Chapter 10)
Asrai watched as Nicholas and Edward who was to play the cleric began their scene. Morosely she looked up where she could hear Tredorian pacing. Ned, awaiting his entrance stopped beside her and held out his hand in silent invitation. With a slight curve of her lips she took it and rose, walking beside him backstage to the prop room at the foot of the stairs.
"What ails thee fair one?" Ned tugged at a curly lock of gold hair as he asked.
Asrai shrugged. "Ned have you ever seen disaster approaching, yet been helpless to prevent it?" She asked quietly.
Ned regarded her with a sober gaze and looked up the stairs. "You worry for him." He said slowly. "You truly believe it a doomed love? If it is then he will be free to love you."
Asrai turned her head until she was looking the actor straight in the eye. "Ned what are you talking about?"
"Do you not love him?" Dark eyes stared right back at her without a flinch.
A tiny smile tilted Asrai's mouth and she shrugged slightly, "Ned, my entire live, I've been privileged, lucky enough to live with two people who are so in love it near makes them glow in each other's company." Her smile grew sweet and adoring as she thought of her parents. "Living with that, seeing it before me, I know how wonderful and how painful love is. And I know how to recognize when it is true."
"Your parents?" Ned asked softly, lest he disturb Tredorian above them or the actors on stage. When she nodded he frowned slightly in confusion. "I thought you were…" He looked down aware that his phrasing would have been less than polite.
"You thought I was a natural child." She said simply, "I know. It doesn't matter that my parents married, the nobility calls all of us bastards." She tucked a lock of hair behind a pointed ear and added wryly. "Or they call us half breeds."
"I've had little contact with the nobility." Ned grinned. "Thank the gods."
She nodded. "But you see, because they didn't approve of my mother, and my father married her anyway, I knew how much he loved her, and she him. I don't think he's entirely aware of what they call his wife, or he would go on such a rampage…" She shuddered. "Best he remain ignorant."
"But your parents remain, passionately in love?" Ned asked curiously. "Even after…five children?"
"Yes." Asrai nodded her smile lighting her face. "They are soul mates. I don't think one could live without the other, not now." She looked up at the ceiling where Tredorian had begun pacing again. "Their example, when I compare it to my own feelings, teaches me that though I love him, it is not a love like theirs, a lifetime love." She shrugged. "But it is love enough that it hurts when he is sad as he is now."
"You believe his love of Julia hurts him?" Ned asked in concern. "How can it?"
"Have you ever loved someone not worthy of you?" Asrai asked. "I don't mean in rank or power, or birth. But someone whose character is not…" she paused searching out a polite word. "Not all it could be, a heart lacking in compassion or tenderness."
"You mean have I ever loved someone whom I did not know." Ned summarized and shook his head. "I've never truly loved. Infatuations, deep affection, enough that I can mimic its depth onstage, but my heart belongs to the theatre."
"Tredorian loves Julia. He loves her with all his romantic heart." Asrai said sadly. "But his love blinds him to her character and it will not last. I only hope the events that strip the scales from his eyes do not destroy him. It would be a great loss."
"You think she will hurt him that terribly?" The actor looked alarmed at the thought.
"I do not think she will consider if he is hurt when she acts." Asrai replied. "It is not in her to consider the needs of others."
"You sound as if you know her." Ned mused.
Asrai gave a short laugh. "According to the gossip below stairs she is not kind to her nurse of seventeen years, and her treatment of the maids is callous at best. I do not see her being any more kind to someone she considers her social inferior."
She rose and pushed her hair behind her ears, "Its time for your entrance." She said in a gentle dismissal.
Tredorian took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Overhearing Asrai's worried conversation with Ned hadn't decreased his agitation over his relationship with Julia. The lady was so lovely and so sweet with him but she seemed two different people at times and he couldn't see which was the real girl. That he loved her was his only certainty.
With a sigh he sat down to write again and this time, tried to think not of Julia, but of Asrai as he wrote, and finally the words began to flow. 'The clock struck nine when I did send the nurse.'
