Part II.
Okay, this is it, Percival thought from behind the wings. This is Romeo and Juliet's first actual scene together! The crowd seems happy enough... I didn't hear any boos yet or see any rotten fruit flying... Rody must be doing okay!
The thought of the cute little magician made Percival's heart skip a beat. He couldn't say why, but something pleased him about this unlikely turn of events. A man, who looks like a woman, playing Juliet? It was too perfect for him, it was almost laughable.
"Romeo, Romeo... Wherefore art thou Romeo? Refuse thy name, and I shall do the same..."
Oops! There's my cue!
Percival's gallant figure crept out of the row of fake bushes, but it seemed very real to Rody. His heart leapt to his throat and his breath caught at the mere sight. It was just as in his dreams--Sir Percival was sneaking into the castle to be with him!
"I take you at your word: tell me that you love me and I'll be baptized anew; henceforth I never will be Romeo!" Percival's noble voice rang with the conviction of true love, for all to hear.
Rody rushed to the edge of the balcony, leaning over in mock surprise. "Romeo! Why have you come here?? The orchard walls are high and difficult to climb, and the place death--considering who you are..."
Percival threw his arms wide. "Lightly spreading love's wings, I came over these walls!"
"If any of my kinsmen were to see you, they would surely kill you!" Rody cried.
Percial's hands flew to his chest, placed delicately over his heart. "Alas, there lies more peril in thine eyes than twenty of their swords! Give me just your sweet look, and I shall be invincible!"
Rody wanted to sigh aloud, but he knew how important this role was for Percival. He didn't dare let out his true feelings; better just to play along for now, and pray for an encore...
Suddenly there was the clanking of armor somewhere offstage.
Rody's head snapped up. "They approach!"
Percival cast one last lingering look at his lady fair before prying his eyes away. God! He'd never seen anything so beautiful!
Forcing himself behind the row of bushes again in the pretend courtyard, the Zexen knight tried desperately to calm the fast rate of his breathing. What was he feeling? Surely this was just the magic of the theater making his heart race...
Landis crossed the stage, followed swiftly by Queen, playing the two guards.
"Heee, hee, he! The voices came from somewhere around here..."
"Don't wreck my garden!" Rody cried fearfully as Landis began jabbing his pitchfork into the shrubbery. "Er, the birds that had been resting here have all flown away because of you!"
Landis cackled. "Yuh, huh, huh! Lady Juliet, we heard people talking here... Might there perhaps...be someone around...who should not really be here, hm?"
"That was just me, singing to the birds!" Rody laughed a soft, effeminate giggle. "It's a false alarm."
Queen put her dagger back into its sheath. "Well, then, forgive us, lady; we shall be going."
As soon as the two guards exited stage right, Rody turned back to face the line of bushes, silently praying that that ogre Landis hadn't really jabbed the wicked pointed fork into Percival's tender flesh... "Romeo? If you stay here any longer, I fear for your life! Please go back for today."
Percival came creeping back onto the main stage. "Juliet, though we have just spoken, must we part already?"
"Madam!" Martha's voice rang from within the pretend castle.
Rody's gaze flew to the doorway leading to the balcony, then back to Percival's hungry eyes. "Forgive me, but we must. I wish you a good night, a hundred--nay, a thousand times over." With a light toss of his long, black silken mane, Rody disappeared into the castle.
Percival watched the retreating form with visible yearing. "A thousand times the worse, to see you go!" he cried out. "If you say you love me, show me your beautiful face once more."
Almost at once, Rody rushed back onto the scene. Now the rest of the stage went dark, save for two heavenly spotlights gleaming down upon the divine pair. "Romeo, parting is such sweet sorrow!"
Percival threw his arms wide and declared, "Juliet is the one for me! This, I feel, must be destiny!"
"Romeo... 'Tis almost morning; oh, how I wish the sun would never rise! That we could go on talking like this forever!"
The nurse called again, more urgently: "Madam! Quickly!"
Rody turned to the shadow of the nurse within, then gazed down at Percival from the balcony, and gave him the sweetest of smiles. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams, Romeo..." With a slight nod, Rody improvised the script--just in case there was no repeat performance--and blew a kiss to Perci--Romeo--standing below.
Percival didn't miss a beat, despite the improvised acting. He caught the kiss in his palm and pressed it to his heart. "Sleep dwell upon your eyes, peace in your breast! In that peace and in that sleep I would also share, if only I could be by your side!"
As the stage dimmed to black, Percival held his breath--for several reasons. During rehearsal, more than once the front of the "castle" had toppled at just this dramatic scene. And besides that, there was the audience's reaction to consider. How would they adjust to the sudden cast switch? Had their acting been convincing?
