2nd May 1563

Amaranta was meeting a friend from a cafe today. She ordered a cup of coffee while waiting. She sipped it, knowing that he was always late. It might take a while.

Then, a young man entered dressed in the brightest green suit that she had seen so far. She forgot that he was perhaps the most flamboyant, even amongst many, and he enjoyed using bright colors and patterns.

Clad in a dress of dark blue. Amaranta crossed her legs, and gave a wave to him.

The young man sat down before her. giving a smile. “It’s great to see you again, Amaranta.”

“It’s great to see you too, the last time we saw each other was during graduation, Matteo.” She gave a smile. The server came with a cup of coffee for him.

“This is my treat,” Amaranta said.

“Thank, I spent all my money on traveling,” he said. “I need to consider a job now.”

Amaranta perked at the news, knowing that he would appreciate an opportunity coming his way. “I may have a way out to your problems.”

He looked into her eyes, seeing that she was perfectly serious. “What is it?”

“I’ve taken a new job lately, with the Societas Elisse. They are looking for a new costumer, and I think you’ll be welcomed,” Amaranta said.

She saw him not coming up looking happy, instead; his reaction was more muted, thoughtful even. Though it was the last thing that they may expect. He was in thought.

“I’m not sure that that’s what I wish to do. I’ve heard some stories around that theater. Little of these were good, many more were horror stories,” he said.

“Why would you think so?”

“Well, I heard that few of them liked it. Most of them criticised them for being too safe,” he said. “I thought that you would have gone for a more challenging job.”

Amaranta took the cup up. She didn’t like the idea of not being challenged. “I took it for the money, although that is not my only intention. I couldn’t turn them down, for they could easily make it so I can’t work.”

“And you told me why I shouldn’t go there,” he said. “They make such an excellent offer that you can’t turn down, that usually tells me I should run away. But I expected more from you.”

Amaranta gave an awkward smile. “I was early, and I was probably tired when they asked me about the offer and I couldn’t refuse.”

“A second reason I won’t accept is that I won’t want to be tied down, and this job would require my presence in Rovirna, anyway. I’m surprised why they are still here,” Matteo said.

“It was where they were initially, they didn’t have a reason to leave,” Amaranta said. “If you wanted to be tied down, you would have just signed onto a local theater company.”

“Precisely, unless they’re willing to help me out based on just this performance and after I can leave.”

“I don’t think they like that prospect. But I can help you if you need help to find other work,” she said. He wouldn’t have accepted it, but she asked and got her answer.

Matteo gave a smile. “I was entertaining another theatre in the city for work. They go by a performance, more suited to my preferences.”

She tried to remember the theater and what she knew about it. A theater that was far more contractual than her current job. Societas Elisse was more traditional following the employment that lasted for life.

“It’s a new theater with some really interesting work, Matteo. Congratulations, but I guess that I would only accept if it was worth my time.” She smiled, sipping her coffee.

“They are happy to take anyone, because they seem to rely on extra labor from the boutiques who work during the night for extra money, it’s enough for them to finish the costumes,” he said.

And it was probably enough for him to continue funding his travels. For the seamstresses taking this side jobs would double their wages. In Rovirna, there wasn’t enough of them to go around but it created lucrative opportunities for underappreciated seamstresses.

“I imagine that most of the costumers are heading towards Nexia or Marallo.”

“It’s where you go if you want to, but it isn’t although the Dowager Queen encouraged these pursuits,” he said. But those two cities were always the center of culture. “But I guess here there are more opportunities to rise quickly, since I heard that the crown extended more patronage towards the opera.

Amaranta knew why this happened. “That change has more to do with the current Queen of Itoro, and not the Dowager Queen.”

Matteo was right.

“I’ve heard.” Amaranta took another moment to drink. “But I guess I came here for other reasons than enriching myself.”

“It’s your home?” He asked, it being obvious for Matteo was the first person she told that she was from Rovirna.

“And I have more connections here through my family. So, I came back.”

Matteo turned outside the window. “But I have to admit that it seems more interesting here, and a lot cheaper. It’s strange that this city is actually cheaper.”

