The morning dawned brighter than usual this day and while some hated it, to others it was a blessing. Meredith saw it as a blessing from Mnemosyne. Today was the day of their last recital at Grendel. This would be the one that would determine if they were ready for graduation or not.The Naiad had gotten up just before the sunrise to do one more round of practice. Their lute was set with a new set of strings (courtesy of their fathers) and well polished from the night before. It seemed to warm quickly to Meredith's touch as if it too was eager to begin. As the sun rose, Meredith strummed out the scales at a leisurely tempo. Eventually, they switched to something akin to a lullaby their father used to sing. The familiarity always made Meredith smile. They had loved learning the song early on in their years of study at Grendel.
With that thought, Meredith realized just how much time had flown. What had felt like a blink of an eye had been years. Every day was spent strumming their lute for one reason or another so the routine allowed time to past quietly. But Meredith was never bored. They were encouraged, though, to take some classes not involving the lute. "To add flavor and variety" the professors had claimed. Meredith couldn't help but wonder if they were really just trying to find something Meredith wasn't good at. Not that Meredith had a big head. No, not at all. They still firmly gave Mnemosyne the honor for their talent. After all, Meredith never succeeded the first time they tried something. It was through the dedication of study which earned Mnemosyne's blessings that allowed Meredith to succeed.
In the end, Meredith had developed their ear for key, singing, conducting, teaching, and their lute. All they earned diploma wise, though, would be the lute. That's all Meredith wanted. Going to Grendel had never been about being able to make money based on their degree but about learning more. Something Mnemosyne seemed to always guide Meredith towards.
Meredith finished up their trip down memory lane and completed their practice in time to head out for breakfast. The rest of the day was spent rehearsing and joking with peers and professor, and making sure their fathers found their way to the campus just fine. (This would be the Naiad couple's first time at Grendel since the duo had dropped Meredith off at the start of their child's college career.) Then it was time for the recital. The group of hopeful graduates was reminded of the order of performance as the seats filled up and nerves increased. Meredith would go second to last.
When it was time for Meredith to perform, they realized just how nervous they felt. While they had done recital after recital, this one was it. This was for their diploma. Meredith took a deep breath and hoped Mnemosyne was with them.
Their fingers plucked the strings with grace and confidence. The music flowed out like it had always been there just waiting to be heard. The melody was warm which made the audience smile. Most importantly, it made Meredith smile.
