Royal Academy Diaries II

Circus ⚜ Ch. 5

"We have to go!"

Andrae looked at Kezia's pleading face and knew what his answer was going to be, but dreaded it anyway. "Oh fine."

His friends cheered. 

"Maybe you can ask about that one trick you've heard about afterwards, yeah?" Vlastik winked knowingly.

"Good idea. They might know," he nodded.

"What trick?" Kezia asked, excited.

"Oh something about tightropes and torches," he made up. Although that wasn't a terrible idea. Well, maybe to anyone else.

Grinning, Kezia gestured towards the dorms. "Let me go get Mavi. She'll want to come."

"Okay. The more the merrier," Andrae said.

Vlastik lightly punched his arm. "Hey, you sound like you're going to a funeral. Lighten up."

"The end of my credibility, Vlas." He sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

As soon as Mavi was found, they all piled into cabs and drove down to the field next to Vanera where the circus was being held.

It was a wild and colourful place, where everything seemed just on this side of being magic. Music played loudly, beckoning all to come and be amazed.

Andrae picked a spot near but not quite at the top, hoping the distance would be sufficient to mask him for now. Kezia and her friend whispered excitedly about the costumes and animals while Vlastik and Sahir wanted to see a fire eater.

When the lights went down, he took a breath. The spotlight fell on a man in a red tailcoat - Ring Master Paulson - and the show began.

The crowd cheered and gasped and laughed at feats of daring and danger and humour. Lights swirled, ropes swung by, and everything was looking hopeful. After a particularly impressive vanishing trick, Vlastik leaned over to him and said, "Houdini couldn't match this." 

Andrae smiled until Master Paulson took the center ring again. The music quieted, the lights went down, and he twirled his hat. With all the theatrics of a performer, he announced, "Now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls - for a never before seen act, we will choose a member of the audience to participate in a death defying act!"

Andrae pursed his lips. Here we go...

The spotlights circled the tent and everyone gasped in fear, until it landed on him. Kezia and others gasped too, looking at him in obvious terror. 

But he knew the routine. Literally, he'd been made to practice it about two hundred times. Needless to say, he wasn't a bit nervous.

He stood up on the bench and shrugged as though to say, 'What now?'

Then, barreling towards him came his friend, an acrobat on a swinging bar. They clasped wrists, making it look like he was snatched, and swung back right over the heads of the patrons.

People screamed as he flipped through the air, being caught by the man's wife on the other wire. She winked at him as she placed him up on a tall landing that was only a meter across. He put on a show of teetering like he was about to fall, tripping forward onto the tightrope. 

Everyone held their breath and exclaimed as he clumsily went out further and further onto the line. Then, just when they thought he was getting the hang of it, he fell. 

He was quickly caught by his friend on the bar again, letting him down safely onto a waiting elephant. He quickly patted his favourite animal's head before raising his hands as though in elation at he impossible success.  Then he stood and slid forward off the animal's head, flipping at the end for show as he landed on his feet. 

"Let's give it up for our 'guest' everyone!" Master Paulson said, raising his cane. "Good to have you back, even for a night, kiddo."

Andrae put on a smile, knowing that this was the end of his anonymity. 

The acrobat picked him up by one arm and swung him back to his seat. 

"See ya around kid," he said quietly as he swung back.

Kezia stared at him as though trying to decide between smacking him or hugging him.

"That was wicked!" Vlastik half shouted amidst the din.

He shrugged and looked back to Kezia. "I... hope that you won't think less of me."

She shook her head, and in the low light he couldn't tell if she looked dazed or disappointed.

When it was all over, he waited for as many people to go as possible before going to see his family. 

He went straight for his blood relatives. "Hi mama."

"Mijo!" she gasped happily. "Let me just cage this tiger and I'll hug you. There now, that's my good kitty. Who's a good king of the jungle?" She closed and locked the gate, then turned back to her son. "Oh mijo, you came to see us."

"Of course I did," he said, his voice subdued as he hugged her.

She pulled back. "Ay, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he shrugged, putting on a smile. "Where's papa?"

She pointed up, and he knew exactly what she meant.

Before he reached his father, however, he was confronted with his worst fear. 

"There he is. The circus brat masquerading as a noble."

He squared his shoulders and faced them. He was most disappointed to see a couple professors among the group.

One of them looked rather shocked and angry. "He must have lied on his paperwork. I want to see him kicked out!"

"But we can't do that," one said. "He earned his place at the school. Policies prevent expulsion on grounds of bigotry and heritage. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"Hasn't he?" a girl asked. "Didn't he lie to get in?"

"No. You either have to test in or be royal to get in. He may not be royal, but neither are you," the professor said with a pointed look. 

The girl gasped and stormed off. And the other professor shook his head before following. 

"I'm sorry about that. You must know it's quite a shock in this community," the kind old professor said.

Andrae nodded. "Believe me, I do."

She nodded and started to turn before chuckling. "Good performance tonight. Very unexpected."

"For just about everyone involved," he replied with a raised brow.

Someone the patted his shoulder, and he looked over to see his father. "I'm glad you're protected, son. You worked hard to get there and now we all know that you can't be removed."

Andrae nodded and hugged him. "I'm glad about it too. I didn't even know about that policy. Anyway, my friends have been waiting long enough. Tell baba and Will hi for me."

The man nodded. "I will. Good luck and be free son."

Going outside, he found his closest friends dutifully waiting by a cab. 

"There you are. I was starting to think they'd kidnapped you back. Come on, it's getting cold!" Vlastik got into the warm car with Sahir, leaving Kezia waiting. She looked like she wanted to talk.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

He sighed. "The same reason I didn't tell anyone else."

"Because you're trying to be someone else?" she asked after a moment, though there wasn't harshness in her voice.

"Maybe,"  he answered quietly.

She nodded and was quiet for a long pause. "I understand."