As Day Follows Night Pt 06

"Flash of mauve, splash of puce,

fool and king, ghoul and goose.

Green and black, queen and priest,

trace of rouge, face of beast.

(Faces!)

Take your turn, take your ride

on the merry-go-round of an inhuman race."

-Andrew Lloyd Webber,

"Masquerade"

The limo arrived to collect Troy and Julie Equals at 7 PM precisely. Julie had half-expected Helen to send a horse-drawn carriage with page boys in powdered wigs attending.

They sat holding hands as the car made its way out of the city center towards Finzione Castle, modern asphalt giving way to older roads still made from cobblestones, other limousines passing them or trailing behind. In the now darkened sky above them, several searchlight-illuminated helicopters waited in holding patterns to use the castle's helipad and deposit those of La Contessa's guests who thought taking a car to be beneath them. Troy turned to his wife.

"Allow me to be the first to say this evening, Mrs. Equals, how absolutely glorious you look tonight." He looked up and down at the sequined blue gown she wore. A long slit up the left side revealed her stockinged leg to him, terminating in white, strappy heels. Her sunflower hair was pulled to the left side of her head and draped down over her shoulder. The V-shaped neckline showed just enough cleavage to be enticing without being enough to be obvious about it.

Julie had chosen sapphire jewelry to go with the dress. Sapphire and diamond teardrop-shaped earrings dangled from her ears. A matching bracelet in white gold adorned her right wrist, her wedding ring the only decoration on her left side. It was identical to Troy's, except that whereas his ring was engraved with the words "I love you," Julie's was engraved with "I know."

Troy had opted for a tuxedo with a white jacket. When Julie put the carnation in his lapel, she made a joke about where he was going to hide his Walther PPK, which invited some more of his bad Sean Connery impression.

"And I say yes, you look wonderful tonight," Julie responded, singing the words. Troy followed up by making the guitar sounds for the next part with his mouth.

The limo turned away from the line of expensive vehicles winding up the hill to the castle and into a neighborhood where the buildings had probably been old when Napoleon's armies were a genuine concern for the people. Troy knocked on the partition. The driver pressed the button and it lowered with a whirring noise.

"Si?" The driver asked.

"Wasn't that the way to the castle," Troy asked him.

"I have special instructions from La Contessa," the driver explained without looking back. "She tell me Signor and Signora Equals no would want pictures taken by paparazzi. I am to take you to other entrance."

"Well, yeah, we're both sort of allergic to the spotlight," Julie said. "But does that mean you're bringing us round to the kitchen entrance?"

"No, Signora. Is special way, few know; only me, La Contessa, and La Contessa's maid."

"What, through the Bat Cave," Troy asked. "Did Helen buy Stately Wayne Manor?"

The driver didn't have an answer for that. They came to a stop in front of a one-room house older than all the others, made from old stone and wood, but well-maintained despite its age. No power or phone lines led from the street or overhead poles to the house.

Maria stood waving to them in the wooden doorway, wearing a modest black evening dress, being illuminated by the light of an old camping lantern she was holding. A simple gold cross on a chain hung around her neck and an emerald ring around the middle finger of her right hand were the only adornments she wore. The young woman was made more beautiful by her smile of genuine pleasure to see them.

Troy and Julie returned the smile as the driver got out and opened the door for them. Julie walked up to her and greeted her with a kiss.

"Hi, Maria. What's this place?"

Maria ushered the two of them in. Troy took in the room. It was furnished, but the furniture didn't seem to have ever been used. It looked old and hand-made, but nothing that could be called an antique.

"Is old family secret," Maria said. "But La Contessa say is ok to share with you. Come."

She led them down the stairs into an old cellar with a dirt floor. Set into one of the walls was an alcove for cooking fires. Maria touched a stone on the wall and the alcove opened up.

Troy and Julie looked at each other and said "A secret passage!" together, trying to sound like Scooby-Doo characters.

"Si," Maria responded. "Only la familia know. And the driver because he has to come here too. And now you."

