The people of Dakari traditionally celebrated the new year by watching the last sunset of the year and the first sunrise of the next. Each district of San Asari had their own traditions on how to celebrate—for the entire night, for example, there was a promise of music from the center gazebo, and the shopping district had stalls selling items from other cultures or treats to help people stay awake.

Adelinde hadn’t gone to one of the festivals since Aurik died, unsurprisingly. Most of San Asari’s population—as well as a couple dozen people who lived just outside of it—attended, filling the streets. Even now, everyone was a bit too close for her to be completely comfortable in the crowd.

She didn’t leave the palace until noon, taking Matteo with her. The toddler marveled at the somewhat-melting snow pushed off to the edges of the streets, having stayed inside for a good portion of the season due to the weather. If she hadn’t made him hold her hand, she fully expected him to have run off to play a bit.

There were instruments periodically placed on every street for the occasion, with a few people playing on the ones outside frequently-visited spots. Adelinde chose to get lunch at one of the restaurants in the shopping district as an attempt to put off the inevitable; she listened to the conversation around her when her own thoughts strayed to a place she would rather avoid.

When both of them finished eating, she guided Matteo towards the music district. Only a part of her was surprised when she noticed Rene was already there, albeit among the members of her adopted family; it took her a few seconds to recognize it was even Rene. She wore fancier clothes than she had for the arts festival—considering she almost looked trapped, Adelinde guessed it wasn’t by choice.

After a second, the part of her that wasn’t surprised—that was scared—tried to subconsciously move back again. The only thing thwarting the attempt was the just-clear-enough crowd allowing Matteo to see Rene, and his following call to get her attention.

Rene went from seeming uncomfortable to alert, first looking at Matteo. When her gaze met Adelinde’s, the latter tensed.

True to her promise, Rene didn’t move towards her. Adelinde took what she intended to be a steadying breath before approaching her and the Dazuz family, nodding a greeting to each one. The daughter and son gave a curtsy and bow respectively, while Lady Dazuz returned the nod and Lord Dazuz offered his hand.

It took a lot of effort for her to shake it without showing any signs of her own anxieties that only now chose to make a reappearance. She couldn’t tell if it was the man himself or her ultimate answer to Rene’s earlier confession.

“Good afternoon,” Adelinde said.

Noticing his mother’s greeting, Matteo offered a little wave and mimicked her with much more enthusiasm than she could even hope to muster. “Good noon!”

Rene smiled a bit at Matteo, which the toddler took pride in. Adelinde managed her own little smile as Matteo turned towards her and babbled about the event. She looked at Rene.

“Could you watch him for an hour or two?” Adelinde asked.

Rene seemed to start a protest, but Matteo looked back at her and cut her off. “Reny play!” He turned towards Adelinde. “Please?”

“Ask Rene,” Adelinde said gently.

Confidently and obediently, Matteo’s attention returned to Rene.

“Reny play please?”

Rene’s response was to look up at Adelinde and ask for silent permission. Adelinde just nodded, then Rene looked at Matteo.

“I can play with you,” Rene confirmed.

Matteo cheered, and as soon as Adelinde let go of his hand he ran over to hug Rene. She slightly patted his head, earning a giggle from the toddler.

“I’ll just be on the piano,” Adelinde told Rene, gesturing to the gazebo behind her. “If he gets too rowdy or you have to go, just walk him there and I’ll take over again.”

“All right,” Rene replied, nodding.

Adelinde murmured some thanks, then left to join the other musicians playing at the gazebo. She took her usual spot on one of the pianos, and around her the melody changed—although uniform before and not quite as scattered as it was on a normal day, it became one of the more traditional songs to be played at the end of the year. She assumed it was as much a change due to her addition and coincidence that the previous song had ended.

She kept an eye on Rene and Matteo as she played, looking up fairly often to make sure they were still in the general area. Rene seemed cautious to keep Matteo in sight—while the rest of the Dazuz family left for some other area of the festival, she simply took a spot on one of the benches and entertained his playful whims. Some kind of hesitance on Rene’s part faded into ease and genuine enjoyment. Matteo seemed to be having fun as well; he only played with one or two other people so genuinely and without getting bored.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

That made up her mind. She continued playing for a little longer, then stopped and went back to Rene and Matteo. The toddler barely noticed her, although he did look up when Rene did.

“There’s plenty of time before sunset,” Adelinde said to Rene. “I need to bring Matteo back inside. Do you want to come with us?”

“To the palace?” Rene asked, almost confused.

Adelinde just nodded, and Matteo cheered.

“Keep play!”

Adelinde and Rene both laughed, and the latter looked at Adelinde.

“As long as you don’t mind,” Rene said kindly.

