Hi there! First of all, a huge thank you - you know why. And a note: since I've started adding some expressions that aren't in English, from now on there will be a little tiny glossary at the end of the chapters, if you want to understand really everything. Now, without more babbling from me, here we go!

White as an Indian pipe

White as an Indian Pipe
Red as a Cardinal Flower
Fabulous as a Moon at Noon
February Hour—

Ruby was wolfing down the last remnants of her pizza, and Regina leaned on her chair, feeling satiate and full. "That was awesome, Granny," she told her, and the old woman turned her head to throw her a smile from over her shoulder. She was standing at the counter, busy around four cups of coffee.

"Oh God, I've missed this," sighed Mal, closing her eyes in appreciation.

"Granny has begun with her mission, ladies," announced Ruby, gulping down her last bite. "You'll be two walking pizzas for when you return in America"

"I've never heard you complain about my cooking, you ungrateful lady," scolded Granny. "And they are way too thin, I must do something about that"

Regina met Mal's gaze, and her friend chuckled at her, before assuming a naughty expression. "Well, I hope we won't gain too much weight," she started, "otherwise, Regina won't be able to enter in her dress for the ba –"

"Mal!" exclaimed Regina. She brought up a hand to her forehead – she had told Mal about the ball right before Robin's arrival, forbidding her from bringing up the subject with him, and here she was, her supposed friend, throwing her to the wolves.

Ruby lifted her head from the jar of sugar she was opening – and her eyes widened in excitement. "Oooh, a ball?" she smiled. "You're going to a ball with Robin?"

Regina felt a familiar heat rising up on her cheeks – she blushed slightly, and nodded.

"That's so romantic," sighed Ruby, and Mal laughed. "They're the cheesiest couple I've ever met," she snorted, and Regina forgot about her embarrassment to shoot her an angry glare.

"Excuse me? And what about Mary Margaret and David?"

Mal frowned, almost in disgust. "Okay, but they are so mushy that you can't even hope to reach them, that's why I didn't consider them," she said, and Regina laughed, shaking her head.

Granny placed their coffees on the table and sat, straightening her glasses. "So, a ball, uh? And when that would be?"

"Tuesday night," Regina answered, taking a sip. "But I don't even know how to dress, Mal," she said, and Mal shrugged. "Go out tomorrow and buy something," she suggested.

"Shops are closed tomorrow," Ruby informed. "But I might have a solution…"

§§§

That night, Regina collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes. She was feeling blissfully relaxed and happy, increasingly excited about the ball, and lost in an enjoyable after-dinner numbness. She heard Mal entering casually and falling next to her.

"Don't you have a room of your own, Mal?" she asked, faking annoyance, without opening her eyes.

"Yes, but I like bothering you," Mal answered, and she felt the bed move under her weight – she turned her head and looked at her, she was stretching an arm towards the desk to take one of her books. She spied at the cover – it was Carol, and Mal opened it, turning a few pages.

"Don't even think about stealing it," scoffed Regina. "I've just started reading!"

"Well, can I have it on Tuesday night then? While you are busy getting all disheveled with Robin?"

"I'm not… getting disheveled," she protested. "Well, maybe yes, but you really can't think of a better term?"

"Whatever," Mal rolled her eyes. "Is it serious then?"

Regina lifted her gaze to the painted ceiling, and fixated it on a cloud. "I like him," she admitted. "He… he's kind, and caring, and…"

"And you've met him two days ago," pointed out Mal, playing absently with her bookmark.

"I know," Regina answered quietly.

"Did you tell Emma?"

"No," she said. "And I would ask you… to avoid telling her, for now," she added, and she pulled on her elbows to gain a semi-sitting position.

"Okay," Mal answered. "It's a good thing Granny doesn't have her number…"

"Oh, I imagine," she laughed. "Didn't you say there was going to be her husband too, this evening?"

"Yes, but apparently he'll come back tomorrow," Mal rolled on the bed and got on her feet. "I think I'll need my beauty sleep now," she announced, replacing the book down. Regina smiled and waved goodbye to her friend, then reached for her phone on the night table.

She called Robin – he told her that they couldn't meet neither the following day nor on Tuesday, because he had a project to finish.

"But we'll meet on evening, of course," he said, and she smiled at the phone.

"How come that you have so much work?" she asked, and she heard him sigh.

"You know, my boss? The one who hosts the ball?"

"Yes?"

"Well, she has decided she wants the projects on her desk by Wednesday at noon, and so… I think you'll forgive me if I work hard for two days, so that I can be free to enjoy your company" he chuckled, and Regina grinned.

