p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-top: 0px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"Notes of classical music filled my ears, the sound rich and sharp, yet eloquent and beautiful. I craned my neck, eager to see the musicians, but figures dancing in the most beautiful gowns stole my attention instead. They moved fluidly, laughing as they mingled, their eyes hidden behind half cut masquerade masks. However, from where I stood, I could make out the distinctive gleaming red that was not of a norm./em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"Or was it? They seemed to all bear such eye colour, perhaps genetic? I did not ponder on it as I moved forward, allowing myself to be swept up into a dance with a strikingly tall man, his short, dark hair, a striking contrast to the chalky, albeit olive, pallor of his skin. His teeth gleamed at me as he said something, and my body reacted, laughing back at something he had said which I could not hear. It was as though the music simply stole away all my hearing, isolating the words people spoke in which I could not hear them over the rich notes of the symphony being played. /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"I moved forward, my heavy skirts sweeping the way forward. People gave me gleaming smiles, bowing their heads. I bowed my head back, respectful of my peers. Ruby eyes took in my attire, a heavy, full skirted golden dress, my long, dark hair curled and styled down my back. Was I attending a ball for royalty? Three thrones sat upon a marble platform; one was occupied, a man seemingly exhausted with the festivities of the night. He caught my eye as I surveyed him, a soft tilt of his lips as he gave a half smile attempt, albeit exhaustedly. He looked as though life was a chore for him, as though he longed for death. I secretly wondered what had made such a soul wish for such darkness. /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"The atmosphere changed suddenly, my body prickling in anticipation as I moved my gaze from the wilting man, instead focussing on a figure as they advanced towards me. My stomach clenched, my body building up in anticipation as this figure, a man, hair the darkest blonde imaginable, the same strange, chalky yet olive toned complexion as the man prior, tall and lean, yet with the aura of a hunter, one who would stop at nothing in his conquest, approached towards me. My lips quirked up, his doing the same in the guise of a confident grin, before pressing together to form a smirk that indicated he was aware of the anticipation building within my limbs. /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"His slow approach came to an end; I found myself trapped within those swirling pools of red wine that were his eyes, and yet, I could not bring it within me to break the eye contact. My stomach clenched as he reached for the strings that held my mask on my face, lazily untying them as others did around the room in unison. I let my eyes close as it was removed from my face, opening them to gaze back up at him. His fingers lingered down my cheek as he pulled the mask away, it falling to the floor, forgotten about for eternity. /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"A hand clasped mine, bringing it up slowly, lips pressing smoothly against the smooth, flawless marble like skin that was seemingly mine. I let my eyes fall half shut, the feeling of his lips on my knuckles making my stomach clench. Who was this man? I did not know him, but his eyes seemed to hold such longing for me, I must know him. It was for then, he spoke, simply murmuring, "Cassandra", before taking me into his arms, and at long last, his lips fell upon mine, for the hunter claimed his prize, /emme./p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"Or was it? They seemed to all bear such eye colour, perhaps genetic? I did not ponder on it as I moved forward, allowing myself to be swept up into a dance with a strikingly tall man, his short, dark hair, a striking contrast to the chalky, albeit olive, pallor of his skin. His teeth gleamed at me as he said something, and my body reacted, laughing back at something he had said which I could not hear. It was as though the music simply stole away all my hearing, isolating the words people spoke in which I could not hear them over the rich notes of the symphony being played. /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"I moved forward, my heavy skirts sweeping the way forward. People gave me gleaming smiles, bowing their heads. I bowed my head back, respectful of my peers. Ruby eyes took in my attire, a heavy, full skirted golden dress, my long, dark hair curled and styled down my back. Was I attending a ball for royalty? Three thrones sat upon a marble platform; one was occupied, a man seemingly exhausted with the festivities of the night. He caught my eye as I surveyed him, a soft tilt of his lips as he gave a half smile attempt, albeit exhaustedly. He looked as though life was a chore for him, as though he longed for death. I secretly wondered what had made such a soul wish for such darkness. /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"The atmosphere changed suddenly, my body prickling in anticipation as I moved my gaze from the wilting man, instead focussing on a figure as they advanced towards me. My stomach clenched, my body building up in anticipation as this figure, a man, hair the darkest blonde imaginable, the same strange, chalky yet olive toned complexion as the man prior, tall and lean, yet with the aura of a hunter, one who would stop at nothing in his conquest, approached towards me. My lips quirked up, his doing the same in the guise of a confident grin, before pressing together to form a smirk that indicated he was aware of the anticipation building within my limbs. /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"His slow approach came to an end; I found myself trapped within those swirling pools of red wine that were his eyes, and yet, I could not bring it within me to break the eye contact. My stomach clenched as he reached for the strings that held my mask on my face, lazily untying them as others did around the room in unison. I let my eyes close as it was removed from my face, opening them to gaze back up at him. His fingers lingered down my cheek as he pulled the mask away, it falling to the floor, forgotten about for eternity. /em/p
p style="line-height: 1.7em; color: #222222; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Lucida Grande', Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-color: #fefefe; clear: none !important;"em style="line-height: 1.7em; white-space: inherit; clear: none !important; color: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important;"A hand clasped mine, bringing it up slowly, lips pressing smoothly against the smooth, flawless marble like skin that was seemingly mine. I let my eyes fall half shut, the feeling of his lips on my knuckles making my stomach clench. Who was this man? I did not know him, but his eyes seemed to hold such longing for me, I must know him. It was for then, he spoke, simply murmuring, "Cassandra", before taking me into his arms, and at long last, his lips fell upon mine, for the hunter claimed his prize, /emme./p