Maria - The Blind Princess

Chapter 12

The student that Maria met introduced himself as Martin De Laconte. He was the son of a noble family having the biggest theater located at Eurydia Kingdom's capital. However, he just got a letter from his parents that their chorus singer was assassinated 2 days ago. The show would be tomorrow, with this such rushing time, they couldn't find anyone to replace. Until Martin just randomly passed by the academic library and heard Maria's singing, he was like "It's him!" and asked her help rescuing his family's crisis.

"I understand." Maria said after listening his story "However, I'm afraid I cannot play the show because I'm just a blind."

"Wait, I haven't done explaining yet... Actually you don't have to worry anything.. Because you just need to stand at one place and sing."

"I see."

"So... Please help me! I promise to do anything if you accept my request!!"

Tomorrow would be Sunday so Maria didn't worry at the available time. However, she was a little nervous because she had never known the definition of playing a show at the theater. If the person in front of her was desperately asking for her help. Of course she couldn't refuse.

"Okay, I will try with my best."

"Really thank you very much!!" Maria could feel herself being hugged and it made her confused and nervous. She hoped that that guy couldn't recognize her a girl just because of her chest "So please tell me whenever you're done working with our highnesses. I will gladly wait for you in front of the library building."

"My appreciation."

Meanwhile, when Martin and Maria were talking to each other, William and Jacques stood at a nearby corner to make sure nothing happened to her.

"Jacques, go back to your work please."

"Shut up! It's you who have to go back to work!! I have to secure if he is okay."

"You are sounding like you're having a crush on him, am I right?"

"What are you talking about? He's my friend and a blind so I'm worried for him."

"Mr.Tranchant is my student so of course, taking care of him is a duty of a professor like me as well."

But they didn't know that Maria's sensitive ears could hear all of the princes's fight behind her. It was so hard for her to endure, try not to laugh in front of Martin.

After finishing talking with Martin, Maria pointed her golden cane on the ground, walked toward to the origin of their noisy voices.

"We can resume our work now, you two."

"How do you know we're here??"

***

As Martin told her, he'd wait for her with the horse cart from House of De Laconte in front of the academy's gate. After done working with the princes, the time was too rushing so she just could prepare clothes and some personal stuffs inside her academic bag. She couldn't even go to the hospitality to say goodbye to Gerald. Despite being guilty, Maria believed she could explain to him once she finished her business.

"Alright, it's done."

Maria wore the noble costume that Jacques bought for her for important occasion: A cream colored shirt with dark pants and high boots. She also tied a white cravat and put the black top hat on her beautiful blond braided hair. The last things, were the bandage for her eyes, the black tailcoat and everything was done.

"If Gerald could be with me..." Maria then shook her head "No, I have to do everything by myself now! I maybe a blind but it doesn't mean I'm helpless."

"Then let me go with you, My Lady. How can I stand here to see you going alone?"

Jacques also wanted to go with Maria, since he already knew where she'd be going after eavesdropping her. Beside, it was long time he hadn't gone to the theater, mostly of his time was inside the castle or the academy. He said so to her.

"Then how about your project?"

"Don't worry, I still have plenty time to complete it. The project will last until my graduation."

"Really thank you so much Jacques~ Oh, can you also help me writing a letter and send to Gerald about my business?"

"Sure of course, I will send a letter to him once we arrive to the theater."

At the rendez-vous in front of the academic gate, Martin got cold sweated when seeing the one accompanying Maria.

"Your...Your highness?!" Martin didn't expect Jacques's presence so he and his servants were frightened, bowed to in front of the prince "My.. My honor to see you here!!"

"Sh!!! Shut your mouth up!! You noisy pig!!"

Maria could hear Jacques nagging Martin. She understood that Jacques had to pretend to be cocky in front of everyone. He could become a very talented actor she believed.

"Lower your voice and DO NOT tell my servants that I'm here." Jacques ordered Martin. He covered himself under a simple black coat to avoid the eyesight of everyone, but Martin still could sense a dominating aura surrounding the prince. He wanted to ask why this such supreme majesty had to hide himself but he didn't dare "I want to accompany my friend Tranchant as well so I will go with him to the theater."

"Ye...Yes, as your order."

On the way from the academy to the theater, the atmosphere inside the horse cart was so silent and awkward. No one could even talk to each other. Maria had to work for Jacques's project since the noon so she was very tired. Sometime the silence even put her to sleep that she shook her head, slapped her pinky cheeks and tried to endure. Meanwhile, Jacques was writing a letter as Maria's request. He then opened the cart's window, blew a whistle that woke Maria up.

"What is it?" Maria asked with curiosity.

"It's the whistle to call my girl, Mia."

Very fast, something flew to the cart's window and landed on Jacques's hand. Maria could hear the flapping noise of something like the wings, she could guess what it was.

"Oh, Mia that's a cute name!"

