16th May 1563

Annibale went to their shops. He needed to inspect upon their progress, and the tables that he commissioned. He knew it could go badly or well, but he would reserve any judgment until he laid his eyes on their progress.

He didn’t hold his breath, not even thinking about it, in the first shop, which was owned by Signor Barone. He had more to inspect, since there were tiny flourishes which she requested and liked, and one that he promised to her.

Annibale rarely liked rivalry or any form of emotion with work. That was why he opened competitions, to feed the innovation and passion. He always came up with one every quarter, with them often willingly paying it on their own, on sale either for patrons or as gifts for himself.

But never for business. He hesitated but Signor Barone and Signor Grassi were his first carpenters and hence, hesitated.

He went inside, Signor Barone already waiting for him.

“Signor de Moreni, you’ll be pleased to find out about our progress,” Signor Barone said.

He had the chance to see the bar; made of pleasant wood, with only a few flourishes carved into the bar. Annibale found the progress a little slow, but the flourishes followed the design. They would need to keep up.

“Can you handle the carving?” He asked. He knew that not all shops could handle the workload of such an intricate design. Hence, he needed to assure that it could meet the deadline, keeping on

The man looked at him, his eyes hesitant, his mouth not opened. He didn’t wish to answer.

“How long did you take?”

He needed nothing else to tell their problems.

“A few days to carve the flourishes into the bar,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t think that I can deliver the order in time.”

Annibale didn’t find that too unusual once he saw the man.

“Let me check with Signor Grassi.”

The threats worked. He smiled, he knew it would yield much given how seriously he treated this.

The man nodded, agreeing that there was nothing else.

He turned around, waiting for the man where Signor Barone looked, but knowing that he had to follow.

Annibale didn’t want to come back to the shop, going to find his secretary standing outside. Ezio standing in his sack coat, without even choosing to move.

“I’ll keep the carpenter Signor Barone with me, at this street.”

Annibale didn’t wish to return to find the carpenter again after he found Signor Grassi, the other carpenter.

He left the shop, having planned for this outcome. Deep down, he was disappointed at the results, but not troubled. If it was smooth, he did not need to even waste a moment in it. But it was not to be.

He moved across the street, their rivalry starting from their predecessors, who were their fathers, as both shops were across the street. And it was natural, for it was too close.

Otherwise, he would never have asked them to join him.

The new shop. With the sign, he was a familiar visitor. Inside, he could spot the Signor Grassi in his last years. With black hair, clean-shaven

“Signor de Moreni,” he gave a smile, not really eager.

The man was often rambunctious, eager to speak, at a loss of words. He knew one reason, he couldn’t meet it. There was always a reason he hesitated, but he never took them to task.

It was never a good idea to reprimand someone older than you. Not when it was obvious, and they knew it happened, and your silence was more than enough.

“Is everything going well?” Annibale asked, pretending to be oblivious, but he knew it too.

Signor Grassi’s smile dropped at the instant he couldn’t lie to him. “No, I only can meet a quarter of the order now, and I don’t think that I can meet your goals almost all of my carpenters want to add a little more flair.”

“Should I get Signor Barone?” Annibale suggested.

He nodded. “Of course, if that is what you wish.”

“Come, let’s go to my office, and we shall deal with this issue.”

Signor Grassi followed Annibale, grasping where they needed to be.

In the meantime, Annibale could think what he could do. He had plans, but there was more to it than that. He just needed to get Signor Barone, whom he left with Ezio.

Now, all needed to find Ezio and Signor Barone. before he moved back to the street with Signor Grassi. They would go to his office, in a new quaint little building, old compared to some of these shops.

These workshops were closer to the harbours that laid quite a distance away, a new port emerged through royal patronage.

Their situation wasn’t unsalvageable yet, since the progress could be faster, but it still met the deadlines; he didn’t need to beg for an extension from Amara who could not afford one.

He brought them right back to his old office, so they could figure out the best solution.

