The Chronicle:

To everyone's relief, Ferdinand somehow found the strength to resist the powerful attraction of Reis's Syrneth scythe long enough for the cursed weapon to be thrown overboard.  There was much rejoicing.

The dangerous Shala was marooned on an islet east of Vodacce with the customary week of supplies, knife, pistol, and flint and tinder.  Ernesto Castillus and the rest of the former slaves were dropped off on the mainland of Vodacce with some money and supplies.  Everyone agreed with Melisandre when she wistfully predicted that some day they would regret having let Castillus walk away, but no one had the heart to do otherwise since he had after all fought alongside of them.

The heroes decided that it was time to return to Dionna and try to free Doña Lucia, Lucas's mother, who was still a prisoner of Prince Giovanni Villanova.  In any case, the Maris Stella needed quite badly to replenish supplies.  They made their way to Villanova "Island" -- in fact a group of islands tied by bridges and causeways -- and with a suitable bribe to the harbour master, obtained a good berth.  The harbour master enjoined them not to attack any Montaigne ships while in Villanova territory, and to go report to the Castillan ambassador as soon as possible.

They found a rather mediocre inn where they left their luggage.  Lucas and Melisandre insisted on going shopping and ordered court clothes made, so Ferdinand and Constanza went along and did the same.  Back to the inn, they met with a rather enthusiastic entrepreneur, Benito Scogna, eager to establish commercial links with Castille and sell grain.  Scogna kept congratulating the heroes for the upcoming prosperity.  Melisandre sent a letter to Sebastiano Biancastro Villanova to let him know they were in Dionna and ask for his help.

In the morning, the heroes went to visit the ambassador of Castille, Don Enrique de Sandoval.  They learned that following some domestic unrest, Montaigne had sued for peace with Castille a few weeks ago.  The people was happy and Don Andrès was very popular, though the King was less so and Cardinal Verdugo not at all since he was the one who had convinced King Sandoval to agree to cede Barcino in order to come to a quick agreement.  Constanza's letter of marque was thus no longer valid and she would have to return it to the Admiralty.  The heroes now understood better Scogna's babbling of the night before.

Upon returning to the inn, Melisandre found a charming letter from Sebastiano, inviting her and her companions to visit him at the Prince's palace, where his duties kept him.  The heroes gathered their luggage to move to a better inn, recommended by Don Enrique de Sandoval, but before they left Ferdinand received a visitor.  A beautiful woman, wearing not traditional Vodacce garb but the tabard of the Knights of the Rose and Cross, walked in, introduced herself as Wandering Adara, and told Ferdinand that the Master Knight of the Tarago chapterhouse wished to see him.  Lucas's attempts to get some attention were ignored by Adara, who walked away.

The next day, the heroes dressed suitably and hired a coach and four to visit Sebastiano at the palace.  There, they learned that the Prince was out of town and that Doña Lucia was currently housed at Lady Villanova's estate on Isola Prima.  Sebastiano and Lucas traded barbs, but Lucas did accept Sebastiano's offer to help.  The Vodacci promised to supply Melisandre with a letter of introduction for Lady Villanova.  He also invited Melisandre to visit Dionna the next day, and she accepted gladly.

Because Melisandre was less than pleased, however, with the idea that the necessary male escort would provided by the acerbic Lucas, she and Constanza came up with a plan to take him out of the way.  They set him up with a fetching serving girl at the inn, even sending wine to the room once they retired together, and made sure that Lucas would get up very late.  Then Melisandre hired Ferdinand to accompany her but keep a comfortable distance so that she would have a modicum of privacy with Sebastiano while they chatted.  They had much fun shopping.  Lucas was not very happy when he woke up, but agreed, grumbling, to accompany Constanza while she bought cargo for the Maris Stella. 

As promised, Sebastiano did give Melisandre a letter of introduction for Lady Villanova.  The next day, the heroes hired a coach and four again and rode to Isola Prima, which was accessed by a disturbingly long bridge.  They were received at Lady Villanova's palace but of course only the women could be admitted in her presence so Lucas and Ferdinand had to cool their heels in a waiting room.  They met again with Signor Sebastiano, who had "just been reassigned" to the palace.  He also brought his stepmother, the Strega Lucretta Biancastro, and showed Lucas the Twisted Blade she had made and given him.

Meanwhile, Melisandre and Constanza waited in a drawing room.  A beautiful, richly dressed woman strolled in, but as she wore no veil, they knew she must be a courtesan.  She introduced herself as Juliette and readily recognized both guests; she then asked for their business here.  Although they were wary, the girls answered her truthfully: they wished to meet with the Signora Lucia Mondavi Lucani, now Villanova.  Juliette sashayed out after a short while, clearly amused by the visitors.

From the parlor where they were kept waiting, Lucas and Ferdinand heard a horrible cry of pain coming from outside the palace.  Recognizing a dog's howl, Ferdinand raced outside, fearing Tiny Lucas (who should have stayed at the inn) had once again managed to follow him.  Lucas tried to stop him, and Sebastiano tried to stop them both.  Outside, they saw two young boys torturing a stray dog by piercing his eyes with daggers.  Sebastiano curtly explained that these were Stefano and Enzio Villanova, the Prince's sons.  Lucas convinced Ferdinand to come back inside, while Sebastiano briefly stepped outside.  The dog's howls stopped abruptly, and Sebastiano returned.