“It’s better than continuing our last conversation out here,” Adelinde reasoned.

Rene’s expression shifted back to a kind of realization or remembrance, then briefly turned a bit guilty before she finally just smiled and nodded.

“Lead the way, then.”

Adelinde agreed, taking Matteo’s hand again so he didn’t wander as the crowd slowly gained more people. The main streets were filling up, but the ones that only led to the conservatory or palace were almost completely empty. Adelinde let Matteo wander around slightly when they were just outside the palace gates, then called his name to get his attention once they entered the palace itself.

He obediently stopped walking around and looked back at her.

“Go ahead to your room and take off your coat,” Adelinde said gently. “If you need help, Mark should be in his office.”

“Okay Mama!”

Matteo ran off as soon as he agreed to the instruction, then Adelinde gestured for Rene to follow her. She led them to the kitchen, devoid of any people; Adelinde planned to have dinner in town, so they weren’t needed. Adelinde took off her coat and draped it over one chair near a table and gestured to the other, looking at Rene.

“You can have a seat,” she offered. Rene nodded and took the empty seat, taking off her coat as well. “Would you prefer hot chocolate or tea?”

“Hot chocolate,” Rene replied. She prepared to stand up again. “Do you want help making it?”

Adelinde shook her head. “Even if this is a palace, you’re still a guest. All you need to do is listen while I try to put my thoughts in order.”

Rene hesitantly murmured some agreement, then settled back into the chair. Adelinde went on to make the hot chocolate, starting by taking out one of the teapots and putting some water in it. She took a little breath, then began the few lines that she had managed to think of since their last meeting.

“…I can’t say, in hindsight, that Aurik ever came off as someone who could stay committed to one place or person.” With the teapot as full as she needed it, she closed the lid and moved on to the stove. She lit it, then sat the teapot over the flame for the water to boil. “Even when given the chance to stay in San Asari, he traveled—and he was fascinated with fairytales and legends. His favorite was of a new nation, created for people who lost their home—something meant to encourage children when they went through hard times.”

Adelinde walked to one side of the kitchen to get the cocoa powder, then went to the other side to get a spoon. She sat them both next to the stove and glanced back at Rene for a second, who patiently waited and listened.

“I’m not sure if it was his upbringing or if someone encouraged it, but he took those stories as fact,” Adelinde continued. “Of course, he didn’t tell me that until the trial in front of a dozen other people. He fully expected me to forgive him, but to this day I…don’t understand. Nothing can justify trying to hurt your love, especially when your methods can end two lives.”

She opened the top of the teapot to check that the water was boiling; after confirming it, she put about one and a half spoonfuls of cocoa powder in, then stirred. She tapped the spoon on the edge of the top, then put it back on the counter and covered the teapot again.

“He told me—before, during, and after the trial—that it was justified, without ever saying more than he ‘needed to travel.’ The trial almost ended with the court assuming he went mad, but he consistently argued for his own sanity. He thought I would be happier somewhere else; he claimed that something I never wanted would be in my benefit. No one believed him.”

Adelinde stirred the hot chocolate again before moving it to another burner and putting out the flame, then went to get a tray and two cups. She hesitated when retrieving the latter and sighed.

Quietly, she admitted, “Honestly, I don’t actually know why I trusted him—I can’t tell if I always feared he would pursue some…greater ambition, or if I’m trying to convince myself of something that wasn’t there. I genuinely loved him, but that’s all I can say for sure at this point.”

She sat the cups on the tray and slid it to the stove. After she added the teapot, she carried the tray to the table and sat it down. Rene still looked at her with patience, mixed with something like sympathy.

Adelinde took a little breath. Most of the hard part was over.

“All that to say,” she went on, “That I could always tell Aurik’s priorities. His vision of living in extravagance came first; I, as his partner, came as a close second, but my own hopes for the future were put third. He would have given me anything and everything he could, so long as it didn’t interfere with trying to create something that will never exist.”

She hesitated a second make sure she could conclude honestly. Rene still waited—whether it be acceptance or rejection.

”I honestly can’t picture you hurting me or Matteo,” Adelinde said firmly. Rene seemed a bit relieved, maybe honored. “And I’m still…scared, to some extent, because that first love haunts me—but I also don’t want to ignore this”—she gestured between them slightly—“and pretend that I don’t feel anything.”

“So..?” Rene prompted, hesitant but gentle.

“I’m willing to try some kind of relationship,” Adelinde decided. “I just can’t promise that what happened the other day in the conservatory won’t happen again.”

“I won’t push you,” Rene promised. She stood up and took a step forward, then moved back again to maintain the distance. Instead, she smiled with a loving look Adelinde missed. “Just…thank you. I’ll do my best not to let you down.”