IF I WERE A STRAVAGANTE

I wish I were a stravagante
My sleep I'd lack
because of traveling to your world
To fly on Merla's back
By day an empty shell
By night I'd be free
In this world I'd die
But I know where I want to be
I could be a rider
I'd ride for one twelfth
I'd could be a hero
And have drinks to my health
I would be there for a reason
I'd help with what they need
From saving the duchess
To riding a noble steed
But I am not a Stravagante
Though I can always hope
I'm stuck in this life
I'm left here to cope
——— Alexandra (of South Australia)

Arianna

Strong at heart, and free of spirit,
At home in her city, for she grew up quite near it
She looks into your eyes and sees your soul,
And carries a dagger wherever she goes
Skilled with blade and also with boat,
She is not what she seems to ordinary folk
Those who know her have certainly seem,
Her heart of gold, beneath grace of queen
She captures your heart with those violet eyes,
Then dances away, under sunny blue skies
Her people will follow, whatever she asks,
This stunning young ruler of City of Masks 
——— Hannah Adams

Truth

If only they knew
the truth
his truth
their truth.

He did not take
a life at all,
just made a decision
harder than they knew.

The girl beside him,
always disguised,
together they made
a choice

to help, not kill
to boost, not strike
to elevate, to shine,
not to tarnish and flake.

If only they knew
the truth
his truth
their truth.
——  I Pesci Princess

Adventure and Dreaming

An unhappy girl
a magical place
of adventure and
danger of all sorts.

Talia, this place
is where she flew.
Adventure she sought,
adventure she got.

An old friend
she meets again
who helps her understand
what has happened.

A parrallel world?
Impossible, you'd think.
But in her heart,
she knew it was real.

A Duchess, her father,
a Giglian prince
are just a few
of the people she meet.

The wildest time
of learning
and hoping
and dreaming.

Then day comes
and she returns
to earth, to life
as she knows it.
—— I Pesci Princess

Where Beauty Wears A Mask

Where beauty wears
a mask
is where the adventure
began

Lucien, ill and dying
dreams of a city
floating on water
while clasping a book
in his hand

Suddenly he's in a
magical place
filled with grace
this Bellezza
of Talia

Borne on a
non-stop adventure
reluctant to return
to his life at home
warped by his sickness

The same book that brought him
to that magical place
is the same thing that
killed him im the end

But he is not dead.
Not yet.
—— I Pesci Princess

The Cards Tell All

4 of Serpents, 4 of Birds
4 of Fishes, of Salamanders,too.
He threw 12-sided dice
and what did he find?

Six and ten, eight and eight
wherever he looked,
sixteen arrived
to take the scene.

The cards told of danger,
a girl, the Duchessa,
and the number 16.
What a strange reading!

Then, a while later,
when Georgia came,
the cards spoke again
with another message.

The cards tell all,
my friend.
Look into the future
if you dare.
——  I Pesci Princess

What Can This Be?

The man in the blue cloak
watches the strange boy
cross the square.

The boy seems very queer
but no, his eyes must be deceiving him,
for this boy has no shadow!

No shadow? Impossible!
Or so you might think.
But anything is possible in the City of Masks.

What can this be?
A boy with no shadow?
Soon, this will be revealed.

Is he a friend or a foe
of the Chimici?
wonders the man in the blue cloak.

Soon they will learn
the truth of this boy,
or so they think. 
——  I Pesci Princess

Belezza or Venezia?
Belezza or Venezia?
At first Lucian didn’t know,
Was it real?
Or was it just a dream?

In London he was dying,
In Bellezza strong and thriving,
Taken there by a notebook,
But what did it all mean?

Who is this strange girl?
This magician of a man?
And this mysterious masked lady?
And this horrid plotting nobleman?

To find out he must study,
A strange science, Stravagation
Make fireworks, dive for silver,
Rescue a Duchy and its Duchessa.

Bellezza or Venezia?
Later Lucian knew
It was a parallel universe,
Opened in 1552.

In London he did die,
And was to Bellezza translated by and by,
Taken there by a notebook,
And stranded there by the same one.

This Bubbly girl Arianna,
This scientist Rodolfo,
This incredible Duchessa,
These Evil di Chimicis.

He has a new friend William Dethridge,
The first ever Stravagante
He fell in love and found good friends
Was kidnapped and tried for witchcraft.

Bellezza or Venezia?
In the end he came to know
Lucian became Lucano,
The Bellezzan of long ago.
—— Colette Caruana

The fire girl gallops into the night
Brave and determinedthe stravagante Georgia
With fire in her heart and Falco at her side
She could gallop her horse right back to Talia
—— Changling Child

Two lovers are walking
in moonlit silence
Two Chimici are waiting
ready to pounce
but Luciano is watching
over his kin
will not let them get her
will not let them in
They try to persuade her
to forfeit her city
she just regards them
with a look of proud pity
For the wicked Di Chimici
will not sway her ever
safe in Lucianos arms
the Duchessa of Bellezza
—— Annonymous

City of Ships and City of Towers
City of Music and City of Words
City of Fire and City of Flowers
City of Dreams and City of Swords
City of Stars and City of Mermaids
City of Dragons and City of Masks
Cities of prospects, cities of trades
Cities of bustle and everyday tasks
But above all pretences lurks something far stronger
The threat of the Chimici trying to war—monger
And though people believe it won’t happen to them
From the petty street thieves to the Crème de la Crème
It’s brooding and hiding and soon will appear
And all Talia will simply give over to fear.
—— Natasha Fagelman

Nightmare
Him again,
running, terrified.
Running from something she can't see,
something she knows is there.
 
They hate him,
they want him dead.
He is the reason for the death of their prince.
If only they knew.
 
"You don't understand-"
"EN GARDE!"
slash, yell, thud....
"An eye for an eye, a life for a life."
 
Blood from the wound,
on face, in hair,
handsome face, curly hair.
Didn't kill Falco, set him free.
 
She wakes,
screams,
but it's alright,
what a nightmare!
 
Snap decision.
After all, what if it did happen?
Runs down the passageway they share,
tells him.......she loves him.
— Anonymous