Maria had spent the day with Chariot finding something nice to wear to blend in.
She didn't often attend parties back home, or dress up well when she attended dances at school. Seeing how the people dressed in Mytharia though, she knew she had to pick something that matched. The outfit also had to look like she was wealthy if she was going to be sneaking up to the third floor of the theater. She needed to look like she belonged. It was hard, but with a city as large as Berlington, the two eventually found a shop that sold something Chariot liked-- a sturdy leather corset over a black pleated gown. Maria eventually settled for a simple homespun, silk white dress with long bell sleeves, and a light, navy blue bodice that draped down to her knees. A braided cord cinched the dress. While she was at it, she snagged a pair of thick, elbow-length gloves so she could keep the mark on her wrist covered without it looking unnatural.
As sunset cast its warm glow over the bustling city the following evening, Maria and Chariot arrived at the Greensbolt Theater. It was an immaculately detailed building, with carved arches and columns. Everything from the windows to the stone, and even to the banners that hang from the roof advertising the play, screamed royalty. Lush flower arrangements adorned the entrance. Exotic blossoms with petals were nestled amongst verdant leaves. It was a riot of colors and fragrances that mingled and perfumed the night air. Maria couldn't help but stop and smell them. It was just enough to help her forget the awful stench of the sewers and the jacket she had to clean before arriving.
A red carpet, velvety and resplendent, stretched from the entrance and extended into the bustling square, where a large crowd of people stood waiting for the doors to open. The men and women dressed in fine suits, and resplendent gowns exuded an aura of regality and nobility so thick that it weighed down on Maria like an anvil. She felt severely underdressed. Many of the wealthy men wore tailored suits, and the common folk wore nice jerkins. The women wore tight-fitting dresses, letting their shapely curves accentuate themselves. They puffed out their chests, with expensive jewelry and lace hanging between their cleavage.
The pair soon found The Oracle, who had dressed in his snow-white church robes. They had agreed to all meet up at the theater before the doors opened, and the only one they were waiting for now was Tanalia.
“I'm glad you two could make it,” the Oracle said.
“I mean, we kinda had to,” Maria chuckled. She kept an eye out, scanning the crowd for her.
“That you did. I meant more so before the doors opened. When we go inside, you'll have to stay by my side until the play starts. When the lights dim, you can act. A few people might linger around outside the doors. It should be easier for you to do what you need to.”
“Thank you again for this,” Chariot said.
“It's my pleasure. I'll do whatever I can to help you get closer to this The Ringleader fellow.”
The two stood by waiting. Eventually, Chariot tapped on Maria’s shoulder and gestured for her to glance behind her.
Tanalia approached, having done her golden hair up into a single braid that cascaded down her back. Maria was stunned to see Tanalia in her dress though. For someone whom she associated with being more tomboyish and destructive based on how she behaved, she never expected to see the elf wear such an elegantly crafted off-shoulders dress. The forest green bodice was adorned with embroidery of vines that twisted and twined around silver leaves and gold threads that pushed up her smaller breasts to make them appear larger than they really were. The draped skirt was made of forest green silk that became progressively more transparent the further down her legs it went, almost like tulle. Tanalia had tied her light green shawl around her waist again, though it did clash slightly with the color of the dress, it was hard not to notice how it hugged her body.
“Woah,” Maria said.
“What?”
“Just... you look amazing.” Maria’s gaze fell onto the very noticeable valley between Tanalia’s breasts. Not even the fabric of the dress could hide her peaked nipples.
“Don’t I always?” Tanalia said flirtatiously.
“You do, don’t get me wrong, but that dress…”
“This is just normal elven attire.”
“That's normal?” Maria practically shouted.
“Well, normal for formal.”
Maria stood awe-stuck for a few moments, taking in just how much the dress matched with her emerald-colored eyes, before breaking out of her daze. “I need to visit an elven tailor,” she muttered to herself.
“I’m surprised to see you’re wearing heels,” Chariot muttered.
Maria glanced down at Tanalia's feet. She hadn't even noticed, but Chariot was right, Tanalia was wearing a pair of sparkling green heels, with embroidered vines that snaked up her ankles.
“Why?" Tanalia asked.
“You never struck me as the kind of woman who would wear such a thing..”
“I'm not, but my parents taught me how to walk properly. I would rather walk barefoot, but I can work with them to keep up impressions. What about you, why are you wearing heels?”
“It’s for my distraction,” Chariot mutters a little quieter.
