[Cinematic folk with soft strings & piano, female duet, slow and intimate]
[Verse 1 – Donna noticing Isolde]
[Donna:]
Good evening, stranger, you travel far
Your silks are bright as a distant star
And yet your eyes… they seem to know
The weight of roads I thought I’d outgrown
[Isolde:]
I’ve heard of your deeds, your fire, your flame
Stories of battles and a hard-won name
I wondered quietly… might we speak
Of courage, of loss… and what hearts seek?
[Verse 2 – Building rapport]
[Donna:]
I’m no young woman who ran to fight
Years have softened my hands, dimmed my sight
But some truths linger… like smoke in the air
And I’ll tell you what I must, if you care
[Isolde:]
I do care… more than words allow
And yet, I will not rush or bow
I only wish to understand
The woman who once shook this land
[Chorus – Subtle tension]
[Both (interweaving):]
Sit with me where the gardens sway
Where shadows mingle, yet daylight stays
I’ve walked through fire, you’ve walked through too
And still… I see the spark in you
[Verse 3 – The children / lullaby echo]
[Cara (innocently):]
Mama says… not every smile is true
[Isolde (softly, polite, almost melodic):]
Then your mother is very wise
And yet… sometimes what seems a guise
Can teach more than the eyes surmise
[Donna (glancing at her child, uneasy):]
Yes… perhaps… or perhaps not
Some lessons are best quietly taught
[Bridge – Testing boundaries]
[Isolde:]
I’ve traveled far from lands unknown
To see what seeds the west has sown
Not to steal, nor judge, nor claim
But learn the fire behind your name
[Donna:]
A polite stranger, clever and fair
I see your charm, but I am aware
That some who come with gentle hands
Carry storms beneath their plans
[Final Chorus – Lingering unease]
[Both:]
Sit with me while the evening fades
Let stories flow through quiet shades
You’ve carried weight, and I’ve carried mine
And still… the spark we share will shine
[Isolde (soft whisper, undercurrent):]
And we shall see how it grows, in time…