The Victory and Defeat
The Victory and Defeat
"Ah, it's him," Roland said with a surprise, "Morning Light, the number one knight of the Western Region. He works as a teacher in Border Town, not a professional actor after all."
"Not an actor?" the businesswoman said with a surprise, "Is he qualified then?"
"We're short of hands," Roland said smilingly, "Look at the other two guys who carried props earlier. If either of them plays the prince... he would definitely not look like a guy who can win Cinderella's heart at first sight."
"... If you put it like that."
Splendidly dressed Irene stood aside, looking at May walking to Ferlin Eltek, putting her hand on his shoulder and starting to dance with him. "No, Ferlin doesn't dance. He's only guided by May's excellent dancing skill and waggling with her steps." Irene had not seen this plot during the rehearsal, which meant May was improvising.
The elder sister tried to seduce the prince with all her might, but the prince was not impressed at all. He only had a conversation with her out of politeness. When Cinderella appeared in front of him, all his attention was drawn by this pretty and charming girl.
Irene knew she only needed to go over there then Ferlin would push May away and put on this love-at-first-sight show with herself, but she felt everybody could see at her lost state, she looked totally unattractive compared with May. "So how could the prince abandon a prettier and more attractive woman and choose the common me?"
At that moment, she saw Ferlin looking at her.
The expression in his eyes meant helplessness, consolation, encouragement, and... affection.
Irene felt her surroundings suddenly quieted down: the laughs, cheers and discussing noises from the audience vanished, and her friends in the theater disappeared. Only May, Ferlin and herself were left on the stage.
It 's true that my acting skill is so much poorer than the Star of Western Region, but should I just quit and admit defeat?
"No." Irene felt there came a voice from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to keep acting. This was a rare chance, or in other words... her last chance. If she chose to give up, she might never get the chance to play with such an outstanding actress on the same stage again.
She wanted to become someone just like May who could draw the audience's attention to herself only by gestures and expressions.
Sorry, May.
She murmured in her heart.
If the prince had been played by an actor from the theater, she might not have the encouragement to compete with May. It was merely impossible to defeat the Star of Western Region with acting skills.
"Unfortunately, he isn't. He's Morning Light, my lover," Irene thought. "Please forgive me, May. I don't want to be defeated by you in front of my lover."
The stage seemed to have disappeared. Irene felt in front of her was a piece of wheat field. The heavy golden ears had ripened and bent, slightly waving with the evening breeze as if waiting for harvesting. At the far side, the sun was about to set beneath the horizon, which dyed the slowly flowing water in Redwater River with a warm color. This was the place Irene and Ferlin used to date. Under this reddish orange sunset glow, the prince resumed as the knight, the person who had been in love with her for long.
"As long as I show my finest side in front of him, I could draw all his attention... it's not performing, but a present of my true self." Irene lifted the sloppy cope and tied a knot on it, and then walked up to Ferlin.
The confidence returned to her and everything felt so natural to her again. She walked to the knight and smiled at May, then May subconsciously lowered her hand on Ferlin's shoulder.
"May I have a dance with you?" Irene asked.
A familiar smile appeared on Ferlin's face. "Of course, Miss."
Although Irene could not dance as skillful as May did, the knight danced more naturally under her leading. The entire audience was infected by the coherence of their dance. They began to applaud, whistle and cheer all over.
The noise brought Irene's mind back to the stage. She stood tip-toed, gently kissed on the prince' cheek, then pushed him away and quickly ran toward the backstage. At the same time, sincere bell tones came on top of the square and echoed by the remote mountains. No more, no less, exactly 12 strokes.
Soon enough, the show drew to the end which was also the climax of the entire play.
To look for Cinderella, the prince initiated a ransack in the outer city from house to house. When he finally came to Cinderella's house, the little girl had already changed back to her dirty gray cope. With a broom at hand, she was pushed aside by her sister. Her sister was still pretty and appealing and could put on that crystal shoe.
"Your Highness, what're you waiting for? I'm the girl you're looking for."
"No, she isn't."
"You... shut up!"
Although May's performance was still excellent, actually even more oppressive, Irene was not intimidated anymore. She walked from the corner to the stage center step by step, looking at May in the eye, showing an unyielding expression.
The audience burst into the applause at this splendid scene.
At that moment, the witch appeared. She waved her hand, and then Cinderella was in her ball gown again.
"Your Highness, she's the girl you're looking for."
Rosia jerked down Irene's cope, revealing her night gown. At the same time, Irene's hair, which was tied on her head, scattered. After her hair being combed, the girl who stole the prince's heart once again presented in front of everyone in an incomparable poise.
The atmosphere in the theater was instantly detonated.
Everybody got excited upon seeing the prince and Cinderella hug together. Gun salutes sounded outside of the theater, which pushed up the atmosphere to the peak. The sounds of unceasing applaud and cheer filled the theater. Until the ending narration started and the actors and actresses bowed and left the stage, the applause was still sounding.
"It's marvelous," Margaret exclaimed and said while clapping, "I thought the little girl would be totally crashed by May, but yet she was able to make the situation turn. I wonder if it's only an illusion, but I feel the interaction between Irene and the prince is more natural than May. It's as if... Irene is meant to be together with the prince."
"Indeed surprising," Roland said, nodding. In the last few sets, Irene was like totally different, which was exactly herself, so that she could remain confident in front of the intimidating May. To convert the prince back to her husband in a short time, shaking off the shackle of the stage, she indeed showed an impressive ability. Given time, she would become a rising star. Besides, the sounds of bell tones and gun salutes created by Echo were equally perfect.
…
"I lost," May thought with her eyes closed.
She exerted all the effort to make Ferlin Eltek play the leading actor, with an aim to impress him on the stage where she could show the best of herself. She could defeat Irene with her acting skill by showing Ferlin she was much better than Irene.
In order to achieve that, May stayed in the little town for nearly a week to rehearse with actors who were normally despised by her. Having stayed here for so long that the boss of the Stronghold Theater might not extensively boost her anymore. And the result of her scheme was rather ironic—she failed to defeat Irene on stage. But what led to her defeat was not Irene's acting, but Irene's love toward Ferlin.
That being the case, it's time to give up.
May inhaled deeply. After changed her custom with a long face, she prepared to leave the preparation room early.
While she stepped down the wooden stairs, a man suddenly walked up to her.
He was a tall, straight and handsome guy. Judging from the shining armor he was wearing, he must be a knight of Border Town—but different from Morning Light who had a warm smile, this guy looked proud and cold with his rising eyebrows, long eyes, and thin lips.
"What're you up to?" May asked, frowning.
"Hello, Miss May." Unexpectedly the guy did not appear cold at all when he spoke. "I'm Carter Lannis, Chief Knight of His Highness. Your acting was splendid. Can I invite you for a drink?"