OPERAREALM
Chapter VIII
By mid-afternoon, the snow had accumulated considerably and showed no signs of tapering off. The people of the castle thought that this storm showed promise of being one of the worst blizzards that Operarealm has ever seen. That afternoon, the sisters from Cosi fan Tutte as well as Marenka of The Bartered Bride were absolutely ecstatic to find their lovers safe on the snowy castle doorstep. Fioridiligi's Giuglielmo, Dorabella's Ferrando and Marenka's Jenik had come up from Prague, braving the elements to surprise their beloved ladies. After the enraptured hugs and kisses were exchanged, the ladies scolded their men for risking their lives to travel in such terrible weather. Roza, who was looking on from the hall, was suddenly hit by a most harrowing thought: What if Yevgeny is somewhere caught in this harrowing blizzard? While her mind knew that this was highly unlikely, her poor heart couldn't help but worry. She remembered the old gypsy's words about the storm from the East. What if there were two storms? What if the a certain Slavic man was caught up in the blizzard? Roza didn't want to think about that...she didn't want to think about that at all. Suddenly she heard voices drifting down the drafty corridor.
"Are you sure?" came Despina's bright sardonic voice. "That seems about as likely pigs learning to fly...pigs...men...really, I see no difference!" She laughed.
"Of course I'm sure," came Alexandra's voice, ignoring Despina's joke. "Just ask Giuglielmo, Ferrando, Jenik and Tomsky...they've just arrived. They have just come from Prague themselves...and I'll bet that they even stayed at the very Inn that he did."
"Alexandra, my sweet--must you constantly pry into other people's affairs?" said Yeletsky patiently, "I admit the whole situation is interesting, but it is really none of our business."
Roza did not get to hear who and what they were talking about. For she remembered Tatyana's comment about Alexandra well and slipped into a nearby room before the three had a chance to turn the corner and see her. At a time of such unrest, Roza could not be bothered by such gossip.
Roza tried to achieve her peace of mind by sitting in one of the castle window seats and reading a beautiful old gold-bound edition of her favorite British novel, Jane Eyre which she had found in the castle's extensive library. She thought that by reading the familiar and beloved classic, she could find some warmth and comfort in her silent solitude. This worked for about an hour or two but then she was once again disturbed by visitors. It seemed that she had picked the very room that all the Slavics in the castle chose to congregate in. Gherman, Yelestsky, Tomsky and Jenik played cards and drank vodka, while Liza, Alexandra, Palina and Marenka sat close by. Rusalka sat in one of the corners, looking as usual, as alone and as depressed as Roza felt.
Roza sat secluded in the long green velvet drapes of the window seat. She had no desire to reveal her presence. As she was making herself more comfortable, she at once became aware of a soft but firm, object beneath her. She removed the object as silently as possible. It was a beautiful mask of black velvet. Roza didn't really wonder how the mask had found this particular window seat. It might have been a piece left over from their flight from the ball in St. Petersburg a few nights before. In any case, feeling particularly morbid and melancholy, Roza slipped the mask on her face. It was all the better; for she might be discovered by one of the three or more who could be spies for Yevgeny. When twilight came and the light was too poor to read, Roza closed the book and merely listened to the conversation. She was about to drift off to sleep, when she heard Alexandra start to speak.
"So, Tomsky...Jenik...do tell everyone who you ran into in Prague," she said coolly. "I don't think they believe me.
Tomsky set down his empty vodka glass and there was a dramatic pause. "Yevgeny Onegin!"
Roza, concealed in her window seat stifled a gasp. Yevgeny...in Prague? How? Why? She listened intently, hearing everyone's gasp of shock.
"Yevgeny...in Prague? Are you sure?" inquired Liza nervously.
"Of course I'm sure!" replied Tomsky confidently. "Do you think I wouldn't recognize our Russian brother?"
"I saw him there too," put in Jenik. "He stayed at the same tavern as all of us. You can ask Giuglielmo and Ferrando as well."
"Really?" came Marenka, clearly taken aback. "What was Onegin doing in Prague?"
"Looking for Roza," Jenik replied. "She was rumored to have gone there."
"Really?" Palina asked. "By whom?"
Alexandra smiled slyly. "I have no idea..." She seemed to know something that the rest of them did not.
"Nor do I," Tomsky agreed, not noticing this. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that he was there and searching for Roza. He had this picture he drew of her--I never knew but our Yevgeny is a fabulous artist--and he was taking this picture around and asking everyone he saw if they had seen her and knew where she was. I've never seen a man act like that...he was carrying on as if his life depended on his finding her. He's mad, that's for certain!"
Gherman scowled at him. "Monsieur, I entreat you not to make fun of the man in love! Do you know what it is to suffer like that? I know too well and I feel great pity for Yevgeny's plight. I hope he finds his Roza soon."
Tomsky chuckled. "I sure would like to be there when he catches up with her. We are always so involved in our own operas and it would be nice to sit back watch someone else's opera for once."
Palina nudged him with her elbow. "That was cruel, Tomsky. Personally, I hope Yevgeny does not find Roza. He is selfish and does not deserve her. Besides, Roza is suffering enough as it is..."
Liza looked at her.
Alexandra raised her eyebrows at Palina. "How would you know? Unless she's somewhere nearby..."
