A silence had fallen over the apartment, and Sunset, as ever, simply watched as Adagio got up from her sofa. The elder Siren paced about the room, looking thoughtful for quite some time, before eventually starting to stare at the sword on display nearby. She moved slowly towards it, raising a hand and gently touching the blade. Naturally, she made sure to be careful enough so that she did not cut herself while doing so, but regardless, the object was foremost on her mind, no doubt helping her recall memories from those long-lost times. A sigh escaped her as she kept her eyes on the thing, and when she spoke, it was with a mixture of both pride and melancholy.

"That day...it was perhaps the happiest my son had ever been. He had done it. He'd managed to get as high as one could in that city. The people loved him, his comrades respected him. And I..."

A soft smile crept onto her face.

"...I was never more proud of him than I was in that moment."

Briefly, she let out a chuckle.

"My son...a champion of the city. A hero to the people. A warrior, respected far and wide."

Slowly, the Siren turned, looking upon Sunset while retaining her smile.

"And it didn't stop there. He continued to serve, in an unofficial capacity, to protect the people of the city, not just the royal family. Barely a day went by when he didn't end up saving somebody's life. Never before had the guard, royal or otherwise, been so respected."

Looking away, Adagio's smile faded somewhat.

"In time...his exceptional deeds even earned him some...unexpected attention. It seemed as if the princess herself had become taken with him."

To that, Sunset raised an eyebrow, a smirk of her own developing as she finally spoke up.

"I see. So the boy finally found a little romance in his life?"

Hearing that, Adagio let out a dry laugh, nodding a little before turning to her guest.

"Indeed. And who else but a princess was really worthy of my son?"

Finally moving again, Adagio made her way once more to her sofa, sitting back down again before continuing.

"The King himself was fond of the idea, of course. Forte was the best swordsman in the land, and having him as a possible son-in-law, well...it would have probably been the most popular thing that bloated wreck had done in quite some time."

For a moment, Adagio reached forward, picking up her wine glass and, at long last, finishing it off with a single slurp. But, as she did this, Sunset looked to her carefully, her eyes narrowing somewhat. She was deep in thought over something, but, as Adagio finally noticed this, it was only when the former finally spoke that she understood.

"Did...did you plan to take advantage of this?"

At first, Adagio did not know what her guest was talking about. However, as time went on, and she made note of how serious Sunset was staring at her, things soon clicked for her. A look of understanding crossed her face, which, over time, morphed into one of slight indignation, and then, at last, acceptance. She let out a long sigh, placing her empty glass upon the table, before staring at the ground. And as he did so, she spoke, her tone low and hushed.

"I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind. My son had got in good with the princess, the heir to the throne. Some in the streets even spoke rumours of marriage. And when those whispers reached my ears..."

Her eyes narrowed before she continued.

"...I thought to myself...that maybe he could do it. Succeed where I had failed. Take the throne, gain control over others."

Silence fell once more between the two, and Sunset watched her host carefully, only to find herself surprised when Adagio's expression softened.

"But...no. After everything I had seen my son grow to become...and after everything I felt for him...no. I couldn't do it. I refused to do it. I would not let my ambition taint the happiness he had found for himself."

Gradually, Adagio finally looked up, and when she did, she found Sunset looking to her, half-shocked and half-impressed. It was a feeling reflected in her voice when she at last spoke up to her.

"Wow, Adagio. I'm...I don't know what to say to that."

Another dry chuckle escaped the Siren at that.

"Say what you will. That was the truth of it."

Leaning forward, Sunset started to smile at all of this.

"So...I'm guessing things went well for your son after that?"

And here, just for a moment, Sunset saw a grimace on Adagio's face. A look of discomfort, maybe even PAIN, though why this was, the former unicorn could not say. Instead, she watched as Adagio leaned back, pressing back into the soft cushions of the sofa, before exhaling deeply.

"I wish I could say that this was true. I wish I could say that he lived his life without problems. That he had...that he had a happily-ever-after."

Her eyes narrowed, and after closing them for a good few seconds, she opened them once more, looking intently at Sunset.

"But...that was not to be. I knew he had a good life in that place, but, even so, I also knew that there was one thing that could end it for him. One thing that could ruin whatever happy life he might make for himself."

A look of both concern and curiosity crossed Sunset's face.

"Wha...what?"

Adagio frowned.

"...Me."

Sunset stared at her, clearly looking like she had no idea what her host was talking about. Seeing this, Adagio leaned forward again, before then starting to explain herself.

