Masquerade for Lost Souls
Chapter One
Flickering candles and a few strings of the violin began the night's festivities. Gentleman wearing black cloaks bowed to the ladies and led them around on the floor. Bright red gowns swirled on the dance floor. Everything was a blur of red and black in the ball room. Except for one thing, or should we say person. It was the lady host named Lady Evelyn-Marie Gold, dressed in none other than a bright gold gown. She sat perched upon a large gold chair on a platform watching the dancers. A gold mask etched with rubies covered most of her features but her startling blue eyes declared power and beauty. Her lips had been painted a ruby red that led most of her guest wondering whose blood it was. Her hair fell in ringlets framing her face with golden curls.
Her lips pressed together in a straight line, her gaze flickered from one guest to the next. They all wore masks hiding their faces. Out of Lady Gold's request everyone was to wear a black wig to hide their natural hair color. No matter how much the guests tried they could tell that their lady was still unpleased with tonight's masquerade. They danced faster and their fake smiled got even wider, looking like grinning ghouls in the candle light. Even the music, which was supposed to be festive, sounded eerie and dark.
She watched as panic and pain filled their eyes. It wasn't their discomfort she didn't like it was their eye color. From browns to blues, to even the occasional green and mixed colors. How could she get them all to change their eye color? It was simply impossible, unless… Lady Gold thought. Unless … they had no eyes. Such a gruesome thought but a clever one. She would invite all of her best dancers to a ball next week. Drug them and then take their eyes. Sure they would fumble around like idiots at first, but they would learn. She could even give them blood red glass eyes or better yet clear glass eyes so one could see into their eye sockets. Oh she praised herself for such a great idea.
One of the lady dancers saw a change in Lady Gold's eyes from pure boredom to an excited pleasure. Startled the lady stumbled upon the hem of her red gown causing her to fall to her knees. The music stopped at once. Looking up the lady dancer saw that she was kneeling in front of Lady Gold's platform. The Lady glared down at her pure anger ruling her gaze. The dancer's green eyes flickered to the Lady with such fear.
"My apologize your Majesty… I… uh… I tripped." The dancer's voice quivered and echoed to fill the large ball room. Lady Gold stood, towering over the dancer.
"You stopped the dancing, because you tripped?" The Lady's voice was both beautiful but also it was sharp and angry. The lady would have said more if her eyes were not on the far back of the hall. Her mouth turned into a snarl. The dancer turned her head to see all of Lady Gold's guests had cleared a path to show two figures dancing to no music.
Both wore startling white cloaks, covering their faces. One was a lady for she was wearing a long elegant white gown. One would have called the couple… pure. For neither lace, nor stones covered their costumes. The man was extremely tall compared to his lady partner. Not much could be seen of his costume because it was covered by the white cloak. They would certainly be killed by their outburst in this court. Though most would have just laughed at Lady Gold's face but none would laugh. No one dared cross paths with a maniac.
The couple in white danced majestically over the floor. Dancing in a slow elegant tempo a kind of waltz, with constant turns and dips. Though there was no music many of the guests leaned forward to see if there was no music. Others scrubbed their ears to see if they had something in them that prevented them from hearing the tune.
"Stop, this instance!" Lady Gold shrilled breaking the spell that had fallen upon the crowd. The couple still danced getting closer and closer to the red faced Lady Gold. Soon they were close enough for the dancer to reach out and touch the hem of the White Lady's dress. With one last spin. The couple came to a halt in a deep bow in front of the Lady. They straightened from their bows; all that could be seen of their faces were their mouths. Both of them had giant grins on their faces.
"Did they enjoy flirting with death?" The dancer, who still knelt before the queen, thought.
"Yes." The gentlemen in white replied, his head turned towards the dancer, who gasped and covered her hand over her mouth. The man laughed as he heard in her thoughts that she was hoping she didn't say that out loud.
Lady Gold on the other hand flinched at how calmly he had spoken and how they were both smiling. How dare they!
"What half soul in here invited these monsters or did they not get the memo!" Lady Gold shrieked, she was on a war path she flung her chair over and stood towering over the Lady in White but came eye to eye with the Gentleman in White.
"Ooh… monsters? I do dearly enjoy that term." This time the voice did not come from the man, it was the soft gentle voice of the Lady in White.
"That's what you are, monsters!" Lady Gold shrieked, "For ruining my masquerade and monsters get slain!" Her lip curled back bearing her teeth when she said slain.
"Oh we are not denying that we are monsters because we are. Also Milady this story has a twist." The Lady in White answered calmly.
"Tonight you will be slain." The man answered as a gasp filtered like a silent breeze through the watching guests and dancers. He lifted his hand to the hood of his cloak and in one sweep removed the whole cloak. Revealing the monster he was. The crowd shuffled and moved away many of them muttering under their breaths, others praying. The Lady on the other hand turned twenty shades of pale as the deathly shade made her eyes look sunken under the mask.
To be continued…
(A/N – XD I always wanted to write to be continued. Don't worry I'll update the next chapter soon after I finish writing it. If you have an account please do review and if you don't keep reading and sending hits! Thank you! With lots of love, MTM)