"The Grand Farewell"

The king's children were less than thrilled to learn about their sudden and unexpected new stepmother, and the feeling was apparently mutual.

Most of them were in the habit of greeting their father after these excursions, and when they received word that he was coming home early, the younger ones thought he might have enough energy to play in the garden a bit before it grew too late. However, any joy and enthusiasm rapidly faded when they learned only the king and a stranger had returned. And when they went to greet him on arrival, what else should they find but King Eugeno looking as pale as sheet and half as hollow, his horse Alfonzo falling down dead and nearly breaking apart like he had been a corpse for weeks…

And a young woman.

One could come up with a variety of excuses as to why they didn't connect. The older children had known their true mother and their own father so long they'd naturally be jealous on seeing such a lovely young woman and hearing that she was to be their father's new wife and their new mother. One might think it could have come from a young woman barely old enough to be starting her own family seeing she had seven children already with the eldest practically old enough to marry her himself. One might think it was the young children hatching plans that this woman would steal their father's love from them, or how the family would look for ways and reasons in which she was different from their mother, things to pick up upon and hate for no good reason or fabricated ones. Maybe it was just plain human reactions.

But such explanations would only make sense to outsiders. To every member of the family, the truth was clear even before Eugeno drew his children aside privately and confessed all.

Laura was evil.

Everything about her was evil. Her beauty seemed unreal and eldritch. Like there was something deadly about it, similar to how a brightly-colored flower or insect is only that way to warn those around it that it was death to any who drew too close. The way she moved, spoke, and conducted herself was so graceful and perfect that it was too perfect. No one, not the most trained performer, not a person bred to be proper from an early age, and not the most elegant and fair mortal could behave that way. This was something else—motivated or even enhanced by some unworldly power. And for all of her smiles, all of her innocence, and all of her gentle mannerisms, it was clear to the family that she had no love in her heart.

Not for the children and not for Eugeno either.

For Costanza, it was the worst. Most of her brothers either hid their apprehension of the woman or noticed how unsettling she was, but still dealt with the matter bravely or cockily. But not her. Even before her father had given them all the circumstances, right then and there when he alit from the horse and removed Laura as well before calling out to them to come closer, she was afraid. She didn't want to be closer to that woman. In the right light or the right shade, she swore her pale skin turned green, or that her shadow moved separate from the rest of her. She wasn't a "crybaby" by any means but she nearly burst into tears right there. She felt her heart racing to even look at this woman; sensing something all together foul and unwholesome radiating off of her. Her younger brothers did start bawling, but in the end they were brought forward along with Costanza and everyone else.

It was the most terrible thing Costanza could remember. It didn't feel like being close to a stranger or even a dangerous person but more like being close to some sort of heartless predatory creature or monster. The smile she gave to her was totally hollow; masking the look in her eyes, which seemed to almost gleam with a light that was both ravenous as well as hateful. Young as she was, she still understood, along with the older children, the heaviness of what she said in response to seeing her.

"Oh…why Eugeno, you have children. Seven of them, in fact. That's quite a large number of heirs to the throne, isn't it?"

She sounded almost calculating. And Costanza saw the look on her father's own face, how it grew paler on hearing it. If it was clear to the little girl, then it was even more so to him.

When that evening came, within the confines of a private room the king entered and mentioned everything. How he had become practically obsessed with hunting the phantom animal until it had lured him into the forest and had done who knew what with everyone else, before bringing him to that place and forcing him to either marry this young woman or meet the same fate. Granted, there was a chance that this was a situation where only the elder of the two individuals in the clearing had been something unnatural, but everyone already knew full well that wasn't true. In fact, the more time passed, the more both Eugeno as well as the children feared this woman—the less she seemed like an actual woman and something else entirely.

The situation was made only worse by the fact that it seemed only the family could even see this. The rest of the courtiers and staff were confused about how the king could have suddenly brought a lovely young woman home when he seemed happy with his children after the death of his wife, but they accepted not only it but the odd circumstances in how he lost several of his friends and confidants in the process and how that alone should have made the entire situation awkward. To them, they saw only that the king had decided to marry a beautiful young woman. Costanza was too young to understand how that could be possible, but her brothers noticed this as well as her, and Ruggero eventually suggested that perhaps she could have fooled them too if they didn't know their father so well…if they hadn't been able to tell from the moment he rode back to the castle how uncomfortable he was, and not just from a mere inconvenience but from genuine fear.

Yet perhaps the main reason wasn't that they knew their father well, but because Laura didn't have that hidden ravenous look about her when she looked at anyone else.

Just the children…the seven heirs who were next in line before her.

