Primadonna
Disclaimer: mentions of murder and dead bodies. Read at your own discretion.
The crowd was quite boisterous, excited for the newest opera to strut the stage. Women fanned themselves, trying to calm their joy and cope with the unimaginable heat from their extensive layers.
Monsieur Erik guarded the hallway to the box seating, eagerly awaiting his guest. He paced up and down the red carpet and rubbed his gloved hands.
“Monsieur Erik!”
“Admiral! Lovely of you to join us for our opening tonight!”
“It’s my pleasure! Thank you for the invitation! It’s not often that I get to enjoy such lavish events as these. I do hope it’s worth the trip ashore.”
“Oh, I think you’ll be quite entranced with our performance. We have a new highlight of the season, and she is our new primadonna!”
“Brilliant! Shall we then?”
Monsieur Erik led him into the box nearest the stage and swiftly told the conductor to begin the overture. The triumphant tune swelled to life, setting the stage for the army of men to march onto the stage. They were all coated in heavy black furs, evoking a winter setting. A handsomely statured man marched onto the scene, face tight and coiling in discontent.
“Entrez femme!” From offstage, a black horse carried on an entirely cloaked figure. The man held out a hand to the stranger, aiding them in getting down. The click of her heel revealed her gender before the man gently lifted the hood of her cloak, revealing her face. Her hair resembled the feathers of a phoenix–fiery yet entrancing–tucked away in a perfect Gibson girl bun. The vibrant color contrasted with her porcelain complexion.
The man stripped away her cloak entirely, showcasing her beautiful violet gown. After shouting something, the man and his men walked off, leaving Admiral Everett’s new fixation solely in the spotlight. Finally, the songbird was able to let her voice soar.
Par une soirée d’hiver solitaire,
J’étais la femme la plus solenelle qui soit.
Her voice could capture the ears and hearts of the nation.
“Allow me to introduce our primadonna, Julianna Krueger,” Monsieur Erik whispered, but the admiral couldn’t take his eyes off her full and luscious form. “Since you’re taken with her, I’ll introduce you after the show.”
Once the final curtain dropped, obscuring the performers from sight, the admiral came back to reality in time for Monsieur Erik to lead him to the dressing rooms. Swiftly arriving outside an oak door, they knocked.
“Entrez!”
Crossing the threshold, they noticed an older woman letting down the red curtain of hair on the singer. Since the curtain dropped, she had escaped the confines of her costume and put on a silken violet robe.
“Mademoiselle, I have someone you might like to meet.”
She spun away from her vanity and glanced at the men, flashing a slight smirk. “Thank you, Josephine. You may go now.”
Josephine gave a rushed curtsy before scurrying out of the room. Once gone, the singer walked over to the men and stood directly before the admiral–Monsieur stood off to the side.
“Admiral Everett, allow me to introduce you to Mademoiselle Julianna Krueger: our season's pride jewel.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Admiral,” she curtsied, her large chocolate brown eyes never leaving his face.
“The pleasure is all mine, Mademoiselle,” he pressed a chaste kiss to her knuckles, his brown whiskers gently scratching the back of her hand. “Mademoiselle, are you aware that you have the voice of an angel?”
“I believe ‘angel’ doesn’t fully capture the magnitude of my voice.”
“And oh so very modest, my dear!”
I think it’s okay to be a little prideful of accomplishments. All of your medals signify you are quite the sailor. You bear your medals as a physical projection of your excellency. Why should I not boast about myself?
The pair smiled at each other while Monsieur Erik glanced between them.
“I’ll leave you two alone for a bit.”
Once he crossed the threshold and swiftly closed the door behind him, Julianna moved closer to him.
“Tell me, Admiral, since you’re so well-versed on the waters, what is your favorite aspect of the seas?”
“Well, I like the serenity of the ocean. There’s nothing around for miles but your crew, you, and the ocean.”
He roamed around her chamber. Despite being a dressing room, it was decorated to the nigh and had a bed with seating areas. Every fabric was teal and had dark chestnut wood to complement the color. The chandeliers were pristinely polished silver. On her vanity sat a variety of seashells.
“Have you been to the sea before, Mademoiselle?”
“Oh, I’ve ventured out there many times, Monsieur.”
He gently fumbled the shells in his hands.
“Admiral, our company is having a wonderful feast tonight in honour of a fantastic opening performance, and I would be honored if you were to accompany me.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“Excellent! If you would wait here while I go freshen up?”
She quickly rushed into her en suite bathing chamber while he remained in front of her vanity mirror in silence–yet the silence didn’t last long.
It started with a subtle hum that swam into his ears that shifted into an enchanting song that carried him from the vanity mirror towards the voice.
Suivez-moi dans les profondeurs obscures de l’enchantement.
Écoutez ma voix résonner dans votre esprit.
Ignorez la douleur et la torture.
Concentrez-vous sur ma chanson, la chanson des sirènes.
Once he had brushed the door open, the sight of lit candles circling a porcelain tub greeted him. At the sound of the creaking door, she twisted around, in the tub, to eye the spell-bound admiral. Once a warm chocolatey brown, her eyes now glowed amber, further igniting the bathroom.
She swept her hand toward him, inviting him nearer with the motion and her song.
Approche-toi doux marin.
Vous ne sentirez rien.
Viens dans mes eaux sombres.
Concentrez-vous sur ma chanson, la chanson des sirénes.
He took her hand and climbed into the tub, thoroughly drenching his royal blue uniform. The golden scales of her tail and encrusted her breast reflected the glow blaring from her eyes and into Admiral Everett’s soul. Although his mind was still working, his limbs were out of control, and he sunk back into the tub.
She trailed her fingers up his chest until they reached his shoulders, and she sunk her nails into him, holding him firmly in place. As she was before him, she began to unhinge her jaw, like a serpent, and she levied herself over him, sending his head into the mouth of the beast. Once her lips had reached the base of his neck, she plunged her teeth into his flesh and went back the way she came, never releasing the flesh and muscle she clenched onto with her mouth.
Sitting before what remained of him, she slurped the bloodied flesh and muscle into her mouth. Sadly, for the poor sailor, he was still alive–though barely. Sealing the deal, the siren charged her fingers into his chest until she yanked his beating heart out of his chest.
A knock came at the dressing room door.
“Mademoiselle, is it finished?”
“Just about, Monsieur. Entrez!”
After plopping his heart in the water, she flopped her tail over the side of the tub and watched as it slowly transformed back into her bulky legs. Before leaving the bathing chamber, she again covered herself in her violet robe.
“Monsieur Erik, please send for Josephine. Once he stops his gargling, he’ll be ready for disposal.”
“Oui, Mademoiselle! Did you like my selection of prey?”
“Oui! For that, I will continue to aid you in getting rave reviews along with sparing your own life. Now, Josephine, please.”
Now alone, Julianna returned to her vanity, running her brush through her damp, wavy hair. As she ran the brush through the tiny knots, she glanced at her seashells, thinking of the next sailor who would visit the theatre and fall under her spell.
