Above: ***La Loredan just before bed, the last night of the move. The view is magnificent and the stars are truly bright in the Meliorian sky, yet one star seems to be absent from the Principality.***

I am certainly one who attempts to plan her time wisely, but surely moving into a new home should not be so lengthy and exhausting as the last few days have been...

God was surely smiling on me the day I hired my new maid, Amalia, just days before I moved into the Villa Vesuviana in Melioria. It must have been a month ago when I had received invitation to be a resident at the villa by His Highness, Prince Elswit- though I must have seemed the fool as I was far too quick to accept. It was an interesting prospect to move from the town, and up onto the hill, with a view of that same hill and town from my bedroom window. A most welcomed surprise, at the least.

All the more reason I should have been prepared for my move, things were organized from furniture to clothing, which would be brought in first, what would go where, how things would be set up. A lesson to all my fellows who in future will change residences: hire someone to measure staircases and hallways. I felt myself pale when I heard one of my daybeds was dropped, thankfully not my mother's, that at least made it intact and unscathed.

Another intriguing fact to this move was that the Contessa Della Torre di Rezzonico... was my neighbor, so to speak. Just down the hall from me was the woman who takes charge over some very fine tailors... and who takes a verbal swing at my family, each and every time she sticks her nose out into the sunlight. A mixed blessing, or fate has a very twisted sense of humor.

The Contessa Rezzonico must have been out, surely someone of her... let's say disposition, would have been quite angry at all the noise being made to heave my furniture into place. Even I was eventually at the site, ordering servants about, even in fact raising my voice. A good first impression to my new home, and those who I shall be sharing it with... Thank Heavens the Prince is in Spain, the last thing I need is for him to hear me shouting down the hall at my servants, and even some of his. How to terrify a prestigious, well-mannered Adonis: an introductory course presented by the enraged Loredan.

Once everything was in place in the rooms, CeeCee was, using the word lightly, kind enough to retrieve some tools to open the fireplace chimney in my bedroom. I was worried soot would get everywhere, just after I had laid my rugs down, but thankfully, Amalia managed it without much fuss. And by the time nightfall came, I had a lovely fire to keep me warm and to keep the room alight. At that point, my hair was down, my jewellery was off, and I felt like a mess. Far too tired to bathe, I collapsed into bed, leaving Amalia and a few other servants to tidy up the rooms and finish putting my clothes and decor where I had specified.

Morning came and I did manage to have my well-needed bath, a relief to say the least to soak in hot water. My brother was kind enough to bring a large bouquet of roses, and a beautiful vase he had made with the portraits of all three of us (myself and both siblings) adorned on it. Though Amalia was late at arriving for breakfast, understandably having slept through the dawn, I did have a lovely meal with my brother. All in all, thinking on it, it was not as horrible a move as I thought it was. It could have been worse, God forbid.