The obvious thing to do, of course, was to call the wedding off. Now that he was back in the kingdom, Eugeno was under no obligation to keep his promise. That very night he told the children that he planned to break things off before he bid them good night. However, it didn't work out at all well. Costanza woke up the next morning with a rather grim-looking Salvatore telling them all that father had gone ill. And it was not like any illness that any doctor in the kingdom had ever seen before. They said he was in his room, white as a sheet, cold as death, and seeming to be almost totally mad with how he was thrashing about and saying strange things, as if he was trapped somewhere dark and horrific. It lasted all day until that late evening, when the doctors had begun to grow worried that the king had either lost his mind or had contracted something that would end in his death. Yet at that point, he suddenly recovered, and Uberto grimly noted that it happened roughly around the same time in which they had been told good night the day before, meaning it had to have happened when he tried to call off the wedding with Laura. Their father wouldn't be getting out of this easily, they darkly realized. He would be marrying Laura any way they looked at it.

Costanza was terrified, realizing that this person had some sort of power over her father. She wondered if that power would extend to the rest of them. However, over the next couple days, she did relax at least somewhat. Part of it was due to the fact every time she looked uncomfortable one of her brothers would try and reassure her and pledge that they'd keep the woman away if she tried anything. Tito, since that was his nature, was obviously first, but even Giovanni and Giuseppe pledged themselves to her before long. That made the girl happy, but what truly ended up comforting her was, after a time, she began to realize that other than ensuring that their father didn't try to get out of the marriage, she had no power over any of them. On that note, the king had Laura move with him into one wing and left the children in the other, so that they couldn't see each other normally unless they went out of their way to meet. And the young woman complied this time without any negative consequences. It was a good thing for Costanza. After all, she hated even seeing the woman. There was never a time she looked at any of them without that ravenous look in her eye. And they couldn't even pass without her giving a look dead on to one of the seven children, as if she was sizing them up.

Planning the wedding didn't take long. The king wasn't interested in being terribly flamboyant or extravagant about this. He might have just summoned a chaplain to handle everything within an hour, but, unfortunately, it wasn't just appearances in front of Laura that he had to keep up. Considering the situation of how he met the young woman, there was still some lingering confusion and puzzlement among the castle's denizens. Normally, being the king, this wouldn't have mattered but in truth the king knew full well he had lost several friends and companions meeting up with Laura. He didn't want to risk more. So he did the most minimalist ceremony he could think of. Aside from the closest friends and relations, including the children, it would only be a small gathering in the garden for the ceremony and then a short reception. No more than three hours at the most; enough to get one dance between the bride and groom for posterity, and that was about it.

As a result, that morning, the seven children of Eugeno found themselves getting ready.

None of them had really ever pictured a day in which their father would remarry but, if he did, they were sure it would have been someone both he as well as they loved or at least liked. Not this. In spite of putting on their nicer clothes and getting cleaned up, they felt more like they were headed to a funeral than a wedding. And even if they would be in public and surrounded by other people, none of them very well relished being in a situation where Laura would be free to view them.

For a rare moment, all seven of them were gathered in one of the halls leading out to the garden. Even Salvatore was there, in spite of being one of the men of honor and expected to be in a greater position of prestige than the other children. He preferred a moment like this; putting off getting near Laura as long as possible. Tito paced back and forth, muttering every now and then and tugging on the collar of his shirt. Uberto constantly looked out of a crack in the door, as if expecting something to be strange about the upcoming ceremony before it started, even though Laura wouldn't make an appearance until the actual wedding was underway. As for Ruggero, he was near Costanza as they finished making adjustments on clothes for the twins. Naturally, neither of them were taking this well, and not even able to fake being happy or composed.

"I don't want that woman for a mother!" Giovanni protested. "Can't father call it off?"

"She's an evil witch!" Giuseppe added. "I know she is!"

Costanza frowned. "Listen, father may be marrying…her…but that does not mean she's our mother," she stated as she straightened one of their collars. "You don't have to call her that, and father won't be mad if you don't."

"Listen, both of you," Ruggero said as he dusted off the jacket of the other. For once, his voice was oddly serious, and that was never anything Costanza liked to hear. "I know you don't like what's happening today and neither do any of us…but you need to smile and look happy. Because this isn't going to be easy for father and the only thing we can do is encourage him. If you both look miserable and cry, it's only going to make things worse."

"The same goes for you, Costanza." Salvatore called from nearby.

The girl frowned a bit more. "I won't cry."

"Sal," Ruggero spoke up, looking a bit back to him. "you know Costanza wouldn't do that now. She may be young, but she's smarter than that."

"Just the same," the eldest continued, looking to Costanza straightly. It wasn't a hard look, but it was focused and caused her to give him full attention. "I don't think it's any secret that, out of all of us, you remind father more of mother than any of us. So it's important that you keep looking happy and well for father's sake. If any one of us might cause him to break down, it'd be you." He paused. "I didn't mean for that to sound so bad, Costanza, but it's true."

