literature

Affair with the Borgia ch 3.1

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Bells rang loudly in the early morning sun. Pigeons flew up into the sky, surprised at the sudden noise. The Campo de' Fiori opened its stalls once more and people began to populate the streets of Rome. Everything was so normal. Everything was so fine.

The church bells in Vatican City rang the loudest and heralds announced the news. It was Cesare Borgia's fifteenth birthday and a large celebration was to be held all over Rome.
Everywhere you could hear from the people's lips the chatter about the grand party and the banquet prepared. Close friends of the family sponsored each and every detail to make this the prince's 'most wonderful bash'. However it wasn't wonderful enough for all.

Fiorenza, Carlotta, and Cristina stared at Gerardo and Patrizio.
"You know that she will refuse like all the other invitations these past few days." Fiorenza said. They were seated in their favorite terrace near Campo de' Fiori. Fiorenza was wearing a light gown with slashed sleeves by the elbows showing her chemise.
Her hair was tied to a tight ponytail with a pearl headband around her head. Carlotta was in her working–class attire, a cream white chemise with its sleeves rolled up and an orange sleeveless gown. Her hair was covered by an orange veil with black embroidery. Cristina on the hand wore a dark violet gown with yellow embroidery, her hair tied up to a messy bun with white flowers in her hair.

"Si, that's true" Carlotta joined in.
"Our dear friend needs our help more than ever now that we're all here again." Cristina said smiling a bit.
"Like what? We've searched Roma for how many times and we still haven't seen that little dog!" Fiorenza exclaimed and poked at her meal furiously. Gerardo sipped at his tea quietly while Carlotta drank her wine.

"Then what are we going to do? It's not like Caligula will magically appear to us in an explosion!" Patrizio said smacking the surface of their table. Adone honked loudly at him then resumed eating his wet bread crumbs. The gang spotted three familiar forms outside the inn. The Borgia siblings Juan, Cesare and Lucrezia entered the osteria as normally as they could. Some wouldn't resist their blabbering mouths.

"Have you heard? After a girl spoke to Cesare, she mysteriously disappeared"
"Oh my? And you think it is Madonna Lucrezia's doing?"
"Certainly, a woman like her is always jealous"

Juan greeted the girls with a kiss on the cheek, Cesare did the same and Lucrezia lastly to the boys. The star of the day sat comfortably between Gerardo and Carlotta. The rest of the friends seemed uneasy when they noticed Cesare's shifty eyes.

"So where is-" before Cesare could finish Gerardo showed him his sketchbook. He quickly flipped it open to reveal a sketch where a girl of some sort was looking down from her balcony with people staring up at her as if beckoning her to come down. The next page showed the girl retreating to her room all alone and with a sad look on her face.

"This is a nice sketch Gerardo, since when did you make this?" Juan asked, taking the book from the young artist. "Oh just five days ago" Gerardo replied.
Cesare knew. He knew there was no way to get the little angel out of her sanctuary until her little piece of heaven was returned. He grimaced and thought hard of an idea.

While the others talked, Fiorenza and Lucrezia exchanged glances every now and then. The two were rumored to be rivals in the game called love. Lucrezia had boasted that she had twenty-five lovers while Fiorenza had over thirty by the time she was fourteen.
Whenever they heard Lucrezia having a scandal with a man, Fiorenza would retaliate with her own. Until today they never stated their reason for fighting.

Carlotta sighed and drank up her wine. She looked over at Cesare and wanted to know what the young man was thinking about. She thinned her lips and wondered about her friend.
Angela sat quietly behind her desk while gazing blankly at the city of Rome.
She sniffed a bit and looked down at the blank pages of her journal. Slowly, she picked up the feather and dipped the tip into the ink then wrote.
"How many days should pass before my beloved Caligula returns to me?"

