Tristan and his cousin had agreed that Andráska would play a solo on a whim, when they had both been high and drunk and wearing their grandmother’s dresses. It had seemed like the best idea ever back then, but after he had sobered up a little he had begun to have second thoughts.
As Andráska entered the stage, the young man barely dared to breathe. He realized that his worries had been unncessary though as soon as his cousin played the first note. The melody he played was unlike anything he had ever heard before – or would ever hear again.
It was haunting and tragic, but beautiful beyond measure at the same time. It touched something deep inside of him that he hadn’t known existed. In that moment he realized that Andráska was so much more than he had ever given him credit for, more than just a drunkard and a drug addict, more than just another lost soul. He was, he realized, perhaps the most talented of all of the Venora children.
He could only hope that he would be half as good as him one trial.
As the lights died, Tristan simply stood there for a moment before he clapped his hands loudly, hoping that the others would join him. Andráska deserved all the praise he could get – and so much more.
---
“Your Royal Majesty.” Tristan stepped into the king’s box and bowed. “There is no need to apolgize. A man should come to his king and not the other way round”, he said and sincerely hoped that he had sounded respectful enough. He was completely out of his element. He had never met the king before. He just belonged a secondary branch of a noble house. Unlike his grandmother he had never had a lot to do with those that were in charge of the kingdom, and he doubted that that would change a great deal when he succeeded his father one trial.
“He is my cousin”, he said to the king as he mentioned the cello player. “Andráska Venora. I’m sure that he would feel honored to meet you, Your Royal Majesty.” As the Empress spoke, he turned to her for a moment. But no, he would not try to look at her face, no matter how tempted he was. There was probably a good reason for why people claimed you got cursed when you did that. Maybe he’d grow warts on his face so that nobody would ever want to look at him again or maybe he’d lose his mind which would be almost as bad as becoming ugly!
“I would love to”, he said as Cassander asked him if he would be joining them and sat, provided that he was allowed to, down. It was then that he finally took a closer look at the one that ruled them all. Now that he was sitting and Andráska’s solo had gone well, he wasn’t quite as nervous anymore. His first thought as he studied Cassander was, I thought he would be taller! followed by, He does look like a king though. I wonder if it’s something you are born with or something you can learn. I’d like to be like a king as well – or better yet be a king.
He wondered if he should point out that the woman who had cooked his meal and who was sitting next to the king now was his slave and brag a bit, but then he decided not to. He didn’t know what the king’s opinion on slavery was, so he decided that it would be better not to draw too much attention to Faith’s station, besides, it was obvious that she belonged to his family anway. She bore the symbol of House Venora. He just gave her a subtle sign that she could remain seated. The king had apparently invited her to sit with him, so who was he to ask her to stand up and greet her owner?
He just smiled at her. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity he was truly happy.
-----
Behind the stage the actors were busy preparing themselves for the first act. Valeria Macerys, a pretty, brown haired young woman who would be playing the female leading role, was trying in vain to eat a few cookies and drink some tea. She felt sick. She hadn’t been able to eat much for the past couple of trials, and when a servant helped her into her dress it was almost too wide.
In the meantime Daniel Stone who would be playing the antagonist admired himself in the mirror. He had grown a beard, Peake Andaris style, just for the play and worked out a bit, and he really liked his new look. Maybe, he decided, he would keep it. Now where was his sword? He was supposed to play a warrior!
While Valeria and Daniel were getting ready, Mason Williams, the replacement star, the one who would be playing the leading role in case Daliane didn’t show up, sat on a chair, dressed in his usual clothes and sulked like a little boy even though he was a man in his twenties. He had spent a season rehearsing – and for what?
Where was the Andaris boy anyway? He was pretty sure that he had seen Daliane a few bits before, but now he was nowhere to be found. And then Jane Andaris, the manager of the theatre who would also be playing the king’s first wife, suddenly stood in front of him and asked him, hands on her hips,
“Mason, why aren’t you dressed already? I’m not sure where Daliane is, but we need to start the first act now. You’ll cover for him!” And then she already rushed off again to give another actor orders since Lord Venora had apparently decided that he would rather frazernize with the king than make sure that everything went well on the stage and behind it.
She needed to have a word with him after the show.
----
After Andráska had played his solo and left, the stage was shrouded in darkness once more before the curtain was finally pulled back and revealed a brightly lit ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and precious paintings decorated the walls. At the back of the stage several windows, framed by heavy red velvet curtains could be seen, revealing what seemed to be a snow covered landscape, but was in truth just another painting. Behind the fake landscape a couple of musicians were hidden, playing the kind of elegant music that nobles usually danced to.
