She keeps a tranquil smile on her face as soothing as the rippling blue of her eyes. Just the edges of her teeth are framed by her lips, amplified only slightly by the pale rose color of her lipstick. She doesn't like a lot of make-up. She says it makes her sing poorly. I have never been able to make the comparison, having never seen her sing with heavy make up on. She says it makes other sing poorly as well, and I believe her, no one can sing the same way she does. No one can make the air fill with a invigorating electricity while setting everyone at their ease.
Her fingers are long, almost too long, but she wears gloves where the fingers only go to the half-point of her finger, hiding that. She wears them even when she's playing her lyre. Some say she was crucified for her voice, to make her cry and hear her scream rather than smile and serenade. That she wears the gloves to hide the scars. I won't tell them that's true. That I was the one to rip the nails out of her hands, lick the blood from her hands, seal the wounds and lay waste to those that would do it to her. Their corpses might still be hanging if I had not set the trees alight for her. Her smile is different now. It looks heavy, even if it still spreads to her eyes.
Her voice cringes. I look up. She has dropped her lyre. Her hands have started to bleed through her gloves. I race to her side on the stage and pull her into my arms, covering her with my cloak to hide her from the world that has abused her so. The room has gone silent, even the fire in the center of it all seems to die a little on the inside. The wood fizzles and whines, popping as if it had gotten wet, as if it was crying. The shields and coats of arms that decorate the walls fade into darkness as the fire retreats. The faces in the room are a blur, I don't care about them, I don't pay attention to them. I would rather kill them all and keep her safe, far away.
But she wants to sing for them. She wants to play even if she bleeds, for them. They that caused her such pain.
I have no right to stop her.
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