Liberation
The state of being freed from the control of somebody else or something else.
Had you ever done something that you knew was going to cost you dear and you were going to tear your hair out later because you just hated yourself for succumbing to that extraordinary something that you just couldn't resist?
If you had, you would know exactly how I felt as I stood before the full-length mirror in my inn room, which was cluttered with all the materials I needed for the masked ball (that was in Darius' perspective of course) and sighed at my own pathetic reflection.
Darius, that rich fellow with nothing better to do on his hands, had arrived three hours ago with a huge carriage of items, namely dresses, shoes, jewellery, sashes, cosmetics, perfumes and such. He even remembered to bring a pink frilly fan, which I absolutely would not be using.
But what could I do? Everything was forked out of his own pocket, or rather his parents' pockets, and I had no say on how he wanted to spend his finances. If he would like to bestow his entire family fortune to me, I would gladly accept the overly generous but very useful present.
I glared at myself in the mirror. "I can't wear this," I said finally, turning around to face Darius. "I look like a wedding cake."
He looked closely at me.
I glared at him. The dress was white, with frills, ribbons and lace sprouting from everywhere like mushrooms after the autumn showers. To top it all off, it had a ridiculous huge bow at the back tied around my waist that effectively cut off all blood circulation and a series of tiered satin that made me look effectively like a five-tiered wedding cake, complete with cream and icing.
Joy.
He caught my glare and pouted. He had openly voiced his utter adoration for this dress, and he had never expected me to oppose it with such repugnance. "But…" he protested vocally. "Tired ruffles are the hottest trend this season! Every other designer is creating these kinds of dresses. And this is the last dress!" He pointed at the mountain of dresses and frills I had just tried on, which were now piled up on the top of the bed, which was creaking from the weight of the satin and lace.
"There's still one dress," I retorted, folding my arms around my chest. I pointed at the plain black dress that lay on the bed, forgotten by him due to its absence of frills and lacey additions. It looked a bit wrinkled… "You sat on it?"
He leapt up at the annoyance in my voice, cowering. "I didn't see it there," he placated. "Come on, your bed is black, the dress is black, I've been standing for the past three hours so I accidentally sat on it." He grabbed the dress and patted out the creases with his hand. "Good thing the silk is wrinkle-free." He caught my glare. "Hey!" He protested, plucking at the starched fabric of his shirt beneath his stiff tuxedo. "I've been standing in these for the past three hours! It's not very comfortable you know!"
"Fine fine," I rolled my eyes. "Get out. I need to change."
As he closed the door, I tore the disgusting white lacey rags from my body and pulled on the plain black dress, peering at my reflection. I looked…decent. Well, at least I hadn't been blinded yet. The dress was figure-clinging, and it was supposed to accentuate my curves, if any. The dress flowed all the way down to my ankles, where it fell in soft folds to allow for mobility. It was black, all black, with no embellishments, no frills and certainly no tired ruffles.
"Hey, you done yet?" Darius opened the door and his jaw dropped. "Oh my freaking gosh…" He swallowed. "Umm…okay. I hereby change my vote to this dress."
I frowned. He was so capricious sometimes that I felt hesitant to trust his judgment. I pulled over the jewellery box and riffled through the multitude of silver and gold necklaces and large jewels the size of duck eggs. "Are these your mother's?" I didn't feel comfortable wearing other people's jewellery.
He shook his head. "Nope, went and visited our family jeweler. He showed me these, and so I bought them all. Might as well buy all so as to increase the probability of buying one that actually suits your gown."
A gleam caught my eye. Delving through the gold and silver pile, I retrieved a string of pearls from the bottom of the box. The milky pearls rolled between my fingers, shining softly with the luster of the full moon.
"Here," he offered, taking the string of pearls and fastening it around my neck. "You look…too beautiful for words to describe." He straightened again, and his expression changed into the one that he wore every time he attempted something incredibly embarrassing or stupid. "You are my Adonis!" He declared, falling to the ground with a loud 'thump'.
I winced at the noise. Hopefully he didn't crack his kneecaps.