"Look at me, Sunset. At my face. I have not changed once in the entire time I've been in this world. Thousands of years, and not even a wrinkle. Ageless."

Turning, a brief flicker of sadness crept into the Siren's eyes.

"But Forte...he wasn't. Oh, to be sure, things could be kept quiet for a while. We even had a brief period of people believing we were his sisters. But...we knew it couldn't last."

Once more, she turned to Sunset.

"Even with our magic, we knew there would come a time when people would put two and two together. They'd notice that we didn't age, and in those days...that could lead to some pretty nasty accusations."

She shut her eyes tightly, bowing her head down as she carried on.

"Forte...I didn't want to put him through that. I knew something would have to be done before people started getting suspicious."

Opening her eyes again, Adagio looked to Sunset, melancholy plastered all over her face.

"And so, the decision was made. We...I...would have to go."

The royal gardens were, as one would expect, perhaps the most beautiful place in the whole city. Flowers and trees of every description, every colour, were here for all to see. It was a plethora of bright and vivid sights that would cause awe in all who came here, creating feelings of peace and calm. However, that was not what a certain Siren was feeling at this moment. Adagio, watching in silence, stood at the window of her apartment, looking down on this lush spot in the city. There, right in the middle of the place, she spotted her child, Forte. He was not alone today, as mere feet away was perhaps the other great flower of this nation; the princess. The young lady blushed, just as she always did, and together the two talked, though Adagio could not hear them from here.

Now, while most would be pleased that their child had found somebody special like this, Adagio's expression was one of conflict, and even a degree of sadness. Though, as always, she did her best to hide it, especially when she started hearing movement behind her. Briefly, she looked over her shoulder, seeing her sisters behind her. Aria and Sonata were busy right now, right in the middle of picking out a few shoulder-bags, which were being filled with a few choice items from around the apartment. Seeing this, Adagio sighed, looking back down to the gardens. And it was here that she noted that, behind his back, Forte was carrying something. Something that caused Adagio's face to soften; a small black box, right in the palm of his hand.

"Brave boy...as always."

Her words were hushed, and neither of the other two really heard it, but, that all changed when, just for a moment, Adagio shut her eyes tightly. When she re-opened them, her expression was one of utter seriousness, and she spun around, speaking up in a direct and to-the-point manner.

"How are we doing?"

Aria and Sonata stopped what they were doing, giving each other looks of hesitancy, before Aria finally worked up the nerve to answer her sister.

"We have everything ready. All is set...if you still think we..."

But, she hadn't the chance to finish, as Adagio narrowed her eyes and spoke up.

"Yes...I do still think."

Aria shut her mouth, looking away to avoid her sister's gaze. As for Sonata, she too looked concerned for a moment, speaking up in a somewhat meek fashion.

"Adagio...are...are you alright?"

The elder sister kept her intent look, staring at her sister as she gave her answer.

"Yes...I'm fine. This is...necessary."

There was discomfort in her voice, and both of her sisters heard it. Even so, neither of them commented on it, and instead, Sonata glanced briefly to the window behind Adagio.

"Are...are we not even going to say goodbye?"

Adagio closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"No. If we did...if he knew...he would try to stop us. You know that."

Sonata opened her mouth, perhaps ready to argue that point, only to shut it again she when understood that Adagio was right. Instead, both she and Aria got back to work, picking up their bags and slinging them over their respective shoulders, looking as ready as they were ever going to be. Adagio nodded to this, placing her hands upon her hips as she regarded them.

"Now, you know the plan. The ship will be leaving the dock and heading South soon. With luck, we might be able to find an open port near Thrace where we can disembark. After that...we'll just have to see."

The others nodded, though looked no more happy about the situation than they had been before. Adagio gestured to the nearby back door of the apartment, and they nodded in response, making their way over. The elder Siren would have followed, but, for a moment, she stopped, staring out of the window once more. There, she saw Forte, who was in the middle of bearing the biggest smile she had ever seen. In a moment of clear joy, he swept the princess off her feet, spinning her around as she too giggled with glee. For a moment, Adagio cracked a smile, but it wasn't long before it faded, replaced instead with a look of despondency.

"Farewell...my son."

And so it was that Adagio finally moved off, leaving through the same door her sisters had walked out of not so long ago. With the apartment now empty, a fair amount of time passed before anything happened, and when it did, it was Forte himself, bursting in through the front door, still retaining that happy smile of his.

"Mother! You won't believe it! She said yes!"

But silence was all that greeted him, and as he stood there, looking all around, the absence of anyone else led to a look of confusion on his part, as well as some concern.

"...Mother?"