Ginevra looked up to see Taren standing in the doorway fully attired, sporting a dark leather vest, long leather boots reaching up to his knees, and a coat in the Maldoni blue. His eyes conveyed obvious surprise at seeing her.
"You know, you could've just used the other door. You're always welcome."
Ginevra blushed in spite of herself. Why was he making this so hard!? "I will…keep that in mind"
Taren grinned and stepped to the side to allow room for her to enter. Ginevra hesitated by the door. "You weren't shy the first time."
Ginevra stalked past him. "That was ignorance on my part," she responded. Taren looked after her and closed the door.
"You make that sound as if it were a bad thing."
Ginevra cast her eyes around at the familiar paneling and dark blue furnishings of the bedroom. A stack of books on a side table caught her attention.
She turned to look at him. It's so hard to read him. Even now, he feels aloof and distant. But, we both want to break this curse as quickly as possible. I'll be able to go home, and Taren…can do whatever he's planning to do with himself.
Taren motioned for her to take a seat in one of the chairs in the sitting area of the bedroom, before sinking into an armchair across from her.
Ginevra held her hands and folded them in her lap. "I think it benefits us both to break this curse…as soon as possible."
"So eager to leave the Maldoni estate?" Taren asked.
"I will never be one of you," Ginevra responded tersely.
At her words, Taren leaned back in his chair. "What is so different, between you and me? The Maldoni and the Scaraveggi?"
The question caught Ginevra off-guard. But more than that, she was infuriated that he would dare compare their two lines.
Aside from the murderous thieves that you are? "Everything. The Maldoni live to take. Your power is based on inspiring fear in your subjects, killing is a leisure activity. The Scaraveggi are caretakers of their lands and people. Their position is tied to the obligation they feel to look after those under their care."
The Scaraveggi may not have had the lands or the influence they had once enjoyed, but they took their responsibilities as the lords of their land with the care and diligence it required.
Ginevra paused, surprised by her own outburst.
Taren broke into a laugh, surprising her with his reaction.
"Ginevra, if that is true, then why did Francesca Victoria Scaraveggi kill so many innocent people, aristocratic and not, alike? Was that also a part of her caretaking duties?"
Ginevra balled her hand into a fist in her lap. "What? She didn't. Why do you presume those are not just rumors invented by her enemies?"
Taren continued. "You think that the world is divided into the good and bad, the innocent and the corrupt, the oppressed and the strong. I'd rather you learn this sooner than later – but sometimes good people can be capable of doing very bad things."
"But that also means, that even the worst of us are capable of good," Ginevra quipped.
"Perhaps. Then we are not good and bad at all, just driven by our own instincts for survival."
"I can't agree. I'm convinced that some people are incapable of feeling."
"In time. However, I digress. I shouldn't keep you from your original intent of the visit," Taren said, giving Ginevra a pointed look.
Ginevra blushed and reflexively recoiled, a reaction which did not go unnoticed by Taren.
"I'm not going to force you, and neither of us are one to beat around the bush. So, what do you want Ginevra?
The Stregona's words flashed across her mind. The bond between you is weak.
"The Stregona –"
"I'm not interested in what the Stregona said, Ginevra. What do you want?"
Ginevra was surprised by his directness. "I – I want to break this curse as quickly as you do."
Taren seemed satisfied by her answer. Rising from his chair, he strode across the room, and to Ginevra's surprise, opened the door into her adjoining bedroom. She jumped to her feet and ran after him.
"What - what are you doing!?"
Taren had Ginevra's closet open and was shuffling through her clothes.
"The wind at this time of year at night is harsh. Don't be misled by the afternoon sun. Winter sets in early here."
Taren held out a coat lined with fur to her. "This will keep you warm."
Ginevra took the coat from him, her eyes still fixed on him. "We're going out?"
"I need to make a round around the estate – so this will be a good opportunity for you to get accustomed to the grounds." Ginevra looked down at the fur lining of the coat. She waited for him to leave so she could properly change, but it didn't seem like he had any intention of doing so.
"I'll meet you by the stables."
"No, you'll come with me. Now put that on."
In my nightdress!?
"But I'm still wearing my nightdress – "
"The coat should keep you warm."
Ginevra started to pull her arm through the sleeve, but the weight of the coat made it difficult. She was struggling to find the sleeve when she felt the coat rise on its own. She looked up to see Taren holding it up for her.
She thanked him as she pulled her arms through the sleeves. The heavy fur weighed down on her, but it instantly warmed her.
