A/N: In order to help with putting off my Camp NaNoWriMo story, I decided to write a Shakespeare fanfiction about my favorite play, Twelfth Night. In my school's production, I play Curio, an attendant with a small role. I like to think Curio is also a secret girl in love with the duke, but without a twin brother has no chance at marrying her love. My school's production has the lines easier than the actual play, so excuse me if it isn't exactly what Shakespeare wrote. Also, for the lines I created, I tried my best to copy the language. Enjoy!
Lord Orsino sat in his chair, enjoying the spring weather. Beside sat his attendant, Curio, silently listening to Feste's pipe music. They waited for Valentine, a newer attendant, to return from Lady Olivia's house with yet another answer.
"If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it so that gorging myself on it may sicken my appetite so that it may die. Enough, no more." He gestured to Fest, who bowed and left the yard. "Tis not so sweet now as it was before.." Orsino sighed and ducked his head down.
Curio thought for a minute. "Will you go hunt, my lord?"
Orsino looked up, puzzled. "What, Curio?"
"The hart.." Curio said, as if it were obvious.
"Why so I do the noblest that I have. When mine eyes first did see Olivia, me thought she purged the air of pestilence. That instant, I was turned into a hart and so my desires like cruel hounds have ever since pursued me." He ducked his head down again, daydreaming of Olivia.
Little did he know, Curio wasn't what he seemed. Hidden beneath cut hair tucked into a cap and men's clothes, Curio was really Cara, a beautiful maiden who lost her family long ago. Until she knew what to do, Cara planned to serve Lord Orsino, but she found herself deeply in love with her master and could not bare to leave him.
So here she was, dressed as a man and in love with a duke who was in love with a maiden far more intelligent and lovely than she.
"How now, what news from her?" Orsino's voice broke through her thoughts and Cara, or Curio, looked up. Valentine had finally returned, and despite wanting the best for her love, Curio found herself praying Olivia had once again denied his proposal.
"So please my lord, I was not admitted." Val began after bowing. The Duke looked down unhappily. "But from her handmaid, I do return the answer."
Orsino looked up, interested. He smiled a little at Curio, temporarily dazing the love-sick maiden before she gingerly cracked a small grin.
"The answer is this- she will not show her face in public for seven years." Curio sighed with fake unhappiness and patted her master on his shoulder. Valentine spoke more, but the servant was dazed by the duke's beauty. She didn't pay attention until he spoke again, with that smooth deep voice she'd come to love.
"Oh she that had that fine frame, to pay this debt of love- but to a brother." Curio and Valentine both nodded. "Away before me to sweet beds of flowers."
Curio bowed sadly, not wanting to leave his side. She entered the house and sat with Valentine for a bit , discussing the arrival of the newest attendant- Cesario.
It had been a month since Cesario's arrival, and Curio found herself enjoying the company of someone other than Valentine, her best friend, or one of the other attendants. It was nice to spice things up a little bit.
Cesario led Curio and Valentine out of the house, the two of them bowing before Orsino.
"Now good morrow friends, now good Curio, that song we had last night, that old and antique song, it eased my suffering."
Curio smiled and tingled at the feeling of being singled out by her love. "He is not here, so please your lordship, who should sing it?"
Orsino frowned. "Who was it?"
"Feste, the jester, a fool that the lady Olivia's father took much delight in." The Lord smiled at the thought of Olivia, while her name felt bitter on Curio's tongue. The lady stealing Orsino's heart.
"Seek him out to play the tune a while." Curio nodded and bowed, for once happy to leave the duke's company. Feste was a good jester with a wonderful sense of humor and ears that liked to listen.
Crossing the bridge towards Olivia's house, a route Curio knew well after years of seeking Olivia's love for her master, the attendant spotted Feste singing a song he knew well, Hold Thy Peace.
With a grand finish, Feste smiled and took some gold coins into his pouch before walking towards the bridge.
"Ah, good Curio, how be thy master?" Feste smiled.
"Not well, fool, he is still chasing after the lady Olivia." Curio smiled sadly. "He has requested to speak with you. My master desires a song."
They began to walk to Orsiono's house. "And how are you, Curio?"