Once they were inside, Maria pulled a lever and the wall slid back into place. She gestured to several more lanterns hanging on hooks for them to each take one.

"You look lovely tonight, Maria," Julie said as they turned on the lanterns and started walking down the tunnel. "You're coming to the ball too, right? If Helena hasn't invited you, I'll..."

"I shall be there," Maria replied, holding up her hand so that they could see the emerald ring more clearly. "I too am a San Finzone, I am expected to attend."

The pair nodded and continued up through the passage. A few flights of stairs and some long tunnels later, they reached another set of hanging lanterns. They turned off their lanterns and hung them as Maria pulled another lever and the wall opened up into the study.

"Is not usual way visitors come in, but welcome to Finzione Castle," Maria said, closing the passage once everyone was inside. "This used to be war room in old days. La Contessa make it her study."

"So, nothing's changed, then," Julie said as Maria was about to open the door and let them into the rest of the castle. Maria stopped and turned around, a look of "Ok, I let it go cause it was funny at first, but that's enough talking shit about my friend" on her face.

"Julie, Troy. I think you only see bad in Contessa because of her past. You cannot have..." she paused as she searched for the English words "Special love like ours in big familia without being found out. Even if you do what she and you two do, they find out eventually. La Familia get angry, they come to castle and demand answers. They demand to see La Contessa. Some of them bring weapons."

"I can guess how that went," Troy said. Maria continued.

"Everyone leave castle thinking 'Hey, she San Finzione, but no by blood. And she make our little Maria happy, so we happy.' How many people find out they not who world tell them they supposed to be and all familia be happy?"

Julie walked up to Maria and took her hand. "Maria, you didn't find out who you are, Helen told you who she wanted to you be and you agreed. Because she made you agree. Then she did it to them. That's not the same thing." Maria turned to Troy.

"Troy, you familia from this part of world; you know there two kinds of hate. There the estupido kind: 'Eh, you skin no like mine; eh, you God no like mine,'" she crossed herself before continuing. "'Eh, you got something different between you legs.'" She stole a glance at Troy's pants, fondly remembering what was in there, before continuing.

"Then there the other hate, the kind they make opera about: 'Eh, you hurt me, so I gonna hurt you worse. Then you hurt me worse, so I hurt you again.' Two hundred years later, we both dead and people still hurting each other because they got same name as us; because of what we do before they born. Great-Grandmamma make this hate go away. No vendetta, no blood feud, everyone win."

"No," Troy said. "Helen takes what she wants, replaces dissent with false love, HELEN win!"

"Signor Equals, I choose false love over real hate forever."

Neither of them had a response to that, so they nodded. Maria did too, and then opened the door.

"Welcome to Castle Finzione," she said, revealing a stone hallway on the other side of the door. Troy & Julie stood there, blankly, expecting the door to open into a lavish ballroom. "Ballroom is down the hall. Come."

"That could have been really impressive," Julie said as they followed her.

The hall of paintings and antiques emptied into the grand ballroom. Streamers hung from crystal chandeliers and a live orchestra was playing something by Vivaldi. Emerald-Green banners of the House of San Finzione hung from the ceilings. La Contessa had not made her entrance, so no one was on the dance floor yet, mostly congregating close to the bar. A reporter from a local paper who'd been allowed past the press line and into the castle for the presentation photos was interviewing someone from the historical society that tonight's ball was ostensibly being held to benefit. Two long dining tables held a buffet and a quantity of gift bags.

Julie surveyed the scene, all the tailored suits and designer gowns, and said "Ok, see, if the door had opened to reveal this, that would have been cooler."

Julie and Maria found a table close to the dance floor while Troy went up to the bar to get drinks for them. Maria turned everyone's chairs to face the grand staircase leading down to the ballroom with a balcony halfway down. "That where La Contessa make her entrance," she told Julie.

