A/N: Recently reread the Stravanganza series, and still sad there seems to be no whisper of a seventh book as yet. So I decided to write my own continuation from the City of Swords – ignoring the reveal of the next city and Stravagante (Ross with a mermaid carving for Moresco) in the guide to Talia because I've got my own plans for that. I decided instead on Romula – particularly because I don't intend to follow this through for the remaining six cities (instead, this is sort of like the seventh book being the final one). I have other ideas for the full twelve-city series :D The information about the cities not yet featured in this chapter is all from the guide of Talia, with the exception of Romula's relationship with the Di Chimici (that's me employing my creative licence).

I'm also not using Romula's stravangante from England (Caitlin, according to the guide of Talia), but instead Alice who first appeared in the City of Ships. Part of this was to avoid characterising Caitlin before her real character is revealed, and also because Alice reminds me strongly of Susan from Chronicles of Narnia so here's her chance to change that course.

Lastly, this fic is written for the Another Mega Prompts Challenge at the Basket of Books Challenge Forum (link's in profile), for writing prompts 147: for a series that isn't finished (or you haven't finished reading yet), write the next book in a manner that will distinguish it from its true sequel (in the case of unfinished series, use what information is already available and change something central). In this case, it's Moresco to Romula and Ross (Moresco)/Caitlin (Romula) to Alice.

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The Sky on Dragon-Fire
Chapter 1 – Another Pope is Dead

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'First uncle Ferdinando, and now cousin Rinaldo as well.' Lucia closed her eyes. She did not say it was a cruel thing to bloody the Duchessa of Belleza's wedding day, for she had lost her husband on her own wedding day in a far more bloody scene.

Her first husband that was. A simple silver band was snug on her finger, a reminder of her recent engagement to Guido Parola.

'You sound almost relieved,' the man himself remarked.

Lucia opened her eyes. 'Perhaps,' she admitted, in the safety of her own chambers where only Guido could hear. 'I'm sure cousin Rinaldo would have supported the Grand Duke in slaughtering my people.'

'But who will be the new Pope?' Guido wondered. 'That worries me. And what also worries me is how Pope Candidus was killed on Belleza soil. It will only anger the Grand Duke even more.'

'Indeed.' Lucia sighed, resisting the urge to gaze at her hand-mirror. It reflected what parts of the room it could reach, as expected of all mirrors – but this was a particularly special mirror, because it could be used to communicate with the Stravaganti as well. Indeed, it was how she was informed of the news. 'I have been told it was simply a man distraught over his daughter's death – and it appears our esteemed pope had ordered it.'

Guido's eyes widened in understanding. The only person he knew Rinaldo di Chimichi to have ordered dead was the previous Duchessa of Belleza. He had been the first instrument himself, though he had paid dearly with regret. The second, he'd recently heard in this very city, had been a man called Enrico Poggi – who had instead killed his fiancé when the Duchessa had made strategic use of a double. 'The father of the double that died in Belleza,' he said. 'What has happened to him?'

'Dead,' said Lucia. 'Killed by the guards. I wonder if he was happy with his revenge.'

'He didn't have the chance to regret it at least,' Guido commented. 'And Belleza will give him a proper sending off. But what of the Pope?'

'I imagine our esteemed Grand Duke will demand the body.' The Duchessa frowned. 'And appoint a new Pope that will allow him to continue slaughtering my people.'

'Slaughter is a harsh word,' Guido said sadly.

'But a true one,' Lucia countered. 'You agree with me.'

'Of course I do,' he reassured. 'Though I was charged with an act I think would have been true slaughter.'

'But you did not do it.' Her tone tender, she leaned forward and touched her fiancé's arm. 'Even before the stravangzi knocked you away, your hand had stayed. And you have paid long and hard with your guilt.' Her eyes burned suddenly. 'Or do you think I have become engaged to a slaughterer?'

'A murderer perhaps,' said Guido, thinking about Luciano's speech. 'But a slaughterer, no.'

'Good.' And Lucia straightened. 'The new Pope – there are no more Cardinals amongst the Di Chimichi, though I do not believe that will stop cousin Fabrizio. And Rinaldo is dear Caterina's brother. He will not forgive the insult, even if it was not Belleza but a single man who killed him.'

