For I Am Yours and You Are Mine

"Evelina!" there was continuous knocking at her door. She exhaled heavily, wanting to scream profanities at the voice. For how would someone who had not gotten a blink of sleep should properly respond to a call so rude, so needy.

She was back at her own bed, in her own room at the inn. And she just passed her audition! Evelina felt something fluttering inside her stomach whenever she thought of it. It felt odd to belong somewhere that wasn't her family. At the same time, it felt refreshing.

Her mind went back to the night before. How she entered the room with two witches, one being a person she despised. It would take both heaven and earth crumbling before she could ever forgive the protagonist who insulted her. Or maybe never.

Which made her a bit nervous for he could sabotage what she prepared in store.

Prepared? Had she thought of preparing? Well, no. But she did see an opportunity where she could sing a song that her mother once taught her. It wasn't much but the only thing she could offer for who would even thought that she would agree?

The idea was beyond outrageous!

Yet there she was.

"..give them wings, set them free for their love is something they could never be," it wasn't written just for anyone. It was written by her father for his love. And the way her mother would always hum the tune whenever she misses him had always made Evelina think. What if she met him? Would she have turned out to be something more than she is now?

She sang the last words, opening her eyes to meet her evaluators' gaze. At least try to, but the limelight was shining brilliantly, directed and focused at her. She can only envision how their reaction might be. Fixed, no signs of delight nor displeasure. She waited for them but it seemed as if they were waiting for her, too.

Finally fed up with the silence, the girl stood up.

"Alright then. Now that we're done with that, let's proceed to the next step."

What?

Evelina blinked. "There's a next step?"

"Aw, didn't West tell you about it?" It was the protagonist and he was clearly making fun of her.

"No!"

He gave her a pleased look. "Good! Because what happens in this room, stays in this room."

Should she be mad at West for not telling her about the levels of this audition? Yes, yes she should be. For all she knows, this may be a trap. And the kindness that West had been showing was to trick her into going into this room and letting these witches attack her. When he could attack her himself?

No, it didn't make sense.

Then were these witches much more powerful than he was?

Whatever this may be, West was to blame for all of this. It was his idea that she should suck it up and beg for their approval. He was too pushy. Maybe a little nice. But still too pushy.

"What do I do?" she asked, glaring at the witch.

Both witches shot the other a knowing look. They were smiling and Evelina never liked those kinds of smiles because they mirror disaster. Either for her or for them both because promise be broken, she wouldn't let them hurt her again.

Her suspicions were proven wrong when they passed her a mask and a piece of parchment with a short line. It was the mask that the female lead used back at the play. White for her purity and black for when the antagonist turned her into a creature who betrayed the protagonist. Both colors compliment her character and fate.

Meanwhile the line was…

Evelina stared at it, forehead scrunched and lips turned into a frown.

'Oh give thy lips here. Ravish my being for I am yours and you are mine'

"What the bloody hell is this?"

Were they making fun of her?

"Here's what you are to do," said the girl. "Once you wear that mask, you can never take it off. That is unless you obey us or you become the character herself. The line will serve as something you will say more than once, with different emotions. You shall not stop until we are satisfied."

Thus the beginning of her sweet torture. She was almost thankful that West did not watch how much of a fool she made herself to be.

"Evelina!" Speaking of which, West was assigned to tend to her needs. Part of her just thinks that they still did not trust her.

Groaning, Evelina thrust herself up from her bed to get the door. The witch had been yapping so early in the morning that she did not find time to fix herself up.

"What?" She opened the door and there was West on his shirt and trousers, ready for the day. "What do you need?"

"You-" he stopped, almost as if he realized something. He clicked his tongue and awkwardly bowed his head, stammering his next words. "The thing is...you...well, we should be…"

Evelina tilted her head. "Right?"

"Ah, blast this," he reached for his nape and began rubbing it, closing his eyes tightly. "There will be a meeting for our new recruits later. I was tasked to buy something from the town and since I will serve as your guardian, I require you to come with me. So dress up, please, so we can go now."

"I think Miss Delphine requires my attendance more?" she answered, thinking of how the woman gave her a stink eye when she made her way back towards her room.

It was strange how she was speaking of the name of the innkeeper she had no interests in getting to know with. But seeing that she had crossed her world with theirs, it was mostly her fault (but she would not be willing to admit it), it was necessary.

To be fair, it was not only her fault. She started it, sure, but the ball of energy that destroyed her lobby was not her doing but the witches'. And she did reason that out, and even tried bribing the woman with silvers since she looked like she liked that, but the innkeeper adds up her crimes of making Sybil and Royce cry. That she could claim as something she should be blamed with.

Miss Delphine was both money-worried and lovely. Evelina did not know how she could manage both personalities.

"Miss Delphine, of course! I will try to borrow you from her, then." West suspired, still unable to look her way. "Now please, miss, dress up."

And the witch was gone without letting her say anything more than a "But-!"

But could he really save her from working with Nelle, the girl whom she felt most uncomfortable with?

Apparently, he could. But not very easily. He did beg and promised to buy something relevant to the repair of her counter. An excuse that almost did not go through because as the woman mentioned, "But you were not part of this whole ruckus, were you?"

And West answered with complete sincerity in his voice. "Madam, I may not be one at fault but I am one of them. Blame me, too, for their sins. I will not stop you."

It did not sound as something that a real person would say but what an actor he was!

"You know, Evelina," West said after buying nails for the repair. He had been calling her as, when Giles, the bastard protagonist, mentioned that Evelina was her name. West seemed surprised with it for a second before quickly adjusting himself with what he should call her. "Ever since the war, I have never seen vampires and witches working together."

"Nor have I."

Even before the war, their kinds had been hostile with each other. That was why it was no surprise that the witches sided with humans. They brought themselves between them only to be also caught as one of its victims.

"You're here to change that though," he continued. She was not sure why but she felt a sense of guilt. "I guess that's why they were a bit surprised when you approached them and declared that you want to join."

Even if they were not aware of what she was when she did all those?

"What I'm saying is," he faced her with a bright smile on his face. "since you're one of the people I see pushing for a change between beings, maybe try to get along with the others, too?"

But that was not what she was really aiming to do.

She could not tell him that.

"Do I really have to do that?" She grunted like how she was supposed to act, pushing away the heavy feeling of guilt. "I mean, I get along with you."

West shook his head. "Nope. Not enough."

"And I do not have to always agree with you, do I?"

"See it like this, your relationship with the troupe will serve as foundation for future success."

Damn, she really hates him.

Refusing to acknowledge his point, Evelina answered with the most artificial answer she could come up with. "I'll try."

"Then that's enough."