The girl realized what he was saying and, in spite of being so young, recognized why he was saying these things. It actually caused a cold chill in her stomach and a lump in her throat. But in spite of that, she swallowed and nodded. "I know. And I'll make sure I look happy for father. I promise."

Salvatore pushed no more at that. He only gave a weak smile of his own and looked away. None of them gave any more thought to the matter the moment Costanza said: "I promise". As odd as it might seem for someone so young, and who, in most respects, was like any other happy, merry child, Costanza took her promises very seriously. She never forgot when one promised her, and she always held true to her word no matter how rash or seemingly simple the pledge was. She might have still been a little girl by most standards, but her word was perfectly sound.

The girl finished tidying up one of the twins and began to rise, looking down to her own dress. It was quite lovely. She was still not at the age in which she would fill one out in such a way to attract the gazes of all of the young men, but what she wore now brought to mind the older ladies and not just a child nowadays. She tried smoothing it out a bit more. She did want to look perfect for her father, after all. She looked to the flower that she had placed in her hair earlier, between her ear and her scalp. It looked nice, but she realized it was drooping a bit. She suddenly wished to go back upstairs to her room and pick a fresh one from the bouquet that spread out more. It was more likely to make father happy, after all…

Suddenly she heard a bit of a curse. She turned her head, as did a few of her other brothers, and found Salvatore looking over his own attire.

"The family crest…" he sighed. "Father told me to wear the clasp with the family crest on it today."

Eugeno sighed as he looked away from the crack in the door. "Are you sure you should have your own room? You seem to do better when we're around to help you remember things."

The eldest frowned. "Wait just a moment. I'll run back upstairs and…"

He was cut off by a knock on the door, getting the attention of everyone. A servant called out a moment later. "Prince Salvatore? We're ready to show you where you'll be standing up front with the other groomsmen."

He groaned.

"I'll go fetch it," Costanza answered. "It won't take but a moment."

"I'll get it," Ruggero answered as he began to rise. "I don't want you risking doing anything to ruin that dress."

The girl pouted. "There's nothing that can ruin my dress between here and upstairs. Besides, I need a better flower than this one. Half of the petals are sinking."

"What about getting yourself sweaty?"

"Not just from this!" she protested, and then looked back to Salvatore, who was already reluctantly moving to the door to open it up. "Where is it again?"

"I…believe I left it on the dresser," he said after a pause, needing to think for a moment.

"Are you sure?" Eugeno asked.

"…Yes, yes I'm sure."

"Alright then," Costanza answered. "I'll be right back!"

Immediately, the girl took off. She soon left her brothers behind and made it to the nearest stairwell. Not yet being forced to wear more constrictive shoes, she moved fairly well in the slippers that she was in. And still being young and springy, it took no time at all to ascend the stairway. While she and most of her brothers still had the same general bedroom (although not for much longer considering her age), Salvatore had his own room just down the opposite hall. She made a turn to the right instead of the left and, a door or two later, arrived.

Naturally, it was ajar. Salvatore had been pretty much in a rush with the rest of them that morning and hadn't locked it. That also meant the chambermaid hadn't come by. Sure enough, when Costanza pushed it the rest of the way open, she was greeted by the sight of a rather messy room. She almost giggled at how Salvatore was supposed to be "growing up" and yet his chambers were messier than ever without Eugeno and her telling him to be more tidy. His bed was the biggest mess of all, having not only been disheveled but also having various remains of clothes he had tried to pick out that morning strewn over it.

The girl went inside and made straight for the dresser. Sure enough, it wasn't there. She had expected that, especially with the way Salvatore said to check the dresser, but she figured she had better at least try. She went over to his bedtable next, but saw nothing there. She went into his adjoining washroom, but still nothing. She checked in the various drawers that didn't hold clothes…still nothing. By that time, a couple minutes had passed, and she frowned. It was only a matter of time before they'd wonder what happened to her and then another of her brothers would come up looking for her, and then two of them would be missing instead of one.

Searching the whole room would take a while, she realized. The mess would require quite a bit of digging through, so if she wanted to find the clasp sooner, she'd have to think a bit harder than Salvatore did. Otherwise, she'd end up having to shake out every item of clothing in…

At that point, it hit her. The clothing. Her eyes went to the bed, only flimsily put back together by throwing the top cover back over it loosely. Everything Salvatore needed for that morning had to have been put there when he sorted through it. That meant the clasp must have been there too.

At once, she grasped the top cover and pulled it aside, assuming the clasp would either be right beneath it on the sheet over the mattress or might even fly to the floor.

The moment she did, she went as still as a statue as her heart froze.

