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All the members of the Mittlefrank Opera Company crowded around Manuela, the Divine Songstress, as she prepared to give an announcement to all of them.
Dorothea was at the front of the crowd. She had seen Manuela as something of a mother figure after she made Dorothea her protege. She wouldn’t admit that to her directly, though. The poor woman was already concerned enough after being considered old.
“Thank you all for coming. I know you’re all busy, so I’ll just come out and say what I need to say,” Manuela said. She sounded surprisingly serious. “I’m retiring from the opera company a few weeks from now. I’ll stick around long enough for us to perform this last show, but after that, I’m leaving.”
Murmurs erupted from the other singers and songstresses. Dorothea herself stared at Manuela, surprised. What could possibly convince her to step away from the stage?
“I know you’re all wondering why I’m doing this,” Manuela continued. “The Emperor invited me to become one of his family’s personal physicians. I suppose studying medicine on the side had its uses, didn’t it?”
Not many women could hope to become a doctor, but Manuela had cleverly gotten around that using nothing but her charm. She left others so enamored with her that they wouldn’t question when she asked them to buy her various medical books. It couldn’t have been easy, Dorothea was sure. But it was another reason why she looked up to Manuela. Who else could be as resourceful?
“That’s all I had to tell you all. I’ll let you gossip among yourselves about it, as I know you’re all dying to do,” Manuela left the room and Dorothea quickly followed her.
“Manuela, I need to ask you something,” Dorothea said.
“I already said I’d make sure to stick around to perform our next opera, didn’t I? I know you’re excited to see something you’ve worked on finally be performed on stage.”
“Not that, though I do appreciate it,” Dorothea said. “It’s silly, but I wanted to know why you’re leaving. You said the Emperor offered you work, but why leave in the first place? You already make a fortune, have hundreds of adoring fans coming to see you every time you perform, and you’ve worked hard to earn the title of Divine Songstress.’ Why leave that all behind?”
Manuela placed her hands on Dorothea’s shoulders. “Because, Dorothea, I’m not getting any younger. Sooner or later, my looks will fade. My voice will lose its perfect tune. And do you know what will happen after that?”
Dorothea thought back to her childhood. How she would sit out in the street and beg passersby for even a single coin. How her stomach would growl constantly. How the rain would always soak her clothes after a shop kicked her out for “bringing down their image.”
Dorothea nodded.
“I’ve enjoyed the opera, truly, but I know it's best to make a graceful exit. And the offer from the Emperor is just what I need to support myself as I get older,” Manuela said.
“I see. Thanks for explaining that to me. You’ve given me a lot to think about,” Dorothea said.
“Of course. Even after I’m gone, know that you can talk to me any time, even if it will be by letter,” Manuela smiled and she moved one of Dorothea’s stray hairs back.
“Okay. Just don’t forget about us little people once you’re living the life of luxury in the palace,” Dorothea said, her voice teasing. Though her eyes betrayed the sadness she felt at seeing someone so close to her leave.
“Oh, Dorothea. I couldn’t forget about you if I tried.”
~~~~~~
After that, Dorothea had plenty to think about regarding her future.
She knew there were very few paths a woman could take to be successful in the empire. Many careers were male-oriented and it was difficult for a woman to get enough education to get a good job. A fact that made Manuela’s job offer all the more astonishing.
Dorothea only had one solution. If she couldn’t make enough money herself, she’d marry someone rich. There were many nobles in the empire and they would often come to see the shows at the opera company.
Dorothea could charm a rich guy and get him to put a ring on her. How hard could it be?
On the day of the performance, this became Dorothea’s focus. She already knew the lines and musical numbers inside and out. She could recite them in her sleep if she wanted to. So instead of performing her heart out as she normally would, she was often scanning the crowd for anybody wearing fancy clothes befitting a noble. She ended up blowing a kiss to a cute red-headed noblewoman and winking at a few men, but she knew this didn’t count as much progress towards her goal.
Long after the performance was over she sat in her dressing room and looked at herself in the mirror. She sighed as she began to take off some of her makeup. Because of how much she was dolled up before a performance, it felt like her face was caked in the stuff.
She had gotten most of her it off when someone knocked on her dressing room door.
“Come in,” Dorothea answered. The door opened and in walked Manuela, to Dorothea’s surprise.
“You did great out there,” Manuela said. “But I noticed you didn’t have that spark you normally have during a performance. It seemed like you were distracted.”
Dorothea didn’t stop what she was doing. Instead, she met Manuela’s eyes in the mirror. “I’ve had a lot to think about, with you leaving.”
“Hm. Is this just about me leaving, or is it about the conversation we had after I told you I was doing so?” Manuela saw right through her. She always had that keen intuition.
“I… have been thinking about my future,” Dorothea said. “During the show, I was looking for potential noblemen to marry.”
“You want to marry rich? Honey, you know that never works out well.”
“Neither does starving on the street. I know which of those two evils I’d rather pick,” Dorothea said bitterly.
Manuela walked forward and leaned against the vanity. Dorothea had to look directly at her now. “Do you at least have any specific people in mind, or are you planning on seducing the first noble you see?”
“I’ve already tried wrapping one around my finger. From what I saw it worked, but unfortunately, we had to part ways.”
Dorothea allowed herself to smile for a moment as she remembered her conversation with Monica. She was so easy to fluster. Too bad her chances of seeing the adorable woman again were next to nothing.
“I don’t like the thought of some rich asshole taking advantage of you,” Manuela said. “Tell you what. I’ll be in Enbarr, and around no shortage of nobles. Why don’t you let me scope things out for you? Find a couple of decent noblemen your age, then convince them to go to one of your shows. I’ll send you a letter in advance to let you know they’re coming.”
Dorothea trusted Manuela. She knew she was doing this to protect Dorothea and would keep her word. “All right, fine. But you have to send me a letter as soon as you send some men my way. And make sure they’re hot, otherwise, the wait won’t even be worth it.”
Manuela smiled. “You have a deal.”
~~~~~~
The months following Manuela’s departure were tough. Dorothea watched noblemen come and go from her shows and lamented the missed opportunities for marriage. But she was intent on keeping her end of the bargain. She would wait until Manuela sent her that letter she promised.
Eventually, the letter did come. Dorothea opened it and read through it.
Dear Dorothea,
I’m sorry that this letter came so late, but my efforts to get you a man have finally borne fruit. Many fruits, actually. However, you will need to pluck these fruits yourself.
What I mean is the social season is coming up. Nobles your age from across the country will be meeting together for the purpose of marriage.
You were confident in your ability to charm a man before. Well, if you come to Enbarr on the 1st of next month, you will have many men to choose from. You’ll be able to get to know them and pick the best among them. After all, who could turn down the Mystical Songstress?
I will be traveling with them. Not to marry, but to ensure the Emperor’s daughter stays in good health throughout the trip. I look forward to seeing you join us.
With love,
Manuela.
It was surprising news, but not bad news. Dorothea folded the letter and marched off to her room to pack.
She knew this would be her chance to marry well and, hopefully, to someone she could grow to love.
A small part of her hoped that Monica would be there, too. It would be helpful to know someone who has experience in dealing with stuffy nobles.