"Okay…get up," I rolled my eyes. "I get it. I still need help with the rest." I resumed examining my reflection in the mirror. The pearls gleamed, and it softened the hard lines on my face. All of a sudden, I didn't look plain anymore. It was as though someone had shrouded me with an air of gentle mystery and elegance, something which I had never attained in my life.
"Gloves, and more pearls." Darius stomped over happily, holding up a pair of black silk gloves and a matching pearl bracelet. "You don't pierce your ears?" He asked ruefully. "That's a pity. I thought the earrings where rather nice." He went and dug through the bag of his and came back with two more items.
"What are these?" I eyed the items in his hand warily.
"Your tiara," he said, cocking his head to one side. "Look, it has little lilies woven into them made of mother-of-pearl and little jewels. Such intricate craftsmanship, right? And this is your mask."
It was a fancy contraption. It covered most of my face, even my nose in fact, and only left two holes for my eyes to see through. It was white, creamy in fact, and beaded along the edges. Three white feathers sprouted from one side of the mask, giving a flamboyant air.
Seeing the reluctance on my face, Darius instantly set his glib tongue to work. "You see, it's really nice, and it will fit your dressing and all. You're decked out in black, with pearls and all, and thus you should have a nice matching mask that compliments your dress and gloves and jewellery."
I placed it over my face. He was right. It did look good.
"I knew I had good taste," he grinned smugly.
"Boasting isn't a sign of good taste," I snapped.
He winced, pulling a face. "You aren't putting any of these perfect cosmetics I bought for you?"
I raised an eyebrow. Coal for the eyebrows and red mud for my lips? Lead for my face and fermented strawberries for my cheeks? "No thanks," I said swiftly, stepping into a pair of black satin heels and making my way towards the door, attempting not to break the heels in the process.
"Hey! Wait up!" Darius shouted behind me, waving. "You forgot your fan!"
I lifted up the skirt and ran for the waiting carriage (sponsored by his parents). There was no way I was going to carry that fan.
Many of the guests had already unmasked when we arrived pretty late (all thanks to Darius' carriage, which had slow horses), and I could see that many of the most beautiful belles in Magvel had decided to try their chances at becoming the future Queen of Jehanna.
Humph. I restrained from rolling my eyes. Being the Princess of Jehanna had been an experience, but those young maidens didn't know that. Perhaps that was why they looked so happy at being here and showing off their beauty.
As I looked around, however, I realized Darius was right. Tired ruffles were the rage this season, and everyone was sporting them, wearing them as sleeves, bodice, petticoats, skirts and even weird satin necklaces that appeared as though they had been salvaged from the dump of a garment house. Even for people with a voluminous skirt, they still wore ruffles, completely oblivious to the fact that they ended up resembling a sixteen tier wedding cake.
That was eleven tiers taller than mine.
"Why are they all staring at us?" I hissed to Darius, who strode easily amongst the crowd, wearing a placid smile. Many of the ladies turned to stare at my dressing and whisper behind their fans, no doubt in disapproval over my rebelliousness of not following seasonal trends. Many of the gentlemen stared unabashedly as though they had never seen a black dress before.
"Is it because I look too good?" He exclaimed softly, smiling at the crowd. "Or maybe I'm famous, since my family supplies most of the seafood that they eat for breakfast lunch and dinner."
I was about to reply that most people don't make it a point to remember their seafood suppliers when he dragged me across the marble floor to the centre for a dance.
"Come on, Larisaa, dance with me." He smiled gaily. "Tonight is a night of youth and beauty for us to frivol the night away." He led me in step for a lively dance of salsa.
Having learnt the various dances three years ago during my time as Princess of Jehanna, I had no problem dancing in time with him, despite my natural clumsiness. During the dance however, I had a full view of the ballroom.
Nothing had changed. They had replaced the old chandeliers, but the design was still exactly the same, just that the new ones shone with more luster, and the crystals were teardrops instead of little spheres. The couch was still at the far end of the room, and through the crowd I could see Queen Ismaire watching the ball with gentle happiness, nodding her head regally in time to the music.
My heart clenched.
It had been three years, but nothing had changed.
Was I the only one amongst everything that had changed? I wasn't sure.
