27 Peach-Coloured Envelope

"A dance with the masked villain, if you please," said a familiar voice after a coin was tossed in their basket.

West, finally having a request for his role, looked up to see who it was. From his stand was the boy with glasses, holding out a hand to him. He looked nervous, a look he had not seen from him when he first met him. West smiled, "Would you be the key for my imprisoned heart?"

Patrick slowly nodded his head, his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. West bowed before taking his hand and letting him lead their steps.

"It had been quite a while since we've seen you," Patrick shifted his gaze uncomfortably. "Eve told everyone that you quitted, and yet here you are."

"I have not… unless you have heard those words coming from my mouth. Right now, I can only say that I've rested." West stepped his right foot backward while listening intently to the boy. "You cannot blame me for being infuriated by complete novices, though. I already came from a troupe, I shouldn't be starting from the bottom all over again."

West was aware of Patrick's excuses. He had seen him once, begging a house to open its doors to him, when he was out with Eve...er, Evelina. And West wasn't dense. He suspected that, perhaps, they didn't take him back.

Or maybe this could be about something entirely different, he thought to himself. Whatever it was, he knew that something was up the minute people came calling for him.

Just like how…

He shook his head.

"Your former troupe. You came from them before coming back to ours, didn't you?" Patrick's hold tensed before raising his arms for a turn and for once, West's ears caught murmurs from the crowd.

It was how the boy had courage to ask him for a dance. West figured that no one would really go for his role since he played a shady character under an ugly mask. Eventually, he would shrug it off as something he had fun with. Especially since he also considered training Royce to get his mind off of what happened.

His gaze fell on Giles who was returning the giddy lady to the crowd. It was his last interaction while West was still in his first. Nevertheless, he felt tired of just standing around. He needed to, at least, see Ruben just so he could lift his spirits up.

"This was not the street performance that I was thinking of," Patrick heaved. It was clear that he wasn't thrilled to be there. "What's with the dancing?"

Dancing? He must have arrived after the actual performance. It was more of a short act from one of Eldham's folktales about a prince who found himself in a town of elves after searching for his imaginary princess. He brought a knight with him and asked and asked, only to be driven mad by the elves by playing tricks on him. In the end, they treated him as a hero after defeating the Snake King, the biggest threat to their town.

They involved the crowd in their performance, making Giles go around the stalls to ask about the princess he was destined to meet. He was already distinguishable with a mask on his face but what really caught people's attention was how he suddenly collapsed after saying his lines, his eyes holding a crazed look.

"Oh, my princess! Deliver me from these creatures for your eyes have been the only sight that holds me sane."

That was before West did his role of terrorizing the 'said' elves.

West shrugged. "It's not really about dancing, though. A silver for a wish, have you not read it? So if you just wanted to talk to one of us, you could have requested a moment, or waited until later if you don't want to pay."

It was as if the young witch's soul left his body. "I could wha- I'll hex Freeda for this."

West laughed and looked behind Patrick to see the cheerful witch. She must have played a prank on him, thinking that it would do as compensation for leaving them behind that day. But instead of Freeda, his eyes met a certain someone's brown ones that made his breath hitch.

Indeed, he had tried his best to act casual around her. There was the usual teasing and guiding whenever the vampiress found herself confused about the theatre exercises but…but he cannot avoid the deep wariness that he felt.

He could still see her companion's intense gaze in his mind. Hunger for blood was the most evident. Whenever he would come back to that moment, all he could think of was Royce. Royce who had not sinned against anyone, a young human with innocent intentions of keeping him company. But he was put in danger because of West.

Evelina was right about that part. But it only proved how careful they should be of her.

Her explanation of how she got in Eldham wasn't enough. A vampire was keeping track of her movements. Evelina already told him that they were helping enough, brushing the whole exchange aside like she had everything under control.

Did she really run away from whatever mission she had or was she keeping more secrets?

There was another matter that's bothering him.

"Do not let the fire show your true colors," was what the vampire said. It rang in his head like warning bells.

It should mean nothing and yet… Should he convince Sir Duncan of leaving the place? But what of the recruits who had not finished their training?

By the end of it all, they had to make a decision.

"West!" Patrick snapped.

That's when he noticed that he had stopped moving and everyone, even his team of performers, was staring at him. Noticing where his gaze was locked in, Patrick leaned in, "Does she make you wonder, too?"

Evelina was already talking to Freeda, her fierce look softening- not a very new sight, but something good to look at. He glanced back at the witch who was in front of him. "Is that what you were supposed to be telling me?"

"No," he quickly answered.

"Then can you tell it to me later?"

Patrick frowned. "If so, what's the sense of coming up here?"

"Well… aren't you the one who came up to me for a dance?"

The young witch blushed, embarrassed. "Freeda-"

"Yes, I know," West chuckled, his eyes twinkling on his plan. "But time is up. It's already an hour before lunch time."

