They were only one song into the concert and there was already the impending smell of drama as Holly entered the room. Not that Holly was dramatic or caused problems, but it seemed to follow her around quite a bit. Of course Drae was NOT disappointed as Holly sat down next to her mother and a moment passed on before the young bard called Justice looked up and was quite startled to see Holly sitting there. His song faltered and there were strings snapping and he was scrambling to recover his wits and his little sister did very well to cover for him. 

Holly's comment about breaking the strings made Drae raise an eyebrow and he looked over to get a good eyeful of his step-daughter. She was blushing about as red as he was. 

Aha! There is some history here! he found himself thinking, and he leaned forward casually, knowing if he was sensing something, then Angela would have a plethora of information that he didn't have at that moment. He was not disappointed for almost as soon as Justice was done with his strings, Angela was silencing Rizka and directly approaching Justice and calling him out on his desires. Drae took Rohan and sat the baby boy down on his lamp to watch the fireworks so to speak. 

Justice faced Holly with Angela squarely at his back, pushing him forward towards the girl. This wasn't exactly the way he had wanted to meet up with her again, and he felt that he was squarely up against a wall. Not that far off since not only was Angela a Rosenite with incredible strength but she was also a goddess. Despite trying to resist her pushing, he still found himself nearly toe to toe with Holly, and she looked just as embarrassed as he did.

Her apology to him made him babble something nonsensical but Angela's comment about no one being allowed to see her caught his tongue, so instead he listened.

He raised his hands quickly. "You don't need to explain anything to me," he told Holly quickly. "I am a complete stranger to you, and while yes, I looked forward to seeing you every year, I… I know better than anyone else how quickly life can change," he said. "To be honest… I was beginning to think I'd never cross your path again, and if I did… I doubted you would remember me. Caravan faces tend to be forgotten…"

Angela let go just so he could stumble a bit and realize just how silly this all was. He wanted to see Holly and now Holly was here. To Angela, this made perfect sense. She had lived too long and watched too many people suffer. This was an innocent little thing and the smile on her face was so soft that Holly’s face lost the anger in it. The bard realized her mother just wanted her to be happy after so long.

She took a deep breath in. “I don’t forget faces. Besides, you gave me a present Justice.” She blushed a tad more. “I had wild dreams during my darkest time. I saw you there. I wanted to dance with you like we said we were going to but I couldn’t. It’s been so much longer than three years for me. I was caught in time death. For me, it’s been twenty very long years. Dreaming those years away means that I felt like it would never end.”

Her voice was soft as she shyly played with her hair now. Her eyes were low to the ground for a moment. “I told you I would come back and play with you here… I broke that promise. To me, that was a promise I had intended to fulfill but so many things happened. I’m sorry.” She offered a smile as she raised her silver eyes to him.

“Besides, I don’t get the voice or face of a good bard. That is bad for business.”

Justice blushed this time, and it was cute rather than mortifying.
"I didn't think I made that much of an impression on you. You were very well known, I figured you must have had tokens from admirers all the time," he said sheepishly. He smiled when he realized that she was actually wearing the hairpin he had left for her.

"Twenty years is a long time to dream… but if I was there, I guess I should be flattered. Of all the people you could have dreamed about, you really dreamt of me?" he asked. "Please, don't apologize," he said softly. "And I am glad you did want to keep that date," he added. He extended a hand to her, hoping she would take it. "May I have this dance?" he asked her before he looked back at Rizka.

Rizka narrowed her eyes at Justice, wondering exactly what kind of dance he wanted. Too bad, she was going to pick for him. Smiling brightly, she lifted his violin, their harp, and the flute. The violin and the harp she placed on the stools and she stood with the flute. She plucked a few of the harp strings lightly before she stepped away and the harp continued to play by itself. Then she lifted the flute to her lips and began playing a sweet tune, that without words, had a sense of longing to it.

Justice smiled and looked at Holly. "The Vagabond Waltz… how appropriate…" he said softly, still offering her his hand to take.

Holly chuckled. “I’m well known because of my mother. Most of those cheering are of her court. I’ve been playing in front of them since I could hold an instrument. They know me well.” She tilted her head and thought about it. “No, not really. I mean a few but not a lot. I was seeing someone at the time so it wasn’t really appropriate for me to take anything.” She knew that Naota and her had been long over by the time they met. It wasn’t too long after the festival that she took her own life, at least sort of.

