We're gonna pretend Harvey Specter is a Shakespearean character for this chapter :)
Principessa Valeria Rossi
"Principessa, I heard Signore Giuseppe Romano will be having your first dance at the ball tonight," Zio Alfonso stopped me as soon as I, alongside my ladies in waiting, descended downstairs the grand double staircase, ready to go to the Romano Manor. "Your mamma will not be pleased."
All the maids and servants in the foyer quickly stopped what they were doing to curtsy before they went back to their duties. The soldati remained still, though.
"Fortunately for mamma, my dance card is not full at all," I smiled back, stopping quickly to greet Zio Alfonso with my ladies in waiting stopping one step behind me.
Giuseppe was one of my closest friends and although there had been something more between us once, that wasn't the case anymore. Mamma didn't believe me though, and as much as she loved Giuseppe, she had been trying her hardest to set me up with Sir Philip Collins, her friend's son who was knighted recently.
My pink dress dragged on the floor behind me, and the clanking sounds of my earrings - the family diamonds, only made me head to the mirror nearby to look at myself. I knew I was going to look good beforehand, so the reflection staring back at me did not come by as a surprise. As someone who regularly attended fancy, white tie events, looking my best was nothing new for me.
I knew I was too confident in myself, but at the end of the day, I knew I looked good. The gold accents the palace was laced with even further enhanced the glow of my dress, as I could tell with the slight reflection on one of the windows. Even though it was evening time, the palace was very much lit up.
"You look lovely, your highness," Lady Asha, my lady in waiting, commented.
These ladies were more than just that. They were my friends but of course, on nights as formally important as this one, proper protocol had to be followed.
I stared at my reflection, checking myself out by the second. It was perfect: the hair, the dress, and even the shoes - oh, I loved the shoes. But, there was something missing. I didn't have a tiara, just some diamonds that I wore in my hair.
"Thank you, Asha. I do hope Principe Alanzo is there. I shall be very happy if he asks me to accompany him for a dance even once," I hoped.
I had never truly talked to Principe Alanzo but he was charming as ever. Every girl in high society dreamed of being his Principessa.
"And you are thinking of wearing a tiara tonight, are you not?" My other lady in waiting, Lady Giulia, remarked. "How can you expect him to come to you when you look like you are an engaged woman?"
"I do not have a ring, that is how," I laughed.
"That may be so but I shall make sure you do not present yourself as a woman that is spoken for. You must find a husband!" Lady Asha scolded. "You are looking forward to this ball, I am sure, partly because this is the season the principessa must find a husband."
She was correct, I was looking forward to this season but it was not only because I hoped to find a husband. Of course, I hoped I would because the people had started to expect their principessa to be married soon but not just that. It would make my mamma very happy. But I would not settle and as much as I hoped to find a husband at one of the balls this season, I would only marry him if I truly loved him.
"I am quite excited to see who I fall for, hopefully this season. I hope to have a match as lovely as Lord Alberta and yourself," I turned to Lady Alberta, previously Miss. De Marzo, who had just gotten married last season.
"Although, I must say, principessa, you are most fortunate," Lady Alberta started. "The principessa does not have to give up her family name or title because of the man she marries."
"Yes, I suppose that is an advantage," I nodded, looking up the staircase.
I saw some soldati, alongside some servants and right-hands coming down the stairs as well as some guards blowing the trumpet behind me. Mamma and papá were on their way down. Some of those people stopped at the very bottom of the staircase and announced, "Their Majesties, Re Antonio and Regina Aurelia."
The entire crowd stopped what they were doing and the men bowed while the women curtsied, including me. I may have been their daughter but proper protocol had to be followed.
Once they were finally downstairs and I got out of my curtsy, excused myself from my ladies in waiting and walked towards my mamma and papá, who were surrounded by servants and soldati.
"Mamma, are you absolutely positive I can't wear my tiara tonight?" I asked with an unintentional pout on my face. "Everyone's starting to wear them and I really wish I could as well."
