Previously:    Le Conseguenze The Aftermath It was late at night, I had said my goodbyes to mia madre and Mirco who would be journeying to Veniera, near the mountains, with Marsilia to stay with her family. Aurelia and I were the only remaining residenti, the rest of the staff had been released from our service for our funds were running out; it had been the hope that the Rego’s contracts could save us financially, ma ahimè. Because of the recent events, it wasn’t safe for la nostra famiglia anywhere near Illaryian, however, Aurelia couldn’t go back to Veniera and Salvadore was in far off Kaliphlin, so I had to take her with me and protect her. Train her to protect herself, I corrected myself mentally, it would be a dangerous life. I had told her before she went to bed that she must meet me on the bluff overlooking la baia di Illar where Brabantio was buried. “Ilazio, I know you’re busy brooding, but I need to speak with you before I go,” Marsilia said sweetly as she approached me in the hallway.  “I was thinking,” I replied softly. “But that can wait. Che cosa?”  She slipped me an envelope with A mia figlia, Aurelia, to my daughter, written on it in bold cursive, sealed with plain wax.  “Give this to her. She deserves, she needs, to know, Ilazio,” Marsila sighed, then muttered under her breath as she handed it to him. “E fai qualcosa per tuo fratello.” “Concordato,” I replied with the slightest of smiles. I then looked up as she began to walk towards the grand doors. She then turned her head to look back at me, saying, “addio, mio cognato.” The door closed softly. I then resigned myself to bed in the mostly empty house. Much of our stuff had been taken to Veniera already, I only was taking with me what I could bring in a leather rucksack. Questa casa, la mia casa, I’d never see again, I thought as I walked down the hall for the last time.    The Next Morning La prossima mattina   I walked out into the courtyard of my home for the last time, the bells ringing in the far off distance. The bells reminded me of death, the death of mio padre, Brabantio. It had only been one week since those dastardly events. I remembered my brief conversation with Marsilia, that I must leave la casa della mia famiglia and meet Aurelia on the bluff overlooking la Baia di Illar. A tomb. As I ventured further into the courtyard, I saw a figure pacing by the ornate fountain. “Edmondo Ziccardi,” I scoffed, recognizing the figure. In a louder voice, I shouted, “Ehi, get out of il mio cortile!” “Ah-ha, the gloomiest of all the Moccenigos, what a surprise!” Ziccardi said, turning around to face Ilazio. “Is it?!” I replied angrily.  “I promise, in all sincerity, Signore Moccenigo, that your stately home won’t go to waste. The council has in fact already found a buyer,” Ziccardi said smugly, looking down at me, as he is considerably taller. “Who?” “Bene me! Why, the buyer is none other than me!” Ziccardi said laughing.  I glowered at him, my anger boiling at this plague of a man, my dead father’s rival, now mine. “You, you dare defile mia villa.” “Che cosa?” Ziccardi said surprised. He began to back away from me. I drew my sabre, stared him down, and said, “Don’t act surprised, Ziccardi.” “Too rash Ilazio, first you attempt to defenestrate our poor, innocent Rego, and now you aim to kill me,” Ziccardi said, a fiendish grin forming on his face. He drew his sword and swished it fancily. “Oh, this will be fun,” he said, baiting me. “Never thought I’d have the chance to beat up un criminale e vagabondo con una bastarda nipote!” He let that sink in, forcing me to make the first move out of anger and thus take the blame. Our swords clang loudly throughout il cortile drawing much attention from the townsfolk, who clamored over the wrought iron fences, paying no heed to treating La Villa Moccenigo with any respect.   “So tuo nipote is verily una bastarda. I shouldn’t have let such schifezza into mio casa, no less for una palla!” Ziccardi laughed, feigning amusement. “Oh, you must suspect me of his death, ehi!” “No! For I know that it was the Rego himself!” I replied fiercely while pressing the attack, fighting with aggressività.  Ziccardi stumbled back, shocked. Then, he shouted for all the people from Porto Cagliveri gathered there to hear, “Traditore! Tentato uccisore del Rego! Un criminale e vagabondo con una bastarda nipote!”  The people murmured amongst themselves, the sound becoming unbearable. I felt like I was stabbed, dying… slowly. Then I looked into the crowd and saw mio nipote… Aurelia, betrayal and tears in her eyes.  “Guardie, un Traditore! Guardie!” was the cry echoed throughout il cortile.  “Run! Sai dove trovarmi!” I yelled while Ziccardi stood by the fountain, waving his hands at the guards and the crowd, before I ran off to the secret passages that’d get me out of town before the guards could capture me. I hoped that Aurelia would meet me there, at least physically unscathed. I had to give her the letter.   Additional Pictures Grazie for looking! C&C welcome.