Up To The Throne (Dark Renaissance Book 1) by Toby Frost

Author:Toby Frost [Frost, Toby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-17T18:30:00+00:00

16

Seeing the playhouse made her smile. It had been here all through her life, as far back as she could recall. Slipping through the audience as a child, chasing some friend; a little older, cutting purses with her pocketknife; older still, taking Giordano to see the evening performances. He’d enjoyed them well enough, but as something to see and forget, like a juggling trick. Somehow it had never awed him the way it did Giulia, to watch lives and deaths set out upon the stage.

At the commoners’ door a pretty, dark-haired girl was sitting on a stool. She balanced a ball on the back of her hand, flexed her arm and made it roll up onto her shoulder, across the nape of her neck and down into her other hand. “Four coppers,” she said, holding out her empty palm. Behind her a big man tapped a length of cane against his leg.

“I’ll do this,” Marcellus said. “I’m feeling pretty flush right now.”

They walked through. “How about over here?” Marcellus said. He looked back and smiled. His enthusiasm made her think of a small, friendly dog.

They were a little early, so Giulia bought some cakes from a vendor and they watched the props being brought out onto the stage. “Looks like this one’s set in a castle,” Giulia said. “Always a good sign.”

“You watch a lot of plays, then?”

“When I get the chance. It’s like reading books: you see things you’d never see otherwise.” A weird rumble came from behind the stage: someone rolling a cannonball down a tube. “Looks like there’ll be thunder too.”

They moved back, into the shadow of the stalls. The playhouse was roughly circular, and an awning could be drawn forward if it rained; at the moment, the sun was fierce. It was best to keep out of the heat. Giulia had seen people faint before from watching long plays standing up. She chewed her cake and waited.

A group of sour-faced Watchmen shoved past, on the lookout for trouble. People said plays encouraged violence, and the Watch tended to put on a show of strength to prevent rioting.

“Giulia?”

“Uh?” She had a mouthful of cake.

“That Nuntio fellow. Where do you know him from?”

“I told you. I don’t know him. I’ve just heard of him, that’s all.”

“And he’s some sort of – I don’t know what – mercenary?”

“That’s how it looks.” A flag was being hauled up above the doors, the sign that the play was about to start. She watched the flag rise, determined to say nothing more. I could warn him. No. Marcellus can deal with his own problems – he can afford to. He can buy his way out. Nobody can know what I’m here to do. I need every advantage I can get.

To the right, a beer-seller was hurrying a customer up, trying to get the last few sales in before the performance began. “Come on friend, drink up. There’s others wanting a cup...”

I could tell him about Nuntio. Perhaps I ought to. But I came here for revenge, not to set the world to rights.

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