At the front of the front of the festival grounds, and at major intersections where the Student Council had a booth giving people directions was a map and a directory. It contained information like when the various plays and performances would start.
There was a single curious entry. It proclaimed 'An Entertaining Display of Practical Alchemy', to be headed by a venture headed by distinguished names and one knight. Curiously, it did not list a location, only a time just before the ball that capped off the festival.
Those curious asked the members of the student council they could reach, and were told only at location would not be an issue, as the demonstration would be visible from any point of the festival.
Some people of a particular sort, remembering that the Third Prince was a wielder of Fire Magic, became slightly worried and hoped this wasn't a prelude to another bloody take over. They hadn't had one of those in a while, and were a bit nervous they were due…
"Good morning, Mister Smith," Maria said, nodding amiably as she walked down one of the festival's avenues on patrol. Really, it was a patrol!
"Good morning, Lady Campbell," Rafael said with a smile as he came the other way.
Their hands dropped down, their fingers brushing against each other, even as their stride didn't falter.
The moment passed and they continued on their way, going about their duties.
She progressed through the festival, relieving other members of the student council at their posts so they could… well, for about half of them, try and find Lady Claes. Thankfully, there did not seem to be any injuries, so she was not called upon to use her magic. There were not many people asking for directions, either. She had time to wonder how people would take their little presentation.
"Excuse me, young lady," a voice said, interrupting her ruminations, "but can you please assist us? My mistress wishes to know the location of the magic showcase area."
Maria had turned at the query, and found a neatly-dressed man in the clothes of a butler.
Maria bowed. "Of course, good sir. Better, do you wish a guide? I believe I see my replacement coming to take my place."
"Ah, I think my mistress would find that most convenient," the butler said gruffly.
Maria nodded, and signaled, for Lady Redmane to take her place. Lady Redmane paused, not having been on break long, but complied a little sadly. Fortunately, her friend, a lady whose name Maria did not know, chose to stand with her to continue their conversation. Maria resolved to hurry back.
"Shall we go then?" she said, leading the butler and his mistress to their destination.
"What a fine festival this is," the lady said, "though we are curious. The itinerary mentions some sort of alchemy display. I hope it is not some sort of demonstration of volcanism."
"I'm sorry your ladyship," Maria said, "But those who know details have kept it under strict secrecy. Who could command one to speak if the princes themselves order it be kept secret?"
"The king, perhaps?" the butler said gruffly, without his lady's leave.
Maria did not look at him. "If the king were to so demand, then I would say that perhaps his sons wish to surprise and delight him, as sons do for a beloved father. And mother, of course. However, I cannot say such a thing, as the king had not demanded it, and is not here."
They walked in silence.
"You know, you're the woman my sons talk about the most, after Katarina Claes," the butler said, in a quieter, voice. "And that's not an easy feat. My third always calls you interesting. My fourth thinks you're funny."
"I would not know sir, as do not think I have ever met the sons of a mere butler such as yourself," Maria said respectfully as they arrived at their destination. "Enjoy the festival good sir, your ladyship. And if this night's display leaves you with questions… I'm sure a loving son will have surprising answers. May the good sun guide your way."
The butler nodded, as did the amused lady. "Continue seeking strength, young one. The rest will follow," the lady said, and the two entered the showcase area together.
That done, Maria turned back to properly relieve Lady Redmane so she may go back to enjoying the festival.
Eventually, the bells signaling the nearing end of the festival tolled, and the student council met to put on their play.
Not just them, of course. Other students had been called in to man the scenery, direct the lights, maintain the wind spells that would bring their voices to the audience and got people into costumes. Lady Landor handled coordinating that as everyone got into costume.
Maria's costume were dark trousers a white shirt and a dark leather vest for accent. Her hair was pulled back in a tail as someone put makeup on her A sturdy prop sword, meant for actually striking other swords in the fight scenes since they decided to make it real, hung from her waist.
When her makeup was done, she joined the other members of the council at the wings as Prince Alan finished telling the orchestra how he wanted them to play.
"Ah, Lady Hunt," Maria said. "There has been a last minute change of plans. This afternoon I managed to find someone willing to substitute for you at the finale fight scene, so you won't have to pretend to know how to fight. We have not been able to prepare choreography, so the two of us will be conducting a short mock spar, which should be believable enough. They know the phase transitions though, so Lady Ascart, just take your cues from the same signals we practiced."
