Fanfiction based on the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman.

I don't own anything that belongs to Mary Hoffman.

The New Apprentice

The Duchessa

When the Duchessa arrived in the late morning Jess was marvelled by how someone so young could rule an entire city. She looked as delicate as glass, as if her fragile body and mask like face could shatter as easily as the mask in the Merlino glass museum did. Whilst pretending to study Luciano in a small private meeting room, they were in fact informing Jess of Belleza, the city she supposedly came from. Now that she was being offered an insight beyond this building, Jess was fascinated by Talia and its customs. She supposed the time here was equivalent to around the 16th century in England, although she wasn't sure; history wasn't her strong point.

She had also been on the receiving end of some of Luciano's questions, as he had once lived in England as she did. Surprisingly, Jess didn't know Luciano, nor go to Barnsbury Comp, but her younger cousin Alice - who had given her the fairy as a birthday present - did.

"I'm not sure if I know her, Alice, Alice who?" asked Luciano.

"Alice Greaves. She's friends with Georgia O'Grady, Nicholas Duke, and her boyfriend Sky Meadows. Are you sure you don't know them?" replied Jess.

"Oh yes, I know Georgia, Sky and of course I know Nick. He used to live in this world. They are all in fact Stravagante; even Alice has come to Giglia once."

Jess looked astounded. "Even Alice?! And how could Nick live in this world when he's alive in my world? Does he have to stravagate everyday like I will? But Nick has a shadow!" she protested, questions tumbling out of her. She definitely knew Nick had a shadow, the four of them often came down to Devon where Jess lived and she was certain they all had shadows.

It was Giuditta who answered first. "Yes, Alice has come here before; it was I who brought across her talisman. Hers was a tricky situation though, a one off Stravagation. Alice thought Sky and Georgia were together, so they felt they needed to tell her in order to save their relationship."

"Sky and Georgia?" thought Jess, "No wonder this is so messy. I always thought Sky was going out with Alice."

Luciano continued with the explanations, "Nick has translated like I have, so he is dead in this world but alive in yours, that way he still has a shadow. The same way I have a shadow here." Jess noted that he didn't refer to her world as 'ours', choosing to disassociate himself with it. Now things were finally beginning to make sense.

The Duchessa sat quietly through this discussion, preferring not to take part. She was discreetly eyeing the new Stravagante with a disapproving eye, envious at connections she had with Luciano despite not even knowing him. She knew Luciano loved her, but after seeing how close he was to the Georgia girl who had pretended to be a boy, she was suspicious of every new female Stravagante.

Jess had noticed the slight hostility, but couldn't understand it. The Duchessa was the ruler of a city; she could have everything she wanted, while Jess was just a mere sculptor's apprentice. She wondered what was going though the Duchessa's mind, observing the bags under her eyes, unaware that the Duchessa's silence was through jealousy.