Side Chapter: Festival With Farrah (I).
The curse was broken, it was time for them to be wedded once more. "Will you become my Queen? Through sickness, in health and all our remaining years?"
"Yes, yes I will, my prince."
"And they lived happily ever after."
As the final line echoed through the air and the curtain swept closed, the theater erupted in a wave of roaring, jubilant cheers that rolled like thunder through the seats.
Flowers, hastily unwrapped, rained down onto the stage, their petals catching in the spotlights like falling confetti. Some audience members stood, clapping above their heads, while others wiped tears from their cheeks, still caught in the spell of the last scene. Backstage, the actors- still in costume, still trembling with the rush- clutched each other in stunned silence, their smiles wide, breath caught, as the sound of the crowd washed over them like a victorious tide.
"We thank you all for watching our play, please meet everyone from our cast!" The narrator beamed, her voice echoing over the sound system with a crackle of excitement.
One by one, the students stepped out from behind the curtain, the stage lights casting a golden glow on their flushed, smiling faces. From the leads in their elaborate costumes to the quiet scene-changers in black, they formed a wide, imperfect arc across the stage.
Then, almost as if pulled by a shared breath, they all reached for each other's hands.
A hush fell over the crowd just before the bow then, as the cast bent forward in unison, a fresh explosion of applause burst from the audience.
"Well done, my darling!" A parent in the front row clutched a bouquet to their chest, their eyes brimming with pride.
Laughter, clapping, and scattered cheers filled the theater room like a warm tide, but up on stage, all that existed was the trembling of hands held too tightly and the giddy disbelief of a performance well done.
"We love you, princess! Lady Evelyn is such a beautiful royal!"
"Wonderful! Bravo! Well done!"
"Certainly quite the show!" They all clapped, throwing flowers into the stage mostly cheering for the eldest daughter of the Alarie family.
Analissa who was happy with how everything turned out smiles waving her hand, looking at the crowd and there she spots Farrah who was admiring her figure.
"Farrah you came!" She calls out, with everything that's been happening around her she couldn't believe that she's forgotten about her friend. They were supposed to have a little friendly date after the play. "Wait for me, okay?!"
Farrah hears the blonde girl's words and excitedly nods, holding her basket full of baked goods tightly.
Lady Evelyn who was right beside her heard everything, she looked onto the crowd to where Analissa was waving and saw a very well built woman who was waving back with a wide smile. "..."
===
Backstage
===
Everyone heads in the back of the stage, at first sighing a breath of relief before looking at each other with happy smiles. "We did it!"
"Thank the gods we finished the play!"
"All hail our prince and princess!"
The heroine who was standing in the corner trying not to stand out like always, was immediately surrounded and cheered.
"Whoo! It's all thanks to Miss Analissa! Let's give her three cheers for saving our play!"
"Well done acting! You had me worried but Miss Blanchet is actually a reliable person!"
"You were amazing! You have to tell me how you managed to change your voice like that!" One the boys lifted up his hand for a high five.
Analissa awkwardly responds to it, lifting her hand up and giving him a weak high five as the questions never stop coming.
Soon it was Lord Keith who acted as her brother in the play, "We might have an after party on the last day of the festival. Would you care to join us? There will be food, wine and plenty of conversation for the whole class to properly get to know Miss Blanchet. We have a nearby villa, I have already asked my parents and they agreed on me using it."
Analissa couldn't say anything as the crowd pushed on her further, she wanted to say no- knowing that she still had something important to do on the last day... but it was rude to reject a noble in front of these many people so-!
"I-I... um..." (Analissa) turned red from the sudden popularity.
Lady Evelyn notices this and walks over the gathering crowd, she parts her arms protecting Analissa from the unwanted attention she was getting.
"Settle down all of you." She coldly smiled, her body was doing all the speaking and the casual villainess glaring was showing. "I'm glad you're all getting along with Miss Blanchet but do remember to mind her space."
Everyone blinked in surprise and then in understanding, they kept their proper distance but a few murmurs escaped from their lips. "Keep our distance tsh, says the one who kissed her."
