Freak of Time, History's Game ( I Medici Masters Of Florence)

Chapter 9

"You're so pretty, my dear" Rita kept pulling her young mistress in front of the mirror.
"I'm not. What's the point, anyway? I'm just a guest. I think this is too..extravagant?".
"This dress suits you, so stop complaining. You look like a queen. You just also need to behave like a queen. So head up and give a pretty smile".
Vittoria forced herself to follow her suggestion, even if she felt kinda stupid.
A smile rised sincerely when her father came to take her and he expressed how he was proud of her.

The worst part was always the entry. Everyone would look at her and judge.
She grabbed her father's arm to encourage herself.
The main room was already crowded.
While walking down the stairs she spotted Riccardo. He was talking to some guests, but as if he felt her stare, he moved his head and his eyes stopped on her.
He came to welcome them. He shook her father's hand and bowed in front of her, taking her hand to leave a soft kiss.
She held her breath and soon took back her hand, like the touch was poisoning.
He was soon busy with the other incoming guests, so the Benedettis moved forward, losing themselves into the crowd.
She didn't want to talk about the hosting family and just nodded at his father's comments.
Vittoria forced herself to alienate helself, her strategy for surviving such stressful events.
Just one scene caught her attention. She noticed some lively children who ran to hug Riccardo, making him happily laugh.
By eavesdropping, she knew they were his nephews.
Unwillingly she felt envious. She had lost her mother and her sisters and still never moved on.
The Medici was a lucky and united family, just getting bigger and wealthier.
She wondered if her only left brother was fine. But he was far. He didn't  really belong to her family anymore, except for the few letters they were exchanging to keep each other updated.

The dinner showed an abundance of delicate food.
Vittoria found some ladies who were chatty and updated her on the latest gossip in the city. Then they dragged her to the elegant ball room, where some couples were already dancing at the sound of lovely music.
The ladies soon found some partners for dancing.
Vittoria rejected a couple of proposals, then moved away from the center of attention.
"Can I say that you're really breathtaking?" A familiar voice said at her back.
She turned with a smile "It took your breath away seeing me in a dress better than the peasant's one?".
Riccardo smiled  "You never hid your beauty from me. Now you're just showing it to everyone".
She couldn't find anything wit to say so she just thanked.
A young woman came to greet him and for a moment Vittoria felt very uncomfortable because the two seemed closed, so the good manners suggested her to slip away.
Riccardo stopped her introducing the two women, then it was the other woman who left.
"Lisa and I are friends since childhood. It's like part of the family" he explained with an excited expression.
"That's nice. She seems a really good person".
"You look like her, in my opinion. She's also always looking for adventures and so untameable".
The girl laughed "You know so little of me. You can't compare me to her. Surely she is so much better".
He looked disoriented "I can't complain. But I hope I'll know you better then".
Vittoria wished that too, even is she knew it could have been wrong. She was feeling so wrong.
Another guest came to disturb them, an old extravagant nobleman.
He bowed staring them both with an exaggerated smile, then he spoke to the young man "Yours is the brightest bride in the world".
She wided her eyes and glanced at Riccardo, who was simply speechless.
"No, sir" she had to force herself to explain "I'm not the bride. I'm just a guest".
The old man didn't appear embarrassed for the mistake "Oh. Great. If I was younger, I wouldn't have let you go, my lovely lady".
He winked and left.
Vittoria really wanted to be anywhere except there. She really didn't know how to react.
Riccardo cleared his voice and tried to break that iced discomfort "Sorry for the mistake. It's crazy, right? This is the party for my engagement but I'm here all alone and some people still don't get it".
She forced a smile, avoiding to cross his eyes "Crazy indeed. You should enjoy this event. It's all for you, after all".
Vittoria noticed that her father was dancing too with an eccentric woman. That unsettled her more.
"I like staying here with you" he confessed.
She gave him a crooked look "You shouldn't stay here with me. People might misunderstand again".
"As you said, this is my party. Why can't I do what I want?".
"Because you know that reputation is something hard to keep. So why don't you go and dance with those nice ladies who are waiting for you there?" She pointed to the group of women who were stalking him on the other side of the room.
He frowned "I don't want to dance with them" he turned to look her "I want to dance with you".
She forgot how to breath. But she had to stay strong "And if I refuse?".
He acted like offended "You don't want to dance with me?".
"I never said that. I said I'd tell you no because you have  to dance with them" she pointed.
He pondered it "Okay, so if I will? Then can I have a dance with you?".
"Sure. Only if you dance with at least two of them before".
"So we have a deal?" He offered her a hand and she shook it with a laugh
"We have".