same” sun reflecting off the canal waters. Your pretty porcelain skin will be a passing dream, and you’ll be reduced to veal like the rest of us.”

Sarah grimaced at the thought. “Never.”

Nicole shot her a wicked glance. “Oh? You can say goodbye to anymore attentions from the Prince, then.”

Sarah frowned at her, sternly, jerking the brush through her hair. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

Wisely, Nicole changed the subject. They chatted together as the maids brought in their separate bathtubs, deep basins that were filled with steaming water scented with myrrh, or mint. They gasped at the heat and flung water at each other as they climbed in, giggling like schoolchildren. After washing, they dressed - Nicole in bright and shining silk, Sarah in deep, rich red. Nicole placed herself in front of the dressing table while Sarah sat herself in a chair nearby, and a maid was sent to fetch a hairdresser. Nicole had been upset that Sarah would not let her hire another for her guest, but Sarah had been uncomfortable at imposing, and at the cost. Consequently, Nicole insisted that Sarah be styled last, so she would be freshest when they ventured out. Each morning Nicole would tend to her hair and makeup as Sarah quietly read a book, waiting for her turn.

Lucien, Nicole’s hairdresser, was a fair-haired man with long fingers and an almost magical ability to coax locks into any shape he wished. He was also an artist when it came to applying paints - on the face, throat, even at the breasts if the dress was low enough. And, like every other in his profession, he was a gossip-monger of the highest rank. He had to be, or Nicole (and any other self-respecting Venetian woman) would have dismissed him for someone more interesting.

Walking into their room, a smile suddenly lit up Lucien’s face as he spied Sarah curled up with her book. He swallowed it quickly when her eyes rose to his, but couldn’t keep a quirk out of his lips.

“And how are you both today?” he asked smoothly, ill-concealed amusement in his voice. “Well, I suppose?”

Sarah returned her gaze to the printed words on the pages before her. “Nicole, ” she said mildly, “tell your hairdresser that if he doesn’t stop laughing at me, I’m going to throw a pillow at him.”

Nicole twisted were she sat, trying impetuously to see his face. “Lucien? Why are you laughing at Sarah?” she demanded.

“If you hold still, Nicole,” he replied, placing his hands on either side of her head. “I will tell you. Stop fussing like a child.”

She pouted. “No one tells me anything.”

He sighed deeply, taking up a comb and running it through her pale blonde hair. “I am laughing because your cousin is over there, reading her novel as calmly as you please - as if half of Venice wasn’t working itself into a state of indignation over the ‘presumptuous little chit,’ as I believe she is has been dubbed.”

Sarah dropped her hands to her lap, book forgotten. “That isn’t fair!” she cried. “I was accosted by him!”

“Ah,” Lucien said, eyes still on Nicole’s coiffure. “So you know what I’m talking about.”

“Of course she does,” Nicole responded, sounding unbearably smug. “She just doesn’t want to discuss it, that’s all. One of the more shocking events of the season,” she stressed, sounding aggrieved, “and she won’t speak to me about it! My own cousin!”

Sarah groaned, letting her head fall back. “This is silly,” she pleaded. “Surely it can’t be that important; one dance? Lucien, you’re exaggerating, aren’t you?”

“You left the Prince standing alone on the floor, my lady,” Lucien responded. “After he deliberately interrupted yourself and Lord Brian. After he overtly made his interest in you quite clear. And after you scolded him roundly in public --”

“People heard that?”

“We all heard it, Sarah.”

“The most popular theory is that you are secret lovers,” Lucien continued, ignoring the girls’ exchange. “That, or the suspicion that your families are engaged in some sort of covert feud.” He grinned at her, heating the tongs. “If you tell me the truth, I could make enough to retire to the country within the next six hours.”

“Don’t tell him,” Nicole demanded. “At least, not until he’s done curling my hair.”

“This is ridiculous.” Sarah said flatly, hands griping each other tightly in her lap, twisting against the patterned brocade. “I have no idea why he was acting that way. I’ve never met him before in my life. This is silly,” she burst out.

“Silly or not,” Lucien replied easily, “You have the entire city buzzing with excitement. Carnival ended weeks ago, and my lords and ladies have little to do with themselves.” Taking a strand of silk flowers from the dressing table, he tucked them adroitly into the curves and corners of Nicole’s elaborate hairstyle. “Perfect,” he proclaimed. “Now close your eyes.” She did so, and he lightly powdered her face, adding a trace of shine to her lips and a hint of kohl to her eyes. Sarah watched for a minute, bemused.

“It amazes me,” she said dryly, “that the people here carry veritable fruit-baskets in their hair, but scorn makeup.”

“I still can’t believe they outlawed rouge,” Nicole replied, eyes still closed, in a tone of deep disgust. “In the wrong light we all look like perfect ghosts.”

“Natural beauty,” Lucien said mildly, placing just a hint of scent along Nicole’s neck, “is the greatest adornment. Just thank God you are not reduced to dying your hair constantly, like almost every other woman in Venice.”

“Bah.” Nicole opened her eyes, and seemed to find her reflection pleasing enough. “Now my cousin. If she’s to be the talk of the city, we must have her shine.”

Sarah shook her head forcefully. “No. I’m not visiting with you today, and I won’t be receiving. Not at all.”

“You mean you’re going to hide here in our room?” Nicole cried.

“Exactly.”

“But Sarah -”

“No.”

Nicole looked despondent for a moment, and then sighed with resignation. “I suppose it’s just as well. This way, everyone will be asking me about you…” She perked up at the thought of being the center of so much attention. “But you must go out, even if just to a coffeehouse. It’s almost summer, and then we won’t be able to venture outside but rarely - take this time to enjoy yourself. Please?”

Sarah laughed, nodding. “I promise.”

She bade goodbye to Nicole an hour or so later, Lucien having left to tend to other charges around the city. Rummaging though the bags she had brought from London, she finally found the volume she was looking for, and slipped it into a small bag. Her hair has twisted under a simple white chignon secured with silver pins, and over this she placed her zendale - a light shawl edged in black lace that hid her profile, covering her to where it knotted becomingly around her waist. With a small amount of money in her purse, she quietly informed the maid where she would be (Nicole’s aunt, as usual, was napping in her salon), and stepped into the sunshine.

It was a wonderful place to be. Gondolas, both covered and open, skimmed across the waters of the canals. Shouts could be heard in the distance, and the people she passed on the cobblestone streets laughed and talked amongst themselves. Every now and again she would hear the strains of a violin, or someone singing - a busker earning their trade further down an alley.

She reached the coffeehouse within a few minutes of walking. She had been there before with her cousin, and the host recognized her as she walked in the door. Eyes widening only slightly, he rushed to greet her, asking if she would prefer to sit inside, or dine in the open air.

She loosed the zendale, drawing it down to her shoulders, and immediately the coffeehouse was filled with a quiet murmur of surprise. Looking around, she saw more than a few familiar faces from the party last night - all with expressions of avid curiosity and anticipation. She sighed, and asked to be seated outside. It wasn’t quite warm enough yet to be comfortable - but since so few followed her example, she would be left quite alone.

Within minutes she was seated comfortably at a small table, the view looking out onto the Grand Canal. Tucking her slippered feet beneath her chair, she ordered and drew her book from her back, settling back to read with a sense of deep contentment.

She was only able to enjoy a few moments of peace after her coffee and fruit was set in front of her by a waiter, as a depressingly cheerful (and familiar) voice soon interrupted her reverie.

“Good book?”

“I’m not talking to you,” she said without looking up. “Go away and ruin someone else’s life.”

“Now really,” he drawled, flinging himself into the opposite chair, the uneven lengths of his fair hair shivering with the sudden movement. “Is that any way to speak to a gentleman who merely wishes to engage in conversation with you?”

“Show me a gentleman, and I will speak to him properly.”

Adroitly, he snatched the book out of her hands, ignoring her protests. “If you would look up from your absorbing novel…” Carefully, he turned the slim volume over in his leather-gloved hands, opening to a random page. His strange eyes glanced over a few lines, and widened. “My lady reads the Iliad for amusement.”

Sarah stood, reclaiming the book with considerably less grace than he had taken it. She sat back in her chair, the line of her jaw tight with annoyance. “Yes. When she is left alone.”

He watched her with a grin. “Still angry with me, Sarah?”

She looked at him gravely, book lying forgotten beside her plate. “You ridicule me in public,” she said quietly, “and now in private. Are you surprised I wish to be free of you?” She laughed shortly, bringing the cup of coffee to her lips.

“I was not ridiculing you, my lady,” he said quietly. “Not then, and not now.”

“Oh, and I suppose you do not find my scholarly tendencies to be vastly amusing?” she asked bitterly.

He smiled slightly, leaning one cheek upon a hand. “I prefer the Odyssey, truthfully. A tale of a man who travels for years upon years, striving to reach the one he loves, pitting himself against dangers untold and obstacles beyond imagination - I find it inspiring. Don’t you?”

She started, and flushed guiltily at her previous judgment of him. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “But you didn’t strike me as someone who read very much.”

Something bleak and unamused flashed behind his eyes. “I am alone with myself often - and I am not the best of company. I would rather read.” He seemed to shake himself free of the fleeting disquiet. “But don’t tell anyone - reading is something of a lots art, here. You prefer the Iliad?”

She smiled. “It’s an amazing story - full of human strength and frailty.” She shrugged. “Odysseus was always a trifle too clever for me. Yes, he struggled back to Penelope, but he never seemed really concerned as to whether he would reach her or not.” She frowned. “I thought he was uncaring… hard, almost.”

The Prince toyed with a knife beside her plate. “Men of his character are often awed by the strength of their own feeling. They have extreme confidence in themselves, you see - and such devotion can often be interpreted as a weakness. So they hide from it, and hide it from others.” He smiled at her. “But your own tale has its unconventional heroine. I’m surprised, truth be told, to find you enjoying a book about the wickedest woman in history.”

“Because I don’t believe it was Helen’s fault,” she said firmly. “It was just as much Paris’ error, stealing another man’s wife, or even Aphrodite’s - risking everything simply to assuage her own vanity. Why should Helen alone bear the blame for ten years of war?”

He laughed lightly. “Ah, but men cannot help what they do when bespelled by a woman.”

Sarah laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not.” He glanced up at her, eyes dark. “They said Helen’s beauty made the sun seem cold and lifeless, and that her gaze could tear the heart out of a man’s chest.” He leaned in closer. “What atrocities might he commit,” he spoke, voice low, “when faced with such cruel eyes?”

Sarah shivered at his words, feeling suddenly cold. For a long moment, she simply met his gaze with her own. “Whatever was done,” she said quietly, “it was of his own doing - not hers. Never hers.”

“Perhaps.” He sat back abruptly, and Sarah breathed easier. “But perhaps not.” He grinned. “It is a very convenient excuse.”

“I would beg to differ.” Still feeling a little shaky, she rose to her feet, book and bag firmly in hand. “If you would excuse me,” she muttered, not waiting for his response as she turned from him, practically running away.

He watched her go with a smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ascension Day, Ascension Day,” Nicole chanted gleefully, kicking her legs like a small child as Lucien attended to her hair. She squealed in excitement, practically bouncing in her seat. “Better than Christmas!”

Lucien laughed at her silliness. “Yes, yes,” he muttered under his breath, concentrating on twisting her curls into an elaborate crown. “Today the Doge will take his yearly bath, everyone will get dead drunk, and you will get your trinkets, silly little girl. If you will only hold still.”

Sarah giggled at them both from the bed, where she rubbed scented cream into her hands. She was filled with the exact same excitement as her cousin - she was just more reserved about showing it. Nicole had been full of Ascension Day for the past week, and told her cousin all the details. Every year, during Holy Week, Venice celebrated her victory in fighting Frederic Barbarossa under Pope Alexander III in 1177. In appreciation, the Pope had gifted the Doge ring, saying, “Let posterity remember that the sea is yours by right of conquest, subject to you as a wife to her husband.” Since then, on Ascension Day, the Doge and his entire retinue would submerge themselves in the waters of the Adriatic.

And, of course, the whole city celebrated their poetic marriage. Dances were held, contests, feasts, processions, and private parties of all kinds. Market stalls hawking wares from the Far East, Paris, even India and the Americas would line the Piazza. And (Nicole told her with a special excitement) when they returned that night, exhausted and happy, the house would be filled with customary gifts from all their male friends and suitors.

They dressed hurriedly, barely pausing to be coiffed and painted by Lucien, who was clearly annoyed by their impatience. Finally throwing up his hands in defeat, he set the finishing touches in place and then practically stalked out the door.

It was like something out of a dream. They spent several hours simply sitting on the balcony, eating and drinking coffee, waving to friends as they passed by. All the gondolas on the canals were carpeted and hung in rich fabrics. Similarly, banners and tapestries hung from dozens of windows around them, house crests fluttering proudly in the breeze. In the distance they could see the merchant and warships, stationed from San Marco to the Lido, flags unfurled. Beneath them messengers darted to and fro as they delivered the traditional presents to ladies of every station.

Then the bells rang, and the cheering could be heard from far away as the Doge emerged from his palace on his state litter, preceded by fifes and trumpets. Immediately behind him came the ambassadors, grandees, and senators in their solemn robes of black. They boarded a small craft and sailed down the flower-strewn waters of the Grand Canal, followed by the peotte of the noble families, likewise beflagged and begarlanded, with gilded oars and gondoliers in uniforms of rose and sky-blue. Ordinary citizens could follow behind if they wished in crowded crafts, plainer but also festooned with ribbons and pendants. The triumphant procession ended by the lighthouse on the Lido island - where only courtesans and their lovers could go. When the Doge flung a ring into the sea with a few ceremonial words - himself and his retinue following immediately after - the crowds roared, the bells rang, the Venice itself seemed to be singing for joy.

When it was all done, everyone returned in a perfect splendor of velvet trains jeweled fans amidst the flower-carpeted lagoon. Almost shrieking for joy, Nicole grabbed her cousin’s hand and made to run through the house and out into the celebration. Laughing, Sarah followed her.