“You were one of the last faces I saw before the incident. You made an impression and that is good. That is what all bards inspire to do.” She was slow at first but she took his hand. “I’ve only been waiting forever for you to ask that question.” She teased him gently.

“Very appropriate.” She chuckled as they began to dance. She was still fluid in her motions that much hadn’t changed but the deep inner soul in her eyes had this sad look to it. Her eyes would glitter at him but only for a moment on and off as she fought herself. “I’m glad you didn’t forget my face. Surely I thought you would.”

"Like you said, it is the goal of every bard to make a good impression. You have been in my mind in some capacity since we parted ways," he admitted softly as they danced to the slow tune of the flute and harp that Rizka played. "And… well, you haven't changed a bit. You still look the same as that day. Except, perhaps, a little sadder," he told her. He looked back briefly at the stage and waved his hand. As he did, the violin raised to add its dulcet tones to the song and he turned his attention back to Holly and gently spun her out and then back in to him, and he held her gently as the moved in time to the music.

Time seemed to move slowly as they song progressed, but it did end and Justice stepped away from Holly and bowed to her. "Thank you, my Lady. That was a real honor," he said with a honest smile. He took her hand again, and escorted her back to her seat before he stepped back up onto the stage and collected the violin.

She smiled at him. “That’s because I can’t age anymore Justice. This all there will ever be of me.” It was sad but she powered through it with a smile. It was a matter of fact now and not something she could easy change. “I’ve done things that I am not proud of and maybe that is why I am sad.”

Holly gave him a real smile after the song ended. “The honor was all mine. After all, I did keep you waiting after you asked me to save a dance for you.” She chuckled a bit as she held his hand and sat down in her chair.

Angela amused as she smugly cuddled up to Drae and put his free arm around her. She tickled Rohan’s drooly chin and looked generally happy about what had happened. Iva, however, did not look the least bit amused as she stood up and looked at her mother and father. “I want a boyfriend too. Everyone has a boyfriend. Is that just the thing now? Why can’t I have one?” The five-year-old stared at her parents.

Angela started to laugh and Holly was blushing. “Iva you misunderstand.”

“I do not.” Hands went to her hips as she turned to Holly. “Everyone looks at each other like that. I want a boyfriend so he can look at me like that too!”

Angela tilted her head. “And what do you know about boyfriends?”

“That they are people that are forced to spend time with you and like it. Just like Daddy.” Iva proclaimed with a fierce nod. “Daddy, can you be my boyfriend?”

Angela tilted her head the other way. “No way, I’m not sharing with you.” She reached out and tickled the little red head. Iva was almost on the floor laughing before staring back up at Justice and then to Holly. “Okay but if I wanted a boyfriend how do I trap one? Do you do it with a special cage… Do you knock them out? How do you do it? Personally, I would go for knocking them out. They seem like sneaky sneaks.” Iva eyed Drae this time. Angela was trying to hold in her laughter and she was doing a bad job as she hid her face in Drae's shoulder.

Drae nuzzled Angela lightly and bounced Rohan on his knee to Rohan's glee. All in all, the was content with this turn of events. He wanted Holly to be happy, and it seemed for a moment that she might have forgotten the sadness inside her. The tender moment was soon shattered however, as Iva started griping about how she wanted a boyfriend.

"No, it isn't just the 'thing' now Imp. Your sisters are all just old enough now that they are ready to move on to that next stage of their lives," Drae chuckled. He waited in interest as Iva was asked what she knew about having a boyfriend, and he laughed outloud when she answered. Even Justice and Rizka couldn't keep straight faces.

"Imp, I am not forced to spend time with your mother. You know this, I come and I go as I please," he pointed out.

Justice moved off the stage again and settled down next to Iva.
"Do you really think that keeping someone in a cage is going to make them love you, Iva?" he asked her curiously. "Or knocking them out?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's not how you make someone like or love you. Being kind, and friendly is how that happens," he told her frankly.

"Now, I'm not Holly's boyfriend by any means. But I am her friend. And we became friend by finding out that we both love music and dancing. Don't go looking for a boyfriend so young, sweet heart. Just look for a friend," he suggested to her.

