Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 7] Ch. 5 Budding Feelings

Sebas

I returned to the hotel after changing back to Hyde. It took a bit to convince Talisa I was okay. Liz was no help since she kept encouraging Talisa to be clingy. But I just couldn't emotionally process anything with the roller-coaster of emotions I'd been on with Julie today.

I got into the room and it was empty but there was something by a chair near the window. Was that a... guitar? That's not just any guitar either...

Amelia...

I ran my fingers over the familiar name carved into the wood. Had Minerva fixed it or had Cedric?

I gave the designs of the guitar to Boss Tir and she created a branch company to mass produce them. Due to the rumors that I invented them, and their popping up out of nowhere, suddenly they earned the name the Phantom Strings. Until it became popular, it was hard to get away with playing it very well. But in time, most bards claimed to have been personally instructed by me like when I taught the Sudaven knights. That only increased their notoriety out of nowhere since one had to have been taught by the phantom to know how to play which meant secret lessons in the dead of night if someone showed promise.

It was true that I had taught a few bards and it's true that I only ever played at night at empty taverns with the rare bard that had the 'mysterious instrument'. I guess I should have considered that bards were eager to embellish the truth.

Before I could think better of it I sat down and picked up the guitar and strummed the strings which sent a warm tingle through my arm. In the end the only song I could think of to play was the Garudo Valley theme from the legend of Zelda game. It had a loop so I could play it for an extended period of time.

The chords pushed my fatigue away in its Spanish guitar style. And I completely gave myself over to the rhythm.

*

Minerva

I was on my way back to the room from the bath a head of Angela since I just couldn't get Hyde out of my head. Angela pressed me about how I felt about him, but I couldn't wrap my head around it myself. I didn't admire him the way I admired Sebas, but I couldn't escape the uncomfortable feeling I had when he was talking with that girl at the bookstore.

He was handsome and for some reason I felt more nervous around him now. Normally, I didn't mind how people viewed me, but for some reason I really wanted his approval. I was overly conscious of how my hair looked or how I behaved. And I had an urge to touch him and be touched by him, even if it was just sitting next to each other.

I couldn't explain what drew me to him but behind his bad attitude and cocky façade there was a worldly wisdom that I lacked. His eyes had a depth to them that threatened to drown me in his intense gaze. The dangerous word game we played excited me. it was fun to be with him for the adrenaline rush. He was so mysterious and distant and that only made me want to win his trust all the more.

Dang it, why did he haunt me?

I can't wait to get back to my room and play Amelia.

Dressed in only a white fluffy robe I was in a hurry to get some clothes back on. But the sound of some music coming from the floor caught my attention. Could someone else have brought a guitar?

However, as I got closer to my room, I began to realize that it was coming from there.

The door had been left open and when I peeked in, I jumped and hid behind the wall. Hyde was playing a type of music that I had never heard of before. It was quick and soulful. Its beat was contagious, and I couldn't help it when I peeked in again and saw him lost to the song as his fingers danced along the strings like that's where they belonged.