Sonata of the Nightingale
I heard him play every evening. The sounds would resonate in me, and I'd cherish them and take them with me when I went to sleep. I would listen to them until the notes would become no more than words to me.
'Sonata of the Nightingale' a story of a widow in love with another man and loathes herself because of that. It's a love story that reminds me of myself.
Here, in Archadia, where I was staying for one of the many 'councils to come', I heard him playing every day, every evening. I tried to forget about it, no affection is returned from confusion. That's what I thought it was, just a bewilderment . I thought it would leave my heart sooner or later. It did not. I kept feeling my heart racing for Basch, playing the sonata.
When he'd start I'd always feel guilty, because I was happy. Maybe it was the song, maybe it was the piano, but I didn't want it to be Basch, though it was him. I knew.
One day, he stopped.
I did not know why, but the question, I could feel it burn. As to why he stopped.
Did he know I was listening?
That evening I let go of common sense, I followed my heart, and I ran to the chamber the songs used to echo from. When I opened the door I did not dare speak, for I saw him, sitting in front of the grand piano which he played so passionately, and which I begged him never to stop.
"Your Highness…" he said, looking at me with those kind eyes.
"Why did you stop?" I whispered as I slowly approached him, heart thumping like a fool, perhaps, a fool for love.
This, gave him the chance to look at me, a bit bewildered as he quickly faced the piano. "I did not know, you were listening, my lady. I will play if that is what you wish."
Condemn him for his loyalty. I did not want him to play for me because I had commanded him to do so, he has to play for me, like it is a secret. "Why do you play Sonata of the Nightingale?" I asked.
I noticed my voice a bit loud because I was cross about the way Basch was. He would do anything to please, not knowing that that was disturbing to me.
"I play it for it is…a beautiful story, a love story." He said still not looking me in the eye.
Saying that, it hit me, it hit the very nerve of me. Telling me while in knowledge of my past, that it is a beautiful story.
"A widow" I started, with a trembling voice "who is in love with another man, is that the beautiful love you speak of?" it all went past me that that evening a tear crept past my cheek as I continued.
"This tale which you speak of is no less than a tragedy, for neither man or woman is reunited with the gift called love."
With that said, I looked at Basch who hadn't turned or looked at me from the minute I asked him why he refrained from playing.
As he turned around I saw him looking at me, not with grief or pity. He looked at me with a small smile as he started to speak.
"Ashe…." He started to my surprise and maybe to his own as well.
"They must have never told you the proper ending of the tale. The mere reason why it is the Sonata of the Nightingale." He stood up and walked towards me. "The woman flees to no other than her husband's grave where she begs for forgiveness. She stays there for a day until, in the evening, she hears a nightingale sing. She listens to the notes it sings, until they become words. She hears her husband, not begging her to join him. He pleads to let him go, so that she is to move on, until they meet again, in the next life." Basch gently wiped away the tear that was resting on my cheek as he continued to speak. " And when she opens her eyes she finds her love, that had been looking for her the minute he awoke from his sleep and she was not by his side. Awakened, by the song of the Nightingale."
I had looked at him when I saw him as a traitor. I had looked at him when I saw him leave.
But when he slowly moved his face closer to mine and felt I his lips, I closed my eyes.
And I listened to the nightingale.
I see that I keep changing, not the story, but my comments under it.
As for starting to say, REVIEW PEOPLE YOU MUST REVIEW. I guess a better thng to say, especially with this story in mind is: I hope you enjoyed this story.
Especially regarding to romance, I guess your heartbeat has to go faster, like that of the characters in the story. I hope I did that.
Saying that I don't think I'd have to change this comment ever again.
...I'm not planning to do so.