15^th May 1563 

Amaranta had only one available choice to her, keep her silence about what she heard. 

She strolled, a simple hat sat her head, donning the most inconspicuous dress in her wardrobe, a dark pink color that didn’t bring out her eyes, which would blend her into the background. 

She didn’t know how to answer anyone should they inquire or greet her, when these halls were the same, except the inner was far more lush than what they showed. 

She moved within the theatre, afraid of looking anywhere that she wasn’t supposed to, staring at the light gray of the floor. Before, she gazed all over the garden, at the blue sky. 

She held her hand, feeling cold even in the rather warm spring weather of Rovirna. She was used to the cold winters of Marallo, but looking at it, she held herself back from shivering at the situation. 

But she had to come back. It was not quite the time for her to leave; she had to bear with it for another month before she could leave. 

After what she heard last time, she needed to resign, but there wasn’t a chance that they would accept it now without questioning her about why. Then, they would know, ending any chance for it to go normally. 

Amaranta stepped inside, finding Sabina with ease. 

“Are the costumes going to take time?”

Sabina nodded. “The opera’s going to debut in August. I don’t know why they are pushing to do it now as opposed to a later date, but it could be the scope.” 

This meant that she would need to stay for a month more. She didn’t know how to break the question to them. Amaranta knew why though, for it was the Queen’s birthday.

“You haven’t been around much, is there a reason why?” Sabina asked, for Amaranta barely engaged in any conversation for the past few days. 

“Mostly personal decisions, and meeting with my guardian.” 

Amaranta wasn’t ready to tell her yet.

Sabina looked at her for the moment, not trusting, but then she turned to the door. “Signorina D’Angelo is going to meet with us first.” 

She nodded, keeping her smile a little muted. She was thankful. Signorina D’Angelo was demanding, but she never stared at anyone, which she didn’t know whether she could hold herself back. 

“What are we supposed to do for her today?”

Since they submitted their ideas for her, she accepted it. 

“We have to glean what she wants. And now, for us to take her measurements, she has approved the idea. Otherwise, it would set us behind because of the timing.” 

Sabina folded her own arms, not eager to deal with her, but knowing precisely when to drop her act. 

It was at this moment the actress entered the room, Sabina put on a smile, with Amaranta adding it too. Signorina D’Angelo dressed in a light lilac gown, pastels bringing her out with a hat. Her skirts were a little wider, unlike the narrow dresses. 

But Amaranta preferred the narrow silhouette, being what she saw when she grew up. She looked down, knowing that it was by helping her she stumbled onto what she heard, a dilemma that she can’t get herself out of. 

Signorina D’Angelo gave a smile. “The idea is good, and I knew that you’ll be able to satisfy my desires. Now, when can I get it?”

“I need a week, just to make the base, since it’s a complicated dress.” 

Sabina easily deflected any issue to Signorina D’Angelo to deal with as she dithered on telling them anything. 

“I understand.” Signora D’Angelo turned around, leaving them having nothing else to say. 

“Did she say anything harsh to you?” Sabina asked, seeing Amaranta’s distance, and perhaps seeing her emotions on display. 

Amaranta declined, grasping her skirts. 

Sabina leaned in closer, having observed her reaction. “You can be honest with me.” 

Amaranta didn’t know what to say, remembering the warning with Gina, but Sabina was someone that she could trust. Amaranta could no longer hold it back. 

“A few days ago, when I was sending the plans to her so that she could confirm the idea. I heard muffled whispers, but I couldn’t make out what it was, but I left as soon I could.” 

Sabina looked at her, not changing her emotion. “Then it’s not an issue, you don’t need to worry about it. Leaving there straight is a good thing, just keep your head down, and I guess next time, I’ll send it myself or through Cecilio.” 

Amaranta gave a sweet smile, perhaps a little happier at the outcome of this. This could blow over, she would believe that she never heard the words, she sealed her lips shut about the matter. 

Everything was calmer now, as Sabina leaned in. “There’s someone else, after them, we can take a break.”

She knew that Cecilio took care of the men’s clothing, while they handled the women’s. 

The next actress came, one that Amaranta sweated right at her appearance. None other than Signorina Ferida, gorgeous and distinct as possible with her light blonde hair, and her deep blue eyes, bound into a loose bun. 

Sabina brought out the woman’s dress, far from complete, with only the basic structure and inner layers complete. 

