There is a moral to this image. If you plan to ask a girl to marry you after being away for two and a half months, it’s always worth checking to find out what has happened in your absence. The story’s changing on a daily basis at the moment, which doesn’t affect any of the things shown in my illustrations so far, but just means they come in a slightly different order. Francesco has had his little (paid) liaison with Claudia, but (important point) Fabrizio doesn’t yet know; indeed, Fabrizio is rather too taken up with court life to spend much time thinking about anything else. Francesco has already been hauled before the Duke’s spymaster to answer for suspicions about Claudia’s and Fabrizio’s loyalty (see “Mangioino”), and he has also had an unexpected and rather unwelcome meeting with Ligorio (see “Ligorio”). All things considered, he doesn’t feel that the city of Selinda is doing him any favours and he’s still too injured to contemplate going after Cristiano d’Anore or risking another confrontation with Ligorio. So he goes home to Antalia. Alone. Fabrizio doesn’t much like this, but as Francesco points out, Fabrizio has plenty of other things to distract him in Selinda. Francesco has also come to a personal decision. He’s slowly won Giulia over, although she refuses to give in to him completely as matters stand. And so he decides to ask her to marry him. He’s suffered enough injuries in the pay of noblemen and for once he sees a vision of life as it could be: simple, straightforward and happy. He knows Giulia is mourning her childhood sweetheart Sabino (see “Daydreamer”), but Sabino vanished three years ago and is probably dead. Marriage will give them both a chance to start again. And perhaps it can offer him an alternative form of redemption to simple, bloody revenge. Armed with a bead necklace he’s brought her from Selinda, Francesco goes to Giulia’s father’s tavern on his first afternoon home, dressed in his best clothes. As he nears the courtyard, he hears voices; an unusual number of voices for Vedova’s tavern, which is normally half empty. He hears Giulia laughing and for a moment he pauses to think how surprised she’ll be to see him – he hasn’t sent word that he’s come home from Selinda – and then he walks round the corner, blissfully sure of his welcome. What he sees doesn’t register at first. The neighbours and their children are sitting around a one-armed man who is telling a dramatic story of shipwrecks, rescue and corsair slavery. And Giulia is standing behind him with her arms around his neck. Sabino is back. Against all the odds, he’s managed to scrape his way through battles, some time as a prisoner of war in a galley, shipwreck, a gangrenous infection that cost him his arm, and utter penury, all in the name of making it back to keep his promise to Giulia. It’s a great story and the audience loves it, but unfortunately for Francesco it’s not a story that he has any part in. He dodges back behind the wall, hoping to save his pride; but not quickly enough. Giulia has seen him. I’m sorry to say that when she tentatively comes out to find him, Francesco doesn’t exactly do credit to himself; and he loathes himself even more when she simply pities him. He is not a man who takes well to pity. All he knows is that his dream of a normal life was only that – a dream. And he can’t forgive himself for having given in to it. Yep, sorry folks. This is one story where the protagonist doesn’t get the girl. :-) **P.S. I should point out, this isn't the end. Oh no, there's a way to go yet. And in fact I may not be posting that final, final image I spoke of. After all, maybe it's good to keep a bit of mystery for when the written story's finished**