Royal Academy Diaries I

Between The Lines ⚜ Ch. 5

After class the next day, Gia and Altina met to practice sight reading on the piano again.

"So, I was thinking, about yesterday," she said while Gia was going over the piece backwards.

"Yes?" she replied distractedly.

She was considering the Italian princess closely. "You were overwhelmed with emotion, and that hindered your playing, yes?"

She was still distracted. "Obviously."

"Well I was thinking, you have to learn to read between the lines of the music."

She furrowed her brow as she concentrated. "Between the lines?"

Altina nodded. "Yes. Find the tone, the emotion and story that's implied, and use it. That's why I enjoy playing, is applying the story behind the music. You can use your own emotion to fill in that story. That way it adds to the performance, rather than hindering the performing."

The princess stopped and looked at her. "That was rather poetic. You definitely belong at this academy."

She chuckled and smiled at her. "You seem a bit better than yesterday."

Her expression became sad as she considered for a moment. "It's amazing the kind of perpetual internal crisis you can get used to."

The other princess frowned. "Oh? I wonder, what are your outlets?"

Giving up on the practicing, she leaned back. "Music. Fashion. Shopping." She huffed. "If only I could figure out what to do for my service project next year... Then father will give me more allowance so I can go to town. Maybe then I can buy a good hairbrush," she grinned.

Altina thought for a moment. "Do you need an escape today? Something to get your mind off everything?"

She raised her brows in interest. "I'm listening."

The princess grinned and grabbed her hand without explanation. She followed her through the castle to the entrance before she realized what she was doing.

They got a cab and drove down to town, getting off at a quaint looking second hand shop she'd wanted to go to for a while.

They got out and Altina held the door for Gia, and she was surprised by the shop's atmosphere. "This place is lovely," she breathed, walking under a swath of lace and fairy lights. All around were second hand treasures, from vintage tables to teacups.

"Look at all this," Altina muttered, walking behind her.

She ran her fingertips along all the trinkets she wished she could buy. Candle holders, hair pins, even a dish of rings. Then she found something rather different, and grinned. "Altina, what do you think about this for the Halloween ball?"

She looked at the old white shirt she was holding up and smiled. "Pirate?"

"Most definitely."

"Perfect," she grinned. "And you might like what I found over here... Maybe."

She went over to where she had been and gasped. Hanging on a rack were a dozen old flappers dresses from the twenties with exquisite beading. "Oh my..."

The princess played with a voluminous feather and smiled, watching as Gia looked over each one.

She pulled out one and grinned. "This would make a perfect costume."

Altina nodded. "Agreed. You are Princess of Italy, yes?"

"Yes." They both nodded, and as Altina reached for her wallet, Gia hesitated.

"Don't worry," she assured her. "I have more of an allowance than any teenager should have. And seeing as there's not much more than food that I usually buy in this town, a little splurge on a costume is perfectly acceptable."

Gia smiled gratefully and handed her the dress. "Thank you."

She returned her smile as she grabbed the pirate shirt as well. "Theraputic, right?"

Gia just laughed.