Strums and Strolls

Song for Someone

As she expected, everybody looked at her as soon as she stepped in. She held her breath, but let it loose once everybody looked away. It seemed her disguise had worked. She made her way through the crowded tavern, nearly choking on the stench of alcohol. She took a seat at the bar and gasped for breath – oddly it seemed the closer to the bar she got, the less smelly the place was.

"What'll it be young lady?" The barkeep asked, "Say, you ain't from around here are ya?"

Momo began to sweat, "I'm... not from around here. I just wished to experience life in the castle city." Momo reprimanded herself internally – to be around commoners, she couldn't use the language she used daily in the castle. "So, whatcha got to eat here?"

"We got loads of stuff, you name it we probably got it." The barkeep didn't make eye contact, instead focusing on the dirty glass in his hand.

Momo took the chance, "I've been to a royal party here, and the food was okay. Give me something I'd never get in the castle, no matter who I was – but no alcohol, I got a long ride home."

Before she could say her own name, a plate of food was launched in front of her. The plate was stained and cracked, but she didn't care. What was on the plate took the most of her attention. A mountain of potatoes seemed to dwarf the steak on her plate, but both seemed mouth-watering to her. In the castle she only got healthy fruits and vegetables, and on the rare occasion she did get meat, it was usually gone before she could get any.

She began to scarf down her food – the potatoes completely new to her – before something else took her attention. Music began to fill the air, but it was like no music she had heard of before. The music in the castle was meticulously written and performed from sheets of cleanly perforated paper – this music was nothing like that.

The guitar she heard sounded like passion incarnate – the music adventurous and awesome, as opposed to the choirs and pianos she dealt with usually. She pushed her plate aside and made her way through the crowd once more, pushing towards the source of the music. She breached the crowd and found herself nearly face-to-face with a girl, had the girl not been looking at the guitar.

Momo immediately realized one thing; the girl had no sheet music! She was playing the song from memory, or perhaps she was making the song up as she went. But Momo could tell that the music came from her very soul. The song ended, and a single silver coin fell into the cracked clay bowl beside her. The girl sighed.

"Excuse me." Momo said, "Where is your sheet music?"

The girl looked startled – as if nobody had ever noticed her before. "I ain't got any. Paper and ink's too expensive, so I improvise."

Momo's face fell – she immediately realized what kind of position this girl was in. "Could I treat you to some food? I enjoyed your music. Anywhere in town, you name it I'll buy it."

The girl's face lit up. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do!"

"Lady you're far too kind. I ain't told you my name yet either – it's Jirou. Kyoka Jirou." The girl swung her guitar behind her back, letting the loose strap it hung on dig into her shoulder. "I can't thank you enough."

"My name is Momo Ya-" Momo froze. "Momo Yandalay. Mandalay for short."

"I get why you go by a nickname, I heard the nobles in the castle are too stuck up to ever come visit us. 'Specially that princess Momo, I ain't seen her once." Momo couldn't tell if Jirou's face was sorrow or spite. "Guess that's why you go by Mandalay and not Momo."

Momo wanted to correct the girl on how wrong she was – she was never allowed outside the castle, but she wanted to so desperately. But she knew deep down that if she revealed herself right now, she'd be whisked away to the castle, or Jirou would never believe her. "Yeah, let's just get some food."

The two left the tavern, and Momo saw that the sun was soon to rise, setting her into a panic. "Oh no! Jirou, I'm sorry, but I really need to go before the sun rises. Here, for the food." Momo thrust a few gold coins into Jirou's hands, enough to give a large family food for a whole day. "I'm truly sorry!"

Jirou was in awe at the gold. "You got this much money to throw around? Why you wearing such ragged clothes then?"

Momo was torn – she wanted desperately to tell this girl the truth, but she couldn't afford to – not here. "I'll tell you tomorrow night. Bring your guitar and play it near the castle, right by the otter dam. Okay?"

Jirou, still nearly speechless, could only utter one word, "Okay."

Momo ran off, finding her dress and habit once more and changing back, then sprinting up the stone stairs to the castle. It was nearly day, and she hadn't slept a wink, but the worst was yet to come. As soon as she bounded above the top of the staircase, she saw her parents, the king and queen, staring at her. They were not happy.

After a firm, strict lecture, Momo was sent to her room. She knew that she wouldn't be let around the castle for a week, let alone have another chance to escape and meet Jirou. Luckily, she had made the plan for that.