"Nyet...No, Alexandra, she is not," Liza told her quickly. "Neither of us has seen her since the night of the ball.
"Da," Palina agreed.
Alexandra turned back to Tomsky. "Any word on where Yevgeny is now?"
"Well," Tomsky told her. "As far as I know he was in Prague yesterday morning. He was coming down the stairs at the Tavern as I was going up after my breakfast. He looked like he was going somewhere. I did not see him after that. Jenik?"
Jenik thought hard for a few seconds. "I believe it was him I saw leaving in a carriage. I honestly hope it was not though. There was talk in the tavern that some man was foolish enough to journey by carriage in the storm...they said he was heading North...that he was traveling in this fashion so he could not leave any rock in Czechoslovakia unturned...that he was searching for his love! It had to have been Yevgeny!"
Roza stifled a cry of grief from within her hiding place.
"That's terrible!" Liza moaned shaking her head. "I hope it wasn't him either...but it must be! Oh my, Roza would be devastated. Thank heaven she is not here to hear this!"
Not here, hmmmm? Roza mused wildly. She suddenly felt as if she were suffocating. She had to leave this hiding place that had come to feel like her tomb. She couldn't listen to another word of this. With every word, these people unwittingly plunged the dagger deeper and deeper into her heart. Roza couldn't bear it any longer. She pulled the heavy drapes aside, not caring who saw her.
Alexandra who was seated opposite the window saw her first. She started. "Oh! That gave me a fright!" She put her hand to her heart, calming down instantly. "Well, whom have we here?"
Roza hesitated, not knowing what she should say. "I am not at the liberty to say..."
"Why not?" Alexandra asked suspiciously. All the Pikovaya Damans had stopped playing cards and drinking and were now staring at Roza curiously.
Roza had forgotten that she was still wearing the velvet mask. "I am undercover," she said smoothly, disguising her voice with what she hoped was a believable British accent. "Very secret business."
"...and your name is?" Alexandra inquired, obviously annoyed that she didn't know everything there was to know about the situation.
Roza adopted her middle name. "Elana," she told her and she promptly left the room before she could be interrogated any further.
Roza sighed in complete despair. She was beside herself with worry for Yevgeny. How could he do something so foolish and reckless? If something ever happened to him (could something happen to a native in Operarealm?) she knew she would never be able to forgive herself. Unable to sleep, Roza took to wandering the castle aimlessly, once again prey to her restless and relentless torment. Although she kept reminding herself that it was not her fault that Yevgeny was impulsive enough to pull such a stunt, she couldn't help but blame herself somehow. She had always dreamed of being his comfort and now she might have ultimately caused his demise. Please God, let him be safe...As she was praying and obsessing over these agonizing thoughts of doom and gloom, she met Marenka in the bottom floor corridor.
"Marenka," she whispered running to her. "It's me...It's Roza!"
"I know," Marenka said solemnly. "And so does Liza, Palina, Rusalka and Despina. Don't worry--your secret is safe with us. You needn't worry about the Cosi sisters either--they are much too concerned with their men to bother with anything or anybody else." she laughed. Her laughter echoed desolately in the cold, dark hallway.
A long silence followed as the two looked down the dark halls, in which the only light shone from their candles. "It's late, Roza," Marenka said quietly. "You really should be in bed. It must be past midnight."
Roza nodded in agreement. "But I feel as if I will never be able to rest again, considering my situation."
"You must try," Marenka answered her, stifling a yawn. She was already climbing the massive staircase, coaxing Roza to follow. After a long sigh, Roza began to climb the stairs as well. But then she stopped short. What was that?
"Did you hear that?" she asked Marenka, who had already climbed one flight of stairs.
"What?" Marenka asked, bewildered. "I didn't hear anything."
And then it came again...this time seemingly much more amplified. A loud knocking resonated throughout the foyer of the castle.
"It's coming from the front entrance," Roza whispered, suddenly paralyzed with suspense.
This time Marenka heard it too. "Now who could that be at this hour?" She walked down a flight to join Roza's side, pure confusion on her face. "A traveler lost in the storm perhaps?"
Light footsteps scurried from the direction of the kitchen. Apparently Roza and Marenka weren't the only two up at this hour. Despina hurried briskly towards the main door, muttering something belligerent in Italian about visitors that called at such insanely late hours.
Despina reached the great door and it opened with a long, drawn out creak. Snow swirled into the room with a great gust of icy wind. Despina leaned forward in sheer surprise, blocking the eavesdroppers' view from the stairs. It was as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "You...here...what the--?" Despina, a girl who didn't stammer, stammered.
And then all three of them heard the voice. A rich and most insidious male voice. A voice of pure velvet which was infinitely sad and full of indescribable weariness and longing. "If you please...I have lost my way in this abominable storm. I am freezing and exhausted. Would you be so kind as to grant me shelter for the night?"
"Yes, sir," Despina answered curtly.
The door swung open and a tall, dark figure staggered into the threshold and removed his hat. With his long black cloak, elegant cravat, dark wavy hair, piercing sapphire eyes and intense melancholy--there stood Yevgeny Onegin himself!
Roza, who had never done such a thing in her entire life, fainted dead away. Marenka narrowly caught her before she took a fall down the treacherous steps to an untimely death.
