The Ballad of Romance

The First Song

The town was bustling with people going to and fro with chores and shopping. Noise was everywhere but the most noticeable came from two windows across a road from each other. One was the steady rhythmic strumming of a Mandolino and the other was the soft whistle of a wooden Flauto.

The Mandolinist stopped for a moment, readjusting a string before continuing her duet with the Flauto across the road from her. The Flauto changed tune to match the steady strumming of the Mandolino once again.

"Tess!" called a woman from another room in the house. "Did you get the apples from the Mitchell's like I asked?"

The Mandolinist, now known as Tess, stopped strumming, throwing it behind her back on its leather strap. "No, Mamma. You didn't ask me. You told Carlo to get the apples. I got the sugar and cinnamon."

"Oh sorry. Has he come back yet?"

"No, Mamma. Did you want me to get them instead?" Tess asked, pulling on her boots.

"Sì please. Tell him he's not getting any apple pie if he keeps this up."

Tess ran out the door, careful not to hit her Mandolino on the door frame. She crossed the road, dodging around a horse and cart to get to the house across the road. Tess walked around to the side window and leant on its frame, looking into a bedroom.

"Ciao, Tyler. You coming?" Tess smiled.

The guy in the room fell backward with a yelp, throwing his Flauto in the air. It smacked in the face to which he promptly yelled again.

"Tess..." Tyler groaned. "You're supposed to knock on the door. What if I was naked?. And it's Richard today." Tyler stood up, dusting himself off.

"First. We used to bathe together as kids so nothing new there. Second, do you wanna go down main or not, Richard?" teased Tess.

"Dang yo! You shoulda told me that first. Give me a minute." Tyler closed his window with a sharp glare at Tess, shutting his curtains with a smug look.

Tess sat on the step of the front door waiting. She heard multiple doors open and close and a loud thump. That was probably Tyler tripping over a shirt on the ground. Moments later, the front door was opened by Tyler. He held his Flauto in his left hand, never leaving the house without it.

"Ready to attract a crowd?" asked Tyler, placing an arm around Tess's shoulder.

Tess shrugged the arm off with a glare. "Watch the Mandolino you buffoon! It costs more than you!"

Tyler sighed. "We made it together... from scratch. It cost us almost nothing, Tessie." Tess just narrowed her eyes and continued walking.

Music flowed from the fountain of the town centre. Two teenagers, sitting next to each other, complimenting the other's sound. Small children sat in front of them staring in awe at the duet. Tess stood up, dancing around in a little circle around the children, plucking her Mandolino to a poppy beat. The children laughed and clapped their hands. Adults watched from afar, smiling.

All too quickly did the two finish their magical music. A child or two thanked them. A few copper coins clattered at their feet from a handful of parents thanking them for watching over their children.

"Ty, What are those badges for? Did you win a battle?" A little boy pointed to the round badge pinned to his leather jerkin.

"First. It's a Monday so it's a Richard day today. Second. No idea little guy. It looks nice I guess. I have a matching one at home."

Tess turned to look at Tyler. "He still hasn't given me the pin yet."

Tyler sighed. "Only when the time's right, Miss Therese." Tess glared daggers at him and whacked him playfully on the arm.