"This ball is as anonymous as a sleeping chamber absent of curtains," Peppina commented dryly, peeking through the window of the carriage as they waited for their turn to drive up to the palace entrance.

Giulietta followed her sister's gaze only to see people streaming into the palace from every possible direction. The guards at the doors barely cared to look at the invitations as countless guests flooded through the gates, wearing the most exquisite fabrics and jewels – each competing for the attention of the beholder's eye. Nonetheless, Giuseppina was right, despite the endless variety of masks, most of them were barely suited to serve their core purpose.

There is no gain in concealing one's identity tonight.

Giulietta turned her attention back to her sister whose own face hid behind the masterpiece of gemstones, red fabric, and an elegant construction on her left side that transitioned from the mask to a delicate headwear, making it appear like a butterfly's wing.

She gave Peppina a teasing smile: "The only purpose this mask serves is to disguise your frown when you are dancing with a man. If you remain silent and nod, you might trick them to believe that you are a pleasant company." Giulietta instantly regretted her harsh words, internally swearing about her catastrophic ability to show support.

Peppina's eyebrows wandered to her hairline, as she digested her sister's words.

"If you say so," she snapped back, her voice vibrating of challenge.

Giulietta wished their mother was there to take over that sort of conversation, but as usually Flavia insisted on skipping the official reception, only condescending to make an appearance once the festivity started. This time, she was even more resolute than usual to arrive in separate carriages, probably to spare Giustina the social rounds. The ball alone was likely to be an overwhelming experience for their youngest sister.

This way, it was up to Giulietta to escort Peppina to the ball and introduce her to the Doge's family.

As giving inspirational speeches did not belong to Giulietta's strengths, she quickly switched the strategy to what she could do best: giving instructions. "There is a dancing list afore readied by Cecilia for the boy that dictates who he is to dance with and in what order. Your name is not likely to be on it. Yet."

Peppina remained silent, stubbornly looking out of the window as their carriage moved forward and came to hold again.

Giulietta sighed, starring down at her own deep-blue mask that sparkled between her hands. She realised, Peppina had always been a free spirit, struggling with rules and authority, even when their father was alive. But ever since Giulietta took over the House, the girl became even more rigid, refusing to take on the role, which was expected of a woman in society.

"You are lucky to be more privileged than any other woman that ever walked this earth!" Peppina kept accusing Giulietta, remaining blind to the consequences which came with wearing a title that was strictly reserved for men from the beginning of times.

The carriage moved forward again so that they were next in line to exit. Giulietta dropped the mask on her lap and leaned forward to her sister, gently enclosing Peppina's hand in her own: "I trust you to act reasonable tonight. Leave the rest up to me. I will guard you against any unpleasant advances, do you hear me?"

Despite her dislike of physical contact, Peppina didn't pull her hand. A spark of surprise swept over her eyes, so quickly, Giulietta wasn't sure she saw it right. Reluctantly the girl nodded.

As they sat in the small box across from each other, their dark-blue and scarlet-red skirts intertwined, creating an image of a winter sunset in the waters of the Adriatic Sea. For a moment, the sisters dwelled in complete silence, holding hands as each was fighting her own demons behind her eyes. Then suddenly, the carriage jerked for the last time, breaking the spell between them.

Giulietta shook her head, swiftly tying around her mask and grabbing the elaborate wooden box next to her. Her face naturally assumed her signature public expression which was a combination of pure arrogance and sheer boredom, and even though she realised, it was hidden behind the mask, it gave her the necessary confidence to deal with the outside world. Then, she stretched out her arm and allowed the footman to help her out of their vehicle.

Giulietta could barely take a moment to look around the crowded courtyard when she heard the horses neigh behind her, hasting away to make space for the next arrivals. She has never seen an event so incredibly busy that the guests had to enter the palace from the courtyard instead of using the general entrance from the waterfront underneath the colonnade.

With no other choice than to move forward, the girls began to climb the massive marble staircase, Scala dei Giganti. At the top of the stairs, two colossal statues awaited the guests with the God of War Mars menacingly staring them down from the left and the God of Sea Neptune from the right. Compared to the tiny buzzing palace guard at the entrance, those giants seemed to be the true guardians of the world beyond the gate.

A wave of astonishment and veneration washed over Giulietta as they walked beneath the Lion of Saint Mark, entering the gorgeous hallway of the palace. Magnificent portraits of past ruling families in golden ornaments decorated the walls on both sides as the guests paraded past them, disturbing their peace.