"If that's an excuse to get the girl you've been staring at, that's a terrible excuse."

It's not really about getting the girl. More of trying to drive her on edge since he had been doubting his own judgement because of her.

Just a little revenge of seeing her flustered would do.

"If you really don't think that we could talk now, please have this." Patrick pushed to him a peach-colored envelope. West narrowed his eyes at it, both wondering what was inside and why Patrick had not started with giving it to him in the beginning or at the middle of the dance. "I swear that it's important! It's a message… to the troupe. I should apologize first that I put your lot in a terrible place like it but please do your best!"

A terrible place like what?

Not waiting for his answer, Patrick scampered towards the crowd. He watched how Freeda was about to greet him back but the boy proceeded to ignore her. Sybil shot the witch a confused look while Evelina whirled around, as if wanting to follow him.

Oh, she shouldn't be going anywhere.

Tossing the envelope to Royce, he hastened his pace to catch a grip of her arm before she could disappear from his sight again.

"Miss," he called, trying to avoid being out of his character. She stopped after feeling his hand on her arm, throwing him a surprised look. "I couldn't help but notice how you were…"

Alone? No, she wasn't.

"I was?" Evelina challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Ah, he should have planned it. Now, he really did look like a villain who just cornered a lady to pressure her.

Sighing to himself, he took a bow. "May I have the honour of dancing with you?"

He stared at her expression through his mask. Evelina might carry confidence with her, but he knew where it could falter. And he had caught her off-guard, her mouth gaping as she slowly put her hand on his.

West pulled her close, casually leaning to whisper, "Having fun on your day out?"

The music, courtesy of Giles' magic, started a joyous tune. She glared at him as her steps began syncing with his. "Oh, I was having fun tormenting people when a certain someone tormented me himself."

The witch chuckled, letting her hands go only for them to hold each other again to join the beat. "This is revenge for keeping secrets."

"Because I have to tell everything to you, don't I?"

"No, you just have to trust me." He twirled her, her skirt creating a beautiful shape, before their faces were inches apart again. "I mean, it's not like I want you to tell me everything. Just the thing that would-"

"Keep everyone safe, I know. Then why don't you do a favour and trust me, too?" They both stepped sideways, almost knocking on each other. Evelina groaned and steadied him before moving their bodies once again. "I may be in your care but you keep on doubting me yourself. Leila was even the first one to trust me."

West knew that he had no choice. He wasn't being fair asking her to trust him when he cannot return the favour. "I trust you, Eve," tightening his hold on her waist. But then she stopped and he wondered why, quickly getting back on his words. Oh, he did it again. "I- I mean… I trust you, Evelina. So please trust me, too?"

"Fine," her eyes shifted to the ground, an unfamiliar action that he got from her.

"Fine what?"

"Fine, call me Eve. You always looked like you're struggling on calling me Evelina."

He released a breath without knowing what it meant. Maybe a sign that he was still alive?

West finally let go of her when the music stopped. The crowd cheered, and Giles announced that it was the end of their performance. The three performers gave their bows of thank you's. As the amount of people got fewer in number, West picked up the basket where coins were tossed and handed it over to Royce. Which reminded him…

He just asked the vampiress to interact with him without the exchange of a silver piece!

"You just asked somebody to dance with you for free," Giles repeated his thoughts. "Do you really have to ask her?"

West shrugged. "I mean you got seven wishes of interactions while Royce got three. I guess I enjoyed the first one too much that I wanted more people falling for me. Forgive me, I'm not charming enough," he sighed, dramatically.

"Shut up, West."

"Anyway," he turned to the human boy, eager to change the subject. He saw Freeda pointing at them as they got closer to the group. "Royce, how much did we get?"

"Fifteen silver pieces and twenty-two copper ones. We also have two roses and an envelope," Royce answered, lifting the peach-coloured casing.

"An envelope?"

"Oh, right! Patrick gave that to me. He did say that it's important," West paused, wondering if he should also tell them how Patrick apologized after giving it to him. But before he could think it over, Freeda, Sybil and Eve were already beside them.

"That dollophead gave you that?" Freeda shrieked, trying to take the letter away from her hand.

"He is a dollophead, alright," Eve agreed.

"Can we read what's inside?"

"Children!" said Giles, half of his face red with fury. He was back to his usual mood- which was an angry old man even though he's only twenty. "Please, can any of you act properly? We're still wearing our masks. You shouldn't mix with us while we're still known as actors."

But Freeda did not budge, curiosity still in her eyes. "Please Giles? Sybil, help me with this!"

West was on the verge of laughing as he watched them annoy Giles. Eventually taking pity on his friend, he opened the envelope and began reading what's written on the parchment.

'We invite the Eglantine Theatre Troupe to watch the performance of Moon Petal Company next week, at the outdoor stage of Lemver Street.'