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Agnea remembered dancing with Laila in front of where that statue of her mother had stood. She remembered returning to the orphanage with the others and Madam Platt offering her and her friends a place to stay for the night, and then… She forced her eyes open and found herself lying on a straw bed, and the ceiling above her was unfamiliar. Slowly she tried to sit up, and her body felt so very heavy.
"Oh, Agnea," came a male voice from beside her. "I see you've finally awoken."
She turned her head and saw Temenos and Ochette at her bedside. She glanced around, not recognizing this room. "Where am I…?" she wondered out loud.
"Goodness, you really were exhausted," Temenos said with a mirthless chuckle. "You remember the Platts inviting us to stay the night, yes? Well, you practically collapsed when we reached the orphanage, so Throné and Ochette carried you to this private room so as not to frighten the children further. Laila was especially distraught."
"O-Oh, really…?" Agnea felt her cheeks flush. "I guess I was pushing myself too hard, huh…?"
Temenos let out a heavy sigh. "I even warned you this might happen. You're fortunate Castti isn't here to scold you." A mischievous smile came upon his lips. "Though I'm feeling generous today, so I'll not tell her you collapsed."
"It'll be our little secret!" Ochette said with a wag of her tail. "Now that you're awake, I'll get you some food."
Agnea tried to smile. "Thanks, Temenos, Ochette."
Ochette beamed and then left the small bedroom, leaving Agnea alone with Temenos. Upon arriving in Sai, Throné, Temenos, and Ochette had joined Agnea in her quest to learn more about her mother, while Hikari and Osvald had joined Castti on the other side of Sai to visit the apothecary's station, and Partitio wanted to find the merchant known as Masoud. Agnea had been particularly glad of Throné's company, wanting to lift her spirits after what happened in Wellgrove. "Where's Throné?" she asked Temenos.
"She said she needed some time to herself," Temenos said simply. "It isn't so surprising, you know."
"I see…" Agnea muttered as she lowered her gaze. In Wellgrove, Throné had obtained the second key she thought was meant for her collar, but then neither had worked. She then had sighed and said she would keep traveling with the others a while longer, and although she acted no differently, Agnea could see the frustration and despair building behind that calm mask.
Ochette soon returned with Madam Platt and Laila, and they all shared bowls of hot stew. Laila's smile upon seeing Agnea awake was a sight to behold, but her scathing comments about Agnea not taking proper care of herself would have done Castti proud, and Agnea could see Temenos silently chuckling to himself as Madam Platt tried to calm Laila.
"That was delicious!" Ochette exclaimed as she finished her bowl of stew.
"And it tasted kind of nostalgic too," Agnea said to Madam Platt. "Did you teach my mother this recipe?"
"Oh, yes, I did teach Cuani," Madam Platt replied. "It's such a simple recipe, but she seemed to like it very much."
"I suppose it's not so bad…" Laila mumbled, and Agnea could see how intently she was staring at Ochette's tail.
Agnea let out a quiet laugh, and she found herself wishing that Throné was here as well to enjoy this meal. During their travels, she enjoyed cooking for the group, and she especially loved seeing Throné's eyes light up upon handing her a warm bowl of food.
The conversation drifted to other topics, and Agnea noted how Laila was still stealing glances at Ochette's fluffy tail with an intensity that reminded her much of Throné. When they all finished their meals, Ochette left with Laila and Madam Platt while Temenos remained with Agnea.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked her.
She nodded. "And it warms my heart to see Laila smiling so much. I'm glad we were able to meet."
"Always thinking of others." Temenos let out a low chuckle. "You've known her for less than a day, and already she's taken quite the shine to you. The entire town has, really."
"Well, I couldn't just stand by and let Dolcinaea bully everyone out of their homes!"
"What a strong sense of justice you have. But I must remind you again that you'll not be able to help anyone if you collapse from exhaustion."
"S-Sorry 'bout that…"
Temenos stood. "That said, I'll leave you to rest. Throné will be cross with me if I keep lecturing you." He smiled that faint, unreadable smile of his. "Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."
Agnea smiled. "Thank you, Temenos."
He left the bedroom with a brief nod, and she lay down on the straw bed and stared out the window, seeing how much the sun had set already. She hadn't meant to impose on the Platts like this, and she could only imagine her father's words if he heard about this. A sigh slipped from her lips. Sometimes she really did let her emotions get the better of her. Laila had looked so happy dancing with her, and how callously Dolcinaea had spoken of this town and its people had made her blood boil.
