"Ceneri, you have to remember to let me breathe," protested Figaro.
"Why?" the young woman asked teasingly. "Should there be time for that between kisses?"
"If you want to kiss a living person, yes. If you want to kiss a corpse, no."
"Figaro, you've been away too long. What did you expect?" Bianca scrunched her face into a pretended pout. Figaro smiled and managed to free an arm. He looked for the usual smudge on her face, found it and gently attempted to wipe it away with two free fingers.
"Ceneri... Always Ceneri..." he said affectionately. Bianca's face pinkened and she smiled in appreciation. Then she reached up with both hands, locked them around Figaro's neck and drew his face down for one exceptionally long kiss that left them both breathless.
Time passed and the bliss that marked the beginning of their time together began to fade from Figaro's mind, though not from hers, as the situation at hand invaded his thoughts once more.
"Ceneri, I can't stay," Figaro said, knowing full well it was necessary to tell her. "I must leave. There is work to be done."
"What work? You've done all you can. Let the Master do what's necessary from here." Bianca's brow furrowed along creases that her youthful face usually hid.
"He cannot do the things that I must do, and so I will have to leave before the night is gone."
Something akin to impulse caused Bianca to say, "Is it Caterina?" Figaro was startled, then realized the extent to which Bianca heard his talk with Del Strego and what she might be thinking at his mentioning Caterina. Figaro always believed honesty was best so he answered her truthfully.
"Ceneri, yes, Caterina is part of this. So too is Loriana and Ricco, and Suciando and Del Strego. And another part of this is you."
"Well why should you carry all of this burden. The Crimson Knight is Caterina's champion. Let him worry about her! And since Loriana and Ricco are Caterina's family, such as it is, let the Knight worry about them as well! The Master can manage Suciando. All you need to care for is me."
"I'm sure that the Knight is worried about them," said Figaro, lowering his head and eyes, avoiding Ceneri's look. "And I do care for you," he admitted. "That's part of what makes all of this so difficult, so confusing and why I must go do what it is I must do."
"I do not understand you, Figaro, Master Jester."
"I do not understand myself either these days..." he replied.
"But I love you all the more. I can't help myself!" Bianca launched herself into the jester's arms once more.
Noises outside, voices and footsteps heading their way, interrupted their embrace. Bianca arranged herself and Figaro stood up, ready to accept friends or repel enemies. The tent flap flew back and Del Strego entered, followed by Cesare and then to Figaro's surprise by Duke Suciando of San Luca Maggiore. There were no guards or soldiers with them.
It was the Duke who addressed Figaro. "I will not waste words with you Jester as I am sure based upon what I know of your reputation that you would be well able to repel any sent your way. Do you swear on all that is holy and on the blood of your father that what you told Del Strego is the complete truth in all matters?"
"It is the complete truth, Milord," said Figaro. He returned Suciando's piercing stare with an unblinking stare of his own and a steadfast expression.
Suciando finally relaxed his gaze. "You have convinced Del Strego and your plan is well conceived. I am satisfied with what you have said. I am not fully convinced, but I see that your plan allows me the latitude to be so and to act freely according to what I perceive at the time."
"It was intended for that purpose, Milord."
"Bene. Cesare will be sent to Millefiore's stronghold under a white flag accompanied by torchmen to light the way. I will prepare my forces as you have suggested. You are free to leave my encampment, provided you do not attempt to enter Millefiore."
"Yes, Milord. I have no need to go there."
"Then be off with you, Jester," said Suciando with a wave of his hand. "There are but a few hours to the night and you will have their use. No one in this camp will harm you this day." Suciando turned on his heels, motioning to Cesare and Del Strego to follow.
Del Strego hesitated a moment at the tent flap and looked at Figaro, the older man's lips forming an abbreviated smile, his eyes twinkling in the candlelight. "I was right on this occasion, Jester. There is much more to you than meets the eyes." Del Strego glanced at Bianca and nodded. Then he left."You are leaving now?" She said almost immediately to Figaro, her eyes beginning to moisten.
"Yes. As I said, I must."
"Then take this with you, Figaro, and keep me close." She reached for and found a silk scarf dyed in a green the color of rich forest leaves and gave it to him. Figaro opened his shirt and placed it next to another cloth held in the same place, a different color than the green of Bianca's scarf.
One last embrace and then Figaro left the tent of Del Strego to the sound of Bianca's soft sobbing. He entered the forest on foot and found his horse. Not far, but stealthily hidden, lay the camp of the rebels and others recruited from the forest. It was here that he guided his mount and once inside the camp unloaded the items in the sacks carried by the horse so long and so far. He would need them on the morrow.
____________________________________________________________
Cesare found it was not easy to convince Loriana of the merits of Figaro's plan. She asked him to wait in a nearby chamber while she discussed the plan with Caterina and Ricco.
Caterina scoffed at anything coming from "the jester" and argued against it. "Why not find the Knight? He would know what to do. Besides, we can't trust Suciando any more than we can trust..." she paused in mid protest, feeling guilty that the next word would have been "Ricco".
"There isn't time, Sister. We have information on the Venetians. They are prepared to move tomorrow, there is no doubt." Loriana looked at Ricco to see if her half-brother would react to Cat's indiscretion.
Ricco's face turned red. "Say it, Cat. 'Ricco'. That's the word you ommitted." Surprisingly, Ricco wasn't angry. He was... ashamed. "I deserve that and more. I see why my father put faith in you, Loriana, and not in me. I see it so clearly it shames me all the more. Millefiore would by now be nothing more than a vassal of Venice or Suciando's holding if I had been named Duke. I see it so clearly it's feel is like a knife stabbed deeply into my chest. I have nothing to offer, Loriana. I deserve her scorn."
Loriana remained silent. Caterina felt waves of regret sweep over her. "I'm sorry, Ricco. I shouldn't have spoken that way," said Cat. "You have changed, brother. I'm beginning to see that now."
Loriana spoke gently to Ricco. "I value your advice, brother. What do you recommend? What do you think our father would have done?"
At the mention of his father, Ricco lifted his eyes to meet Loriana's. "I think he would have said, a problem's solution may come from an unexpected source. The jester strikes me as being an unexpected source. We have few options. We cannot survive a long siege or to battle Suciando or the Venetians alone. The jester's plan says we keep the gates closed until we are sure. Then we can fight the battle that must be fought... once we are sure. My advice, sister, is to accept the jester's plan.Loriana nodded. "Then we shall advise the Captain of our host of our decision so that he can prepare and lead them tomorrow, whatever the day shall bring."
"No, sister. I shall lead our host," said Ricco.
"But brother, you..." Loriana was interrupted in mid protest by Ricco.
"Loriana, please," said Ricco. "I must do this. I shall lead our men. It is what our father would have done... It is what he would have expected me to do in his place."Loriana decided nothing more needed to be said. She sought out Cesare in the adjoining room to give him her decision and to call for the Captain of the soldiers of Millefiore.
LANCER
One word deserves another.
[This message has been edited by Lancer (edited 09-17-2002 @ 10:33 PM).]