"I think I can forgive you, yes," she whispered. "But I'd like to have a word with your boss anyway,"

"Sounds fair," he said. "But I feel I'll have to make up to you,"

"I think we could arrange that," she smiled. "Are you planning on… something special, Mr Locksley?"

"I have a thing or two in mind, yes," he murmured, and she almost trembled, because he had suddenly gone all flirty.

"Oh, really?" she lowered her voice, keeping his game up. "Maybe I have something planned too…"

"Going naughty already, Miss Mills?" he whispered, and she nearly laughed – the long, painful and head-spinning day she had just spent was starting to color her voice in an exhausted giddiness, and oh, she just couldn't wait for the ball to be over, when she would get the chance of showing him how naughty she could be…

"Don't do this over the phone, Robin," she warned, with just a hint of malice.

"Do what?" he said, not-so-innocently.

"Don't flirt with me while I can't shut you up," she answered. "A lady must always have the last word, doesn't she?"

"Just because I'm incredibly gallant, doesn't mean I'm going to let you shut me up," he announced, and she hummed in response. "Anyway, maybe yes, but just because it's you... I'm quite fond of that witty tongue of yours…"

"Oh, I'm sure you're fond of my tongue of all things," she played along.

"There are many things I find endearing about you, Regina," he whispered in her ear, and she pressed the phone against her skin – it was already burning…

"Well, perhaps you could write me down a list?" she joked, and he laughed in return. They continued for a while, exchanging whispers and flirty comments, and later, just talking… At some point, Regina stifled a yawn – she regretted it immediately, as soon as the sound reached the phone.

"I should let you sleep," he said with a trace of guilt.

"No, don't worry," she hurried to answer. "Ruby says tomorrow I can sleep late… we are going in a quest for my dress," she smiled.

"Oh, that's quite the mission," he praised. "But still, you had a though day, milady, we wouldn't want you half asleep, right?"

"I suppose not," she agreed reluctantly. "Good night then… and thanks for coming to see me," she added.

"It was my pleasure," he assured. "Good night, beautiful"

She whispered one last Night before ending the call, and she tossed the phone beside her, staring at the now-dark ceiling.

§§§

Monday came, along with a soothing smell of coffee that slithered right in her room – she opened her eyes in the dull light of the morning, not so strong – her window faced the west.

She jumped down the stairs, all good mood and smiles, and Mal didn't fail to make her notice it. "What happened to your resting bitch face, darling?" she asked – she was wrapped in a violet robe, hair fresh of shower, and she was clinging to her cup of coffee as if it contained her vital essence.

"It's sunny outside," she shrugged, turning her back to the table so that she couldn't see her smile, and pouring herself some tea.

"Morning!" greeted Ruby, already clad in jeans and black leather. She leaned on the table and stole a piece of cake – and gulped down a glass of orange juice, then headed to the door. "Regina, I'm going out to buy some things, will you be ready in half an hour?"

"Sure," she nodded, and Ruby disappeared outside after a last bye!.

Mal was scrutinizing her, and she kept avoiding her gaze. The knife slid easily across the pie, and she cut herself a generous slice, started to chew it, but after a few seconds, she couldn't help but meeting Mal's eyes. "Come on, what is it?"

"Nothing," shrugged Mal, with a kind smile. "It's just good to see you happy, that's all,"

Regina smiled back, she was feeling happy – a welcomed sensation, after so much time, she was in a good place with herself, and maybe, maybe, this thing with Robin was actually going somewhere, maybe that morning she was starting to hope again, maybe his words from the night before were real…

"Thanks," she said earnestly. She reached for her hand, and squeezed it, before turning her attention to the pie again. "So, blueberry, isn't it?"

"Granny's favorite," nodded Mal, taking one last sip of coffee and getting up. "Don't you like it?"

"It's not bad," considered Regina, and she gulped down another bite. "But I prefer apples,"

"And then apples you shall have," announced Granny's voice from behind her. She turned, facing her, embarrassment already coloring her cheeks – she was not alone, beside her a tall, old man, with kind eyes and a trace of beard on his cheeks.

"Granny, the pie is phenomenal –" she tried, but the old woman was smiling, shaking her head. "I know," she cut short, and without losing other time or listening to her apologies, she motioned towards the man. "This is Marco, my husband," she announced, and Regina smiled at him. "Marco, you already know Mallory, obviously," she continued, and Mal leaned on to kiss his cheek.