So that Signorina D’Angelo won’t be likely to fume about the injustice she was being dealt with them being ahead with her rival’s dress. 

She could marvel a little at it, at the beauty, though Amaranta quickly moved forward to help her with it. 

They allowed the actress to see the gown, it wasn’t the later fashion used for Signorina D’Angelo’s, sticking strictly. They had stuck strictly to the older fashion. 

“So, what did Signorina D’Angelo ask for?” The actress asked. 

“I assure you, Signorina, you have nothing to worry about, yours is so different, and much more vibrant a color.” 

“So, stylistically, there would be no similarity?” 

Amaranta could understand why, not wanting to have her enemy outshine her as that would be strange. 

“No, they are different in terms of style, you have little to worry, in fact, yours is less likely to face backlash, for Signorina D’Angelo has agreed to weather it..” 

“I’ll take your recommendations.” 

Then, Signorina Ferida walked out of the room. 

“We don’t need to remake any of the ideas, it happened too, if they are too similar and the actresses are unhappy at they being too similar,” she said. 

“I don’t think they are similar, as a costumer.” But actresses could be more picky, and they also held far more sway. 

Sabina nodded. “Indeed, one represents the vibrancy that came for Itoro during the height of their dominance. While the other is their fall, adopting the more somber style of the conqueror.” 

She knew it came because of their domination of the peninsula after the many free cities, duchies had decimated, eventually all under Ibaeran control. 

“It just happens that black and gold have been what dominated the Ibaeran fashion, which suits Signorina D’Angelo,” Sabina said. 

“While Signorina Ferida is less particualr, but she doesn’t want to lose her spotlight,” Amaranta said. 

“Well, it’s also something that the audience eats up. Besides, it adds a little to the story. Even now, they are still rather loyal to the idea of Itorians ruling ourselves,” she said. “For most of them remember the war, or they fought in it.” 

It would also sell too. The story was one telling of two different duchess. One of them was one of the few independent duchies that remained, and one that sought to preserve them. The other was clearly following the conqueror. It was a story that wrote to satisfy their  less for the value that it had, but more for the audience they entertained now. 

“It would make sense,” she said. She remembered the lessons of the men who gave their lives to fight to preserve their independence once they freed themselves from foreign rule.

“I guess that’s why they have always emphasised history,” she said. “It matters a lot.” 

Sabina gave a shrug, perhaps not understanding why this was so. “I can’t comment since I didn’t learn that much, I only had a costume apprenticeship. Before that, I worked for a boutique. But from Hagne, she said that art is necessary to follow the perception of the crown.” 

“For it is with their patronage that we survive,” she said. 

Hagne entered inside, with her dress perfectly made, the pink being rather clear. The wide sleeves, around her shoulders, the splendour. Amaranta could admire it, could love to make it, but she would never wear it daily, for it was too constricting. 

Sabina talked to them, Amaranta knew what the topic was, it was what she overheard. 

A few moments passed before Cecilio came to join her. “Did you overhear anything?” 

Amaranta took a moment, hesitating about her answer. “I didn’t, I stayed there until they left, when there wasn’t any more sound, and it was just whispers.” 

“I will tell them what you said, at most, someone would come and tell you they need you to pretend that you heard nothing,” he told her the truth. 

Amaranta only had a question. 

“Did Gina do something similar?” 

“It’s hard, because when it happened, they discovered her, and I never had the chance to even find out what she did or knew, just that it was so quick that I had to find a new costume designer immediately,” he said, sighing. “But this is less serious, since you didn’t expect to be there, it’s unfortunate that you were there.” 

Cecilio left to join Sabina to discuss matters. 

Amaranta left alone. Whether she should have made the choice to tell them. It would have been a straightforward way out, they would fire her. But she had made her choices; she didn’t want to ruin her own chances in a future career.  

“Don’t worry so much,” Cecilio said, reassuring her. 

There wasn’t much for her to do other than worry. Sabina came back with Hagne accompanying her. 

Sabina confirmed her fears. “I’ll tell them what you know, but Hagne doesn’t think that it should affect anything.”

Hagne gave her a smile, being a friend of Sabina’s, trustworthy enough to be told a blunder like this.

Sabina left, but Hagne remained. 

The woman stepped forward. “It’s rather common for it to happen, don’t worry too much about it. Are you sure that is all?” 

