Lovers’ Serenade
My captivation with music began when I was ten.
The Salzburg Ballet was invited to perform A Midsummer’s Night Dream in our home, the Mirabell Palace. Almost instantly, I felt drawn into their enchanting dance; one where the serene interplay of music and ballet was enough to cast everlasting wonder in my soul.
Ever since, I spent my time lovingly stroking the piano’s keys and creating my own music. I began seeing the world with curiosity; seeking ways of transforming the mundane into extraordinary music – be it the sound of rain, a walk under autumn trees, or the way lovers shared secret glances.
For my eighteenth birthday, my family hosted the Swan Lake ballet in my honor. I was thrilled to be attending it since it was going to be held in the palace gardens under a canopy of stars.
After the play, I felt a tingling urge to play music. So, I slip behind the hedges where the musicians had left their instruments and I play. A stroke here, a stroke there, and my notes soon transform into rapturous melodies.
I dissolve my sadness in my music for I don’t want to remember that I am obliged to perform my royal duties and forget my follies. My childlike spirit still doesn’t understand why I have to live a pretense life. Why can’t I enchant the world with my music? Will I stop seeing beauty around me? I stop playing, devoid of hope. “That was truly magical,” he said. I recognized him as Fabian, the fabled maestro. My cheeks blushed at his compliment, then I burst into tears.
He seemed to have understood my turmoil and sat next to me, wiping away my tears. “Princess Ella, I faced a challenge similar to yours. I had to choose between merely existing in life or living each day with passion. It wasn’t easy going against societal norms, but when I surrendered to my calling, I never regretted a day. You need to have the courage to bring forth the magical mysteries within you.”
I weigh my choices: I could live a comfortable and glamorous life in exchange for letting go of my passions. Or I could liberate my soul and write the story of my life any way I wished. Dreams inundate my imagination and I smile.
Why not?
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