She slipped her hand into the pocket of her skirt, feeling the invitation to the Festival of Grace Dolcinaea had given her. When Giselle had told her about the Grand Gala, she'd exclaimed that she would shine there, but this wasn't quite how she expected that opportunity to manifest itself. Her fingers tensed; even if Dolcinaea intended to humiliate her, she wouldn't back down, for the sake of her mother's legacy.
"Mama…" she whispered to herself, and tears stung at the corners of her eyes. "I miss you…"
Like her mother before her, she wanted to make people smile. When she danced for her traveling companions, she loved the way their eyes lit up while watching her. She remembered dancing for Throné in Winterbloom and how Throné had asked her for a song in Montwise. They had all been through so much and she wanted to help ease those burdens, but she wouldn't be able to do that if she worried them by overexerting herself. She knew all that, she really did, but still she fell into the same bad habits that had plagued her mother, and eventually her mother had…
She shut her eyes tightly. What hurt most was the look of fear on Throné's face as she had collapsed.
A knock sounded on the door, startling Agnea. "Oh, come in!" she called out.
The door opened, revealing Throné, and Agnea's heart leapt into her throat. "How are you feeling?" she asked Agnea as she sat at the edge of the bed.
"Better," Agnea replied with a smile. "I'm sorry for worrying all of you."
"I'm sure Temenos has already lectured you, so I'll spare you." A faint smile came upon Throné's lips. "Still, please try not to overexert yourself so much again, all right?"
"Eheh, I'll try my best, I promise!"
"I suppose that is all we can hope for…"
Agnea inhaled a deep breath. She had told all of her traveling companions what happened to her mother, so she understood their worries. She had to do better, she told herself. If they were too busy worrying about her, she wouldn't be able to make them smile. Most of all, she wanted to see Throné smiling.
Yet Throné's expression relaxed as she held out a small covered box for Agnea. "Although now that you're feeling better, I got this treat for you."
Carefully Agnea accepted the box from Throné and uncovered it, revealing buns filled with a sweet paste. "Oh my, they look delicious!"
Throné chuckled dryly. "They're a specialty of this region. I took a small… 'trinket' from one of those ruffians Dolcinaea hired and traded it for these."
"Oh, Throné," Agnea scolded half-heartedly, although she really couldn't disagree with Throné's choice of target. "But thank you, really."
"Ever since your confrontation with Dolcinaea, you've seemed on edge." With a feather-light touch Throné tucked a strand of hair behind Agnea's ear. Agnea felt her cheeks grow warm; Throné had grown more affectionate lately, an affection that she welcomed. "And then what happened to your mother's statue… Well, I thought I'd get you this small treat to lift your spirits."
"It's…" Agnea bit into one of the sweet buns, trying to give herself more time to think of the right words to say. She offered one to Throné, who accepted it after a moment's hesitation. It truly was as delicious as it looked, and that Throné would go out of her way to seek out such a treat to lift Agnea's spirits - simple as it was, it still made her chest feel warm. She finished chewing and finally said, "I just don't understand how Dolcinaea can be so cruel…"
Throné stared at the bun in her hand. "It rather feels like she's spitting in the face of everything your mother taught her."
Agnea frowned at Throné's bitter words, but found that she could not disagree.
Silence fell over the two of them as they ate the buns Throné had gotten, and Agnea watched Throné out of the corner of her eye. Throné's expression was dark and unreadable, and the somber air that had followed her since Wellgrove felt stronger still. That vile collar was dark against the flesh of Throné's throat, and Agnea found herself filled with hateful rage against the two who had fastened that collar. After all that they had done to Throné, they now mocked her with fake keys. That was unforgivable.
Throné soon spoke again, so quietly that Agnea almost didn't hear her. "Though, I suppose I can understand a little of how that woman feels."
"What do you mean?" Agnea asked carefully.
A sigh fell from Throné's lips, and not for the first time Agnea thought how beautiful those lips were. "Growing up with the Blacksnakes was… unpleasant, to say the least. I was always surrounded by the stench of blood. Stealing and killing on the whims of another - I hated all of it." Her fingers brushed against the gem on her collar; it was a lovely gem, but that only made it worse. "But for a long time, I could never imagine anything else."
"But you can now, right…?" Agnea said without thinking, and immediately regretted how naïve those words sounded.
"Yes." Throné smiled grimly. "When I realized I had nothing left but my life to lose."
Agnea fell silent, unsure of what else to say. When Throné looked at her like that, so distantly, she felt as if her heart was being ripped in two.