With a final spin, the dance ended, and Darius led me from the dance floor, eyes shining with joy. "Why didn't you tell me you danced?" he asked cheerily. "We could have danced all day and all night for the past year and perhaps I could have danced my way into your heart."
"Umm…no thanks," I declined politely. "Where are you dragging me off to?"
"You have to meet my supreme employer, the Prince of Jehanna!" He turned back. "Aren't you going to unmask?"
I stopped myself just in time from giving myself away. "Darius, I came to the ball as you wanted, but I am not unmasking, even if it is the prince."
He wasn't listening. "Joshua!"
Joshua? I stared in open-mouthed astonishment. Wasn't it your highness?
Joshua turned when he heard himself being called, and at that instant, my heart broke again.
He looked exactly the same, as though the three years had been three days. It was the same red hair, same smile, same crown, same posture, same expression, same eyes…and it was him, in flesh and blood, not in my dreams nor part of my fantasies. He was standing before me, alive, real and solid.
Every single ounce of heartache returned with a vengeance. But I was slightly relieved to see that he was unattached, and he had disentangled himself from the bevy of maidens that had surrounded him.
"Darius!" Joshua patted Darius on the back, as though they were good friends. "How have you been lately? Why haven't you been coming to the gambling dens anymore, huh? I lost a spectacular opponent to play cards with!"
Darius laughed heartily. "I've been too busy chasing a woman across the vast expense of Jehanna's landscape. I'm just happy she agreed to come today. Here!" He gestured to me.
Joshua turned his gaze to me. Through the mask, I was confident he could hardly see anything, but I could see everything. His gaze was so intense that I stared fixedly at his crimson eyes, unable to tear myself away. My breath caught as he moved slightly closer to me, and I was enveloped by the same musky scent he always wore around him like a cloak.
The pain…was indescribable.
If it had not been for Darius' hand, which I had been clutching in an iron grip, I would have staggered, even fallen perhaps. I forced myself to breathe normally and smiled.
"Lady, your hair colour…it is uncommon…"
I saw a flash of recognition pass through Joshua's eyes, and I froze. Had he seen through my disguise? Did he see who I really was through the mask? Did he recognize me? "Not so from where I originate, your highness," I said, making my voice slightly lower than normal.
"Oh, Joshua! Let me introduce you to the elusive prey I, the magnificent hunter, have been stalking for the past year!" Darius proclaimed flamboyantly, as though it was an achievement to be proud of. "This is Larissa, also known as the Crimson Flash for her skills in battle when wielding a sword. Larissa, this is my employer and friend, Prince Joshua of Jehanna."
Crap. Trust him to reveal my identity.
I curtsied, but he did not bow. Instead, he looked straight at me. "Larissa…that's a nice name."
I should have called myself Belladonna or some random obscure name.
I swallowed nervously, then attempted a small high-pitched laugh that I would never have used if not for the dire situation. "Oh, everyone says so! Even my opponents think it's a nice name! I'll have to thank my mother for giving me such a good name, right?" I shuddered from even using that voice.
Darius laughed. "My name's better."
Restraining from my normal eye roll, which would definitely give me away, I smiled sultrily and cooed. "You sure?" I asked, peering shyly at him. "Well, I think so too."
Darius looked bewildered but pleased with himself, thinking that his efforts had finally paid off. Joshua, on the other hand, frowned slightly. "Well then Lady Larissa, nicely met. I hope you enjoy your night at the ball." The disciplined and formal tone suggested that he had believed my act, and he no longer believed he recognized me.
My skin was breaking out in goosebumps as cringed silently at my previous display of emotions and affection. "The same to you, your highness," I replied, sweeping him another curtsy.
There was a loud roar. "Darius, my boy! Your highness!" A large bulky man dressed in a tight-fitting purple tuxedo (where do they even make such abominable clothes?) tramped towards us, on the verge of shaking the ground. He engulfed Darius in a hug. "Long time no see, boy! How are you? And who is this?"
Darius choked silently on the crushing embrace and recovered swiftly enough to introduce me to his Uncle Horace, who apparently was the royal supplier for fresh fruits and vegetables. "Umm…so I'll just go and talk to my Uncle at the couch. Pick you up at nine, Larissa!"
