A/n. O.K. so I did take forever to update. Just shoot me. The reason that Fabrizio is in Belezza is he is trying to finish the job that his father started. Kind of one of the things that Fabrizio inherited. I am eternally grateful to my only two reviewers. Thank you Masked Dragonfly and Soul of Power ROCKS OUT LOUD. I bow to you and kiss your feet.
I don't own Stravaganza, any related works, or the family apple pie recipe…… I don't even think that my family has an apple pie recipe. This could be a problem.
Chapter Four
(Still in Belezza)
Nicholas was still in the closet trying to keep from breathing to loudly. That wasn't working to well. He just hoped that everyone outside couldn't hear his gasping breath.
"Kind sir. I wish to speak with you alone," Fabrizio said, addressing Rodolfo. "I wish to discuss something witch has been a pressing matter for me to attend to since the death of my father, god rest his soul."
Nick shifted around some to try and get comfortable, only hoping that the wool cloak that he was wearing wouldn't make to much noise. He knew that he was in for a long wait.
Meanwhile, Georgia, who was still under the table, was eavesdropping as well. The only difference between her predicament and Nick's current one was the fact that Georgia wasn't over heating from a woolen cloak and the fact that she at least had some ventilation. 'Poor Nick,' Georgia thought. 'He's stuck in a wardrobe, probably over heating, and listening to his older brother (who thinks his brother is dead) talk about something.'
The sound of the door to Dr. Dethridge's study opening and closing as was heard by all in the room.
As soon as the door closed, Fabrizio, who had been waiting as patiently as he could, began to tell of the reason he had come to Belezza.
"As you are probably well aware of by now, the Gallian's are once again taking up arms in response to the growing tension between them and their eastern neighbors. Since this city will most likely be one of the main cities that shall be destroyed if the impending war should carry over into our beloved Talia, I would like to speak with your daughter, the Duchessa, about a peaceful joining of the north and the south," Fabrizio stated.
"I do know of the impending war between our northern neighbors. My daughter and duchessa will not take this current situation lightly, nor will she take the joining of the north with the di Chimici territories lightly. I shall arrange for you to have a private sitting with her tomorrow," Rodolfo said, trying to hurry this encounter along so as to get Nick out of the closet and into fresh air. It couldn't be healthy to be cooped up in there when your on the verge of having a heat stroke.
"Unlike my father, I do not wish to see our to families joined in marriage. That plan has never worked in the past so I do not see it working well now," Fabrizio continued, trying to smooth the obviously awkward moment over. "I only wish for the north and the south of our beloved country to get along. If Belezza does join with my family we will offer you any support that you will need. Be it military, monetary, or other forms of support."
"Thank you for your offer, but you will need to discuss that with the duchessa," Rodolfo said, trying to get Fabrizio to leave.
"Around what time should I expect an invitation to see your duchessa?" Fabrizio asked as he headed toward the door.
"Expect it around noon, your grace," Rodolfo said with exaggerated calm as he heard something fall inside the wardrobe.
- - - - - - - - - -
As soon as Rodolfo finished with his meeting with the Grand Duke of Talia, he helped Georgia out from under the table. After Nick failed to crawl out of the wardrobe, Rodolfo went to see what was wrong only to find that Nick had passed out. He lay inside the wardrobe with his head propped in an awkward position against the wall. His talisman laying on the ground near where his feet were.
Rodolfo lifted Nick out of the wardrobe with Georgia's help and gently lowered him onto a little couch that was in the corner of the room. He then proceeded to strip Nicholas of any clothes that could be contributing to the over heating of his (Nick's) body.
As soon as the ex-prince was in only the pajamas that he had stravagated in, Rodolfo sent Georgia in search of Dr. Dethridge and some cold water and red wine. Georgia had long ago learned to do what she was told to without question, particularly when it was Rodolfo giving the orders, although the red wine was kind of a weird request.
While Georgia was trying to comprehend the meaning of the red wine, Rodolfo was working on cooling Nick's body down before anything else could happen.
Georgia soon returned with red wine, cold water, several rags to dip in the water, and Luciano, despite the fact that he wasn't on her list of things to get. She handed Rodolfo the wine and got to work soaking the rags and placing them on Nick's forehead and neck as soon as Rodolfo had finished giving him a sip of the wine.
"Hopefully he'll be awake and well enough for the journey back to Remora," Georgia said worriedly.
"Oh, there's no reason to be worried. He can just stravagate home from here," Luciano said in a voice that said he didn't want to really think about his home right now.
Rodolfo, picking up on his apprentice's tone of voice, then changed the subject.
"Georgia, you came here to tell us something about Dr. Dethridge's relative that he appears to still have living in your world. Will you please continue telling me more about him?"
"Wait, Dr. Dethridge has a living relative?" Luciano said, feeling completely out of the loop.
Nick then began to stir. Everyone paused for a moment before continuing with their conversation, only in much quieter tones
"Yes, he does. Apparently Dr. Dethridge had a son who had a son and the name carried on until it reached our generation. Luckily, and for the sake of understandability, this latest Dethridge is a teacher without a doctorate," whispered Georgia. "In fact, the only reason that we found out about Dr. Dethridge having living relatives was because Mr. Dethridge came and substituted for Nick's history class. The funny part of this is when he introduced himself, Nick told me that he said that he was William Dethridge the Fifth."
"Thank you, Georgia. You ought to be leaving now if you wish to return home in a fair amount of time. Will you be returning here tomorrow?" Rodolfo asked.
"I think so. What are we going to do with Nick though? He isn't awake enough to stravagate home," Georgia said in a hushed voice.
"The only reason that you need to leave now would be the fact that you still have to return a very unique horse to its master who lives kilometers away in Remora," Rodolfo said.
Nick then rolled off the couch and landed with a groan.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Both the young Stravaganti made it home on time that night, but both knew that there were many adventures in store for them when it came to Dr. Dethridge's relative.
A/n.: Kinda short, I know, but right now I am just writing to help my self relax and I don't really have much time to finish my thoughts. There is much much more to come and I hope to continue this fic soon.