Francesco Pazzi x Medici OC | Enemies to lovers | Romeo and Juliet Retelling | The Taming of the Shrew retelling | Arranged marriage/marriage of convenience | star-crossed lovers | Feminism during the Italian Renaissance |
I am kind of a hive with...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
The early morning sun painted the walls of the Tuscany villa in hues of gold, casting a warm glow on the colourful frescos and artistic depictions that adorned them. Catalina de' Medici lay sprawled on her older sister's bed, her arms and legs spread out like a starfish, her eyes tracing the intricate patterns of the ceiling above. The silence of the room was occasionally punctuated by the scratch of Bianca's quill against parchment as she hurriedly wrote a letter at her desk.
As Catalina shifted her gaze to her sister, she found herself captivated by the graceful movements of Bianca's hand as she meticulously penned her words. The soft morning light illuminated her features, casting delicate shadows on her face, giving her an almost ethereal quality.
She opened her mouth to say something, perhaps crack a joke at her sister's expense, but before she could utter a word, there was a soft creaking sound at the door. Bianca's sudden startle broke the tranquillity of the room, causing her to hastily fold the parchment and tuck it away, before reaching for a brush to feign arranging her hair. Just as she began to do so, their mother, Lucrezia, entered the room.
"Ah, good, you're already dressed," she greeted. "And Cat, you're here too. Good to see you both up and ready to go."
Bianca returned her mother's smile with a wide grin, while Catalina offered a lazy wave in response. Bianca spoke up, sweet and composed, "I'll go and fetch Lorenzo, Mother."
"Oh, your brother is not in his room," Lucrezia sighed in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I suppose Giuliano isn't in his either?" Catalina mused, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.
Lucrezia cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly, recalling her earlier experience at her youngest son's door and the sounds she heard behind it.
"Oh, he is certainly in there alright," she muttered. "Although, perhaps we should simply let him come out on his own."
"Of course, Mother."
As Lucrezia's footsteps faded down the hall, leaving the door slightly ajar, Bianca glanced around the room cautiously before reaching for the concealed piece of parchment and tucking it within her bodice. Catalina rolled over, placing her chin on her steepled fingers with an amused glint in her eyes, and she was unable to help the chuckle that burst out of her at her sister's attempt at secrecy.
"You're not fooling anyone, you know," she teased, her voice laced with mirth.
Bianca huffed in exasperation, shooting her younger sister a reproachful glance. "Oh, do be silent, Catalina," she retorted, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
