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I responded awkwardly to the Vernie impersonator's compliment, “No... I had a lot of help putting it together...”

“It might be even better than the real thing! It's all so shiny!” she exclaimed as she ran circles around me, her red hair flying free.

Huh... it's not a cheap wig...

I turned my head, trying to keep up with her. “Uh, thanks?”

She stopped after three times, her brown-eyed gaze lingering on me, deviously taking me in. “Your hair looks so natural... And your body is just... perfect!” she emphasized the last word with a satisfied nod. “Yes, you'll do nicely!”

“Woah there, lady!” I took a few steps back nervously as the others moved in to intercede on my behalf. “Whatever you're thinking, I suggest you—”

“Oh, you have a Relias, too! He seems even more realistic than ours... but I'd never hear the end of it, so no,” she started muttering to herself.

“Young lady,” Aleph rumbled warningly. “It's getting late, and we have yet to find suitable lodgings. Perhaps you should leave to do the same?”

“Well, of course, they'd be included in the job!” she said with a dismissive wave. “So, what do you say? Overnight accommodations for your entire group, 25 gold coins, and a chance to eat with the King himself! All for a few hours' worth of easy work!”

What kind of sick proposition was this?!

“Listen, you seem like a nice lady who'd have no problem finding someone... special, I guess, but I'm just not interested in whatever... uh... line of work you're in!”

“You sure? You've never wanted to be on stage?”

I gasped. “You mean people would be watching?!”

She gave me an incredulous look. ”Isn't that the point of a play?”

“A play... Tomorrow's play?”

She nodded in response. “We're having a slight staffing issue, so...”

My eyes widened as the realization hit me. “Oh no. I have the look, but I mean, look...”

“You're perfect! The role you were born to play!” She then clasped her hands together in supplication. “Can't you do it... for her?”

I drew my shoulders back, getting ready to deliver an emphatic, heartfelt 'no' as Relias stepped forward.

“Can you guarantee a meal with His Majesty? Miss...” he asked the more miniature redhead, deflating my posture.

“Bridget!” she chirped, her eyes flashing with excitement. “And yes, he always dines with us after the feature presentation. I'm sure he'd want to meet our new leading lady and her close companions!”

Relias hesitated, his soft blue eyes flickering with uncertainty before settling on me with a pleading expression. “Ah... Rae, may I have a moment of your time?”

I let him lead me off to the side so the others wouldn't overhear us. “Relias... I'm a terrible actor! Can't we just wait until this festival ends and then call upon His Majesty?”

He shook his head. “The duration of this event extends for an additional fortnight, I regret to inform you. Should we delay as such, we may forfeit the invaluable support of the Silver. While His Majesty would recognize me, I doubt his attendants would allow me to approach him with all the... festivities around us.”

Shifting on my feet, I nervously twisted a strand of hair around my finger. “I'm not good at things like this...” I began slowly. “Public speaking is... scary! So many people expect everything of you, watching your every move, and when you make a mistake...” I trailed off, leaving the worst unspoken.

He took my hands in his after gently disentangling my hair from my finger. “Dear One... How I wish for you to hold greater belief in your capabilities. Would I be but able to bestow upon you just a portion of the faith I harbor in my heart for you...”

Sighing guiltily, I looked down at the ground. “Of course, I'm going to do it... I know it's our best chance to catch the king's attention. Just help me not to be a complete spectacle, okay? I'm not fond of being pelted with trash.” Unruly spectators always find the most pungent and soggy pieces to toss around!

As I acquiesced to the slightly unreasonable request, he gave my hands a soft, reassuring squeeze. “I solemnly vow to stay by your side throughout the entire ordeal.”

We are just talking about a play, right? Maybe I was the one being unreasonable...

“We should probably go tell Vernie Jr. I'll help out...” I mumbled in resignation.

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“Her look is all wrong!” the angry-faced director declared, his black beard bristling. “And this is all nonsense! Emmy will be back before the overture; you'll see!”

Bridget's hand slammed against the director's desk as she shouted, “She's not coming back! So, get your head out of that ale barrel and sober up! Unless you want to find another job!”

“How could she leave me...” he sobbed brokenly into his arm. “My muse... my reason for living!”

