fmedici¡:
âi must admit iâm not as well versed as you might be in the matter of kings and queen, for there are none where i am from.â italy is different than most places. there isnât a sole ruler of the land, there is no man to dictate right and wrong in all cities of the peninsula. francesco thinks that to be a great deal. piero is grand duke of firenze, ludovico was of milan ( god knows whoâll take his place ), and so forth. the sense of independence is what keeps the peninsula thriving, at least from his point of view. there is no need to want to govern as largely as possible if you cannot manage a small city in the first place. that was the case with many kings and emperors.Â
francesco smirks. he is the attention, there is nothing to be kept. âdear, i have no trouble keeping people interested, i will tell you that.â
the man doesnât give off a mysterious aura, by any means, and still, his words come across as if he has something to hide. franciâs instinct isnât to distance himself, au contraire, he earns to know more, even if only what the man wants him to know. âi would not be, sir. i would be delighted.â his voice is teasing, luring, even.Â
âthe right question would be what is it that an artist does not do,â his features are on point, confident bursting out from his words as well as appeal. âpersonally, i am more comfortable with paintings and sculptures, i will say.â
arrogant smiles are a dime a dozen in this place, so richard has been quick to find out. but francesco de mediciâs smile is pleasant enough to pass off as boyish, largely in thanks to his pristine features and the youthfulness that still clings to it. it makes him appear less of a threat and more of a player, one who plucks strings in... various ways, come to think of it.
offhanded amusement wanders across his lips. âi do forget,â the male comments, sarcasm dripping with every pronounced word, âthat not all the world has the privilege of being ruled only by ... families, is it not? dare i say, the differences between italy and the rest of the world might not be as striking as you think it to be?â
a smirk curls at the edge of his mouth as he takes in every nuisance of francescoâs face. heâs not blind to beautiful men, as unexpectedly difficult to find as they might be. the remark is teasing enough to, indeed, hold richardâs attention âfor the moment, that is. âi am suddenly beginning to see your countryâs obsession over their art scene. if everyone at home is like you, then italy must be a ravishing place indeed.â
an impish grin twitches at the corner of his mouth as his gaze falls on the painter again. âit would be remiss of me not to ask an artist when heâs standing right before me, so âwhatâs the worst piece you ever created, and how did you discard it?â













