The Family

The Sweet Song...

"Wait what! Please could you repeat yourself!" Nicolas shrieked in disbelief.

I stood in the corner of the room as Nicolas and his father spoke to each other.

"For the third time, your sister Seraphina, read about what happened in the news and now she is concerned. So she will be visiting the country." His father sighed.

"And...when will she arrive?" Nicolas pondered.

"Tomorrow evening." His father said flatly.

I silently listened as I stood watch for any suspicious activity. They had chosen to go to a small restaurant to discuss this whole situation over. I stood next to Nicolas and scanned through the crowd.

"And your sure she wasn't just joking around. You know how she is." Nicolas warned.

His father simply shook as head as the food arrived. They began eating in silence as none of them had anything  more to discuss.

His father had finished his food relatively quickly and waved his son goodbye as he left with his own bodyguards.

Nicolas beckoned me to come sit down but I simply shook my head. He tried again but I scowled in response.

"Please?" He begged.

"No. I'm supposed to be on watch!" I snapped.

"Oh please! I'd hate to have to make a scene!" He smiled mischievously.

"What do you mea-" but before I could finish, Nicolas was on his knees with a mischievous grin playing on his lips as he physically begged.

"Oh please Valentine. You would make me the happiest man in the world." He begged.

His begging had caught the attention of nearby tables and I rolled my eyes at the theatrics. I heard girls giggling and whispering as a terrifying realization dawned on me. It looked like he was proposing.

I ungracefully sat down in the seat as he smiled in victory.

"That really wasn't necessary, you know." I grumbled.

He simply smiled blissfully. After that wild fiasco, Nicolas asked if I could drive him to a park.

I drove to the nearest park I know and relished at the cheerful mood and the sight of people unpacking for the summer fest. I had only ever attended one of these festivals. My mother brought me once.

"What are they preparing for?" Nicolas asked.

I forgot he wasn't from this country sometimes.

"It's the annual summer fest. They hold festivals for each of the seasons. Spring fest, Summer fest, Winter fest and Autumn fest." I explained.

"And which one is your favorite?" He asked curiously.

"Ever heard of the saying 'curiosity killed the cat'." I grumbled.

"Autumn fest." I muttered quietly. I wasn't sure if he heard me or not but I didn't care.

I remembered the pumpkin pie and hot chocolate. The sweet scent of cinnamon hanging in the air as we took part in the apple bobbing contests and haunted houses.

We walked in a comfortable silence as the breeze swept through us.

After a while, Nicolas asked if I could take him home.

Once we were at the mansion, he said he was tired and would take a nap. For the time being he said I could do whatever I wanted.

I knew it wasn't my place but I couldn't help but explore the mansion a bit.

I walked down the long, narrow hallways and explored each room.

I first stopped at a large library and curiously strolled in. I inspected some of the books to maybe find something interesting to read. To my dismay, most of the books were written in French.

I shrugged it off and walked out the room.

The next room was the kitchen and I had no interest in stopping there. So I carried on.

I did this for a while, stopping and trying to find something to pass the time until I came to a room that finally spiked my interest.

A music room.

The room, unlike the rest of the house, had polished wooden tiles for the floor and the walls were painted a beige colour. Inside, it had a baby grand piano dominating the center. There were also chelos and flutes and last but certainly not least. Violins.

I hesitated, knowing that these didn't belong to me and I had no right to be in the room in the first place but...I couldn't resist.

I felt the wooden touch and the grooves that shaped the instrument. It looked like it hadn't been used at all.

"Just one song." I said to myself.

I began. The notes started off soft, as they fused together to form a sweet melody but as the song progressed in became louder and sharp as I played to my hearts content. I became one with the instrument. I closed my eyes and let my body take the wheel. My brain shut down and I was left with the beautiful melody.

However, playing this song brought back memories that I'd rather forget. This song was her favorite...

I lost track of time and by the time I was done, my arms were tired.

A soft smile spread across my face as I put the instrument back where I found it and turned to leave. I was smiling happily until a familiar face was standing in the doorway.

"Hey....Nicolas." I awkwardly greeted.

He gave me a wide grin.

"You're amazing!" He exclaimed.

"I didn't know you could play so well!" He exclaimed once again.

I shrugged. He bombarded me with questions.

"Who taught?"
"When did you start?"
"Can you play other instruments?"
"Do other people know of your talent?"

They all came in a blur and I simply sighed and shook my head.

"But I do recognize that song you were playing and... I know something else as well.." he trailed off with a wide grin on his face.

"What?" I asked curiously.

He made his way to the baby grand piano and sat down elegantly.

"That particular song sounds magnificent with piano and violin together." He said as he beckoned me to come play.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his antics and made my way to the violin once again.