Bridget's words were unrelenting as she leaned in, ensuring they reached his addled ears. “First, you cheated on her, and second, she caught you,” she stated bluntly.

“I made a mistake...”

That admission had better be about cheating and not getting caught!

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, my temper rising faster than the deluge of drama around me. “The play starts in three hours, right? And yet, no one has given me any lines to memorize!”

The dark-haired director's glazed eyes tried to focus on me. “Look, you don't have time to learn the lines, and I don't have time to teach you how to act.”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Relief and disappointment fought for dominance in my mind. “So, the play's off?” I asked.

“No...” He sighed, turning to Bridget. “Just have her meet the rest of the cast. Except, you know. And see if Zoe can't do something about her face.”

“What's wrong with my face?!” It was my turn to pound my fist into his desk.

He squinted. “Too plain. And the nose... that's not a hero's nose.”

What the hell does a 'hero's nose' look like anyway?

Relias, the only one allowed backstage with me, touched my shoulder. “Clearly, he is still inebriated,” he declared in disapproval. “Be assured, there is no flaw to be found upon your visage. Indeed, your nose stands as a paragon of heroism, surpassing all others in its noble bearing!”

“Don't get me wrong, I'd look weird without one. But it's just normal... right?” I couldn't help but trace its sides with my fingers, making sure it hadn't taken a different shape after all this speculation.

“Ah, rest assured, the appearance of your nose is entirely befitting,” he said contritely, realizing he had gone overboard with the compliment.

Bridget cleared her throat. “You two can flirt all you want later. Let's go meet the others and go over the plan.”

I winced at the charge. That wasn’t flirting! Was it?

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“This is Andreas, who will be playing Relias,” Bridget announced after opening the door to his small room.

“Ah, sorry!” I blurted out. “It looks like we caught you before you were in wardrobe.” I turned quickly, trying not to stare openly at his exposed and well-defined, muscular chest. He must have waxed and oiled it, too!

“Hmm? No, I'm in full costume, see?” He held up his arms, showing off his loose, semi-transparent robes.

I could feel Relias stiffen behind me. “Blatant mockery of the sacred vestments!” he exhaled vehemently.

“Oh!” Andreas smiled as he peered behind me. “Is that my new understudy? You have a lot of potential, but we need to work on your physical form. The body is a temple, after all. Train it to operate at peak efficiency!” He flexed, showing off his physique.

“He's just an acquaintance of our new Captain Lightbringer,” Bridget gestured to me as Relias tried to suppress his rage.

“Emmy didn't come back? Well, I'm not surprised,” he said as he walked over to get a better look at me.

“Er, nice to meet you, Andreas,” I stuck out my hand, not knowing where exactly to look. How much perfume is he wearing?!

“Eyes to my eyes,” he instructed with a smile. “Anytime you feel confused on stage, just look at me, and we'll go from there.”

“Confused? That'll be the whole time! No one's even shown me a script yet!”

“Script?” he laughed loudly. “How tedious! We don't use a script. We merely act out whatever's within our hearts!”

I was dumbfounded. “You mean... you just improvise?”

He nodded, smiling widely. “You're a fan of the Chosen One, given how much effort you've put into your ensemble. So, bring your version of Raelynn to life on stage. As long as you have passion, you'll do great!”

I'm pretty sure that's not how it works...

“But...”

“Oh! But since we'll be on stage together, let me share my vision of Relias with you...” He reached forward with a hand, but the real Relias caught it.

“Refrain from bestowing even the slightest touch upon her person,” he warned in a low voice.

Andreas frowned in confusion. “But how am I supposed to kiss her if I can't touch her?”

Kiss?! I don't even know you, bro! “We never—” I stomped my foot. “I mean, Relias and Raelynn never!”

Relias pushed his hand away. “You will not kiss her under any circumstances!”

Andreas sighed, his face full of contemplation. “Play a version of Relias... that never provides physical comfort to the hero? Hmm... yes, yes! The audience will be full of anticipation, but to leave them wanting more... showing a closeness that never culminates. Why, it's so devious... which makes the tragedy at the end all the more wounding! But what's the motivation? Why wouldn't he kiss her? He obviously had feelings for her...”

“He was biding time for the opportune moment!” Relias blurted out. “A moment that has yet to manifest!”