Angela wiped a tear from her face and continued. Now that it was that bastardo's birthday, the heralds and posters were changed. She wouldn't be able to find her fox this way.
She turned around looking at her mother's portrait. Her mother smiled in the painting. She was wearing her favorite cerulean gown with blue feathers in her hair.
Angela suddenly remembered. Her mother was the one who gave Caligula to her as a gift for her coming of adolescence. Then two months before Angela's fourteenth birthday, her mother passed away unexpectedly causing grief in the whole family.

A feeling crawled up her spine as she recalled her mother laying on her deathbed still smiling at her and telling her to be a good lady in the future. Then she was gone.
"Madonna?" Salome stepped into her mistress' bedroom and she found her standing in her balcony. The wind from outside blew some papers away but Salome paid no mind to it. She approached the young girl and touched her shoulder.
Angela jumped a bit and turned around seeing her maid servant. Salome gave a sincere smile.

"Are you alright madonna?" Salome asked her
"Si, I'm fine don't worry" Angela answered and wiped her dry tears.
They both returned to the bedroom and Salome closed the glass doors behind her. Angela settled down in front of the fireplace. Now that September was coming in, the weather has changed dramatically.

"So what is it Salome? Do you have something to tell me?" Angela asked her this time.
"Signore Gerardo and Patrizio are here to speak to you" Salome told her. Angela nodded.
"Tell them to meet me at the library, I'll be there in a moment." The maid servant bowed her head and went back downstairs to inform the two boys. Angela arrived in a matter of minutes. She had to put on powder on her face despite its paleness. She smiled at the two boys and the servants served them tea and macarons.

"Oh I like this color" Gerardo said taking the light green pastry. Patrizio and Angela laughed.
It's been so long since the three of them got together like this. They surely missed Gerardo's humor.
"So what's with the sudden visit?" Angela asked them. Patrizio reached into his coat and took out an envelope. Angela sighed and refused.
"Angela, you need to get out of this cave of a house. Look at you! You gained weight!" Patrizio told her. The young girl dismissed his explanation. She didn't matter if she became the largest woman in the world. She was serious when she said she would never leave her house until Caligula returned.

"Angela, we told your dad. If you don't get out of there he will be furious or he will have to call your Aunt Elisabetta for counseling." Gerardo said already chewing on the little biscuit.
The young girl rolled her eyes and her gaze landed on the darkwood floor. Now all of her relatives were concerned, what was there to do anyways? She feared her father's fury than the devil himself and so she finally agreed.

"Bene! It's going to be a masquerade we'll be attending to! Wear the best mask you hear?" Patrizio said ruffling Angela's hair. Angela giggled for a bit and smacked Patrizio's belly.
"Of course I will," she said.
"Don't miss this one out alright?" Gerardo said and embraced his friend. Angela smiled and hugged back.
"Mille grazie amico mio" she said and let go. She waved goodbye to her friends and returned to her bedroom where she will have a hard time choosing what gown to wear and what mask should go with it.

Gerardo and Patrizio glanced back at the palazzo for a second then hurried into an alley where Cesare and Carlotta were waiting for them.
"Well?" Cesare said
"She took the bait and now all we need to do is to lure her in" Patrizio said.
Carlotta smiled a bit now that they managed to get their friend out of her state of depression. She looked over at Cesare and she saw how relieved he was of the news.

"Cesare, do you like Angela?" she asked. Cesare looked at her and gave a brief smile.
"Of course I do, she's like a sister to me" the young man replied.
"But she seems more than that amico" Gerardo said smugly. Cesare glared at him.
"Hah! Sister? More like lover to me" Patrizio stated.
"Patrizio, if I do that then that will be incest on my part." "As if" The group laughed for a moment and soon parted to their homes to prepare themselves for the party tonight.

Lucrezia admired her reflection in the full body mirror. Her hair was brushed to perfection and her bejeweled mask sparkled in the candlelight. She wore a white gown made of Egyptian cotton and lace sleeves. White feathers decorated her hair while she put on dark kohl to make her eyes more captivating.

