Amazing Grace

By Laura Schiller

Based on: Stravaganza

Copyright: Mary Hoffman

"Don't you like it?" asked Arianna, her heart in her mouth.

Luciano stared down at the open leather case on the table, and the object inside it, for a long moment in silence. When he finally looked up at her, she saw that his black eyes were bright with tears.

"It's called a vitula," she rambled. "They're very popular in Cenomana … apparently inspired by something the Polos brought back from the Silk Empire. It reminded me so much of that instrument you mentioned, I thought - "

As she spoke, he had been slowly moving closer, only to interrupt her with a fierce, breathtaking hug. He lifted her off her feet, spun her around, and kissed her for good measure. With their faces barely centimetres apart, she could see why he was crying: because his joy was too deep to smile.

"Oh, Arianna," he said. "You have no idea how much I missed this."

She beamed and gestured to the instrument on the table.

"Well, go on then! Aren't you going to play for me?"

This time he did smile, mostly with embarrassment, as he tucked the glossy wooden vitula under his chin and raised the bow.

"I'm warning you. I haven't played in four years, this could get ugly."

"Let me be the judge of that."

He drew his bow over the strings in an experimental fashion, grimaced at the resulting discord, and began to adjust the strings. His hands were careful as he examined the instrument, as if getting acquainted with a nervous horse. Arianna smiled, knowing from experience what he was like when something beautiful demanded his attention.

Then he began to play, and she forgot to smile. She forgot everything but the music.

It was a slow song, sweet and melancholy, with high notes that seemed to soar into the cloudless sky outside. It reminded her of Aurelio of the Manoush and his harp, of the immeasurable power music has over the human heart. It reminded her of her grandmother Paola's lace, both fragile and strong. It reminded her of the waves along the coast of Torrone, calling her back to a home long left behind.

By the time Luciano lowered his bow, they both had tears in their eyes.

"That was … it was beautiful," she managed to say from behind her handkerchief.

"It's called Amazing Grace," he explained softly. "I used to play it with my mother … I never thought I'd even hear it again, let alone play it."

"You know I didn't mean to upset you?"

He placed the vitula back in its case and picked up Arianna's hands, crumpled linen and all, both with the same loving, almost reverent touch.

"I know," he said. "Thank you. It's the best gift anyone could have given me."

Author's Notes:

Vitula - "stringed instrument" (Latin)

Cenomana - My invention of the Talian counterpart to Cremona, an Italian city famous for making violins

Silk Empire - China (Because the Stravaganza universe has to have more then Europe, doesn't it?