Epilogue
“What,” The young man leapt up from chair, his gabardine emphasised his shoulders in the current Venetian style but he likely did not need such help to attract many a ladies eye, “Grand mere surely they can’t just die, Princess Messaline and gallant Li’hi do not deserve to die like this! It is wrong!” He added hotly.
His grandmother tugged at her veil but did not remove it, she rarely did these days, though her voice was often joyful she never forgot the late Piero. She gazed out of a window and then back a moment and seemed about to speak when her Lady Companion Lea entered the room bearing a letter. Lea was getting on a bit herself now and her features were always a mystery to Marco though she spoke French and Venetian every bit as well as her Mistress and good Church Latin and a clutch of other languages besides.
Gran mama took up the letter read a few line and nodded, “Good they have heeded my advice, they have left Constantinople, I warned them all the evidence suggests it is only a matter of time before the Nicene Greeks move on the city and that they will not fail at this attempt.”
“Where have they gone, father and uncle Maffeo?” Marco asked, unspoken was the hope that he might just be old enough to join them. Join the family business of trade and exploration that opened new markets to ever great trade, enhancing their wealth and that of Venice.
“Crimea, I have to admit I have never been there but you father scents business opportunities,” Said Lea.
“Oh the east though, Grand Mere was telling me of some of her tales of the East,” Said Marco reverently.
“I was telling him of the end of Princess Messaline of Jin,” Said Grand Mere.
“Oh but have you told him the end was but a new beginning?” Asked Lea with her customary grin, she brushed grey hair that had once been the deepest midnight black.
“Well no, I have not yet told him how Perio, spying two beautiful women on crosses stole up the hill one night with the crew of one of his ships and rescued us,” Laughed the Grandmother for once pulling back the veil from her aging but still beautiful face.
“But Grand Mere Messaline I thought you were French!” Squawked Marco in surprise.
“Whatever gave you that idea?” Asked Messaline amused.
“Well when I asked father where you had come from he said that Grandfather brought you home from Paris with him in your tummy,” Marco informed her sounding like a lawyer laying down the cutting argument in court.
“Well we went to Paris because that was where the money was, the investors for his schemes he could not find in Italy,” Said Messaline, “But it was in the Holy Land he found me.”
“Should I call you Highness?” Asked Marco gobsmacked.
“No dear child, I am happy to be simply Messaline nowadays,” She smiled.
“What happened to Li’hi?” Asked Marco.
“Well come on Lea…Li’hi…all these times and the penny never dropped?” Li’hi asked with her hand on Messaline’s shoulder, Messaline covered that palm with her own.
“Oh,” Was all Marco managed.
“Don’t worry my young Marco Polo, I am sure you will be a lot more carefully observant when the time comes I send you east.”
“Huh,” Snorted Marco Polo slightly annoyed that he had only penetrated the mystery with help, “So what became of the Lady Ninjas?”
“Well it just might be that no one has been able to discover who the masked men who kill those that need killing by night are because by day because by day they are women,” Messaline said, “But do not go spreading that, only the Council of Ten and the Doge know that.”
“Wow but I always wanted to be one,” Admitted Marco Polo.
“Well I am sure when someone makes up a story about the Hooded Assassins of Venice they will use men in the roles, assuming by that time they even decide to have them come from Venice,” Laughed Li’hi, “Now run along Marco Polo you have other lessons to be about this day and you tutors are waiting.”
“He is a good boy,” Said Messaline.
“The best, I am sure he will have a storied future and now we are alone for a precious minute,” Li’hi smiled and leant down and kissed her Princess
The End