A maid servant came in to inform her that Cristina has arrived. She liked to invite her friends just for them to be jealous at her new clothes.
She told the maid to go fetch her and continued looking at her face. She heard the door creak and she gazed into the mirror again then turned around after doubting her eyes. Cristina was wearing an emerald green gown with gold lining along the bodice.
Her hair was tied up to a neat bun with peacock feathers in them. Her mask was also green with gold in them and gold earrings sparkled beautifully even in the dark.

"Oh my you are so beautiful Lucrezia!" Cristina said smiling at her friend.
"Si. . . yes I am" Lucrezia sneered.

The grand party was held in the Vatican Gardens where most of the nobility attended. The middle class and lower class however celebrated in the streets with fireworks and such.
Many danced to the music played the musicians and the old folks. Fiorenza and Carlotta hurried down the staircase and soon they met up Angela who was waiting for them by the bridge.

Fiorenza wore a dark purple gown with black lining. Her mask was purple as well with black lace. Her hair was let down and a black pearl necklace adorned her scrawny neck. Carlotta wore a bright yellow gown with a simple white mask.
Angela wore her favorite party gown. It was pale blue with white fur on the bodice and cuffs. White feathers and blue flowers decorated her hair and finally her mask was white with dark blue lace. Carlotta and Fiorenza smiled at her but she did not in return.

"We're going to go there aren't we?" Angela said looking at the lit up dome of the Vatican city. Fiorenza sighed and shook her head, "Look if you won't come then fine. We won't put up with this anymore Angela. It's going to your loss not ours" she said and grabbed Carlotta by the wrist.

"C'mon Carlotta, let's enjoy the night" Carlotta looked back at her friend for a moment and then walked ahead with Fiorenza. Angela stared at them then turned around to leave.
"Are you sure we should have left her there? What if something bad happens to her?" Carlotta said anxiously.
"Don't worry. Not even a drunk man could touch that skin of hers" Fiorenza said drawly.
"Carlotta! Fiorenza! Wait!"

The two girls turned around to see Angela catching up to them. The girl stopped to take a breath and she looked up at her friends.
Fiorenza stared at her lowly, "So? What do you want?" she asked.
"I-I apologize amica. I want to join you." Angela said. Carlotta looked at Fiorenza for answers then the girl smiled apologetically.
"Bene. Come on, we don't want to miss the excitement aren't we?" At last, Angela put on a smile and joined her friends for the masked party.

Cesare wore a simple shirt beneath his red striped doublet, leather breeches and boots. He wore a black mask for his birthday and he was surrounded by most of the city's young women.
"Happy Birthday Cesare!" They all said one by one.
Cesare thanked them and carefully walked away. He sighed in relief and quickly grabbed a gold goblet filled with rich red wine. He placed the goblet to his lips and drank. His brothers were in the gardens enjoying the company of other women while Lucrezia was nowhere to be found.
On cue his sister entered the scene along with Cristina. She smiled at everyone then approached Cesare.

"You look. . ." he said awed by his sister's beauty.
"I live to impress" Lucrezia replied. Cristina came up to Cesare as well and greeted him.
"Grazie Cristina" Cesare said then his gaze shifted to the three girls entering the Vatican.
Angela was there and he felt his heart had skipped a beat.
What I did before writing this chapter:

Sarah: OMG! PINEAPPLES! LOOOOOOOOVE!!!!!

(3 hours later)

Sarah: Uuuuuuuggghhhh my tummy hurts uuuuuhhhhhhh

I realized I shouldn't eat much pineapples because I have a very weak stomach. *sighs*

Masquerade YAH!

Chapter 2.2: [link]

Chapter 3.2: [link]
© 2010 - 2024 Emosummer
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dauwdrupje's avatar
Whoohooh!!! Again, a wonderful chapter. You really like writing, don't you? ^^