They sped along the streets towards the Piazza, a manservant ducking behind in their footsteps. The square was transformed into a fairyland of glittering crystal lamps, cafés from end to end proffering their chocolate, Cyprus and Samian wines, and delicate, delicious water-ices. There were thousands pouring into the area, all dressed in their finest ribbons and silks and lace. A double row of market stalls were open: the Feria, a marvelous display of commerce and art where Venice paraded the finest she had to offer. Around them fabrics glowed with jewel-like colors in the bright sunshine, glassblowers exhibited their delicately exquisite trade, and the finest goldsmiths and painters plied their wares. It was exhilarating, being a part of the joking, jostling crowd, watching Nicole haggle like a common fishwife over a new fan, taking in the sights and smells and sounds of it all.

In the very midst of it, Nicole suddenly grabbed at her hand. “Remind me,” she said sharply, one eye on the stall that displayed the fan she so coveted, “later this afternoon, we should go down to the Grand Canal. There are races being held, and I so want to see them.”

They did so shortly, sending the manservant home with all the things they had purchased. They weaved among the thronging crowds, hardly stopping to catch their breath as they raced onward. As it was, the sun was already setting as they reached one of the low bridges that arched over the Canal.

“Oh!” Nicole struck her gloved hands against the rail in frustration. “They’ve already started!”

“Nicole, this is fine. We can watch the end of it from here.” Sarah leaned against the same rail, letting the breeze blow back tendrils of hair that had escaped the braided crown. She could smell the sea, not so far away, and the dark waters of the canals beneath them.

“But I wanted to be here in the beginning,” Nicole sulked. “You would have, too - Brian is racing.”

“What?”

“Of course, he doesn’t have a chance against the actual gondoliers. None of them do - the Ardent, I mean. They race every year, and make a bet with the guild that they can beat the professionals. They never can, and every year they hold a feast for each and every gondolier in Venice.” She smiled widely. “But you can still throw him a token.”

“A what?” Sarah asked, bewildered by this onslaught of information.

“A token.” Nicole unpinned several of the flowers from her hair, placing them carefully in the rail. “Like knights and their ladies. You throw it to them as they pass, to signal your affection.” Giggling, she tossed one of her silken decorations out into the air. “The fun part is watching them try to catch it!”

Sarah laughed at her, noticing the women around them were doing the same. Most were simply enjoying themselves, ripping ribbons and jewels from their bodices and throwing them carelessly to any racer that caught their eye. A few, however, smiled to those who passed, but kept their tokens carefully at hand, until finally tossing one to their deliberate sweetheart.

She had no flowers in her hair, having been too impatient to wait for Lucien this morning. And her dress lacked the ostentatious ornamentation that Venetian women so favored. That left… She laughed softly, and delicately tugged a glove from one hand. It was a smooth, dark blue, with a rose blossom embroidered within the palm; a seed pearl, shining like an ember, at its heart. Holding it loosely, she rested against the rail and strained to catch a glimpse of Lord Brian.

There he was - poling determinedly down the Canal, grinning good-naturedly at the taunts from the professional gondoliers that passed him with insulting ease. He spied her up on the bridge, and his face lit up with a wide smiling. He waved briefly, and then returned with renewed vigor to his task.

She smiled, watching him, feeling strangely happy. As he neared she leaned farther over the railing, dropping her arm over in anticipation of tossing it into his boat. The glove dangled from her hand -

-- and was abruptly snatched from her grasp.

With a gasp of surprise, Sarah pulled herself up. Peering over the rail, she could see the thief had already passed under the bridge. She whirled, skirts flying, over to the opposite rail, furiously waiting for him to appear again. At the sight of a pale blonde head emerging from the shadows underneath the bridge, she began her tirade:

“Sirrah! That wasn’t meant -” She choked on her words as she saw who it was but then began again, doubly angry. “That wasn’t meant for you!”

The Prince, dressed in the rough breeches and loose cotton shirt of a true gondolier, laughed. He slipped the glove securely into the cuff of one sleeve without loosing his grip on the pole. “Cruel eyes, Sarah,” he called teasingly, as he resumed the race. “You have them.”

The day was ruined, as far as Sarah was concerned. Absolutely incensed, she insisted that they return home immediately. Nicole, sensing her dangerous mood, agreed without complaint. They walked back to the house in silence.

When they arrived, however, neither could resist breaking into surprised cries of joy. Their shared bedroom was literally stuffed with bouquets and arrangements of flowers, from exotic blossoms to the sweetest-smelling of wildflowers. And heaped on their separate beds were piled of packages, wrapped in delicate paper of all hues of the rainbow.

They abandoned the uncomfortable silence completely, greedily throwing themselves on the beds to open their presents. Most were simple trifles - an engraved card, chocolates, a bottle of perfume - sent from all the male friends in their circle. But when all those were unwrapped, Sarah found she had two more packages - and by the cards she knew they were from men whose acquaintance was anything but casual.

“They both sent you presents!” Nicole squealed. “Open them! Open them!” Sarah reached for the largest box, but Nicole snatched it away with a scowl. “Don’t you dare,” she threatened. “Brian first!”

Sighing, Sarah ripped away the paper from the smaller package. Opening the elegant box, she found a gorgeous pair of pearl-encrusted gloves and a matching collar. It was quite a gift - finding so many pearls of the same size, shape, and color was an understated expression of his family’s wealth and influence. It was a fitting present for a fiancée.

Nicole gasped in delight, but Sarah withheld the gifts until she handed over the package from the Prince. While Nicole ooohed and aaahed over the pearls, Sarah unceremoniously ripped open the Prince’s gift.

It was a dress. As she drew it from the folds of paper, Sarah felt her eyes widen against her will. It was incredible. It was a square-cut bodice with a high waist - an older style, more traditional than fashion dictated, but with an appropriately long train. It was mainly made from a deep, black velvet, an incredibly soft fabric that seemed to eat up the light. But the front of the bodice, and an ever-widening strip of fabric down the front, was a brocade of deep, emerald-green and gold colors in a leaf-like pattern.

Nicole shrieked. Before Sarah could react, Nicole snatched the dress from her cousin’s hands. She stared in open-mouthed amazement.

“Look at this! Look at this!” She laid the dress out on her bedspread, touching it lightly in wonder. “No one has dresses like this anymore because of the sumptuary laws. Every stitch and ribbon is counted, portioned out! No one can have beyond a certain amount. But this…” She shook her head. “This is incredible. Look,” she said, longing in her voice as she touched the fall of delicate lace that made up the sleeves, “it’s cascate. The women of Paris have it, but here in Venice… Only the Doge’s nephew could get a dress made with cascate.”

Sarah sighed deeply. “It’s ridiculous, giving me a dress. What will I do if it doesn’t fit me?”

“Oh, it will. I told him the address of our dressmaker.”

“You what?!”

“He asked me after a gambling party, one day. You weren’t there - you never are.”

“Nicole, how could you?”

“Stuff it, Sarah.”

Sarah sat back, amazed. Nicole continued to inspect the dress, brow furrowed in concentration. Finally, she lifted her head. “If you weren’t my cousin,” she spoke evenly. I’d hate you with the passion of a thousand burning suns.”

“For a dress, Nicole?”

“This is not just a dress, Sarah!” Nicole said, obviously impatient with her obtuseness. “This is a statement of intention! One does exert one’s influence just to buy some girl a dress!”

“He obviously just did.”

“You don’t understand!” Nicole crossed her arms, keeping her anger in check. “Sarah,” she stated baldly, “he’s courting you.”

A moment of stunned silence. “No, he’s not.”

“Yes, he is.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Sarah!” Nicole grabbed a handful of dark velvet in one hand, brandishing it in her cousin’s face. “I know you come from a barbarian court where everyone has gold coming out of their ears, or whatever, but here, we have a budget! We have restricted spending! This,” still waving the fabric, “is anything but restricted! The only way I can think that he managed it is by prostituting his sister!”

“He has a sister?”

“NO! But that’s beside the point!” Seemingly exhausted by her impassioned outburst, Nicole fell back against her pillows, careful to avoid crushing the dress. “He’s making his intentions known,” she said wearily. “If you wear this dress, everyone in Venice will know he has claimed you - and you accept that claim.”

Sarah stared for a moment, thoughtful, at the innocuous-looking garment. “Then I won’t wear it,” she said simply.

“Sarah!”

“No,” she said firmly as she packed up the dress. “Don’t try to dissuade me.”

A knock came on the door, startling both of them. With a frustrated sigh, Nicole bounded off the bed and onto the floor, racing over to open the door. A livered messenger stood there with the maid, both looking a little sheepish.

“He insisted on coming up to see you personally,” the maid said softly.

“Fine, fine,” Nicole said airily. “What is it you want?”

The messenger simply presented her with an engraved invitation, which she snapped the seal and opened immediately. “We’re invited to the feast,” she called to her cousin.

“Feast?”

“You remember, the one the Ardent holds for the gondoliers every year when they lose the race.”

Sarah paused in folding the dress. “All of the Ardent are there?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m not going,” she said stubbornly.

“Sarah…”

“No! I refused to be tossed between the two of them anymore!” She grimaced. “Like a little child’s ball. It’s humiliating, and I won’t be a part of this game.”

The messenger cleared his throat, a little hesitantly. “Pardon,” he began, “but I was told to give it to you personally for this very reason - your presence is especially requested, Lady Sarah.”

Sarah froze in mid-movement. Very carefully, she set the box down on the bed. Very slowly, she turned toward the messenger - and smiled very, very sweetly. “Oh, was it?”

The messenger swallowed. “Yes, my lady.”

“And why is that, pray tell?”

The messenger shifted nervously from foot to foot. She was still smiling, but… she looked strangely dangerous, for a smiling woman. Perhaps because she was a smiling woman. “The Prince and Lord Brian are to fight a duel, my lady - at the feast tomorrow night.”

“Are they?” She took a slow, measured step toward him, and he flinched. “And what does this have to do with me?”

“Um, uh, I wasn’t let known the exact details, my lady…” He swallowed again. “But I was given the impression it had everything to do with you.”

“Really.”

“Sarah,” Nicole spoke mildly, as the messenger began to shake. “You’re scaring him.”

“Ah.” Instantly, her posture relaxed, and she gave him a genuine smile. “Tell his Highness that I am going to attend.”

The messenger bowed and left, almost tripping over himself in his eagerness to be gone. Nicole shut the door behind him, and then turned - merely regarding her cousin with an inquiring look.

“I am going to attend,” Sarah continued pleasantly, in response to that look, “and I am going to break both their necks.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They arrived at the Prince’s house late the next evening. They were shown into the same hall that first momentous party was held in - only now, it had been converted to a feast-room, with long tables laid across the dark boards. They weren’t the only nobility present. Amidst the rough joking and rougher manners of the gondoliers, elegant and bejeweled nobles sat and talked easily. This was another thing that had initially surprised Sarah, coming from the turbulent English court: the apparent easiness between classes. In Venice, the boundaries were set, and permanent. You could not rise above your station, either by gaining greater wealth (impossible) or marrying into a higher class (unthinkable). And so, in certain social functions, people from all walks of life could intermingle with the greatest comfort, secure in their place in the world.

Stepping into the great hall, Sarah immediately spotted a familiar face. “Hoggle!” She waved excitedly at the tiny man, whose stuffed mouth broke into a wide grin at her appearance. She wanted to go join him, but had business to attend to.

She grabbed a servant, hiding discretely in the shadows. “Where is the Prince?” she demanded, and he hurriedly pointed in some vague direction. Determined, she strode away.

The direction he had pointed in led to a door, the door led to a hallway, which led to a veritable array of doors. Groaning at her own foolishness, she opened one at random.

It was a library. The shelves rose high above her head, stacked with leather-bound volumes that let the scent of old knowledge into the air. Sarah breathed it in deeply. There had been a library like this at her father’s estate in England - she missed it, and the serenity of her time there.

“A-hem.”

She turned, surprised, to find a stick-thin, wrinkled man with half-moon spectacles glaring at her sternly.

“Do you have any business here, young lady?” he asked disapprovingly.

“Ah… I’m looking for the Prince.”

The man’s eyebrows shot up, almost hiding in his hairline, at the nickname. “Well, he’s not here,” he said unpleasantly. “If only I could say the same for you.”

Sarah blinked at his rudeness. Then her eyes narrowed. “I know you,” she said wearily. “Like I seem to know every other person I meet in this damned city…” Sighing with resignation, she held out her hand as if to shake his, like a commoner. “My name is Sarah.”

Now it was his turn to be taken aback. He stared at her for a moment, red-rimmed eyes unnervingly sharp as he perused her face. Finally, he gripped her hand with his own. “Chaucer.”

She started. “As in..?”

“No, no relation.” But he seemed pleased she had made the connection. “Just a silly nickname. I’m a scholar. The - ahem - Prince has been most generous in allowing me to make use of his library in the course of my research.”

“What is it you are researching?”

He smiled at her, warming to her frank interest. “Geoffrey Chaucer, as a matter of fact - that’s where the nickname comes from. I believe he completed the Cook’s Tale, you see, and I am attempting to retrace and discover the missing fragments.”

Sarah laughed delightedly. “If you do, I want to read them as soon as possible.”

He frowned at her, but it was strangely affectionate. “Young girls shouldn’t be reader Chaucer - to be fair,” he amended, “I’m not sure who should be reading him - besides decrepit old scholars like myself.”

“My mother died when I was born, and my father is ambassador to the English court,” Sarah said simply. “I was a lonely child - and my father’s library was a friend.” She sighed. “But I wish to find the Prince. I need to stop this ridiculous duel.”

At that, his eyebrows disappeared entirely beneath his ragged mop of hair. “Well,” he said, in completely different tone, “in that case, forgive my utter rudeness. It appears you not only have a brain, but the sense to use it. Let me see if --” He peeked out into the corridor. “My dear friend,” he called, “would you escort this young lady to the Prince - or, barring the ability to locate him, to the main hall? I’m sure he’ll turn up soon,” he spoke aside to Sarah. “He can’t resist the chance to strut amidst an audience before performing. Good luck at your endeavor - my friend will show you the way.”