Annibale took a seat down, taking off his black jacket lying on his arm in the warm spring weather.

They have much to discuss, and he already knew what he needed to do.

He had an inkling that this outcome would happen from their suggestion, since both carpenters were taking on a challenge, although he always leaned towards having a system that functioned as opposed to this.

And if they did, it should not be on his dime and reputation.

Ezio having served the cups of coffee right before them, before he left them so that he could say.

“I have a solution to your problems, switch your work.”

Annibale proposed the solution that he best thought they could take, taking a sip from the cup to prepare for the situation that they didn’t say. More troublesome, but he had to prepare for it.

It was a slight hiccup, not a major disaster, and they learned their lesson. They should move towards something else, they should leave experimentation to other times. Not when they were fulfilling orders.

Signor Grassi and Signor Barone took a glance at each other, understanding that if not, they would likely only get compensated for the work they have done so far. Annibale won’t cut them short, but it would not be worth the work they expected to receive.

“We’ll do it.” They both agreed to his solution, given that Annibale didn’t need to find a new carpenter, and they would not lose the work and take a hit in their revenue.

Annibale didn’t mind if either of them competed when it was for leisure. But when it was for commerce, Annibale could not take the same risks. He made the mistake once when he allowed emotions to rule instead of logic.

Competitions was good, a rivalry was something that Annibale saw much benefit in, but not when business was serious.

He didn’t wish to let down anyone in terms of orders, and why he always kept them away from real business matters.

Annibale gave a smile to him, before he raised his hand, just watching them leave, having planned for this in every occurrence.

Ezio looked at him, sometimes thinking that he was too harsh. “I think they’re honestly embarrassed that they couldn’t finish it.”

Annibale gave a sign. “But I told them to not do it, and they assured me they could. Besides, they consider that a better alternative than getting only half for their work. I can’t do it, not even when they were incapable of it.”

“If you think so,” Ezio said. “But you do give them a place to let go of all of this, so long as they do not bring it into business.”

He often did, encouraging them to experiment, when it wasn’t for a client unless the client specified for it.

Ezio nodded, knowing that this was not his way to judge. It’s just that he didn’t want to give any chances for Amara’s order, and for something that they assured him they could do. Perhaps he was, but he didn’t want to spend all of it having to see who else could push his luck.

He wasn’t in the business of charity, even then, those depended on the patronage of the wealthy.

But first, he had to find her, Renata wanted to meet him today. He would oblige, and hence, he would meet her.

Annibale knew where they were. It was a catch up, mostly an effort to understand just what was going on.

It was in her office, or rather her restaurant, given that both of them often overlapped. Annibale stopped by the restaurant, a familiar place in his memory. He had come here before, as a child, and later, when he made his first deal with her, now, a frequent visitor to her restaurant.

Renata was there, and so was Amara. Her order wasn’t going well, Annibale debated whether he should let her know the progress of her order, or keep his silence.

He took a seat just beside Renata, with Amara on his right. She held a bottle of wine, one of the more affordable but the best in quality, clear to him it was her treat.

Renata gave a smile, dressed in a dull yellow dress, like another colour of wine. Amara gave a smile, dressed in brown too, without her apron that he accustomed to.

They both greeted Annibale as he took a seat. “Is there anything you’ll like to say?”

Annibale knew better than to change it. He hadn’t had the chance to tell them, but he knew it too.

“I was dealing with a slight hiccup regarding Signorina Endrizzi’s order, mostly after inspecting the work done so far.” Annibale dranked, something he did often for breaking bad news, mostly for him, as he hated to disappoint.

Amara looked at him, not angry, just asking. “Is it anything major?”

“It’s a little slow, but on time, so I just gave some incentive to speed the progress.”

Amara nodded, understanding the reason he did so, with a serene smile. “Of course, if you need it.”

She trusted him, that was enough for her.

“I brought you both here mostly for a slight discussion, and celebration, since it became official.”