"Papperota, you know full well what tradition dictates. Only engaged or married women can have tiaras on their heads. It's only to signify that - " She tried to explain something she had elaborated on multiple times before, but I had to have mine on tonight.
"Mamma, surely when the people do not see a ring on my finger, they will know I am not engaged nor am I married. Did you not see Cressida's tiaras at like the last...about thirteen events. And she isn't engaged or married!" I protested. That specific tradition was something I would refuse to partake in.
"Valeria, how will you find a husband if every gentleman at the ball assumes you to be spoken for and cannot even - " she had only started but papà came to save the day. I was his princess before being a princess, of course he would come and defend me.
Both, me and mamma, already knew that papà would take my side. Even she knew that arguing with him when it came to me was useless, given that I was his principessa. And I did not try to hide the fact that I was spoiled, although I did hope to make my own way in life as well.
"My principessa isn't allowed to outshine everybody else tonight?" Papà put his hand around my shoulder. "Papera, you wear whatever you want. My principessa always outshines everyone else. And if you want to wear a tiara, you put on the brightest one you got. Tradition is just peer pressure from the dead, anyways."
Papá really did have a way with words.
"You spoil her far too much. Do you have any idea what the people will say? It is one thing for someone of the peerage to break away from tradition but when that someone is the principessa, people talk." Mamma shot back.
I hated making mamma angry but when papá told me that he would make sure she was alright, I was quite happy. And he lived up to his word.
"Alright, but you may not wear a colored tiara. Only diamonds and only for tonight given that this is the first ball of the season." she finally gave in but not before muttering, "Absolutely ridiculous."
I jumped up in glee, kissing both mamma and papá on their cheeks and with my ladies in waiting and a few maids as well as my right hand, I was escorted back up to my powder room.
I did not have a lot of time to admire myself in the mirror so as fast as I could, I grabbed my diamond tiara that was put away so I could wear it after my wedding. It was absolutely magnificent, and was given to me by my nona.
My ladies in waiting assisted me in securing the tiara around my head, working as fast as possible because of Niko's screaming downstairs.
We headed downstairs once done. Everyone was waiting for us downstairs, and by that, I meant everyone including our new guests from the House of D'Angelo, Rebecca, and her cat, Grayson.
I wondered where Giuseppe was.
There was one, in particular though, that caught my eye. My archnemesis, Romeo. And not in a good way because after his attitude earlier, I really couldn't stand the sight of him.
I planned on having a good time at the Romano Ball but now because of Romeo's presence, it was going to be hell. Not only because I hated him but because even while dancing with potential husbands, all I would be thinking about would be him - or rather, how to kill him.
Not even his lovely tailcoat or his charming exterior could make up for how rotten he truly was.
I knew I should've been spending more time plotting the task I was assigned by papá, but I was confident in myself and preferred to keep myself occupied with better things than obsessing over Romeo D'Angelo.
He was so, so stupid to think that a king like King Lorenzo, one of our closest allies, would hurt us. And he was even more stupid to come all the way to us thinking we just wanted their help with absolutely no ulterior motives.
We didn't need their help but if there was one thing I learned about him when he arrived, it was that he, alongside his mamma and papá, was incredibly naïve.
But I had to act cordially. I turned towards him and curtsied. Our ranks were equal and I did not need to curtsy, but I wanted to irk him even more. It was clear that he saw the sarcasm behind my curtsy.
He eyed my tiara with disgust, as though he could not believe I could have found someone. Well, I hoped Principe Alanzo would not truly think I was engaged because I did love how the tiara looked, but I was glad to rub my fake engagement in Romeo's face. Just because he could not find a wife due to his rotten personality did not mean I would not find a husband.
"Papera, I need to discuss...well, something. with you when we return from the ball, come see me in my study, please," papá stepped up and whispered in my ear, making sure no one else heard.
I knew full well what he wanted to talk about. He wanted to know if I knew exactly what I was going to do. And of course he did. He always looked out for me.