Mason Williams, in his role as King Alexander of Alamere stood on the left side of the stage. He was dressed in an elegant midnight blue suit and had a golden crown on his head. Next to him was his wife Leia, played by Lady Jane Andaris. She wore a gown of the deepest burgundy and looked truly regal, but she barely cast a glance at the man next to her. The king and queen of Alamere were ignoring each other and focused on different parts of the crowd that surrounded them.
No, the king was looking at exactly one woman standing on the other side of the ballroom. She was lovely, with brown hair, brown eyes and milky white skin. He was staring across the room wistfully, craning his neck so that he could see her better while his wife emptied a glass of wine and chatted with an older gentleman. And then the king stepped forward and began to sing,
“I see a pretty girl
One who is not my Queen
But causes my lips to curl…”
His voice was deep and rich, and he sang the song effortlessly. He paused for a moment and smiled, but it was a sad smile and tried to push through the crowd to get closer to her, but was rebuffed.
“Her eyes entrance from across the room
Ensnaring against my wishes…
For this one girl in all the world,
I’d give my family’s riches.”
The people around him froze for a moment. Everybody was staring at King Alexander, as if in shock. He faked a smile, pretending what he had sung had been a joke, and eventually they all went back to their hustle and bustle. The brown haired woman – her name was Elaine – still didn’t look at him.
“For in all my life, I’ve never seen
A maiden’s face so fair
No jewel can replace her beauty,
No gold shines like her hair.”
“And give me naught but death if I
Should love another but her
For just a glance or hidden smile
Would make this king’s heart stir.”
Here Elaine finally shot him a look. The king began to swoon, holding his chest, and two extras quickly caught him and hoisted him back up. From the right side a dark haired, bearded man wearing the uniform of the royal guard of Alamere and carrying a sword - Daniel Stone in his role as Lord Maximus, the captain of the king’s guard - entered the stage, cast a longing glance at the king and finally shook his head.
Oblivious to the looks he received, the king continued to sing,
“So strip me of my titles
My lands and all my wealth
This woman is the wealth I need
To bring me sense of self.”
At this point Lord Maximus moved across the stage, pushing through the other actors. Lady Elaine followed him and eventually lay eyes on the king. The music slowed some, and all the actors apart from Alexander, Maximus and Elaine began to move in slow motion.
“But alas, I fear that I already have a Queen
And as bitter as she is…
These riches are as much hers as mine
And she’ll slither my way to an early grave
That is her wish….”
Here, Lady Elaine turned away, and Maximus shook his head again as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“For in all my life, I’ve never seen
A maiden’s face so fair
No jewel can replace her beauty,
No gold shines like her hair.”
“And give me naught but death if I
Should love another but her
For just a glance or hidden smile
Would make this king’s heart stir.”
As the king finished the chorus, the music stopped. Maximus had finally reached Alexander and spoke, “Your Grace?” The king looked past Maximus though, into Elaine’s eyes. The music picked up speed again, and the king’s guests started to move normally once more. Lord Maximus stood between his king and Lady Elaine and looked upset.
---
From then on the complicated and seemingly hopeless situation of the main characters was slowly being revealed. The young king of Alamere was married to a woman almost twice his age for political reasons. Their marriage had soured a long time ago, and they could barely stand each other anymore. After their first meeting at the ball King Alexander and Lady Elaine continued to meet in secret, even though he was married and she engaged to another man.
Meanwhile Lord Maximus, the captain of the king’s guard, was facing his own dilemma. He was in love with young monarch, but after seeing Elaine and Alexander together he realized that he would never be more than just another employee for him. He didn’t know what to do. Eventually seeing the two of them together became unbearable to him, and he decided to tell the queen that her husband might be cheating on her. But even as he knelt in front of her, in front of her throne he realized that he had made a grave mistake.
The queen decided to take action. She had come to the conclusion that she was meant for more than just being a king’s wife, that she was supposed to rule a long time ago and had finally found a reason to get rid of her husband. The first act ended with that cliffhanger. The curtain was pulled in front of the stage again, and the stage went dark as the actors got ready for the second act that would start in a few bits.
---
In the king’s box Tristan was growing more and more nervous with every passing bit. The man that was playing the king was clearly not Daliane Andaris, but Mason Williams. Where was his friend? Had he been abducted? He had feared that somebody would try to abduct King Cassander, but Daliane? What could they possibly want with a teenaged Andaris that just came from a secondary branch of the family? Should he alert the guards and have them look for him? Had the audience noticed? And … Seven, had Cassander noticed?
He glanced at the king that was sitting next to him and gulped.What did he think of the unexpected replacement? He hoped that Mason instead of Daliane playing the leading role wouldn’t affect Cassander’s opinion of the play negatively! Unless he already hated it because the protagonists commmited adultery and it dealt with matters such as divorce and a wife trying to murder her husband which had very obviously been inspired by a recent scandal?