Asrai flew past Ned and Sam at a dead run. "I'm not here." She told them as she went. "You haven't ever seen me." As she disappeared up into the loft the two actors exchanged bewildered looks and then the double doors of the theatre crashed open.
"In the name of his Royal Majesty King Amon, I demand to see the owner of this establishment!" A booming voice more bombast than projection proclaimed. A bearded man in the uniform of a Captain of the guard strode into the theatre.
"What is the meaning of this?" Fenneyman demanded from the balcony. "Who are you!" His resentment of the interruption in the rehearsals he so loved was obvious.
"I am Captain Tilney!" The short man announced. "And in the name of his majesty I shall search these premises." He speared Henslowe with a look as the owner of the theatre hurried forward. "And if I find you are harboring the thief I seek then this theatre will be closed!"
"Thief?" Henslowe protested. "We are actors, not thieves."
"We will see." Captain Tilney gestured for the guards behind him to come forward. At his nod they began to search the theatre.
Asrai shrank into her corner and prayed the guard wouldn't think to check the rafters beside Tredorian's loft. She'd nearly sprinted past the writer only whispering that he wasn't to admit knowing her and squeezed into her hiding place. Tredorian had only blinked and then had the presence of mind to nod and go back to writing.
The guard had hardly disturbed the fiery eyed young man whose quill seemed to fly over the parchment, perhaps having a superstition of his own regarding authors. Instead he had peered all about the room and over the balcony into the theatre.
Finally he shouted down to Tilney. "Captain the only one up here is the writer. And if he'd stolen your purse you'd have ink stains on the strings."
Tredorian looked up irately. "Cease your foolishness!" He snarled out. "Or I'll beg Alleyn to practice on you for his dueling scene."
The guard bowed and muttered an apology and fled back down the stairs.
Asrai waited until she heard the door slam shut and finally dared to breathe. Tredorian looked around the corner of the balcony. "Are you able to get down?" He queried.
Asrai looked to the rafters and then the upper balcony. "I think so, better than I came up, anyway." She rose and to Tredorian's shock walked along her rafter until it joined with those above the upper balcony. Fenneyman nearly cursed in surprise as she swung down beside him, and nimble as a monkey climbed down the beams to the stage floor.
"Sorry." Asrai shrugged. "Tilney just won't let well enough alone." She apologized to Henslowe.
"A thief?" Ned drawled. "A Lady Thief?"
She looked at him. "Have I stolen anything here?" She asked dryly.
"Only my heart my dear Asrai." Ned bowed with a lover's accent and Asrai giggled.
"Tilney took my ring I had from my father. It seemed only fair that I take his purse. He believes me owing though." She explained casually. "He'll give up sooner or later."
"Then you are a thief." Sam said bluntly from where he sat at the edge of the stage.
"Only if he is." She retorted. "He still has my ring."
"When did this occur?" Tredorian asked as he came onstage with pages.
"The night I met you." Asrai replied. "He's operating under some really bad assumptions. If you see a girl in the dark, and she's not dressed in a gown, that's still no reason to jump to the conclusion that she's a thief. My ring didn't match the rest of my clothing so he assumed I'd stolen it." She scowled. "I really liked my ring."
"Well if you had it from your father that would explain it." Ned remarked as he handed the pages to Henslowe.
"Poppa said it matched my eyes." Asrai's frown hadn't receded. "I'm still trying to figure out how to get it back." She sighed and then shrugged. "What?" She asked catching sight of the look on Ned's face.
"Nothing." Ned grinned and patted the seat next to him. With another sigh she sat down again. "We're doing rather well." He gestured towards Daniel and Nicholas onstage. "I come on in a bit." Fenneyman came to sit next to them and they fell silent as the rehearsal resumed.
Henslowe was looking over the pages with Peter. "You mean no dog at all?"
"No, see, Tybalt, kills Mercutio, and then Romeo kills Tybalt." Peter said as he scanned the pages. "And then the prince banishes Romeo."