Curious, Sarah stepped out of the library. She started, stepping back in surprise at the man before her. He was huge - easily towering to seven or eight feet. And he was heavy with it. Not the soft heaviness of fat and good living, but the massive bulk of sheer power and muscle. He was dressed in plain-fitting, solid black clothing. His hair, the color of autumn leaves, was cut short to feather softly about his face - which was impressive. It was painted a stark white, and then the eyes were ringed heavily with black paint. The mouth was painted a harsh red, and long tusks had been stenciled from his bottom lip to his chin. The end result was a truly shocking sight - as if one were faced with a hulking monster.

Then he smiled, and Sarah couldn’t keep herself from smiling back.

“Hello,” she said softly. “I’m Sarah.”

He nodded wisely, placing one finger on the side of his nose and solemnly winking. Sarah giggled.

“Can you help me?” she asked simply.

He nodded again, this time drawing a ball of twine from his pocket. He held out his hand - large and rough, the skin tanned and nails ragged - and she placed her own in it without thinking. With infinite care, as if she were made of glass, he tied one end of the twine around her ring finger. When that was done, he winked at her - and tossed the ball of string down the corridor, where it rolled serenely across the floor and out of sight.

He clasped his hands before him, innocently, and turned back to her with a large grin. Sarah laughed outright.

“Ariadne and the labyrinth, hmm?” she asked. He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she couldn’t help but giggle again. “And I suppose you’re the Minotaur?” He held out his large hands with a clear look of “Who, me?” Sarah remembered who they were originally looking for. “No, no…” she amended quickly. “I agree with your interpretation of things.”

They walked down the dark corridors together, laughing at the shadows. Although he never spoke, he kept her delighted and amused: trying vainly to hide behind tapestries, tiptoeing ahead in an obvious attempt to check for danger, his obviously stealth belying his bulk. They followed the twine faithfully, until at last they emerged into the light of the main hall.

Sarah breathed a deep sigh of relief, turning back to her newfound friend. “Thank you,” she said with obvious gratitude.

He feigned to blush, kicking one foot into the floor. Shyly, he twisted his hand - and something appeared in it as if from the very air. Sarah took the offered object, frowning over its rough texture for a moment.

“What is --” She looked up to see that he had disappeared. “Oh,” she said involuntarily, crestfallen. She turned back the gift in her hands.

“A pomegranate.” He emerged from the shadows as if he were a part of them, stepping casually away from the wall and into the wall. “It’s a type of fruit.”

“I remember the story,” she said wryly. “He enjoys Greek myths, doesn’t he?”

“Ludo?” The Prince ran his own fingers over the fruit in mild curiosity. “He has an interest in everything - unfortunately. Along with the tendency to interfere in affairs that are not his own.” Deftly, her took the gift from her gloved hand. “He’s forgotten more than most people will ever know.”

She sighed, knowing he wouldn’t return the strange fruit, and giving it up for lost. “Ludo…” She tasted the name. “Who is he?”

“My buffoon.”

“Ah.” She nodded. Professional buffoons were a staple of any noble household, and the good ones were valued their weight in gold. Though, considering Ludo’s immense stature, perhaps not quite so much. “I wanted to talk to you about the duel.”

“I see.” He leaned comfortably against the wall. “What did you want to say?”

“I want you to put a stop to it.”

“It’s only play, Sarah - no one will actually get hurt.”

“Oh, I know that,” she dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. Play-duels were common among noble youth. “But I know why it’s being fought, and I want you to call it off.”

“Do you really?” He bent close, breath stirring tendrils of her hair. “Do you really, Sarah?” She drew back, and he smiled. “Even if you do, it’s not my affair to call off. I was challenged.”

She frowned, chagrinned. “Why would Brian challenge you?”

“Ah, well.” Casually, he drew something out from his coat - a dark blue glove with an embroidered rose. “Apparently I have something he wants… or some other nonsense of the sort.” He absentmindedly drew the glove through his hands. “I can’t think of what he might mean. Can you? Ah ah,” he warned, holding the glove away as she darted to snatch at it. “Not unless I get something in return. Perhaps not even then.”

She scowled at him, crossing her arms across her chest. “What do you want for it?”

He smiled like a contented cat. “Let me think about it.”

She glared at him, opening her mouth to deliver a tart reply, when a voice to her left interrupted.

“I don’t mean to intrude,” Brian said, coolly, “but I believe his Highness and I have business to attend to.” He gave a short, mocking bow. “If my lady doesn’t mind.”

Glaring at them both, Sarah marched away to take her place at the feast table next to Hoggle, who grinned at her fury. Generally discontent with the universe, she flung herself into a chair beside the sniggering midget, resigned to let events play themselves out.

The two combatants took their places in the hall, at either end of a cleared space. Blunted foils in hand, they raised their weapons in salute.

And it began.

They circled each other warily, foils ready, eyes trained on their opponent’s face. Feints, slashes, coupés, all followed in rapid succession as they drew closer to each other. The crowd, mainly the jocular gondoliers, called out encouragement or ribald comments.

They were closer, now, only a few paces apart, foils relaxed at their sides until one committed, attacked. Then they both moved like something out of a dream - foils flashing in the flickering light, quicksilver and deadly.

Brian was breathing heavily, strain showing on his face and sweat on his forehead. “Why?” he asked, voice low.

“Why what?” his opponent replied absently, eyes on Brian’s sword.

“Why Sarah?”

The Prince laughed to himself. “That’s like asking, why light?” He feinted, pulling back at the last moment, but Brian didn’t take the bait. “It simply is.”

“She was my intended,” Brian continued stubbornly. If he was chagrined at the fact his opponent didn’t even look like he was trying very hard, he didn’t show it.

A flicker of pity moved in the Prince’s eyes. “No,” he said gently. “She wasn’t.”

This time Brian attacked, a flurry of movement the Prince countered, but did not try to overpower. “Fine,” Brian replied savagely. “So it wasn’t set in stone. But it was understood - so why did you have to go after her?”

The Prince sighed, his mismatched eyes strangely sad. “Nothing I could say could explain it to you, at this point. It is enough to say --” and he abruptly attacked seriously, a startling barrage of sudden movements that left Brian gasping and stretching to counter “ - that I am going after her, and you cannot ever hope to stop me.” With a final, almost casual flick of his foil, he disarmed Brian. “There. Now we are done.”

He turned on his heel, and Brian let himself fall to the floor, chest heaving. The silence in the hall was deafening, but it still wasn’t enough to hear the continuance of their quiet exchange. The young lord took a moment to find his voice, and then:

“Wait.”

The Prince paused. “Yes?”

Brian raised his sweating face, mouth in a wry grin. “I don’t want this to come between us.”

The Prince went absolutely still. Without turning, he asked - in a soft, and uncertain voice: “What did you just say?”

Brian laughed, wheezing slightly. “I know it sounds strange. We’ve never been the best of friends, and I’ve wanted to deck you more times than I can count. But we grew up together. Believe it or not, I do not wish us to be enemies.” He stumbled to his feet, holding one hand outstretched. “So, we shall say… let the best man win?”

With infinite slowness, the Prince turned. Brian had never seen him look like this: eyes wide and face completely open, shock plain on his face. “You… wish us to remain friends,” he said slowly.

Brian shrugged. “Yes. Because, all grandstanding aside, I understand the desire to go after Sarah.”

The Prince continued to look at him. “I am sorry,” he finally said.

Brian’s grin faltered. “You don’t want the same?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. What I mean is… I am sorry. For all that I have done to you,” the Prince said simply. He was silent a moment longer. “I wish things had been different.”

“I can stand a little roughing-up.”

The Prince looked at him again. Slowly, deliberately, he reached up to grasp Brian’s hand with his gloved one. “Yes.”

They stood like that, arms outstretched to the fullest and hands clasped. Then the room erupted into cheers, and they were surrounded by well-wishers and friends, everyone patting them on the back, shaking them, roaring congratulations or gentle teasing. Amidst the chaos, they smiled at each other.

The only one who did not join the happy fray was a dark-haired girl with a small, contemplative frown. That night, she went home to find a message waiting for her.

If you meet me at the sagra for St. Katharine, the unsigned note read, I will give you back your glove. Wear the dress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sagra was a festival celebrating a saint’s day - usually held in the parish that was dedicated to that specific saint. Of course, each parish’s celebration had to outdo their neighbor’s, so a simple feast-day could erupt into quite riotous celebration.

She had found with Nicole’s help (without letting her cousin know why, or that she would be leaving the house dressed as she was) the location of the parish that celebrated St. Katharine. She couldn’t escape wearing the dress, of course, but an old Carnival mask of simple black satin hid her identity from any casual observers, along with a domino cloak. Perversely, she had refused to put up her hair, and the simple style was a strange contrast to the elaborate gown. She navigated her way easily through the narrow streets, a secretive figure left strictly alone. It was easy to ascertain that she was getting closer - she could hear the music and the shouts of people dancing, and the houses around her were decked in garlands, flags, and tapestries. Forgotten flowers were littered underneath her feet, bruised and crushed by former passer-bys.

She stepped into the square, pausing a moment to adjust to the flurry of noise and motion around her. Tables were set up everywhere she looked, hawking religious icons and cheap ribbons both, some even frying fritters in oil. She purchased one for a few pennies, eating the hot treat out of a napkin as she waded deeper into the square. Makeshift stages were set up, and clowns performed, people wrestled, bets were placed. She was not the only noble person in the crowd - like the previous night at the Prince’s hall, a few of the nobility wandered easily among the crowd, and she could see more dancing with the girls of the neighborhood.

He appeared at her side as suddenly as always, simply stepping into the picture. She was licking the oil from her fingertips (gloves deliberately left at home - wondering what he would think of that) when a hand on her arm made her turn.

“The cloak I can understand,” the Prince said, dryly, “as I admit, the dress might have caused some unwanted attention. But the mask?” He tried to lift it, but she batted his hand away. “What, are you suddenly scarred by smallpox?”

“I think it would be obvious,” she replied icily.

He hesitated, and gave her a reproving look. “Come now, Sarah.” Quick as through, he adroitly pulled away the satin mask, before she could even blink. “I went to all this trouble to get you here,” he explained, assuming a patient tone as he brusquely tossed away her disguise. “I would have the pleasure of your pretty face.”

Her hands, held rigidly at her sides, clenched into fists. He was dressed, she realized with mounting rage, in matching colors: black coat and half-cloak, a waistcoat of shining green and gold. It looked splendid on him, appropriately fey and enchanting - but she wanted nothing more than to slap his smiling face.

With s brief shout of frustration, she actually stamped her foot, the childish gesture sending loose tendrils of hair tumbling into her eyes. “I can’t believe you!” she hissed. “You swoop in and make an entire mess of my life - I was happy with the way things were! I didn’t need you re-arranging things to your taste!”

A sly grin. “But I have wonderful taste.”

“And then you refuse to admit you’ve done anything wrong! That you have anything to apologize for!” She took a deep breath, feeling a strange mixture of excitement and frustration bubbling up from some hitherto unknown place inside of her. “Every single time! You always do this!”

She paused, catching her breath, and he stared at her with something like amazement. They both disregarded the curious stares of the people around them.

“Sarah,” the Prince began after a minute, consideringly, “you’ve only known me a fortnight.”

“I know that,” she muttered sulkily. “That doesn’t mean I’m not right.”

“A fortnight,” he emphasized, not seeming to have heard her, “and already you distrust me completely.” He sighed deeply, bringing one hand to his forehead and closing his eyes, as if against some intangible pain. “We are strangers to each other, and still you fight me.” His pale, poetic profile suddenly gained a decidedly uncomplimentary peevish aspect, and he glared at her from beneath lowered lashes. “You are the most difficult woman I have ever met.”

She crossed her arms defiantly. “You provoke me,” she said pointedly. “Stealing my glove, sending me inappropriate gifts, that silly duel…” She hugged herself even tighter. “Besides,” she said quietly. “I know you.”

He went very still. “No, you don’t.”

“Oh, I know we’ve only had each other acquaintance for a few weeks,” she went on, “but - I don’t know. You seem very familiar to me, somehow. As if we had spent years together.”

He dropped his hand to his side. His stance was suddenly very open, losing the imperious air that so marked him apart from the crowd - but he was still somehow alien, somehow sharply defined against the blur of their humanity. “Even if that were true, Sarah,” he said simply, looking her full in the face, “You still don’t know me.”

She blinked at his quiet intensity, ducking her gaze away. She hunched her shoulders, feeling awkward. “I came for my glove.”

“What will you give me for it?”

She gave a loud sigh of exasperation. “I already wore your dress, and met you all the way out here. What more do you want of me?”

He looked thoughtful for a moment. “A dance.”

“A dance?” She threw a glance to where the center of the plaza, where revelers were doing just that to a makeshift orchestra of violins. She turning back, she gave the Prince a wary look. “That’s all?”

“That’s all.” He smiled slightly, eyes never leaving her. “I’ve always loved dancing with you.”

She continued to scrutinize his face carefully, but he only held out his gloved hand. After another moment of consideration, she placed her naked palm in his own - to the sudden outburst of applause from onlookers. Realizing they’d been providing amusement to all these strangers for the last quarter of an hour, Sarah’s face flamed red.

“Another time,” she said, obviously embarrassed, backing away as if to retreat into the anonymity of the crowd. He placed a gloved hand on her wrist, gentle but firm.

“I’m afraid I must insist,” he said mildly. “Who knows when I’d next be able to attract your attention?”

She shot him a dark look. “You never had any trouble before.”

He grinned mischievously. “You wouldn’t believe how it thrills my heart to hear that, lady.”

Sarah tried to tug free, pleading in her dark green eyes. “Please… perhaps some other time…”

“Sarah.” He turned over her wrist, exposing the delicate tracery of veins there. He lightly ran his fingers over the soft, vulnerable skin. “One dance.”

