The Carvagi Sisters: Book One--The Rise

Chapter Three

A knock at the door roused Rosalina from her daydream.

'Who could that be?' She asked herself. Nicola would have just walked in, so it must be someone else. She rose out of her chair, halfway dressed for the celebration later. She opened the door a crack, and almost immediately a blush rose to her cheeks. 

"Oh, Niklaus, hello." She dropped her gaze to the floor, avoiding eye contact out of sheer shyness.

"Rosalina, dear, you don't need to be shy." Klaus smiled down at her. "I don't bite."

Rosalina smiled at the joke, finally looking up to his face and opening the door a little wider. "What are you doing up here? I thought you were to be down with father at the stables."

Klaus smiled at her again, keeping his posture as polite as possible. "We finished early, and I had a question for you, so I figured I might as well come ask."

Rosalina's eyes widened slightly, opening the door fully. "A question? For me? What is it?"

"I would like to know if you would accompany me to the celebration tonight." Klaus shrugged. "It's important for a dignitary such as myself to arrive with  beautiful lady on his arm, and I cannot think of a more suitable companion."

Rosalina's blush deepened once again as she smiled politely at him. "I would be honored, Niklaus." She gave a little curtsy, then smiled again. "But maybe you should come back to get me when I'm a little more clothed."

Klaus winked at her. "As you wish, my lady." He then bowed, saying as he stood up again, "I'll be back later this afternoon?" He turned and walked down the hallway. Rosalina smiled to herself, leaning against the door until he was gone. As soon as she was sure, she took off in the opposite direction, heading straight for Nicola's room. 

Throwing open the door, glowing with excitement, she shouted, "Nic! You'll never guess what just happened!" She paused, glancing around. "Nic? Are you in here?"

"One moment Rosie!"

Rosalina stared wide eyed at the window. "Nicola?" She walked over, leaning out over the ledge, looking below. "Nicola, where are you?"

"Up here!"

Rosalina turned her head upwards, narrowing her eyes in the sunlight. Above, on the roof, she saw her sister balanced carefully on the ledge. 

"Nicola! How on earth did you get up there?"

Her sister laughed. "I climbed, you donkey! I'll be down in a second." Rosalina watched as her sister swung downwards, and to her alarm, simply jumped from the tiny ledge onto the windowsill. 

"Nicola! Do you know how dangerous that is?" Rosalina said, backing away from the window to allow her sister more room to get inside. 

Nicola smiled at her. "I like to live life on the edge." Rosalina rolled her eyes.

"Get in here so I can tell you what happened!" She sat on Nicola's bed, straightening out her undergarments. Nicola laughed and hopped inside, coming over to lay beside her sister. 

"So tell me, what is it that couldn't wait?"

Rosalina sat straighter, smiling. "You, dear sister, are not the only one with a potential suitor anymore!"

Nicola sat up, eyes wide. "What? Who!" 

She smiled. "You'll never believe it."

"Just tell me!"

Rosalina blushed, then let it out all in one breath. "The gentleman from the Germanic tribes, Niklaus. He asked me to accompany him to the celebration tonight!"

Nicola hit her sister playfully. "Oh, that's amazing! Rosie, I'm so happy for you! He seems quite the charmer."

Rosalina shrugged off her sister's playful swats. "Yes, that he does. Oh, Nicola, to be married to someone from another country! Imagine what the other ladies in the district will say!"

Nicola snorted. "They'll say you're off to become a barbarian. The Germanic tribes are literally that--tribes of people who move constantly, conquering one town to the next."

Rosalina frowned at her sister. "Don't be so negative, Nic. Niklaus seems a perfectly rational man. He may be a great conquerer, a hero to his people maybe!"

Her sister laughed again, laying down and stretching. "The only thing he's seemed to conquer here is your heart!" Rosalina laughed and layed next to her as she continued. "You always were a romantic, Rosie. Just be careful, don't let it come back and bite you in the ass."

"Nicola!" Her sister laughed out of astonishment. "That's no way to speak as a dignified lady!"

"Well, the dignified ladies of the court are cordially invited to kiss my--"

"Nicola!"

Her sister smiled. "You know what I mean. You were always better at that anyways. But we've got to get you ready for this celebration! You have to turn a possible suitor into a real one!" She hopped off the bed, going towards her closet. "We need to give you the better dress, you have more need of it than I do."

Rosalina remained on the bed, perplexed. "But don't you want to look beautiful for Kleon?"

Nicola smirked as she searched through her tunics. "Ah, you see dear sister, I have no need to make him want me even more." With a coy smile, she turned to look at her. "I already have him."

"What do you mean?"

Nicola turned around, hand on her heart and smiling like a madwoman. "Kleon told me he loved me last night."

Rosalina practically flew over to her sister, embracing her tightly. "Nicola, that's wonderful! I told you he did ages ago!"

Nicola laughed and hugged her sister back. "Yes, well, he finally got the courage to tell me last night."

"Was it cute the way he did it?" Rosalina asked, looking up at her. She smiled.

"He got down on one knee in the middle of the vineyard."

Rosalina squealed, bouncing up and down.

"Rosie, I swear, you're even more immature than I am sometimes! And you're supposed to be the good daughter!" Nicola pushed her sister off of her, turning back to the closet. "Well, now that we both have men fawning over us, what are we going to wear?"