"That must be when he meets Ethel the Pirate king's daughter." Henslowe said in relieved satisfaction.
"Silence!" Fenneyman roared standing suddenly and striding over to the two of them. "Cease your prattling! Get out! Get out!"
Henslowe and Peter fled for their lives and Fenneyman turned to the two actors onstage. "A thousand apologies." He offered. "Pray continue."
"The born again theatre groupie." Asrai whispered to Ned who grinned his appreciation.
"Master Henslowe…look what I have." Asrai waved sheets of parchment in front of the older perpetually worried man.
"Asrai…Asrai!" Henslowe cracked a smile finally and then grabbed at the pages with a brief chuckle. "Girl you will be the death of me."
"Hardly." She told him moving to the pianoforte. "No one else is here yet, and yet you worry over how the day will go." She shook her head and began to play a slow sweet tune. "Music hath charms." She tilted her head at him.
"Ah…so you mean me to play the pianoforte and relax is that it?" Henslowe resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Instead of doing the thousand and one things I should be doing?"
"Master Henslowe, you have me worried." She stopped playing and looked at him seriously. "If you don't learn to take a few minutes to just enjoy life it will be gone before you know it." Her normally bright eyes were dark purple and serious as she met his gaze. "Please?"
"Well if I'm going to play, you're going to sing." He told her finally giving in and motioning for her to get up from the crates that served as a stool.
"Gladly." She grinned and leaned against the instrument, spreading the parchment sheets of music over the music rack.
Tredorian came down the stairs from his loft as Henslowe was slowly working his way through the music. "What's this?"
"Something that could help you too." Asrai told him. "Your speaking voice is wonderful Tredorian, surely you can sing as well."
Two spots of red appeared on Tredorian's cheekbones and he looked anywhere but her. "Not really."
"Uh huh." Asrai's look said plainly that she didn't believe him. "Then practice will help." She pointed at the music. "This is just for fun. It will help you relax."
"How will making a fool of myself help me relax?" Tredorian asked tightly, his dark eyes glittering with irritation.
"It might just make you laugh." She said so softly and pointedly that he couldn't meet her gaze for long. "You don't laugh very often Tredorian, and that means you're not very happy." She looked down. "You're my friend. I wanted to help."
The rather unfriendly look in his eyes disappeared at the worry in her voice and he sighed. "You're right, you're right." He shrugged. "Let's try it." He looked at Henslowe. "Shall we?"
Henslowe rolled his eyes but even to Tredorian's gaze he seemed to be enjoying himself as he stumbled through the music and they totally botched the words the first time through.
Tredorian frowned over a line. "Asrai, what is this supposed to mean?" He asked in a suspicious voice. "This line about the rose?"
Asrai looked at him. "What are you talking about?" She looked at the line he indicated. "And every time I've held a rose, it seems I only felt the thorns." She read.
"Well?" He folded his arms looking at her as if she'd purposely selected the song for that line.
"Well what?" Asrai put her hands on her hips and regarded him in exasperation. "I didn't write the song Tredorian, William Joel did. And I'm sure he meant the flower, you know there is a flower by that name?" She asked sarcastically and went on without pause. "If you hear another meaning in that line it is something your own mind is seeking, and nothing I can prevent. Do not blame me if your brain looks for reason to show all is not as it should be. I cannot help that your heart doesn't hear your mind."
Tredorian blinked at her and shook his head slightly at her words but seemed to let her irritated tone pass without comment. Henslowe simply shook his head at them both.
"Are you going to sing or not?" He asked impatiently holding his hands over the keyboard.
"Aye." Tredorian replied with a nod. "We are."
"Oh!" Asrai gasped in outrage. "Nicholas, let go of me!" Her ringing tones echoed backstage. Angrily she pulled her sword and kicked him, pushing him back. When he would have resumed embracing her she lifted her sword point. "Don't you dare come near me." She said her voice shaking with anger.
