began to cross the stage, the performers filed out, one by one making their way down the stairs at the other side. The blonde woman was at their lead, and she circled around through the benches to approach the front of the stage, where the young minstrel stood frozen in place. Nathaniel took a step back to let the actress pass, watching as she tore off her headdress to reveal auburn hair tied back into a tight bun. Casting the headdress aside, she reached up towards the girl.

“Come on, Sarah,” she said. “Hop down from there.”

The girl frowned down at her uncertainly, before leaping from the stage into her arms. The actress lowered her gently onto the ground, and then the two of them moved to stand by Lucas’s side, watching along with everyone else as the soldiers crossed...

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