The Lotus Theatre

“Lotus, darling. You know that if you slam that jug o’ yours that it’ll smash, an’ then poor Jeb ‘ere will have to clean it, yes ‘e will” For once, no, not really for once, more like always, Francesca’s lusty voice grated within Lotus’s ears.

It seemed that tonight, Lotus’s temper was short, and she could cope with the grating sound of the peasants that surrounded her. She glimpsed outside the partially opened doorway, the wooden door cracked open just so to allow the wind come whistling through. Rain sheeted down, heavy with fat drops of water wetting the clothing of men and women in mere seconds.

“I’m going to leave” Lotus spun on her chair, going to leave. She winced as a hand grasped her wrist. She looked at the owner of said hand, noticing it was the broad wrist of Jebediah.

“Lotus, where are ya’ stayin’? I’ll ‘ave a boy escort ya” His tone of voice suddenly became gruffer, and it came to her understanding that this was Jebediah’s way of showing that he cared. Lotus didn’t have the heart to tell him that she was living on a camp in the borderline of the forest. He’d probably offer for her to move in. She could imagine it now – especially if Francesca found out.

“Now you come ‘ere Lotus dearey, old Franny will find work for you” Francesca would say as she grasped her hand in a tight vice, unwilling to let her go through the somewhat torturous walk to her brothel that bordered the tree line on the opposite side of town where she camped.

Lotus repressed the shudder that tingled in the base of her spine. No, telling anyone would simply not do. Especially considering that she knew that the two boys working for Jebediah, and them both being chatterboxes. And then there was the tiny fact that one of them was a spy for Elendadith. Not that she had much concern for many townspeople of Krelayke. No, scratch that, anyone at Krelayke. Lotus couldn’t afford to get attached to anything.

“No thanks Jebediah, I’ll be fine” with a dismissive wave, Lotus exited the small pub. The rain seemed to beat down with a vengeance, soaking everything, including Lotus herself. Though she stuck to the overhangs of buildings – not that there were many – she was soaked to the bone and shivering.

In a short manner of time, she was facing the ominous looking tree line that marked the beginning of the forest. Lotus knew when she moved here that the forest was strictly off bounds to most, filled with legends of man eating monsters and marauders. Though the part about the man eating monsters was not true, she knew that the marauders were, for several times she herself had encountered the vile men. She pulled the damp cloak around her shoulders closer to her in the hopes of extracting some warmth as she stepped through the dense forest.
The forest floor seemed to cling to her slippers with every step she took, and though she would have once winced at the cruelty she seemed to be subjecting her feet to, she instead squared her shoulders as though facing an invisible enemy, and continued to march onwards.

Though the walk was always tedious and long, Lotus found herself relieved as she came upon the edge of where she had set camp for the past year. It was semi-permanent, and though she appreciated the location with the dense canopy over head, with the bubbling creek feet away and the miraculous birdsong that greeted the mornings, she knew that she must go soon.

Lotus stalked over to the tent that she had erected for herself, a rounded pavilion tent in which she laid thick linens over the ground to protect her feet. Everything inside was dry, the meagre possessions she owned taking up no more than a quarter of the space. Lotus drew the doors to her home shut tightly, lacing them together with simplistic knots.

Once satisfied by the security of her home, she began undressing, leaving her in nothing but her hair to cover her. Her damp hair grazed her back, a slight chill kissed her skin, raising goosebumps all over. She shivered slightly, the movement evident. She settled on her knees, digging through the clothes to find a dressing gown, pulling on the plain white garment. She had long ago outgrown the original, but was so attached to it that she couldn’t bare to part with it. It was a low necked smock with a square neckline, and though it only reached her knees, was comfortable and had lace attached to the sleeves - a feature of her old night gown as a child.

Lotus’s fingers trailed against the lace at her wrist as she attempted to suppress the horrible memories of her child hood. Flashes came to her, of her sitting on her fathers lap and laughing. He was such a jolly man. Lotus winced as a tear winded down her face. Was is better to love and lose, or to never experience it at all?

She wiped her eyes angrily, letting her pitiful nails dig into the tender flesh on her cheeks, surely leaving irritated, red welts. In a fit of rage, she screamed. If there were people around her, they would describe the scream as similar to a wounded animal, who knew it was dying but wanted to live. But Lotus wanted to die.

She wanted to die so she could be with the rest of her family. The ones who abandoned her at such a tender young age, leaving her defenceless, wanted and scared. She remembered those early days, though she didn’t want to. Lotus curled into a ball, arms wrapped tightly around her legs as she rocked back and forth. Tears streamed down her face as she allowed herself to cry, for there was no one to see it.

“How could you leave me?” she sobbed, the sound wet and snuffly. She buried her face into her knees as she screamed again. Anguish and anger blending into a perfect emotion, on the precipice of madness, where Lotus always lingered. But she wasn’t Lotus, she hadn’t always been Lotus. She had been a young girl, who enjoyed playing with her elder brother and trying on her mothers shoes when she thought no one was looking.

She remembered the days after the accident. Remembered the feeling of utter horror as she realised that she was the only one to escape. People screamed her name as she ran away, her heavy skirts growing heavier with mud and weighing her down. People chasing her, driving her into the forest where she was as defenceless as a babe in those first few months. She had cried over every tear in the gown, every time her hair was snagged and frustrated over every rock that entered her shoe.

Lotus began to rock harder, her sobbing almost as heavy as the rain. Lightning flashed across the sky, lightening the tent which had long ago darkened to pitch black. Though she was scared of storms, she welcomed this one. Lotus shook her head, steeled herself. She forced herself to stop the mindless rocking and screaming and crying. She needed to do something to make herself forget. Reaching out, she fumbled for her candlestick holder and fire starters. Scraping the rocks together, she watched as some old hay caught fire, and used it to light her candle.

As the tent lightened, she set herself to work. Tears forgotten, she pulled out a sewing kit and sat on a large plush cushion where she allowed herself to mend her slippers, hopefully buying a few more days time. She worked until late in the night, until the thunder and rain had stopped.

Lotus had finished her sewing many hours ago, and had begun on packing. Lotus decided whilst sewing that tomorrow would be her last day in Krelayke. She would need at least a week of hard riding to reach Draelith, if she was lucky.

As Lotus unrolled her blankets, she laid against the sleeping mat, slipping into a deep but restful sleep. She was determined to sleep for as long as she could before leaving, for she knew that it would leave her exhausted.



Crispin stared at a map of Krelayke. The small pitiful town made his nose curl in ways that he had never thought possible. Filled with peasants that stank, Prince Crispin couldn’t wait to return to the palace. But no, mother and father had found it necessary to allow him to tour the kingdom to find his bride.

However, he had found one diamond in Krelayke, in the form of the blonde haired Lotus. Just the thought of her made him desire her even more. Crispin knew he grew obsessed with her, fixated. He was set in making her his bride. She was defiant, and he liked the challenge.

A knock on the door interrupted Crispin, and he half turned to beckon them inside. They all huddled around the small map. Crispin looked up at the royal guard that surrounded him.

“I want you to scour every inch of Krelayke, and find the white haired female that goes by the name Lotus. She is to be your future queen, and in this you will not fail me” Prince Crispin met the eye of each soldier. After a moments hesitation they all bowed their heads, signalling their acceptance of such a task. Crispin smirked - she would be his.