As Andráska entered the stage, the young man barely dared to breathe. He realized that his worries had been unncessary though as soon as his cousin played the first note. The melody he played was unlike anything he had ever heard before – or would ever hear again.
It was haunting and tragic, but beautiful beyond measure at the same time. It touched something deep inside of him that he hadn’t known existed. In that moment he realized that Andráska was so much more than he had ever given him credit for, more than just a drunkard and a drug addict, more than just another lost soul. He was, he realized, perhaps the most talented of all of the Venora children.
He could only hope that he would be half as good as him one trial.
As the lights died, Tristan simply stood there for a moment before he clapped his hands loudly, hoping that the others would join him. Andráska deserved all the praise he could get – and so much more.
---
“Your Royal Majesty.” Tristan stepped into the king’s box and bowed. “There is no need to apolgize. A man should come to his king and not the other way round”, he said and sincerely hoped that he had sounded respectful enough. He was completely out of his element. He had never met the king before. He just belonged a secondary branch of a noble house. Unlike his grandmother he had never had a lot to do with those that were in charge of the kingdom, and he doubted that that would change a great deal when he succeeded his father one trial.
“He is my cousin”, he said to the king as he mentioned the cello player. “Andráska Venora. I’m sure that he would feel honored to meet you, Your Royal Majesty.” As the Empress spoke, he turned to her for a moment. But no, he would not try to look at her face, no matter how tempted he was. There was probably a good reason for why people claimed you got cursed when you did that. Maybe he’d grow warts on his face so that nobody would ever want to look at him again or maybe he’d lose his mind which would be almost as bad as becoming ugly!
“I would love to”, he said as Cassander asked him if he would be joining them and sat, provided that he was allowed to, down. It was then that he finally took a closer look at the one that ruled them all. Now that he was sitting and Andráska’s solo had gone well, he wasn’t quite as nervous anymore. His first thought as he studied Cassander was, I thought he would be taller! followed by, He does look like a king though. I wonder if it’s something you are born with or something you can learn. I’d like to be like a king as well – or better yet be a king.
He wondered if he should point out that the woman who had cooked his meal and who was sitting next to the king now was his slave and brag a bit, but then he decided not to. He didn’t know what the king’s opinion on slavery was, so he decided that it would be better not to draw too much attention to Faith’s station, besides, it was obvious that she belonged to his family anway. She bore the symbol of House Venora. He just gave her a subtle sign that she could remain seated. The king had apparently invited her to sit with him, so who was he to ask her to stand up and greet her owner?
He just smiled at her. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity he was truly happy.
-----
Behind the stage the actors were busy preparing themselves for the first act. Valeria Macerys, a pretty, brown haired young woman who would be playing the female leading role, was trying in vain to eat a few cookies and drink some tea. She felt sick. She hadn’t been able to eat much for the past couple of trials, and when a servant helped her into her dress it was almost too wide.
In the meantime Daniel Stone who would be playing the antagonist admired himself in the mirror. He had grown a beard, Peake Andaris style, just for the play and worked out a bit, and he really liked his new look. Maybe, he decided, he would keep it. Now where was his sword? He was supposed to play a warrior!
While Valeria and Daniel were getting ready, Mason Williams, the replacement star, the one who would be playing the leading role in case Daliane didn’t show up, sat on a chair, dressed in his usual clothes and sulked like a little boy even though he was a man in his twenties. He had spent a season rehearsing – and for what?
Where was the Andaris boy anyway? He was pretty sure that he had seen Daliane a few bits before, but now he was nowhere to be found. And then Jane Andaris, the manager of the theatre who would also be playing the king’s first wife, suddenly stood in front of him and asked him, hands on her hips,
“Mason, why aren’t you dressed already? I’m not sure where Daliane is, but we need to start the first act now. You’ll cover for him!” And then she already rushed off again to give another actor orders since Lord Venora had apparently decided that he would rather frazernize with the king than make sure that everything went well on the stage and behind it.
She needed to have a word with him after the show.
----
After Andráska had played his solo and left, the stage was shrouded in darkness once more before the curtain was finally pulled back and revealed a brightly lit ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and precious paintings decorated the walls. At the back of the stage several windows, framed by heavy red velvet curtains could be seen, revealing what seemed to be a snow covered landscape, but was in truth just another painting. Behind the fake landscape a couple of musicians were hidden, playing the kind of elegant music that nobles usually danced to.
