I forgot to mention that the recolor of the cover art was a bust. Like I said, I'm really poor at coloring things in, so… not really a surprise it didn't work out. So I got a completely new picture! Obviously, I did not draw it.

I have a poll on my profile I would very much appreciate you looking at. I'd love to get some insight on some future works. If you have the time to vote, I thank you very much!

I'm very, very excited for this story now. I've changed my plans, and I'm so much happier with the plot. I also went back to the beginning and changed some author notes to adjust the warnings. Thank you for your patience!

And, of course, thanks for reading!

Betrayal

Everyone filed into the theatre. Dressed to the nines, the spectators marveled at the vaulted ceilings and low-sunken maroon curtains. The little pit band trilled a welcoming tune as the people found their seats in the low light. Who knew Harmonica Town was full of such culture and refinement?

Gill Gray was practically bouncing with excitement. Lord Julius Wotton followed lazily behind the spritely lad in love, and awkward Toby Hallward came in last, constantly adjusting his coat sleeves.

"This is so very… not me," Toby complained quietly. Gill was chattering unheard ahead of them, going on now about how clever and kind his fiancée was for getting them the only box seats in the house. "It's so late and dark in here! I won't be surprised if I nod off – I'm usually sleeping by now…"

"You sleep too much," Julius teased. The hallway became so narrow that the men had to walk somewhat to the side. A cobweb that fluttered above Wotton's top hat was quickly drawn away with a swipe of his cane. "Though I admit this place is a bit rudimentary, are you not excited to see the… now how should I describe her? Oh, Mr. Gray? What was that word you used before the last in reference to your miss?"

Not missing a beat or a breath, Gill quickly said: "Majestic!" before continuing on his ramble of the theatre play.

"Ah, there you have it! Are you not anxious to meet the majestic Miss Selena Vane?" Lord Wotton was smiling devilishly.

Toby let out a sigh. "Of course, but I don't get all dressed up like you do. These shoes pinch—"

"Because you haven't worn them in years!" Julius rolled his eyes.

"Exactly! I just hope all of this is worth the effort…" the fisherman grumbled. He had been even moodier as of late for his lack of inspiration. It was truth that Gill Gray had been his only motivation to paint. And now that it was all said and done with the portrait, Toby was forced to return to fishing. But still he craved art. His days felt empty.

A staircase opened up before them. Luckily, it was wider than the previous hall, so it wasn't so awkward and troublesome to climb. The box seats were soon before them and Gill was waiting patiently and proudly to show them their seats. Because Gill chose the seat closest to the stage on the end, Toby could not be seated near him and took the opposite end as Julius sat between.

Once settled in their seats and the garbled conversation slowly dying in the audience below them, Julius sat back and tapped Toby's wrist with a smirk. "Yes, I do believe this will be worth the adventure, Mr. Hallward."

The lights dimmed to darkness and a single spotlight struck the stage. The curtain rose upon a bare set – one that was free of backdrops or props of any kind. Just the red curtains, the hardwood floors, and the white beacon of light.

A man dressed with long, near ridiculous coattails made his way center stage. He welcomed the theatre a good evening and provided the title of the play. "Please enjoy this night's dance performance of Shakespeare's renowned comedy – As You Like It!"

Light applause took him out of the picture. Presently, the band picked up tempo and people rapidly filled the stage. Ballet dancers dived and pirouetted across the stage in pairs.

Lord Julius was prodded by Gill's gloved finger to the forearm. "I've seen this one a million times – she'll have her own introduction right after the first scene between Oliver and Orlando. You'll see!"

Wotton relayed the same message to Toby though full of sarcastic whimsy. Toby rolled his eyes and sunk in his velvet-lined chair.

The music abruptly stopped before two male dancers cleared the stage for themselves. They danced about before another joined them. Though slightly intriguing, the play without words was completely over Toby Hallward's head. He couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on and so waited in slight nervousness for the appearance of Gill's betrothed.

The next scene finally opened up and two lovely ladies took the stage. They shared the lone spotlight for but a moment as the man from the beginning made the announcement of the playhouse's star: "Presenting the lovely Miss Selena Vane – tonight's Rosalind!"

Applause immediately filled the room for her. Julius watched as Toby clapped without energy and Gill proudly smiled wider than he had ever seen. Mr. Gray noticed the attention of his friend's eyes and smiled at him. "What did I tell you? Is she not the most beautiful—?"

Gill Gray cut himself off as the audience hushed as if to revere a tomb. The second woman, who did not get an introduction for playing Celia, brightly launched herself and spun. Her hands moved to tell the story with the rest of her body.

Selena Vane was a different story. Given her cue to begin, she left her starting pose and stiffly moved to follow the Celia dancer. Unlike the other girl, Selena's face held no emotion as was the same with her body movements. Everything was disjointed and lackluster. She looked as if she couldn't care less if she was there or not.

Immediately, Gill's face fell.

Toby's eyes widened. Was this the girl? There was no doubt she was lovely to look at, but her dance was so… frightfully ugly. She was void of all feeling. Her character was ruined by her stiffness. It wasn't that she didn't know the moves… it was that she was executing them in the most dull, terrible manner. She was boring.

"Dance goddess indeed…" Julius mumbled.

"It… It must be…" Gill shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand… She must be ill or…"

Gill trailed off as he continued to watch with disappointment etched in every corner of his face. The scene felt much longer due to Selena's apparent indifference and when the music finally stopped, Gill let out a long sigh. Lord Julius had seen all that he could on the stage and instead focused his attentions on his distraught companion for the remainder of the evening.

