his breath. Soon enough, we settled down to eat. A mixture of prepared meats, vegetables, and bread was a delightful change to
some of the lunches we had.
Lord Cole sat quietly, and I was forced to make an idle chit chat with the lord who sat on the left of me. I had already
forgotten his name as my eyes kept drifting back towards Lord Cole while he chatted with another lord.
“Princess Ornella would like to thank each and every one of you for coming here today,” Mother announced and stood from
her seat, smiling warmly at our guests as the room fell silent. “As a thank you, she will play one of her wonderful songs once
dinner has commenced.”
“I will?” I asked, and my mother shot me a look that could stop even the dead ferryman in his tracks. I quickly added, “Yes,
of course. Silly of me to have forgotten, I have just been so caught up in all the wonderful conversations this afternoon.”
Mother sat back down, and we continued with our lunch as desserts of pastries, fresh creamed cakes, and donuts were
placed on the table as the rest of the dishes were cleared.
“I didn’t know you could play.”
Lord Cole leaned in towards me, his dashing smile sending a little blush to my cheeks. He wore a beautiful dark blue suit
with a white ruffled shirt, and his hair tied loosely back.
“You’d be surprised what instruments all of us royals can play.”
“I am quite fond of the trumpet,” said the lord on the other side of me.
“The trumpet? Oh, that noisy thing. What other instruments do you play, your highness?” Lord Cole asked, brushing off the
other lord’s comment.
“The trumpet can be a wonderful instrument, too,” I commented, giving the lord a sweet smile before turning back towards
Lord Cole.
“I don’t want to brag, but I can play a few.” Lowering my eyes, I could feel my mother watching my every move.
“Please do,” exclaimed Lord Cole, “I myself can play the violin.”
“That’s wonderful. But if you insist, I can also play the harp, the violin, and the cello.”
All royal learning commanded that you must learn an instrument from a young age. I took to loving the harp, the violin, and
the piano the most. My governess at the time decided I should learn all three, as she said that I had a great ear for music.
The only reason I learned the cello was simply because my mother hated the noise it made, and at the time I wanted to
irritate her as much as I could. It wasn’t a skill I boasted about anymore. I only ever played when the need was there or I was
demanded to play, like today.
“The harp, the violin, the piano and the cello! My, my, well now, you continue to surprise me, princess,” he said, his voice
sounded more playful this time.