The Princess and the Outlaw

✧₊⁺

The Songbird took on the role of Princess Fuyu, a shut-in monarch who was hidden away by the evil King Barnaby due to her positive influence over the people, and the heart of gold she possessed which was in stark contrast to his boundless greed.

I couldn’t help but notice that the woman still concealed most of her face but with a colombina mask this time instead of a hood. Though her short white hair was visible for the first time and the gown she wore was a real showstopper.

Her haunting, opera-esque voice was the real draw, however, grabbing the attention of every patron in the establishment. Even I couldn’t help but applaud after her opening number.

“The drinks you ordered, madam.”

An older waiter dressed in a black tuxedo and slacks brought us a tray of refreshments during the intermission period. For Yuna, it was a tall glass of wine, and Shizuka and I both ordered a soft drink from the wide selection they had, plus a slice of cake for the kid.

“Are you sure you don't want a glass of wine, Jiro-bo?” Yuna asked, browsing the menu. “Says here they have liquor and beer on tap too, unless you’re a fruity cocktail kind of fella. In which case, I won’t judge… much.”

“It’s alright, miss. I’m actually trying to quit. And what do you mean by ‘much’?”

“Says the man who had three glasses of whiskey at the bar in Castella this morning before we set out.”

I shrugged, having no rebuttal for Archie’s jab.

“It ain’t like the stuff gets you drunk. Like the cigarette, I had the other day when I first arrived didn’t make me cough up a lung.” I said after taking a sip of my melon soda. “They’ve recreated flavors of things just fine, but not the effects. But whether it gets me drunk or not, I’d like to break the habit somehow.”

“Whatcha mean, cowpoke? *hicc* I’m feelin’ pleeeeenty tipsy myself.” Yuna’s face was rosy. “Maybe your jusht not tryin’ hard enough.”

“…You’re kidding me, right? You’ve had like two sips, miss.” I shot her an exasperated look. “How could you be slurring your words already?”

“Momma’s a lightweight.” Shizuka nodded knowingly, frosting on her face from the cake.

“…”

I’m not going to ask how or why she knows what that means.

“And how is it that you can get drunk, but I can’t?”

“The intoxication feature is Eternal-specific. They did not want Hunters running around under the influence while on the clock. But certainly, this does not bother you since you are… trying to quit?” Archie’s interface smirked at me.

“Nope, not at all.” I downed the rest of my melon soda in one gulp and crossed my arms. “Was just curious is all.”

“You clearly did not read the pamphlet very thoroughly.”

Meanwhile, the production on stage continued. A dramatic scene played out in which the Princess fought against her love, the outlaw, in single combat to the death. After landing the killing blow with an arrow to the chest, the outlaw knelt next to his beloved who had dropped her sword in defeat.

“Why did it end up this way, Princess?” The actor picked up the Songbird in his arms. “Is anyone out there a doctor!? Perhaps the cute couple up front with the child, can either one of you save Fuyu? I would be in your debt.”

Yuna and I exchanged glances once we realized he was talking about us, and shook our heads profusely, not wanting to get wrapped up in the set or be referred to as “the cute couple” by a packed house of strangers.

Yuna, in particular, looked flustered by his observation. But I couldn’t exactly blame the guy as we looked much like a little family with our strange floating roomba.

“I suppose not then…” The man hung his head before turning back to his princess. “We could have run away together and none of this would have happened. I don’t understand why you had to suffer, Fuyu...”

“Because this… was as fate dictated, Roji.” The Songbird placed her hand on the actor’s face, a tear rolling down her cheek. “As a slave to my duty, the only way for me to pass on my birthright—the right to decide the future of this palace of dreams—was to have my life taken by the hero who would inherit that responsibility and defeat Barnaby. In other words, you, my love.”

“But I’m… not the hero you think I am.” The suave-looking man gripped her hand, his lips quivering dramatically. “I’m a drunk and a killer… I’m the worst kind of man there is!”

I frowned, looking down at the ice in my empty glass.

“Perhaps you’re not the storybook hero from all the tales I once read… But you can still be the hero you want to be, Roji. Here in the kingdom of second chances, you can be anything!” She exclaimed, her grip growing weaker. “The people’s fate, I leave… to you…”

Her hand went limp as it fell and hit the stage.

“FUYUUUUUUUUU!” The actor called out, clutching her tight in his arms.

I couldn’t help but smirk at the overacting, but their exchange stung a lot more than I expected it to for some reason. The Songbird burst into a cloud of blue morpho butterflies to some ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ in the crowd. They then flew overhead, disappearing behind us.

So that was just another avatar of hers?

I looked back, curious as to where the butterflies might have fled. Though nobody else paid much mind to her presence, I crossed gazes with a cloaked woman who was perched on a balcony overlooking the club. The lady in royal blue smiled at me before sinking back into the shadows. I narrowed my eyes, having a pretty good idea of who I might have seen.