There was an awkward silence as I stood nervously beside Joshua. If it had been a normal situation, I would have been clutching at the folds of my dress, but this dress had no folds, except those around my feet.
"Do you…want to dance?" He smiled hesitantly, proffering a hand. "I mean, would you favour me with a dance?"
Even after so long…he was still unchanged, the same old Joshua who didn't care about royal rules at all and etiquette and such. I nodded, and took his hand.
Our hands touched, and I nearly gasped at the warmth of his hand. It was all too familiar, and I was biting down hard on my lip just to stop myself from sighing at the smallest touch between us.
He led me gallantly to the dance floor, and placed a hand around my waist. The orchestra began playing, a sad mournful tune that could only be a slow waltz.
Why? I asked despairing in my mind. Why did it have to be, of all the dances, songs and music, a waltz with a sad melody?
I swallowed as my heart started racing. I began breathing in shallow gasps of air. He smiled at me in the same casual manner, and my heart fluttered and broke at the same time. Here I was, three years after I burnt the oathpaper, dancing a romantic waltz with my ex-husband, whom I had grown to love but cannot have, in the ballroom of the palace where I had once lived.
The irony was enough to let a bitter smile form on my lips.
"You are skilled with a sword, Lady Larissa?" Joshua asked, breaking the silence as we moved slowly across the ballroom.
I nodded, ensured that my voice was disguised and replied. "I am not exceptionally proficient, but I have had fortune by my side."
His normal expression broke into a characteristic grin. "It's always Lady Luck, as they say, right?" The gambler in him surfaced once more, before he remembered his princely duties and added hurriedly. "But of course, work and talent are still, the governing factors in success and most other issues."
I bit back a smile at his casual attitude. "I agree, your highness."
"Ah well, someday would you like to spar with me?" He asked avidly. "I always enjoyed a good spar, and I…have met few good female swordsman." He paused. "None actually…save one."
Under the cover of the mask, I flushed. He was referring to me. "The pleasure would be mine, your highness."
He nodded, but before he could open his mouth to reply, there was a shrill scream and cacophony at the end of the ballroom. People jostled, and some fell.
"What was that?" Joshua frowned, staring alertly at the direction of the disturbance.
As though an answer to his question, a man dashed out from the crowd of people, waving a silver axe. Roaring he ran towards Joshua, silver axe above his head, preparing to end the life of the Prince of Jehanna.
Joshua reached for his sword quickly, but not quick enough. I had already drawn the sword from the scabbard hanging around his belt, and instantly I felt a rejuvenated sense of strength and dexterity, as well as a calm and placating sensation.
Green light flashed before my eyes as I drove the blade deep into the assailant's heart, sidestepping the spurt of blood deftly to ensure that I didn't dirty the dress. If it had been my own robes, I could have scarcely cared. But it was Darius' and if anything happened to it, I had absolutely no money to pay for the damages.
The blade seemed to pulse with a living energy as the man roared and clawed at the blade, before finally sinking onto the ground in a bleeding heap.
I flushed in triumph. Even in such a constricting and confining dress, I could still triumph with my fast reaction and skills with a sword.
Only when I turned around to face Joshua did I notice something was wrong.
It was his face. His face clouded over and darkened, as though I had done something extremely untoward. His eyes gleamed like two rubies, sharp and piercing. His body was tense, and he looked like a panther ready to spring and attack.
I raised a hand instinctively to my face. No, the mask was still tied securely.
I looked down at my hands. No, I had not suffered any grievous injuries that I did not know of.
I looked further down, and realization finally hit me. Every part of me froze, except my hand, which just wanted to drop the blade in my grip.
Blazing with a cold fire, Draupnir shone in my hand.
As long as you live, Draupnir will respond to your call and your call only.The words of the guardian of the Sacred Twins echoed in my ears.
Oops.
Author's Note:
Ahhh...this chapter is much better. More decent, at least.
Teehee. School's starting tomorrow
it's ending anyway, the story I mean XD
Love snowylavendermist