Hello everyone! This is my entry for Task #8 in the creative writing challenge sponsored by @steemfluencer. This consists in choosing a name, age (meaning medieval, future, XIX century and so on), job, location and object from a table we were given. We could only choose one thing from each.
Regina Bevilacqua trailed slowly through the ballroom, her head held high while her eyes perused the people attending. She wore a beautiful orange and gold gown adorned with a royal blue train. The dress was made by one of the best seamstress in Italy, an exquisite creation that left her shoulders bare except for a cream delicate lace and had puffed short sleeves; fleur de lis were sewn in the orange silk, as well as golden leaves. It was a dress fit for royalty and with how wealthy her family was she might as well be. They were a long line of jewelry makers and even though she was a woman, and as such she wasn't allowed to work, she helped design and make many of them. Currently Regina was wearing one of her creations, a tanzanite necklace that matched her train perfectly and matching earrings; the piece that completed her ensemble was a complicated updo with tendrils of hair left to curl framing her face.
Wherever Regina went, heads turned and men were left staring at her. But the lady only had eyes for one man, his name was Pietro Caiazzo and his charm and wit were unmatched by anyone but her. At least that was what she believed and wanted him to realize. The only reason she came was because it had been confirmed he would attend as well and she took every opportunity presented. Pietro was considered a rake but the raven haired woman was convinced it was only an image he put up to keep ladies away, not that it actually worked.
Tonight Regina would make her move, so that when he realized what had happened it would be already too late. First she filled her dancing card with other men and pretended she hadn't seen him yet, as friends he would come to pay his regards eventually.
Two hours into the evening, Pietro walked her way and bowed low before rising with an inconspicuous wink.
"Good evening my lady, may I bore you with a backgammon game?" - he asked with an amused tone, knowing it was her favorite game to play.
"Good evening signore, you know it would be my pleasure" - Regina replied after a curtsy with a smile.
Since they were children they played backgammon whenever the opportunity presented itself. Oftentimes a wager followed and resulted in embarrassing moments for both of them. But if everything went according to Regina's wishes, this time she would win either way.
"What do you say we make this a bit more interesting?" - she asked once they were seating down.
"I'm all ears my dear"
"If I win you'll take me to the opera tomorrow at the Verona Arena"
"And if you lose?" - a smirk formed on his face, arrogance surrounding him.
"I'll owe you a favor, whatever you want" - Regina answered with nonchalance.
"You got yourself a deal, my lady"
Backgammon was a game of luck and strategy, the two players start with fifteen checkers (pieces) and they first one to remove all of their pawns of the gaming board wins. Their moves were dictated by the roll of two dices, the strategy comes in when you decide which checker to move. You can move two pawns, if your dices roll 4 and 2 then you move one checker two spaces and another four. If you want to move only one chip then you can too, first four spaces and then two.
After forty-five minutes filled with banter trying to distract the other player, Regina was declared the winner. Her prize would be the start of the transition of friends to lovers, or at least that was what Regina thought. After all it was the year 1859 and things rarely went according to women's wishes.