The Crown's Obsession

8 The girl in white

"Will you be making your presence known?" asked the man who took a step back, making way for him to stand in the front.

"Let's see," hummed the man with the full mask, "It would have been better to have people of our class, but I guess it isn't so bad. It isn't every day we get to see the little people who live in their burrows. Do we now, Theo?"

"I guess not, milord," the man named Theo who had his brown hair combed to the side replied with his head bowed, "Not everyone has the blessing to meet and see you."

"It isn't hard to differentiate the guests from the ones of our own. Humans," said the man looking as his eyes fell on a couple of people who appeared to be curious, "Fragile and weak, like lambs when given grass. They will come and chew not knowing the butcher is going to cut its neck. Curious and foolish little things."

"I hear Lady Sophie engaging herself with the Duke. Her parents want her to get married to the man," commented Theo.

"Let her be. Women like her are plenty. Trying to get under my good side which I enjoyed for a day but even flattery gets dull. One more day and her parents would find her floating in the river."

Theodore gave a knowing smile. The man next to him was hard to please, especially with the years and time that had passed by, there were only a few things that could keep his attention, and when it did, the King seized it for himself.

"Milord," came a maid who held a tray of wine in her hand. She had her head bowed where she didn't dare to lift her head. The girl's hands appeared to be shivering, and she tried to keep still.

Theodore was the one who picked up the two glasses who then waved his hand for her to leave. He wondered if the maid had been touched or if she had been warned and threatened that her hands shivering. He handed the glass and stated, "You enjoy the ball," and he received a chuckle in response.

"What is not there to enjoy. There's music. Food. Women and girls with gowns decked themselves waiting and willing to be taken to bed. Men, women. It is a treat for everyone," said the person, raising his glass to drink the wine through the little line of space that barely showed his lips.

Theodore took his drink as if to toast, agreeing to the words spoken before taking a sip from the glass, "Are you planning to go down, Calhoun?" asked Theodore.

"Go ahead. I will join in sometime."

Theodore made a bow and left the King's side, going to join the merriment of Hallow that was taking place in the castle.

In the sea of darkness that had been created by the guests who wore dark clothes and girls who mostly wore red in an attempt to catch the King's eyes, the man noticed a girl who was in a light coloured dress. And maybe it was the dress or maybe it was the mask on her face that had slipped away from her face, the ribbons turning loose behind her head to slip down to show the girl's face.

His red eyes fixed on her, unmoving and taking up all the attention where the rest of the crowd appeared to have disappeared in his sight.

She had refined features. Her eyes expressive though she wasn't speaking to anyone, her lips unpainted with red but a pink that was subtle. Her blonde hairs cascading down her back. Her dress exposed her delicate shoulders that appeared smooth. There might have been plenty of girls who were beautiful but there was something on this girl's, a drop of innocence more than the others.

Before he could see her more, the girl tied her mask back in hurry to hide her face and it had one of his hand clutch the railing of the gallery. His eyes slightly narrowing for not being able to see more without the mask and one side of his lips pulled up in mirth.

Placing the glass of wine down, the man left the gallery to make his way down.

Madeline was in the midst of the crowd with her sister, Beth, until her older sister was asked by a gentleman to dance with him. Her sister danced with the other couples to the music that was played when she had felt her golden mask slipped down her face. She caught it in time before it would fall down on the ground where there would be no way to retrieve it with people moving back and forth and the gowns covering up the floor.

She tied it back, her eyes looking left and right to make sure no one had seen her mask slip, and she released a sigh.

Her parents must have been looking at the castle as she had not noticed them in the room. Her sister was enjoying her time dancing with the man, and her parents were surely having their own fun that had Madeline smile.

She spent a few more minutes before deciding to step out of the ballroom.

But when Madeline turned around, ready to walk forward, she saw a person not too far away walking in the opposite direction she was in. By clothes, she noticed it was a man but he wore a mask unlike anyone in the room. It was a mask that was silver colour, covering the person's entire face except for the eyes that were red in colour.

Madeline had started to walk forward, her eyes shifting away from the person to look at the other guests but her eyes went back to look at him, noticing him looking at her and it almost felt as if he were heading towards her.

Just when they were about to pass by his eyes appeared to be looking elsewhere and she realized she had mistaken him that he was looking at her. Madeline let her breath out which she didn't know she had been holding which was too soon as she took two steps away, she heard a man's deep voice say,

"Fair lady...I think you dropped your kerchief."

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