Granny pointed at her, "And this is Regina Mills, Mallory's friend," she introduced, and Regina extended a hand, but instead of shaking it, he brought it up and kissed her knuckles gallantly. "It's a pleasure, Maestà," he said, switching to Italian at the middle of the sentence – she laughed, quite sure of having understood, and he continued, "Maria, you didn't tell me we hosted a queen here," and Granny shook her head.

"Don't you think you're a bit old for all this flirting with young ladies?" she asked playfully – Regina heard Mal scoffing behind her hand.

"You're never too old for complimenting a woman, I'll have you know," he answered in the same tone.

"Sure, sure," dismissed Granny, with a roll of her eyes.

Regina smirked at Mal, whispering "Are they always like this?" to the blonde, who sighed, "You should see them when they're cooking together…"

§§§

Half an hour later, she was following Ruby out of the ferry boat, which in Venice corresponded to a normal bus – Ruby had called it a vaporetto, and pointed her other boats floating in the Grand Canal. "That's a gondola," she said, and Regina turned her gaze towards a black rowing boat, with an elegantly shaped prow and a man standing up – he was talking to the passengers and pushing a long oar in the water. "But the ferry is cheaper, and not nearly as romantic," she continued.

"Have you already tried a gondola with Peter?" asked Regina, hiding a smile – she wasn't the only one who had to go through those questions, after all – but Ruby laughed, not embarrassed in the slightest.

"I'm afraid I'm not very much into men," she said, "and Peter is pretty taken with a certain Billy guy who works at the hotel with him…"

"Oh," nodded Regina. "So… do you have a lady love?"

Ruby adjusted her hat, and cleared her throat. "Uhm… yes… sort of," she admitted. "It's only fair for you to know, given that we all know of your story," she added. "And you'll meet her in two seconds, anyway," she said, stopping in front of a shop.

"We're already here?" Regina lifted her gaze to the sign – Chez Rose, it said – and turned towards Ruby, but the young woman was already crossing the threshold. The wind-chime hung above the door jingled, and she followed her inside. The shop was quite small – or maybe it was only a matter of perspective, because all the available space was currently taken by dresses. White wedding dresses, with glittery details and soft veils, short black dresses, magnificent cascades of silk, and all sorts of fabrics and colors, small cloth samples pinned to the wall… she was lost in contemplation, and she nearly missed the arrival of Ruby's girlfriend.

She was undoubtedly beautiful – a rare kind of beauty, coming straight from a dream – a young woman dressed in coral, a tape placed around her neck and a pair of scissors appearing from the pocket of her smock.

She approached Ruby and pecked her lips with a smile – Ruby blushed, but Regina smiled, and the young woman turned towards her. "Good morning," she greeted, with a thick French accent. "You must be Regina – I'm Aurora," she said, the Rs rolling on her tongue, and they shook hands – she had a plaster around her finger.

"Nice to meet you," Regina answered. "What happened to your finger?"

"Oh, this?" Aurora shook her head. "Yesterday evening I was half asleep and I've accidentally stung myself with a needle… but it's part of the job, isn't it?" she smiled. "Now, Ruby tells me you need a dress?"

"Exactly," Regina said, her gaze running again to the dresses. "For a… masquerade ball,"

"Interesting," Aurora answered. "Well, follow me – I'll bring you where we keep the hidden stuff," she announced, and turned to pass a purple curtain. She went after Ruby – the brocade caressed Regina's hand, and she emerged into a room that was possibly smaller than the principal one. There, was standing another woman, busy around a mannequin. She lifted her eyes – she practically was Aurora's older version.

"Maman, Ruby est arrivée," Aurora announced, who was already walking towards them and kissing Ruby on the cheek. "Good morning, Rose," said the young woman, and Rose squeezed her hand before turning to face Regina.

"Et elle s'appelle Regina," Aurora introduced her, and she was surprised to see Rose leaning on to kiss her too. "Bonjour," she said, "you must be Maria's new girl!"

"I am," she confirmed. "You're Aurora's mother? You're so similar,"

"I know," Rose laughed. "So, what kind of dress do you want?"

Regina hesitated – she hadn't thought about that. She only had her mask, the mask he had given her, but that wasn't really a help… three women were staring at her expectantly, so she cleared her throat. "I… I think…" she let her gaze wander, avoiding their eyes, and then – then she was struck.

"I think I know what I want".

The morning went by in a blur, with Aurora and Rose measuring her waistline, her height, the length of her legs and every other sort of things, with Ruby throwing casual comments from a stool where she was perched – and she was a great help, because her remarks brought Rose to modify some details of the dress and adjust the little diamonds on her waist.

