Part I.
Percival hummed softly to himself as he powdered his nose. Damn, but he looked charming! He smiled at his reflection in the mirror--an enchanting smile, a winning smile. This was sure to be a most triumphant evening...
"I knew it!" a gruff voice said from somewhere behind the knight. "You only wanted to be in this play as an excuse to wear makeup!"
Percival did not turn around; he recognized his best friend's voice even before he spotted Leo's hulking form in the dressing room mirror. The Zexen knight couldn't help but smile. Leo was making light of his attractive friend's tendency towards male relationships, but it was an old joke and Percival knew better than to take the comment offensively. Instead, he retorted, "I'll have all the beautiful boys in the castle swooning for me, so I realize how jealous you must be."
The knight was to perform the lead in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet tonight. He was starring opposite Nei, a very talented young elven actress who was well-known among those living in Lake Castle. Percival was also fantastic in the heroic roles, and had been immediately cast as Romeo. Despite that Percival had no interest in the female gender, his acting ability convinced everyone who didn't know better.
Leo snorted at his friend's vanity. "You wish! I hate to be the one to break the news, but, well, you see... Oh, the hell with it! The moment I heard, I couldn't wait to tell you! I've always wanted to crush your dreams, you little scene queen!"
"Spit it out, already!" Percival laughed. "The show must go on!"
"Maybe not," Leo smirked. "Lady Nei has come down with a sudden...flu."
Percival gasped, setting down his makeup kit and staring at Leo's reflection in the mirror.
"Doc Tuta sent her straight to bed and told her not to move for the next two days." Leo laughed heartily, giving his stunned friend a hard slap on the back. "How do you like that?"
"I don't believe I do," Percival winced. He spun around in his chair, imploring Leo with desperate eyes. "Can't someone take her place? Isn't there an understudy? An extra? A stage hand? A prop--"
Percival's voice had begun to rise in pitch, until he seemed almost hysterical. Leo gave him a sharp slap in the face.
The knight put a gloved hand against his reddened cheek. "Watch the makeup, you twit!"
Suddenly, Nadir rushed into the room, followed by the actress playing the nurse and two actors playing knights, plus two of the set designers.
"Sir Percival--have you heard?" Nadir cried, wringing his hands. "Nei's fallen ill and won't be able to perform!"
Landis, a winger who had somehow gotten the part as a guard, laughed. "Hee hee... Hope she dies and burns in hell."
"Landis!"
"You fiend!"
"How can you even think that?"
Nadir ignored the outburst. "Whatever shall I do?" he wailed. His despair killed all hope anyone else might have been feeling; the director had never appeared so tragic, not even while directing rehearsals of the death scene.
"What about her?" Hugo, who had helped dress the stage, piped up. He was pointing to Queen, who was playing the second guard.
The tomboyish woman backed away, her hands in the air. "No way, kid! I've already got a role, and--and besides! I refuse to play the part of some weak love kitten!"
"Then what else can we do?" Martha, the old woman playing the nurse, growled in frustration.
There was only one person left in the room. Percival's eyes fell upon the beautiful youth, and a radiant smile slowly spread across his face.
All eyes in the room turned to the delicate magician, and while some appeared doubtful, it was the best option they had. Juliet had to be played by someone who knew the lines--someone who had been at every rehearsal--someone who at least looked something like a girl...
Nadir clasped his hands together under his chin as though in prayer as he begged, "Please! I realize you're only a set designer, but you're our last hope. No one else could possibly play the part!"
The small magician's eyes were wide with sudden stage fright, just by being under such intense stares from his peers. But one glance at Sir Percival's pleading gaze was enough to convince him.
"All right," Rody agreed with a nod. "Where's my dress?"
Percival hummed softly to himself as he powdered his nose. Damn, but he looked charming! He smiled at his reflection in the mirror--an enchanting smile, a winning smile. This was sure to be a most triumphant evening...
"I knew it!" a gruff voice said from somewhere behind the knight. "You only wanted to be in this play as an excuse to wear makeup!"
Percival did not turn around; he recognized his best friend's voice even before he spotted Leo's hulking form in the dressing room mirror. The Zexen knight couldn't help but smile. Leo was making light of his attractive friend's tendency towards male relationships, but it was an old joke and Percival knew better than to take the comment offensively. Instead, he retorted, "I'll have all the beautiful boys in the castle swooning for me, so I realize how jealous you must be."
The knight was to perform the lead in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet tonight. He was starring opposite Nei, a very talented young elven actress who was well-known among those living in Lake Castle. Percival was also fantastic in the heroic roles, and had been immediately cast as Romeo. Despite that Percival had no interest in the female gender, his acting ability convinced everyone who didn't know better.
Leo snorted at his friend's vanity. "You wish! I hate to be the one to break the news, but, well, you see... Oh, the hell with it! The moment I heard, I couldn't wait to tell you! I've always wanted to crush your dreams, you little scene queen!"
"Spit it out, already!" Percival laughed. "The show must go on!"
"Maybe not," Leo smirked. "Lady Nei has come down with a sudden...flu."
Percival gasped, setting down his makeup kit and staring at Leo's reflection in the mirror.
"Doc Tuta sent her straight to bed and told her not to move for the next two days." Leo laughed heartily, giving his stunned friend a hard slap on the back. "How do you like that?"
"I don't believe I do," Percival winced. He spun around in his chair, imploring Leo with desperate eyes. "Can't someone take her place? Isn't there an understudy? An extra? A stage hand? A prop--"
Percival's voice had begun to rise in pitch, until he seemed almost hysterical. Leo gave him a sharp slap in the face.
The knight put a gloved hand against his reddened cheek. "Watch the makeup, you twit!"
Suddenly, Nadir rushed into the room, followed by the actress playing the nurse and two actors playing knights, plus two of the set designers.
"Sir Percival--have you heard?" Nadir cried, wringing his hands. "Nei's fallen ill and won't be able to perform!"
Landis, a winger who had somehow gotten the part as a guard, laughed. "Hee hee... Hope she dies and burns in hell."
"Landis!"
"You fiend!"
"How can you even think that?"
Nadir ignored the outburst. "Whatever shall I do?" he wailed. His despair killed all hope anyone else might have been feeling; the director had never appeared so tragic, not even while directing rehearsals of the death scene.
"What about her?" Hugo, who had helped dress the stage, piped up. He was pointing to Queen, who was playing the second guard.
The tomboyish woman backed away, her hands in the air. "No way, kid! I've already got a role, and--and besides! I refuse to play the part of some weak love kitten!"
"Then what else can we do?" Martha, the old woman playing the nurse, growled in frustration.
There was only one person left in the room. Percival's eyes fell upon the beautiful youth, and a radiant smile slowly spread across his face.
All eyes in the room turned to the delicate magician, and while some appeared doubtful, it was the best option they had. Juliet had to be played by someone who knew the lines--someone who had been at every rehearsal--someone who at least looked something like a girl...
Nadir clasped his hands together under his chin as though in prayer as he begged, "Please! I realize you're only a set designer, but you're our last hope. No one else could possibly play the part!"
The small magician's eyes were wide with sudden stage fright, just by being under such intense stares from his peers. But one glance at Sir Percival's pleading gaze was enough to convince him.
"All right," Rody agreed with a nod. "Where's my dress?"