Fanfiction based on the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman.

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

The New Apprentice

The First Cut

Jess sat laughing at the table with Giuditta. Despite being older by many years, she was a great listener and could always take her mind off things. Jess had brought out the drawings of Luciano she had conjured up to show Giuditta. She had been doing them secretly while being assigned tasks to test her skills. It had taken a little while to adapt to the different tools, but after a while, Jess had a whole assortment of animals and figurines she had made herself. Giuditta had proudly put them on display to prove that Jess was actually her apprentice and not someone who had come from another world. Jess would have loved to take them home to show her mum but she knew that would breach the laws of Stravagating.

Giuditta was concerned by the looming deadline of her statue, if she didn't complete it soon then there would be penalties to pay. Also, Luciano couldn't keep coming here for much longer otherwise the di Chimici would get suspicious as to how she had managed to carve such a good likeness when the subject was banned from the city. She turned back to the drawings she held in her hands, admiring the girl's handiwork, surprised by how good she was. The drawings were scaled and accurate; she had even included the tiny details like the crease on his collar and the hem on his robe. There could be a way to make this work.

The Bellezzan Ducal Carriage trundled down the Piazza Ducale, the curtains closed so nobody could see the Cavaliere hiding behind them. Despite being good friends with Prince Gaetano di Chimici, his involvement with Falco and the Grand Duke's death had caused unfortunate consequences in this case. Being forbidden from the city was not the most convenient thing, especially when he needed to protect Arianna in a hostile city.

Despite the fact that they were more likely to cause suspicion to the Grand Duke, they had decided to use the disguises they had used when many of the Stravaganti had gathered in Giglia before. Luciano was wearing the friar's robe and Jess was dressed in Giuditta's niece's clothes that Alice had worn. She felt slightly more comfortable knowing her cousin had worn these clothes before her. She was mentally going through the script written in her mind; she had arrived from Bellezza with the Duchessa, bringing sketches of Cavaliere Luciano. She had heard Giuditta was the best sculptor around here and wanted the chance to be her apprentice. She couldn't be too careful about staying out of the shadows – the Grand Duke was known for turning up at Giuditta's studio to gaze at the Duchessa. They said he still hadn't gotten over her rejection.

Jess would have loved to actually have gone to Bellezza; it seemed so beautiful and magical. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be possible to make the trip in the short time she had before Stravagating. Luciano had told her more than she ever could want to know to make up for her not being able to visit. He described the maze of narrow streets, the bridges over the waterways, the Marriage with the Sea, and even the island of Torrone where Arianna had grown up. Jess felt a stab as he described her. She had felt like she had developed a connection with this beautiful boy in the last few days of meeting him and visions in the statue. It hurt when she remembered Arianna was much closer to him than she ever could be.

Giuditta handed the chisel to Jess who took it with tentative hands. She hesitated as she held up the rather large chisel to the rough marble. The Duchessa's cold eyes looked over her threatening her if she dared make her lover anything but perfect. She took a deep breath to prepare herself and gather the image of Luciano in her mind. The Duchessa's eyes still hadn't left the back of her head; Jess had begun to get irritated. She knew it was pointless to get angry at a marble figurine, but it didn't seem fair to her that the Duchessa could have everything she wanted, including Luciano, and not seem content.

Drawing her focus away from her pessimistic thoughts, Jess stepped forward and made the first cut.