Julie looked closer at the crowd and saw some faces she recognized: the odd movie or sports star, a politician or two from back home, nobles from some of the countries she'd visited with Helen, a musician she'd met during her "I can do what we do to get backstage" phase. A lot of the faces, she'd seen on the news, not all in a good context either.

When Troy returned to the table, a server ran over to the conductor of the orchestra and whispered something in his ear. The music stopped. Another server ushered the reporter and the man from the historical society up to the grand balcony. Maria stood, nudged Troy and Julie to do the same, and looked toward the grand staircase.

The musicians all stood and began playing the national anthem of San Finzione. All conversation ceased as the crowd also stood to attention and faced the staircase to see Contessa Helena de San Finzione descend the stairs; the sound of the photographer's camera the only audible sound except for the music.

Her ankle-length gown was the same emerald-green as the banners and the family crest. The plunging neckline stopped just a few inches above her navel. A jeweled overlay of swirling patterns of silver danced around the gown from her waist up, completing the strapless number. A necklace of emeralds hung from her neck and emerald studs decorated her ears. The outfit culminated in an emerald tiara. The Count's wedding ring was still on her left hand and her right bore an emerald signet identical to Maria's.

She came to a stop at the grand balcony, where the reporter and the historical society rep were waiting. An open microphone and a giant check on a stand were waiting for her. Polite applause spread around the room as she stepped up and took the microphone, looking out over the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, welcome to Castle Finzione. I am Contessa Helena de San Finzione. I've met many of you, and those I haven't have undoubtedly heard the tale of a simple American girl who won the heart of my dear, departed husband, Count Vincenzo."

She paused. Troy and Julie stifled the urge to laugh. She continued.

"Since the day the Count took my hand, it has been my privilege to walk this castle's halls and serve the people who look up to it from the city below every day. I spend my days walking amongst history, happy to be a part of it, and hoping my chapter will be a good one. I may come from a place with less than 500 years of history; however, I like to think this makes me appreciate it all the more."

She went to grab the check, then realized she'd need both hands and returned the mic to the stand. She gave a little sheepish "what're ya gonna do" gesture to the crowd and got a small laugh as she took the check and brought it back to the microphone.

"And that's why I have gathered you all here tonight. Well, one of the reasons. Because the work of the National Historic Preservation Society of San Finzione is important to me on that personal of a level, I present this check for 50,000 Euros to Signor Miguel Riviera, president of the society. Signor Riviera, I hope this money helps continue your good works and look forward to visiting the historic sites you plan to restore."

The crowd applauded. The camera clicked faster as the man stood and she presented him with the check. He looked like he wanted to take the microphone and make a speech of his own, but La Contessa shot him a look when the camera wasn't on her to indicate that would not be acceptable and he backed down. She walked back to the microphone. A servant came to inform the reporter that it was time for him to leave and ushered him out while she spoke.

"I'm sure many of the guests would like to hear of your great work individually. Please feel free to approach him with any questions you may have." She turned away from the microphone and cleared her throat before continuing, looking directly at Troy, Julie, and Maria's table.

"And that brings us to one of the other reasons I've decided to hold this ball. A couple of dear old friends who remember that simple American girl have recently married and graced San Finzione with their presence for their honeymoon. They're unaccustomed to the level of scrutiny that many of us receive, and would be made uncomfortable by it, so that's why you didn't see them on the red carpet coming in. However, they are my dearest, oldest friends, and I expect everyone to treat them as such."

The crowd nodded, as did Maria. Only Troy and Julie recognized that she was doing what they do to the entire room.

"And right now, I can see their faces are red enough to match the carpet from being in the spotlight even this much, so allow me to finish introducing them. Troy, Julie, stand up and take a bow. The Equals, ladies and gentlemen."

The crowd applauded as Troy and Julie stood up and took small bows before sitting down again quickly.

"Well, nobody has come tonight to hear me make speeches, so let's get things started. Let the ball commence!"

Applause came again, followed by some milling toward the dance floor as Helen descended the rest of the stairs to join the party.