Proserpina

Chapter 2

The sun was clawing the sky with its last attempts at living before its sister took over. The rooms were beginning to lose their warmth and the stone floors began to stop vibrating with the sun's rays and remained deathly still.

"Teacher, the day is almost gone and I must hurry home before the light disappears for good," mumbles Proserpina.

She helps Master Robert with the daily organization of the music scrolls and adjusts her braid. Stepping back she crashes into her teacher and he grabs her shoulders to steady her. Her head steers towards the floor as she mumbles an apology.

"Why don't you stay in the guest room tonight? The festival is tomorrow and your immediate presence will facilitate a last practice before your performance." Master Robert's back faces Proserpina as he kindly utters the invitation and finishes storing his violin.

Proserpina lets out a small gasp at the thought and retreats into herself in fear. She thinks about the common matrimonial union that occurs between a Cantare and an apprentice over the course of their development of a relationship.

Her grandmother, Lila, had been urging her to accept Master Robert's invitations to dinner and Saturday strolls in hope of being able to see her wed before leaving for the other world, but Proserpina was much too scared of men and solitary at the heart to even give a thought to such possibilities.

Master Robert must have detected the fear in her eyes and movements because he quickly reassured her of his honest intentions and suggested he ought to accompany her to the cottage she shared with Lila instead.

"I did not mean any harm towards you or any malicious intentions I-" A red blush bloomed up his muscled neck and onto his sculpted cheeks.

Could she be any more awkward? Proserpina thought. Her head gracefully turned towards the window and admired the icy blue light creeping up on the lilies in the pond. Night had arrived in all it's splendor of silver and ice, illuminating all in it's path with a melancholic stream of rays.

Tanya the old house maid and cook walked down the hall and was surprised to see both figures in the dimly lit room.

"Why, Proserpina I thought you were long gone child!" the old maid embraced Proserpina and smiled at the master. "Shall I prepare the guest room sir?" Her eyes pleaded the master and a blush creeped up his elegant and beautiful face once more and he averted his eyes.

Proserpina decided to break the cycle of embarrassment and nodded in response to the master's initial proposition and the smile on his face told the maid what to do.

Tanya bustled out of the room with a newly lit candle in search of bed sheets for the unused room that was about to be enlightened with the presence of a being.

Master Robert turned to leave for his bedchamber but thought better and turned back towards Proserpina and spoke quietly.

"Do not be afraid for tomorrow, you are well trained at hiding your true powers and I know that you will sing more beautiful than any other apprentice to every sing at the festival."

He leans toward Proserpina and he plants a sweet and simple kiss on her forehead. Later that night he is surprised when he remembers that for once Proserpina did not flinch or cower at his contact.