She shivered, but he didn’t look up. She licked suddenly dry lips. “Alright,” she said softly. “One dance.”

He smiled. He gently encased her hand in both of his, leading her over to the other dancers, who watched them both with ill-concealed amusement. The Prince drew Sarah to him, placing one hand on her waist and taking up her hand in the other. Quietly, she placed her left hand on his shoulder, casting her eyes about those who surrounded them. Men with their hair falling loose about their shoulders and girls in bright sleeveless bodices all grinned at her, whispering in their partners’ ears. She flushed under their curious gazes, fair skin coloring.

“Do you know how to dance the furlana?” the Prince asked, voice soft.

“I’ll learn,” she replied grimly, trying to ignore those inquisitive looks.

He laughed low in his throat. “That’s my girl.”

The impromptu orchestra, also watching from the corner of the square, looked at each other and shrugged. With one fluid movement they set bows to strings - and the dance began.

The furlana is a fast, sweeping dance, as different from the stiff, practiced dances of the court as one can get. It is hugely popular among the lower - and the upper - classes, as it attempts to embody the true Italian ideal: love, and flirtation.

Sarah danced well. At first she did it out of defiance - following the Prince’s strong lead so she wouldn’t trip and make a fool of herself, watching other girls out of the corner of her eyes so she would do as well. She copied the way they held their hands, the turn of their hips, the tilt of their heads. After a while, however, the music infected her - quickening her blood and her steps alike with sharp arpeggios and plaintive cries. The world spun around her: dazzling fabrics and laughing faces flashed by her eyes, the singing of the violins and the chatter of the crowd filling her ears, and the weight of her own heavy skirts was the only thing that seemed to anchor her within the circle of the Prince’s arms. Unconsciously, she began to mimic the same coy, teasing looks the other girls threw to their partners, glancing up at the Prince through her dark hair, brushing up against him as they passed. His strange eyes widened, and there was a faint stumble in his step - slight reaction in any other man, but she knew it to be evidence of his complete surprise. The laughter practically spilled out of her, and at last, she danced for the joy of it.

The music ended abruptly. The dancers stopped, exchanging friendly kisses and curtsies. Breathing fast, Sarah smiled openly up at her Prince, who was watching her with dark intensity.

“What?” Her smiled faded uncertainly. “Is something wrong?”

He swept her up in his arms without warning, crushing her to his chest. He held her so tight she could barely breathe, and she gasped at the suddenness of it.

After a long moment his hold loosened. He drew back slowly, cheek resting against her own. He rested his forehead against hers. “Thank you,” he said, rough-cut hair tickling her face. He stepped away, drawing the errant glove out of her coat and pressing it into her hand. “Go,” he spoke, voice hoarse. “Go on home.”

She stepped backward, a little awkwardly, and was about to turn away when she hesitated, and turned back.

“Will you walk me there?” she asked simply.

He shook his head, laughing a little shakily. “No,” he said. “I don’t think I will.” He gave her a slow smile, regaining his composure. “But don’t think that I will forget the invitation.”

She looked at him for a moment, and then, wordlessly, returned the smile.

Sarah returned home on her own, well before Nicole was finished with her outings. She slipped out of her dress and into a less incriminating garment, curling up in the small, sunlit study. She had a book ready, of course - but more often than not, the novel lay listlessly in her lap as she frowned in contemplation, hand resting on her chin - lost in thought.

Nicole burst in a few hours later, carrying the scent of alien perfumes and tobacco with her. Breathless, she dropped onto the footstool in front of her cousin, collapsing in a pool of flowered silk and roughened satin.

“Listen,” she commanded. “Hear me out, please - that’s all I ask. Just hear me out.”

Eyebrows raised in surprise, Sarah nodded her agreement.

“Alright.” Drawing a deep breath, Nicole began. “It will officially be summer in only a few days - less than a week. Aunt has no summerhouse, and with my father traveling we cannot use his. You know what that means - we will have to stay in Venice. And it will be boring, Sarah,” Nicole implored. Moved by her own passion, she stretched out to place a gloved hand lightly on her cousin’s arm. “It will be absolutely awful. No one stays in Venice over the summer - the heat is unbearable in August and the canals raise a stink that won’t leave your hair for days.” Her eyes widened at the sheer horror of it. “Everyone goes to their summerhouses in the country - those who cannot must lock themselves up in their homes and go masked if they venture to the Piazza, for fear of the shame of being seen. It’s terrible.”

“It does sound rather unbearable,” Sarah admitted, “but what else can we do?”

Nicole drew another steadying breath, letting it out with a whoosh. “I was at Gabrielle’s gambling party today - as you should have been, by the by --”

“I wasn’t invited!”

“Oh, just because Gabrielle hates the attentions the Prince pays to you. When she heard he had stolen one of your gloves, she nearly snapped her fan in two.” Nicole giggled wickedly. “But no one would have thought ill had you come. Probably would have been more exciting, with the two of you -” Sarah grinned at her chatter, and Nicole snapped her mouth shut. “Anyhow. A message was left for me by the Prince himself.” Nicole grinned with unholy glee. “Gabrielle nearly spit blood! Ahem. As I was saying…”

“Yes?”

Nicole hesitated. “He has invited all of us - you, myself, Aunt, even her damn dog - to spend the summer with him. In his house in the country.” Suddenly she was gripping both of her cousin’s hands, words tumbling heedlessly out of her mouth. “Please, Sarah! I know you despise him, I know the two of you are constantly at odds, and that you hate the gossip that follows you both, but please! I will die if forced to stay here in Venice! I will throw myself into the canal with all my jewelry sewn into my petticoats and sink like a stone. Please, Sarah, I will do anything if you agree to go! I will buy you a new fan! Ten new fans! I’ll teach you how to dance the furlana and steal the souls of men everywhere! I will kiss my Aunts godforsaken tame rat every single day, if you say yes. Please, please say yes.”

Sarah was silent for a moment, gazing studiously into her cousin’s face.

“Sarah!” Nicole wailed.

“Yes.”

Nicole’s mouth fell open in shock. “What did you say?!” she shrieked.

Sarah colored slightly, squirming where she sat. “I said, yes.”

“Sarah,” her cousin warned, grip on her cousin’s hands tightening, “don’t trifle with me. I’m apt to become violent.

“Fine, then” Sarah said, a little waspishly. She wrenched her hands free and picked up her book. “I take it back.”

“Don’t you dare!” Nicole ripped the book from her grasp. “Say it again. Swear you’re serious.”

Sarah crossed her arms, slightly vexed. “Yes! I swear!”

Nicole stared at her. Her eyes rolled back into her head, whites showing, and she slowly toppled off the footstool and fell to the floor with a thud.

“Nicole!” startled, Sarah leapt from her chair, rushing to kneel at her cousin’s side. “Are you alright?”

Nicole, lying tangled in her own skirts, fluttered her eyes open. “I’m fine,” she said dreamily. “I’m just dying from happiness.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They spent the following days packing up their belongings. Sarah, who had arrived in Venice little more than a fortnight ago, had no trouble simply re-folding her clothes and putting them back into her brassbound trunks. Nicole, however, insisted otherwise. They needed new gowns, new gloves, new fans, new shoes, new everything. The rest of the week was a blur of shopping and sampling and ordering. Nicole was absolutely giddy. Sarah… wasn’t sure what she was.

She had said yes. To a season with the Prince -- in his house, day and night. To his company every single day. She had said yes. Why? Who knew. But she had said it.

She couldn’t take it back.

Finally everything was purchased and everything packed. Summer had officially begun: his Highness had already left, along with the nobility who had little responsibility in the city and less inclination to stay. The two cousins traveled from Venice that very day, Nicole blowing kisses behind them the entire way.

After reaching the mainland they climbed into a carriage, with a second one trailing behind for their luggage. The road to the Price’s summerhouse was long, but not terribly boring. They passed dozens of mansions and palaces, Nicole naming their owners and any gossip that went with them.

They finally reached the territory belonging to the Prince. Traveling up a long drive of pristine white sand, they watched as they drove by artificial pools of still water and cultivated gardens with pale marble statues. The lawn stretched before them, green as an emerald and almost gleaming in the heady sunlight.

The servants met them at the doors. A veritable army in starched flounces and powdered wigs, they swept in and immediately took charge of the situation. In moments the trunks were unloaded from the other carriage and Nicole’s aunt (and tiny powder puff of a dog) were well in hand, being calmly escorted amidst her shrill complaints and protestations to her rooms. Giggling to each other, Sarah and Nicole did the same.

The rooms Sarah was shown were simply amazing. Vivid frescos lined the walls, mahogany furniture filled every vacant corner, and the floor beneath her feet was of delicately veined marble. Breathing in the warm air, scented by a tray of fresh-picked oranges lying on a low table, Sarah flung herself into a high-backed chair and gave a deep sigh of contentment.

The servants trailed in respectively behind her, quietly placing her trunks inside her private salon. With a last bow in her direction, they left her in peace.

Her hand was barely lifted to open a trunk lid when a familiar voice came from the doorway.

“You came.”

She hesitated and pulled back, hands straightening her voluminous skirts as she stood. Calmly, she smoothed the rustling fabric as she stood to face him.

He was leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed thoughtfully across his chest as he watched her with those unnerving, crystalline eyes. Thankfully, there was only a slight edge of smugness to the smile that pulled at his thin lips.

“I had to,” she replied steadily. “It was important to Nicole.”

“Hmm.” He stepped away from her room, still smiling to himself. “Whatever the reason, I am glad to find you here.” He held one arm before him, courteously, inviting her back downstairs. “Would you like to see the rest of the house?”

“What about Nicole?”

“I’m sorry to tell you your cousin has already taken off,” he replied without a hint of repentance. “Apparently, she felt the need to grace the entire neighborhood with her presence. And she took one of my best carriages.”

Sarah grinned, despite herself. “She’s making sure everyone knows that you are her host for the summer months.”

“I have the greatest faith in her endeavors.” He gestured widely again, expectantly. “My lady?”

Wary, she ventured out of the sanctuary of her rooms, to the obvious delight of his Highness. She stepped cautiously out into the hall, which looked over a railing and onto the main foyer. As she moved to peer curiously over the rail, the Prince swung around, forcing her to back up against the wall. He placed his gloved hands against the patterned wallpaper on either side of her - an effective trap.

She glared. “I thought you were going to show me the house.”

He chuckled. “I will, Sarah, I will.” He grinned, sharp teeth peeking. “I only wanted to tell you,” he said softly, “how glad I am that you came.”

“I told you,” she replied, eyes downcast. “Nicole wanted me to.”

The grin widened. “Then I am forever indebted to your cousin.” He leaned in closer, and Sarah nervously pressed herself even closer to the wall.

“Let me go! What are you doing?”

“Showing my gratitude, of course.”

“I thought you owed a debt to Nicole, not me.”

“She has granted me quite a favor,” he agreed, mock-solemn. “But it is your presence that makes my heart sing,” he continued mischievously, “and so the bulk of my thanks goes to you. Any gentleman knows he must give evidence of his gratitude.”

Scowling, she placed both hands against his chest and ineffectually attempted to push him away, twisting in his grasp. “Sarah,” he said, sounding a trifle exasperated, “it won’t hurt. Just hold still.”

He kissed her - lightly, sweetly. This was no casual brush of lips, but a full meeting of mouths with all the tenderness and restrained passion contained therein. Sarah froze, unthinkingly closing her eyes and succumbing to the caress, her fingers curling against the fabric of his waistcoat. He was so close… she could feel his eyelashes brushing against her cheeks.

He broke the kiss after a few moments, smiling gently before stepping away. He turned, practically dancing down the steps - he took them so light and quick.

“I’ll be riding out in an hour,” he called back, not looking over his shoulder. “Ask any servant to show you the stables.”

Sarah stood as if rooted to the spot, watching him as he went down the staircase and turned the corner. After he had gone she let her head fall back against the wall with a bewildered sigh. Silently, she touched her gloved fingertips to her mouth. She could still feel his kiss.

A little less than an hour later, she had fully changed into an old-fashioned riding habit with a divided skirt, hair caught up in a simple twist. A servant, trying to be unobtrusive, was waiting outside her door to show her to the stables as soon as she was finished.

The Prince was already mounted and walking his horse, a dark Arabian, around the grassy padlock. A stable hand was bringing a cream-colored Palomino toward Sarah, ready to ride. She got into the saddle with little help, and gently guided the animal over to the Prince.

“Come,” he said casually as she approached. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

He wheeled his horse and she followed close behind. There was no talk between them as they rode - the Prince obviously knew where he was going as he wound around sculpted gardens and sparse scatterings of trees, galloping over faultless lawns. Sarah simply tried to keep up.

After a few moments, she could smell a tang of salt in the air. The grass beneath the horses’ hooves grew longer and tougher, eventually mixing with silt - and they were on a sandy beach.

The Prince didn’t stop, but simply turned so that they walked the horses close to the surf. To her surprise, Sarah spotted their destination: a sturdy shack, tucked against the shelter of a grassy dune.

When they approached the Prince leaned down and rapped upon the door with his riding crop, which had hitherto hung unused from his gloved hand. After a moment the door swung open to the reveal the strangest-looking man Sarah had ever seen. He stood, slightly bow-legged, in the tattered rags of bygone finery: slightly rusted chain mail and tattered tabard, tall boots nearly falling apart on his feet. An incredibly skinny old man, his white hair ruffled in the breeze, but even a jeweled eye patch couldn’t dim his keen, one-eyed gaze. Seeing his visitors he saluted smartly, bringing his heels together with a soft click.

“My liege,” he bowed deep, voice muffled as he spoke through a thick, drooping mustache.

“Sire Didymus,” his Highness returned respectfully, nodding. “May I present to you the Lady Sarah? She is newly arrived at my household.”

Sarah dismounted, though the Prince had made no move to do himself. After taking a moment to ensure her footing in the shifting sand, she made a demure little curtsey, which the aged knight returned with an impressively deep bow of his own.