“Sure,” Tanalia teased. “So, what are everyone's stats looking like?
Name: Maria Marigold
Lvl: 21
HP: 1336 >> 1100
MP: 258 >> 220
Total Defense: 83 >> 0
Total Attack: 45.8 >> 1
Maria was relieved that her stats hadn’t changed too drastically. The stat boosts of her gear weren’t as impactful yet, though she knew the higher a level she was, and the better gear she had, the more of an impact it could have had, such as was the case for Chariot and Tanalia.
Name: Chariot Crowhaven
Lvl: 24
HP: 1741 >> 1251
MP: 42 >> 251
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Total Defense: 585 >> 0
Total Attack: 166 >> 1
Chariot’s defense was by far the biggest change, but as a trade-off, because she wasn’t wearing gear that actively took away her mana points. “I feel naked,” Chariot had said, and Maria didn’t blame her. She was so used to seeing the warrior in her armor that seeing her out of it was just far enough out of the ordinary to throw her for a loop. Out of all the three of them though, Tanalia had it the worst.
Name: Tanalia Taymore
Lvl: 28
HP: 3545 >> 1450
MP: 49 >> 290
Total Defense: 322 >> 0
Total Attack: 60 >> 1
Like with Chariot, her MP had never been higher, but her HP had dropped significantly. The only stats they were left with were their base ones and the added damage of their fists. Weapons weren’t allowed to be equipped in the theater, though they didn’t seem to have an issue with them lingering in someone's inventory. Maria figured it was just the sight of a weapon that caused people to panic. Looking around at everyone mingling about, she figured the vast majority of them had a weapon of some kind stored away in the safety of their inventory.
Even though the chances of anyone attacking her were small, she felt unnerved. With her defense being so low, she had never felt more vulnerable. It was like this back home, but here, it was more dangerous.
The doors to the Greensbolt Theater finally opened, and the crowd of people flooded into the lobby. It was a grand display of wealth and prosperity, with tapestries and floral decor lining the walls, shimmering chandeliers that filled the room with warm, orange light, and the sound of bustling voices as people excitedly clambered their way into the theater. A long line had formed for tickets, leading out into the street, but for the trio, it appeared as though they didn’t need any. The Oracle led them past the line, and over towards the stairs leading to the second floor. A guard stood before them with a shortsword that was brandished on his hip, unsheathed, but tucked in against his body so it could be drawn at a moment's notice. Maria wondered if they ever needed to use it on someone. If not, she prayed tonight wouldn’t be that night.
“Good evening,” the Oracle said to the guard, approaching him with a warm smile. “I am just seeking access to the second floor.
The guard didn’t need to look the Oracle over. The moment he spotted the church robes he was already moving out of the way. He held an arm out, openly inviting the older man to ascend, but as the trio followed, he quickly moved back in their way.
“Only those with special privileges are allowed on the upper floors,” he said in a low voice.
“Ah, they’re with me,” the Oracle said. “They are my esteemed guests as thanks for helping me with an issue I was having.”
The guard glanced back at the trio, brazenly eyeing Tanalia’s cleavage before grumbling, and stepping aside to let them pass. Maria gave the guard a polite wave and followed the Oracle up to the second floor. It was built more like a bar than a lobby and had a warm and cozy feeling to it. From the deep browns of the lacquered wood to the soft candlelight to the murals framed in overly massive and decorated frames, it felt like they had walked into a different building entirely.
Behind the bar was a shelf with hundreds of differently colored bottles. The bartenders were moving back and forth, stirring and pouring drinks. Some other church members were attending, but aside from them, Maria didn’t know who the rest of the people up here were. They had to be important, otherwise, they wouldn’t be here. In a sense, it brought down a ceiling of grander so heavy it left Maria feeling uncomfortable, like she didn’t belong. She never imagined she’d even be standing in a place so elegant and formal.
Maria took note that only one guard was standing by the stairs leading up to the third floor. A couple, an older-looking gentleman with patches of gray hair, and a woman caked in so much makeup she looked like a circus clown, approached him. They greeted the guard and gave him a friendly nod before he stood aside, and let them ascend the steps. Maria didn’t recognize them, but that wasn’t important. There didn’t seem to need to be any form of identification, so long as the guard knew you. The problem was none of the guards knew her. Regardless, they only needed to distract one guard. How they were to do so, Maria wasn’t so sure. They just needed to get him away from the stairs long enough for Maria to slip past him.