"Oh, praise the sun!" Lady Hunt declared. "Good, that last costume is heavy!"
"So… " the Third Prince said. "What role does Katarina have?"
"Check your prop, your highness, that sword is paper, not wood," Maria said, as she checked her lines one last time, skimming through the script.
She avoided these questions several times, as the bell to signal the beginning of the performance rang and the audience quieted. The lights, controlled by wielders of fire magic, dimmed.
Lady Cavendish, dressed in the cosmetically ragged clothes of a court scribe, but with the cloak covered with a multitude of colorful patches of a gleeman, began to narrate the story as Lord Silverberg used his magic to assist in carrying her voice to the audience. "Long ago, in the beginning of the Age of Humanity, when hollows and ash still walked the world, the Sun, seeing mankind rising from the ruins of the Dark Age of Fire, cried a single joyful tear. When it struck the ground, a single flower bloomed, unlike any the world had ever seen. Its light and life caused a great wood to grow around it, hiding it from the world. For centuries, as kingdoms rose and fell, as the Chosen Lord of the Hallowed usurped the Deep Sea and the Raging Storm and the Eternal Earth, the flower bloomed and all in its wood felt its warmth."
Behind her, the curtain rose on a prop flower under an intense light and Lady Hunt crawling from a trap door.
"But one day, a soul crawled from the abyss, and by chance found itself in the presence of the flower. They were a cursed existence, clinging to a parody of life. Once mighty, they had lost their power, lost their might and strength. All they had was their beauty, and even that began to whither as they left the embrace of the abyss. In desperation, they cried for mercy, for what they had lost, and the flower heard. The flower, will weak, mind young, took pity on this most wretched thing, and taught it a song. Sing it, the flower said, and it would use its light to restore the soul's beauty and vitality.
"The soul sang, and the flower answered her call. The body that had been old, weak and ravaged became young, lush and vibrant. The soul was overjoyed and in their vanity proclaimed themselves Nashandra, most beautiful of the mortal queens of myth…"
Lady Hunt, in a scanty costume meant to imply she was a poor commoner and spoke to Maria that the nobility thought of fornication more than was healthy, acted the part of crawling from the (trapdoor) abyss and pealing of her ugly mask to reveal a beautiful face.
"Her power strengthened, Nashandra left to woods to hunt humanity, steal weak in its second childhood. But to her horror, she found her beauty leaving her within hours. She desperately sang, but shwas too far, and the flower could not hear her. So she returned to the woods once more and sang, and once more the flower heard her and restored her beauty. Realizing herself shackled, Nashandra stayed, tending to the flower as its keeper and hoarding its power for herself.
"But one day, the queen of a nearby kingdom grew gravely ill. She grew feverish, tired and dryness came upon her throat. As the days passed, her breathing grew labored, her chest pained her and could not move or speak. The king wept, yet could not go to his wife for fear he would catch her disease. Great pyromancers, sorcerers and even hexers tried to heal the queen, but to no avail, and though they tried, no miracles could be found."
"In desperation, the king sent his knights to scour the land to search for any cure, they rode west and east and south and north, into the caves of the dread abyss and to the peaks of the dragonmen. Yet thought the found battle and glory and madness, they found no cure.
"However, the youngest of the knights, as he passed through a dark wood, lamented his queen's plight, and the flower, taking pity on him, sang to him…"
Lady Hunt sneered as she leapt out the window with the baby, disappearing into the dark.
"And so Nashandra took the sun-child, hiding her deep in the woods where her flower had dwelled, and from the abyss summoned a cursed tower of ash. And at the top of this tower she kept the child, and raised it as if it were her own. And she named her Rampion."
"You betray us, Patches?" the elder Stabbington Brother said, drawing the sword at his hip.
The women in the audience swooned at the dashing figure of the Third Prince, even with his eyepatch. Experienced swordsmen noted his perfect stance and center of gravity.
"We are not friends, Pate Stabbington," Patches said, donning the crown they had stolen as if for size before drawing their own sword. "Why expect loyalty?"
More swooning. Experienced swordsmen were surprised to see her form– her swordsmanship form, you perverts– was also good.
