21st May 1563

Amaranta saw they did nothing. They dithered in their decision. She continued her work on her own with Sabina without interference from them. And she threw herself into work without a second thought, nothing more than devotion.

She mostly helped with finishing the dress, as they also needed to do embroidery on it, using their portraits and recreating the pattern on white cloth.

They needed some feedback from the actresses for the embroidery, since it was a time-consuming activity.

Amaranta sat on the table.

Sabina came in, her eyes focusing directly on Amaranta, followed by man perhaps older than Sabina by a decade, nearing his forties.

He dressed in a black coat, made of satin, with his dark blonde hair, and deep blue eyes, his eyes going to her.

“You may call me Signor Somme. Please, follow me.” He didn’t give a smile, his face still monotone, with a smile.

He led throughout the theatre, a veritable labyrinth.

The hallways were barely indistinguishable, making it almost impossible for her to remember where to turn and hence, easy to get lost.

She finally entered the room, where he took a seat. She moved into the chair, her eyes barely able to meet his, unsure what he planned to talk to her about. But she braced herself for the worst.

“Don’t worry, Signorina, I will not dismiss you from your position,” he said. “Well, you heard little, did you?”

She nodded her own head, eager to get out of her situation.

The information she heard was impossible to make any other conclusion other than the theater was eager for patronage.

“I’ll just like you to sign this, as a precaution.” Signor Somme put the document to her.

Amaranta stared at it. She could read it with a good understanding, but she usually always sought a legal opinion. She would not suspend it now. “Is it possible that I can discuss with a lawyer of my choosing?”

He looked annoyed at her reluctance to sign, but seeing there was no other way out. “Of course, as long as you need.”

She took the documents going back to the workroom to find her bag, putting it inside. They were still reasonable.

Sabina, who did not follow them, stood over her. “Did everything go well?”

Amaranta nodded, since it did, she did not need to give anything up.

Sabina gave a smile. “I suppose you signed the document, it usually isn’t a bad thing.”

Amaranta hid her own feelings about it, finding it most odd, but she didn’t let it show, not until she had the chance to review it. She didn’t smile, which was good.

Best to delay it and allow her the time proper time to read the entire document through and having someone else to tell her. She hesitated over hiding it from Sabina.

But it wasn’t important, and Amaranta went back to work, everything going back to normal for them.

Amaranta kneeled down on the ground, getting a mantel, since they changed so little from medieval era, which made sense since it covered them.

She finished the work until Cecilio came right back into the room. He still dressed in a fairly stylish if old coat in beige. He was looking at her.

She looked up, curious why he did it.

“Let’s go somewhere to talk,” he said.

She followed him out of the room, Sabina still working on another dress.

“Is it for the document?” She asked.

He nodded. “I know you turned it down, is there a reason?”

“As a whole, I just like my lawyer to see the terms and what is inside.” She could sign, but it seemed ridiculous for them to not expect her. But she had wealth to throw at this, and to throw a lawsuit should they be unfavourable.

“I see.”

He did very little to go against it, but they went right back.

Amaranta followed him, still curious why he was insisted.

Sabina had finished the gown when her subordinate had only gotten halfway through.

Her speed was remarkable, and a testament to her experience,

Amaranta wasn’t used to working so hard, always having more time of study.

Amaranta looked over at Sabina. She debated whether she needed to tell her.

Amaranta grabbed her skirts. She had to.

“I know that I should have told you, but I didn’t sign it, not until I got it seen through by a lawyer.”

Sabina didn’t seem to mind. “They won’t like it, but I guess you have the choice But I can’t engage one, and so do most of them. It doesn’t do you any harm either way.”

She continued to focus right now just on what laid before her, even if she could feel a silent suffocating pressure beckoning her to just put it.

This line of questioning would end, but the more it was so, the less likely it was a good deal no matter how convenient it seemed as a solution to her problems. Amaranta would stand firm, refusing to do anything until she found why.

Once Amaranta completed her work, Sabina eagerly standing up. They could take a break now, finally.

“You can do as you wish,” Sabina told her.