'And the Manoush are there.' Guido sighed. 'The Stravaganti had hoped to reconcile with the Grand Duke, but he will declare war on them for this.'

'Fortunate he was that they did not retaliate after Classe,' said Lucia. 'But if the fighting comes to Belleza they will fight fiercely, and Classe, close indebted as they are, will help them. And cousin Beatrice is quite friendly with the Duchessa of Belleza.'

'And the ones under the Grand Duke will no doubt follow him.'

'Perhaps.' Lucia's tone revealed she disagreed. 'I cannot imagine cousin Gaetano allowing Remora to strike against them. He is quite fond of the Duchessa and the Stravaganti. And a certain Manoush,' she added, as an afterthought – but she didn't think as quite a strong deciding factor. 'He and cousin Francesca were at the wedding.' She sighed. 'It would have been a sight, even despite.'

'It certainly would,' Guido agreed. 'But our state is too fragile to have left.'

'Unfortunately.' And this time the frown that graced the Duchessa of Fortezza was a sad one. 'And the fangs of the Grand Duke too long.'

Their conversation kept on drifting that way. 'The Grand Duke cannot continue his trials until a new Pope is elected,' Guido comforted.

Lucia sniffed. 'That will only take a few days, and unless we have our own to put up, he will simply replace cousin Rinaldo with another puppet. Cousin Filippo perhaps.' She had not forgotten his clumsy attempt to court her on Fabrizio's orders – no doubt to gain further control over her state.

Her refusal had pushed a rift between them. His actions towards her people had enforced it.

'Brother Sulien?' Guido suggested. 'Though he is a Stravaganti.'

'I have no quarrel with the Stravaganti,' Lucia reminded. 'They gave me back my throne – although I have heard no news about my half-brother.' She frowned again. 'Laura spoke of him quite fondly.'

'He sounded like a good man,' said Guido, 'in a bad situation. I saw him in the jail: he was the sign of a repentant and remorseful man.'

'A good man that may have met his end with cousin Fabrizio. I have no doubt it was his men that stopped cousin Gaetano. He has become cold-blooded. And renouncing cousin Beatrice as he did…' She paused, then took the plunge. 'I have been thinking, Guido.'

He looked hard at her. Her tone seemed hesitant, but also sure. 'Of?'

'Of Fortezza becoming an independent state.'

He stared at her, shocked.

'It is a bold action,' she continued. 'And no doubt it will bring cousin Fabrizio to our doorstep in a rage – but he will have no jurisdiction here. He will not be able to sentence my people to death, or demand our army takes up arms against friends.'

It did make sense. An alarming amount of sense.

'But Fortezza might still be too fragile for such a bold move,' Guido fretted. 'The army was divided, and we have lost more than a third of it before Pope Fernandio could step in.'

'I think Belleza will help us.' Now that Lucia had said it, she felt more confident. 'If we ask it of them. And cousin Beatrice. Perhaps cousin Gaetano as well – but I do not wish to put him in such a situation.'

'He may feel the same,' said Guido, 'about Remora.'

'Perhaps. But with Francesca expecting, this is not the time for such thoughts.' However Fortezza had a different timeline. 'Perhaps the other independent states will help us as well. Cittanuova, Montemurato and Romula. And if cousin Alfonso can be made to sympathise, then Volana as well. The Grand Duke won't have the support to wage war against us, or Belleza.'

'There will no longer be an equal amount of states under the Di Chimici and independent of them,' Guido surmised. 'The balance of power will have shifted. But this will cut you from your family.'

'Some of them,' Lucia agreed. 'Not cousin Beatrice or Gaetano. And perhaps not others as well. Bianca may not, though Alfonso may choose to side with cousin Fabrizio.'

'He will not be able to break the bond between sisters.'

'Ah,' but Lucia cautioned, 'and yet we are both quite sure the one between brothers will break.'

It was true; neither of them doubted that Gaetano would eventually be forced to declare enmity to Fabrizio.

'But all this can be avoided if the next Pope will sympathise with us instead of the Grand Duke.'

'Not avoided,' Guido corrected. 'Delayed.'

