Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 18.2: The Marchese

"Is it Christmas time already? The weather's still a bit too warm, I'd say," the old man said, looking up at the cloudless sky in confusion.

"You haven't changed a bit, my friend." Max laughed, patting Antonio on the back. "But I am a bit early this year."

"You were always quite unpredictable," the old man scoffed. "But I see that you didn't come alone this time."

Max turned toward Reine, his face beaming with happiness. "Signor Antonio, I didn't think we'd ever get this chance, but you finally have the honor to meet the woman I've told you so much about."

Antonio looked at him with wide eyes. "You don't mean . . .? Is this really her?" He grabbed Reine's hands and stared into her eyes. Squeezing her fingers, he began to smile. "Wonderful, wonderful! You have so much to tell me. Now, let's not stand here all day. Get inside, the two of you," he said with newfound enthusiasm.

They followed Antonio into a white marble hallway, and Reine's inner art historian emerged in full force.

"I've forgotten how magnificent this place is," she whispered to Max, close by her side.

He looked around. "Really? I've always found it a little bit creepy. What is it with all of those lizards everywhere?"

Reine chuckled. "Those are salamanders, not lizards."

"Eh. Same difference." He shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure a herpetologist would disagree. Unfortunately, I can't tell you the biological reasons; however, I do know that the salamander was Francis the First's personal royal symbol. That's why he had it carved into the walls, ceilings, and doors all throughout the castle," she said, pointing upward to the dozens of little animals dotting the coffered ceiling. "The salamander was thought to be a special type of lizard that could withstand the flames of a fire. That's where Francis' motto 'nudrisco il buono e spengo it reo' or 'I nourish the good and extinguish the bad' came from, as well. I think they're quite cute, actually. Wait, why aren't we following him?"

They had gotten to the end of the hallway. While Antonio had turned left, Max had pulled her to the right.

"Because that's his staircase, and this is the way to ours," he explained, nodding toward the open double-helix design in front of them. Instead of going up - as she had expected - they began to descend. "He's been superstitious about going with someone else ever since a chambermaid accidentally bumped into him in 1831-"

"It was in thirty-two, and it was no accident! That trollop wanted to kill me," Antonio yelled from somewhere on the other side of the spiral-shaped staircase. His voice reverberated off the polished walls, and it was impossible to tell his exact location.

"In any case," Max continued, as they took the marble treads downwards. "He refuses to allow anyone on that side for fear of a repeat performance."

The story made Reine watch where she placed her feet on the narrow steps even more carefully. "Of course he does. Can you imagine how much of his past he forgot that day?"

"Oh, don't encourage him, darling." Max laughed. "His paranoia is insufferable as it is."

"I am not paranoid!" Antonio yelled again. Their playful banter made Reine smile, but by the time they reached the bottom, she was ready to sit down. After waiting for the old man to catch up, they followed him into a rustic kitchen.

The vaulted ceilings easily held the extreme weight of the castle above, and a few small windows let in the outside light. A huge wood-burning fireplace lined one wall, while a cast iron stove stood in the center of the room. There was also a large table flanked by two benches, where Reine immediately took a seat.