Chapter 3 – Enchanting Music
Liam was walking to his meeting place with Ann one day. He enjoyed his meetings with her. She would show him her drawings while he showed her his sword skills.
Before he saw the tree, he heard a beautiful melody that was soft and sweet. He got closer and saw Ann playing a wooden flute. The music that came out of it was pure and clear and full of passion. Her face was gentle and peaceful. Liam noticed unconsciously that she looked beautiful right then. She was wearing a red cloak over her servant garb, which stood out sharply from the grey bark and the green grass of late summer. Her dark hair was loose and strands waved around her face. There was that mysterious and delicate beauty about her, totally opposite of Briana.
Liam was mesmerized in her music. He stepped forward and sat down slowly as not to disturb her playing.
He had been sitting there for at least ten minutes before Ann noticed him and stopped playing.
"Hi! Sorry I didn't notice you."
"Oh, don't worry," there was a pause, "Keep playing. You play perfectly!"
"Thanks."
"Where did you learn to play like that?"
Ann looked down at the wooden instrument she was holding. "Oh just here and there."
"You mean you taught yourself?"
"Sort of."
"Can I see it?" Ann handed him the flute and he held it delicately. "Where did you get this?" Liam almost asked how she got the instrument. After all, those things were expensive, and she was a servant. He regarded the flute carefully. It was light wooden colour and from the texture it seemed to be made of cedar. The wood was polished smooth until it shone. Holes were cut into it evenly and delicately. At one end was a delicate carving of a rose.
"I got it as a present," Ann answered.
Liam handed back her flute, "Would you play for me?"
"Sure," Ann replied and launched into another song.
Liam was so enchanted by the music that he did not see two figures until they were right in front of him. Ann stopped playing and gazed at the man and woman before them.
"Bravo!" the man clapped.
Liam looked up and found himself staring at his parents. He stood up and Ann followed.
"Ann, this is my mother and father," he gestured, "And Mother, Father, this is Ann."
The girl curtsied and mumbled, "Good day Your Majesties." Liam was surprised that she was so shy around his parents yet she didn't care and was rude about him being a prince. Must be the heat of the moment.
"Hello there," Queen Aireia regarded the girl's uniform. "I haven't seen you around before."
"That's because I'm new," answered Ann.
"Welcome to the castle then. Say, would you like to play for us tonight during the evening entertainments?" asked the queen.
"I'm not sure. I'd never played in front of an audience before. But I can try if you really want me to," Ann added.
"We'd love to hear you play," said King Robin, "If that's all right with you that is." Ann nodded.
"Wow, did you draw this?" exclaimed Aireia as she picked up Ann's pile of drawings. She proceeded to look through them when she gained approval.
In the end, Ann agreed to play for the evening and show her drawings to the nobles.
~*~
Nobody spoke in the Dining Hall. The only sound was the pure and sweet melody that rang from Ann's flute. Everyone, even Briana was quiet as they were enchanted by the sweet music.
When the last note faded, the listeners burst into enthusiastic applause as Ann glowed. Then the king presented Ann's artwork, which received many more compliments.
Ann was talking shyly to some of the admirers – even including some of Liam's group of friends. She did not notice the cold glare from Briana, but Liam did. Briana was vengeful as she was pretty, and she hated it when she wasn't the centre of attention. That was why Liam couldn't stand up to her, because he didn't want to suffer her vengeance. The glare she gave Ann sent a chill down Liam's back.
~*~
thank you for all the reviews!!!
Olenochka - thank you for pointing that out to me, i'll try to tone it down a bit. you were right about her not being a servant all her life though. the reason Ann talks back to her is because she had been through a lot of stuff in her life and she won't let anyone push her around.
steph - i will give more history to Ann, but not for a while. as for being rude to the prince, he kinda deserved it.
Liam was walking to his meeting place with Ann one day. He enjoyed his meetings with her. She would show him her drawings while he showed her his sword skills.
Before he saw the tree, he heard a beautiful melody that was soft and sweet. He got closer and saw Ann playing a wooden flute. The music that came out of it was pure and clear and full of passion. Her face was gentle and peaceful. Liam noticed unconsciously that she looked beautiful right then. She was wearing a red cloak over her servant garb, which stood out sharply from the grey bark and the green grass of late summer. Her dark hair was loose and strands waved around her face. There was that mysterious and delicate beauty about her, totally opposite of Briana.
Liam was mesmerized in her music. He stepped forward and sat down slowly as not to disturb her playing.
He had been sitting there for at least ten minutes before Ann noticed him and stopped playing.
"Hi! Sorry I didn't notice you."
"Oh, don't worry," there was a pause, "Keep playing. You play perfectly!"
"Thanks."
"Where did you learn to play like that?"
Ann looked down at the wooden instrument she was holding. "Oh just here and there."
"You mean you taught yourself?"
"Sort of."
"Can I see it?" Ann handed him the flute and he held it delicately. "Where did you get this?" Liam almost asked how she got the instrument. After all, those things were expensive, and she was a servant. He regarded the flute carefully. It was light wooden colour and from the texture it seemed to be made of cedar. The wood was polished smooth until it shone. Holes were cut into it evenly and delicately. At one end was a delicate carving of a rose.
"I got it as a present," Ann answered.
Liam handed back her flute, "Would you play for me?"
"Sure," Ann replied and launched into another song.
Liam was so enchanted by the music that he did not see two figures until they were right in front of him. Ann stopped playing and gazed at the man and woman before them.
"Bravo!" the man clapped.
Liam looked up and found himself staring at his parents. He stood up and Ann followed.
"Ann, this is my mother and father," he gestured, "And Mother, Father, this is Ann."
The girl curtsied and mumbled, "Good day Your Majesties." Liam was surprised that she was so shy around his parents yet she didn't care and was rude about him being a prince. Must be the heat of the moment.
"Hello there," Queen Aireia regarded the girl's uniform. "I haven't seen you around before."
"That's because I'm new," answered Ann.
"Welcome to the castle then. Say, would you like to play for us tonight during the evening entertainments?" asked the queen.
"I'm not sure. I'd never played in front of an audience before. But I can try if you really want me to," Ann added.
"We'd love to hear you play," said King Robin, "If that's all right with you that is." Ann nodded.
"Wow, did you draw this?" exclaimed Aireia as she picked up Ann's pile of drawings. She proceeded to look through them when she gained approval.
In the end, Ann agreed to play for the evening and show her drawings to the nobles.
~*~
Nobody spoke in the Dining Hall. The only sound was the pure and sweet melody that rang from Ann's flute. Everyone, even Briana was quiet as they were enchanted by the sweet music.
When the last note faded, the listeners burst into enthusiastic applause as Ann glowed. Then the king presented Ann's artwork, which received many more compliments.
Ann was talking shyly to some of the admirers – even including some of Liam's group of friends. She did not notice the cold glare from Briana, but Liam did. Briana was vengeful as she was pretty, and she hated it when she wasn't the centre of attention. That was why Liam couldn't stand up to her, because he didn't want to suffer her vengeance. The glare she gave Ann sent a chill down Liam's back.
~*~
thank you for all the reviews!!!
Olenochka - thank you for pointing that out to me, i'll try to tone it down a bit. you were right about her not being a servant all her life though. the reason Ann talks back to her is because she had been through a lot of stuff in her life and she won't let anyone push her around.
steph - i will give more history to Ann, but not for a while. as for being rude to the prince, he kinda deserved it.
