♪ Tragically Sweet Memories ♪

Today was a rather beautiful day for a ball. A slight breeze was blowing through the trees, and birds were chirping happily at the warm sun. Rin was not as pleased as she looked down at the large gown that she was wearing. "Lily. Are you sure that I have to wear this ridiculous outfit?" Rin asked, pulling at the dress in a distasteful fashion. Her bunny-cat friend flew up to her shoulder, giving her a confident smile. "Yes, dear. If you want to be thought of as a noblewoman, you must dress like one." she said, nuzzling her cheek against Rin's in an affectionate manner. Rin pouted at her companion, a bit frustrated. "But I look ridiculous in this! What if people laugh at me?" she grumbled, crossing her arms. "Oh, stop it! You look fine! Now let's get in there! You don't want to be late!" Lily demanded, flying towards the entrance to the ballroom where the ball was being held. Rin sighed deeply, and followed her furry friend through the door.

As soon as she walked in, Rin was overwhelmed with many smells and sounds. The delicious smell of food lingered around the entire room, reaching her nostrils. "Mmm..." she indulged in the smell, closing her eyes to take it all in. The sound of a beautiful violin is probably what intrigued her the most out of everything, though. She knew that she was here to find the nobleman that needed her help, but she couldn't help but find the source of that heart-wrenching tune. She pushed through the crowd with much tenacity until she found a boy, sitting all by himself, his eyes closed as he was mesmerized by the sound of his own music. She approached the boy, sitting in front of him to listen to his song. Everyone else in the room was dancing, chatting, eating, and being merry, but this boy's tune was such a sad one that it shook Rin to her very core. A small tear left her eye as she listened on. This seemed all too familiar to her, but she could not place when or where she had heard this before.

Almost as quickly as it started, the music had ended.
Rin wiped the tears away from her brown eyes and clapped with vigor. The boy opened his eyes quickly and looked at her, obviously surprised to see her there. "Bravo!" Rin cheered, smiling at him with admiration. The boy's face turned from a look of surprise, to a look for anger. He got up from his spot and walked towards Rin. "And who might you be? What are you doing here?"
he growled, looking Rin up and down with disgust. Rin quickly got up from her seat and curtsied to the boy. "I-I am Lady Rin Mayou. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." she cooed. "And who might you be, if you don't mind me asking?" The boy continued to scowl at her as he replied, "My name is Sir James Rowan." Rin blushed furiously at this revelation. This was the boy that she was here to assist!

Rin curtsied again, not knowing how to recover from this situation. "I... I am your date for this evening Sir Rowan. I hope that we will get along well!"
she said enthusiastically. The boy scoffed at her. "I don't need a girl like you to be my date.
In fact, I don't need a date at all! I wish my stupid father hadn't put you up to this." he said,
seeming almost sad, as he began to walk away. "W-wait!" Rin called after him, trying her best to keep up with his fast pace. "I-I really liked your music! How did you learn how to play like that?" Rin asked, attempting to engage him in conversation. She really, genuinely wanted to know more about this boy and the way he played his instrument. The boy stopped and turned around, seeming as if this question had piqued his interest. A bittersweet smile spread across his face. "Well... Since you came all the way here just to be my date, I guess the least I could do is answer your question." he said, grabbing Rin's wrist and pulling her in the opposite direction, towards a large doorway. "W-Where are we going!?" Rin asked, surprised by the nobleman's sudden change in attitude. "You'll see."

This place was a lot bigger than Rin had originally thought. The hallways that she was being lead through never seemed to end. It was like being trapped in an endless labyrinth. "Here. We've made it." Sir Rowan looked back at Rin before pushing a set of double doors open. What she saw inside was absolutely beautiful. There were instruments all around the room. They all seemed to be polished very often, seeing as they gleamed in the sunlight that shone in through the windows. Rin was completely awe-struck.
"W-wow..." she managed to say. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" the boy said, looking around the room just as fondly as Rin was. "This used to me my mother's music room. She's the one who taught me how to play. All of these instruments were hers." he said, smiling as he thought about his mother. "I used to love listening to her play... The song I was playing today was her favorite." Rin smiled back at him, seeing the love in his eyes made her feel warm inside.

"You know, Sir Rowen. I wish that you would show this side of you to everyone else. The way you talk about your mom is so special. You can see how kind you actually are." Rin cooed, approaching the nobleman and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Your mother just wants to see you happy. If she were here, I know that that is what she would want for you." She smiled sweetly at him, feeling some sort of similarities between the two of them. The boy smiled back down at her, putting a hand on top of hers. "Thank you, Rin. I think I really needed to hear that. I just miss her so much... It hurts so badly." The boy began to choke up a bit as he spoke, tears forming in his brown eyes. Rin leaned in and pulled him into a heartfelt embrace. Her heart ached for this poor boy. "You have to be strong. I know it hurts, but you have to be strong not only for your sake, but for others' sake as well." Rin whispered, trying her best to make the boy feel at ease. She pulled away from him and gave him a smile. "Promise me that you will be strong?" she asked. The boy nodded in response, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Now. Would you mind playing another song? You looked so at peace while you were playing. It was mesmerizing." Rin asked. "Y-yes. I would love to." the boy responded, picking up one of his mother's instruments and beginning to play. The two of them sat together in that music room for hours, talking and playing music, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded ballroom. Once it had started to get dark outside, Rin had to leave, but not before giving the boy one last hug, and promising to see him again soon.