"I shall come see you then," I whispered back.
"Now whatever happens from this moment on tonight, know that it is part of the larger plan, papera." Papá put his hand on my shoulder, whispering one last thing before stepping past me.
I wondered what that meant.
Mamma followed behind him but not before giving me a kiss on the cheek and winking saying, "Principe Alanzo will be at the ball tonight."
That made me feel somewhat better after seeing Romeo's face.
Once the announcements for the carriage began, I understood what papá meant.
"Their majesties' carriage awaits," Signore Carmine announced and I just knew Romeo and I would have been put together.. "His Highness Principe Nikolas and Principe Leonardo D'Angelo; their carriage awaits as well. Lord Amadeo and Lord Massimo, the carriage shall be here shortly."
One after the other, each of them was escorted out of the palace, down the main staircase leading towards the ground, and into their carriages.
I waited for Signore Carmine to announce my name with Romeo, not missing the rage in Niko's eyes. I had no interest in sharing a carriage with the enemy but if the enemy was one I was going to kill, I was going to have to analyze everything about him from his body language to the way his mind worked. I understood exactly why papá put me with him. Papá was protective of me, yes, but even he knew that the principe would not dare try anything in a carriage surrounded by all of our people.
After Signore Carmine announced everyone else, it was my turn.
"Her Highness Principessa Valeria and Principe Romeo's carriage awaits," Signore Carmine smiled, scurrying off to give directions to all the lost servants running around the palace.
I didn't protest much since I did understand why he would have me be seated with Romeo. That's probably why mamma told Giuseppe not to come, I concluded. I was quite disappointed either way and I didn't care if it showed on my face. I knew I was bad at masking my emotions so whatever I felt displayed very clearly on my face, and I didn't care if Romeo saw it. He knew I didn't like him.
I did, however, see him rolling his eyes in my peripheral vision and a strong emotion displayed on his face, but it was hard to read exactly what it was.
As my two maids came behind me to lift my dress up in order for me to walk out of my palace and into the carriage comfortably, they were rudely interrupted by Niko, who forcefully dragged me out of the foyer area and into the next hallway despite my hushed protests.
"Do you understand what's going on here, Valeria?" He questioned, and I knew it had to be serious because he never called me by my name unless there was something going on.
"What?"
"Hold mine and Valeria's carriages, please. We won't be too long," Niko ordered one of the soldati, signaling for me to follow him further into the hallway.
Once we got somewhere far enough for no one to be able to eavesdrop, he finally dropped the bomb on me. "You seem awfully comfortable with it. Do I need to remind you who we're dealing with here? I am more concerned than you are, and I am not even the one that has to carry out the job."
And boy, did he look angry as hell as he said that.
"What?" I argued.
"If the House of D'Angelo has the slightest idea of what's going on, they won't hesitate to kill you. Valeria, you are as naive as they come,." he was basically holding his head in his hands. "No, that's it. Ladies do not carry out such tasks and this should never have been your responsibility. Tell papá you're out. It's too risky, papá and I will postpone our meetings with King Lorenzo, and I shall take over for you. This job does not seem fitting for a lady of your stature."
Him constantly suggesting to take over made me mad. I knew it was coming out of a place of care, but I hated being told I was weak.
"I can handle it, Niko. I assure you I'm not as fragile as you think," I snapped back. "I know what is appropriate for a lady and what is not, but this is one time and then I shall go back to being a proper lady again. And no one even suspects a thing."
I did not have the mental capacity to talk about how I could do it just as well as any gentleman.
"If someone is to know before you carry this out, and if you shall fail, your prospects of marriage to a principe or a re will not be so strong," he rubbed his temples.
"That is what you are worried about? Not that something might happen to me -" I stopped midway, knowing I was walking myself into a hole that would not be so easy to get out of.
"So you yourself are worried, as I suspected," he retorted.
"It almost sounds like you care about me," I snapped. Of course he cared about me but siblings could never admit it to one another.