The money cleared, transferred over to Amara for her use and judgement. There was a time, mostly the processing, and also in time for them to rescind the agreement if there were any doubt between the parties.

“Other than the stipulations in the contract, why did you prefer it?” Amara asked.

“It’s just enough time to make people really think things through, a week is usually too short for me, and enough time for any issues to show itself.”

“And it’s usually enough time for us to inspect the finances, and decide,” Annibale explained further to Amara.

“And walk back is there any need,” Amara said, already drinking the cup of wine before her. She already welcomed them by this stage, now that they were free to think about right now too.

There was a smile about it, Annibale knew it too. They were close.

Renata had brought the food right with them, a chance to join them.

“I wonder, so what will be your goal after the renovation?” She asked.

“Perhaps I would try to pay back the loans,” she said. “But the basis of why I took it on is to preseve and grow refuge.”

It was easy for Amara to go directly back to this, to focus on what she wanted. A direct mission that would never fade for her, no matter the circumstances, it made her happy. In a way that Annibale was not.

“I see, it seems interesting that you had found this as your basis, I wonder, did you ever wonder why I came here to do this?”

Annibale could understand now, Renata was also using this chance to help him too.

Amara seemed aware of the reason.

“I think when my mother first asked you, you mentioned it was mostly an attempt to go beyond what you usually did,” he said.

“But it also tied nicely, well wine was the first thing I did, mostly because I brought them from Itoro, and wine from Itoro is a different when compared to the beer that they brew there,” she said. “It took met time to figure out why I could enjoy running a restaurant, as opposed to moving to something different I guess there was always something in me that wanted to bring some joy to people.”

This was why Renata opened a restaueant and a winery. No matter how much she liked to bemoan her duties, she never reneged on them, understanding that she never matched up and hence never considered marriage. Her business was her child, in fact, the only child that she would have, she often said.

Annibale came into his now understanding, mostly in the form that he enjoyed helping others.

“Well, I kind of found a little in terms of what I enjoy, it’s making things easy for others. I mean, I know that running a restaurant was never in my ideas, mostly because I did work in one, and found the constant work tiirng.”

Annibale took a sip of the drink, Amara looking at him.

Renata filled in the details. “It was a punishment for him, so, his mother sent him to me.”

“I once did something stupid, it was how I ended up working for her,” he said, looking at her. He wasn’t proud of it now, even back then, he assumed it was filling in a need that he saw.

“We all do things we regret,” Amara said.

“But I think there was something in it I’m seeking,” he said. “Do you often listen to a lot of their conversations?”

“It’s definite that you will listen to quite many of them, but I learn to not take any note, even as we no longer have any need to be cautious what we heard,” she said.

“I forgot, your father established it during the height of the revolution,” he said.

The revolution was time where most wondered what the fate of their country would be, either as a province of the Rancien empire, doomed to never be a master of their country. Or under their own chaos and chart thir country towards independence.

Amara gave a shrug, but a clear smile. “You learn to not note the conversations, but I do have some interest in what goes along and have some opinions. But I keep it out of my coffee shop.”

He knew there had been more to it than that. But he still didn’t have any clue how to start, other than where he did. They continued to talk until Amara returned after everything was done.

However, Renata remained in the room.

“Did something change with you?” Renata asked.

“It kind of did, well I found out a little about my grandfather, and whatever he did back then, mostly in what he wrote,” he said.

Renata didn’t react. “You must forgive me, I don’t know a lot about it. The only people who might be your granduncle, my late stepmother and the father that I would loathe to see his face again. Even my brother, who was a child when it was published, cared little. I mean, he got most of what he wanted in the country done, and that was from just a skimmed reading.”

Renata was of little help. Instead, he had to move beyond that; he had to ask his granduncle. He didn’t move, for his granduncle was a busy man, and this closed his options.

He had no love for Renata’s father, who tried to pursue his mother just shortly after his father had been dead and buried.

Things have complicated themselves, more than what he knew, and he needed to