“I think it’s because few people see Rovirna as the beacon of opportunity,” she said.

“You were right. Even I didn’t think so, until I found it. I guess I might even choose to remain here for a while.”

This would be agreeable for her. “Thank you.”

“I heard a little about the horror story, from a friend of a former call girl in the theater” Amaranta took a moment to blink, just remembering a little about the previous costumer hired by the company.

“Is it possible that we meet again, next week to talk about this?” She asked, widening her own lips. Matteo understood that she was seeking to understand.

“Sure, I could ask her a little about the situation.” Amaranta gave a slight joy at it. “You’re a good person to bounce ideas off of. It’s the same for you. We worked well together with critiquing our work.”

Matteo had mostly worked with her more times than others since they were the only two willing to try unusual combinations.

“Quite true,” she answered. “Just like school when we worked together.”

She gave a wink to him, Matteo widened his smile when she spoke of it.

“I was thankful that it was you I could find, the others I’m not too keen. They weren’t really costumers, and didn’t do it to our level,” she said.

“But they could easily do so. I guess maybe you could recommend them too. They might appreciate, particularly Pietro, who is looking for work. I heard he lived in the town nearby.” Matteo was trying to help her too. “I could bring him next week.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” she said. “Is it out of the goodness of your heart?”

“Pietro would thrive under such an environment, not everyone is like us,” he said.

“But I feel for this,” she said. “But I’m channeling my creativity in a different way. This is just to pay the bills.”

Amaranta had much to think about her current employer, after what she learned from Matteo.

“Pietro really needs this, at least from what I already heard from him. So far, he has had some luck, but he needs something with more money. Something to do with his dreams.”

Amaranta knew that Matteo wasn’t close to Pietro. There was only one reason. “Are you staying with him?”

“Yes, he’s a good friend if you need that.”

“I’ll propose it to them about this, closer to the date.”

She agreed on account that it was Matteo, and he usually was quite right. Matteo finished his drink, stood from his seat, giving her a wave before he grabbed his coat and left the cafe.

She got up from her chair, needing to go to the office. For she still had work to do. The time was still early; they were speaking with a few magazines. Scholastique was interested in news and enjoyed engaging them more than anything else.

Amaranta let her handle it while she took over the negotiations with other businesses.

Amaranta walked up to the level where it was. She took a seat at the couch next to Scholastique.

“They haven’t come there yet, Cosetta is below with the receptionists below waiting for them to come.”

She took a seat, taking in a deep breath.

“I think that I should have just focused on our line,” she said, taking a seat leaning against the back. “Now I’m just stuck in a situation in a place that is so dull that my friend is wondering why I joined. I’m even wondering why I joined.”

Scholastique patted Amaranta, despite being so much smaller than her, understanding her own reaction to this. “I thought so too. Even your brother had a little more sense than you did with that decision.”

“You’re probably right. This was a terrible idea for me to accept a job just because I was afraid to face the possibility of failure.” And for the first time, her brother was right in his advice.

“There is a little more to what I found from him,” she said. “Not just their reviews, but those who worked for them. So far, a lot of them liked it, but plenty more didn’t. One actor even made it his life’s work to reveal how bad it was. There were many, of course, who got their fame by working for them, hence they would never speak against them.”

“Except that your father always said that someone never turns on the hand that pushed them to the heights they are at now,” Amaranta said.

Scholastique nodded, they both turned, hearing the door swung open.

This was the critics who reviewed beauty products for women. Ran by two women who once worked for the many boutiques who served women. If they could get them to cover their line, it will boost sales.

Amaranta picked out a few of her dresses and using them, not caring about the relief knowing they were all well made. She stood up, smoothing her skirts. She walked forward first, with Scholastique moving forward next.

She shook their hands.

“Thank you for bringing us here, Signorina de Beaumont, Signorina de Moreni. You’re both rather young, but I have seen talented young women who surprised me,” a woman with dark eyes, short in stature and dark olive skin said. She wrote under the name, Venera.