“Ah, the Oracle!” said a voice.
Maria turned to see a well-dressed man in a red suit. He was about her height, with his short charcoal hair greased back, and a mustache so thin and twirly he looked like a cartoon villain.
“Horst,” the Oracle said. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”
“And it is a pleasure to see you again.” His voice was high-pitched, almost crossing the line of overtly snobby. “I do say it has been some time since you last visited. Is there any occasion in particular or did you grow bored working the confession booth?”
“Truth be told, I haven’t been working. These crystal eyes of mine were stolen, and these fine ladies assisted me in reacquiring them. I figured an invitation to one of your shows seemed like an appropriate thanks for their hard work and sacrifice. They are my special guests.”
“Ah, a fine reward this is indeed. I do hope you enjoy what we have in store for you tonight, it is the first performance you’ve seen since you got your vision back from the sounds of it.” Horst then turned his attention to the trio. “And just who might you three be?”
“I’m Maria. This is Chariot and Tanalia.”
“Splendid to meet such beautiful women. If ever you need anything, come and find me and I can see to whatever your requests may be, that they are accommodated.”
“Well, thank you,” Chariot said. “We’ll keep that in mind.”
“Do enjoy the show— Ah, Ametta, good to see you again,” Horst’s attention was swiftly taken by someone else walking up the steps behind the group. Maria glanced back at him as he shuffled away. His office seemed like a good place to start.
“Come, let us get seated,” the Oracle said.
The theater itself was a grand, wide chamber, with ornate, red velvet along the floors and walls. Gold trimmings ran along the guardrails and seats, and the ceiling itself looked as though it had been paved in gold, with fabulous floral designs that bent and twined around the theater. A large, glass chandelier hung above the crowd and blocked the view for people seated on the third-floor seating, or the Balcony section, as Maria was corrected. She overheard that the chandelier rose before the show started.
On both walls, positioned above the boxes, were the employees of the theater operating the spotlights. Maria questioned just how they worked at first until she saw that they were using crystal orbs that flashed a concentrated beam of light. Based on the size though, they had to be expensive.
As Maria took her seat in the Mezzanine section, she looked out to the banners draped under the box seats lined along both walls of the theater. It struck her that she didn't even know what the play was about. There could be anything behind the large, red velvet curtains. It’s not like it mattered though, she wasn’t here to watch the show after all.
As she sat there, patiently waiting for the show to start, her heart started racing. The realization of it all was dawning on her. She hadn’t snuck around before, not like this. She looked over at her friends to see if they were as nervous as she was. Chariot looked to keep a calm demeanor, though one that was stiff, while Tanalia sat with her legs crossed, fidgeting with her hoop earrings like she was bored.
The lights began to dim, slowly enveloping the theater in pitch-black darkness. Maria couldn’t see a thing, not until the spotlights above the stage flashed on. They all converged in the middle, where the announcer stepped out on stage. The man was lengthy, with esteemed blond hair. He gave a graceful bow and cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and lovers of the arts welcome to the Greensbolt Theater. Tonight, we invite you to join us as we embark on tonight's theatrical journey, an exquisite drama. Its title… 'The Petals of the Moon'.” He paused, letting the theater fill with an echoing round of applause. “Set in the vibrant city of Veridian, during a time of great upheaval and social change, our performance delves into the depths of a society gripped by political turmoil. We follow the lives of a charismatic young idealist, played by our beloved Cyryl Sirek, who is striving to awaken the people to their shared humanity; a jaded aristocrat, played by the ever-beautiful, and beloved queen of the stage, Tatiana Łapka, who is torn between the privileges of her class and the call for equality; and a fearless journalist, played by Remigiusz Moszkowski, who is unearthing the truths that lie beneath the polished façade of society.”
Maria stared blankly at the stage. She couldn't care less. The show hadn't even started, and already she was fanning interest. Now that she was hearing about the play she was rather glad she didn't have to stay to watch it. As the announcer walked off stage, another round of applause filled the room. The orchestra seated below the stage began playing a tune, and the curtains parted. Maria zoned out. She waited a few minutes, before slowly rising to her seat.
“Care to get a drink?” she asked Chariot and Tanalia, hoping she didn't sound too suspicious.
“Maybe in a moment, I want to see where this goes,” Tanalia teased, gesturing to the stage.
Maria narrowed her eyes.
“Fine…” Tanalia rose to follow her.
It was time.