red velvet

Yeah, they wouldn't have to worry about lifting a finger

Nikki K

Well, they are the prince and princess of Squillace... unlike us measly peasants. For some reason I almost spelt it pheasant but that's a different animal.

Btw, I looked through things on amazon and there's a novel called "The Borgia Bride" which is about Sancia. Now, at first I thought about picking it up but then I read some of the reviews that made me go "Wait wwwwhhhhhat?" - apparently in the book Cesare is madly in love with Sancia (nothing I read about history made me think that, plus obviously nothing on JN's show). His jealously goes so far that he wants her to divorce Joffre so he can marry her but she isn't keen on that idea at all. I was all like... woah... what? /valley girl writing

red velvet

Woah! That's definitely a very loose interpretation of history. I've definitely never heard anything that would suggest that Cesare was in love with Sancia. Some lust, yes but mad love where he would give everything up for her. Somehow that just doesn't sound right to me. But then again most of what we know about the Borgias is based on rumors, so this is like a fanciful version of the world existing without those rumors I assume?

Nikki K

I think it's easy to be in lust with Sancia. It looks like a lot of men were. So here's the thing I'm asking myself - perhaps being raised in these decadent times and being young, lust and play were totally enough for here. I wonder if that got different when she got older and Cesare tried to reconcile her and Joffre. After all, I can see that Joffre must have been really fond of her. The way JN showed it he is such a lost little boy and probably very impressed by her. So it stands to reason that (at least for a time) he truly loved her despite everything. A friend of mine once told me - and I'm inclined to believe it from experience - that when you sleep with someone, you get attached to them in a way and that it is a somewhat brain chemical response. Especially when your body is still growing.

And yes, I read it and.. okay, all is well and good when you write a piece of fiction. It's just that when you have some knowledge of history (or science in case of sci-fi), it is really hard to do the whole suspension of disbelief thing. And for me even more so since I'm all for CL.

red velvet

I'm definitely inclined to think Joffre was in love with Sancia because of the chemical response. I would say thought he was in love, but since really love is only thoughts and feelings it equates to the same thing. At such a young age he would have no reason to think otherwise, and it would impress something on him from then forward. As for Sancia's feelings in that direction... I don't really know, it seems like she just thought of those sorts as trivial, but this of course is just speculation

Nikki K

That's what I am wondering often about - what is love anyway apart from feeling deeply for some and desiring to be with them. Well, that is love in the romantic sense. So from that stand point clearly.

I think young Sancia was very preoccupied by playing games and enjoying herself, enjoying seeing that she had power over people because of her beauty.

I'm just wondering if that changed with age and that therefore that reconciliation attempt was made so close to her death.

Nikki K

That's what I am wondering often about - what is love anyway apart from feeling deeply for some and desiring to be with them. Well, that is love in the romantic sense. So from that stand point clearly.

I think young Sancia was very preoccupied by playing games and enjoying herself, enjoying seeing that she had power over people because of her beauty.

I'm just wondering if that changed with age and that therefore that reconciliation attempt was made so close to her death.

red velvet

Love is caring greatly for a person, wanting to be with them, and in a sense being a bit obsessed with them. (I blame Sirens for the last part of my comment )

Right, her beauty gave her power over all the men and she enjoyed that she could have whatever she wanted but as she got older the beauty fades and less men come running and that is the time when a truly meaningful relationship begins to matter, which would definitely make sense with the whole attempted reconciliation just before she died.

Nikki K

Heh, that is true - and not just for people also for things and ideas. You can't truly love anything without being a bit obsessed.

red velvet

Yes exactly.

Nikki K

So where was I? Oh yes, my point was - I am 100% certain one could write an interesting piece of fiction on Sancia without making Cesare into her doe-eyed puppy. I'm just saying.

So... anyway. What's for dinner in Squillace today?

red velvet

Yeah, i don't think her story even remotely requires Cesare to make it interesting

Well you did mention pheasant before

Nikki K

My thoughts exactly.

Pheasant... why not. I'd say with cranberry sauce but then, I doubt they grow there. We need to discuss the sauce!

red velvet

But I don't even like cranberry! And there better not be any bergamot oil, cause that stuff gives me a rash. And even if I'm not eating it... well I don't know

Nikki K

I can't see Earl Grey go with pheasant. I'm thinking a filling of pistaccio, juniper berries, bread, eggs and bacon.

Didn't get anywhere on the sauce yet though...