Nicholas glared at her as the thud of footsteps proclaimed the arrival of the rest of the Admiral's Men including Ned and Tredorian. Tredorian took in the scene and his fists clenched while his eyes gleamed murderously. His intent was obvious as he began to move slowly towards Nicholas.
The slighter actor blinked and took a step backwards before Ned intervened. "Ahh… Tredorian… why don't you see to Asrai." He gestured towards the trembling girl who was still staring at Nicholas with her sword drawn. "See if you can get her to put the sharp thing away." His pirates face turned towards Nicholas. "I will see if I can teach this young pup some manners."
Asrai sheathed her sword and let Tredorian enfold her into a hug. "And you all wonder why a woman of good reputation is afraid to pursue a career onstage?" She said quietly. "When even an actor can't seem to tell the difference between performance and genuine passion, can one of the audience be counted upon to do so?" Her question hung on the air as Tredorian tried to turn her towards the doorway.
"Did he hurt you?" Ned asked grimly, keeping his gaze upon the erstwhile Romeo.
"I…" Asrai blushed and hid her face in Tredorian's shoulder. Whispering something to him the writer's face turned white and then his expression deadly as he looked toward Nicholas. Ned turned when he heard no answer and saw Asrai hiding her face and the look on Tredorian's visage.
"Asrai, shall I kill him for you?" The leading man asked pleasantly, his tone of voice at odds with the furious look in his eyes.
"He." Tredorian swallowed and took a deep breath. "Apparently he was doing more than stealing a kiss." He glared at the blond actor. "He was using his hands as well."
Ned turned and looked at the other actor. "Are you sick in the mind?" He asked. "She's thirteen years old! She's a half elven thirteen year old! Don't you have any control at all?"
"She asked to run our lines." Nicholas could barely find his voice. "I thought she…"
"You thought what?" Ned scowled at him.
"I thought she wanted to." Nicholas finished dully. "She let me kiss her."
"Its part of the play you idiot." Tredorian hissed at him. "It doesn't mean you Nicholas, it means Juliet and Romeo."
"Are you a complete fool?" Ned asked icily. "That you can't tell the difference?"
"It's not completely his fault Ned." Sam spoke up in Nicholas' defense. "She's always going off alone with you or Tredorian. And anyone can see the way you look at her."
Asrai looked up in shock at the boy player and then at Ned in appalled denial. "But I…we…we never…" She stuttered her protest.
"Exactly." Ned nodded to her courteously. "As lovely as I find our leading lady, she is many years younger than I, and also innocent. I can't help but enjoy looking at her." He shrugged off Sam's justification of Nicholas' actions. "That doesn't mean I have to act on my baser instincts." He glared at Nicholas. "You are growing puffed up with your own ego. Try not to be anymore a fool than you can help."
Tredorian kissed the top of Asrai's head and again turned her towards the doorway. "I think perhaps, a rehearsal of the duel is in order, as well as the opening street scene." He suggested. "Ned, you were saying something to the effect of Asrai tutoring you?"
"I was." Ned agreed. "Since she found so much to giggle over when we first rehearsed the scenes."
"You all need some work." Asrai said seriously. "Anyone who's fought can tell by looking at the way all of you wear your blades that you're not really warriors."
"Oh well lets all bow to Asrai's expertise." Sam muttered and Nicholas nodded ignoring the irritated gaze of Henslowe.
"Listen to me Nicholas Tooley." Henslowe poked the slighter man in the chest. "That little girl is being more of an adult about this than you are, considering you scared her to death."
"You heard her before." Daniel seconded. "Before she came to The Rose, she'd never even been kissed."
"Exactly. So you keep your hands to yourself Nicholas Tooley, or maybe I'll have a word with Lambert about seeing that you're in no condition to let your sword do your thinking for you. You'd make a very pretty 'female' actor." Henslowe told him.
"Why are you on her side all the time?" Sam asked. "Isn't she ever wrong?"
"I could have done without Tilney, but other than that, she's been right more often than not!" Henslowe turned on his heel and left.
"Well let's go and be taught how to use a sword." Nicholas muttered to Sam who nodded glumly.