Amaranta thought perhaps she should look at the terms and then decide. There was much that she didn’t understand about legal jargon. The words inside were about protecting her, since they were so. In most cases, it protected the theater too.

She thought a little about putting her name on it; it was pretty standard. But her instincts told her not to, to always defer. Her mother always warned them against doing anything in contracts or written until she had the chance to seek counsel.

She walked out for lunch, taking a break for midday, having her mind made up.

There, she saw Signorina Ferida. The woman with her blonde hair, an enormous nose. The woman wore a dress made of silk, clear with its shimmering nature, and in a light blue colour that brought out her light blue eyes. She added an enormous hat with a single feather.

And then, Hagne followed her, in her blonde hair under a bonnet, with her hazel eyes shining through, dressed in a light cream frock that brought out her eyes.

Hagne was following them, Amaranta stood bewildered for the moment at why Signorina Ferida stood in front of her.

“How about we have a luncheon together?”

She smiled, nodding. This was something that she could not have avoided now that she said it. She was the leading actress, one wrong word, she could end her career, even if Amaranta didn’t need this to pay for her living expenses.

She moved with them, to somewhere further, there was food brought in for them. Amaranta didn’t know what to do, but she followed them.

Hagne remained a step behind, giving her reassuring glances, which worked to put Amaranta at ease.

They went to another room inside the theatre. Amaranta wondered whether there was anything that they might say to each other.

“I didn’t know that they related you to someone so important, Signora.”

Amaranta blinked, realising that it could only be one person who was in the public eye.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that I know who you’re talking about, we’re just distant relatives.”

“I understand why you would like more time, but it is all written in accordance to the law.” Signorina Ferida had

Her words didn’t put her at ease. But Amaranta still smiled, wanting to seem agreeable.

“Thank you.”

But Amaranta refused to say anything about it. This turned out to be the strangest luncheon than she had.

She remembered that dinner was always worse, but it counted luncheon now too.

She ate, focusing right on the food, eating it in slow little bites and not looking anywhere else, answering the inane questions with simple answers, nothing that would complicate matters.

She continued her strategy of avoiding any important question until Signorina Ferida left for lunch.

They didn’t go further, and well, she tried to stay away from highlighting anything about her family if she could help it.

“That was good, I didn’t know that you were this good an actress,” Hagne said gave a smile, after seeing it.

Amaranta put down her knives. “I really don’t want to have the answer questions, so the best thing is to keep my silence.”

“Wise move, and well, allow her to think that you’re frivolous, when perhaps you know far more than her.”

“I like to not show it, hide my plans until I’m ready to unveil them.” This was always a part of who Amaranta was, preferring to never show her hand until she was ready to show everything that came with it. And there was more, of course.

And there was always more.

“I think that’s wise of you to avoid.”

And this was something that they could tell it so far, too.

“So, you haven’t signed it yet?” Hagne asked.

Amaranta inside wondered whether there was just more to her mentioning this. But Hagne wasn’t asking as though it was a done deal.

“No, I didn’t.” She shook her head.

“I thought so, it’s a good move when you’re doubting their words, you’re not sure you need to, they should not be forcing you to do anything.”

She gave a smile, seeing Hagne. And this was a good idea for them to accept this so far, too.

“I felt it was the best way forward, I thank you for being here with me.”

“Yes, I’m a friend to her, but she doesn’t see me as anything more than a simple girl and one that would not deliberately hurt her,” Hagne said. “Don’t be afraid of it, if you’re not sure, just do what you think is right. I’ll always have a shoulder for you.”

Hagne was truly kind. In so many ways, Amaranta could trust her indeed from her.

“I thank you, for giving me the strength to move forward.”

Amaranta got up, walking back to her home. Once she completed, she would go to visit her lawyer and review it with the lawyer. This would be her plan.

Once she went back to the workroom, she stared once again at Signorina Ferida.

“You have nothing to fear,” Signorina Ferida said.

Whatever it was, she was not assured in the least.

“Thank you, but I’ll like to make my decision.” She gave a smile, holding her head high.

