OPERAREALM
Chapter IV
The dawn of the day of the ball was an exceptionally beautiful one colored of intense peach and full of immense anticipation. Or as it seemed so to Roza, some sort of mysterious foreboding. There was an elusive heaviness in the air the moment Palina woke everybody at daybreak. They had to pack and leave early to catch the final train to St. Petersburg. The train left shortly before eight in the morning and would reach its Russian destination in the afternoon. Once there, everyone would go to Liza's house to prepare for the ball that evening. Roza was beside herself with restless anticipation. Although she had learnt the waltz in a conservatory social dance class once, Roza had never been to a ball in her life. She had dreamed of such a glamorous occasion for as long as she could remember. However, she had to remind herself sternly that this was an event solely for the purpose of gaining firsthand insight for her operatic career. I am a servant of my art, I am a servant of my art, Roza kept reminding herself during the train ride to St. Petersburg. She had not realized that she had taken to pacing the train corridors let alone that she had been speaking the words aloud.
"You are a servant of what?" inquired a female voice that issued from one of the compartments. Who...? She turned to face a beautiful young woman with striking long auburn, large dark eyes and a creamy complexion. She was seated very close to a handsome Slavic-looking man in 18th century clothes. He too, was asleep.
"I am a servant of my art," Roza told the lovely woman proudly.
"Are you?" the woman asked, her voice hinting skepticism. "Then why must you pace back and forth and repeat it again and again? Are you trying to convince yourself as well as myself?"
Roza scowled. "I'm not trying to convince myself of anything."
"Oh--there now. There is no need to get defensive. I was only asking," the young woman said gently, she was not taken aback in the slightest by Roza snapping at her. "I was only asking because you remind me very much of myself once. I know who you are. You are Roza, the new soprano who owns the mirror to Operarealm."
Roza's jaw dropped. "How did you know? How...? Unless you're..."
"Yes," the woman nodded smiling, obviously pleased. "I am Alexandra Vilis."
"Oh my gosh!" gushed Roza. "I know about you! You're the phenomenal singer who owned the mirror before I did! Oh my--people have been mystified about your disappearance for decades!"
Alexandra seemed amused by this. "I'll bet they were." But then her mood changed, to one of a very serious matter. "But I really had no choice."
"What do you mean?" Roza asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Alexandra what happened to you? How or why did you disappear when you nearly had the opera world in the palm of your hands?"
"That is a very personal question, Roza," Alexandra reprimanded gently.
"I'm sorry," Roza said quickly, regretting her immense curiosity.
"No," said Alexandra with warm smile. "You don't have to be sorry. You have a right to know. I will not go into detail, but I will tell you this. I may have been inspired beyond what I thought possible, I may have been possibly the greatest singer in the world, but all of this matters nothing at all if you are chosen by fate."
"Chosen by fate?" Roza repeated, not comprehending the underlying meaning of her words. But in her heart she knew, she knew all right. She just felt a strong need to hear her suspicions confirmed aloud by another person.
In answer, Alexandra snuggled closer to the handsome man that was sleeping beside her on the seat. "Chosen by fate or chosen by love," she whispered. "They are one in the same it seems. Do you honestly think that I could leave poor, discarded Prince Yeletsky behind here when that stupid Liza couldn't possibly see him for his all his greatness--when she went running after that idiot tenor Gherman, only to leave my poor love to despair? No, I would not do it! I am not that selfish. I gave my whole self to him and I am forever his as he is mine. I would have never found such a love in reality! Never! Everyone understands and respects me here as they never could back there. I am my own character in Operarealm and I will never age. I am and shall forever be as I am now. And I have no regrets. I would do it all over again."
Roza stared at Alexandra, absolutely speechless, all of her suspicions about her and the ways of Operarealm confirmed.
Alexandra stared back at Roza, her face searching Roza's in a way that made her uncomfortable. It was as if she aspiring to read her mind. "You have met someone too, haven't you?"
Roza started. "I have met many wonderful and inspiring people since I've arrived here," she told her firmly.
"Yes," said Alexandra knowingly. "But there is one that is above the rest isn't there? One that is utterly special, even very dear to you...a man. A man who has captured your heart, even though you might not know it yet. A man who is haunting your mind relentlessly. This man is what is causing you to pace up and down the train. It is the thought of him that causes you to repeat I am a servant of my art again and again, in attempt to get your bearings--to purge him from your thoughts--and to remind yourself of your initial purpose here. This man is a threat to that, is he not?"
Roza was absolutely furious. "How dare you say such things? How dare you make such assumptions when you don't even know me!"
Alexandra raised her hand in order to encourage her to calm down. "Now, now, there's not need to have a conniption about it. That will only make things unbearable."
Roza was so angry she wanted to throw something at her. She scoffed, unable to speak.