"Alright, let's go," Taren said impatiently, as he brought his arm behind her waist, rushing her forward.
Taren took wide strides, as if he were in a rush to get to his destination and didn't want to waste time in getting there. Even though Ginevra felt like she was already walking as fast as she could, she could feel Taren had still slowed for her sake as he walked a full pace ahead of her.
Taren's black horse was already saddled and waiting for them outside the stables, the reins held down by the groom. He nodded to the groom in acknowledgement before turning to Ginevra.
"Since you haven't chosen a horse yet, you'll ride with me tonight," Taren told her. His icy blue eyes gazed down at her, a sharp contrast with the shadow cast across his face. Before she knew it, he was holding her waist as he hoisted her up on the saddle. He swiftly jumped on after her. She could see his breath, white whisps of air, as he leaned forward in the saddle, feeling the warmth of his body pressed up against her. Taren's black gloved hands closed over the reins, as she released her tight hold on them. Then, with a light kick, they fell into a canter.
The dark silhouettes of the pine trees rose majestically into the air. The wind rose and fell, whipping at Ginevra's cheeks. The half moon in the sky cast a milky sheen over the land, bathing it in luminescent silver.
Taren was right – the fur coat kept her warm against the icy breeze that bit her cheeks. She burrowed her nose deeper into the warmth of the coat collar.
They turned the bend in the road and a wide field spread into view. The water droplets had frozen over the grass, so the field twinkled under the milky moonlight. In the distance, the great pine tree rose majestically into the sky in dark silhouette.
Taren pointed at the border of trees. "That over there marks the beginning of the route to the south. If you follow that path it will lead through the Umbrian forest to the capital." Ginevra nodded as they sped forward.
"The Maldoni land stretches from the edge of the Zerai Mountains to the Bedolianwall, built in the Heiji Era by the king of Deceris. At the midpoint of a wall, there is a knot carved out of marble, a symbol of truce between the Maldoni and the reigning Della Gherardesca."
Past the grassy field, they had emerged onto more rocky terrain. They had reached a cliff overlooking a barren field. Taren brought his horse to a stop with a single pull of the reins.
"This land is not suitable for farming. The soil is dry and powdery so roots cannot grow long enough to penetrate the earth past a few meters. The harsh winters destroy anything that does manage to survive into the Fall."
"Despite all this, more than quarter of a million people call this land their home." Taren kicked the horse and they sped forward again. Ginevra gripped the shiny black hairs of the horse's mane.
"Beyond that hill, there is a valley where five hundred men lost their lives, in a battle led by my great-grandfather, Lucius Petronius." Ginevra held her breath at the staggering death toll.
"Three hundred of them died at the hands of my grandfather alone."
"What was the reason for the battle that justified the loss of so many lives?" Ginevra asked, irritated.
"Land. Resources. Power. "
At what expense have the Maldoni claimed their power and titles?
"My father, Tetrem, was a man of his word. He said he would unite the lands in the north and he did. He accomplished everything he set his mind on. And he expected nothing less from the ones around him. And I, too, would give my life to continue what he started."
Ginevra looked up, startled by Taren's admittance. He lowered his eyes to meet her gaze.
"Why?"
"Because it's my family, Ginevra."
The Zeraiah Mountains stood in the distance like dark sleeping giants. Ginevra let out a breath; it merged with Taren's, their white wisps of breath clouding the view in front of her.
"But if not for the Maldoni, this land would be abandoned, the people forsaken to die. The Maldoni have carried this land through the centuries. That justifies blood at all cost."
Just then, a strong gale of wind blew in from the north and Ginevra shuddered. Did anything justify the spilling of blood? The loss of a loved one?
Taren noticed Ginevra burrowing into her coat and spurred his horse into a gallop.
"The temperature will drop a couple more degrees before it starts to get any warmer towards dawn," he told her.
The soft sound of the hooves resounded rhythmically throughout the surrounding darkness.
When they arrived back at the stables, the groom woke up startled from his sleeping position on a wooden stool and rushed towards them. Taren jumped down first, holding Ginevra by her waist as he lowered her to the ground.
She welcomed the warm fire blazing in the foyer as they entered. Just then, Manfredi appeared in the door. Taren turned towards him, giving instructions. Ginevra sank into the chair across from the fireplace. The sudden warmth stung her cheeks and hands, but she reveled in the slight pain, as if she were a piece of candy slowly being unwrapped by the warmth. Ginevra sunk lower into the chair, nuzzling her collar. The nearby voices faded as her eyelids drooped. I'll just close my eyes for a moment.