Wait, was that a confession? No… just misdirection…

Andreas took a seat and closed his eyes, dropping his head back. “Mm. I guess it would be fruitless to declare one's love only to have the target of your affection die the next day at the hands of one's enemy.” He sat up then, opening his clear blue eyes. “Yes, it makes sense to wait! I can play this type of Relias!”

“No... that's not...” Relias stumbled over his words, turning to me. “Rae, I sincerely apologize. I just don't want him to...”

I waved my hand in the air. “I don't want him kissing me either, so thank you for that!” I smiled in relief.

“Really?” Andreas asked, surprised. “Usually, I have the opposite issue...”

I suppressed the urge to gag. “As interesting as this conversation has been... I should go meet the others, right?”

The others, as I had referred to them, were more grounded in reality. The human actors playing Aleph and Tetora had minimal involvement after the first act, which focused on the day before Raelynn's battle with the demon king. Bridget, of course, was playing the Vernie of the trio. Their role was mostly limited to providing words of support while I stoically accepted them. Then, the play would transition into a tender (yet thankfully, no longer intimate) scene between Relias and Raelynn. The third act was devoted to the final battle with King Epiales before showcasing the hero's ultimate betrayal at the hand of the Second of Evil.

“You'll have a wooden sword,” Alaric, the affable stand-in for the original demon king, explained, shifting on his stilts. “Since our fight will be behind a screen, there's no need to hit me. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you didn't!” He laughed cheerfully, holding up his ridiculously long claws. “It's hard enough to manage these things, and I'm not even in the horsehair suit yet!”

“They do seem rather complicated,” I admitted, not envying him in the slightest.

“Swing and slash wildly all you want, aiming to the right and left of me. We'll scream absurdities at each other as well. The lighting behind the screen will make it look like your blows landed. Bridget will signal me from the sidelines when the time is right, and I'll collapse to the ground. That's your cue to kneel right here,” he pointed to a small x on the stage.

“Yes, sir,” I promised.

“Then...” he murmured, stepping down from his stilts. “Oliver will show up and steal the show.”

“Who is playing Oliver?” I asked curiously.

“It's better not to give you a name,” Bridget answered. “We don't publicize it for obvious reasons. Just know he's a true thespian,” she said in contempt while rolling her eyes.

Relias and I glanced at each other before I asked, “What does that mean?”

Alaric laughed again. “It means he's a method actor, and he'll get the performance he wants out of you. I hate to admit it, but he's truly a professional.”

Not knowing anything about the end villain was incredibly unsettling. “I see...”

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The crowd filed in and began taking their seats about an hour before showtime. Vernie and Nora had somehow managed to secure a place in the front row, from which I could already hear them cackling like hens. Aleph and Tetora were farther off to the back, though I wasn't sure if it was because of their general height or because of some dumb, unspoken rule about hybrids. Relias, of course, was true to his word, staying backstage with me as I had makeup applied by Zoe, who assured me it was the experience of a lifetime. I felt it was more like getting a primer of paint than makeup, but I had never been one to find the benefit of spackling one's facial pores. I'll probably end up with acne again after this...

“Isn't this enough?” I asked at one point as she threatened to apply a second coat.

“I'm trying to accentuate your tiny nose,” she huffed. “Then we'll work on the eyelashes!”

She's clumping them like Cleopatra's!

I tried to turn a pleading glance to Relias, but she caught my chin in her hands. “Hold still!”

After enduring the excruciating experience, she warned me: “Keep your hands off your face!” Of course, this only tempted me to touch it even more.

“Well? What do you think?” Zoe asked Relias as she turned me to face him.

His eyes flicked between us before he managed a slim smile. “Ever radiant as always, just with a little more... color... than usual...”

“Hmph,” was Zoe's unimpressed reply as she stormed off. “I guess not everyone has an eye for beauty!”

I watched her leave, anxiously realizing the play would start soon. “Please don't tell me to break a leg,” I murmured to Relias. I'm afraid I don't count as an actress, so the reverse jinx might just be a jinx.

“Why would I ever...”

“Oh. I guess it's not a saying here. Never mind.” A small band, generously called the orchestra, started to play. “Ah, that's my cue...”

Relias nodded. “Go forth and do your best. I believe in your strength to succeed.”