"I don't care about you but you're a reflection of me and I absolutely care about me so if you die while -"
"Okay, Harvey Specter," I laughed at how pathetic he had to be to not even bother being original.
"Just - just listen to me for once," he sighed, pinching the spot between his eyes as a sign of frustration. "You are a lady and he is not a gentleman. I shall let go of this for tonight but tomorrow, we will talk about it. I shall see to it."
I nodded, trying to leave but he continued. "And something you must know about the principe -"
As Niko was about to explain, I heard the maid calling us, telling us to get in the carriage right that second.
"I guess you will have to wait to know," Niko rethought. "Or maybe not. Maybe it is the universe trying to tell you that ladies do not engage in such things."
Before I could go after him, he already ran off and by the time I got out, everyone was already gone. My maids were rushing me to get into the carriage outside where His Royal Highness Prince Romeo was waiting, so after hustling and bustling some more, we finally made our way out of the palace and towards the carriage.
The first thing I spotted was Romeo standing there in front of the carriage, looking at his pocket watch ever so dramatically.
The carriage behind him should have caught my attention first, but when it did, I realized that it was so beautiful. It had four horses ready to pull it. The carriage itself was white with blue and gold accents all around it. There was a watchman as well as a doorman who gave me a hand getting into the carriage. The Romano Balls were always known to be extravagant.
Romeo looked really handsome as well, so it was unfortunate that he was from the House of D'Angelo and that he was such an *sshat. The fact that he was from the House of D'Angelo and not abhorrent to look at was itself disgusting.
"Can you walk faster? Or do you need to be told everything, principessa?" he mocked.
I had had enough of his bullsh*t, so without thinking, as soon as I got close to him, I lifted up my foot and crushed his underneath mine.
"Woman, what is your problem?" he yelled, pushing me off.
"Do not take that tone with me," I rolled my eyes, flipping my hair every so dramatically and making sure to hit him in the face with it. "And do not speak to me. Your voice and entire existence makes me want to stab a dagger in your heart."
"Yeah, I'm not too hyped about yours either, princess," he shoved me to the side once again. I was getting so aggravated with him. "You look horrendous. I feel bad for whoever has made you wear that tiara. Clearly that man does not know he is marrying someone bound to join her nonna in hell."
"Why, does your mother plan on making it her permanent abode? You seem to know a lot about hell." I shoved him away, clearly ticked off at what he said and waiting for the doorman who seemed to be busy elsewhere.
Patience, Val. Patience.
"Speak of my mother again and I shall obliterate your twig of a father, and then put your mother up for sale -" I punched him before he could finish, the impact not as strong as I hoped because of my gloves.
"Do not speak a word about my family unless you wish to show your mother as a failure - a failure who failed to raise a proper gentleman, but I suppose she was busy being a gold digger. It's not everyday you go from a peasant barely getting by to a queen that forgets her own people," I enunciated every word.
I had heard of his mother, their queen. Once her family barely even eating once a day, she was now queen and completely forgot where she came from. She had no concern for her people and did not care as long as her own stomach was full. She had forgotten where she came from just because a king decided to marry her.
"I said, do not speak of my mother," he almost growled, pulling me closer and holding me by both my wrists as he gazed intensely into my eyes. He then pushed me against the carriage wall, not letting go of my hands and not breaking the stare. Neither did I, though, staring at him with more intensity.
It was quite crowded around so the attention was not really on us.
"Your father may have spoiled you, but I truly hope that whoever has you wearing that tiara abuses you to a point of death," he spoke in a hushed but threatening tone.
His words had no effect on me. The only time they did affect me was when he spoke ill of my family.
"You, on the other hand, shall never even have the luxury of finding a wife. Not if your own parents could not show you love," I broke out of his hold, speaking with nothing but venom in my voice.
He would have done something back but before he could, the doorman and the watchman showed back up. "Apologies, please forgive me."
