Eurydice was a very special person, and the light she brought to the world made every step of the journey down and back out again worth it. [ Just, you know. The last ones didn't go quite as planned. But he's done castigating himself over that, at least out loud. ] I think the deal we struck was as much your parents recognizing that in her as it was any doing of mine.

[ He goes quiet and wistful for a moment, lost in his thoughts before bringing himself back to the conversation at hand. What were they talking about? Right, his lyre. ]

It was a very special piece, in that it was commissioned for me by Lord Hades himself when I first arrived to fulfill my role as court musician. I'm given to understand it was quite expensive! Which made it all the more disappointing when I could not bring myself to play it for such a long time, I'm sure. Oh, but I am getting off-track. Any other lyre would do, I think, but thus far I have been unable to find a replacement - as you said, they seem to have fallen out of fashion in this strange land.