Iva looked on with a perplexed face as she tilted her head. “Well, I want to be bigger and older. Then I can stop being so short.” She was more concerned with how little she was. “I don’t want to be like Aelwen and small forever.”

Angela chuckled. “First, don’t let Aellie hear you say that. You know how she feels about her height. Second, she has fair folk blood in her just like Drae, Sapphire, and some others in the temple. You’ll grow in time. Rohan was quite tall and I’m not too shabby myself so perhaps you will be tall when you get older too. If you, however, decide to keep this up… I might intervene and make her shorter than Aellie.”

Iva made a face and stared at Drae now. “I got told that wedding rings are just shackles. Shackles are used in dungeon stories where people are tied up and not allowed to go anywhere.” She crossed her arms and stared at him.

Holly laughed and shook her head. “Those are metaphors, Holly. Bards, storytellers, and the like all use them. It just means that two people are bound together. Though some do see it as bad but I don’t think Drae and Mother really think it’s that bad.” 

“Oh, it’s absolutely dreadful,” Angela teased the sarcasm was dripping from her lips as the words poured out.

Iva looked at Justice and tilted her head at him. “That’s how you get a puppy to love you.” She crossed her arms. “Right?” Holly shook her head at her and chuckled. It was obvious she was spending too much time listening to wild tales from visitors to the temple. “Knocking them out would work if they started an argument! Arguments make people get divorces! Plus, Auntie Toya says knocking your husband out is a good way to end an argument before it starts.” It was showing in her brown eyes that she was really taking Justice’s words to heart.

Holly got down next to Justice so she could look at Iva on an even playing field. “Auntie Toya is not the one you want to be listening to for marriage advice. OR for romance advice. She knows how to kill people not necessarily sweep people off their feet.” Holly nodded to what Justice said and smiled. 

“Well, Auntie Toya has Uncle Blaine and he looks happy.” Iva’s face held a huge frown before she crossed her arms. “I want friends but there aren’t enough people in the temple.”

Holly chuckled and rubbed her red hair. “You don’t have to be just friends with children Iva. You can be friends with people of all ages. You could be friends with Justice too. That’s how you get all the best stories from meeting people who are older than you are. Who have seen things that you can’t see anymore.”

Iva tilted her head again. “So… what happened to Naota?” Angela almost dove off the chair to cover the little one’s mouth but Holly stopped her by putting a hand up.

“Naota and I didn’t work out. Sometimes when you love someone a lot it still doesn’t work. Sometimes people hide things or don’t know they are hiding something someone doesn’t like. Naota and I for all intents and purposes care about each other a lot even now. We just can’t be together. We have terrible chemistry. We can be good friends but that’s it. Echo-Rose is good for him for a reason. She is the opposite of me and that’s what he needed. It happens Iva. Life is sad but it goes on and it will get better. Even if some of us don’t see it in the beginning.”

“Is that why you got sick and went to sleep?” Iva’s arms uncrossed as she hugged to her sister.

“Yes, that’s exactly why. Because I was young and I couldn’t handle what was happening. Because I didn’t think my life could get better and I thought I needed him the most. The truth is what I needed was my music and my self-discovery. I lost a lot of time doing what I did Iva. Never ever consider Eshari. It is a mistake. Some people aren’t lucky enough to have someone like Naota who would come save them. Even if Naota did hate me for a while, he showed up in the end. That’s why he’s a very, very good god now. He’s fair and honest despite his flaws. I can’t hate him for that. I caused the problems and now I have to live with it.” She rubbed Iva’s hair softly as she held her little sister close. “Don’t put your whole worth into another person. You are far too special for that.” Iva nodded as she looked over at Justice.

“Will you be my friend?”

Rizka came down off the stage and knelt beside her brother. It was a unique situation here, especially for Iva. It was interesting hearing him give her the same talk he once gave her, if not boiled down a little bit. It was actually a little touching for this family gathering.

Justice smiled and nodded to Iva.

"Sure, Iva. I'll be your friend. Me, and Rizka here if you'll let her. It's funny, she's a lot like you," Justice chuckled. "She once asked me the whole boyfriend question too," he told Iva with a smile.

Rizka smiled. "And I learned that as long as I am happy with what I do and who I am, then I can make friends wherever I go," she smiled. "Everything else will come in its own time," she said.