She wasn't greeted by flying metal or a tinkling sound. Instead a coiled-up serpent, the likes of which she had never seen before in her life, let out an angry hiss before snapping up to her. It continued to make that hissing sound as it somehow "stood erect", pushing its upper body into the air. Not only that, but skin and scales around its head seemed to flare out. Costanza had never heard of a cobra before, but right now, all that did was make it more nightmarish to her.

The girl didn't dare move. She was smart enough to know to stay clear of snakes. However, at the same time, terror filled her heart. She was only a mere two feet from the snake's head. It was staring right at her. She could look into its eyes and see the color of the retinas in them. And the way it hissed, so angry-sounding…not like any snake she had ever heard of but more of a murderous creature, as if any animal could indeed be murderous…let her know that it wasn't going to back down. This wasn't a warning stare it was giving her, telling her to back off. This was the snake looking for a place to strike.

Costanza didn't know what to do. She was soon sweating as the color drained from her face. She wanted to cry for help or run but she knew, somehow, the moment she did the snake would bite. In fact, somehow she knew something far darker than that; that the snake was waiting for her to try and run or scream. Then it would bite her. It was actually playing with her. Trying to make her feel she had a chance at survival or escape. But she knew in spite of never having seen this type of snake before that one bite would certainly be fatal. Somehow she not only supposed the worst in this situation, she knew the worst.

Just like she somehow knew that Laura was evil just looking at her once.

An eternity seemed to pass. The snake continued to hiss and wait. She didn't know what it was going to do: eventually get bored and bite her anyway, or continue to bide its time until the girl was foolish enough to think she might get away with running. Costanza nearly burst into tears as time went on, and she would have if she didn't know if crying would have made it strike as well. She couldn't do anything. She could only wait to be killed by this creature. There was no escape from this and knowing that she was going to die was enough to terrify any child. She began to wonder how painful it would be—if there's be any hope of getting an antidote or cure and knowing there wouldn't be if it bit her in the face.

Yet as she began to sink into despair, a voice like an angel gently whispered from the door.

"Costanza…don't move. Don't move a muscle."

Uberto. Costanza realized. She barely stopped herself calling out to him for help. She got enough of her wits to know he was trying to help her; that the only thing she could do right now was stay calm and do as she was told. She fought the urge to scream when she heard footsteps softly pull back from the door. She told herself it wasn't him abandoning her—that he was getting help. She knew that to be true. It was only irrational fear that made her think it was him leaving her there. Still, it seemed like an hour before she heard footsteps coming back.

Soon after she heard whispers so faint even she couldn't make them out but she knew more than one person was talking. The snake was patient for now but she thought she saw it move a bit more as time passed.

Eventually, the voices grew louder.

"I told you," a whisper from what sounded like Tito came out, "she's in the way. I can't hit it. She has to get out of the way."

"It's going to bite the moment she moves," another whisper, this one sounding like Uberto again, said aloud.

That was the wrong thing to say. It made Costanza visibly tremble. Worse yet, the snake hissed a bit louder and moved a little more. Was it somehow "catching on" to what was happening? That they were actually trying to make a plan? Or did it simply realize the fear that she was feeling?

Finally, it a smooth, calm, and quiet voice, she heard someone speak.

"Costanza, listen to me very carefully."

It was Ruggero. Just hearing him eased her trembling a bit, but the snake continued to get more antsy. Its lips actually parted once…

"Don't answer me. Don't move a muscle. I'm going to count to three. When I hit three, I want you to go totally limp. Make your entire body like a dead corpse. If you understand, just wave your right pinkie finger just a teeny, tiny bit."

Costanza didn't dare look to see where her brothers were, but the door seemed like a hundred feet away although it couldn't be more than fifteen. She didn't see how she was anywhere in range for any of them to help her or even see her clearly. In spite of this she trusted them. She waved her pinkie.

"On three."

The snake hissed a bit more. It seemed to definitely know something was up now.

"One…"

It opened its mouth again. Its hood flared.

"Two…"

The fangs seemed to move. Costanza trembled again. For a moment, she thought of trying to bolt for it…to ignore the command…but in the end she forced herself to wait just a bit longer even as she saw the muscles in the snake tightening.

"Three!"

The girl immediately went limp. She let all of the tension that had been keeping her upright for nearly ten minutes now release, letting the fear and exhaustion seize her instead and making her fall. Instantly, the mouth of the snake went open wide and it reared back, clearly meaning to strike even as she fell. As her body began to lower, for a precious moment that seemed slower than reality, she saw the snake come forward again and realized she wouldn't be clear. She was still a perfect target on the way down.

