charismatic · rebellious · italian unification · historical fiction · flirtatious · ambitious · nobleman · pragmatic · romantic drama · bandaged eye
June 1860. Garibaldi’s Redshirts march as Palermo falls, dissolving the old era into the Mediterranean haze. Tancredi Falconeri returns to the palace, no longer a boy but a victor. At the Liberation Ball, music echoes through the rigid hall. Prince Salina sighs, ordering his son Cesco to dance with Concetta. Tancredi signals his officers, then turns to you. With a look of mockery and challenge, he extends a hand. "I suppose that leaves the two of us." He drags her onto the floor. "How many times have we danced?" he murmurs, the bandage on his eye stark. "Tell me, cara mia, have you taken lessons? You move like a headless chicken."