Chapter 165: I Would Fight For Love
On the stage, a barrel-chested man from the Scaled Clan slid out onto the stage under the bright lights as the curtains raised. In the pit beneath the stage, the orchestra played a series of brief welcoming notes to gather the audience’s attention before yielding to the master of the production.
"Patrons, honored guests," the man began, speaking in a rich, echoing tone that carried throughout the large theater. "Tonight, we are honored to entertain two very special guests. The legend herself, the Blood Princess, Eldritch Lady of the Vale of Mists, Lady Nyrielle, and her Seneschal, Ashlynn," he said, bowing deeply to the curtained box at the center of the top floor.
Word had already spread among the audience but several people had yet to hear who stood and turned to look, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous vampire who spent ten nights in the arena, staking her territory and an eternity of service to anyone who could defeat her. Nyrielle, however, had no intention of appearing to entertain her fans when she had a delighted Ashlynn in her lap.
"Go," Ashlynn whispered, pulling back from her lover. "They adore you."
"Then they can adore you too," Nyrielle said, sweeping Ashlynn up off the couch and pulling her along to the railing of the private box. Spotlights instantly fell on them and Nyrielle pulled Ashlynn close, as if to declare to the audience that her Seneschal was spoken for.
"This is my darling’s first visit to High Fen City," Nyrielle said. "Should you chance upon her in the daylight, I hope you’ll all be as kind to her as you would to me," she said, smiling broadly at the audience and flashing her fangs.
She was still uncertain about allowing Ashlynn to explore the city without her, but her love had spent too much of her life in a cage built by parents who thought they could protect her from her own power and destiny.
In High Fen City, Nyrielle had significantly more faith in High Lady Erna’s ability to keep order and if Ashlynn wished to go out to explore, she wouldn’t refuse her. She only hoped that this little announcement would provide some added security should anyone have improper designs on her lover.
"Blood Princess," the man on the stage said. "In honor of your attendance, we’ve prepared a special rendition of our production. We hope that you and your Seneschal enjoy it."
For a moment, Nyrielle was afraid they’d attempted to graft some part of her own story in the arena onto this classic opera. If they’d done so, she likely would have left rather than endure some idolized version of her desperation to recruit the strength she needed to retake the Vale of Mists from the humans who burned Mist City to the ground.
Thankfully, there had been far too little time for the production company to implement such a sweeping change. Instead, when ’Sindila’ took the stage, the audience was surprised to find the role played by a woman.