Chapter Four
Running for a gift
Hope you all enjoy the last three chapters of this story I intended to post this chapter last week but my flight back from South America was delayed plus a few manic days and I was way behind with university work so to apologise for no post last week here are three chapter (well two and the epilogue) that tie off this story. The next thing that I will be posting will not be my Harry Potter story based on 'Much Ado about Nothing' as my profile page suggests but 'the Story of Us' a Hermione/Snape story based on the Taylor Swift song. Please review and as always enjoy love C.J.
"Alicia Catalina Maria di Chimi, if that is your real name you are under arrest.
"What cried Gaeteno.
"You didn't know?" Alfonso calmly asked his cousin.
"Alfonso that is your sister they are dragging away does that mean anything to you?" Gaeteno yelled at the shorter man.
"That is the point Gaeteno I don't think she is." Alfonso replied lazily. Enrico strode through the guards.
"You," cried Luciano his face showing a look of surprise.
"Arrest him," Enrico shouted.
"This is ludicrous," Gaeteno yelled but no one took any notice.
"You," Enrico growled at at Violet "won't be needing that." he grabbed her necklace and yanked it from her neck. "Impostor."
"I am to be the Duke of Remora I demand you to stop."
"My authority is from the Grand Duke of Tuschia," Enrico replied not looking up.
"Alfonso your sister I can't even begin to comprehend."
"My city, my rules." Alfonso stated calmly as he turned to re-enter his palace. Ideas began racing through Gaeteno's head.
"Get help," he thought. The nearest city with a Stravagante is Belleza, a day and a half's ride away. Gaeteno was not impulsive but in that moment he knew what to do. Gaeteno ran. He ran faster than anyone who knew him would have believed possible. He ran to the palace stables.
"A horse," he barked at an idle stable boy who was sat lazily on a stool. Without even thinking Gaeteno threw himself on the horse.
Violet could not stop crying every time she thought about how immature she would look she would stop, for a few seconds.
"If we don't get the necklace back I will be stuck here forever." She said as calmly as she could manage. To no one in particular.
"Violet, Violet," Mary gently shook her daughter "wake up." Violet gave no response. "Violet," Mary repeated her voice a little shaky. There was still no response. Mary picked up the phone and dialled three numbers 999.
"I am afraid we don't know why Violet is unconscious," the consultant told Mary Lawrence "we have a neurologist coming. Do you want me to call anyone?"
"No I'll do it." Mary said quietly.
Alfonso sat at his table with a large amount of food in front of him. He thought about each one of his guards during the day had questioned his motive of arresting Alicia without actually saying anything. In a silent fume Alfonso picked up the chicken before him and began to shovel the food into his face. He clutched his chest as he fell loudly to the ground.
"Violet are you alright?" Luciano asked her through the barred doors of the cells they'd been placed under.
"I'm fine," she said unconvincingly after a long pause.
"Lucien," Luciano was shocked no one had used that version of his name for many years.
"Yes."
"Where is Gaeteno?"
"I don't know hopefully he's gone to the nearest stravagante in Belleza two or three days round trip.
"How many days were you held prisoner?"
"Three," the conversation fell to silence again and this time Violet did not restart it.
"We believe that the damage to the spinal column has travelled upwards to the brain stem there has been no brain activity." The neurologist told Mary Lawrence.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"No we aren't the problems Violet is showing could just as easily been caused by a blow to the head except there is no outward trauma.
"Can I come in?" Nick asked around the door of the private room in the hospital.
"Yes of course," Mary said politely "I think I need a coffee." Nick looked at Mary Lawrence as she passed. Her normally harshly cut brown hair was wayward and messy. Her dark suits had been replaced by a pair of jeans and large baggy jumper. There were dark rings under her eyes and the wrinkles in the corner of her eyes had become more pronounced. Sky, Alice and Georgia all trooped around the door.
"What can we do?" Alice asked once Mary had vacated the room. "Could one of you go back to Talia?"
"Padavia is so far from Remora or Giglia."
"She could have brain damage Alice," Sky cut in "it may have nothing to do with Talia." Mary walked in with her coffee.
"I think we'll leave," Alice said as a man rushed in, she guessed this was this was Violet's father. James Lawrence had travelled from Hartlepool to London as soon as he could. His blonde hair that Violet had inherited was flecked with grey. Although at over six foot he towered over the rest of the group he seemed short in stature at this point. His black suit looked as though he had slept in it. He looked at his daughter's body and gasped. Sky, Alice, Nick and Georgia left quietly.
Gaeteno reached the outskirts of Belleza after a day he then transferred into a boat to travel to the duchessa's palace. When he reached the palace he ran up the steps and knocked on the door. Gaeteno knew it wasn't the right thing to do but he had no choice.
"Sir," a guard of Belleza asked when he opened the palace door.
"Can I see the duchessa?"
"Can I see the duchessa?"
"That is impossible I am afriad."
"Can I give a message?"
"Well," he shook his head.
"Please."
"Ok."
"Tell her grace that Luciano is in danger."
"Your name sir?"
"Gaeteno di Chimi." The guard disappeared inside and reappeared moments later.
"Come in," he said. Gaeteno rushed into the ducal palace. Arianna was stood before him.
"Your grace," he bowed.
"Gaeteno what is wrong?" Arianna said her voice a little panicky. "Luciano, Alfonso has arrested Luciano and Violet the new stravagante. I need your father."
Rodolfo watched the whole conversation on his mirror. He grabbed his cloak and rushed out of his laboratory. Walking through the palace he looked down to Arianna and Gaeteno when he reached the great entrance hall. "I know everything," he said to them both. "Gaeteno we need to go the clock is ticking."
Fabrizo arrived at Padavia two days after his guards. After waving to crowds who had gathered to see the new grand duke of Tuschia. Fabrizo entered the ducal palace. Enrico greeted him in the hall.
"Your grace,"
"Walk with me."
"Alfonso is dead." Fabrizo stopped.
"What?"
"He was poisoned yesterday. It wasn't the girl or the Luciano boy they were in the cells by then."
"Any leads?" They continued walking.
"None at all."
"Why doesn't he use a tester?" Thought Fabrizo.
"The girl's trial?" Enrico asked.
"Over as soon as soon as possible what is she on trial for?"
"Impersonating aristocracy and witchcraft."
"Make arrangements for tomorrow, small trial a public one could be damaging."