Okay, this is it, Percival thought from behind the wings. This is Romeo and Juliet's first actual scene together! The crowd seems happy enough... I didn't hear any boos yet or see any rotten fruit flying... Rody must be doing okay!
The thought of the cute little magician made Percival's heart skip a beat. He couldn't say why, but something pleased him about this unlikely turn of events. A man, who looks like a woman, playing Juliet? It was too perfect for him, it was almost laughable.
"Romeo, Romeo... Wherefore art thou Romeo? Refuse thy name, and I shall do the same..."
Oops! There's my cue!
Percival's gallant figure crept out of the row of fake bushes, but it seemed very real to Rody. His heart leapt to his throat and his breath caught at the mere sight. It was just as in his dreams--Sir Percival was sneaking into the castle to be with him!
"I take you at your word: tell me that you love me and I'll be baptized anew; henceforth I never will be Romeo!" Percival's noble voice rang with the conviction of true love, for all to hear.
Rody rushed to the edge of the balcony, leaning over in mock surprise. "Romeo! Why have you come here?? The orchard walls are high and difficult to climb, and the place death--considering who you are..."
Percival threw his arms wide. "Lightly spreading love's wings, I came over these walls!"
"If any of my kinsmen were to see you, they would surely kill you!" Rody cried.
Percial's hands flew to his chest, placed delicately over his heart. "Alas, there lies more peril in thine eyes than twenty of their swords! Give me just your sweet look, and I shall be invincible!"
Rody wanted to sigh aloud, but he knew how important this role was for Percival. He didn't dare let out his true feelings; better just to play along for now, and pray for an encore...
Suddenly there was the clanking of armor somewhere offstage.
Rody's head snapped up. "They approach!"
Percival cast one last lingering look at his lady fair before prying his eyes away. God! He'd never seen anything so beautiful!
Forcing himself behind the row of bushes again in the pretend courtyard, the Zexen knight tried desperately to calm the fast rate of his breathing. What was he feeling? Surely this was just the magic of the theater making his heart race...
Landis crossed the stage, followed swiftly by Queen, playing the two guards.
"Heee, hee, he! The voices came from somewhere around here..."
"Don't wreck my garden!" Rody cried fearfully as Landis began jabbing his pitchfork into the shrubbery. "Er, the birds that had been resting here have all flown away because of you!"
Landis cackled. "Yuh, huh, huh! Lady Juliet, we heard people talking here... Might there perhaps...be someone around...who should not really be here, hm?"
"That was just me, singing to the birds!" Rody laughed a soft, effeminate giggle. "It's a false alarm."
Queen put her dagger back into its sheath. "Well, then, forgive us, lady; we shall be going."
As soon as the two guards exited stage right, Rody turned back to face the line of bushes, silently praying that that ogre Landis hadn't really jabbed the wicked pointed fork into Percival's tender flesh... "Romeo? If you stay here any longer, I fear for your life! Please go back for today."
Percival came creeping back onto the main stage. "Juliet, though we have just spoken, must we part already?"
"Madam!" Martha's voice rang from within the pretend castle.
Rody's gaze flew to the doorway leading to the balcony, then back to Percival's hungry eyes. "Forgive me, but we must. I wish you a good night, a hundred--nay, a thousand times over." With a light toss of his long, black silken mane, Rody disappeared into the castle.
Percival watched the retreating form with visible yearing. "A thousand times the worse, to see you go!" he cried out. "If you say you love me, show me your beautiful face once more."
Almost at once, Rody rushed back onto the scene. Now the rest of the stage went dark, save for two heavenly spotlights gleaming down upon the divine pair. "Romeo, parting is such sweet sorrow!"
Percival threw his arms wide and declared, "Juliet is the one for me! This, I feel, must be destiny!"
"Romeo... 'Tis almost morning; oh, how I wish the sun would never rise! That we could go on talking like this forever!"
The nurse called again, more urgently: "Madam! Quickly!"
Rody turned to the shadow of the nurse within, then gazed down at Percival from the balcony, and gave him the sweetest of smiles. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams, Romeo..." With a slight nod, Rody improvised the script--just in case there was no repeat performance--and blew a kiss to Perci--Romeo--standing below.
Percival didn't miss a beat, despite the improvised acting. He caught the kiss in his palm and pressed it to his heart. "Sleep dwell upon your eyes, peace in your breast! In that peace and in that sleep I would also share, if only I could be by your side!"
As the stage dimmed to black, Percival held his breath--for several reasons. During rehearsal, more than once the front of the "castle" had toppled at just this dramatic scene. And besides that, there was the audience's reaction to consider. How would they adjust to the sudden cast switch? Had their acting been convincing?