Regina was feeling like a doll in their arms – but they were very good, and expert, and they were enjoying themselves.

"We don't have many occasions to use this kind of garments," commented Aurora, motioning for her to bring her arms up. "We sell them, of course – you wouldn't imagine how many wealthy ladies buy our ball gowns for no other purpose than exposing them in their house! But this is much more fun," she beamed. "No, maman, c'est trop court – because you'll actually get to wear it!"

"Is it the ball at Villa Fisher, Regina?" asked Rose, her mouth half-closed – she was holding some pins between her lips.

"Yes," Regina answered, trying not to lower her arms, even if they were starting to get painfully sore. "But I don't know the owner, I'm afraid,"

"Oh, I've heard some interesting things about her – Aurora, chérie, passe-moi le métre – you just wait and see," said Rose mischievously.

"Yeah, no pressure, Regina," Ruby smiled from behind her phone. "How much do you have left to do? Granny asks if she can start with lunch,"

"Oh, almost done," answered Aurora. She fixated one last pin – and she took two steps back, taking in her figure. "Oh, look at you!"

Regina turned slowly, the smooth fabric swishing at the movement, and finally she could see the dress in its entirety. The woman in the mirror was so different – so regal – that she held her breath for a second.

It was red. A crimson shade of red, more precisely. She had her shoulders bare, her hands sinking in the velvet of her gown. She looked at her neckline – Aurora had fixated two red feathers to the middle, and they were invisibly pinned at their sides, so that they went from the center to her forearms with a graceful twist at the end. A single heart-shaped diamond was encrusted between her breasts, holding the feathers together. The corset was tight – and laced on her back, it was squeezing her chest without being too painful. Shiny and red diamonds were embodied in an elegant pattern around her waist; they formed a V-shape going down to the beginning of the gown. Under the diamonds, a layer of organdy had been draped to cover the velvet, and it was silky at the touch. She turned to see her back – the reddish laces were loosely falling down, but there was a puffy bow at the end of the corset. The feathers tickled her skin as she turned again.

"Une vraie reine," commented Rose from behind, with all the pride of a well-done job. And for a moment, she felt her own beauty, too. A true queen, indeed.

§§§

In the afternoon, Mal went with her for some shopping, and she bought her lacey lingerie to put under the dress – all black, and the bra was strapless, because her shoulders were going to be uncovered. Then, it was dinner time, a light meal, as Granny had called it – but anyway, Regina made a mental note to weigh herself, later that day.

Ruby had decided to stay home, that evening, because it was raining, and suddenly the prospect of a Game of Thrones rerun was much more tempting – so Regina found herself sitting on the sofa, under a blanket, discussing of Westeros and political showdowns with her and Mal. They spent the entirety of a sex scene talking about the Houses – Ruby was quite fond of the Starks, which could have brought to a potential conflict with Regina, because she parted for the Lannisters. Mal backed down, admitting she liked the Targaryens – "I mean, Daenerys has dragons, just wait until she reaches Westeros" – but they all agreed upon the strategical superiority of Varys and Littlefinger.

After the third episode, it was midnight, so Mal and Regina climbed the stairs and placed themselves on Regina's bed, took her laptop, and called Emma on Skype.

The image was blurry at first, but then they spotted a familiar head – and they heard Henry's excited voice. "Let me see, mom!" he was saying, and finally Emma and Henry appeared.

"Hello there, little prince," greeted Regina, and oh, Henry seemed so grown up, even if she had seen him on Friday…

"Hi, Aunt Regina! And Auntie Mal!"

"How are you, little one?" smiled Mal.

Henry turned towards Emma, his best version of pleading eyes on display, and said "Can I tell them, mom? Please?"

Emma glanced at Regina and Mal, and took a breath before nodding. "Okay, go ahead, kid," she answered. Regina wondered what could it be – Emma seemed worried… of their reaction? The previous day, she had left Regina a very excited and very drunk message, but with all the sickness, and Robin, and the dress, she had completely forgot to call her.

Henry smiled proudly, and looked at them, and finally burst out: "Mom and Killian are getting married!"

Regina felt a smile cracking open on her face, while Mal, next to her, let out a very exasperated "And it was about time!"

"Oh, Henry, it's wonderful," she said, and Henry nodded eagerly – Emma was still looking at them, but she turned her head to kiss his cheek. "Kid, I need to talk to your aunts for a moment, could you go and play for a bit?"

