<div class="floatright">(http://www.medievalists.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cf90a27190cc923e0c5de8f0f4f8d5be-650x425.jpg)</div><br/><strong>"Young lady, attend!"</strong>The furious hiss was typical from the lips of Bernadetta Zafoni, the young, beset wife of fabric merchant Guilelmo Zafoni of Venice, Italy. Bernadetta had been blessed, or cursed, depending on the moment, with a lovely young daughter who had the ill fortune of being as inquisitive as she was pretty. And at the moment that meant that the ten year old Serafina was attempting to peek into the library of the merchant guild house which was a domain that no woman should ever step across the threshold of, at least not if she wanted to remain a woman of good standing. Her angelic faced child did not seem to care, inching a little deeper into the partially opened door even as the matron sighed in resignation and took several quick steps to haul her errant offspring from the tempting danger.<br/><br/>As expected the young girl sulked, even going so far as to struggle against the restraining hand latched onto the back of her gown. Kicking feet found no purchase though, for while not a physically large woman Bernadetta was well use to these contests of will between the two of them. The petulant expression on the child's face only made the mother shake her head as she straightened the gown and hair,<strong>"Your father will be here any moment, what would he think to see..."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"To see what, good wife?"</strong>Her father's voice cut through the air then, tinged with affection but also annoyance. For he too knew how willful his daughter could be.<br/><br/><strong>"I just wanted to see the library, Papa!"</strong>For as a child, the cherubic faced with her honey golden hair and bright sapphire blue eyes Serafina could not see any sin in wishing to look at books. Most girls her age loathed the books from their lessons, and the bible, yet she had read every book she had access to several times over at this point. And there was a whole room devoted just to book, only ten feet away.<br/><br/><strong>"The only women allowed in such places are those of loose values, not the type of woman my daughter will be. Mind your mother and do not attempt this again, bambina."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"Loose values?"</strong>Her small voice echoed the words back, a wrinkled of confusion on her brow.<br/><br/><strong>"Courtesans, whores. We shall not speak of this further, come, the guild master wished to see my family and I expect a well behaved daughter."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"Yes, Papa."</strong>And for that moment the tiny blond child was docile, though it was not out of fear by the disgust in his tone but rather silence born of a mind contemplating new information. Courtesans could access libraries. Which meant there were more rooms full of books, just waiting to be read and cherished. Courtesans did not seem so very bad to her, they were able to wear the most lovely dresses, and at times even trousers rather than fussy skirts. Not to mention the poetry written to them, the way men sighed about them, or other women seemed bitter of the freedoms allowed. Her young mind only understood but a fraction of the division that lay between 'good' women such as her mother, and those who sold desire for power and freedom. Yet if there were books in the offering, well her path was set.<br/><br/>As she did with anything that sparked her interest Serafina decided then that she would learn everything she could about courtesans, and then if it was worth it, to become one. Pleased with herself a smile stayed on her lips the whole visit with the guild master, her attention distracted enough that she seemed a well mannered girl child much to her parents delight. They would rue it later, that seed planted on that day.<br/><br/><br/>~ * ~ ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~ ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~  ~ * ~<br/><br/><br/>The desire born in her heart nine years passed resulted in her presence early one morn on a ship born for Rialto Island, a cloak protecting her golden hair and shielding her face as she flouted the rules placed upon her by her family. Her father had raged against her only the night before for turning aside yet another marriage offer, showing the young woman it was time at last to enact her plan, harbored within all these long years. It had taken patience to not approach when she was only sixteen, will to flirt and cultivate her mind and body, delaying until she felt she was able to present a mixture of innocent and eagerness, to know her own power in her beauty and yet still be taught the pleasure of the flesh. Oh her loveliness had made many a young man burn with need, yet none of them had ever captured her heart, not as her books had.<br/><br/>Her future lay before her, Alessandro d'Arellio the maestro to conduct her to the next part of it. Intentionally she lingered on the ship as they alighted to the warehouse, placing herself at the end of the line. Several of the others looked smug at their place early on, yet Serafina only smiled to herself and stayed, waiting and calm. She had calculated every part of this, even down to approaching the man known to have ensnared the heart of the most infamous courtesan of their time, the still Venus incarnate to most poets and painters, even Titian himself wished to paint Nicoletta Moncenigo. It was she who Serafina wished to emulate, and such beauty and grace did not need to be first to make an impression.<br/><br/>At last her turn came, a manservant escorting her into the light. In truth what happened was not anything she could recall, for the moment was the realization of so many years and dreams. All she knew was that she smiled, and that Nicoletta was every bit as glorious as she had imagined, and Alessandro's eyes moved something deep inside of her, making her heart flutter to life.<br/><br/>No man's smile nor voice had ever rendered that effect upon her before; yet perhaps it was only right that he that held her future in his hands accomplished the feat.<br/><br/>Escorted from their presence, to be conducted to their very home, Serafina was certain her features were glowing with delight at her plan's execution. To be trained by Nicoletta herself, the Venus! To have made a man as jaded and worldly as d'Arellio pause, to stare at her smile as if it were something precious. It made the smile on her lips almost divine, so bright it was in radiance, a light that sparkled in the summer sky hue of her wide, stunning eyes. Down a hallway they moved, to a far better appointed conveyance in the form of a carriage than that which, a boast, had conveyed her to the warehouse. Unable to contain her glee any further the young maid spun about in a circle, a laugh of delighted rapture spilling from her lips as the manservant at her side paused, gaping slightly when faced with such bliss. She gave him a smile, unashamed for all that a delicate pink tinted her cheeks as she dipped a curtsy.<strong>"I apologize, good sir, I am simply delighted at my good fortune."</strong>