"...!" (Analissa) lowered her head slightly hearing that comment.
Lady Evelyn's ears perked up and wanted to hit whoever was the one who muttered that out loud. "I heard that- which one of you wants to have a death wish?"
This was the first time they've ever seen their usual calm, collected and well put together classmate looking so flustered, aggressive and... defensive?
One classmate chuckles nervously, asking a question to avoid the villainess' anger. "Wait actually-! Did the two of you really kiss?! I couldn't see properly but I know Lord Ein used some sort of trick to avoid that and in the script he was supposed to be the one reaching for the princess..."
"How come Lady Evelyn leaned first?"
Lady Evelyn looked cornered as everyone turned their heads to stare at her. "What? Haven't you all heard of Ad-lib? I was merely... acting."
Analissa laughs softly explaining more properly to her curious classmates on behalf of Lady Evelyn who seemed to be too shy to say anything else. "Oh there's no need to worry everyone, I actually found Lady Alarie's trick to be more effective."
She turns to Lady Evelyn who's ears have turned red, preparing to make an excuse. "She just kissed me right on the cheek and the audience won't probably notice a thing then again this is only a play- thank you everyone for doing a wonderful job. I'm glad I was able to help."
Analissa bows in thanks, everyone of her classmates especially the girls saw the heroine in a new light.
The girls start coming over still in their costumes, complimenting Lady Evelyn pushing the boys to the side. "You've done a good job, Miss Analissa. We should have tea parties with you more often."
"Have the rest of the day off if you're tired, Miss Analissa. We'll take care of the rest, our servants are outside, let them deal with the rest." With a snap of a finger, maid and butlers started organizing up the backstage of the theater. "We'll also get going and enjoy the rest of the school festival."
Lady Serene groans not too far looking tired and drained, "Ugh... I need a nap and lots of coffee. I'm going to rest for the rest of the afternoon, can someone fetch me if you find that idiot fiance of mine?"
She reminds everyone that the man responsible for trouble is still out there, most likely missing or just skipping his duties.
"Einsel needs to answer a lot of questions about why he bailed on this one... But I do hope he's safe and nothing horrible happened to him. I'll have my servants find and bring him here." Rubbing her temples, even if she acted as if she couldn't care if that man fell into a hole and never came back- they still had a history.
"I'll wait for him here if you don't mind." She slumps on a nearby chair, all the costume designing, altering and having to direct the play now that Lord Ein is suddenly out of the picture on the very last day.
She's ready to hit the hays.
Analissa walks over and wishes her a good rest, knowing how hard must've been for the lackey. "Rest well, Lady Serene. Thank you for your hard work today."
The lackey eyes her suspiciously before waving her hand off. "Yeah... yeah... yawn... have fun out there commoner thanks for your hard work or whatever. Don't bother me while I sleep."
Analissa without saying anything else to the others made a quick escape while they were distracted talking about their school festival plans.
"Wait, Miss Blanchet-" A hand stops her, grabbing her by the arm.
"...!"
She thought she made quite a sneaky escape only to be found by the villainess, Lady Evelyn looking nervous.
"Yes?"
"Are you doing anything this afternoon maybe we could explore the school festival again-"
Analissa bites her lips, immediately shaking her head having made plans with someone else. Her stomach drops, knowing that her suspicions might be right. "My apologies Lady Evelyn but I'll be exploring the school festival with a friend that I invited. Do you remember Farrah by any chance from the cafe?"
Lady Evelyn tried hard not to furrow her eyebrows and roll her eyes out of maybe... This is what they call jealousy, right?
"Yes, I do remember her." She looks away, remembering her very figure and the look she would give Miss Blanchet.
"She's waiting for me outside- I can't keep her on her toes." (Analissa) scratches her cheek, right where she kissed her. "On a good note at least we can see each other tomorrow."
Lady Evelyn wondered if Miss Analissa would ever notice the lipstick stain on her cheek. She thought about telling her about that but hesitates.
"...sigh."