Alexandra seemed merely amused. "Ah, but I do know, Roza. I know you better than you realize. I've told you, you remind me so much of myself! If not a word of what I say is true, then why are you so upset?"
Roza scoffed again. But she calmed down considerably. Alexandra certainly had a point there and Roza did not want to make any more of a fool of herself than she already had.
Alexandra extended her hand to Roza, smiling. "Oh come now, Roza don't be angry with me. I really like you and I want us to be great friends."
Roza took her hand reluctantly and then returned to her compartment. They would be arriving in St. Petersburg any minute now and she wanted to be ready. Roza sat down beside the sleeping Liza and Paulina and heaved a great sigh. Oh my, what if everything Alexandra said was true? She was not prepared to even consider that.
At long last, they arrived in St. Petersburg, the city that Roza has been the most anxious to experience. She was not disappointed in the least. Everything she had known about this great ancient city through literature, opera, and pictures proved to be much as she had imagined it, yet she was hardly prepared for its sheer intensity. The great dark and mysterious Neva river ran through a place of immense melancholy and wonder. There were colorful structures of marble and stone as far as the eye could see and crowds of various native Russians and visiting Operarealm citizens wandering the streets adorned in fur and wool. The anticipation of the Operarealm Ball warmed the freezing late Autumn Northeastern air.
They arrived at Liza's great yellow mansion in the mid-afternoon and the ladies at once ascended up the elegant marble stairs to undress and rest from their journey. Liza said that they would need this nap very much indeed because the Operarealm Ball was a extravagant event and the dancing often lasted well into the next morning.
"Oh my," Roza exclaimed suddenly just as they had laid down on their respective plush sofas for their afternoon nap and as something very crucial suddenly occurred to her. "What am I to wear to such an occasion? I have no ball gowns with me! What am I to do?"
Liza yawned, for she was quite exhausted. "Oh, do not worry, Roza. Everything has been provided for you."
"Indeed it has," added Palina. "For you are our guest, Roza."
"Thank you," Roza responded, but she still didn't completely understand and while she was not vain, felt that if she didn't have an appropriate dress to wear to the grand ball it would be dreadful beyond dreadful.
"Wait until you see it, Roza," said Palina cheerfully. "It's the most gorgeous shade of sapphire silk and in a style that will suit you wonderfully. Really Roza...do you think that Operarealm would not provide the very best for its chosen and honored guest?" And with that, Roza was suddenly reassured and not another word was said. It was time to get some rest for the exciting evening that lay only hours ahead.
Roza was so excited that she barely slept at all. Just when she felt herself really starting to doze off, the maid came in and woke the ladies up to start preparing for the ball. When the maid, Anya produced the gown that Roza was to wear for the occasion, Roza gasped. It had to be the most gorgeous dress that she had ever seen in her entire life! In the Empire style, it was a radiant sapphire silk with short, elegant puffed sleeves with silver trim and a high waste with intricate silver embellishments at the bodice. It came with glittering silver satin shoes, silver evening gloves and a tiara that bore resemblance to the curly designs on the dress. Roza thought that it was both glamorous enough for Tosca to wear, yet still simple enough for Tatyana. It was the ultimate dress of her dreams.
Several maids arrived to help the ladies dress for the ball. Liza was wearing a lovely, massive 18th Century gown of emerald green and black velvet and taffeta and Palina, one of similar style of pale blue and gold silk. Both dresses employed exquisite embroidery work at the bodice and had long sleeves with lace. The maids puffed and twisted their hair up in eccentric period styles and then they turned to Roza, who was all too happy to have her hair done. She absolutely loved having someone to play with her hair. Liza and Palina stood close by commenting as they saw fit, dictating what should be done. Roza could not understand much of what they said, because they spoke in their native Russian, but understood at once when they had finished, for the women produced a gleeful, "Da!" and led Roza to a full-length mirror.
Roza gasped at what she saw. A romantic old-fashioned operatic beauty gazed back at her. The sapphire dress fit like a glove and her long hair had been twisted up in an ornate bun which complimented the tiara. A few stray curls cascaded gracefully around her lovely face. As an after thought, dark red lip stain was applied to her lips and a slight blush added to rosen up her pale cheeks. She could stepped right out of an opera.
"Oh my, Liza, Paulina--dear friends--I cannot thank you enough for helping me like this!" Roza gushed, twirling her skirts about and admiring her reflection.
"Oh, think nothing of it," Liza told her and Palina nodded in agreement. "We are so glad to know you." Liza looked at a small, golden clock on her vanity stand. "Oh my! Look at the time! It's after half past six! I was supposed to meet Gherman down on the porch minutes ago! I must leave you girls now. But I will certainly see you again very soon during the ball." And with that, Liza glided down the stairs without allowing the two girls to say little more than a "Do svidaniya!
