AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I love that,” said Cynthia. “How I would adore to embark on an infinite adventure. And you’re right. I don’t think a day would ever come when I’d had ‘enough’ and never wished to have another new experience again.”
“Perhaps you might begin with Parmenza,” said Ammalia.
“I would adore that,” Cynthia replied in Italian.
Pleasantly surprised at the smooth pronunciation, Ammalia responded in kind. “You speak Italian?”
“I told you I had tutors once.”
“Italian tutors?”
“Italian, Greek, Latin… I’m fairly certain my father wanted a boy, but when he had me instead, he saw no reason to curb my education.”
“But that’s splendid! Speaking—or at least muddling through—the local language makes travel all the more enjoyable.”
“Then should we switch back to English?”
“Beh. Deuced few of your countrymen speak Italian as well as you. If we continue like this, our secrets cannot be understood by uneducated passers-by attempting to eavesdrop.”
Cynthia’s expression was droll. “Are we going to share many secrets?”
“We can if you’d like. What’s your worst memory?”
“The deaths of my parents,” Cynthia replied without hesitation. “Yours?”
“Any occasion with Zurri in it. Which are, ironically, also some of my favorite memories.” Ammalia wrinkled her nose. “Having a brother is complicated.”
“As is having step-sisters.” Cynthia made a face.
Ammalia laughed. “It’s a good thing we’re not in competition for the most complicated family ties. It’s difficult to say which of us would win.”
“Perhaps it would be a draw.” Cynthia tilted her head. “Then again, you’ve had to live with your brother your entire life, whilst I’ve only had step-sisters for five years.”
“Eh, I was only in the company of your step-family for five minutes, and I’m already tired of them.” Ammalia made a faux shudder. “You might win the obnoxious sibling competition uncontested.”
“I’d rather win… A night with you at the opera.”
Ammalia grinned. She loved how easy it was to talk with Cynthia. They could both just be themselves. “Do you like the opera?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been. But my old voice instructor used to be a famous soprano, and she would sing all her favorite parts for me. That’s the main reason I learnt Italian to begin with. I wanted to understand the words I was trying to sing.”
Ammalia leaned forward with interest. “Do you sing?”
“I try to sing,” Cynthia repeated with a self-deprecating smile. “You’ll notice I am not a famous soprano.”
“Forgive me if I doubt your family would let you join the opera even if you had the best lungs in all of Europe.”
“If I had a talent like that, I wouldn’t wait for permission,” Cynthia said. “I’d run away and never look back.”
“Would you?” Ammalia said in surprise. The sentiment was too close to what she had just been thinking herself. “I suppose joining the opera is better than joining the circus.”
“I wouldn’t assume the opera isn’t a circus of its own,” Cynthia said with a smile. “But I wouldn’t mind either one. Both get paid to travel.”
“A fair point. What other tutors did you have?”
“Dance, watercolor, embroidery.”
“Embroidery! There are specific tutors who specialize in that?”
