Play trash

Anastasia was not bothered by the murming around her, she ran her fingers lightly over the keys, testing their response. The quiet murmurs faded as the audience watched, some with curiosity, others with thinly veiled skepticism. Elisabeth, still seated, folded her arms, an amused smirk playing on her lips. The more Anastasia acted composed the more she could not wait to watch her make a fool of herself.

Then, Anastasia began to play.

The first notes rang out, bright and crisp, like the chiming of silver bells. It was a lively melody, lighthearted yet elegant, carrying the unmistakable spirit of celebration. Unlike Elisabeth's deep, somber tones on the viola da gamba, Anastasia's music sparkled with life. The quick, playful rhythms danced through the air, weaving an effortless joy into the atmosphere.

The garden, which had been filled with admiration moments ago, now felt entirely transformed. Where Elisabeth's performance had captivated through intensity, Anastasia's enchant

through warmth. Her fingers moved with stunning agility, each note cascading into the next with perfect clarity. There was no hesitation, only the pure, natural grace of someone utterly at ease with their instrument.

Gasps of surprise rippled through the audience. Teachers exchanged glances, recognizing not just skill, but mastery. Some of the ladies, who had been utterly entranced by Elisabeth's earlier performance, now found themselves swaying unconsciously to Anastasia's melody.

Elisabeth's smile faded.

She had expected Anastasia to falter, to hesitate, even embarrass herself. Instead, she played with the confidence of someone who had long been accustomed to excellence. And more than that, she played with feeling. Where Elisabeth had controlled her instrument with precision, Anastasia seemed to breathe life into hers. The virginal was no longer just an instrument, but an extension of her very being.

"She has clearly never learned to play any instrument!," Elisabeth thought feeling her eyes and ares were playing some tricks.

The piece reached its climax, an exhilarating cascade of notes that sent a thrill through the audience. Then, just as effortlessly as it had begun, the music softened, like the fading echoes of laughter at the end of a perfect evening. With a final, delicate chord, Anastasia lifted her hands from the keys, letting the last note linger in the air.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, the applause, louder than before, carrying an unmistakable energy. Some of the ladies clapped with delighted enthusiasm, while the teachers nodded in admiration. Even Miss Maria, ever composed, allowed a flicker of approval to cross her face. She was pleased to see that Anastasia had indeed improved.

Magdalene was also happy, this performance confirmed her earlier guess that Anastasia was hiding her talents.

Anastasia rose from her seat, offering a polite smile as she inclined her head in acknowledgment. Her gaze, calm and unreadable, met Elisabeth's for a brief moment before she turned away.

Elisabeth sat frozen, her hands gripping the folds of her gown. The weight of the moment settled over her, heavy, undeniable. She had played wonderfully. But Anastasia had played better. 'how is this possible?'

"Lady Anastasia, you play the virginal so well, can you tell us who your teacher is?" Miss Augusta asked .

"You praise me to highly Miss. My skills is just a little above average and I have not had an opportunity to play since the death of my mother, who was also my teacher," Anastasia said with a smile. Of course she did not have to act humble. The only reason she said so much was to discredit Elizabeth performance.

After all, calling her skills average only means that Elizabeth had play trash. Besides for her to play so well after a few years without practice was indeed something notable.

"Then, you mother must be very skilled," Miss Augusta commented.

"In my eyes, there is no better player of the Virginal. Quite unfortunate that I did not manage to inherit all her skills before her death," Anastasia said. She was happy to have the opportunity to praise her mother.

"I told you not to trust baseless rumors," the lady from earlier said. The others nod their head as there was no way to deny Anastasia skills.

"I wonder how skilled her mother was?" The second lady commented.

"Is it not normal for a child to think their mother is the best in the world?" Lily said, not wanting to admit Anastasia's performance.

"You are right, even if our mother have no shame, as their children we can't look down on them," the first lady said casting a disdainful look at Lily and her sister.

Lily was smitten with anger when she saw that look, after all she could guess that The lady was thinking about her mother's shameful past"who will perform next?" Miss Augusta asked.

Those who were yet to perform looked at each other regretting letting Anastasia go before them. They had thought that beating Elizabeth's performance would be hard, they did not expect Anastasia to raise the bar.

Anastasia return to her seat as the next person was ready to perform.

"Lady Anastasia, my name is Rosalind, it a pleasure," the first lady who did not believe the rumors walked over to introduce herself. She felt it would be great to make friends with Anastasia.

"It's a pleasure," Anastasia smile at Rosalind seeing that she was sincere.

Since one person made the move to get close to Anastasia, the other ladies also went over to introduce themselves. Anyway, Anastasia would be the crown princess in the future, there was no harm becoming friends with her.

Elizabeth balled gaze turned dark seeing so many ladies trying to befriend Anastasia. She wanted to step forward and slap the smile on Anastasia'd face.

"Your sister really knows how to show off," Lily commented. She was also not happy that Anastasia's was gaining so much attention.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, but Anastasia's performance remained the peek of the evening. If not for the fact that the flowers in Miss Augusta's garden were rera, no one might have reminded even the 'flowers'.