"Cursed undeath take you, you damn hyena!" the younger Stabbington brother, drawing his curved sword. "You shall rue the day you betrayed Pate and Creighton Stabbington!"
Swoons again. Experienced swordsmen found themselves excited. Three decent swordsmen on stage? Could this be…
And there were gasps and cheering as the three, using wooden swords but real moves, proceeded to have a dramatic swordfight that was almost real, as the hero took on two princes at once and made it look not just good, but possible.
"You wish to go outside?" Mother Nashandra said mockingly, closing the window through which she had entered. "Why Rampion, my child, you are as fragile as a green blossom flower." She took the cringing Rampion's hands. "Still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why stay within Brume Tower…!"
The music matched not just the words but every gesture and movement, and connoisseurs and people in the front row saw it was the fourth prince himself playing to set the timing as the rest of the orchestra tried to keep up.
"Go," the hook-handed hollow said as he opened the trap door for Rampion and Patches. "Live your dream."
"I will," Patches said, thankful.
"Your dream stinks. I was talking to her."
"Thank you for everything," Rampion said, kissing the hollow, even as Patches crawled through the trap door to avoid the guards.
Backstage, unseen by anyone, a shadow snuck in.
Lord Copperfield, the last member of the Student Council first years to be named, took them to their costume, and hastily helped them get the prop armor on. Even with most of it being padding, Lady Hunt had difficulty moving in it. However, they had no trouble, wearing it easily even as Lord Copperfield brought their props to them.
Sword and frying pan met in a shower of sparks. Patches glared at the horse before him. The horse glared back, determined to do his duty and bring the criminal in!
Swordsmen in the audience cheered as another actual fight and not just tepid choreography ensued.
"Have you seen Katarina?" Keith hissed as he entered the wings, careful not to be caught in the wind magic that were sending out the voices on stage. In the center of the stage, Maria and Sophia were in the midst of playing out the big romantic song number in the middle of the lake.
"Nothing!" the Third Prince hissed, equally quietly, getting his makeup touched up as he got ready to enter at the next scene. "Hex it, she promised!"
"Maybe she meant a cameo," Mary said sullenly, glaring across the stage at Maria. "That lying, double-crossing, bridge-dropping– !"
"Really, it's like she was never a commoner at all," Alan agreed, glaring as well. "Practically a courtier. I'd be more impressed if she wasn't doing it to us."
"Respectfully your highnesses, please concentrate," Diana said. "Plan your vengeance later. The show must go on."
It was here. The last, climactic scene.
"Eugene, formerly Patches the Unbreakable, rode on the Heroic Horse Ludwig into the abyss-corrupted wood," Diana narrated, "through the toxic swamp and the twisted wolves and the giant abyss crabs. Brave Ludwig was overcome by its poisoned taint, ravaged by fangs and lost a leg to giant claws, but would not surrender, not to save their beloved Sun-Child. It was only as they reached the base of accursed Brume Tower did the heroic horse finally succumb. And as the dark pus of the abyss warped the horse into a foul beast did Eugene, to honor his comrade, slay him to free him from the abyssal touch. Sword in hand, Eugene climbed Brume Tower to save his beloved…"
Backstage, the replacement for Mary in the fight scene waited in wings, dressed in the full Nashandra armor.
"Thank you for doing this," Mary said with a smile. "I just couldn't do the choreography right with the armor being so heavy."
The replacement waved their hand, a muffled sound coming from their head. They paused, and their stance radiated confusion.
"Ah, don't worry about it, we'll be using Wind Magic to carry your voice to the audience," Mary assured them with a smile. "So just go out there and beat the President like a drum, okay?"
The replacement clumsily nodded, picking up their two wooden swords.
Mary shook her head. Two wooden swords, when Mary could barely carry the one. She was so glad she wasn't going out there. "Ah, where are you, Katarina?" she muttered, biting her thumb. "I want to see you looking amazing onstage..!"
Ginger Tucker signaled, and the replacement got ready to go onstage as Alan, once more leading the orchestra, began to build up the dramatic final fight music…
The hero stepped through the doorway blocked by shimmering fog. "Release Rampion, you monster," they declared, drawing their sword.
"Eugene!" Rampion cried, tied up and unable to help.