"In my palace, it's obligatory for a royal member to have a pigeon for the letter delivery. I took care of Mia since she was newly hatched." Jacques then tied the letter on the pigeon and led her fly away "She will arrive to Gerald soon."

"Thank you very much...uhm..."

Maria was confused if she should call him as 'Jacques' or 'your highness'. Jacques also understood her when in front of him right now was a poor frightened Martin who couldn't even say anything.

"I just did my duty." Jacques coughed and continued saying, to help her escaping this confusion.

Meanwhile, Martin always looked down during the conversation. Inside his mind, he felt something going wrong when a dictating prince like Jacques being so close with a non-noble student. Despite feeling sinful, he was aware that he was very jealous toward that blind boy as well. Martin also saw he was very close with the eldest prince William too. He wondered, it was impossible for a non-noble to become a close friend to both the princes at the same time in just very short time. A theory then popped up in his mind, that blind student could be a disguised wizard or a spy. He wanted to exploit the royal high secrets so pretended to be close with the princes. Waiting for the suitable time, he could use those secrets to destroy this kingdom.

Martin had to stop this to happen. He thought, it could be the only chance for him to reveal the true color of that boy. He took a long breath to calm himself down. It would be a challenge for him to find the proof, to prove that the blind boy was just trying to take advantage from the princes.

However, Martin reconsidered back. If that boy was a disguised spy, why would he willing to help a completely stranger like him to solve his family's crisis? His purpose was supposed to collect all the information so didn't he have to avoid all the burdens as possible? Martin was confused by all his mind. He thought about an idea to monitor that blind boy for a moment, to discover what he truly wanted from the princes.

"Huh? Are you alright? You look so nervous." Jacques's question suddenly blew all Martin's minds away.

"I'm.. I'm okay your highness."

Eventually, the horse cart arrived to the Eurydia theater.

***

"It's my pleasure and appreciation to have you helping us, Mr.Tranchant."

Martin's mother, Madame De Laconte already waited for Maria in front of her mansion and greeted her. Maria could hear a gentle voice in front of her, she guessed that woman would be a very kind person.

"Oh?" Madame De Laconte saw Jacques next to Maria. But because his face was hidden under the coat so she couldn't recognize him as a prince "Can I know your name, sir?"

"Mom let me introduce... He... He is Tranchant's friend from the academy! He is from House of Earl Menard."

Martin intervened. He already got warned by Jacques before arriving, if he let anyone in the theater know the prince was here, Martin wouldn't be able to secure his head. Jacques already carefully prepared Earl Menard - his personal butler's emblem to prevent the worst case.

"Tranchant is blind, so he needed a friend to accompany and support him."

The noble woman then noticed Maria's golden cane and her eyes bandage, she understood what it was for.

"I see, my condolence to know this such terrible thing happened to you."

"Madame, it doesn't matter." Maria answered with a smile "I have been blind since I was born so everything was fine. I also feel very lucky to have a friend like your son in this academy helping me as well."

"You are indeed very kind child." Madame De Lanconte then guide them to the mansion's dining room "Please come this way. We also prepared a dinner for you before discussing our performance."

It was the moment Jacques's stomach began grumbling. Same as Maria, working on the project had exhausted all of his stamina as well so he was very hungry right now.

"Is it ok if you hide yourself like this?" On the luxury dining table, Maria whispered with low voice that only Jacques, who was sitting next to her could hear.

"Yeah My Lady, I bet they wouldn't let be beside you like this if they knew I'm the prince. We haven't counted the trouble when there can be an assassin trying kill me. Beside, you cannot see anything, it's very dangerous for you to be alone in a strange place."

"Thank you so much for caring me..."

"No no don't thank me. You are my friend, my future alliance so protecting you is what I can only do."

After finishing the dinner, both Maria and Jacques could feel their stamina had come back and they could began their duty tonight. Madame De Laconte guided both of them to the performance hall with her servants.

"Your mission for tomorrow will just stand at one place and sing as the show's narrator, the hardest song is at the c****x scene." Madame explained, then gave Jacques the papers "Mr.Menard, would you please help me at teaching Mr.Tranchant singing then."

"My pleasure."

Jacques received list of the song's scripts and looked at each of the pages carefully. It seemed to be not hard to remember, but the problem was they were very very very long. He was worried if Maria could learn and remember them in just one day. As he knew, the performance would be commence at tomorrow night.

"Would you mind if I can listen to your singing voice, Mr.Tranchant?"

"Yes sure."

Maria began echoing her singing voice. Despite it was just a childish song that Baron Beauvallet taught her in the past, everyone was stunned by the beauty of her angelic performance. Jacques already knew how well she could sing, so looked at Martin, his mother even the servant's surprised face with proud face: "That's my lady."

"I don't know how to describe this..." Madame De Laconte said "I feel like I was just blessed by an angel. As my son told me, your voice is indeed fascinating and amazing, very suitable for this role."

"Can I know what role I'll play in the show?"

"It's so hard to say this, your role...

...will be a princess."