Signorina Ferida seemed to beg her, pressuring her to sign.

“Sign it by today, please.”

The actress’ eyes were intense; Amaranta wanted to run and leave at the sight.

Amaranta never wanted to poke into this by accident, but she did, and she didn’t have any other choice than to accept and move forward.

She didn’t want to cow, even when they got more absurd.

“I’ll think about it.” Amaranta moved away, scarcely able to meet her eyes, holding her hand. She stepped normally, then quickened her pace the moment she left her eyes into the room.

Inside, she met the silence of Sabina and Cecilio who were working on the costumes, taking a seat down, throwing herself right back into work.

She was looking over various patterns to see which would suit them the best, mostly nodding.

“Are you actually paying any attention?”

It was rare, for Sabina was mostly friendly, never needing to reprimand her much other than just a few words of criticism.

Amaranta didn’t wish to admit it. “I’m sorry, I’m just distracted.”

“Is everything fine? Did she badger you into signing?”

She nodded, even despite her own hesitation. “I was frightened by how intense she was.”

This was the truth that she admitted.

“I think you should go, it’s no good that you’re so distracted, handle and meet with a lawyer immediately, this is my suggestion to you.”

Amaranta gave a nod, relieved that she only needed to leave. Everything was frightening.

Then, as she moved, she walked, going down the same path. This time, everyone stared at her. It was disconcerting to observe. She had nothing more other than her own unease.

Sabina was far more sympathetic and allowed her to go right back home. Something that she took advantage of to settle this. She may not come tomorrow, and they paid her by the days she worked.

Amaranta went straight to their lawyer, Signora Lombardi. Even as she could barely wrap her mind around the rhetoric in the sign.

Perhaps they were all too fearful, this was true, but there was easily the chance that it was more than that. That there had been more than just what they could have managed.

She took the steps up all the way to the office.

“Is there anything that you require, Signorina de Moreni?” A man asked, who was a lawyer hired by Signora Lombardi. He dressed in black cotton, with a hat, and his straight hair.

“I need to meet with Signora Lombardi, immediately,” she said.

Amaranta didn’t require it before, but today was a special case. She had to ask him just what they could have managed. This was something that they needed to remember.

“I’ll get her, since it’s an emergency.”

“If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t show up unannounced.”

Amaranta didn’t have a choice for them too. He nodded, moving right to the back and then moving to what they could have tried it too.

Signora Lombardi came in, with her blonde hair and light blue eyes standing right before them, dressed in a frock made of light black and grey, her hat a simple black hat. The woman had an aquiline nose, sitting down.

“Is there anything that you’ll like me to do for you?” She asked, giving her a chance for this was the first time she just came into her office..

Amaranta put a document on the table. “They have asked me to sign this, it’s been just a day but I’m already uneasy about it. I asked for the chance to review it, and they haven’t been supportive, but well, I managed to at least get one.”

“You seem shaken, I suppose that you’re uneasy about signing the documents.” The woman took it, seeing that she was what she said she was.

Signora Lombardi read the document in silence. “This is a strange choice, I mean, this much work, what did you see?”

“I revealed nothing about what I saw.”

“As regular practice, it’s excessive. If you violate any of these terms, you can find yourself on the wrong end. You can’t speak about it to anyone, you’re bound to silence. If I had to sign this document, it would only make sense if you were some sort of spy.”

“I suppose no one goes to this much trouble?”

She shook her head. “Unless you were in incredible prominent positions, it would be necessary if you were privy to any state secrets. But this shouldn’t be the case.”

Amaranta wondered too, a little too.

“You know I can’t tell them anything that could complicate matters.”

She took in a deep breath. “I heard something strange, that there was more to their choice than just a simple play. That this play was planned for the patronage of a queen, that was all that I heard.”

“I wouldn’t advise you to take it, it’s too much, that is at most strange. If you do, they could do anything to you once you agree to it. I would say that it is unnecessary. You saw nothing that was worth such an agreement.”

She was right, and this helped to assure her so far.