He held the door open, signaling for us to get in. I got in first and then, his highness stepped in as well. It was going to take all my willpower to not kill him right that second. I knew I could not because we believed that his army was lurking about and would invade if something went wrong. I had to be smart about it and wait until the annual Cecil Masquerade.
As for the carriage, it looked so huge from the outside but most of that space was taken up by its exterior. The inside was small, and I was not about to sit in that cramped atmosphere with Romeo of all people. I had no choice, so I sucked it up and sat down.
I heard Romeo's sigh loud and clear when he was asked to get in and sit beside me, and since I didn't want to talk to him, I started to really think about how I was going to execute my plan.
Our plan, currently, was to carry it out at the Cecil Masquerade Ball, which he'd already confirmed he'd be attending. All I had to do was analyze how the man in front of me functioned and then, from there on, we would conduct our plan carefully
I could feel Romeo eyeing me - or well, my tiara after every five seconds.
"Stop looking at me," I harshly ordered.
"I don't think you're in any position to tell me what to do and what not to do, princess," he mocked once again. "Women like you are all the same, vain. Pathetic. You would not last a day without your material wealth."
I gasped, feeling very offended that he not only insulted me for no apparent reason but that he generalized a whole gender. I knew he was talking about my tiara. "And you would?"
"I have," he snapped back.
I was shocked at first and then, I remembered. Principe Romeo was thrown onto the streets once for quite some time by his own father for failing to court a lady of their ton to a ball. That made me feel good and I was enjoying the silence until his foot touched mine.
His pathetic, disgusting shoe. I did the only thing possible and smashed it under my own heel.
"Who do you think you are, woman?" he grabbed me hard by the neck to the point where I almost couldn't breathe, but of course, I would never admit that. "If you act out, I will not hesitate to kill you and I think we both know that to be true."
"Valeria, Princess of Venezia and Roma. Pleased to meet you," I choked, refusing to give up.
He held me there for a while and I was sure my face was turning purple but to maintain my ego, I kept a sarcastic smile plastered across my face. And when he released me, my butt hit the cushion. I realized that he had been holding me by my neck mid air.
Of course he had. I didn't expect anything better from these people.
"Oh, you are such a typical man thinking you can intimidate anyone in front of you with a gesture as simple as that." I retorted, breathing in as much as I could before I proceeded to take off my shoe and throw it in his face.
Bullseye. It hit his eye. His hand shot up to hold his eye as he winced and I was quite sure I saw some blood. I became even more sure of that when I picked up my shoe and saw blood on the heel. How unfortunate. "You got your filthy blood on my shoe."
He closed his eyes once the blood was all wiped off, trying to calm himself - probably, with me less than an inch away, glaring daggers at him. I wished they were real daggers.
Oh well, they were about to be.
To get me back, he pulled out a pocket knife and before I could even think, he took my arm and made a cut where my vein was. I was lucky to have my gloves off at that moment or else they would have stained but looking at the pulsating blood, I panicked. Quickly moving my arm out the window, I told the doorman I had cut myself.
I was panicking but I refused to show it. The doormen always carried bandages and so when I pulled my arm back in, because time had been a blur for those few minutes, it had been bandaged. Thick enough so that I would not bleed out and thin enough to not be noticeable from over the gloves.
I looked back at Romeo, unregretful as ever. I had hit his eye first, yes, but I thought of what I did to him with my shoe as revenge for what his family had done to my mamma. I wasn't surprised by his attitude. Just irritated. He was, after all, from the House of D'Angelo. This was the least horrendous thing he had done in his life, I was sure.
How naïve of him to think we would invite him over to help us with the Bianchis. Oh well, he wouldn't be alive long enough to be made aware of the fact - but it would only be humane of me to wish he made the most out of the time he had.
Except I didn't. How could I? His family was the reason Nona was taken away from us, and although no confessions had been made, we knew it had to be the House of D'Angelo. Among other things, we would never forgive them for that.
Nor would we ever forgive them for the massacre of some of our soldati in Roma.