"But we just started!" he protested, but Emma was quick to convince him, "Just a second, then you can come and say hello, alright?"

He nodded, and waved at them before running away. Emma turned reluctantly to face them, and she bit her lip, "Well?"

"I wasn't lying to him, Emma," said Regina, "it's truly wonderful,"

"I bet Mary Margaret has already started with the wedding arrangements," snorted Mal.

"Uhm, yes," Emma began to smile, now that she was convinced her friends weren't going to put up a horrified show. "Regina, as my Maid of Honor, how are you feeling about a… pink dress?"

"Over your dead body," she shivered, as Mal was practically dying of laughter on the bed – but she suddenly stopped, when Emma said "And for you, there's pink as well, Mal," and this time, it was Regina's turn to laugh.

§§§

She slept late, on Tuesday morning. And when she woke up, there was a trail with hot chocolate and cookies on her night table, a missed call from Robin on her phone, and her dress was standing in her room, kindly sent from Aurora, with a note – Don't forget the shawl. She looked into a zipped bag, where Aurora had packed a simple red piece of organdy to cover her shoulders.

The thought of the ball was getting more and more real. She sat on the bed and bit a cookie, staring at the dress, and she chewed slowly. It had all been like a wonderful dream, but now there were nine hours left to that moment, and she was starting to get worried. She liked Robin, and very much so. She was still wondering about the strange course of events that had brought them to meet.

She knew what Emma would have said. Go and get him, for heaven's sake, Regina, and she could almost hear the blonde's voice. What are you waiting for?

Mary Margaret was another story. Her fairytale wedding with David was a story from children tales, and her friend, sometimes, looked at the world with a naivety she almost envied. The belief there always was hope for everyone, another chance, or happiness, or a new life. She knew Mary Margaret would have said Oh, isn't it romantic? Love at first sight…

Regina had never been fond of one-date things. Mal was more like that, get some sex and morning cuddles, drink some coffee and then go. It didn't work for her. It didn't feel right. She had done it, when she was younger, before of Daniel, but it didn't feel right. For her heart.

Could he keep good care of my heart?

"Morning, sleeping beauty!" Mal's voice startled her, and her eyes flew towards her friend, she gulped. "Come on, lunch's ready!"

"I'm having breakfast," she protested, lifting the cookie.

"Screw that, Granny made pasta with fish, come on," urged Mal, and Regina groaned, slipping down the bed with a sleepy moan. She walked past her, heading to the bathroom, and had to bear five minutes of Mal tapping her feet, impatient – until she finally exited, and glared at her.

"Stop rushing me," she threatened jokingly, closing the door.

"Darling, I have a plate full of calamari waiting for me – something I've craved for years, I'll have you know – and your lazy attitude won't certainly keep me up here any longer –"

"Alright!" she cut in, amused. "Years?"

"Years," Mal looked up, with an inspired face. "The flavors from my childhood…"

And after having gulped down the first bite, Regina thought that she would have craved that dish for years, too.

After lunch, fire was cracking pleasantly in the fireplace, and they were all splayed on the sofa. Granny was still busy in the kitchen, drying the last dishes and exchanging affectionate whispers with Marco. Mal was dozing off – her feet dangling lazily from the armchair, her head on a pillow, and a satiated expression on her face. Regina was curled up next to her, she had picked up Carol – but the words were starting to dance under her eyes, and she found herself re-reading the same paragraph for the fifth time. She placed her chin above a closed fist and squeezed her eyes, trying to focus…

It was the dress of queens in fairy tales, of a red deeper than blood. She stepped back, and pulled the looseness of the dress behind her, so it fitted her ribs and her waist, and she looked back at her own dark hazel eyes in the mirror. Herself meeting herself…

She had to call Robin, she thought, and she had to get ready, and maybe unpack her suitcase – put the frame with the picture of Emma and Henry on her night table, iron her best skirt before the trial – oh, and she had to call Mary Margaret and forbid her to use any shade of pink for the wedding, and she had to buy Henry a present, and mail Gold those last reports, and…

"Regina?" Ruby's voice startled her, and she lifted her eyes to the young brunette. "Do you need some help with… you know… the make-up?" she asked, almost timidly. Regina smiled, closing the book and pushing with a hand against the armchair to get up.

"Sure," she answered, and Ruby's eyes lightened in a sparkly excitement. "I'm afraid I didn't bring enough of red eye shadow for this kind of thing, anyway," she continued.