'Yes'. Lucia sighed. 'Delayed. But Brother Sulien is a good choice. I can think of no-one better. Let us call him. Our mirror should reach any of the brotherhood.

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In the Duchessa of Belleza's waiting room, a similar conclusion had been reached.

'Brother Sulien is one of the brotherhood,' Rodolfo said. 'And he has gained many years of experience in Saint Mary's Amongst the Vines. Thank goodness his diciples have taken over for him. If he had not recently obtained the post of Cardinal...'

'And the Di Chimici have no-one else at the post of Cardinal,' Luciano added. 'Brother Sulien stands a good chance. Particularly if some of the Di Chimici, like Gaetano and Lucia, support him.'

'I have no doubt either of them will not,' said Silvia, 'but should Brother Sulien lose the election to the Di Chimici after being supported by a few of their own, what state will they leave them in?'

'Remora and Fortezza.' Arianna closed their eyes. 'Perhaps they will turn to independence like us. And if they do, Belleza will give them their full support.'

'Perhaps Lucia will,' Luciano agreed. 'But Gaetano will avoid that for as long as possible.'

'Yes.' Arianna knew almost as well as Luciano Remora's new duke. He had tried to court her after all – half-heartedly and on orders from his father. Luckily, his heart had belonged to another and the both of them were happy at her refusal. 'But I also doubt he will take up arms against Fortezza with Lucia at its head, or against us – at least while you and I are Duchessa and Duke.'

Her lips curled into a smile. It had been barely a day since they'd married. They hadn't even had time for a honeymoon yet.

'Even if just Fortezza becomes an independent state,' she continued, 'that will still shift the balance of power towards the independent states. Will the Di Chimici risk a war when they have the disadvantage?'

'More likely they will try and win over one of the independent states,' Silvia said. 'Not Classe – the Grand Duke won't sink so low as to beg a Nucci or a sister he's disowned. He would not be above removing Lucia from her throne and replacing her – she has no heir, so perhaps Fortezza will go to Filippo Di Chimici. Dukes are not elected there.'

Luciano scowled. There was a time where he'd genuinely thought Filippo was one of the good Di Chimici. It had turned out he was only a good liar and puppet of Fabrizio.

'Cittanuova and Montemurato are fair game as well,' Silvia pressed on. 'Like Belleza, they elect their leaders. And we know the Di Chimici aren't above assassinating leaders and replacing them with their own puppets. Romula is a little safer; they pass down their leadership by blood and their hatred for the Di Chimici goes deeper than even Belleza's.'

'Indeed?' Arianna raised an eyebrow. 'I wonder if it would make a good honeymoon spot.'

Her company stare at her.

She smirked. 'Why not?' she asked. 'What is so unusual about a bride and groom taking a little trip? Or a Duchessa and Duke for that matter. Indeed, I don't know why we didn't think of it before.'

'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' Luciano said thoughtfully, nodding. 'A saying from my – the other world.' He hastily corrected himself. 'But the Grand Duke will be angry that Rinaldo was kill upon Bellezan soil. Can we afford to leave right now?'

'You cannot,' Rodolfo said, before Arianna could form her own reply. 'But it is a good idea. Silvia and I will go. But before that, we should continue planning. The less that happens beyond our expectations, the better.'

They all knew he was smarting over the situation with Ludo and Laura – another translation that had shaken the connection between our two worlds. They'd looked through the mirrors, but they'd found nothing but a blur. Time was skipping ahead in England while it went slowly in Talia. Fortunate, perhaps, as the other way could have meant they would be unable to reach the Stravaganti from the other world in a new crisis.

But it was still difficult to plan when time changed so fast. And explaining Ludo's death to the Manoush was a problem as well. Not like Rinaldo Di Chimici's death – the Manoush were all good friends and protected from the magic laws in Belleza after they faced burning at Padavia. But they were so sharp and intuitive that they'd know in an instance it wasn't a regular death. And the Stravanganzi were a secret they weren't sure they felt comfortable spreading over all the Manoush. Raffaella and Aurelio knew of course, but they were just two of many.

'We should talk to Lucia first,' Luciano decided. 'Fortezza seems to be the crucial point.'

'I wouldn't count on it,' said Silvia, 'but it is a good place to start.'