Mason Williams, in his role as King Alexander of Alamere stood on the left side of the stage. He was dressed in an elegant midnight blue suit and had a golden crown on his head. Next to him was his wife Leia, played by Lady Jane Andaris. She wore a gown of the deepest burgundy and looked truly regal, but she barely cast a glance at the man next to her. The king and queen of Alamere were ignoring each other and focused on different parts of the crowd that surrounded them.
No, the king was looking at exactly one woman standing on the other side of the ballroom. She was lovely, with brown hair, brown eyes and milky white skin. He was staring across the room wistfully, craning his neck so that he could see her better while his wife emptied a glass of wine and chatted with an older gentleman. And then the king stepped forward and began to sing,
“I see a pretty girl
One who is not my Queen
But causes my lips to curl…”
His voice was deep and rich, and he sang the song effortlessly. He paused for a moment and smiled, but it was a sad smile and tried to push through the crowd to get closer to her, but was rebuffed.
“Her eyes entrance from across the room
Ensnaring against my wishes…
For this one girl in all the world,
I’d give my family’s riches.”
The people around him froze for a moment. Everybody was staring at King Alexander, as if in shock. He faked a smile, pretending what he had sung had been a joke, and eventually they all went back to their hustle and bustle. The brown haired woman – her name was Elaine – still didn’t look at him.
“For in all my life, I’ve never seen
A maiden’s face so fair
No jewel can replace her beauty,
No gold shines like her hair.”
“And give me naught but death if I
Should love another but her
For just a glance or hidden smile
Would make this king’s heart stir.”
Here Elaine finally shot him a look. The king began to swoon, holding his chest, and two extras quickly caught him and hoisted him back up. From the right side a dark haired, bearded man wearing the uniform of the royal guard of Alamere and carrying a sword - Daniel Stone in his role as Lord Maximus, the captain of the king’s guard - entered the stage, cast a longing glance at the king and finally shook his head.
Oblivious to the looks he received, the king continued to sing,
“So strip me of my titles
My lands and all my wealth
This woman is the wealth I need
To bring me sense of self.”
At this point Lord Maximus moved across the stage, pushing through the other actors. Lady Elaine followed him and eventually lay eyes on the king. The music slowed some, and all the actors apart from Alexander, Maximus and Elaine began to move in slow motion.
“But alas, I fear that I already have a Queen
And as bitter as she is…
These riches are as much hers as mine
And she’ll slither my way to an early grave
That is her wish….”
Here, Lady Elaine turned away, and Maximus shook his head again as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“For in all my life, I’ve never seen
A maiden’s face so fair
No jewel can replace her beauty,
No gold shines like her hair.”
“And give me naught but death if I
Should love another but her
For just a glance or hidden smile
Would make this king’s heart stir.”
As the king finished the chorus, the music stopped. Maximus had finally reached Alexander and spoke, “Your Grace?” The king looked past Maximus though, into Elaine’s eyes. The music picked up speed again, and the king’s guests started to move normally once more. Lord Maximus stood between his king and Lady Elaine and looked upset.
---
From then on the complicated and seemingly hopeless situation of the main characters was slowly being revealed. The young king of Alamere was married to a woman almost twice his age for political reasons. Their marriage had soured a long time ago, and they could barely stand each other anymore. After their first meeting at the ball King Alexander and Lady Elaine continued to meet in secret, even though he was married and she engaged to another man.
Meanwhile Lord Maximus, the captain of the king’s guard, was facing his own dilemma. He was in love with young monarch, but after seeing Elaine and Alexander together he realized that he would never be more than just another employee for him. He didn’t know what to do. Eventually seeing the two of them together became unbearable to him, and he decided to tell the queen that her husband might be cheating on her. But even as he knelt in front of her, in front of her throne he realized that he had made a grave mistake.
The queen decided to take action. She had come to the conclusion that she was meant for more than just being a king’s wife, that she was supposed to rule a long time ago and had finally found a reason to get rid of her husband. The first act ended with that cliffhanger. The curtain was pulled in front of the stage again, and the stage went dark as the actors got ready for the second act that would start in a few bits.
---
In the king’s box Tristan was growing more and more nervous with every passing bit. The man that was playing the king was clearly not Daliane Andaris, but Mason Williams. Where was his friend? Had he been abducted? He had feared that somebody would try to abduct King Cassander, but Daliane? What could they possibly want with a teenaged Andaris that just came from a secondary branch of the family? Should he alert the guards and have them look for him? Had the audience noticed? And … Seven, had Cassander noticed?
He glanced at the king that was sitting next to him and gulped.What did he think of the unexpected replacement? He hoped that Mason instead of Daliane playing the leading role wouldn’t affect Cassander’s opinion of the play negatively! Unless he already hated it because the protagonists commmited adultery and it dealt with matters such as divorce and a wife trying to murder her husband which had very obviously been inspired by a recent scandal?
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