"Of the same state, my friend." Curio sighed. Thought Curio had not revealed his true name and gender to anyone, Feste was clever and had caught on fast.
"I've heard the lady Olivia speak of Cesario, Orsino's gentleman. I've heard her say she desires better acquaintance with him."Feste said as they arrived at the house.
"Ha! Have you a song prepared?" They were about to step into the yard. Curio heard Cesario and Orsino speaking.
"I have no song, my nose is not a nose, Lord Orsino is not Lord Orsino, nothing that is so is so." laughed Feste as the two entered the garden.
"Uh, sir?" Valentine piped up as Orsino finished speaking.
"Ah, come boy, that song we had last night. Mark it, Cesario, it is old and plain."
"Are you ready sir?" Feste asked.
"Ay, prithee, sing."
"Come away, come away death in the sad cypress may we be laid.." Feste sand beautifully but Curio could not enjoy it knowing the whole time Orsino was thinking of Olivia.
…..
"Only my clothes stop us from a happy reunion! I am Viola!" Cesario cried, hugging Sebastian. Curio gaped and turned to Valentine, who looked just as perplexed as Curio.
"Be not amazed!" cried Orsino, looking shocked but a bit happy, as if- no!
Orsino couldn't be in love with Viola, too!
…
"..from now on, you shall be your master's wife." Orsino took Viola's hand and smiled warmly.
"My lord, I do protest-" Curio mumbled.
"Curio?" Orsino asked, dropping Viola's hand and turning to look at his oldest and most faithful attendant.
"Do not call me that, my lord. Just as Cesario is Viola, Curio is Cara." Cara plucked her cap off her head and allowed her brown hair to fall down past her shoulders. Orsino gaped and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Val.
"Please your lordship, forgive me, but I have been deceitful, as well." Valentine reached up and pulled off his own cap, revealing black hair as long as Cara's.
"Most wonderful? What should I think of this?" Olivia turned to Sebastian, her husband, in confusion.
"My lord, Viola is far too young, let her take an elder man. I am a few years younger than thee, please, take my hand in marriage." Cara cried, taking her master's hand. Viola looked at them in confusion. Before Orsino could speak, Valentine grabbed his other hand.
"My lord, I have been more faithful to thee than any other. Take my hand." Valentine cried.
"Let me have a say in-"
"My lord, you promised!" Viola cried, looking close to tears.
Olivia, Antonio, Sebastian, and the other servants looked from each maiden to the next, each more confused than the next.
"Attendants, I-"
"Oh, Orsino, I cannot deny my love any longer. Thy face, thy limbs, thy voice- oh, my noble duke, take my hand." Olivia ran to Orsino and grabbed his arm.
"Ladies-" Orsino began but the chattering and pleading of the four maidens was enough to make any man go deaf.
"Enough!" The duke said, and everyone stopped talking. Sebastian ran to Olivia.
"My lady, has it been so long? Have you forgotten your husband?" he cried, looking at his new wife.
Olivia turned to him. "Be quiet, my love, your tune now hearts mine ear."
Orsino gaped at her. "Olivia, fair shrew, do forget thyself. Go off, your husband waits for you."
Olivia held Seb's hand, and, rejected, she walked off to their home.
"Now, attendants.." Orsino started. "You are all as dear to me as Olivia, yet I cannot marry you. I go, maidens."
"Orsino! My lord!" Curio cried, running after her master.
"Thou deceitful cub! We shall never speakest again!" Without a second glance he entered his house, leaving Curio, Valentine, and Viola alone.
Feste entered the room singing a song about the end of the play, but glanced at the 3 attendants standing in Olivia's garden uncertainly.
"Good friends, this be not the ending!" Feste laughed and gestured for them to get into Olivia's house so he could wrap up the story.
The three attendants bowed, and with a shrug walked into the maiden's home. It was time to start the next chapter of their lives.
…
And so Orsino did not marry Viola as he had originally planned, instead, after much begging, sending out Valentina and Viola to read poetry to him as he had to Olivia, finally, he married Curio, or Cara, the fair maiden who had lost her home but had found a new one in the duke.