“Verily, ‘tis a true honor to meet you, m’lady,” Sir Didymus spoke, almost overcome with emotion. “Methinks it possible we are destined companions, for I am abound with such happiness and joy in your presence.”

“Flatterer,” the Prince muttered.

Sarah ignored him, smiling at the man before her. “As am I, sir knight,” she said softly. “As am I.”

He blushed under her warm gaze, sun and wind-roughened cheeks coloring. He puffed up with importance, chest swelling beneath the grimy and ancient coat of arms. “I will be thy staunch defender, guardian, and protector whilst thou resides in his Highness’s kingdom, m’Lady Sarah.” He lowered his voice, leaning in to whisper confidentially. “And, of course, in all lands beyond.” He winked his good eye at her.

“Of course,” she whispered back.

“Lady Sarah hails from the kingdom of England,” the Prince broke in, severing their conspirital connection.

“Is this true, m’lady?” the knight asked, astonished.

“It is.”

“Why then, pray tell, how fare the Crusades?” he pursued eagerly.

Sarah hesitated, throwing a confused look at the Prince, who merely shrugged. “The Crusades?”

“Of course! The noble and never-ending pursuit of that most esteemed treasure, the Holy Grail! How goes the search?”

“Ah… it has been, er, temporarily abandoned, sir knight.”

His bushy eyebrows drew together in consternation. “Abandoned? This cannot be!”

“I suspect the quest has been postponed only until you are released from your duties here,” the Prince smoothly interjected. “After all, feats of your prowess could be nothing but an asset to any Crusade.”

Sir Didymus appeared to consider this a moment, then nodded shortly. “This is true.”

“But the lady and I must be returning to the house - I mean, my palace. We must beg your leave.”

“Of course, my liege,” Didymus replied, and he gave yet another sweeping bow. He took Sarah’s hand and pressed it tenderly, tears of sentiment coming to his eye. “And fair thee well, sweet maiden. I shall pray our paths cross again.”

“They will, Sir Didymus,” Sarah promised quietly. She mounted her mare without assistance, and both she and the Prince waved their goodbyes as they rode away from the lone, stalwart figure that stood ramrod-straight on the windy beach.

They slowed their horses to a walk after escaping the treacherous sandy ground, which ended several minutes after leaving the ocean behind. Neither was in any hurry, and simply let their mounts step easily along the lawn as they enjoyed the clear afternoon sunshine. They weaved between orange groves and the small, square pools of water with brightly colored mosaics of tiles beneath their depths, bordered by box-cut hedges.

Sarah, stroking the long, arched neck of her horse, eventually broke the silence. “Has he always been like that?”

“Didymus?” The Prince smiled, looking miraculously confident in the saddle. The Arabian, a stallion with the look of fire in his eye, quieted at his Highness’s touch. “Always. Though I admit, it’s been downhill since I gave him access to my library. Between Cervantes and Morte D’Arthur, I fear he is spoilt forever.”

“Oh, no,” Sarah spoke softly. “Not spoilt. Refined.”

He glanced at her sideways, eyes curious. “You are happy to see him, then. Good.” Nodding to himself, he turned towards his magnificent house. “He insists on standing guard at the beach -- in case of a Turkish invasion. And,” he continued loftily, “I believe it is prudent to have such an outpost.”

“Of course,” she replied, grinning at him.

“But,” he said easily, “I see no reason why you should not visit him on a regular basis, as the two of you seem to get on so swimmingly. I shall often accompany you,” he added, as if an afterthought. “After all, it is a neglectful sovereign why does not regularly inspect his borders.”

She tensed, and the Palomino sensed it, twitching her ears back. “Oh,” Sarah replied carefully.

The rest of the ride was conducted in an awkward silence - awkward, at least, on Sarah’s part. The Prince, as always, appeared to be insultingly comfortable. He merely guided them both to the stables, the dappled sunlight that filtered down through the trees throwing a shadow across his eyes and turning his hair silver-gilt. He waved away the stable boys, which made Sarah surprisingly grateful. She shied away from their inquisitive gazes, and wanted to do something with her hands as she thought.

They stabled the horses together, unbuckling the tack. Sarah turned away from the Prince so he wouldn’t see the agitated flush on her face. Her hands shook as she began to wipe down the leather saddle.

“Why are you pursuing me?” she demanded suddenly.

The Prince, engaged in the same task, raised an eyebrow. “Any reason I shouldn’t?”

“Yes, there is a reason! My lord Brian, for one.”

His Highness laughed shortly. “Forgive my bluntness, Sarah, but if Brian were cause for any real inhibitions on your part, you wouldn’t be talking with me now.”

She colored, mouth pressed into a thin line as she whirled to face him, arms crossed tightly across her chest. “My own reluctance, then,” she retorted.

“Why should you be reluctant?”

She glared at him. “Contrary to popular belief, your Highness is not my ideal of the perfect lover.”

He turned, eyes wide with indignation. “And why not?”

“Your arrogance, for one.”

“You prefer false modesty?”

“You are also inconsiderate.”

“Only to those that deserve it, love.”

“And your utterly incorrigible forwardness!”

“I was merely anticipating your own wishes,” he replied in an injured tone, “like any gentleman. And don’t you dare,” he said, suddenly serious, pointing a gloved finger at her, “say anything about the quality of my kisses. They don’t count, because you always refuse to hold still.”

She stared, openmouthed at his outraged expression, eyes wide at his exasperated tone. Suddenly she burst out into laughter, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. With a content smile, the Prince took up a currycomb and began to brush the stallion.

“Why is it,” Sarah gasped, regaining control, “that I can never stay angry with you?”

His Highness stood with his back to her as he tended to the horse. “Perhaps because you know that, if you asked it of me,” he said softly, “I would turn the world upside-down.”

Her breath caught in her throat.

“Although the truth of it is,” he continued in a normal tone, “I’m bored out of my mind here, and simply looking for something to do.” He waited, briefly, for her outraged response. When it didn’t come, he feared he had pushed her too far. “Sarah, you know I --”

He stopped at the sight of her standing with a riding crop -- which she had taken off the wall -- in one hand. Smiling, she swished it experimentally through the air. “I,” she announced with dreadful cheerfulness, “am going to hit you.”

His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You wouldn’t,” he said after a pause.

Her face broke into a wide grin. “Watch me.”

He watched her carefully as she began to advance with slow, measured steps. “My lady, if I have given offence, I humbly crave pardon --”

“Try again.”

Desperately, as she neared. “Sarah, I was joking!”

“C’mere!”

Throughout the stables, and in the surrounding yard, horses pricked up their ears as stable hands paused in their work. The servants smiled as one, as laughter -- the joyful, uninhibited sound of two children playing together - rang out in the languid summer air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time passed.

She visited Didymus daily, and spent hours with him on the beach listening to his tales of fierce knights and fair princesses, while sitting in front of a blazing fire on the sands. Ludo had also been a part of the Prince’s entourage from Venice, and she passed many a sunny afternoon with him in the gardens. He never spoke, but constantly delighted her with sleight-of-hand tricks and exaggerated expressions. Sarah even had frequent letters from Chaucer, still searching for elusive documents back in the city, and he grudgingly gave her messages from her friend, Hoggle.

The Prince, of course, was still a constant element of her daily life. Just not an overly obtrusive one. Though perhaps not an unobtrusive one… She was having a hard time making up her mind. It wasn’t as if he were dogging her footsteps and popping up every time she turned around. She would often go for hours without catching a glimpse of him. But when she did see him - as she would, inevitably - there was always something… He would press her hand with his, or bend too close to whisper something in her ear - he had even, on several occasions, suddenly interrupted her with a full, sweet kiss upon the mouth before turning abruptly away and leaving. His behavior shocked her into a confused kind of stupor. She would flush, and then feel cold - numb, even. When she finally shook herself free of his spell, she would have to check the sudden urge to run after him, shake him, make him explain himself. Make him explain everything.

He made her feel lost and stumbling in his presence, as if she were moving through sluggish waters. At the same time everything felt clearer when he was around: sharper, focused. The world was centered on the Prince.

She didn’t know whether to run away, or run to him.

And then Brian came.

It was an innocuous visit. In fact, it was practically expected - after all, he was a childhood friend of the prince, and Brian’s own manor was only a few hours’ ride away. They had received a multitude of visitors already. Mostly gossipmongers who wanted to see how Sarah and his Highness were getting along. They always left shortly, disgruntled; the Prince could never be found on such occasions, and Sarah immediately managed to escape into the gardens, leaving the unwanted guests to Nicole’s tender mercies.

But the Prince was in the foyer when Brian arrived, dusty and slightly disheveled from riding on horseback. With an uncanny lack of surprise, his Highness took Brian’s card and tapped it against his lips.

“Right,” he said suddenly. “We’ll have a picnic. Doesn’t that sound lovely, Sarah?” he asked without looking around.

Sarah, who had imagined herself hidden in the shadows, jumped. “Er, yes,” she said, a bit flustered. “Very nice.”

The Prince smiled at Brian. “Such an enchanting girl,” he drawled. “She does love a picnic.”

Brian’s expressive mouth twisted disagreeably, but he nodded, acknowledging the hit. His Highness smiled widely. Sarah sighed.

It was going to be a very long day.

They set out within a half hour: the four of them, Nicole, Sarah, the Prince, and Brian, with a retinue of servants. After riding on horseback for a while, they found a nicely shaded spot in his Highness’s immaculate gardens. The servants spread a thick cotton cloth over the lush grass, placing a low wooden table with stout legs upon the coarse blanket, heavy enough to remain anchored. Nimbly, they unpacked the immense baskets they had carried all this way, throwing back patterned covers to reveal fresh fruit and moist cheeses, warm bread and a variety of sorbet and pâté. A few full dishes had been prepared and transported, and these were brought forth to cries of delight. A barrel of fresh water had also been lugged along. It was opened, and a pitcher dipped inside to pour the sparkling liquid into crystal glasses. They sat - the girls modestly tucking their skirts beneath their legs, the boys lounging carelessly like cats - and ate.

They chattered easily at first, laughing around bites of food as they sipped water and wine in the cool shade. Nicole was blithely unconscious, it seemed, of any lingering tension between her companions. She teased them all pitilessly about previous events - ball, Ascension Day, and duel - interspersing her sly remarks with catty snippets of gossip about others of their acquaintance. Nicole’s attitude actually brightened the event, as everyone was forced to laugh and defend themselves against her taunts. On the mild breeze Sarah could catch the scent of both the sea and the orange groves surrounding them. Idly, she wondered if she’d ever been happier.

The touch of soft leather broke her from the reverie, and she started. She looked to see that his Highness had covered her hand with his gloved one. Apparently, from the curious gazes around her, a question had gone unheard.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked.

He smiled at her - a dangerous thing. “I wanted to know if you’ve ever tasted marchpane.” She frowned her confusion. “Marzipan?” he continued. “Pate d’amandes?” He laughed at her bewilderment, drawing forth a small tin box. Taking off the lid, his hand delved between layers of tissue paper so delicate it was almost transparent. He lifted something away, cradling it in his palm before showing it to her. A strawberry - impossible in its perfection, gorgeously flushed from blanched top to ruby tip.

“It’s a paste made from sweet almonds,” he said. “They sculpt it into fruits in the kitchens and color it with glazes. Here.” Her mouth was still slightly open in amazement, and he pushed it gently between her lips. The tips of his gloved fingers lingered fractionally in the briefest of caresses that left behind crumbs of sugar. She licked her lips without thinking, disarmed by a sudden mouthful of soft sweetness. Dimly she could hear Nicole’s shocked laughter, could see Brian’s expression darken. But all she knew was the mismatched gaze of the crystalline eyes that never looked away from her own.

She swallowed thickly, reddening as she struggled with the marzipan. She ducked her head. “It’s nice,” she murmured.

“I knew you would like it.”

Their easy camaraderie was broken. In stiff silence they motioned for the remnants of food to be cleared and their horses brought to them. In those few minutes, Sarah could constantly feel Brian’s eyes on her. The Prince, however, never once looked her way.

As she mounted her horse, she heard the jingle of a harness as Brian guided his own forward. He pulled in next to her.

“Sarah…” he began hesitantly.

She didn’t look at him, busying herself with the reins. “Yes?”

He drew something from his coat. “I want you to have this.” He placed into her hand a thick, cream-colored sheet of paper that was folded into thirds. On one side was her full name and title, and on the other he had fastened the edges with red wax imprinted with his seal.

“Read it,” he urged quietly. “Please. I - it’s for you.”

She made as if to reply, but someone snatched the reins from her listless hands, and a cool, elegant voice said: “Come with me, Sarah. I want to show you something.”

She gave a startled yelp as her mount began to trot, twisting her fingers in the horse’s mane and holding on for dear life. His Highness, blatantly showing off, had flipped the reins and was leading her Palomino with his right hand, guiding his own with his left. They cantered away from their friends, quickly losing sight of the perplexed pair.

Sarah eventually managed to wrench the reins from his hand and regain control of the horse. She brought the mare to a gentle halt and then wheeled upon her kidnapper, furious.

“How dare you?” she fumed. “Never mind how angry I am at you, right now - was about Nicole and Brian? How must they feel, being abandoned? Did you ever think of that?”

The question brought him up short. For a moment he stared at her in complete surprise, and then burst into laughter. “No,” he confessed. “I only think about you.”

She stared at him. “Um, well,” she said after a moment, tucking an errant strand of hair behind one ear. “Did you want to show me something?”

He laughed again shaking his head. “Not really. I was just tired of sharing you. Come on,” he said, ignoring her baffled expression. “I’ll race you back to the house.” He turned his horse in that direction. “And if I win, I get to kiss you.”

“You do that anyway,” she muttered darkly.

“Yes, but this time,” he muttered wryly, “you have to enjoy it.” Without waiting for her response, he urged his horse to a gallop.

