Chapter Ten: CROAK!
Jurah's boot kicked his back hard, sending him to the ground. Knowing what was going to happen next, he huddled into a tight ball, holding his trinket against his heaving chest.
Jurah began whipping him, screaming at him, and still kicking him. The teenage monster rolled across the floor of his cage with each impact from the boot, crying out obligatorily. He hated crying, especially in front of anyone, but knew that the beating would not stop until Jurah heard him scream.
"No, stop! Please stop hurting him!" a high-pitched voice cried out, banging on the wooden bars of his prison as a few of the customers laughed in a vulgar manner.
He couldn't look up to see who it was, but he was strangely certain that it was the little girl.
Why did she care so much? They had never visited this city before, had they? If so, he didn't remember.
xxXxx
Humbert was nervous, the night of the opera. He had managed to complete all of the inspections in time, but there had been another detail that he was not informed of.
His mother was on his arm, in a new red dress with rubies woven into her graying hair. She was also smiling in a rather devious way, which was usually enough to put him on his guard.
"It's been such a long time since I've been to the opera," she was falsely gushing, keeping an iron grip on his arm as they were led to a private box.
"You are in for a real treat, Mother," Humbert promised, wishing that he could have shared a box with the Moon Brothers again; even if it meant putting up with the arrogance of that feline.
He helped his mother into one of the upholstered seats, and sat down in one of the other ones. He was forced to admit; his mother had chosen an excellent box. It was a little closer to the stage, and was on the opposite side of the auditorium.
He could see Toto and Renaldo waving at him, with Baron once again sitting on the rail. He waved back, although he could see Baron glaring at him all the way across the cavern-like room.
"What is that filthy creature doing in here?" his mother hissed self-righteously.
"Beg pardon, Mother?" he asked stiffly, wishing for the play to start.
"That cat," she sniffed disdainfully.
"He's Haru's pet, Mother. One of her conditions to being the diva is that Baron gets to watch the performances with the managers."
"Baron?" she asked in surprise.
"That's the cat's name," he explained, his own lips tightening in dislike. "Let's just say he takes his name a little seriously."
"How disrespectful," she growled. "Associating the name of nobility with a common animal!"
"It's her pet, Mother," he sighed, glad that the lights were finally dimming. "She can name him whatever she pleases."
"But using the managers as cat-sitters!" she snarled indignantly.
"Haru asks for almost nothing, so they do not mind doing the little she asks of them. Please, Mother. Just enjoy the show."
"Oh, I will," she whispered uncharacteristically, her blue eyes bright with anticipation.
He gave her a nervous glance, but then gave his attention to the stage below.
The play started out at a simple cottage, with a company of finely dressed men. The prince, the understudy of the one who had tried to kiss Haru, spoke his lines with a proper flair, just enough to show that he was supposed to be royalty.
Humbert's eyes became glued to the little cottage, knowing that Haru had to be within.
ooOoo
Despite her earlier assurance, Humbert's mother didn't look like she was enjoying herself in the least. She had her shawl-covered arms crossed over her chest, and a heavy scowl was on her face.
Humbert couldn't really see why, though. Haru glowed through her fake rags beautifully, and was positively charming as she sang about being anything except a servant. Her step-family was more comedic than wicked, but it still hurt him to see the girl left behind when everyone else was going to the ball.
She was weeping softly into her arms in front of the fake cottage when one of the older actors came onto the stage, dressed in a beautiful pink gown and glittering crown.
Her smile was calm and warming as she leaned over Haru, and touched one shoulder. "Cinder-CROAK!"
Haru's head snapped upward in shock as many in the audience gasped. The fairy godmother slapped both hands to her mouth in mortification.
"What on earth?" Humbert whispered softly, leaning closer to the stage as the musicians whispered to each other in their seats.
"Cinder-CROAK!" the actress tried again, tears of humiliation threatening to fall from her eyes.
The audience started laughing, which only made it worse for the poor woman.