A form slammed into her, and her body was tackled like a fox ambushing a rabbit. It hurt, but the important thing was that she was ripped off of her failing feet and yanked through the air, an extra seven feet away from the snake in the blink of an eye. In the chaos of feeling something wrap around her almost tightly, yanking her to one side, and then slamming her into the ground, she heard a "thunk"…moments before she slammed into the floor, tearing her dress on a jagged piece of tile as she went down.

As she landed first, it was hard and she was hurt in multiple spots. She collided roughly and, for a moment, she wondered if the pain was masking a snake bite. Yet she felt nothing on her face, and she knew that had been the target. She didn't lie still long. The form that had grabbed her instantly yanked her up and began to drag her away further, but it only went three more feet before stopping. After that, she was nearly thrown around and brought face-to-face with Ruggero hunched over her. He started to look over her body.

"Are you alright?" he called with visible anxiety in his voice. "Are you hurt?"

The girl's heart was only starting to beat again. She began to breathe and she realized she had held it the whole time. But as she slowly realized she was somehow safe, she managed to shake her head.

"You aren't bitten, are you?"

"No, no…" she stammered. "I'm fine."

Ruggero continued to look her over a moment as she continued to gain her breath, but they realized that aside from being bumped, having a small gash on the palm of one hand from hitting and rubbing against the floor, and a bit of a tear in her dress, Costanza was fine. And as the girl realized she had been saved, she finally let her tears loose that she had been holding back. She wrapped her arms around her older brother, pressed her head into his chest, and cried.

Ruggero held her back and hugged her for just a moment, letting her heart slow down a bit more and the feelings of danger pass. But at length he began to stand again and took her up with him. Once he got both himself and her to their feet, she sniffled and removed her head from his chest. She continued to hold onto him but looked back into the room.

She nearly gasped. The lower portion of the serpent was still on the bed, half on the mattress and half dangling over the side; gushing out blood so dark it was nearly black. She had never seen a creature with such foul blood before. Yet more disturbing was the bedtable nearby. A hand-axe was stuck in the wood now, suspending the dangling remains of the serpent's head, still slowly waving to and fro. Both Tito and Uberto were in the room, the former watching the head sway while Uberto looked over the body.

She obviously hadn't seen what had happened, but the moment Ruggero had said "three", he burst into the room and tackled her. Not only that, but he had swung around in midair, immediately putting his own body between hers and the snake. And granted, the snake probably would have ended up biting him if Tito hadn't immediately stepped in, carrying a hand-axe he had seized from one of the mantlepieces, and flung it to catch the snake in mid-lunge and sever it in two. Uberto had been the one to get them and orchestrate the plan. He knew Ruggero was faster and Tito was the one talented enough to kill the snake with the first strike. However, he along with his brothers was a bit pale and sweating. After all, a lot could have gone wrong just now.

Everyone was quiet for a few moments longer. The wedding downstairs was almost forgotten. Costanza honestly wanted to keep being hugged just to keep her upright. Yet at length, Uberto swallowed, reached out, seized the snake's remains by the tail, and hoisted it upward to look it over.

After a few moments, he grimly let it fall again and looked up to the others.

"I think this was a cobra of some kind. I read about them…and there aren't any around this part of the world."

Although the wedding ended up delayed by four hours as a result of this, it did take place. However, even the small ceremony that was planned before was scrapped for the minister and a few witnesses. Although Costanza would have been excused, some people considered this a bit of an overreaction. But when the news was relayed to Salvatore, and he, in turn, gave the news to King Eugeno, the matter was decided with or without public opinion. As it was, those who saw him during the ceremony noted both his tension, impatience, and even his anger as he refused to look at the new queen. When it was done, the reception was cancelled. Not directly, but with none of the children or the king attending there was little point to it other than an awkward party.

The king spent most of the day trying to comfort Costanza. It really wasn't necessary. She was shaken up, to be sure. The thought of the snake made her heart race and she was anxious to look around dark corners or under objects in a room now. However, she had bounced back quickly. She dealt with it because she enjoyed father's attention and because she knew it made him feel better.

But when evening finally came, she was dismissed to go to bed along with Giovanni and Giuseppe. Luckily for the twins, they knew practically nothing of what had happened, which was how the family had kept it. They were already upset enough over the wedding. Giving them the idea that deadly and dangerous snakes could be lurking about their room was even worse. Costanza had been said to help put them to bed, and the task fell to her to make up a lie about why the staff used long wooden poles to lift up bedsheets and other objects before allowing them to lie down. Despite being warm, the windows were closed and bolted…even though Costanza knew full well, deep in her heart if nowhere else, that this wouldn't do the job.

The four eldest sons met with the king that night in the main living room of that wing of the castle. And although Costanza was told to go to bed along with her younger brothers, she disobeyed. Once the sun was fully down and she was sure no staff would see her, she left the room, shutting the door and stopping up the seam underneath before walking through the dark halls to the chamber. The doors were shut, but it was a small matter for the princess to go up to the crack and look in as she put her ear close.

