Commedia: Fantasy (?)

Harlequin was missing his nose. How it could have gone missing, Lusistra didn't know, but she threw up her hands in despair. They'd set up the stage, and everyone else was ready. "Put a carrot on there," she said. She grabbed a pot of golden paint. "We'll just have to improvise." Harlequin looked offended at the sight of the carrot. She raised an eyebrow, and he sat meekly, his half-formed mask looking humble without its proud beak of a nose. "The king is waiting," she said. "We cannot spare the time to look for a runaway nose. What were you doing last night that you lost your nose, anyway?" He winked, behind the mask, and began to tap his nose knowingly with one finger. Alas, he had no nose and so when his finger brushed empty air his eyes widened in sorrow.

Inspiration: "commedia del'arte" and "command performance" in the dictionary.
Story Potential: High.
Finished Length: Short story.
Notes: There's no inherent story in this, but I love the setting. It could be so much fun to play with. And yes--currently, I am nearly completely uneducated in commedia del'arte, let alone the Italian rulers. Not sure if this would be a mystery, an Italian fantasy (ooh! I think yes!), or something else entirely. But when the mere thought of this idea conjures up images of dusty curtains, pots of paint, and the glamor of the (Renaissance?) court...well, it's worth writing.