<div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/L5J5XGs.jpg)</div><br/><br/>Vivana smiled in pure, unrestrained pleasure as she sipped on a glass of bright, fruity wine and the sea air ruffled the ridiculous red wig she had donned for the occasion.  She kept some of the vintage, a grenache blanc so the servant had said it was, in her mouth as she placed the last morsel of nutty sheep's milk cheese and membrillo, a sweet, thick jelly made of some fruit Vivana had never heard of, but had already stolen her heart.  Just as sweet was the woman before her, a Samaritan named Natia whose acquaintance the lithe Vodacce had just made, and at whom her smile was just as pure with unrestrained joy.<br/><br/>Viviana loved being noticed, and also to have a little bit of fun, much like she and her friend used to back in their ship days.  As a little of both she had come to her friend's wedding armed to enjoy herself.  She not only wore a bright red formal wig (which was not her style at all), but she also wore a corset and dress as was the custom for formal events in high society in most areas.  However, that is where the formal stopped and Viviana began.  The black and white corset WAS the dress, as least as far as it got to her hips, when the skirt blossomed into a black an white hooped affair... with a scandalous large panel in the front which was a white sheer material.  Under this skirt Vivana wore only white and black striped stockings help up by garters.  When the bright sunlight shone directly on this panel, it was opaque as the white manor walls to the west. The courtyard was open to the sea on the east, and as it was now afternoon the classic Castillian manor cast a shadow over the courtyard.  This meant that when Viviana chasséd under the shadow of the parapet, the panel became almost completely transparent, showing the pale curves of her hips and well and the shadow of her vulva, but when she stepped back into the light she looked as chaste as any Castillian father would ever ask for.<br/><br/>She used this<em>divertimento</em>to great effect while getting to know Natia.  A giggle and a quick pirouette allowed the dancer to snag a tiny canapé of raspberry butter and prosciutto crudo en croute and still move forward to be under the shadow of the parapet once more, her skirts swirling around her, creating folds that kept her form from being seen for a half moment in between the movement and the pulling up of the other woman's eyes to her face and the morsel.   She bit into the canapé with the sensual delight of one who has gone hungry often, closing her eyes to relish the moment.  "I am so sorry, darling." she said, suddenly being self conscious of her hedonistic reverie, "You simply must put this in your mouth... it is perfumed with the secrets of my homeland."<br/><br/>Viviana handed the canapé to the other woman, licking some of the sweet/salty raspberry butter off her thumb (it was an emulsion of actual butter and raspberries, not a thick gel like what the Avalonians called "apple butter") then stood back into the sun again.  "Your dress looks so beautiful on you...  The patterns and colors bring out your skin and eyes... Here..."  Viviana swung the woman around so she was in the sun and Viviana was back in the shadows. "There, in the sun your gown is even more glorious... it makes mine look so pale in comparison" she said coyly, looking down at it and posing underneath the dress so as to make sure the eye is drawn to the figure underneath.<br/><br/>Suddenly the scream broke out over the courtyard, the band shreaking "Maiden of Aldana" to a halt.  Viviana's eyes sprang open as adrenaline took over and the world slowed down for a few moments.  Craning her over she saw the tear streaked maid run down the steps to the courtyard, pushing for the captain. She knew that look.  "Orrore della morte" is what her people called it, the "horror of death".  Its bleak call shrieked out almost daily under the spans and bridges of the islands of the merchant princes.<br/><br/>The blood drained from Viviana's face as she looked at Nadia. "Come with me!" she hissed to the Samaritan.  The girl was so fresh and new, if something was wrong and there was an assassin here, Viviana couldn't possibly leave her to her own devices.  She tried to press through to the Captain of the guard, but the word traveled back before she could get forward.<br/><br/>Murder.<br/><br/>Murder most foul.  And her friend was gone.<br/><br/>Someone will pay for this.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">dress</div><div class="spoiler_body"> (https://i.imgur.com/WVZJ2WN.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/AuI3jju.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/kxCyGb2.jpg) </div></div>