Theatre Below

Just the anticipation of seeing the play brought memories back to Martel, and his focus slipped a few times during Glunday's fire lessons. All his experiences with theatre had been with this particular troupe, albeit at the open stage on the square. He could not help but think about taking Shadi there, still early in their friendship – her absence still stung him, making the memory bittersweet.

Likewise, although Martel remembered the satire about the emperor and the war as very entertaining, that same play had gotten the actors arrested. That in turn forced Martel and Regnar to scramble to pay for their release, and the hedge mage had used Martel as a distraction while getting the street children to rob the audience in attendance – Martel had almost forgotten about that, and after Ruby had used him in the same fashion, it stirred a touch of anger in him.

But still, Martel did not regret these experiences. The very first play he had seen, with Roland and the wyrm, it had been an experience like no other. Martel had never been entertained like that before in his life. And perhaps he could recapture some of that magic tonight, especially with the same company.

With his classes over, Martel quickly made his way to the girls' dormitory tower and knocked on a familiar door.

"Martel," Eleanor expressed. "Is something the matter?"

"Do you remember the plays we saw last year?"

"Of course. What about them?"

"The actors are back. They set up a theatre in the bridge district and invited us to see their show. Want to come with me and Max tonight?"

"That is all it is, I trust? From what I recall, that hedge mage got you in some trouble." Eleanor gave him a piercing look.

"He's not even in town, they said. I promise, it's just entertainment. It wouldn't feel right to go without you."

A smile travelled across her mouth. "Alright. I would enjoy seeing a play with you."

***

As the trio arrived at the Four Flagon Tavern, shortly before last bell would ring, they joined a steady stream of other patrons, all making their way towards the basement. The crowd moved slowly, as they had to pay admission by the stairs; the young boy in the troupe, Ian, still handled this task. He grinned seeing the three young wizards moving forward with the mass of people. "Theo told me to expect you. Go right in."

Expressing their gratitude, they continued down the stairs. Below the ground floor, they found one big room, as large as the common room above. In the opposite end, a stage rose; between that and the entrance, numerous benches filled the floor. Lots of people already filled the seating, and Maximilian resolutely pushed his way forward to grab three seats, with his friends following at a more leisurely pace.

Once he sat down, Martel glanced around, as much as the surrounding crowd allowed him. Lamps hung along the walls, though primarily around the stage to provide good lighting, which already showed a background of some lordly hall.

Already, the whole space was aflutter with excited chatter, and Martel could feel it infecting him. He had no idea what the play would be about, but he had never seen a bad one.

It took a while to get everyone seated, and the impatience in the audience grew until at one point, people began clapping rhythmically while shouting for the show to begin. Finally, Theo appeared and gave a deep bow. "Good people of Morcaster, welcome to The Theatre Below!"

***

It turned out to be a comedy. This made Martel a little anxious for a while, remembering the consequences of the last amusing play performed by this troupe. Fortunately, none of it seemed to be hidden slights aimed at the emperor or the High Council. Once Martel noticed Eleanor laughing merrily without reservation, he relaxed and allowed himself to do the same.

It was an amusing tale of a peasant who went to sleep in his own hut and woke up in the bed of a baron, the latter playing a prank on the hapless serf. Watching the fool stumble around, questioning his good fortune until he accepted it, truly imagining himself a wealthy noble only to wake up in his own bed the day after, made Martel howl with laughter.

He did notice that the entire play was performed without any kind of magic. That perhaps explained the choice of what to perform; the actors did not require any spellwork to perform their jests and merriment, unlike the story of Roland and the wyrm, for instance, where the dragon breathed fire. Presumably, this meant Regnar was still away, which Martel felt oddly disappointed by. Meeting the old hedge mage would allow Martel to clear the air and move on; now he had to keep feeling odd about what had happened during their last time together. On the other hand, the rest of the troupe had done Martel no wrong, and he could enjoy the company without any awkward feelings caused by Regnar's presence.

As the play ended to great applause, Martel turned to his companions. "We got time to stay a while, right? I feel we ought to congratulate the players on their performance, and the new theatre." He glanced around at the space once again; he could only imagine the troupe was thrilled to have a permanent stage.

"I suppose a short while will not be any trouble," Eleanor conceded.

"Of course we are staying!" Maximilian almost bellowed. He had downed several ales during the break in the play.

Laughing, Martel got up and waited as people around him pushed their way forward towards the exit. His gaze idly wandering, he was taken aback when he noticed a familiar face. He blinked, unsure if the distance filled with other heads made him see wrong; the air in the basement felt heavy from the crowd, and standing up quickly had made him a little dizzy. But keeping his gaze locked as others paraded past him, he became convinced. Ruby and her red lips were in the audience, though rather than her practical clothes, she wore the dress of any typical commoner's wife.

Aware that his height made him easy to spot, Martel sat down. Only after he had done so did he wonder why. He had nothing to hide, after all. If anything, she should feel embarrassed in his presence rather than reverse. Gathering his resolve, Martel got back up, much to the amusement of his friends watching him moving up and down. But as he looked through the last of the crowd moving out of the basement, he could not see Ruby any longer.