She followed; telling herself the beauty of the setting sun was what made her smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Nicole arrived back at the house some hours later, she assured Sarah she bore no ill will against her cousin - though she was resolved to snub the Prince for at least a few days, just so he was aware of her displeasure. Brian, Nicole reported, had been less upset than one might have expected, considering the circumstances. Thus assured, Sarah went to sleep without qualm. The letter from Brian was laid unopened on a table beside her bed. She thought it would be better to read it in the morning, when she felt more refreshed.

Her sleep was easy and dreamless amidst the silk pillows and warm blankets of her bed. She left the window open so that fresh air could move about her room, and awoke to the sound birdsong…

And that of someone reading a letter.

“…suppose I have to give him credit for that one, your eyes are rather enchanting. But the next time he tries to rhyme “green” with “seen” I’ll have him kicked out of Venice. And, oh look, here he is professing undying devotion again. He does that quite often… one might begin to think he were an abandoned puppy. And this next line is simply atrocious. I refuse to read it aloud. What business does he have looking at your ankles, anyway?”

Sarah’s eyes snapped open. By turning her head, she could see the Prince - on the edge of her bed, comfortably sitting up against the headboard with his long legs stretched out on the coverlet. In his hands he held a piece of paper graced with her name and the remnants of a red wax seal.

“What are you doing?” she demanded in a dangerous tone.

He paused, taking a moment to smile at her. “Ah, good, you’re up. Cook is adamant in her belief that you will want chocolate. She’s guarding the last pitcher with a ferocity I’ve rarely seen, and don’t feel like testing. Get up and tell her you don’t want it, so she’ll give it to me.”

“I do want it,” she said, struggling to sit up. “And what are you doing with Brian’s letter? Give it back!”

She reached for it, but he sprang nimbly away from her and onto the floor. “But I’m not finished with it,” he said mildly.

“You damn well are,” she growled, throwing back the covers. “You have no right to read that, it’s mine, and meant for me. Give it here!”

He evaded her grasp again, laughing. She lunged for him, nearly tripping on the edge of her long nightgown. He always kept one step ahead, taunting her with the folded paper, whisking it away just as her fingertips touched it. She stumbled in her bare feet, almost tackling him a time or two in her stubborn refusal to give up the chase. He led her on a merry dance all though her private rooms, and finally edged outside into the hallway, where Sarah knew she couldn’t follow for propriety’s sake. Desperate, she seized the pitcher of water on her dresser, filled every morning for her to wash her face in. His feet were on the top step of the long stairway when she dashed the water against his back.

He froze, and then spun around to glare at her like a disgruntled (and drenched) cat, wheat-gold hair dripping into his eyes. His face was the perfect expression of wry defeat, and she couldn’t help laughing as she leaned against the doorway.

“Now,” she gasped out, “will you kindly return my letter?”

He did so, courteously, and she broke into giggles again at his apparently unshakable composure.

“Do you know,” he said suddenly, intently, eyes locked on her face, “how beautiful you are when you smile? Or when you laugh,” he continued, oblivious to the look of shock that slipped over her features. “There’s a… a glow to your face, to your skin - a new grace in the way you move.” From the step below her, he lifted a hand to softly trace the curve of her cheek. “As if you were lit from within. You conquer a room with that smile, Sarah.” His hand dropped. “You conquer me.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked down, taking the steps two at a time. Thrilled and lost, she watched him go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nicole had discovered a tiny bouquet of wild violets by her breakfast plate, and was immensely mollified by their presence. She was sunny and gay that morning, with not an ill word to be had for the Prince.

“It’s just a shame,” she kept saying, “that he didn’t come back to the table after he left to fetch you, Sarah. I hope I wasn’t too cold to him… maybe he thinks I hate him, and is avoiding my company… I’ll find him after breakfast.”

And Sarah smiled as she sipped her chocolate.

After her meal she went into the library to curl up before the fireplace. Contrary to expected August weather, it was cool that day. A heavy fog blanketed the ground, and the chill leaked through even the thick house walls. She shivered in her thin summer dress, and drew a blanket over herself.

At one point, she looked up to find the Prince watching her from the doorway.

“How long have you been standing there?” she demanded.

“Come riding,” he said, ignoring the question. “I’m getting restless, staying inside like this. I want you to come with me.”

She cast another glance at the window, the view still obscured by thick fog. “But the weather’s terrible.”

“So? It only looks terrible from the outside. It’s beautiful when you’re out riding in it.” He walked over, catching her hand and giving it an impatient tug. “Come on, Sarah.”

She made a face, reluctantly getting up from her warm chair. “I’ll catch a cold,” she grumbled.

“You won’t. Trust me.”

It was gorgeous to be out riding in. The fog washed everything pale and ghostly, the sun breaking through in luminous beams from the cloud-filled sky. Wisping tendrils clung to anything that moved through it -- a tree branch waving in the breeze, a horse’s hoof, Sarah's arm as she tucked her hair out of her eyes - leaving beaded droplets of cold water in its wake.

“I’m getting wet,” Sarah muttered, petulant. “I’m going to get sick.”

The Prince gave a small sigh of exasperation. “I promise that you won’t. And if you’re getting wet, it’s because you deserve to be after dumping a pitcher of water on my head.”

She grinned at him. “Really? It’s worth it, then.”

He gave her a mock-scowl. “Wicked creature.”

She laughed, and they rode comfortably for a while longer. Sarah had her eyes on the ground, making sure she was guiding her horse safely through the treacherous fog when his imperious voice lanced through the silence:

“A question.”

“A possible answer,” she replied, voice deliberately light to counter his serious tone.

“Your father has never remarried.”

“That’s true.”

“Why?”

She blinked at him, a little startled. “You ask as if… well, as if I had something to do with it. Which I haven’t - I’m not that well acquainted with my father’s personal life.”

He nodded shortly. “But you are glad he has never taken a second wife. You prefer it that way.”

She gave him a sidelong glance. “To be perfectly honest… yes. Am I so transparent?”

He made a faint grimace, still looking studiously away from her face. “Call it intuition. Why do you prefer it? Surely you wish your father to be happy?”

“Of course I do,” she replied, a little indignant. “And I never directly prevented him from getting remarried - I’m just glad it never happened.”

“I repeat: why?”

She drew a long breath, frowning in thought. “Well, for one thing, a second marriage is always hard on the children from the first. So self-preservation, in part.”

“What do you mean?”

She hesitated. “Growing up, girls adore their mothers - they worship them. They watch their mothers get dressed for parties, beg to put on the same makeup, mimic them in each and every way possible.” She laughed a little. “To a young girl, a mother is a fascinating creature: always laughing, kissing her father, accompanied by some delicious scent. I never knew my own mother, of course. But if I had… If a man remarries, choosing another woman after his previous wife, he throws off the hold his dead wife has on him - relinquishes her love, in a way. He loves someone else, you see… And if the little girl has spent her whole life trying to be exactly like the woman her father now strives to forget, and begins daily to sees her dead mother’s face reflected back at her from the mirror… the daughter begins to wonder if she still has her father’s love.”

The Prince was unusually subdued, answering. “You know that’s not true, Sarah.”

She smiled to herself. “Of course. But the head and heart speak in different tongues, and things don’t always translate well. Thankfully,” raising her head up, “I’ve never had to deal with that problem. But I imagine it must be hard. Especially if - for example - the second wife is the exact opposite of his first: fair where she was dark, stern where she was always teasing…” Suddenly, her breath caught, as if she choked on her own unexpectedly vehement words. The world swam, dark and bright colors bleeding together into chaos. She ducked her head, gloved hand coming up to shield her closed eyes.

“Sarah?” A soft touch under her chin, forcing her to raise her face under the scrutiny of that unnerving gaze. “Are you alright?”

She breathed deep, if a little unsteadily. “I’m fine,” she protested. “Just a little dizziness - really, very strange, but I’m fine now.” She smiled wide to prove it. “Perfectly fine.”

His dark eyes were strangely sad, and he angled his gloved hand to caress her cheek. Oddly tired, she let herself lean into his hand - letting him support her briefly, relaxing into that gentleness - before her horse sidestepped, and she had to snap to attention to control her animal.

“Besides,” she continued lightly, fussing unnecessarily with the reins, “I admit to a childish wish for a love that can outlast death.”

“Oh?”

“Mm-hmm.” She threw him a teasing look. “I know it’s a silly fantasy, but I can’t give up the idea.”

“Really. Care to explain further?”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, the usual adolescent's dream of a soulmate, that sort of thing. As long as my father remains unmarried, I can believe my mother was his true love - that he is sustained by her memory and needs no one else to fulfill his life.” She was silent for a moment as they rode through the ghostly surroundings. “I want to believe such love exists.”

“I see.” He nodded gravely, eyes on their path. “But surely such love becomes rather… oh, oppressive, after a while?”

“Oppressive!” she retorted, stung. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, soulmates are more trouble than they’re worth.” He dismissed them with an affected wave of his hand. “There are always so many challenges to face and obstacles to master before you can be with them, for instance. And even if you can be together, the love of a soulmate is such a serious thing. Eternal, everlasting, and so very meaningful devotion.” He made a face. “So very permanent.”

She laughed at his distaste. “Quite a difference to your usual flings, I expect.”

“Quite,” he drawled. “And don’t try to tell me you wouldn’t rebel under the weight of such intentions, either.”

“Of course I wouldn’t.”

“Really? This from the girl who scorned poor Paris for throwing his country into war - out of love for a woman, may I remind you. The unfortunate thing is that desperate love is often coupled with desperate actions, for which you have a marked distaste.”

“True,” she replied after a moment. “I refuse to accept the perpetration of such events - even in the name of love.”

He raised an eyebrow like an upswept owl’s wing. “And the love itself?” he asked, voice light, but with the ring of challenge.

She smiled serenely, holding his eyes with her own. “The love itself,” she replied softly, “is always accepted.”

He looked away first.

“So,” she resumed, “I have been very forthcoming in answer to your questions - may I pose one of my own?”

“Of course.”

She grinned at him. “What is it like to be the so-called ‘Prince’ of Venice - with all the wealth, power, and control that comes with that title?”

He was quiet for a very long moment, finally letting his eyes fall shut before answering: “Lonely.”

She started, and her horse flicked her ears back at the unorthodox movement. “You can’t be serious,” she said, frowning.

“Can’t I?”

“You have the whole city at your feet! How can you be lonely?”

“Perhaps the whole of Venice is not the company I seek.”

“And what is wrong with the people in the city?”

“You don’t understand.” He sighed briefly. “I am… I am the Prince, there, Sarah - and no one else. I will never be anyone else. Not to them, at least. And being the Prince is a role with certain… obligations.”

“And you find them taxing?”

“No. No. In fact, I found them rather enjoyable, until --” He shot her a look from beneath half-lowered lashes. “The truth of it is, I don’t know if they are, or not. Because I have never been without them. The court games you despise so much - the power plays, the manipulations, the schemes - I have never lived any other way. I know nothing else, Sarah.”

She watched him as he brooded, his face dark and turned slightly away from her. She spoke, softly, as if she didn’t quite realize what she was saying: “And if you had one wish - one dream - it would be to be free of them. To live like any other human being.”

His head whipped around, eyes wide with shock. And the naked pain and vulnerability of his face almost made her gasp.

With obvious effort, he shut his eyes against that terrible truth. “How did you guess?” he asked, sounding slightly strangled.

She suppressed a smile, letting her mare step lightly ahead of his mount. “I told you before,” she said lightly. “I know you.” She cast him a backward glance, dark curtain of hair falling over one shoulder. “Even if you didn’t believe me at the time.”

“Well,” he spoke mildly, rapidly regaining his composure, “I can’t always be right.” He scrutinized her carefully, raising an eyebrow at the shivers she didn’t bother to suppress. “Ready to go home?”

She trembled in the damp fog. “More than ready. I just know I’ll wake up with a cold tomorrow - my clothes are soaked through.”

“You won’t get sick, Sarah. Will you ever learn to trust me about these things?”

“Not as long as I draw breath,” she muttered, and his burst of laughter was lost in the ghostly expanses around them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re sick?”

She glared at him from where she was propped up on a chaise lounge. She had refused to stay in bed, but was too miserable to do anything but curl up with a book and a steady supply of hot chocolate. The servants had made sure she was comfortable, bolstered by mounds of soft pillows and a heavy blanket tucked around her. It was a trifling thing, really - just a few sniffles and a headache, not even a real fever to worry about. But it made her decidedly cranky - and the look of utterly incredulous disbelief on the Prince’s face wasn’t helping.

“How did you get sick?” he demanded, as if her present condition was a personal insult.

“I think being dragged out into the damp weather had something to do with it,” she replied waspishly. “Don’t you?”

His eyes narrowed, as if he suspected her of faking it. “That’s not possible,” he proclaimed.

“Of course it’s possible!” she replied hotly. “It happens all the time! And I knew I would catch a cold, riding out in that stuff,” she seethed. “I just knew it.”

He stared at her, mouth falling open slightly in shock. “It’s you,” he breathed. “You did this.”

“I did not,” she grumped, rooting herself further down into her burrow of blankets and pillows. “Well, I suppose it’s my own fault - but it’s more yours!”

He laughed, delighted, and she gave him a puzzled look. He stepped into her rooms, still chuckling and shaking his head. He knelt easily beside the chaise, smoothing dark hair from her forehead with a gloved hand. “Ah, Sarah,” he sighed. “You are a constant wonder.” Confused, but pleased, she smiled back at him, childishly happy to have him near. Suddenly he frowned, getting to his feet and regarding her with a highly suspicious air. “It’s not catching,” he demanded, “is it?”

She threw a pillow at him.

He returned, after having made a discreet exit amidst insults and plush airborne missiles, a half-hour later. He knocked softly and on the door and opened it just a bit, peeking in. He held something behind his back.

“Pax?” He asked, wary of her reaction.

“I suppose so,” she grumbled. “No one else has come to visit me, anyway. Where is Nicole?”

“Gallivanting,” he replied, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “The weather’s cleared, and I’m afraid a sick cousin can’t compete with the prospect of visiting the neighbors. However, I’ve brought you a present.”

