I entered my quarters after the little return party everyone threw for me. It almost had me in happy tears, almost.

The doorknob to my room had a stiff feel to it. The cool silvery touch was weird after not experiencing this old sensation for so long, and my room despite being the same as when I left felt like such a distant memory.

Just before this I had promised Adria we'd go take a look at her wedding venue tomorrow. But before all that thought, stressful thinking and rest in bed ever since I left Acullis I was reminded of the sorrowful piece called Sono Andati. Tragic romance am I right?

And another reason I avoided romance until that idiot prince had to come along.

The last glimpse of Luca, and his final moments; with Leon Avince. It stuck to my head like a traumatic memory and giving me all sorts of profound thoughts. Philosophical, emotional, or just flat out existential crisis. The more I think about it the more it feels confusing.

I shut close the door to my room and tiptoe down the slippery clean halls to the little heaven where I played my beloved music was. Looking left and right, seeing no one around I have this moment to myself and pleased it made me feel.

To once again resume my position as court musician and play to my heart's desire.

Sono Andati,

This song that gave me shivers. An intense feeling of losing grip on something or someone perhaps. It was like a bittersweet ending, a cold melancholic beginning, and all these other things love could be when you let it bring you tragedy.

The music I played with my own strained, aching fingers had me ocean deep into my hearts wonders and tangled strings, I closed my eyes.

---

It had been etched in my memories.

Adria had taken me to the venue of her soon to occur wedding. It was inside the grande banquet hall of house Echium, white cloths decorated it for the most part. Might as well just take one and wear it as a tunic on the day the wedding happens instead of having to wear something uncomfortable.

"Isn't it lovely Riselle? I'm finally going to be married." The brunette put her arm over my shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah totally."

"Hmm, you don't sound too enthusiastic? What's up?" She cocked a brow. I didn't know either, always in a daze. Guess it's just the aftermath of basically getting kidnapped.

"Just feeling a little bit tired."

"Oh of course you are! I should've decided to take you here some other day."

I turn my head, peering at the little decorations here and there. Intricately and meticulously made pieces of art set out for the wedding guests to marvel at on the special day. There was even a large painting of Dante and Adria standing beside each other with their hands rested on her belly.

"Who painted that?" I ask.

"Just one of house Echium's hired painters. Not too sure what the artist's name was."

"Ah."

"You interested? Want to get one with the Prince?" She nudged at me and I responded with a yawn. "And that's what you get for spending the entire night playing your beloved instruments."

"You were listening?'

"I passed by when I went to get a late night snack. But the prince seemed to have been listening, he's been standing there like a hawk while watching you play." Her hands shook my shoulder as she was gushing on about this.

"Nothing suprising there."

"Hmph you respond so coldly when it comes the the prince! And you haven't seen him since Luca kidnapped you right? You should go on a date with him! Or make it up in bed... Or something."

"B-bed?! Adria I'm not interested in anything of those sorts. But a date is fine." I facepalm. Such words coming from her mouth wouldn't make me flustered, but the usual slight shock rather.

Clearing my mind off that, I look around the banquet once again noticing how those who appeared to be working on setting the place up have been sitting at rest.

"Want to head back to the castle now? You should probably take a rest for the time being. If your head is always in the clouds like that you might get kidnapped for the third time. To think you got kidnapped twice already— my dear dear Riselle." Adria was shaking her head.

"Well was I to expect I would get kidnapped by that damned mage himself? And yeah, it'd be great if I could go catch some sleep now."