Lady Rozemyne nodded as though it were a matter of course. “I would hum melodies of my own creation. Ferdinand would arrange them to be played on the harspiel and give them lyrics,” she explained with a smile. “He did the majority of the work, so the accolades are squarely his.”
In other words, she must have worked with him on the love songs she had already debuted.
“Um, what of the songs you composed with Lord Wilfried...?” I asked.
Lady Rozemyne blinked at me in confusion. “There are none. Not once has he asked to have a new song composed for him. Isn’t that right, Wilfried?”
“Yeah,” he attested. “This is my first time actually needing one.”
“It feels a bit late to sneak you one of mine, so please work closely with your tutor to create your own.”
I had wished to point out how strange it was to compose love songs with a man to whom one was not engaged, but Lady Rozemyne must not have understood me. Had she really not made a single song with Lord Wilfried when they were together?
She composed with her music tutor while Lord Ferdinand was absent, but not with Lord Wilfried? Could it be that, when they were engaged, Lady Rozemyne scorned and belittled him without meaning to?
My heart lurched. Lord Ferdinand and Lady Rozemyne’s engagement born of mutual love was something to celebrate, but I feared that almost no consideration was being shown to the latter’s previous partner.
“The professor appears to be free,” Lady Rozemyne said. “I shall go take my exam.” She then departed with her harspiel in hand, ready to pass yet another subject on the very first day of class. Professor Pauline insisted that she begin with her song to the gods.
As soon as Lady Rozemyne readied her instrument, the other students stopped practicing to focus on her. It was normal for her playing to receive special attention, but this year, she commanded a greater presence than ever before. In her more mature, more stunning form, she could enrapture an audience before she played a single note.
“I am one who offers prayer and gratitude to the gods who have created the world...”
No sooner had Lady Rozemyne started to play than the blue ring on her slender white finger shone with the light of a blessing. Hearing her extol the virtues of the gods made it all too clear how much her voice had changed; her clear yet immature way of speaking had given way to the gentle, high-pitched tones of a woman. Many could only sigh in awe of what they were witnessing.
“I was told you had a hard time adjusting to adult harspiels after your transformation, but that was superb,” Professor Pauline opined when Lady Rozemyne reached the end of her first song. “I shall now hear your original composition.”
“At once,” Lady Rozemyne said. “I devote this next song to the supreme gods.”
She launched into her next piece: a vow to spend eternity with one’s bound partner. The story behind her engagement to Lord Ferdinand had been announced during the Archduke Conference, so every duchy knew it well. Her performance felt like a celebration of their storybook romance and the joy it had brought them both.
“After receiving the protection of the Goddess of Water and the guidance of the God of Fire, Lady Rozemyne must have eagerly awaited the ripening of her rafel,” one female student said.
“At one point, I feared it had fallen into the hands of Forsernte the Goddess of Harvests,” added another. “I hope to one day read about these events in one of Lady Elantura’s books.”
“Absolutely. I cannot wait for this year’s volume.”
The girls were clasping hands over their mouths, whispering among themselves with sparkles in their eyes. I, on the other hand, was struck with a slight sense of unease.
This was one of the songs Lady Rozemyne composed without Lord Ferdinand, was it not? Does that mean it was created when she planned to spend eternity with Lord Wilfried? Or would she have sung it to Lord Sigiswald when her engagement changed? No, I doubt it... She had abandoned everything to rescue Lord Ferdinand.
The divine colors of the supreme gods dancing through the air made it clear that Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand would have a long and prosperous future together. Their dazzling light only emphasized the cruel darkness into which Lord Wilfried had been thrust. I glanced at him, but his eyes were cast down, making it hard for me to gauge his emotional response to the song.
What does Lady Rozemyne think of his current situation? Is there anything I can do to help him and spare him the anguish of any further hardships?
My fists clenched, I gazed up at the light and darkness swirling about her performance. I was overcome with a vague, lasting frustration toward one of my dear friends, and thinking on my own would do nothing to resolve it or the matter at hand. Rather than act on mere assumptions, it would surely be best to ask Lady Rozemyne what she and Ehrenfest intended to do.
“Lady Rozemyne,” I said upon her return, my resolve steeled, “there is something I wish to discuss with you at length. Although this is rather sudden, might I ask for your time this coming Earthday? I shall prepare the tea and such.”
“The day after tomorrow?” Lady Rozemyne asked with a giggle. “Ferdinand will need to approve, but I see no reason for him to oppose us associating. Given the chance, I should also like to introduce you to my new retainers. They really are adorable.”