"Oh dear," Haru said worriedly, standing up from the front steps. "That sounds terrible, ma'am," she noted while wiping her tears away with one sleeve.
The godmother was frozen in place, unsure of what to do.
"Please wait right there; I'll get something for your throat," Haru promised, curtsying quickly before running into the fake cottage.
The fairy godmother, nearly in tears, held a hand to her throat and hummed a little.
Humming was fine. It was when she tried to speak that she sounded like a toad. Humbert looked up at the managers on the other side of the auditorium, but their expressions said loud and clear that the croaking wasn't supposed to be part of the show. Even Baron had a strange expression on his face, though Humbert could barely tell from across the auditorium.
Haru soon returned with a teapot and cup, pouring as she left the cottage. "This tea is a cure-all, ma'am. It should help with your throat."
The actress eagerly grabbed the cup and drank all its contents.
"Would you like another one?" Haru asked, offering the pot again.
She nodded, and drank three more cups, experimentally testing her voice between each cup. It sounded better each time.
"How do you feel now?"
"M-Much better," the woman sighed, massaging her throat. She gave a single glance to the audience, and took a deep breath. "You've grown some since we last met, my dear."
Haru blinked in surprise. "We've… met before?" she asked incredulously.
"Why yes, my dear. I was present when you were born, and your mother asked me to be your godmother." She gave a disapproving glance to Haru's rags. "If I had known that you were being treated so shabbily- croak!"
Haru silently filled her cup again.
Humbert sighed, and sat back in his chair. Whether or not the unusual sound was supposed to be part of the play, Haru had managed to smooth it over.
It was rather convenient that she happened to have that tea in the cottage. How strange; he hadn't seen the step-family drink any of it in the last scene…
His eyes randomly strayed to box five again. The Moon brothers were somewhere between shock and relief, but Baron only seemed proud.
ooOoo
The rest of the play was performed without another mishap, much to Humbert's relief. Although it irked him to see Haru happy with another man, he was relieved to see that the understudy was completely proper in his conduct with her.
'It's only a play. It's only a play.' He smiled warmly at the curtain call, and applauded as Haru bowed deeply.
But unlike the last performance, the young diva specifically pulled the actress playing her fairy godmother to the front, and applauded her. The other actors also gave the godmother her own space, clapping until their hands hurt.
Many in the audience were laughing as they did the same. But their laughter had no malice to it.
The actress had tears in her eyes as she curtsied to the audience. But her gaze was forever turned to Haru, her expression nothing less than adoring.
Haru grinned back at her, and wrapped the woman in a warm embrace before the actors swept them off the stage.
Humbert was smiling himself, as he rose from his seat. "Well, Mother? How did you enjoy the production?" he asked, turning from the stage to look at her.
Her expression was darkly moody. "The girl has talent, I'll give her that," she said grudgingly.
"CROAK!"
Humbert turned quickly, many in the main audience also stopping in their tracks.
The new source of the terrible sound was from Box Five. Renaldo had both hands to his mouth in horror, and his brother was looking at him incredulously, the tawny cat already in his arms.
Renaldo's face turned a dark shade of red, and he ran out of the box. Toto soon followed, although Humbert could see a faint smirk on his lips.
"Who else is going to come down with a sore throat tonight?" Humbert muttered to himself, helping his sour-looking mother out of her seat.
She sniffed disdainfully, but her blue eyes were calculating. "Shall we go home then, son?"
"Please wait in the carriage for me; I wish to speak to Haru first," he said firmly, turning to leave.
She grabbed his arm before he could escape. "Nonsense," she declared, wrapping her arm around his in a grip of iron. "I think I would like to speak with Miss Haru as well."
Humbert stopped cold in his tracks. "No," he said flatly.
She looked up at him, her eyes carefully guarded. "No?" she inquired.
"No. It would be disastrous to put you and Haru in the same room. She… doesn't appreciate what you tried to do to her father."
Her eyes became almost glacial. "He deserved everything he got, and more."