Nashandra turned. Gone was the dark, beautiful woman. She was clad in black armor with a faceless helm made as if from the bones of the dead. In her one hand was a great black sword that glowed with cracks like molten metal, in the other a more plain but still back longsword. Her black skirt of bones trailed the ground. "Yet again, you come. Someone like you should just lie down in the dirt, and stay there. After all, that suits you best "
("Hex it, they forgot their line!" Mary Hunt groaned.)
Eugene held his sword out at his side casually, and began to stride toward Nashandra, eyes burning with determination. Nashandra turned sideways and spread her arms, feet planted wide, knees slightly bent.
In the audience, the swordsmen were grinning excitedly. Surely not…? A third fight…?!
As the distance closed, Eugene lunged moving with sudden and heroic speed, aiming for Nashandra's throat. But with sudden swiftness the lunge was parried, causing Eugene to stumble, and he had to roll out of the way as the Nashandra struck to punish the foolish move. Recovering his feet, Eugene instantly spun and slashed, only to meet the great black sword raised like a shield, which absorbed the blow. Left unbalanced, Eugene barely dodged of a retaliatory thrust, even as Nashandra backed away smoothly…
The swordsmen watched, fascinated. It was clear this young, upstart knight was greatly skilled and was moving aggressively to keep the fight fast and exciting for the audience, but her opponent in their armor presented a steady, capable defense and, as the fight scene continued, was clearly not letting themselves be baited into overextending. Even so, the way the villainess– surely another trained swordsman!– moved with sudden energy to launch a painful-looking but clearly practiced set of moves that had both swords following each other, switching from perfect defense to overwhelming offense that had the hero forgoing all attack in favor of frantically moving back to avoid being hit.
And then, actually being hit.
The audience, swordsmen and casual viewers alike, gasped as the hero made a terrible mistake in their footing and the villainess pounced, the simple but inexorable moves pummeling them with glancing blows that got increasingly less glancing before the final blow struck as if at full force, for it sent the hero flying and rolling across the stage.
"Eugene!" Rampion cried. "Mother, no! Spare him! Please, spare him! Spare my beloved!"
"Silence, brat! Honestly. Do you really not know your place? It is at my feet, as it always has been!"
Disdainfully, Nashandra threw away one of her swords. However, in her arrogance, she threw it too near Rampion, and the Sun-Child seeing her chance, began to fashion her hair into a noose to reach for it…
The swordsmen were on the edge of their seats as the villainess proceeded to hold the larger of her two swords in both hands while the hero groaned and staggered to their knees. The music changed, calling back to the score of previous parts of the adventure such as when Eugene had revealed his true name to Rampion, when they had walked the festival together, when they had been at the lake and realized they were in love. Painfully, the hero got to his feet, looking at his armored foe in determination and also gripped his sword in both hands.
The music reached a crescendo and they charged. They met each other aggressively, blades striking loudly as the two proceeded to exchange rapid blows. However, the hero could still not pierce the villainess's defense!
Some in the audience began to cheer, shouting out encouragement to the hero, even as he grew desperate, moving more sloppily–
There was a collective gasp as the armored villainess sidestepped a thrust instead of parried it, stepping on the blade and trapping it on the ground before slamming the pommel of their sword into the hero's chest. As the hero stumbled back, he lost his grip on his sword, and the armored villainess kicked it away. The villainess raised her sword in both hands, the point flipping down…
Several noble ladies screamed as, with what seemed extreme brutality, the villainess 'impaled' the hero into the floor, savagely twisted the sword to the hero's scream, and violently wrenched it out. Blood clearly flew.
The swordsmen nodded at the brutal pragmatism in finishing off a downed foe.
"Curse you, mother!"
Nashandra turned, staring in horror as she saw Rampion had managed to grab hold of her discarded sword.
"You have taken my dream," Rampion cried. "And thus I take yours!"
And she cut off her hair with the sword.
Her shining, sunlike locks fall away and (a quick, practiced move) her remaining hair turned brown.
"Nooooooo!" Nashandra cried, dropping her sword, crawling to try and reach the fallen locks…
And Eugene, (a tasteful bloody wound in his clothes) staggered up, picked up her fallen sword, and impaled her from behind as she lay on the ground.
"Nooooo! My beauty….!" she cried, before falling still.
(There was a short musical tone and a bell-like chimes to mark her death.)
Eugene collapsed, his strength spent as Rampion used the sword to pry her chains free.