Her partner, a woman with light pale skin who also worked as her partner. She went by Flora in most of her publications. With it being a paper about asking Flora and Venera.

Age didn’t matter for them, except her own talent.

She had put it right before them instead, the pieces that they would like them to test. It took sometime as they continued to review it. “This would fit well. We would do a story on you.”

Amaranta gave a bright smile at the news, Scholastique too but she was more muted. This was Amaranta’s creation, with input from Scholastique.

She was seeing it. There was an opportunity for more before the owner leaned in. “I think I saw you around the theatre, just when I was about to leave. I didn’t remember you in the show.”

“I’m just a costumer there, I help with making the costumes,” she said, twirling a strand of her hair. “I know that I’m very recognisable, it has something to do with eyes.”

“Your eyes are quite memorable, reminds me of emeralds,” Flora said. “You should quite the moment you can.”

Venera took her to the side, although Amaranta could hear her chiding her partner. “I thought we talked about this, we shouldn’t be speaking about this.”

“I mean, I hate them, you would if you saw what it did to any sibling of yours.” The woman folded her arms.

“Don’t you normally write for larger papers, Flora Caruso?”

“I normally write columns for costumes, which is why I like this immensely too. It combines the colours with the practical style that I like,” Flora said. “I had a brother once, who enjoyed working on props. He rated this as the worst theatre, and they fired him within a few months. He originally wanted something stable, and it turned to a nightmare that he would do anything to escape.”

Amaranta knew a little bad at the prospect of asking such a question, but she needed. “Have things gone better now?”

“It’s okay now,” Flora said. “So far, I am more than happy to do what it takes to get the attention away from them. Even if I end up watching a lot of terrible plays, but I always find gems I recommend or better places. Most of their stuff is forgettable, anyway.”

“You still watch them?”

“The plays are acceptable, but nothing groundbreaking. I can at least applaud disasters that tried something, but those are uninspiring and dull at worst.”

“That’s enough, we have to go through the other meetings.” Venera stood up, even as Flora seemed more than eager to continue speaking.

“If you need anything, send me a letter or pay me a visit,” Flora said. Handing her name card before she followed Venera.

Scholastique blinked, taking in the entire conversation. “So, what do you think now?”

“I am just this tempted to hand in my resignation,” Amaranta said. “But has she been like that?”

Scholastique shrugged at the woman who came. “That personal vendetta was because I think it ruined not one but a few of her family. They welcomed family many years back, but now, they seemed intent to be rid of them entirely. I know her because I’m trying to model her, and I want to make it as a journalist.”

“I might want to know what she might have to say.” She crossed her arms. There was much for her to think about right now, too. So much more so for her to think about.

“I think it might be a bad idea, you’re already doubtful. Didn’t you remember why you were here?” Scholastique questioned her friend for relatively normal choices.

“You’re right, I know that this was an entirely bad idea, and the focus isn’t on my line where it should have been from the very beginning.” She took a moment to sigh and understand that she already had little choices, now that she agreed to it. She had signed a contract, with it stating that she had to be with them for the minimum of three months, otherwise stated.

She put her hand on her head once they left. It was going to take a while for her. But to think of it as a job until she launched, that would make things more bearable. Everything to her was doubtful.

Amaranta stood up, clearing her head. She knew what she had to do.

“You’re right, I should just focus on this. What happens there doesn’t matter the least not when I have this and as long as I do nothing and keep my head down, I’ll survive,” she said.

Scholastique nodded “But glad to see you finally get my point, I mean if you ever need anything, I can help.”

She gave a smile, before deciding to look at who was next. “Do we have any more people to ask them to review this?”

“That’s all we have,” Scholastique said. “I wanted to see whether this was going to take long. I guess it doesn’t, since it isn’t an interview. But I have the person in mind for that when it happens.”

“When can I get an answer?” Amaranta asked.

Scholastique went to the calendar to check. “And still not yet, since it’s still too early. Maybe next month, since that’s when we have much better chances of actually meeting our goals.”

Amaranta smiled. “That’s when I was thinking of too.”