“Why thank you, your Highness,” she grinned impishly at him. “Your patronage is much appreciated.”

He hesitated a moment, steps pausing as he walked towards the chaise. “Sarah,” he said, suddenly serious, “why is it you always use that silly nickname? Don’t you feel comfortable using my real name?”

She frowned. “It’s not that,” she began slowly. “It’s just… I know someone told me your true name, I just… I can’t seem to remember it…” She winced abruptly, dizzy, her head throbbing, and she dropped her face into her hands.

The Prince strode over to kneel quickly by her side. He took one of her hands in his own. “Sarah,” he asked urgently, “Sarah, are you alright?”

She shuddered briefly, and then looked up, blinking. “I’m fine,” she spoke softly. “I’m sorry, I suppose I’m a bit sicker than I thought… what was I talking about?”

He dropped her hand. “Nothing,” he said shortly. “Nothing important.” He picked up her present -- a book -- from where he had laid it safely on the floor. “Take this.”

She held out her hands, and in them he placed the large, leather-bound volume. She dropped it into her lap, greedily opening up the ornate cover, a look of delight spreading over her features as she glimpsed the title page. “La Reine Margot! I’ve heard of this one - how did you get a copy so soon?”

“I have a friend in the French court,” he said, watching her thumb idly through the pages. Her face fell.

“It’s an original copy,” she said, subdued.

“Is that a problem?”

She flushed slightly. “I can’t read French - I know, I know I should have learned, but good tutors were often hard to find.”

“You can’t? Pity.” He clasped his hands behind his back, contemplating the frescos on her walls with the look of greatest innocence. “I can.”

“That’s all very well for you, I suppose,” she sighed, reluctantly closing the book, “but I am still at a loss.”

“I could read it to you.”

She hesitated. “What?”

He smiled benignly. “I could translate as I read, and read it aloud to you. Here.” Without further ado, he stood up and lifted her - book, blanket, and all - into his arms. Ignoring her gasp of surprise, he adroitly carried her over to the other side of the room, where a broad couch rested beneath a wide window that let sunlight wash into the room. Swiftly, he put her down upon it, managing to position both her and himself so that - in a manner of minutes - Sarah found herself sharing the couch with him. He angled himself so that he was sitting against one of the plush arms while she was stretched out on the cushions, her head resting on his chest. She immediately struggled to sit up, but his arm snaked around her waist and he held her fast.

“I thought you wanted to hear the story,” he remarked mildly.

“Yes,” she muttered. “But this is - this is not --” With a sigh of defeat she gave up, head falling onto his shoulder. “Never mind.”

“Good.” Releasing her, he opened up the book. “Now, hush.” With his rich, sonorous voice, he began to tell her the story of the beautiful, reckless, doomed queen.

Sarah was strangely content listening to Dumas’ tale told in the Prince’s cool, cultured tone, feeling the rumble of his voice deep inside his chest against her cheek. Her fingers curled against the velvet softness of his waistcoat, a beautiful midnight blue shot with silver threads of embroidery. Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes.

She must have fallen asleep. She knew she had - but it was a strange sort of sleep, dreamless and drifting. Sometimes she was half-awake, listening to the sound of the Prince reading to her, conscious of her head tucked beneath his chin and the movement of his chest as he breathed deep. Other times all she knew was darkness, and the gentle drift of the breeze and the sound of the Prince’s voice - singing to her, a half-whispered melody that she could almost… remember…

She awoke several hours later; she could tell by the angle that the sunlight slanted through the window overhead. She breathed deep, utterly relaxed and happy. She could feel that the Prince had placed his arms loosely around her shoulders.

“Sarah,” his voice came, pitched so low that, even in the empty room, it barely reached her ears.

“Mm?” She closed her eyes again, reveling in his warmth.

“I want you to marry me.”

That brought her fully awake. Her head jerked up, and she half sat up where she lay, supporting herself on her arms so that she could look him full in the face. Her eyes were wide with shock, but his own face was immeasurably calm, as if he had made a statement about the weather or something just as inevitable.

“I can’t,” she protested faintly. She made as if to lift herself away from him, but his hands came up and circled her wrists, not letting her go.

He raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

She opened and shut her mouth a few times in aborted attempt to reply. “You’re uncle is the Doge of Venice,” she began finally, plainly - speaking as if these things should be obvious to him. “I come from a good family, but yours - they would want you to marry a foreign princess, make an alliance… You can’t just throw yourself away on an ambassador’s daughter.”

“Sarah, I want you to do me a favor.” He spoke easily, lightly, as if the subject was of little overall importance - but the grip on her wrists tightened with bruising strength, and the dark intensity of his eyes unnerved her little. “Pretend this is all a dream. Pretend none of that is true - your family, my family, what you will. Pretend that we can do whatever we want.” She opened her mouth to make some protest, but he let go of her wrist to press a finger firmly against her lips. “Would you marry me then?

“Sarah,” he continued in a harsher tone, as she made no move to answer. “I don’t have to ask this. To be perfectly honest, I never intended to, because there was no need for it. But now… now I am asking. Because I want to.”

He took away his hand, and for a long moment she simply looked at him, eyes searching his stark features for some hint of mockery, or teasing. She found none.

She let herself fall back onto his chest, listening quietly to the sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear. She closed her eyes against the almost unbearable happiness that was born within her own heart. “Yes,” she said softly. “I’ll marry you.”

He made no answer. But he entwined his gloved fingers with hers, bringing up her hand to press his lips against it in a gesture of wordless love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They managed to keep the engagement a secret - not an easy task with someone like Nicole in the house, who obviously sensed that something had changed between the two of them. But although she gave them both long, hard looks and a couple of pointed questions, Nicole seemed thwarted in figuring out their mystery. And so they safely returned to Venice, undiscovered, a few weeks later.

The days passed in a whirl that Sarah could barely keep straight. It seemed a blur of events and faces: greeting her father, who had finally come home; opening up their old house; telling him of the engagement, and all the procedures that entailed… So much fussing. Her trousseau, so carefully kept and added to over the years, was shipped in from England. Her father had to meet with the Prince’s in order to discuss dowry arrangements and draw up the marriage contract. She never actually met the Prince’s family. She never understood how he got them to agree to this unorthodox arrangement… all she knew was that she was happy.

The day after the public announcement, Sarah was in her room (just waking up) when her cousin threw open the door with a bang.

“You!” Nicole screeched. “You little…” she advanced, grabbing pillows from chairs and couches and lobbing them at her dark-haired cousin, who yelped and ducked, as she went. “I will never forgive you! THREE WEEKS! Three! And you never said a word!” She lunged, finally catching Sarah by the shoulders and managing to give the girl a good shaking, despite her diminutive status. Finally, she stopped, dropping down onto the bed. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she wailed.

Sarah laughed and fell back into a chair, a little breathless. “We didn’t want anyone to know until the summer was over,” she explained gently. “And Nicole, I love you very much, but you can’t keep a secret.”

“I could have, this once!” Nicole pouted.

Sarah laughed again, joyfully throwing her head back. “Alright, I promise that next time I’m engaged to the Prince, I’ll tell you right away. Is that okay?”

“I suppose,” Nicole muttered.

“Right.” Sarah nodded, standing. “Now, will you help me get dressed for the betrothal? I can’t bring myself to deal with servants, right now.”

“Of course,” Nicole said. “Why do you think I came, you silly goose? And Lucien will be over in a moment for your hair. Now,” she said greedily, climbing to her feet, “where’s your dress?”

The betrothal ceremony was a simple one, mainly concerning the male members of both families, but the bride-to-be did play a small part. After the Prince arrived with his retinue of friends and family, Sarah would have to descend, dressed in white, and present herself in the portego. She would circle the room, allowing herself to be viewed and inspected, and then respectfully withdraw. It was, she and Nicole agreed, distastefully like a horse fair - but it had to be done.

Lucien - full of murmured praise and warm wishes - had just finished plaiting her hair, which hung loose to her shoulders, with the traditional gold threads and twists of red silk when Nicole rushed breathless into the room again.

“The Prince is here,” she said urgently, taking her cousin’s hand and literally pulling her out of the chair. “He’s waiting in the foyer while his father and your father talk for a bit - he wants to see you, go, quickly!”

Sarah let herself be firmly pushed out the door and onto the stairway by her cousin, laughing a little. Finally, waving Nicole away, she descended, feeling strangely shy. She hesitated when the Prince finally came into her view. He was waiting, impatiently, at the bottom of the staircase, one hand on the railing. He was distracted, staring into space, and she had to lightly touch his gloved hand to make him look up.

But when he did, the look in his eyes made her breath catch.

“You’re beautiful,” he said quietly after a moment.

She smiled. “So are you.” He was also dressed in the traditional garments for a betrothal - his coat, waistcoat, and breeches were all a dark, rich red.

He let himself look at her a few minutes longer, gloved fingers lightly tracing the back of her hand. She shivered.

“I want you to have something,” he said abruptly, and he caught at her hand. Before she could react, he had slipped a ring of diamonds onto her finger: the ricordino. She held her hand up to the light, and it sparkled with cold fire.

“You shouldn’t give me this, yet,” she whispered. “Not until the second reception.”

“I know.” He climbed the few steps needed to match her height, and gave her a quick, fierce kiss - almost savage. “I wanted you to have it now.” He walked down the stairs and to the doorway of the portego, casting dark eyes up at her. “Run upstairs again,” he told her gently. “I’ll see you soon.”

She did so, ringed hand clenched tight against her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And then they were married.

She could hardly remember anything between the betrothal and the ceremony - honestly, Sarah could barely remember getting married. Just flashes, heart-pangs of joy and splendor revealed before her eyes. They were married on a Sunday at church, since her own house was seemed insufficiently grand to hold the ceremony in. As custom dictated, the ceremony was held at dawn. The only guests present were their families, due to the restrictions of sumptuary laws. She recalled so little… not the faces of the people surrounding her, not the words of the ceremony itself, not even her own words. All she could remember was the blare of trumpets and the singing of the flutes as they entered - also, the steady, reassuring presence of the Prince, constantly at her side.

The banquet afterwards, however, she would never forget.

It was held in the Prince’s palace. They arrived together in a private gondola, newly married, and Sarah was reminded vividly of the first time she ever ascended these steps. Smiling at her, as if he knew her thoughts, the Prince led her inside.

As soon as she stepped through the doorway, the whole world exploded into light and music and shouting. Blinking to clear her vision, she saw that the main room was ablaze with sunlight streaming from the high, wide windows, scattered torches chasing away shadows in even the remotest corners. An orchestra was placed to the side, already entertaining guests with joyful music, and tables overflowing with fruit and meat and dishes covered half of the reaching floor.

And the guests - as soon as she stepped into the room, she was nearly lost to sight in the melee of hugging, laughing, crying friends. Her hands were grabbed, her cheeks kissed, and she was held so tightly she could barely breathe. Highborn and lowborn, all of her friends were there: Nicole, Ludo, Hoggle, Brian, Chaucer, and even Didymus, with new chain mail and a spotless white uniform for the occasion. She had so many shouted congratulations her ears rang.

Finally, everyone calmed enough to sit down to eat. Sarah couldn’t bring herself to eat much, really. But she laughed, and chattered incessantly. The bright crimson of her wedding dress was beautiful against her pale skin and pearl-studded dark hair. The Prince, garbed in traditional black, never ate or spoke at all. He simply sat, smiling quietly. His eyes never left her face.

Finally, someone (a member of the Ardent, who had all been invited to the feast) began calling for toasts.

Hoggle stood first, a tankard in one hand. The multitude of guests quieted as he climbed to his feet, standing on the bench so that his small stature wouldn’t keep him from being seen. Hoggle nodded towards the Prince and spoke to him directly.

“I’ve never liked you,” he said bluntly. The last of the whispers died, and every face looked, wide-eyed, toward the gnarled gondolier. “In fact, I don’t think I ever will.” Hoggle shifted, turning his gaze to the woman at the Prince’s side. “But I love her,” he continued. “And I always will. So, if she chooses you - that’s good enough for me.” Without another word he sat, raising his mug to hide the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

“Ahem.” A rail-thin, stooping figure climbed to his feet, wine in hand. “At the risk of following that eloquence,” Chaucer remarked dryly, “I shall make my own toast. To my Lord and my Lady,” he said, raising his glass high. “Two hearts and minds who have managed to find each other in an increasingly misleading world.” He was silent a moment. “Knowing you both,” he continued softly, “I cannot but be happy at the rightness of your union.” He nodded to them. “Sometimes, we frail mortals actually manage to get things right. This is one of those rare - and most joyous - times.” He sat, blinking rapidly.

Before she could open her mouth, Sarah found that Ludo was standing quietly by the Prince’s side. When his Highness nodded his permission, the large man performed: showing his empty hands to the assembly, and then blowing softly on them, rubbing his huge paws together… and then producing, as if from thin air, a delicate gold circlet set with three black pearls. Gravely, the Prince bent his head forward, allowing Ludo to place it across his brow. Then the buffoon moved over to stand beside Sarah, going through the same motions - and gently placing a band of white gold, set with rose-colored pearls, across her own forehead.

“Thank you, Ludo,” Sarah whispered. He smiled at her, bending down to hold her tightly for a moment before stepping back to his place at the table.

Sir Didymus rose as soon as his large friend sat, the leather of his brand-new boots breaking with the movement. Tears were already streaming down his face, and for several minutes he struggled to find the words. Finally, his shoulder slumped in defeat, and he shook his head. Swiftly raising his glass into the air, he roared, with a powerful voice that should have challenged mythical beasts and commanded entire armies, hoarse with emotion: “Long live the Prince and Princess!”

The room erupted into cheers.

As if this was their cue, the musicians immediately began to play. Turning, Sarah found a familiar face standing expectantly at her side.

Brian bowed. “A dance?”

They were graceful together, sweeping across the dark boards with the perfect ease of friends. He held her lightly and she smiled up at him.

“Let me guess,” he said only for her ears as he returned the smile: “The poetry was a mistake.”