She could see little of what was going on except when someone moved, but she heard everything, starting with Uberto.

"…book on the reptiles of this country. I also talked to the gardeners and the royal huntsman, father. Neither knew what that snake was. The best I got from the royal huntsman was that she had seen a creature like that imported from Arabia before, but this was nothing like the one he saw. He said no snake has that sort of coloration…and no animal he ever saw bled black like that."

"Someone tried to kill Salvatore, plain and simple," Ruggero muttered. "And nearly killed Costanza."

"'Someone' nothing," Tito snorted. "We all know who it was and where my next axe should go."

"There's no way to prove that," Salvatore sighed, not trying to play "devil's advocate" but merely stating a fact. "Laura hasn't even been in the same wing we were in since arriving here. She was getting ready for the wedding all morning."

"Then she made that snake come over here and do her dirty work!" Tito retorted.

"You have any idea how mad that sounds?" Uberto answered. "She somehow gets a snake no one has ever seen to find its way over into the opposite castle wing, crawl into bed, and then wait like an assassin to kill Salvatore? Motive-wise, on the other hand…" A pause here. "Well, now the case couldn't be clearer. Based on what you said, father, she wanted to marry into the family, but wasn't expecting to have six or seven successors to the throne before her. She'll have to get busy if she wants to be next in line and apparently she couldn't wait until she was the heir legally to get started… Yet as I said, there's no proof."

"Not if you call her what she is…a witch," Salvatore asserted. "She should be beheaded or burned at the stake immediately."

"Normally I'm against zealot inquisition," Ruggero answered, "but this is an exception. That woman's a demon. We all know it."

"And none of you think it will look suspicious if father brings a woman home out of the blue, marries her, and then has her executed?" Uberto asked. "I agree, I hate her, but…I don't want people branding father as a madman for it."

"We got no choice," Tito huffed. "I'll do it myself if I have to, and I don't care if you throw me in dungeon for murder."

"And what if the law says you should be sent to the gallows? What then?" Uberto answered. "Listen, if it was just the family, I'd say we should go for it. But the judges are separate from the royal family. We have to convince them. We should probably work on that."

"And while we're 'working on it', that demon is slipping snakes, poison, and God knows what else in every dark corner to try and eliminate us," Ruggero responded. "We have to do better than that."

"Father…" Salvatore finally spoke up, in a calmer voice. "What do you say?"

There was silence in the chamber. Costanza couldn't see her father, but she tried to look in and waited for word from him none the less. A long pause went by. When he hadn't spoken after a time, the girl knew what was happening. Eugeno was deeply troubled and not knowing what to do. The times Costanza had seen him like that were rare, but she had seen them. After all, she couldn't forget how he looked when mother died.

"Father, you can't be scared of her," Tito answered. "Order her death."

"I don't know how much fear that witch made you feel with those visions, father," Ruggero added, "but you have to be strong. You have to stand up to her. For your own sake. I honestly think she's going to kill you as well as us to get the throne…"

There was a sound of rising from a chair, followed by a rather sharp voice.

"You're right, Ruggero. You don't know what it was like in that forest," he paused. "None of you do. None of you know how much it felt like being shoved into living death or trapped in a room of Hell. None of you heard the sounds of an unholy abomination ripping your horse to shreds and then be forced to ride it back as if it was a living corpse. None of you know what it's like…every time I even try to think of hurting that woman…that thing. None of you know what it's like to wander about the house feeling as if she has talons sunk into your back and icy chains on your limbs and heart. You all know nothing. But I do. And I know what she looks like at night. How when the shadow and light hits her she looks like an evil thing wrapped in the form of a lovely woman like a wraith wraps a sheet around itself, or a puppet master holds a doll in front of it and gives it words and life. And I know the rest of you will know if you dare let her ever hear a word of what you just said to me. You don't fear her…but you should."

Costanza felt nervous. Never before had she heard those sorts of words from her father. Never had he sounded so desperate…so hopeless.

"Father…" Salvatore spoke after a moment. His tone was measured, slow, and even. "You can't waver. You have to have faith. Rely on God above…"

"You have all of us behind you," Ruggero began to speak.

"NO!" Eugeno suddenly shouted, in a voice that made Costanza actually pull back. "No…I won't risk having you all be trapped like I am or struck dead by that thing!"

There was a momentary pause. None of the brothers argued with him again.

"…Salvatore," he said at last, more calm and measured, "you are currently seventeen. In one year, you'll be of age to take the throne. On doing so, I want you to make your first edict to have her executed…provided it is from a safe distance where she can't reach you. Until that time, you and your brothers and sister are going to relocate to Remus' Vineyard."

