Author's Note: Written for my good friend Mariel, who got me hooked on this trilogy to begin with. Hope this makes up for the socks. :wink:
-Criminally Stupid-
It was patently obvious that Arianna, the young, beautiful Duchessa of Bellezza, and her Regent's apprentice, Luciano Crinamorte, had a thing for each other. Not just 'a thing', but more like a 'deeply, madly, I-fall-at-your-feet' thing.
Of course, everyone but them knew. Irony at its best.
---
Stretching, Sky yawned and looked out across the field. He was over at Alice's place-now his, too, due to Rosalind's marriage to Paul-and was waiting somewhat impatiently for Alice to tire of riding with Georgia. Nick had come along for a little while, but Mrs Mulholland had come to pick him up not long ago.
An uncharacteristic smirk stole over Sky's face as he recalled the way Nick and Georgia had mooned over each other: It was like they thought no one could tell they were being so obvious. The smirk spread into a grin as he thought of another pair of teenagers (Are they still teenagers? He wondered idly.) with the same sort of problem.
Alice and Georgia zoomed by; it looked like they were racing each other. Alice laughed and waved at him over her shoulder. The other girl took her chance and raced ahead, leaving his girlfriend in her dust-literally.
Sky watched them absently, remembering the look on Arianna's face when Luciano had been cut by Duke Niccolo's sword. He thought it highly absurd that those two had never discovered each other's feelings.
'Sky!' It was Alice. 'We're done; want something to drink?'
'Pity the talismans are destroyed,' he said to himself as he stood and dusted himself off. 'I'd have liked to know whether they ever got themselves sorted out.'
---
Franco, Giuditta Miele's most lady-popular apprentice, watched the scene from behind a hedgerow, having gotten rid of the guard quite effectively (All men like to drink, after all). He laughed quietly to himself. Finally, the young Duchessa and the young Crinamorte had given up all pretenses and kissed! 'Anxious to see if it was all right' indeed!
He watched with increasing amusement as the Duchessa's mask was thrown away from the two. For two fairly inexperienced whelps (or so he surmised) they knew how to kiss.
Now chuckling outright, Franco left his spot behind the hedgerow. He entered the boisterous front room, full to bursting with aides and bodyguards of the Duchessa and the Regent and his wife. He sidled up to Rodolfo. 'Sir, I might recommend you bring out the fine wine.'
The elder man looked slightly confused. 'I'm sorry?'
The door opened before Franco could answer. Luciano and Arianna strolled in, both of their young faces flushed; Arianna's was unmasked. He heard Silvia's gasp and smiled at Rodolfo. 'I think they can tell you.'