Chapter 15)
Tredorian climbed the steps to Julia's balcony exuberantly, filled with hope and joy. "My lady!" He took her hands and kissed her passionately. "Oh my love! Marry me!" He implored. "Be my wife, not Huntsilver's, be my lady!"
"What?" Julia struggled out of his embrace and retreated to stand beside a bedpost. "If I could follow my desires in the harsh light of day Tredorian…" She began and was interrupted by the writer's importuning again.
"My play is to be performed!" He explained. "I shall be a successful writer. I shall be known and well throughout Cormyr. Marry me, my love, please say you will be mine."
Her pretty mouth twisted impatiently and she sighed. "Tredorian, I cannot, you know I cannot. My family has arranged the match."
"But if you were free?" Tredorian asked. "Would you marry me?"
"But I am not!" She snapped. "Why do you persist in asking me?"
"Because I love you, and you love me, and it is right that we should be together." Tredorian said passionately. "Please, say you'll wed with me, and I promise you, all will be well."
"Oh enough of this!" Julia exclaimed, wrenching her hands from his. "I won't marry you Tredorian." She said bluntly. "Don't you understand? I will not be the wife of a poor player. I am not in love with you." The bright green eyes that looked so warm and passionate in bed were like chips of ice. "Its one thing for me to take an amusing lover, someone who can recite poetry to me and makes love to me with adoration and passion. Its another entirely to marry him and ruin myself socially and financially."
Tredorian wondered if her words could cut him, her tone was so sharp and cold. He stared at her numbly and listened as she continued her chilling explanation. "I don't want to marry you Tredorian. I never did. I never loved you. And I certainly didn't take this affair seriously. I want to marry Christopher Huntsilver. He will make me his wife and I'll be one of the highest ranking ladies in the court while he gains my dowry, my connections and me. I want to marry him, the Heir to the Huntsilver title, not you, a penniless vagabond rogue. That's the only reason he hasn't slit your throat. He knows he has nothing to worry about."
"I see." Tredorian said quietly. "I must remember to congratulate her Majesty on her excellent eyesight." His resigned tones were bitter. "She knew what you were, but more fool I, I could not see."
"I should have known she would be on close terms with you, have you become her lover as well?" Julia inquired cattily
"No." Tredorian said flatly. "And since you are not worthy to speak of her I will not." He turned and began to stride from her room, not toward the balcony but to the door leading to her sitting room and then the hall.
"Where are you going?" Julia demanded. "You should leave the way you came."
"On the contrary." Tredorian turned in the open doorway. "I must speak with Sebastian and this is the shortest way."
"But everyone will see you!" She nearly shrieked.
"What of it?" He left.
"Tredorian, the guards tell me that you were asking after me?" Sebastian regarded the writer from the doorway of the sitting room.
"They have the right of it." Tredorian said heavily. Now that his first flash of anger was gone he felt as if he'd die of the pain. Self deceived and blinded by love he wasn't sure what hurt more, her words or the castigation of his nimble brain.
"I would have thought you avidly worshiping Julia's beauty at this time of day." Sebastian commented. For someone who's reputation told of his nightly exploits the prince looked remarkably well rested, considering it was near of four in the morning.
"And until this morn you would have been fairly accurate in your supposition." Tredorian rubbed his eyes. "Tell me Sebastian, how great a fool have I been?" He looked up at the prince wearily. "I love her still, fool that I am."
"Truly? Or is it the girl you believed she was that you love?" Sebastian took a seat and idly grabbed a peach from a fruit bowl. "Here, eat something." He tossed the fruit to Tredorian.
Reflexively the older youth caught it and bit into the peach. "I don't know. But I am sick with it." He sighed. "How much of a fool have I been in this?"
"No more than any other man who sees a sweet innocent face and believes the character beneath just as pure." Sebastian told him. "I doubt you can name one woman you've met whose character and visage are in accordance."
Tredorian smiled. "Actually I could name two."
Sebastian grinned. "Really?" He challenged the playwright. "Who are they?"
"Your mother, and my leading lady." Tredorian's smile disappeared. "Both of whom predicted this would happen."
"My mother?" Sebastian asked. "I didn't know you'd met her."
"Aye, and when I did, I was amazed." Tredorian sighed. "She's magnificent and remarkably clear-sighted." He shook his head. "If Julia had half of her character I would still be with her."
"But you are not, so I take it Julia has informed you that your usefulness is at an end?" The prince asked slowly, irritation gleaming in his eyes at the thought of the cold lady scorning this kind poet.
"In rather less kind words than that." Tredorian said heavily. "I wished to invite you to see my play." He rose and bowed. "If it pleases you, please extend my invitation to your mother and family. I would be honored beyond measure if all of your family attended." He hesitated a moment. "I'm afraid it is short notice, we open tonight, but it should be worth the bother."
Sebastian grinned. "What bother?" He asked. "My parents will be ecstatic at the opportunity to cancel Court."
This brought a touch of a smile to Tredorian's lips as he bid the prince farewell. Strange how the last folk he'd thought would wish him luck were the very family who most accepted and appreciated him.
Faith looked around the room and smiled slightly. Raden had been right when he said Asrai could hide well. The princess was asleep now, they'd talked from the time the two of them had arrived in her room until the wee hours of the morning. Now it was past dawn. Faith yawned and shook her head. She had better contact Raden and let him know where she was. A strange father he might be, but he still was her father and her boss to boot. He always wanted to know where she was.