"Father…" Ruggero began to say.

"No one knows about it except me and the rest of you. Its location died with your mother's family. You can live there for one year and then return home. All of you."

"Father, come on!" Tito shouted.

"I don't want to leave your side!" Salvatore shouted.

"None of us do!" Uberto added.

"You can't let her drive us out of our own home as if we were exiles!" Ruggero yelled, practically angry-sounding. "You can't let her drive apart the family! That's just what she wants! We're-"

"Silence!" King Eugeno nearly screamed, again causing Costanza to shrink away from the door, almost cringing. But by now, he was booming so loud that she heard him regardless. "You may be my children but you are also my subjects and you will do as you are commanded! Am I the master here or you?"

No one else said anything again. Costanza was left sitting and staring at the door, eyes filled with fear and trembling. But after a moment, Eugeno spoke again in a calmer voice. None of her brothers disputed him again. After all, he was the king.

Yet inside her heart, Costanza agreed fully with Ruggero. She loved her father, but she knew he had given into this woman, and she believed this was what she wanted. She wished them driven apart. Costanza may have been young but she knew that what still gave the king his strength and vigor was the fact that he had seven children who loved him and stood by him through thick and thin; to encourage him and support him as he tried to see a way out of the trap that Laura had placed on him. Perhaps she hadn't just wanted to eliminate the next in line before her. Perhaps the true purpose of today had been to give her father terror and despair—to make him fear so much for the lives of his children that he would drive them away. And once he was alone in this castle with her, she knew full well it would be like poison in his veins. It would kill him. He already looked years older after coming back from that hunt.

Trying to stifle her own tears at what this would mean for everyone, Costanza rose and began to go back to her room. God knew how many more days she would have in it…

As it turned out: none.

It wasn't even dawn the next day when the servants, on the orders of the king, came in to start moving them out. Ruggero was exactly right—it was as if they were being forced to flee from being conquered. They could take whatever they liked in terms of clothing and personal effects, but they were constrained on time, loads, and practicality. They were not, after all, going to a charming clean villa or even a well-ventured village, and their father would only allow them to take enough belongings to fill one wagon between the seven of them. The entire move was meant to be in secret so that the new queen would barely know they had left before they were already miles away, so while Costanza was able to take some of her favorite outfits she had not the room to take any of her personal mementos from her mother or father, and definitely nothing of her furnishings. Most of the extra room was devoted to Giovanni and Giuseppe, the youngest who were taking this the hardest. In spite of the fact they had been awakened early they were soon in tears about the entire matter, wondering why they suddenly were being forced from their rooms, homes, and everything else they knew and loved. Costanza felt much the same way, but she didn't want to create any more undue burden for the elder brothers or her father. They had it hard enough as it was. Before the sun was even clearing the horizon, they were already departing with Salvatore leading the way. She and the twins rode the wagon while the rest of her brothers were on their horses. Along with them went a small armed escort but that was all. After all, all of the men who went with them would be privy to the location.

They began riding before dawn and did not stop until nightfall. When they did, they stayed at no home but deep in the country and well off the road. The twins were even more unhappy and tearful then, as they had never stayed outside of the castle before and never in a place so far from their father. What made things worse when they settled down for the evening was that their escort never slept. They kept torches and watched during the night by the king's orders. Costanza couldn't sleep either. It seemed as if her life was ending, even with her brothers nearby. Salvatore and Tito put on the bravest faces they could muster, and Ruggero stayed with her and the twins and assured them everything would be alright, but even Uberto wasn't able to stay as calm and composed as he normally was.

It took a journey of ten days in all to finally reach Remus' Vineyard. Six of those days had been fully in the country, with no company or sign of human life. Nothing but wilderness. Those times were the worst on the twins, and Costanza herself finally broke there. There was only so much that an eleven year old child could take, after all, and this was farther from anything she had ever known. The hills grew too rough and uneven. The trees grew taller and more unfamiliar. The lack of sounds from any surrounding villages or markets made her feel so isolated. As much as she tried to be brave, she finally broke down and wept. When that happened, Uberto and Salvatore tended to the twins while Ruggero comforted her. Always there was the insistence that everything would be alright. Yet Costanza knew there would be no relief at the end of their journey. Their father would still not be there, their "stepmother" would still be queen, and they would be many miles from home along ways she didn't know how to trace back.