Yet much to Agnea's surprise, Throné laid a hand over hers. "If it were as easy to erase one's past as Dolcinaea thinks it is, I would do so in a heartbeat. I've stolen and killed more than you can imagine, and even if I do find a way to remove this collar, that can't be forgotten. But maybe that just means someone like me can never be free…"
"That isn't true!" Agnea exclaimed as she clasped Throné's hand between hers. "You are a good person, and everyone deserves freedom. Your past doesn't define you or Dolcinaea…!"
Surprise flashed across Throné's face, and her fingers curled around Agnea's. Slender and calloused, Agnea could barely imagine what those fingers had stolen, the lives they had taken, and even now they smelled faintly of blood. But they were also gentle and warm, and no amount of blood could hide that. With her free hand Throné cupped Agnea's cheek, a wordless smile crossing her lips.
"Mama came to this town to remind people of joy," Agnea went on, and Throné's hand against her cheek was so very warm. "And even if the townspeople here don't recognize her dance now, it's clear how much the hope she brought meant to them. But it isn't enough to simply remember. Laila knew that."
"And now you've inspired her, much like your mother inspired Dolcinaea," Throné said.
"Mama would be proud of how far she's come, but along the way she forgot something important. It's like what Ochette said - despite all her fame, she's still lonely."
"Perhaps for a long time I forgot joy too." Throné paused a moment, staring at the empty bowl beside Agnea. "When I realized those keys didn't fit my collar, I began to wonder what the point of all this was." She sighed again, taking her hand from Agnea's cheek to touch her throat. "But seeing you work so hard to inspire Laila and stand up to Dolcinaea and her bodyguard to protect this town - it helped me remember why I set out on this journey in the first place."
Agnea opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come. Throné watched her now with such an intense longing in her stormy gaze. Whatever Throné thought of herself, Agnea knew she had a kind heart. That she would go out of her way to get such sweet treats for Agnea, despite the frustration and anguish she still felt over the fake keys, was proof of that kind heart.
After a moment's pause, Throné spoke again. "I'm going to return to New Delsta. Mother and Father might've left some clue there about the real keys to this collar. I've come this far, so I can't give up hope now." In a quieter voice she muttered, "I can't let their deaths be in vain…"
"And I'll help you, any way I can!" Agnea exclaimed, clutching her hands to her chest, over her heart.
"You truly are kind," Throné said with a weak chuckle. "After all that you've seen on this journey, you still think me worthy of hope."
"Of course. My dream is to make people smile." Again Agnea took Throné's hand between hers. "And I want to make you smile too."
For a heartbeat, Agnea could almost swear she saw Throné's eyes water, and when she blinked, Throné's lips were on hers, a brief yet tender kiss. "I'm not like you," Throné whispered as she broke the kiss, her breath warm on Agnea's lips. "All I can do for you is give you a simple treat. But I still want to make you smile too."
Agnea pressed her lips to Throné's for another kiss, a deeper, more drawn-out kiss. Finally she could give a name to these feelings for Throné. They held each other a while longer, and Agnea rested her head against Throné's shoulder as Throné threaded her fingers through Agnea's hair. Once more Agnea's eyes fell upon the dark collar around Throné's slender throat. "It's enough, I promise," she said softly, brushing her lips against the side of Throné's neck. "Whatever happens, Throné, I'm here for you."
A quiet laugh fell from Throné's lips. "Please try not to overexert yourself again. I love how passionate you are, but I can't help but worry."
Agnea could only giggle sheepishly, and Throné bent to kiss her again.
Dawn came as it always did, and Agnea and her companions bid farewell to the Platts and Laila. The four of them left the eastern district and made their way to Sai's inn, where they planned to meet up with the rest of their group. As they walked, Agnea hummed the lyrics she had composed so far for her "Song of Hope."
"My, someone is in a good mood today," Temenos said to Agnea. "I assume you rested well, then?"
Agnea nodded. "I feel like a whole new person!"
"Is that so? Well, do remember to take better care of yourself. Castti will not be as merciful as I am if you collapse again."
"'Merciful'?" Throné scoffed. "I wouldn't have imagined you knew that word."
"Oh, Ma is way scarier than Temenos!" Ochette said with an impish smile. "But he's right, Aggie. You're not alone, so you don't need to push yourself so hard, okay?"
A smile tugged at Agnea's lips. "Thank you, everyone."
As the four of them neared the inn, Ochette and Temenos went ahead while Throné fell in step with Agnea behind them. "Well then, shall we be off?" she said as she took Agnea's hand into hers.
"Of course!" Agnea replied with a nod, and she let her fingers lace with Throné's.