"Eugene!" she cried, kneeling at his side. She sang the song of her flower, but try as she might, her hair did not glow with the healing power of the sun.
"Do not cry, my beloved," Eugune gasped. "You are free. My soul is well spent."
Rampion tenderly touched his face. "You were my new dream," she said tearfully.
"And you were mine," Eugene said, his eyes closing.
Suddenly, however, a light began to shine on him…
"And so did Rampion's love awaken the magic within her," Lady Cavendish narrated. "She healed Eugene of his wounds and tore Nashandra's soul asunder, never to rise again. They fled from the tower as it sank back into the abyss, and with her light, restored the forest to the place of peace and life it had been in the days of the flower. Together, they returned to the city and conquered it with their power and love, creating a new bloodline to rule."
"Thus did Light Magic join with the Dark Soul. Not usurped like the fire of the gods, but freely given with love, a gift that can never be taken away. Yet like true love, a rare and beautiful thing."
Lady Cavendish bowed and the curtain fell as the lights dimmed and music rose. The audience applauded and finally the curtains rose once more as the Student Council, still in costume, all bowed. Then the President gestured to someone in the wings.
The hulking black villainess stepped onstage, carrying the great black sword and made a duelists bow to the audience, to more applause. They bent and the president helped them take off the helmet, which had been securely belted in place.
There were gasps, even onstage.
Katarina Claes smiled bashfully in her stage armor and made another bow, and the audience went insane.
A Backstage Interlude
As Maria had the final battle scene with the double playing Nashandra, the members of Katarina's retinue not doing anything searched the backstage, but there was no sign of Katarina anywhere.
"She went back on her word," the Third Prince said darkly. "Well, a suppose a little consequence is in order, then…"
"Lady Katarina!" Mary cried. "Now I'll never be able to see you on stage!"
"I thought we were better friends than this…" Keith agreed.
"Hey, aren't you going to watch the final fight scene?" Harold Copperfield asked them. "They're getting really good."
"Not now Harold," the Prince said dismissively.
"Suit yourselves," Copperfield said, going back to where he'd been watching at the wings.
"Let's look again," the Third Prince said as the musical cue that heralded the end of the first phase played. "If we can find her, we have just enough time to get Redmane out of her Queen costume and put Katarina in as the Queen during the conquest montage at the end."
The two nodded, completely missing the rest of the fight.
Maria's smile was satisfied as the encores ended and they all finally had a chance to get out of costume. "I hope you all enjoyed watching Lady Claes' performance?" she said. "I kept it silent so it would be of her own choice whether to perform or not."
"You… kept your word," the Third Prince said in disgruntled agreement.
"Only because your talented fiancée kept hers," Maria said. "Until the last minute, she had the choice to not do it. Still, I am glad she did. Her performance was memorable. I was proud to cross swords with her, wooden as they were. Did you enjoy the sight of it as much as you thought you would?"
The prince, Lord Claes and Lady Hunt just glared.
Maria tilted her head with a frown. "You… were watching, right?"
"It was AMAZING!" Sophia shrieked, not for the first time. "It was like I fell in love all over again!"
"Indeed," Nicol said, having no doubt stunned any students trying to keep him from backstage with a smile and forced his way in, "the audience were awed at your performance, Lady Katarina. I heard many of the men and women nearby who were skilled at the sword praising your defense and posture."
Prince Alan nodded. "I have to admit, I didn't realize you were that good with a sword. Since when did you know how to power-stance?"
Lady Claes bashfully rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, well, I didn't really. Lady Campbell taught me a simple sequence that looked more impressive than it actually was. She had the harder job, making it look like I would actually hit her."
"Do not sell yourself short, Lady Katarina." Maria said, having already gotten out of costume and was undoing the armored skirt portion of Katarina's padding. "I merely showed you the moves. It was you who learned them and recognized the opportunities I made for you to use them. Your Ashina-style counter at the end was inspired, given we only practiced it once. I expected you to deflect."
"Eh, thanks, I was so nervous my foot would– wait, what did you call me, Lady Campbell?" Katarina said, eyes wide.
"Please be still Lady Katarina, or I'll never get this off," Maria said. "And good students who make me proud may call me Lady Maria in private."
Katarina squealed, then nearly fell over as the half-undone skirt portion unbalanced her.