The soft music of harp and dulled murmur guided every soul that got lost in the palace tonight to the end of the hall that flowed into the majestic chamber of the Great Council. The room was huge and completely emptied of chairs for the purpose of the ball with the only recognisable feature of the small pedestal with three chairs for the hosts of the evening.

Giulietta heard Peppina gasp next to her as the girl held in the doorway, taking in the impressions in pure amazement. All the walls and the ceiling of the room were painted by the old masters and divided by artful golden ornaments which popped around them, framing each of the masterpieces. Giulietta remembered having a similar reaction the first time she entered Sala del Senato.

Probably everyone did.

Still balancing the wooden box in her hands, Giulietta nudged her sister to move forward, as annoyed ladies with their extensive skirts struggled to make their way around Peppina. The young girl nodded, following her older sister across the room, past groups of Venetian aristocracy deeply engrossed in their conversations, into the small line in front of the Doge's pedestal.

Giulietta took the moment to assess the display in front of her, trying to ignore her traitorous heart jumping in her chest. The rule of the Grimani family stretched now for over fifteen years, being the longest in centuries. As Giulietta expected, the Doge was not in presence of his wife, who withdrew from public life years ago, without exceptions. Instead, by his side, as usually was Cecilia, his daughter-in-law and the mother of the young man whose sixteenth birthday was just days before the first carnival night. As the small mountain of presents on the table next to the pedestal indicated, most guests used this occasion to seek the patronage of the ruling family or strengthen the existing bonds with them.

Giulietta had a different purpose in mind. She wished to send a message.

Pressing her cold palms harder against the cool wood of the box, the girl attempted to suppress the nervous shaking of her hands.

It must work out as I planned for it. It has to.

"Giulietta Rerieri, Head of the House Rerieri and her sister Signorina Giuseppina Rerieri," the sergeant-at-arms celebratorily announced their arrival, allowing the girls to step forward to the pedestal.

"Your Serenity," Giulietta addressed the Doge first as the sisters performed a deep curtsy.

With a kind and welcoming smile, the old man nodded, though he remained silent. He was the only one in the room whose face was not covered by a mask, probably to keep the official appearance for the foreign guests.

Giulietta turned her attention to Cecilia.

"Patrizia," she respectfully nodded, saluting the hostess of the eve, as she bore no official title of Dogaressa. However, those who didn't know were likely to think that Cecilia was a queen. Her plum-coloured dress juxtaposed the heavy white pearls around her neck and in her silky, heavy, black hair. The fine white-feather mask, that solely went around her dark-brown eyes, completely revealed her face, creating a strong contrast to her caramel-coloured skin and making her look like Indian royalty.

"We are honoured to be your guests tonight," Giulietta continued, feeling Cecilia's indifferent gaze linger on her face before moving on to Giuseppina.

"Antonio, the House of Rerieri would like to offer you a humble gift for your sixteenth birthday," Giulietta finally turned her attention to the youngest of the Grimani. Surprised, the girl heard the steady, melodic voice, as if it wasn't her own. It sounded confident.

Holding on to this level of composure, she handed over the wooden box to the usher, while suppressing the urge to rub her cold, sweaty palms.

"Gratitude for the kind gesture," the young, breaking voice revealed the true age of the man, peeking from behind the porcelain mask – the only person so far who in fact covered his entire face. He accepted the decorative box from the usher and opened it with a small click.

It was an unwritten rule that most children received presents which were meant for their parents. Just like in the case of Antonio, the real target was usually the Doge. But Giulietta recognised who really was in charge.

Her eyes focused on Cecilia, who glanced into the box over her son's shoulder. Giulietta knew what she saw: a set of chess made of green and white jade with figures that looked like the ruling family – the Doge and Dogaressa as the King and Queen on the green side, while Antonio and Cecilia as King and Queen on the white. Innocent enough for a bystander, though it secured Cecilia's attention. Giulietta could barely conceal a smirk.

I know what you are after, Mother Queen.

A sudden spark of curiosity lingered in the eyes of the hostess for a moment, but she held it back. "Chess is a strategic game," she finally raised her velvety voice.

"Indeed. My father taught me how to play and I am certain His Serenity will teach his grandson a trick or two," Giulietta replied with a retained smile that only reached one corner of her lips. She didn't let Cecilia out of her sight, until Antonio shifted uncomfortably in his chair, clearing his throat.

"Thank you both," he finished the conversation in a friendly but dismissive manner.

