"I suppose I should consider this some manner of victory, then, if not the one I was searching for at the time." Still, she could not say she was unhappy with the friendship that had developed over the years. Sometimes what one wanted and what one received were not the same thing - but the thing received might be worthy in its own way, after all. The thought was only a little melancholy.
Aspel's speaking voice was very pleasant to the ears, but it was clear she had not been trained to sing; Ari remembered her statement at the festival that she had done everyone a favor by trading mead for her autograph and couldn't help a shake of her head in amusement. She was tired, but she couldn't help it; with the other woman's hand lazily keeping time, she joined her voice to the melody, mildly correcting the tuning until it was a soft duet of sorts. She had not sung the role in years, but she did not forget music, especially not when she had spent months in rehearsal.
She felt strangely self-conscious after, though, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking down into her lap. "Either you've a particular fondness for Menosti's lesser-known works, or an incredible memory."