You Inherit Money, I Inherit Guns

The rain fell down in soft, rythmic patterns. I sighed. Everyone was gathered around the grave, mourning. What I understood was that 200 years ago, Giacomo, this man we were greiving for, had drowned in a hapless accident. As far as I knew, we had absolutely no relation at all. Yet why were we standing around his sepulcher, dressed in ink black, pining over some fallen stranger? I reached out and tugged on Tobias' cloak. He turned his head slightly to me.

"Yes, Principessa?" he whispered.

"Why are we languishing this man? Who is he and why is he critical to us?" I murmered.

"Our first vittima. A very proud winning. It was a mercy killing, but he is still essential to our Famiglia's history. This is part of your coronation. Now be quiet." He said the last sentence a little too harshly. He nodded in apology.

"Thank you, my consigliere."

I stared at the ground for what seemed like an eternity. Nighttime was closing in fast. I looked up at my father, Sovrano, who was directly across from me wearing his ceremonial diamond cross on a gold chain. He looked up and winked at me, turning his gaze back to the wet earth.

XXXXXXX

Trinity Warehouse looked more inviting then the last time I saw it. The windows were fixed, lights were on, and I heard music and laughter coming from the bowels of the building. I sat in the back of the stretch limo, fiddiling with the fringe of my dress. My padre reached out to stop me.

"Mio figlia, stop fretting. I know you are nervous. Your fate is essential to our Famiglia. You are the Principessa and will continue our proud bloodline. Your other padres, they are nothing compared to you. You are far more intelligent then they are. You will accomplish greater things than they ever could. It is tradition for this family that the blood father picks out the future for his daughter," he said gently.

"Padre, that is not what I am nervous about. I am nervous about our rival, the Silenzio Sognato. They know nothing about me and my power. When they find out, they will--kill you?" my padre finished for me. He chuckled.

"Violetta, do not fear such nonsense. The Silenzio Sognato have not attacked in over a year. They won't harm us until we show signs of weakness. They always do that, you even proved their ways," he said. I remembered the death of Casanova, an important caporegime of theirs. His scream, my childish bloodlust, it all came flooding back. I was eleven when I killed him. It was there, outside the Trinity Warehouse on the ground level, right next to the entrance. It was the first time I used a 9mm Semi-Automatic. It was also the last.

The limo pulled up to the main entrance, where Samuel, the tall, black, muscular doorman helped me out of the limo. He commented on my black flowing dress as I walked up the stairs. I thanked him absentmindedly and entered the dim Roman decor-inspired room.

The party that was taking place was for me. It was my "coronation day" today. It would be the time when my padre and the rest of the Consiglio dei Reali held a confrence and decided my destiny as their wives and I gossiped. We had huge parties before for the high class people in the rest of New York, so I found this no different except for the more personal atmosphere. We had our allies there too to celebrate. Tommy, the underboss of our mafia took a microphone out. Tapping it, the mingling stopped.

"Consiglio dei Reali, we are meeting now. Hurry," he said in his gravely voice. Men all around me stood and filed over to the other end of the room where red ropes were clasped. Samuel was now helping men in tuxedos, checking IDs and whatnot. Whatever happened behind that door was all a mystery to me. It would stay a mystery until after tonight, when all doors would be open to me forever. I sipped at my champagne, breathless with anticipation. Tonight would be the night that would change my life forever. I could sense it.

XXXXXXX

"Violetta Monica Monarco's future has been layed out. Violetta, stand forward and do not speak," Tobias said in an emotionless voice. I obeyed. Several applauded but Tobias motioned for them to stop.

"Violetta, we have all seen you flourish into a beautiful young woman. This meeting has been one of the most difficult we've ever had to conduct, but we have layed out a plan for you," he said in a loving voice. He looked at Sovrano who motioned to continue.

"That being said, I regret to be the one to relay this information." What could Tobias possibly mean?

"Violetta, there will be no coronation tonight." The audience and I gasped. My jaw dropped slightly, but I closed it again. Confused garble filled the room. Someone shushed the puzzled crowd.

"You failed to let me continue," Tobias whispered into the microphone. "There will be no coronation tonight because we have one more task for her." Seconds of silence passed before he carried on. "Violetta, you have to take a stranger, preferably a man, and teach him the ways of our society. Understand?" he asked. I nodded before an alien darkness swept over me.