Torre Proibita

Meeting in the Market

As the two of them rode into the village, Aria smiled as Elio looked around at the houses and shops they passed, and she looked for a good grocery market in the area before stopping when she found one. After finding a spot to park her horse, she helped Elio dismount before they walked into the nearby grocery store, which she could see was run by what looked to be a middle-aged couple. After being greeted by the couple, Aria was explaining how she was getting food for herself and Elio when the woman's eyes widened at the sight of him. Once the couple had a hushed conversation, they found Aria and Elio in the produce section of their store before the woman approached them. 

"Sorry to bother you, Miss, but... what is your friend's name again?"

After confirming Elio's name, the woman signaled for them to follow her behind the front counter, which they did before seeing a family picture. The photo contained a mother and father with a very small baby, and the woman explained how they had named their son Elio a week before he was taken away by an evil wizard. When Elio heard that he shared a name with the little baby, he looked at the couple in confusion before he realized that Cassio never told him how he was brought to the cottage or the tower, and he gasped before hugging the couple while starting to cry.

"Mom! Dad! I... I never thought I'd actually see you!"

Elio cried with joy as he was reunited with his parents, and Aria stood back with a smile that showed both amusement and pride, not wanting to interfere with their moment. When the hugs and tears were over, Elio's mother introduced herself to Aria as Catherine while the man said that his name was Enrico, and they asked Aria how she found their son before she gave them a brief description of everything that happened. While Elio beamed with pride, Enrico approached Aria before putting out his hand for her to shake.

"Well, Miss, you have our many thanks for getting our son back home. Now, tell me... what is your name?"

"Aria... Well, my real name is Ariana Marenghi, but..."

A resounding gasp immediately filled the grocery store at what Aria just said, and while she looked around in confusion, Elio approached her before holding her hands gently to comfort her. When Catherine asked if her family were traveling performers, Aria nodded before explaining what caused her to run away, which is when Enrico pointed to a sign that was on a bulletin board by the door: starting the following day, the Marenghi family was coming to town for a few performances, and this would be a chance for Aria to reunite with her parents. It was at that moment that she heard what sounded like a familiar voice coming from outside.

"Wait... that horse looks a lot like Canio, right down to the saddlebag!"

The next thing anyone knew, the door opened to reveal another middle-aged couple, but one that Aria could see looked tired and worn from performing. As soon as the door closed behind them, the woman made immediate eye contact with Aria before both of their eyes widened. With no words exchanged, Aria rushed into the welcoming arms of her mother Nedda for the first time in many months, and they were soon embraced by her father Adriano. After a tearful hug that lasted quite a while, everyone broke away before Adriano asked Aria where she had run off to, and she explained everything to them. When she mentioned Elio, he stepped closer to her and squeezed her hand, causing her parents to smile happily at the sweet young man their daughter had met.