Humbert managed to wring his arm free from her grasp. "Mother, just because you never cared for Aunt Maria doesn't mean you should torture the one who saved her, let alone his daughter. Wait for me in the carriage," he said in a firm tone, uncharacteristically running from the box to maneuver his way through the labyrinth-like theatre.
At last, he approached Haru's dressing room door, gasping terribly. He took a moment to regain his breath, and to straighten out his slightly disheveled attire.
Now in possession of himself, he knocked politely on the door. "Haru? May I come in?"
Toto opened the door wide to admit him, his expression only amused, now. Renaldo was accepting a steaming teacup from her, his expression slightly disgusted.
The room was once again buried under flowery tokens of esteem from the audience.
"Just drink it, Renaldo. Unless you like sounding like a toad," Toto said teasingly as he shut the door behind the young lord.
"What on earth was behind the croaking?" Humbert asked curiously. "First the fairy godmother, and then you?"
"I think it was a sabotage attempt," Haru replied in a horrified whisper, refilling Renaldo's cup after he gulped down the first round. "Sip it, sir. It won't help at all if it barely touches your throat."
The larger Moon Brother grimaced, and croaked an unrecognizable answer. But he did as ordered.
Humbert gave a questioning look to Toto, who shrugged innocently.
"All I know is that Renaldo ate some bon bons someone sent to Haru, and just now was the first time he's spoken since then."
Humbert looked back at the prima donna, a question in his eyes.
Haru sat down in a chair close to Renaldo, and smoothed out the wrinkles in the white princess dress with one hand. "I don't know who sent them; there wasn't a name attached to the box," she explained, her beautiful eyes looking into her lap, where Baron was once again maneuvering himself from her shoulders. "I don't like chocolate, and I was practicing with Theresa when it was delivered. She and Renaldo split the box between them when he came by to see if we were ready." She shook her head in disbelief.
"It's a miracle she isn't mad at me."
"I wouldn't say that," Humbert interjected, taking five steps closer to the girl.
The cat straightened from his place, and raised a threatening paw while hissing in warning.
"Be still, Baron; I'll come no closer," he sighed, raising his hands in a defensive manner. "Haru, you handled that accident brilliantly on stage, and giving, Theresa, was it? Giving her a solo round of applause at the end should be enough to cover any further resentment. I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you."
She looked up at him, her eyes still vaguely troubled. But she smiled at him, and nodded her head thankfully. "Thanks, Humbert."
"Agh!" Renaldo sighed, setting aside the teacup. "I never want to go through that again!"
"Oh, come on! The tea couldn't have been that bad," Toto taunted before turning to Haru. "It might be a good idea to throw away anything that comes to you from someone you don't know. I can't imagine why someone wanted to sabotage the performance, but we can't afford to let anything happen to you."
"Yes, sir," Haru complied without hesitation, setting the teapot aside. Both of her hands now ran freely through Baron's fur, making him stretch and purr over her lap lazily. Suddenly, her beautiful brown eyes flickered. "Oh, Humbert?"
"Yes?"
"I sent your aunt a bouquet two days ago. If I had known she missed that flower so much, I'd have started sending them years ago."
"Thank you," he said gratefully, giving the Moon brothers a nervous glance.
"Stop that," Renaldo grunted, still massaging his throat. "We made Haru tell us what the argument was over after getting your note."
"It wasn't a fight; it was an enlightenment," Haru corrected, her expression slowly changing to confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, but was too slow.
"Whatever. But that was a very stupid thing to think-" Toto was cut off by another knocking at the door. "Who could that be?" he muttered under his breath, walking over to open the door a crack. It seemed a safe precaution, concerning the number of reporters that more than likely still wanted to speak with Haru.
"May I help you, madam?" he asked politely.
"Yes, if you would be so kind, Mr. Moon," a honeyed voice replied. "My son has been speaking of little else besides the new prima donna for weeks. I think an introduction would be in order, considering the circumstances, don't you?"