Lady Evelyn points at Analissa's cheek. "Before you go, it seems that I left you a mark on your cheek. The lipstick stain is still visible and if you go out having that..."
"O-Oh! Right! Thank goodness you told me Lady Evelyn or I'll completely forget about it." (Analissa) quickly takes the lipstick stain off without much thought.
"You're most welcome, if you will hang out with your friend I suggest taking Losimer with you." (Lady Evelyn) looks up onto the ceiling where Losimer has been minding his own business, sitting down in one of the wooden support beams. "Losimer."
As the familiar's name was called he responds quickly, landing on Analissa''s head with a happy tweet. "Tweet! Tweet!"
Losimer who was also watching the play unfold and understood some of the jist of the story- mostly taking note of his master being such a bold princess kissing such an adorable girl in front of all those people.
"So I know if you'll be in trouble, he'll be able tell me right away and I'll come running." The villainess stares at Losimer who's comfortably nestling in Analissa's blonde head.
Analissa blinked for a moment and chuckled in response, "Thank you, Lady Evelyn. You don't have to come running. I think Farrah and I can handle ourselves alone but I also like Losimer's warm company."
She scratches his little head, Losimer coos fondly. "Hi Losimer you've been watching us for quite some time, what do you think about the play? I hope my acting didn't disappoint you."
Losimer tweets excitedly, "Tweet~"
He was happy as he flapped his feathers around. He wanted to tell the blonde girl that his master is such a flirt!
This blonde girl might become his new second master with this pace of the story!
"Tweet, chirp! Coo, tweet!" He began telling more of what he thought of the play.
He wishes the kiss would've been on the lips instead of the mouth, but his master was too chicken to do it. "Khkhkhk, tweet!"
How shameful that she even left a lipstick stain to mark the person she admires.
"That was certainly a lot of talking!" (Analissa) tilts her head slightly wanting to know Losimer's opinion. "What did he say, Lady Evelyn?"
Lady Evelyn, who's bound by the contract and can understand whatever Losimer was saying, wanted to deeply cook him in hot oil.
She wanted to tell him to buzz off and shut up if he's not going to say anything good.
"N-Nothing important. He's just spouting nonsense like always." (Lady Evelyn) counts the wrongdoings her familiar has done.
When everything is over there will be dinner.
Analissa pats Losimer's head, looking at Lady Evelyn's reaction it seems that her familiar must've said something playful or teasing.
Because she's crossing her arms and pouting her lips.
"I'll take Losimer with me then, rest assured milady I'll be safe with him around." She turns her body to leave, bidding her goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lady Evelyn! Have fun for the rest of the afternoon!"
While it seems improper to leave someone like the villainess hanging, now that they've become friends she could only hope the villainess understands.
Lady Evelyn watches as the heroine leaves without even looking back. "...see you."
When she's finally gone and Lady Evelyn can no longer see her figure, her hands trace her lips. "Tomorrow... can't come soon."
===
Outside of the Theater
===
"This is where we part ways, kind stranger. I've seen and supported my daughter as a father should. Your freshly baked bread is such a wonderful treat to have." (Lord Ein) fiddles with his moustache, thanking Farrah for the food she shared.
"I-If you'd like more than you can visit our family restaurant, good sir."
"You said that your family owned a restaurant with your very own handmade baked goods... I'll have to visit that place when I have the time- ahem, with my daughter of course." He really did enjoy the ambiance when he first visited, perhaps now that they established some sort of connection over food then he'll have an excuse to visit Analissa when she has work.
Speaking of Analissa...
"Farrah~!" A blonde girl with a bird nesting in her head calls out.
"Ah oh dear my back hurts, I have to go find my daughter now." (Lord Ein) scrambles away quickly before he could risk his position.
Analissa is not an oblivious person when it comes to his tricks.
"Ah... goodbye...?"
The masochist sighs a breath of relief once the whole thing is over, he takes off the fake moustache and scratches his chin. "Well then, I should go pay Lady Harriot Yates a visit. I wonder what she thinks of my play. I for one... certainly enjoyed it."
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