The Crown's Obsession

Music Recommendation: Time Passing II - Mark Isham

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After speaking to Ethan and spending some time hearing him talk about Mr. Ferwell's daughter, Lucy couldn't be any happier knowing he wouldn't live his life alone anymore. It was good to see him move on, and she felt less guilty.

On one of the evenings in the Hawthrone castle, Lucy took herself to sit in the study room on the above floor, which once used to be hers. She sat there for hours thinking about her life and the people around her. While engrossed in her thoughts, someone knocked on the open door, and she looked up to find her aunt standing at the entrance.

Lucy stood up from the chair where she had been sitting, and Aunt Monique waved her hand to sit down.

"What are you doing, sitting here all by yourself. Reminiscing old memories?" questioned her aunt, stepping inside the room and looking at the books that were lined on one side of the wall. Apart from books, there were other things in here like the musical instruments. "I forgot you used to play the cello. Have you played it after you got married to that useless man?"

Compared to her other aunts, who were poise in their words and elegant, Lucy had noticed how Aunt Monique liked to deliver some of her words without any filter. It was one of the many reasons her mother Samara didn't like Lucy staying in the company of her aunt.

"Samuel wasn't fond of cello. He didn't like music and any loud sounds," replied Lucy, and her aunt clicked her tongue in distaste.

"If I knew about this, I would have told he was an awful man. What kind of person doesn't like music?" commented Aunt Monique, making a round in the room before she opened the cover of the piano keys. She sat down on the bench, cracking her fingers.

"Do you know how to play the piano, Aunt Monique?" asked Lucy, surprise in her tone.

"I do, but I am not sure if I remember all of the keys. Let us see," and the older vampires started to play the keys much better than her governess used to play in the past. Lucy sat in her place, placing her chin on the table as she heard the music fill up the room. "Do you know why I didn't marry a man?" questioned her aunt.

"I never found out," replied Lucy.

"It is because my own father was worthless and so was my half-brother. I came to believe it wasn't worth sharing my life with anyone and I wanted to live alone," said Aunt Monique while continuing to play the keys without stopping for even a moment. "But then I came across a human. He wasn't much of a looker, but he was a good person. Even younger to me. Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time with him as he had been killed by a werewolf at the borders."

Lucy lifted her head and said, "I am sorry to hear that. Did you like him?"

"It would be hard to say because of the small amount of time we spent with each other. Sometimes," said Monique, her fingers smoothly moving across the black and white keys, "I wonder if life would be different or if he would have been killed by the then Queen. It isn't often everyone finds the person they get an inkling of wanting to know and spend their time with. Some of us lose it, some stick by."

Hearing these words from her aunt, Lucy looked down at her hands in thought.

"Did you never meet anyone else again you wanted to spend time with?" asked Lucy.

"I did. My dog Brutus," Monique chuckled, and Lucy smiled at her aunt's reply. "People you click with don't come by often. Which is why when you do, you seize the moment."

Her aunt stopped playing the piano and then turned to look at Lucy, meeting her gaze. "Come here, let me teach you the song that I first learned on the piano." Monique moved to the side, giving Lucy the space to sit.

Lucy walked near the bench before taking her seat next to Aunt Monique.

It was fascinating to see how her aunt used her only one hand to play the piano.

Lucy's feelings and thoughts were more sorted now compared to the last few days, as if she was at ease. She could finally see things more clearly, things she hadn't noticed before. She knew her aunt didn't want her to regret anything, and she was thankful for that, for being understanding.

The way Ethan had spoken to her, she felt it was time for her to speak to Theodore.

"I will be going to the town tomorrow. The magistrate has fallen sick and I need to go and get some of the doc.u.ments signed as I will be resigning from the royal court," stated Aunt Monique, showing Lucy where to move the keys as she slowly moved her fingers. "Would you like to come? I could use some company."

Lucy nodded her head, "I would love to accompany you." It wasn't like she had anything else to do in the castle. Ethan had been visiting Ms. Ferwell, and brother Calhoun had been keeping Madeline busy. At this rate, Lucy was sure that they would soon be receiving another good news from the couple, thought Lucy while smiling to herself. It had left Theodore with some more responsibilities in the royal court room.

"Here, you press them both together," taught Aunt Monique, and Lucy pressed her fingers at the same time on both the black and white keys.

Once Lucy had spent enough time with her aunt, she started to head back to her room. But before she reached her room, she turned around and walked away from there, heading in another direction. She finally came to stand in front of Theodore's room.

She cleared her throat before raising her hand and knocking on the door while patiently waiting for it to be opened.

When Theodore finally opened the door, Lucy noticed he hadn't changed his clothes yet even though he wasn't working anymore. But he didn't have his glasses on his face.

Lucy asked, "Are you still planning to go to the village fair?"