At long last they arrived at Remus' Vineyard. In spite of the name, it had not been a vineyard in quite some time. Rather, it was an old house now surrounded by thick woods and wilderness; very much battered and weathered by years yet still sound, dry, and standing. Costanza saw there were no lovely gardens, planted trees, or flowers around this place. Just the building itself, standing one story, and so weathered it almost blended in with the woods about it. On arrival and looking inside, Costanza found it was dirty and dark. Not uninhabitable by any means, but it hadn't been used since her deceased mother's great uncle had passed on while she was still a baby. There was more than a little cleaning to do, but she knew that even when that was done it would still be bare and inhospitable; sparsely furnished with just the most basic necessities. And it was so off the beaten roads and secluded that none could find it unless they knew it was there.

The escort only paused to help the older brothers unload everything. They were so fast about it that they only put all of the belongings on the front patio rather than properly unloaded. Once that was done, they took the horses from the four elder brothers. The king had commanded that they not retain them, not only due to not having a proper stable but to discourage any of them from trying to come back. Without a horse and this far into the wilderness, there was little chance of finding the way back to the kingdom. As a final measure, Salvatore presented them a letter to take to the king saying how they had arrived safely. He got out the inkwells and had each of them sign it in their own hand, including Costanza. As soon as it was officially closed with the prince's own signet, the men galloped off. The seven siblings watched them leave from their pile of belongings and necessities on the patio and listened as the hoofbeats died. Once it was gone, there was only the chirping of insects and birds, and the slow breeze. They were now on their own.

Uberto broke the silence with a deep inhale. "Well, here we are." He turned and looked back to the old, weathered house. "I don't think a grape has grown in this vineyard since the time of Charlemagne…"

Costanza turned and looked back as well, along with the others. Even if they hadn't been used to a more rich and extravagant lifestyle, the house was clearly a few steps downward. This close to it they could see it was nearing needing repair in many places, but even if it wasn't it was hollow, dusty, and unused. Not the slightest warm or welcome thing upon it. It didn't take long for Giuseppe and Giovanni to start tightening up again. Costanza herself felt it come on her as she stared there, her first real sense of homesickness. As the reality settled in that she and her brothers were trapped here, in the middle of nowhere with no one for miles, it truly began to feel like a burning in her heart.

"Well, there's no sense in being grim faced and moping," Ruggero spoke out in his normal bright voice. It was enough to shake Costanza out of her rapidly darkening thoughts, while the twins looked up but were more hesitant. Nevertheless, he stepped closer to the house and slapped his hand against the wall. "This isn't a prison cell, after all. Simply a house that needs to be lived in a little. It's not like we've been so very pampered that we aren't capable of making a home out of this. We'll move our things inside, give it a good cleaning, light some candles, and it will start feeling warmer than ever. We always say we don't get to spend as much time together as we'd like. Now we have a good long time." He turned to the others. "Think of this as an extended country visit."

There was a pause among the siblings. None of them were feeling that too much, but Costanza soon picked up on what was going on. So long as they were trapped in this situation, they had to make the best of it. They had to do their best to keep their spirits up. If they couldn't be with their father, then they could at least make sure that they were happy where they were at. If for no other reason than the twins.

Salvatore nodded. "Ruggero's right. Give it a day or two and this place will be like a second home. It was mother's, after all. And it isn't as if we are isolated out here. Once a month father will send us a wagon with fresh supplies and next time they come we can make some requests to make this place more cheerful. There's also his letters to look forward to. And I'm sure we won't have to stay here the full time either. I'm sure father is constantly thinking of a way to dismiss that wretched woman. And as soon as he does we'll be home again. Who knows? There might be someone on his way already."

Uberto gave Salvatore a look, indicating he was being just a bit too optimistic, but he didn't try to crush any good feelings. "I had to forfeit some clothes, but I brought my paints with me. With all of this landscape around here for inspiration, I can give us some artwork to liven up the place."

"With all this wood about, I can give us a bit more furniture so we all aren't seated in the dust," Tito suggested with a smile.

"And plenty of firewood when that doesn't work out…" Uberto muttered.

"And I made sure to bring your favorite storybooks," Ruggero smiled as he reached out and rubbed either head of his youngest brothers. "Just think. Out here, you won't have to constantly get scoldings from your tutors. That gives you quite a bit more time to yourselves to play, doesn't it?"

The twins perked up a bit more on that, as well as the mood of her brothers. Costanza felt better herself. Hearing all of her brothers chiming in as they always did livened up her spirits considerably. Even if she was practically exiled from her own home, she still had most of her family with her. So long as that was true, Ruggero was right: even this place could become home.

"Well, we have a lot to do before we see if I can remember how Antonio made that stew when I was younger…" Salvatore spoke up before walking to grasp the first load. "Let's get started."

Ruggero went for some of his own, but looked up as he did. "Costanza, since we don't have many niceties here, would you mind seeing if there are any wildflowers nearby we can use to brighten up the place? Just don't go too far."

She managed a smile and a nod back. "Alright."

To be continued...