In the little drawing room where Melisandre and Constanza awaited the lady of the house, a darkly veiled Strega finally walked in and was announced as Lady Valentina Villanova.  Melisandre and Constanza once again explained the reason for their visit.  Lady Villanova listened gravely, then explained that her husband had ordered that Signora Lucia be kept isolated in her quarters while he was away.  Just as the girls were beginning to plead for some exception, Juliette slinked in again, bringing with her yet another woman dressed as a Strega.  She drawled an almost insolent introduction, announcing that she had fetched Signora Lucia to be helpful.  Lady Villanova glared daggers at the courtesan, who looked insufferably pleased with herself. 
 

The Prince's wife and his mistress trade barbs but Constanza has the chance to embrace her aunt and exchange a few words with her.  To complete the picture, Juliette contrived to invite doña Lucia to dinner with the guests, deriding Lady Villanova for being such a stick-in-the-mud.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Ferdinand cooled their heels, still waiting for Constanza and Melisandre to return from their interview with Lady Villanova.  From the second floor window they had a sweeping view of the courtyard, and so they noticed a rich carriage arriving.  A footman jumped from the back and went around the carriage to open the door and help the passengers from the carriage.  From it alighted two more Fate Witches: a first one, looking young and sprightly, who then helped a second one moving with great difficulty, leaning on a cane.  But what attracted Lucas and Ferdinand's attention was the footman: they recognized their old friend Mendoza!

The two Stregas were greeted by Villanova personnel, while Mendoza started unloading their luggage from the carriage.  Ferdinand decided to go see what this was all about, under the pretext of helping with the luggage.  He addressed Mendoza openly, ignoring the latter's urgent signals to the contrary.  Confronted, Mendoza spoke only Vodacci and refused to acknowledge Ferdinand.  A tug-of-war around the luggage ensued, resulting in spilled clothing in the courtyard.  Mortified, Lucas assured everyone that he would pay compensation for what damage his man Ferdinand had wrought. 

A few words passed in a whisper from the older Fate Witch to the younger, then from the young Fate Witch to Mendoza.  He looked uneasy, but bowed respectfully, then turned to Lucas and announced in Castillan that his mistress had ordered him to assist Don Lucas and Ferdinand in their endeavours.

When they had a chance to speak in private, a very unhappy Mendoza explained that he was currently employed by Vigo Geppetto, a Vodacci merchant now wanted by the Montaigne as a spy for Castille.  The young Strega was Vigo's fifteen year old daughter Angelina, and maid to the older Strega, Atropos Bonita Alcini, head of the Dionna Tessatore.  Mendoza was known as a nephew of Vigo, under the pseudonym "Maurizio Geppetto".

At last Melisandre and Constanza returned, and told their companions of their interview.  Signor Sebastiano announced that the guests had been invited to stay for dinner and the ensuing formal ball, and that rooms had been prepard for them.  The hours until dinner were whiled away in polite conversation, and Lucas and Constanza had the bubious pleasure of a conversation with Giovanni Villanova's eldest son Stefano, who treated Lucas as a bastard, and Constanza as a harlot.

Dinner was strained, but Doña Lucia was allowed to join and thus to see her son for herself, although Lucas and her could not speak together.  Lucas was in fact relegated to the very end of the table, as someone of low status.  The end of the meal and the start of the ball were a temporary relief, allowing the heroes to exchange words under the cover of dancing.  Ferdinand soon noticed that every Fate Witch present gave him wide berth, and the other Vodacci guests took their cues and stayed away from the corporal.  Then at one point, a servant bringind a tray of canapes fell inexplicably dead, next to Ferdinand.  Melisandre could find no sign of wound or poison.  Atropos Alcini kept watching Ferdinand like a hawk.

Knowing himself to have been cursed by a dying Strega back in Freiburg, Ferdinand had some idea why the Fate Witches were watching him.  Since they moved away as soon as he tried to approach, he asked Constanza to be his go-between and approach Atropos Alcini on his behalf.  Through Constanza, he asked what he could do to atone for offending the dead Witch, and get rid of her curse.  Atropos Alcini explained that the curse had somehow become fouled so that it hovered around Ferdinand but struck others near him and left him untouched.  She could cut the thread, but it would snap back and touch someone else.  There was no way to know who would die for it, but if not cut it would surely continue to strike around Ferdinand.  Ferdinand asked Atropos Alcini to cut the strand, and she did.  The ball ended soon after, with just enough time for Stefano Villanova to insult Doña Lucia cruelly. 

Melisandre had received some hints from Sebastiano that the best time to try a rescue and escape would be in the deep of night.  She had also ascertained the location of Doña Lucia's room.  The heroes snuck around in the middle of the night, only to eventually learn that Sebastiano had been quicker and had already spirited Doña Lucia away and sent her, with Signora Lucretta Biancastro, to the Maris Stella!  In exchange for this help, he asked that he and his stepmother be allowed as passengers and taken to safety, since surely the Prince would want them dead.  Lucas agreed unhappily. 

As the heroes were making their getaway, they ran into Juliette.  Melisandre asked to speak to her alone.  After a quiet conversation, Melisandre returned that Juliette would not raise the alarm, but they had to perform a task in Dionna.

The heroes made their escape and returned to Dionna, where they had to procure transportation and escape, in the wee hours of the morning, with a cargo of about eigtheen young Vodacci girls between the ages of eight and fourteen!  Melisandre explained that these were girls of minor noble families, born without Strega abilities and destined to a life of humiliation and subservience.  A chase ensued in the streets of Dionna when the city guard tried to arrest and question the heroes.  Everyone reached the Maris Stella just in time for a quick flight, but Mendoza then turned away and announced that he must return to his tasks for Vigo Geppetto.