“Please,” Amaranta begged her to not go any further, even as it seemed to do little. “I didn’t venture to find it out on my own, I stumbled onto it on my own.” 

“This would remain between the two of us.” The woman gave a smile, not exactly putting Amaranta at ease, but neither was it giving her any disapproval. 

Hagne took a moment to hold her hand. “I assure you that this would not go out, and it would be our secret.” 

Amaranta hesitated, but she wanted to tell someone what she knew. “I heard them plotting, about something. There was some arrangement that would have satisfied them in the new play they were organising. I caught nothing else, not even any specific details.” 

Hagne nodded. “I see, so even then you heard nothing that would’ve threatened them?” 

“Other than they’re angling, no doing anything to get the Queen to come. I think it means the Queen of Itoro, not the dowager Queen, for she never favoured much opera.” 

Amaranta knew it was a newly established kingdom, not even a decade has passed just three years old, unified into one country under one house even if it spent the last two decades under a single ruler, the Dowager Queen. 

It continued, even after the ascension of her son, more than happy to let his mother rule. 

“It’s easily understood, she has patronised no opera theatre for quite a while. It seems to be after the conquest,” Hagne said, something that they should have tried it too. “Do not worry, it will be fine, even if it is not, perhaps it is possible that this dismissal is a good thing.” 

She was right, there was a bright spot, she could escape this constricting place. 

“Of course, you’re right.” Amaranta could break a smile now. 

Hagne gave a nod, agreeing, leaving. Amaranta would put her trust, even if it ended badly. This was what she wanted. 

Cecilio handed her some work. “Sabina left, she told me that this should be for you.” 

She nodded, taking right the notes. She needed to make a hairnet, a simple thing to do, telling her that the costumes were more than the clothes and the garments. But it also included the accessories, and the hair too. 

Amaranta took it up, needing to fashion one quickly, since Sabina was still working upon the inner layers, and Sabina needed her aid during embroidery. 

She got to work with it being eased. Mostly making sure that it was sturdy enough to last the entire play, which was almost five hours, and with a break in between by the theatre. This was a special performance, a classic that she heard, with a break in between for the audience to refresh themselves. 

Hence, she would need to make it as though they wore it daily, the best guideline that she had. She would have the chance to test it out during the rehearsals for her. 

Amaranta bound the material together, halfway through the second hat. 

It was late in the afternoon when Sabina returned. 

She put the hat back to the table, moving to meet Sabina, not sure what to expect. If she was to go, then she would go. She stood up, waiting for what the result came. 

“Well, I told them that this happened. But it might take a while for them to come up with what to do. Do not worry, we still need you.” 

“Is it because of the dresses due for the new performance?” She asked. 

“Yes, and a replacement won’t be easy to find, even if we make you leave.” 

Amaranta wasn’t too happy here so far, nodded, it wasn’t in her hands any longer, even if she fumed at it. But there were positives to both ends, now that she saw it. 

“How large is the performance?” 

“It’s for the Queen, and we’ve invite plenty of nobles and courtiers, though we’ve extended to many capitalists who have agreed to attend.” 

But Amaranta no longer needed to worry about this any longer. She focused her own energies on her work until it was time for her to leave.

Then she took her belongings and left the theater. 

She moved to the entrance. There was some doubt why they needed to hush it up so well. She had her own curiosity about why the conversation took place, and then there was the distaste expressed by the Dowager Queen for the lack of any funding to just the Societas Elisse. 

Lucrezia supported others, but avoided them. 

She walked back home until her eyes met the familiar columns that she deemed her home for so long. She entered inside.

Her own brother remained there, leaning on the couch. He was more than a common sight nowadays, in his shirtsleeves rolled up and the first few buttons unbuttoned. 

“You look tired.” He looked up with his hazel eyes looking at hers. 

“And you have so much more time now, I thought you were occupied,” she said. 

He gave a shrug. He was reading some book that didn’t have a title; it was a bound collection that she never paid much attention to. 

But she remembered his advice. 

“You were right, to say that to me, that it was a bad idea,” she said. “Well, I might be out of a job soon, so I’ll be throwing myself into more of the work to set my line up up.”

“Glad to see you realize,” he said. This was something that they could agree. “But why?” 

“It’s something that is too troublesome to explain,” she said, before she left to her room, wanting to forget it all.