For our final act, let's consider my boldest speculation yet: what if Lilith and Caleb Vatore weren't the first vampires of their bloodline? Of course, the connection is mere speculation on my part, being scant on truly compelling historical evidence, but I uncovered in my research multiple records dating back to the Medieval era of a mysterious cloaked killer known only as La Vedova Nera (The Black Widow). Stalking Tartosa back alleys and ballrooms alike, this deadly but seductive figure wielded an impeccably sharpened blade but was often said to make easier work of her victims with her equally sharp teeth. There is reason to believe she may have been an agent of the infamous league of Tartosan assassins, L'Ordine dell'Occhio Nascosto (The Order of the Hidden Eye). But whether she worked for a higher power or herself, her blade (and teeth) did not discriminate. Anyone unlucky enough to look The Black Widow in her blood-red eyes was instantly marked for death. Where does the Vatore connection lie? As has been established, the Vatore lineage is practically synonymous with Tartosa itself; so long as the country has existed, so too, it seems, has the family. The few written descriptions and even fewer artistic renderings of The Black Widow that exist bear a striking resemblance to Lilith herself, and there is a single account in an apothecary's papers of a soon-to-be-wed Vatore maiden seeking relief from a confounding lingering illness, though no further records of the young woman's life or death could be found. It is just as possible, of course, that The Black Widow's existence may be mere myth, dream, or misunderstanding. But it leaves us to ponder a compelling question: have fate and blood always conspired to keep the Vatore name alive forever?
- Conclusion to Tangled Vines: A Complete Investigation of the Vatore Disappearances
The Black Widow is pleased to accept La Farfalla's invitation to @surely-sims' Midnight Masquerade!
