Ten Lords Are Leaping
Seychelles hardly sleeps that night. She tosses and turns in her bed and finally gives up after six a.m. There's no use, she won't rest tonight. It's two days until Christmas. Two days until she meets her mystery man under the mistletoe and her heart sunk at the thought. Then thumps louder at the possibility of it being a certain American. What's the odds of him 'finding' the envelope on the floor? How did he know it has something to do with her secret Santa? An educated guess, maybe, but who is really that educated?
She fixes herself some tea and orders room service, not wanting to chance going out and seeing America. She didn't know what she would do or say if he talks to her. Maybe pass out or stutter or something. America, like Canada, is a brother figure but he's also very handsome and they get on well.
The room service comes ten minutes later with her oatmeal, fruit and juice along with Comoros and…a gift.
"It was just sitting in front of your door." She informs and steps into the room going to sit on the bed. Seychelles gives her server a tip and closes the door then leans against it with her tea in hand.
"You don't look excited," Comoros comments and picks at the blue bow. "the wrapping is pretty."
"I think I know who it is…" Seychelles whispers.
Comoros looks at her with an unreadable expression. "America."
Seychelles' eyes widen and she stomps over to the bed, sits her tea down then throws herself on the mattress. "Who told you?"
"Maddy said you two went out and I put two and two together."
The smaller islander whines and buries her face in the sheets. Comoros calmly pats her back. "It all makes sense," her muffled voice comes through, " He kept the card. He can easily sneak things into my chair. The hotel is in his city so I'm sure he has connections and figured out where my room was. He's crazy enough to find three French hens and, to top it off, he actually gave me my ninth gift." She blindly reaches for a pillow and pulls it over the back of her head, "Now I'm too nervous to go outside of my room and interact with the world. What if I see him? What if he smiles at me?"
Seychelles feels the pillow being lifted away. "What if it isn't him?"
She peels her face off the bed and looks up. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Comoros shifts until they're sitting face to face and places the medium sized box between them. "Why would he give you your present then ask you meet him under the mistletoe? It doesn't make sense. If he wanted to reveal himself later, why make himself a suspect now?"
"Because…he wants to throw me off?" Seychelles supplies. Comoros sighs and hands her her latest gift.
"America isn't the brightest bulb in the box but he is good at keeping secrets. It wouldn't do for him to have you suspicious."
She takes the box. The wrapping is pretty, very Christmas like with its blue skies and snow-covered trees wrapping paper and the big blue bow. She toys with the bow for a while, contemplating whether or not she wants to see what America may have gotten her. What if it is a mistletoe and he pops out of her closet? What the hell is she supposed to do then? She's never kissed anyone before!
"For the love of," Comoros grunts out and takes the present herself, "I'll do it." She carefully picks off the tape, keeping the paper in tact. The bow comes next and she pulls the ends until it gives way then slides the box between the openings she's made.
A white box eases out between them and Comoros removes the lid. There's a carnival mask inside—gold with royal blue swirls, gold beading and designs with a matching string attached to the ends. There's also a feathers the vivid blue stuck to the top of the mask and a note sitting on top of it. The craftsmanship on the mask is beautiful and almost looks handmade with the bits of glitter sprinkled over it to make it shine.
Seychelles picks it up with great care, brushing her fingers over the eye sockets and then the blue swirls. "It's beautiful," she whispers to herself.
"A perfect woman is the most noble thing in the world." Comoros reads then looks at Seychelles who looks at her confused.
"What does that have to do with the mask?"
Comoros takes the mask from her hands and examines it herself while Seychelles rereads the card. It is a nice mask though and the fact that it matches her pirate outfit perfectly is a coincidence. It looks so nice though she just wants to hang it up like decoration or something.
"I really hope it isn't handmade…" Seychelles thinks out loud.
"Nope. Says it's made in Italy." Comoros observes, "It looks like a Columbina mask anyway. I doubt a country handmade this. Are you going to wear it?"
Seychelles nods slowly, "I think I'm supposed to. I just…" she diverts her gaze.
"Are you nervous?"
She nods and shrugs.
"Disappointed?"
"A little…"
Comoros chews her lip and glances at her friend. "Were you hoping for someone else?"
She squeezes the paper and looks at anything but Comoros. "America's nice and very handsome. We get along and he's a sweet guy but…" Seychelles can't help but think of what England asked her, if she had someone she had a crush on. From that conversation on a new hope sparked that maybe, just maybe he was her crush. So far, it seems to be everyone else but him and she can't think of one thing that would point it to him directly. "I was hoping that it might be someone else."
A/N: I apologize for this being so late into the night. I've been on a flight almost all day to Canada. Greetings from Montreal! So, who does our little Chelles have a crush on? Is it the same person as her secret admirer? What the heck is up with that mask? Any ideas? Who do you think both people are?