With another deep curtsy, the two Rerieri girls left the pedestal, turning around to the ballroom full of people. Giulietta felt like she was denied oxygen for the entire time of the conversation and now she suddenly could breathe again. As if mirroring her expression, a similarly relieved exhale escaped Peppina's lips. The further they strode from the pedestal, the steadier became Giulietta's breath and her heartbeat.

Now she could only pray that her message was received, and the appropriate actions will follow.

However, the feeling of relief only lasted a few moments, until Giulietta realised that the true horror had just begun. The worst duty lay ahead of them: the social rounds. Ignored by men and misunderstood by women, social pleasantries were Giulietta's personal circle of hell.

With a resolute sigh, she let her eyes wander, searching for the least painful group to start with, but finding the broad shoulders with the brown locks of Veneri right in front of her instead.

Definitely not him.

Admittedly, she'd love to rub into his face her new contract with the supplier she snatched from him recently but now was neither the place nor the time. And even though she needed to stay alert for his next move, the dream of his furious face when he found out that she played him, would have to suffice for now.

Closely followed by Peppina, Giulietta slowly moved into the mass of skirts, feathers, coats, and walking canes, when the sudden change of music made her hold. The soft melody of the harp got swallowed by energetic oriental tunes, that filled the room for a moment and stopped. The omnipresent murmur abruptly died as dozens pairs of eyes shot to the pedestal.

"Your Majesties," a strong voice with an accent addressed the Grimani family loud enough for every present person to hear.

Giulietta wanted to cover her face with her hands but remembered that her mask did it for her already. No one addressed the Doge as Majesty. That alone awoke curiosity among visitors. She saw Peppina tiptoeing next to her to get a better look at the scene from between the people.

"I travel from afar," realising he got the attention of all guests, he dramatically turned around to his audience. "I have seen countries where rivers are wine. Forests, where ambrosia grows on trees. And islands, where women are Goddesses."

Giulietta had to roll her eyes at the theatrics of the tall, blond speaker, but he seemed adroit enough to charm the viewers with this damn smug. His silver mask vertically covered the left side of his face, fully exposing the playful spark in his eye to the bystanders.

"I have been to places where the finest silk is woven by the tiny hummingbirds and where cyan blue diamonds are nothing more than sombre tears of majestic elephants," he continued, caressing every single word that danced from his lips.

"And on this significant day, I could not dare to withhold the gifts which this wonderful world has to offer, from our hosts tonight! Please accept this humble present as a token for your endless hospitality!" He bowed exaggeratedly in front of the Grimani trio when the exotic music resumed and a group of barely dressed women of pure elegance and beauty flooded the dancing area.

A mix of surprise, delight, and outrage weaselled its way into the charmed crowd and Giulietta even believed to hear a shocked lady dropping unconscious to the ground at the sight of dancers, whose main pieces of clothing were jewelled breastplates and transparent scarfs. But despite the mixed reactions of his guests, the Doge made an amused impression, raising his hand to allow the showing to continue. His grandson, however, looked rather uncomfortable, awkwardly wiggling in his chair.

Giulietta looked at Peppina next to her, who cut such a bewildered grimace, that not even her mask could hide it. Giulietta pressed her lips together to conceal the amused giggle that almost escaped her lips, which earned her a weird look from her sister.

"My mask covers more skin than their breastplates," she could almost hear Peppina's sarcastic thoughts when their eyes locked.

Indeed, the tingly sensuality in every move of the dancing dozen in front of them would probably make any prostitute blush. The winding bodies and the flirtatious looks of the women towards the crowd evoked pure fascination among men, who tried hard to suppress it. Most women, however, pressed shocked their hands to their mouths or their hearts, but it was easy to see through their acted innocence. Giulietta found it nothing short of amusing.

Not sure if he is a knight or a joker, but he deserves endless gratitude for saving me from pretentious conversations and giving me a reason to laugh at such a dull event.

The dancers finished their performance and swiftly disappeared the same way as they came. But before anyone could wildly discuss what just happened, the ceremonial sound of fanfare trumpets filled the room, indicating an official announcement from the Doge.

Hundreds of eyes found their way back to the pedestal, where the Doge imposingly rose from his place and strode to the edge of his platform with his arms widely outstretched.

A small shiver run over Giulietta's back, pulsing through her shoulder blades and crumbling to tiny goosebumps that ran over her bare arms. It was time to find out if her efforts bore the desired fruit.