Regina is a beggar woman in 1599 Italy, a street musician and a fighter, she is mistreated by pretty much everyone. She reunites with a childhood friend named Don John after being taken in by the governor's daughter Hero.
Messina, travel by foot, I am there. Having nothing but the dirty rags on my body and the instrument in my arms. I took a seat on the dirt road, got my lute from it's case and strummed a lovely tune.
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(A/N: Ignore the tags.)
I played for the rest of the evening, it was dark, I got some coins from playing my music. You see, I am a street musician, it's how I make my living while spending each night on the streets of Italy. Not bad for my first night in Messina. I lived in Napoli before I became what I am now. Suddenly, my case with the coins in it was knocked over. I went to pick up my coins, I had a hold of one of them when a shoe lightly touched it. I looked up to see a middle aged man in a soldier's uniform, he was snickering.
"What's the business of a pretty lady like you?"
His sounded like he was going to hurt me.
"Making an honest living by music," I replied.
"That is a nice little piece of wood with strings."
He picked up the lute I sat aside before picking the coins up.
"Please give my lute back to me."
"Lute?"
"Yes...please?"
"It'll be a shame if it broke."
"Borachio!"
I heard a man shout. The other man was balding and about Borachio's age
"Borachio, his lordship wants us."
"Conrade, he can wait, got myself a beautiful peasant girl, we could take her to our chambers and have our way with her."
"Borachio, his lordship, he'll kill us if we're late to his call."
Borachio started to strum on the lute.
"Give my lute back to me, please!"
"Borachio, give it back to her," Conrade said.
"Not until she agrees to come to bed with us!"
"No!" I said.
He put the lute down and then grabbed me.
"Let me go!"
"I'm not taking no for an answer!"
"Borachio!" Conrade said.
I headbutted his nose, he held his bleeding nose in rage.
"Now you've done it missy!"
"Borachio, Conrade!"
I saw a young man walk to them in anger. He was young and handsome.
"I called you both minutes ago."
He noticed me then turned back to the two men.
"I kept pleading Borachio to leave the lady alone, he wanted to bed her, not taking no for an answer," Conrade said.
Their young lord turned to me.
"Is this true madam?"
"Yes sir."
The young man had a soft spoken but intimidating voice. He punched Borachio, intending to make his nose bleed and hurt more.
"What kind of a man are you? The most shameful thing a man can do is use a woman to his advantage. I am ashamed to call you my man in waiting!"
He slapped Borachio on both cheeks before turning to me.
"I apologize on my servant's behalf madam, if he does this again, I'll have him killed."
"Thank you sir."
"Pleasure is all mine. Come on you two idiots."
He left with Borachio and Conrade behind him. What a gentleman the young and handsome man is, I wonder who he is. I put the lute that was fortunately not broken back in it's case.