I thought more and more about the task I had been assigned and suddenly, I was grateful for it. I wanted to be the one to kill Romeo D'Angelo. It would bring me so much peace and it would finally fill a hole in my heart that was begging to me filled.
I cried every single night for nona. Every single night. And the break in by the D'Angelo soldati into my room that one night, it still traumatized me. I was still haunted by nightmares every single night. And they were sent by Romeo. He admitted to that.
It wasn't too long ago, and every night for months after that, I was terrified of going to sleep. I was still haunted by nightmares of that night - when I was injured so badly by his soldiers that I had to be rushed to the hospital - when I would not wake for weeks.
I couldn't forget the time they took Niko hostage, torturing him in their cells for months. I couldn't forget their attack on the people of Venezzia while they calmly slept on a night that was like any other. I could never forget the blood that was shed that night. The blood of my people.
Then, when I looked at Romeo, I felt disgusted. Tears sprung in my eyes and I quickly turned my head away, being bombarded with flashbacks of so many more horrible things they had done to us that I tried to push out of my mind. I wanted to enjoy the night, but I wasn't sure if that was going to be possible now.
And then, I remembered the most horrifying moment of my life.
*Flashback*
"Mamma!" no response. It was my third time calling out to her from behind her room's door and I knew she was in there, but there was no response and I really needed to borrow some more hair pins, so I thought to let myself enter.
As soon as I opened the door, though, I wished I hadn't. Because what I saw in front of my eyes was something that would truly scar me forever.
I stood there with tears in my eyes, looking down at mamma's almost lifeless body - covered in blood and then, I let out the loudest scream I had ever heard.
I ran up to mamma, holding her in my arms, begging her to keep her eyes open just a little bit longer - just until we could get her to a hospital. Papá and Nik weren't home, but all the maids and servants came running in, two of them even fainting at the sight but I didn't care about them at that moment.
All I cared about was my mamma. Not myself, not the maids, but my mamma. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't look down at her body because it hurt my heart to see her lying there, so still and clearly in so much pain.
I wouldn't let go of her, even though the maids tried to force me to get off of her so they could get her to the hospital but I wouldn't budge.
No one was going to take my mamma away from me. I cried so hard.
I started wishing for it to be a dream, and I started to hurt myself physically to ease the emotional pain. I was forced off of my mamma and she was taken away from me.
"No! No!" I screamed.
"No! You can't t - take my mamma away from me! No!" I tried to escape the maids' grip but they were too strong for me. "Let me go with my mamma! Pl - Please!"
And then, from the corner of my eye, I saw writing in the mirror - written in mamma's blood.
'Did you like the surprise? -RD'
Romeo D'Angelo.
"Principessa Valeria, Principe Romeo, we have arrived," I was taken aback and shaken out of my mind. My heart was beating so fast and my mind was racing.
"My princess, you have tears in your eyes. Is everything alright?" The doorman whispered and although I didn't realize I was more or less crying, I quickly wiped the tears away and smiled before proceeding to walk towards the manor.
"Uh - um - my lady, if I may," the doorman hesitated. "As per proper custom, you must walk in with Principe Romeo."
"What?" I whispered, feeling ever so disgusted.
"Let's go, I'm not hellbent on spending my time here," Romeo grabbed my arm at exactly the place he slashed and dragged me towards the manor. I winced a bit in pain.
I walked with him until I realized that no one really cared whether I showed up with someone so, I jerked my arm away from him. "You can let go of me, no one is looking and honestly, no one cares."
Not even caring to look back at him, I walked away from him and into the Romano Manor.
"Right, we wouldn't want to upset your future husband, now would we?" I heard a sarcastic voice - Romeo's, say from behind me.
Hmph, some prince.
***
Zio: Uncle
Nona: grandma
Bimba: kiddo
Papera: duck (often used as an endearment)
Principessa: princess
Thank you for reading! The next chapter is going to be in Romeo's POV. Thank you, guys!
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