After a sad musical number, this time courtesy of the actor playing the outlaw, the audience was in tears. This included Yuna who wiped her eyes with a cloth napkin and hugged her bemused daughter. The final battle began in earnest between the outlaw and King Barnaby, and—as one might expect—the rotten royal lost the bout to the unlikely hero.

As the cast, minus the Songbird, all took a bow at the end of the production, I couldn’t help but feel a bit dissatisfied with some elements of the show. It must have been plain on my face as Archie took the opportunity to point it out.

“You have a rather sour look, Jiro. Can I take that to mean the show was not to your liking?” Archie asked, earning me curious looks from Yuna and Shizuka as well. “It was quite pleasing to my visual and auditory processors.”

“Nah, I agree that the musical numbers were all good, and the acting wasn’t half bad either, but the ending…” I scratched my chin, thinking of how best to word my critique. “Well, I get that the kingdom was all just a dream, but wasn’t shutting it down a bit cruel to the folks living there, unaware? It almost felt like the outlaw went against his lady’s wishes in the end, and her sacrifice was for nothing…”

A little bittersweet, if you asked me.

“Hmm, that’s not really how I interpreted it, Jiro-bo.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I think what the princess wanted all along was for the outlaw to make the difficult choice for her, and end the dream,” Yuna explained, the wine buzz having quickly run its course beside her rosy cheeks. “It was curiosity on her part to see what he would choose, but also pity for her people who had been living a lie all that time.”

When she put it that way, I could see where the scriptwriters were coming from.

“And I’m sure the kingdom’s people would say the same if she had told them all the truth.” She smiled bitterly. “After all, even the sweetest dreams have to end sometime…”

A sweet dream, huh? Why does that seem eerily appropriate…

“That’s an excellent way to put it, my dear.”

Our group swiveled around at the sound of an unexpected voice. Somehow I knew that it was her, the real Songbird, and also the person I saw up in the gallery watching the production. She smiled at me before turning to the others.

“You—you’re—!” Yuna was star-struck, as was Shizuka who gasped, smiling from ear to ear. “—You’re Autumn, the Songbird of Memoria, in the flesh!”

“While Jiro isn’t wrong to think that things ended on a dour note, we must ask ourselves what hurts more: an inconvenient truth or a comfortable lie?” The Songbird explained. “Yuna mentioned the people and the fragile illusion that they lived. Such a thing was bound to crumble in time, so was it more humane to simply end it or keep it going? Though I wrote the tale myself, only you, the viewer, can answer that question for yourselves.”

“For ourselves…” I muttered.

“Gosh, me and my daughter are such big fans. And to think, you know us by name…”

“Why, of course! I know all the fine people of Memoria by their names.” She giggled at Yuna’s fangirling display. “Jiro, Yuna, Archie, and this little treasure must be Shizuka-chan.”

“I-I saw you on the TV!” Shizuka blurted out, rocking anxiously. “I… love your songs.”

“Thank you, little one.” The Songbird knelt, offering Shizuka a blue hair clip that she magicked out of thin air. It was in the shape of a butterfly, to no one’s surprise. “Please continue supporting me, Shizuka-chan. A song only holds power if it’s enjoyed by the people listening to it.”

“Mmm!” Shizuka nodded with a grin, accepting the Songbird’s gift and clipping it in her short brown hair.

“You all must be exhausted from the road. My Feather told me what happened with Blackheart, but please don’t fret. You will be safe here in the city, on my honor as a songstress.” The Songbird placed a hand over her heart. “I’ve gone ahead and reserved the canopy on the top floor for tonight’s dinner service, and accommodations for all of you for as long as you need.”

“That’s awfully kind of you, Miss Songbird, but you don’t have to go that far…” Yuna waved her hand, but I could tell by the look on her face that she was enjoying herself.

“I absolutely insist! And call me Autumn, it’s more personal.” The Songbird nodded firmly. “Come now, a feast awaits for my guests of honor.”

“You hear that Jiro-bo? Guests of honor!” Yuna whispered to me with glee.

I watched as the Songbird, along with the mother and daughter duo, walked out ahead of us in the direction of the hypersonic elevator. Meanwhile, I stood still next to Archie, lost deep in thought.

“Is something the matter, Jiro? You have been exhibiting odd behavior patterns since earlier today. My time with you thus far has convinced me of this.”

“If that’s your way of showing concern, I appreciate it, but…” I paused. “It’s just a weird feeling, I guess, but I’ll be just dandy after a meal. Let’s catch up to the others before we get stuck with leftovers.”

“As you wish.”

The truth was that there was something about the Songbird’s presence that made my head hurt, and I couldn’t shake the creeping feeling of dread that had manifested itself hours before.