"Oh, you can't use red, it wouldn't look great," Ruby told her. She followed her upstairs, while she kept talking. "You'll need gold, or a smoky shade of black, or…"

§§§

In the end, Ruby chose white, but it was almost covered by the mask. She had enjoyed the afternoon – her hair had been the most difficult part of the task, but now it was all curled in soft waves, adjusted gently over her left shoulder. Mal had popped up at some point, sitting on the edge of the bathtub while Ruby was washing away the remnants of some kind of cream from her face. The blonde passed her a sandwich – Granny figured you'll need something in your stomach, unless you want to faint – and then slipped away towards her room.

Regina found in Ruby a pleasant company – she had kept her distracted during the wax process, by telling her about her university, her mother who was living in the US, about Aurora – she had met her during a seminar about the photography of dresses in the movies – and about her grandma's B&B. Regina discovered that the place was composed by two buildings, as she had seen on Sunday, one for the family, one for the guests, and that she was currently sleeping in Anita's old room.

At half past eight, she descended the staircase, folding the dress to keep it from going under her heels, and received all the compliments from Granny, an approving roll of eyes from Mal, and Marco offered her a hand, "Shall we go?"

She waved at the three women, smiled at Ruby. "Thank you, really," she told her, and the brunette smiled back, shouting one last Have fun! before closing the door against the crispy air. Regina tightened the fabric of the shawl around her shoulders and followed Marco – he helped her get on his boat, and took the oar.

Venice slid at her sides, and she stared into the night, the lights glimmering over the water, tiny dots of yellow and white on a black liquid expanse. The oar was thudding softly, breaking the pools of lights every now and then, and Marco was hummering…

When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's amore… when the world seems to shine, like you've had too much wine, that's amore…

She shook her head, when the boat hurt the rocky edge of the bank, and the magic was broken. Marco turned towards her, "Here we are, your majesty," he bowed, and she lifted her gaze to the house – the palace, the enormous building, shining of candles and flashing lights.

"Thank you," she told him, and he helped her get down the boat – it rolled dangerously, but he kept it steady, and soon she was on solid ground.

"Good luck, for this evening," he smiled, and waved one last time before pushing the oar against the bank, and letting the waves transport him away.

She watched him for a moment – then she searched in her purse and took her phone. A message from Mal…

Stolen your book. Enjoy the ball! And… a final advice, right from the trailer of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2': "Eyes open, knees shut. If your knees are open, shut your eyes!"

She shook her head, before shooting her a quick answer – Since when does Emma Swan control your mind? – and then she called Robin.

"Hey," she burst out as soon as he picked up the phone. Anxiety and excitement had her fidgeting with her ring, she kept turning it around her finger. "Are you here?"

"I am," he confirmed, and she immediately lifted his eyes, trying to spot him amidst the crowd currently gathering in front of the main gate. "But now we have a problem," he said solemnly.

Regina bit her lower lip; probably ruining the lipstick so carefully applied by Ruby, and tightened her hold on the phone. "What kind of problem?"

"Well, I can see you," he told her, and she inspected the crowd even more. "And I'm afraid that the lady I've invited to the ball is going to be terribly jealous, because you are … absolutely beautiful"

She scoffed, then, "Oh, shut up," she laughed. "Your…lady… she can't be that bad," she tried to joke.

"Actually, she can," his voice came from behind her, and she turned – black mask, black dress, here he stood, and she widened her eyes – he was holding a white blossom, a rose, and smiling cheekily from behind his mask. He neared her, offering the flower, and she gladly took it, and inhaled the perfume.

"She is that bad," he whispered, and his mouth was near her ear now. "That dress is a sin, milady, and I believe you wore it to drive me mad, on purpose,"

"Well, I couldn't come naked," she reasoned, and he smiled, before turning his head and capturing her lips in a kiss. His smell was tantalizing, and she felt it mixing with her own scent, as he brought up a hand to her neck, and she continued to kiss him, until he parted with a sigh.

"I'd rather stay here all night with you," he told her, and she smiled.

"I believe I was promised a ball," she replied, and playing the true gentleman, he slipped his arm behind hers, with one last peck on her temple.

"Shall we go, then?" he said sadly, and she laughed at his fake desperation.

"Lead the way".

Lost in translation

Maestà (it): Majesty
Maman, Ruby est arrivée (fr): Mom, Ruby's arrived
Et elle s'appelle Regina (fr): And she's Regina
Non, maman, c'est trop court (fr): No, mom, it's too short
Aurora, chérie, passe-moi le métre (fr): Aurora, darling, give me the tape