ad ▁for ▁Fab rice ' s ▁life ▁stating ▁she ▁will ▁leave ▁Par ma ▁if ▁he ▁is ▁not . ▁While ▁the ▁Prince ▁is ▁al ien ated ▁by ▁G ina ' s ▁dign ity ▁and ▁independence , ▁he ▁fear s ▁that ▁his ▁court ▁will ▁become ▁b oring ▁without ▁her ▁and ▁that ▁she ▁will ▁speak ▁poor ly ▁about ▁his ▁domin ion ▁when ▁she ▁dep arts . ▁He ▁communic ates ▁his ▁willing ness ▁to ▁free ▁Fab rice ▁and ▁yields ▁to ▁G ina ' s ▁demand ▁that ▁he ▁sign ▁a ▁note ▁to ▁release ▁him . ▁But ▁the ▁Count , ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁be ▁diplom atic , ▁om its ▁the ▁cru cial ▁phrase : ▁" this ▁un just ▁procedure ▁will ▁have ▁no ▁further ▁effect ." ▁The ▁following ▁morning , ▁the ▁Prince ▁conn ives ▁to ▁have ▁Fab rice ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁twelve ▁years ▁by ▁signing ▁an ▁order ▁aff ixed ▁with ▁a ▁date ▁preceding ▁the ▁note ▁pur port ing ▁to ▁release ▁him . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁next ▁nine ▁months , ▁G ina ▁schemes ▁to ▁have ▁Fab rice ▁fre ed ▁and ▁man ages ▁to ▁get ▁secret ▁messages ▁relay ed ▁to ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁tower , ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁an ▁impro vised ▁sem aph ore ▁line . ▁The ▁Prince ▁keeps ▁spread ing ▁rum ors ▁that ▁Fab rice ▁is ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁executed ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁put ▁pressure ▁on ▁G ina . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Fab rice ▁is ▁ob liv ious ▁to ▁his ▁danger ▁and ▁is ▁living ▁happ ily ▁because ▁he ▁has ▁fallen ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁the ▁command ant ' s