CHAPTER 67: STAGE PRESENCE 17

The spotlight fell.

Metal screeched against metal as the massive light fixture plummeted toward the stage. The audience gasped. Someone screamed.

Aegis moved on pure instinct.

Her hand shot up. Energy erupted from her palm, forming into a whip of pure aether that wrapped around the spotlight’s frame. The weight nearly yanked her arm out of its socket. Her knees buckled. But she held on, teeth gritted, as the spotlight swung in a wide arc away from Talia.

It hung there for a heartbeat, suspended by nothing but Aegis’s magic and willpower.

The entire theater went silent. Every noble, every student, every professor stared at the sight. A commoner holding a two-hundred-pound light fixture with nothing but raw magical force.

[Shit. This definitely isn’t in the script.]

Aegis’s arm trembled. Sweat beaded on her forehead. The spotlight creaked ominously.

Then Talia moved.

The princess threw herself backward with a dramatic gasp, hand pressed to her forehead like she’d just witnessed the most tragic thing in the world.

"Elara!" she cried out, her voice carrying to the back rows. "You would sacrifice yourself to save me from the very heavens falling upon us?"

[Oh. OH. She’s playing along.]

Aegis carefully lowered the spotlight to the stage floor, making it look like she was struggling against some invisible force. The aether whip dissipated in a shower of sparks that looked way cooler than she’d intended.

"The gods themselves conspire against our love!" Aegis declared, dropping to one knee as if the effort had drained her. Which wasn’t entirely acting. Her arm felt like jelly. "But I would hold back the stars if it meant keeping you safe, my queen!"

The audience leaned forward in their seats. This wasn’t the script they’d been given in their programs, but nobody seemed to care.

Talia rushed to Aegis’s side, her dress swirling around her. She cupped Aegis’s face in her hands, and for a moment, Aegis forgot they were acting. Talia’s yellow eyes burned with what looked like genuine concern.

[God, she’s good.]

"You beautiful fool," Talia whispered-yelled. Then louder, for the audience: "The prophecy spoke true! The cursed light that would end my reign, stopped by the one I banished!"

Aegis blinked.

[... Prophecy?]

Aegis stood slowly, letting Talia help her up. Their bodies pressed close. Too close for a proper royal production, but perfect for the drama unfolding.

[Well, whatever. Follow her lead.]

"I told you," Aegis said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "No decree, no curse, no force in this realm or any other could keep me from your side."

She glanced sideways at the audience. They were eating this up. Lady Roseheart had both hands pressed to her chest. Even Duchess Valemont looked invested.

[Time to really sell it.]

"But the prophecy demands a price," Aegis continued, staggering slightly. Talia caught her, arms wrapping around Aegis’s waist. "The one who defies fate must... must..."

Aegis let her knees give out.

Talia lowered her to the stage floor, cradling Aegis in her lap. The position put Aegis’s face directly at boob level, which she tried very hard not to think about (or smile about).

"No!" Talia’s cry echoed through the theater. "You can’t leave me! Not when we’ve only just found each other again!"

"My queen," Aegis reached up, touching Talia’s cheek. "Grant me one final request."

"Anything."

"A kiss. So I might carry the taste of you into whatever comes next."

Talia blinked this time.

[Hey, if you can add a fucking prophecy to the script, I can add a bit of tongue action.]

The audience collectively held its breath.

One of Talia’s eyes twitched, which the audience probably didn’t notice but Aegis sure did. Then, Talia leaned down.

Her black hair formed a curtain around their faces, giving them a moment of privacy even on the crowded stage.

"You’re a fucking idiot," she whispered, so quiet only Aegis could hear.

"An idiot who just saved your ass."

"Shut up."

Then Talia kissed her.

It wasn’t the stage kiss they’d rehearsed. This was something else entirely. Talia’s mouth was hot and demanding. Her tongue swept across Aegis’s lower lip.

Aegis opened for her without thinking.

Suddenly they were making out on stage in front of half the academy. Aegis’s hands tangled in Talia’s hair. Talia made a small noise in the back of her throat that definitely wasn’t acting.

The kiss went on.

And on.

Someone in the audience whistled.

Finally, Talia pulled back, a single strand of saliva still connecting her tongue to Aegis’s.

Her lips were swollen, her cheeks flushed. She looked down at Aegis with genuine shock written across her face, like she just realized what she’d done.

[Holy shit.]

"And so," Talia said, voice shaky but still projecting, "love conquers even death itself!"

She stood, pulling Aegis up with her. They faced the audience together, hands clasped.

"For Elara lives!" Talia declared. "The prophecy was false! A trick by those who would see us apart!"

The orchestra scrambled to find appropriate music. Professor Loralei was practically vibrating with excitement in the wings.

Aegis stepped forward, still holding Talia’s hand.

"My queen, my love, my everything," she said, going full melodrama. "I have returned from exile, defied the heavens, and broken fate itself. All for you."

"Then let none stand between us!" Talia raised their joined hands high. "For our love shall be the foundation upon which a new kingdom rises!"

They kissed again.

Shorter this time, but with Talia dipping Aegis backward like something out of a romance novel cover.

The curtain fell.

The audience exploded.

The applause was deafening. Nobles were on their feet. Someone threw flowers onto the stage.

Backstage, the other actors stared at them in shock.

"What," Liora said slowly, "was that?"

"Improv?" Aegis offered.

She was still trying to catch her breath. Talia hadn’t let go of her hand yet.

Professor Loralei burst through the crowd of actors. Tears streamed down her face.

"BRILLIANT!" She grabbed both Aegis and Talia in a crushing hug. "Absolutely MAGNIFICENT! The passion! The drama! The way you incorporated that technical failure into the narrative! I’ve never seen anything like it!"

"Technical failure?" Talia extracted herself from the hug. "You mean that wasn’t planned?"

"The spotlight? Heavens no! But you two turned disaster into art!"

Aegis caught movement in her peripheral vision. Varyn, slinking away through the backstage shadows. His face was pale, eyes wide with panic.

[Yeah, you better run, asshole.]

"Places for curtain call!" the stage manager shouted.

The cast assembled quickly. Aegis ended up between Talia and Liora, which felt appropriate given everything that had happened.

The curtain rose again.

The audience was still on their feet, applause continuing.

Aegis had never experienced anything like it. In her previous life, she’d been lucky to get a nurse to smile at her. She considered that a victory. Now hundreds of nobles were cheering for her.

They took their bows. First the ensemble, then the supporting actors. Liora stepped forward for her bow and got huge applause.

Then Talia and Aegis stepped forward together.

The theater went absolutely wild.

Roses landed at their feet. Someone shouted "ENCORE!" Others picked up the chant.

Talia squeezed Aegis’s hand.

"We should bow," she murmured.

"Yeah."

They bowed together, perfectly synchronized. When they straightened, Talia pulled Aegis in for another kiss. Quick, but enough to send the audience into fresh hysteria.

[This is insane. This is actually insane.]

The curtain fell for the final time.

Immediately, Talia let go of Aegis’s hand and stepped back. Her whole demeanor shifted from stage persona to her usual cold dignity.

"We will never speak of this again."

"Which part?" Aegis grinned. "The kiss? The second kiss? The third kiss? You’ll have to be specific."

Talia’s eye twitched.

"All of it."

"Even the part where I saved your life?"

"Especially that part."

She turned on her heel and walked away. Aegis caught the slight stumble in her step though. And was that a blush on the back of her neck?

Affection Gain: Talia Stone +10 (❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍)

[Four hearts. Holy shit, I got her to four hearts.]

"Aegis!"

Scarlett crashed into her, lifting her off the ground in a bear hug.

"That was fucking incredible! The way you caught that light! And then the kissing! So much kissing!"

"Can’t. Breathe."

Scarlett set her down but kept her hands on Aegis’s shoulders.

"Seriously though, what the hell happened? That surely wasn’t part of the play."

"Equipment malfunction. Had to improvise."

"By making out with the princess?"

"It seemed appropriate at the time."

Scarlett laughed, loud and bright.

"God, you’re something else." She leaned in close. "Want to celebrate later? I’ve got honeyweed and that wine you like."

"Tempting, but I might pass out the second I hit my bed."

"Fair enough."

Scarlett kissed her cheek.

"You were amazing out there."

As Scarlett wandered off to congratulate other cast members, Aegis noticed Lune approaching. Her roommate had her sketchbook tucked under one arm.

"I drew the kiss," she said without preamble.

"Which one?"

"All three. Different angles."

She showed Aegis a page.

[... Whoa.]

It was Aegis and Talia sucking face like their lives depended on it. Each one, at different angles, like sports television replays.

"Your expression was very educational."

"... Educational?"

"You looked happy." She nodded.

[Well, I was.]

Before Aegis could respond to that somewhat depressing statement, Dean Whitmore’s voice boomed across the backstage area.

"Cast meeting! Everyone to the green room!"

The actors gathered in the small room adjacent to the stage. The Dean stood at the front, Headmistress Valdris beside him.

"First," the Dean began, "congratulations on a spectacular performance. Despite the technical difficulties, you’ve created something truly memorable."

"About those difficulties." Valdris’s eyes swept the room. "We’ll be investigating how the spotlight came loose. Such accidents are unacceptable."

Aegis kept her face neutral. No need to rat out Varyn just yet. She’d save that information for when it would be most useful.

"However," the Dean continued, "tonight’s success has convinced us. This play will run for a full week, with performances every evening."

Excited murmurs filled the room.

"Furthermore," Valdris added, "the final performance will be attended by several royal dignitaries. You’ve been given a great honor. Don’t waste it."