She laughed outright, and his grip tightened to keep her from falling. “No,” she said, still giggling. “Not a mistake, exactly. It was very good, but perhaps --”

“Perhaps I should try it on a girl who isn’t in love with someone else, hmm?” He asked, a bit wryly.

She blushed slightly. “I wasn’t in love with him, then.”

This time, he laughed. “And if you believe that, kitten, I’m happy to see your pretty illusions haven’t suffered in this hard, cruel world.”

“Be nice.”

“Why should I be nice?” He grinned cheekily. “I’m the loser in this little game; don’t I get to throw my weight around a bit?” She pinched him - perhaps less gently than she should have - and he released her, still chuckling. “Such violent, unwomanly behavior - his Highness can have you.”

“I do have her.” An arm reaching around to drape across her waist, his presence beside her. “But I don’t need your permission.”

Brian stepped back, holding up his hands defensively. “I wish you both all the happiness in the world,” he said, honestly.

“I know.” Her Prince’s mouth quirked. “That’s why you’re still alive.”

“Ah.” Brian nodded wisely. “And here I thought it was my good looks.” Grinning, he left them alone.

“I have something for you.” His arm fell away, but he took her by the hand.

“You’re going to spoil me with all these presents.”

“Just one more.” He led her out onto a balcony that looked down on the canals below and across the buildings beside them. She could see women drying their hair on the rooftops, children running through the streets below.

Smooth silk slid against her neck, and she turned away from the view. He was standing behind her, fastening a necklace of some sort - she picked up the pendant at one end, the better to inspect it. It was huge - the size of her palm - and very, very old. It was crafted from pure gold, the soft metal almost bending under her light touch: a sculpted owl, its outstretched wings circling behind its head to touch and meld. The silken cord passed under those delicate wings to tie around her neck.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “Where did you get it?”

“It’s something of a family crest.”

She released the pendant, letting it fall against the fabric of her dress. “But I’ve seen your family’s crest, and this --”

“A different part of the family.” He held her from behind, draping his arm across her shoulders. “I want you to have it.” He kissed her, bending his head to touch where the curve of her neck met the line of her shoulder. She watched the feast inside, silently, eyes on her friends as they moved through shafts of sunlight, dancing between glittering dust motes. She listened to the sound of their laughter, their talk, leaning back against her new husband. She was so happy; it was a physical pain - a tremor and an ache of the heart that made her gasp.

And she knew.

“This isn’t real, is it?”

The music halted. Before her, the dancers paused - freezing in place like abandoned marionettes. Their laughter, their talk all died in the air, the silence vibrating like a plucked string. But Sarah hardly noticed. All her attention was on the Prince.

His mouth stopped. He paused, and then drew away from her. “What did you just say?”

Her eyes stung with tears, but she continued. “This isn’t real.”

He took a step backward, and then another. “You always surprise me, Sarah,” he said, sounding as if from very far away, “with your commendable level of perception.” And another step.

“No!” She whirled, the weight of her swirling skirts slowing her only marginally as she reached for him. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to the rough fabric of his waistcoat. “Please,” she whispered softly. “Don’t leave me.”

He felt like stone beneath her touch. “How much do you remember?”

“I…”

“How much?”

She squeezed her eyes shut at the raw pain in his voice. “Nothing,” she whispered. “But I know this is a dream.”

“How?” he asked, the question like a stinging lash. “How could you know? Was this world still not up to your impeccable standards? Hmm? Weren’t the courtiers adequately noble? Weren’t your surroundings dazzling? Weren’t the stars fucking bright enough?” The torrent of words ceased, and he became deadly calm. “Or was it me?” he asked softly. “Will I never be enough for you?

“Answer me, Sarah.”

She breathed deep, taking in the dark, delicious scent of him. “It’s too perfect,” se said quietly. “Too wonderful. No one has this much happiness - so pure and perfect, untouched by pain. It can’t be real.”

For a long moment, he was still. The he sighed, and the tension flowed out of his body - he became human warmth again. His hands reached up to cup her face, and he leaned his forehead against her own.

“It can be, for us,” he breathed. “We can have this kind of happiness. Here.” His thumbs caressed her cheeks, running along her smooth skin. “How did you know I was doing it?”

Sarah laughed lightly. “Because you’re the center of the world - my world,” she admitted candidly. “Who else could it be?”

“Wicked child.” He smiled. “Stay here with me.”

“I can’t.”

“Love --”

“No.”

“Sarah.” He sighed, wrapping his arms around her. “Reality is harsh, and hard.”

“But it’s mine.” She pulled away from his embrace, and that stubborn streak of independence held her head high, made her eyes flash. “And I won’t be cheated of anything. Not even by you.”

He gazed at her solemnly. She realized that the sounds of the celebration inside had long since faded away, and that the ballroom was echoingly empty. Indeed; the whole city surrounding them was eerily quiet, with no other person to be seen. The only sound came from the water rushing through the network of canals.

The Prince walked past her to the deserted ballroom. She followed him, watched him throw himself into the chair he had used during the feast. He leaned his arms on the table, hunching over in a strangely defensive posture.

“I don’t want to let you go.”

“You have to,” she responded simply.

“Give me one good reason.”

“Because I will hate you if you keep me,” she said. “And you will hate yourself.”

He drew a gloved hand over his eyes. “That last is inconsequential,” he murmured. “As for the former - in your precious reality, you hate me already.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Don’t you?” His glare pinned her to the spot. “I am cruel to you, Sarah,” he spoke evenly. “And you fear me for it.” His wandering gaze took in the splendor of their abandoned surroundings. “This is the only place I am not afraid of loosing you. Here, I am not ruled by petty passions.” He laughed, and it sounded too close to a sob. He ran his hands over his face. “Fear, jealousy, pride - they make me a monster.” He took his hands away, and his eyes burned in that too-pale face. “And I will let them, Sarah. It is the only way I can fight for you.”

Sarah could do nothing but shake her head, helplessly.

“And I am cruel.” His voice was dark, insidious - the danger that lies in wait, tempting its victim to step just a little closer. He climbed to his feet. “Do you know why I brought you here in the first place?” he asked, the words treacherously soft. Sarah looked up, fear in her eyes. “To buy time. There’s for your sense of romance, Sarah - it was a cheap trick, a dirty way of playing the game.” She winced at the self-loathing in his voice, watching him pace the wooden boards. “All of it. The glory, the beauty, the sheer magnificence - all of it. ” He laughed, and it sounded painful. “I even brought your dear friends into the web, to make it more enticing. I gave them back their former sense of self, let them assume human bodies again and trespass into my perfect world. I shared you.” He lashed out, suddenly, kicking a chair so violently it splintered, and Sarah jumped. He restrained himself after that first moment, pulling back, his breathing harsh. “And for what?” he asked himself. “For nothing. Just another shattered illusion.

“Because that’s all it was, Sarah - or at least what it was meant to be.” He looked at her, and there was an unspeakable weariness in his eyes. “You were winning a game I wanted you to lose,” he explained patiently. “You had an advantage I didn’t expect. I needed to rob you of that.”

She swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. “What did I loose?”

He looked away. “Enough for my purposes.”

“Then let me go.”

“No!” he shouted, whirling towards her. “I want you here!”

“I can’t stay.”

“Yes, you can,” he spoke through tightly clenched teeth. “Here, you have everything you could possibly want!” He strode over to her, catching both of her hands in his own. She tried to pull away, but he only held on tighter, insisting she listen, that she accept his words. “Why wouldn’t you want to stay? Why wouldn’t you want to live in a place where you are happy, your friends are happy, the entire world is at your feet --”

“A place where I can’t even remember your name!”

Her words, her last desperate defense against his temptation, rang through the empty room. He stilled.

“You will remember,” he promised, voice sounding empty. “Eventually.”

“When?” she demanded, the tears that had threatened to choke her spilling unheeded down her cheeks. “I’ve already pledged my entire life, my soul to you! What more can I give?”

He pulled her to him, burying his face in the darkness of her hair, and her fingers dug into his arms. “And if I stay any longer - even just for a few more days,” she whispered brokenly, “I don’t think I could bring myself to leave. Ever.”

His hold on her tightened. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters!” She tore away from him. “These thing don’t just happen, they mean something!” Her shoulders dropped, and she looked away. “Don’t try to deceive me,” she said quietly, “when you can’t even lie to yourself.”

He shuddered slightly at her words, falling back. Behind him, a strange kind of mock-throne shimmered into existence. Its half-circle shape, draped with purple silk, was insistently familiar to Sarah. He dropped into it, swinging his leg over one armrest and leaning his back against the other, staring into space.

She sank to the floor a few steps away from his throne, crimson skirts billowing around her. For a long time, she contemplated the hands that lay listless in her lap.

“I want the reality,” she finally said. “I prize it higher, with all its sweetness and stings, than any sugar-spun fairytale you can create.” She lifted her eyes to his. “I want you. Every part of you - not just who you are when things are easy to bear. I will not forfeit that. Even if you are cruel to me.”

He looked at her, expressionless. “You didn’t always hold your dreams so cheaply.”

“Dreams must be achieved. They must be worked for, earned through sweat and tears. It’s what makes them so precious. They cannot be simply bestowed - that is what makes them cheap.” And then, with a flash of unthinking insight: “You never understood that.”

His eyes were faintly curious. “And you did?”

She smiled wryly to herself. “Not until just now.” She rose to her feet, if a little unsteadily. “Let me go. Please.”

His eyes were a brilliant sapphire blue. “Don’t leave me, Sarah. Don’t leave me alone, with nothing left of you but a memory.” He let his head fall back, shutting his eyes and speaking so softly, she almost didn’t hear it: “Not again.”

She bit her lip against the urge to promise him she wouldn’t, promise anything he wanted. After she had regained her control, she went to him, stepping up to the dais and bending over her Prince. She kissed him on that tattered throne, her dark hair falling past his face like a curtain. He took her into his arms, cradling her close to him like something precious. She broke away from the kiss, curling up against him.

“I won’t let you win,” he said.

“And I won’t loose,” she replied simply. She turned her head, dark eyelashes brushing against the base of his pale throat. “But you have to let me go.”

He seemed to slump in the chair, the resistance leaving his tense frame. “As you wish.”

The ballroom melted away, its empty glory fading even as she watched. Flaming torches gave way to dripping wax candles, unlit and dusty in the thin, watery sunlight. Wide windows became half-circles cut into thick stone. The scent of incense and myrrh faded, was replaced by dirt and dust and feathers.

And she was alone.

She sat up stiffly, muscles protesting as if she had been lying in the throne for hours. She stretched cautiously; examining the strange, rough clothing she suddenly wore. Feeling bewildered, she climbed to her feet and moved over to the window. It looked out - not onto a beautiful floating city - but onto a dusty sprawl of houses, a forest beyond, and ever farther the twisting, treacherous passages of…

The Labyrinth.

Her name was Sarah Williams. Her father… and her mother… and then Karen, and she had been here before, she remembered, she had tangled with the Goblin King (Jareth, some corner of her mind whispered) and she had to rescue her baby brother Toby - no, wait -

Brian.

It all came back to her in a rush, a bewildering barrage of memories: Brian, seeing Jareth again, Chaucer, Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo, the dragons, the stone garden, the naiads, the pendant, the moat, the Portrait Hall, eating the peach…

Of course, she wasn’t just standing there as she was flooded with forgotten knowledge. No, she was moving, scrambling around the room, searching desperately for something she knew was here -

There. She could see the shape of it, hiding - someone had thrown a dirty sheet over it: a clock of thirteen hours. A clock that would tell her how much time - how precious little time - she had left. She threw back the sheet, coughing at the dust it kicked up and squinting to see the clock face.

She stood staring for a moment. Then she dropped the sheet, racing for the door with all the strength left in her body.

She had less than half an hour to save everyone - Brian, her friends, even herself - from the man she loved.

___________________________________

Officially, I claim that all historical anachronisms are Jareth’s fault, and done on purpose. After all, he created that world. But for the curious, I’ll point a few things out.

Everybody got their scorecards? Cool.

Alright. The biggies here are the stocking clubs, which did exist - but in the Renaissance. I have no idea whether or not they survived into the late 1700s, which is when this story is set, but found no evidence as such. The buffoons were also huge in the Renaissance. They did exist later, but in far less official terms. Also, Alexandre Dumas wasn’t even born until 1805, and Queen Margot published several decades later. I included it because I wanted to, and because the French film version, with Isabel Adjani, kicks major ass. I also have no idea when Ascension Day (which did actually exist), during Holy week, was actually held in the course of the year. I put it right before summer in order to make my life easier. Another tiny flaw - coffeehouses officially banned women from admittance around this time, and they had casini instead. However, I had no idea what in hell a casini was, so I just had Sarah go to a coffeehouse. There was a good deal of fudging on my part, overall - but wherever I put in specific details, it’s historically accurate to the best of my knowledge. The sumptuary laws, gambling, betrothal and wedding ceremonies, summerhouses, frequent horseback riding, canal races during Holy Week, secrecy among gondoliers, etc. - this is all straight from the history books. (Wow. I put too much work into this chapter. Note to self - never write period pieces, ever again.)

I did not, also, make up how often these people partied. Venetians had fun. Even the women, though that freedom came after marriage. Nor did I make up the easy mixing between the classes - for instance, it was quite common for nobles to run off and crash a sagra, where all the good dancing was. Venetians thought the rest of the world nuts (and rather suicidal) for being so class-conscious.

Again, this is all to the best of my knowledge - the bulk of which comes from Maurice Andrieux, author of Daily life in Venice at the Time of Casanova. I owe him much gratitude. He was not my only source, but he was my favorite, and I stole several phrases from him. Bad me.

Oh, and the Venetians didn’t celebrate a Saint Katharine, as far as I know. That’s just my name. Hee.

If you spotted anything else, feel free to let me know. But please, be nice. Chances are I’m aware I got something wrong and left it in for purposes of plot. But, if not, I’d love to hear what you have to say.