Slowly throughout the night, Gill Gray's face moved from confusion to despair to frustration. By the time the last scene finished and Selena ended her mediocre performance, he was slouching, glaring, and drumming his fingers.

The finale's music ended in a blast and the curtain fell. There was no standing ovation like Gill was used to seeing. Some people had left halfway through the performance. There was only the quietest of praises before the patrons filed out with bored, dejected faces.

"Um…" Toby struggled to sit straighter in his seat. True to his prediction, he nodded off quite a few times. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked to Julius who was still watching Gill. "That was…."

"Interesting," Lord Wotton provided.

"A moment," Gill said darkly and stood. He quickly made his way down the staircase behind them and disappeared.

"Most interesting indeed," Julius repeated, shaking his head. His smile was much too large for Toby's liking. The lord stood and struck his cane firmly in front of him. "Yes, this will be most interesting."

Confused and feeling embarrassed for Mr. Gray, Toby quickly collected himself and followed Lord Julius who was halfway down the stairs. "Where are we going? Shouldn't we wait for Gill?"

"We will – just down at the entrance. I have a feeling we will find him there," Julius said easily.

Toby ducked under a spider web, pulling his cuffs further down his wrists. "What makes you think so?"

"Hm. So you did not notice the dressing rooms were down there," he stated. "If things still go as planned, we are yet to be introduced to a dreary dance goddess."

Toby Hallward's stomach fell at the thought of meeting the listless dancer. But at the same time, there was a sense of dread about the whole thing. Like their paths were never meant to cross in this world.

Selena Vane let out an enormous sigh and collapsed into her chair. She faced the make-up mirror and frowned.

The smoky atmosphere of the dressing room diminished some at the opening of the only door. In stormed the theatre manager in a tizzy. "What on Earth was that?!"

"Hm?" Selena hummed, not looking away from her reflection. She let her auburn hair fall down around her shoulders.

"That was the worst performance I have ever seen!" The man huffed, pulling his belt higher. "It was absolutely dreadful! What's gotten into you?"

"Oh, nothing," Selena replied. She took off one of her ornate stage necklaces and placed it in the large jewelry box on the table.

The stage manager glared. "Miss Vane, do remember that you are not under contract. I can have you thrown out at any time I choose and leave you to waste in poverty on the streets. Put you right back where I found you!"

Selena rolled her eyes. "Oh, bother…"

Growing red in the face, the manager was just thinking of striking her when a shadow appeared at the open doorway. Selena immediately recognized it and turned with a dazzling smile. "Why, Prince Charming!"

"Good! She'll listen to you. Knock some sense into this girl before I have her tossed!" With a growl, the man turned on his heel and gruffly shoved by. The door slammed shut behind him.

"He's so dreadfully bad tempered," Selena smirked, rising from her seat. "He'll get over it though."

Gill Gray was silent as he made his way around the room. A few elaborate bouquets of flowers caught his eye. There were cards attached praising Selena's extravagance and dancing abilities from previous nights. His frown grew deeper.

Selena could feel something was off about him. For once, she faltered before speaking up. She held her elbows. "So… Did you enjoy the performance?"

Gill slowly turned away from the flowers. "How could I?"

She was expecting his confusion but not his apparent anger. Selena smiled silkily. "I thought so. I was hoping it would be my last."

He frowned at her. "But… But why?"

Selena Vane spun around to face the mirror. "All of those stories… they're so trivial. So tired. I danced them time and time again, never giving them much thought. But now I know. I can see it."

Gill waited for her to continue, half scared of what she might say.

She faced him again with a bright hope in her countenance. "They're all lies! These emotions aren't real… Everything is fake and wrong and distorted. That's not love. They don't know love! But I do! I know what's real now. It's because of you, Prince Charming…"

His eyes widened.

Selena sauntered up to him, arms open. "We have the real thing! I don't have to dance these lies anymore… I know what real love is, and it's us. What we have. It's not something I can portray in a fictitious dance. I don't want to even try anymore – I can't!"

"You… can't dance?" Gill asked, his heartbreaking.

Selena Vane shook her head. "Can't and won't! I don't have to! My Prince Charming has come to rescue me~"

Before she could wrap her arms around him, Gill roughly shoved her away. "No…"

Her resolve broke. "Darling…?"

"No!" Gill shouted, angrier. "How can you give it up?! All that was so beautiful and unique—"

"It wasn't truth!" Selena argued. Her voice was growing desperate as she watched his face. "It wasn't me!"

"You only wanted my money," Gill accused darkly. "A way out of this hell hole."

"No!"

"You've embarrassed me. And to think… I nearly married you…" Gill Gray shook his head.

Selena fell back from him as he made his way towards the door. She didn't realize she was crying until her fingers touched the tear tracks running down her face.

"I… I only loved your dancing. And you've betrayed me…" he continued, feeling his every word was deserved as tears of his own welled up in his eyes. She renounced all that was beautiful about her. She gave up everything dear. She tricked him to get to his money. She lied.

Selena was gasping for air as hysterics took her over. But she couldn't find words underneath her sobs.

Turning to her with a vengeance and the hurt of his heart break, Gill Gray denounced her. "Enough! I never want to see you again!"

As the door slammed, Selena Vane fell into her chair. She was so blinded by tears and despair, she couldn't see her own broken reflection in the mirror. She buried her face under arms as she cried out the betrayal of her love on her dressing table.

Gill Gray promptly found his friends at the door. There was no surprise he had no further intentions of ever coming to the theatre again. He left the playhouse, a frown now a permanent fixture to his face.