Carefully she rose, trying to keep from disturbing Asrai. Taking a small roll of parchment from her boot and a quill from within it she wrote a short summary of the events, making sure to tell him that Asrai was fine and still intended to come home after the play. Taking the parchment she folded it into a tiny square and inserted it into the pouch at her belt. At some point in the morning Raden would magically retrieve the message and be informed of she and the princess' whereabouts.
Nervously Asrai watched the crowd entering the theatre. Everyone was entering early in hopes of getting the best seats. A gasp escaped her as a crested coach pulled up.
"Asrai." Faith teasingly tugged at the long braid into which the younger girl had bound her wild hair. "What's up babe?"
"The Royal Coach." Asrai whispered. "The King and Queen are coming to see the play." She sounded as if she was strangling.
"Well if we don't get inside we won't get to see it." Faith shook her head. "C'mon, we can get in the back." With a trembling giggle Asrai took Faith's hand and they ran across the square towards the theatre.
Once within Faith looked around for a good seat. "There," she pointed with a dark grin. "Over on the side."
Asrai looked to where her friend was pointing, to the left of the stage on the benches. "Are you crazy?" She squeaked. "Right next to Burbage?"
"Nobody'd expect to see you there would they?" Faith grinned at her. With a groan Asrai let the other girl pull her towards the seats.
"We still have almost half hour before it will begin." Asrai pointed out. "What if he recognizes me?"
Faith pushed her against the wall and flattened her own body to Asrai's. Passionately she kissed the violet eyed girl until they were both breathless. "You're an actress aren't you baby?" Faith's wicked whisper breathed in Asrai's ear. "Act like someone else."
Asrai smiled shyly and then to Faith's surprise brushed her pink lips over Faith's dark mouth lingeringly. "All right." She agreed.
"Sam!" Tredorian caught sight of the boy dressed in the deep red Juliet gown he'd used at rehearsal. "Sam, what are you doing?" Sam was gargling water and repeating one line over and over.
Henslowe, who was nearby with the stuttering Wabash looked up in alarm. He hurried over as Tredorian was urging the boy. "Sam, do me a speech. Say me a line!"
"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo." Sam croaked out the line. "I'm sorry Tredorian. I could do it yesterday."
Tredorian groaned. "We're doomed."
"No, it will all turn out well." Henslowe assured him.
"How will it?" Tredorian looked a bit wild eyed standing in Romeo's blue costume and staring about him at Wabash, Sam and the other actors all going through their preperformance rituals. "How will it?"
Henslowe shrugged. "I don't know." He looked around. "But Juliet doesn't come on for twenty pages."
"We're doomed." Tredorian uttered the words again as he regarded Wabash who was still trying to get through his first line. The stuttering tailor turned actor looked back at him and took a deep breath trying to say the line again.
Henslowe pushed Tredorian towards Wabash. "Encourage him." He hurried off before the two men could ask who was supposed to encourage who.
Burbage sat with his light o' love Rosaline on his knee, determinedly ignoring the two giggling, whispering girls next to him. He could only hope they'd cease their antics when the play began.
Henslowe came up from Rosaline's side. "Can I have a word?" He asked in a desperate whisper.
Asrai giggled as she heard him and whispered to Faith. "But one word? Couple it with something, make it a word and a blow." Faith chuckled throatily and looked daggers at Burbage when he shushed her.
"What is it?" He asked turning to Henslowe.
"We have no Juliet." Henslowe whispered.
"No Juliet!" Burbage was shocked but Asrai was even more so.
"No Juliet!" She exclaimed in echo. "What happened to Sam?"
"It will all turn out well." Henslowe began to shush her and then his eyes widened. "Asrai!" He stumbled over Burbage and Faith to grasp Asrai's hands. "Asrai please, don't destroy my last hope." He begged.
"Master Henslowe you know I'll do it, but I can't go onstage like this, and Sam's costume won't fit me." Asrai gestured at her breeches and tunic.
"There must be something in the wardrobe that will fit." Burbage told her but Rosaline shook her head.
"All the gowns are fitted to men." She told him. "She's a girl, they'd be huge on her and pinning them would destroy the effect."
"What happened to the gown you bought yesterday?" Henslowe asked pleadingly.
"I don't carry it around with me." Asrai said in exasperation. "It's in my room."
"Babe, give me your word you won't leave the theatre while I'm gone and I'll go and get it for you." Faith drawled casually.
"Do you think I'd let her out of my sight?" Henslowe exclaimed. "She's Selena's smile personified."
"I promise." Asrai frowned her confusion at the need but Faith simply kissed her and with a deft speed that reminded Asrai of her mother, got nimbly to her feet, through the crowd and out the doors.
"Asrai, you come with me." Henslowe took her hand and began to pull her backstage. "We've got to do something with you."
"Do what with me?" The princess asked a little uncertainly.
"Stage makeup." Henslowe said shortly as he guided her through the stage door and into a tiny room. "I'll get Ned."
"What?" Asrai blinked as he dissapeared out the door and stared at herself in the mirror. "Oh sweet goddess." She groaned.
In the royal box next to her mother Morgana stiffened. "Momma." She whispered, pressing her mother's hand urgently.
"What is it dear?" Sabine kept her voice low as she bent her head to her oldest daughters.
"Asrai Aelaitha is in the theatre." Morgana whispered urgently.
"How do you know?" Sebastian asked, his entire body poised to begin searching.
"I can feel her." Morgana told them softly. Next to the king Andreas and Lorelei were both staring at her. "She's here, somewhere."
"Andreas, go and fetch a guard Captain, all the doors are to be guarded 'gainst anyone leaving before we've found her." Amon said quietly. "We don't want a fuss, so they're not to interrupt the play."
"Yes sir." The Crown Prince rose and exited the box.