(no subject)

[eldorne_girl]

Delia lay awake in bed, curled around one of her pillows. She couldn’t sleep. Every time she began to dose off, another thought, another memory, came to the surface of her mind. With a muttered curse, the slender lady threw back her covers and stalked to the center of her room. Standing still, she composed herself and stared straight ahead. She was so bored. So utterly, completely, mind-numbingly bored. It hadn't been like this before. Surely not. Then...there was a point to it all. A point to the flirting and backstabbing, to the shocking and dancing... Catching hold of a memory of music and balls, Delia smiled slightly. She loved dancing. Really, it was the only thing where she didn't have to think -

Keeping that in mind, Delia sighed softly and began to dance. Slower then she would in truth, but this was only practise. Skip this way in a half circle, and then retrace your steps and then some…

Delia went through the steps, her eyes half-closed, remembering the few months when she had first come to court. She remembered being free and new. She remembered flirting with the heir to the Tortallan throne, while his friends watched on with jealousy.

As she moved back to bed, more asleep then awake, she remembered dancing with Prince Jonathan while Roger looked on with an amused smile…

…smoothly, she stepped away from the masked prince, laughing and breathless. She felt drunk and flushed, the heady air filled with the smell of scented candles, wine, and perfumed nobles. The masked ball was in full swing, with some of the candles dead on the iron chandeliers so the light was darker, redder, then it should be. Turning with the other dancers to face the dais, she curtsied deeply to the masked man on the single throne, spreading her crimsonrubygarnetblood red skirts wide and letting them fall back to her sides with a silken whisper.

Delia felt unbalanced by the heavy tiara on her head, and she had an urge to reach up and rip it off. But not here, not in this ball. She had to find Roger, to tell him that she knew his game and that he could…

Looking to the dais, she took a step back and bumped into someone in the now thick crowd. The masked man met her eyes and gave her an amused smile. Somehow, Delia knew those eyes would be a bright, bright blue.

Comments

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

Delia laugh; low and husky and very, very amused. She enjoyed the feeling of everyone watching her, and the feeling of causing Squire Alan a good deal of humilation.

"Harsh," she murmered as they passed each other, continuing when she stood with her back to Alanna. "Very harsh." Delia had her hand on her hip, and glancing at Alanna with amusment. Would the squire or wouldn't the squire?

[the_lioness]

Alanna missed the look of amusement as Delia's long chestnut hair lashed her across the face. Gritting her teeth, she casually placed her hand over Delia's. She was acutely aware of how rough her callused palm must feel to Delia's soft skin.

"Perhaps it was a bit harsh, but it was certainly true," she muttered.

Feeling like a complete idiot, Alanna gently nudged the taller girl forward. They skipped to the side in unison. Alanna counted the steps under her breath as they switched hands and skipped back.

Having learned her lesson, Alanna leaned back as Delia turned, taking the time to admire the tiara in her hair.

"It must have taken you hours to twist your hair around that way."

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

"A couple," she admited once she's facing Alanna again, resting one hand on the squire's shoulder. Despite the spinning, her hair was still mostly neat; if some curls have come loose, it only adds to her youthful charm. There was a long pause as Alanna moved her hands to Delia's hips to throw her up in the air.

Hardly know why, her mind spinning in the heady air, Delia moved forward and kissed her on the lips. In full view of the entire court.

[the_lioness]

To say that Alanna was shocked would be the understatement of the century. However, she was also curious. Momentarily forgetting their avid audience, she kissed Delia back. Alanna's fingers bit into the silk of Delia's gown. Gradually becoming aware of their surroundings, Alanna pulled back with a troubled frown.

"Goddess, Delia! Everyone saw that," She hissed. "What were you thinking? Mad. You are absolutely bloody mad."

Furious, Alanna lifted her hands toward Delia's face in the final move of the dance. Her face had long since turned a deep crimson. She inclined her head, turned on her heel and stalked off the dance floor.

A deep chortle rose from the crowd behind her. Alanna was fairly certain Jon was to blame.

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

Delia just stared after her, eyes wide behind her maks. Ican'tbeliveIjustdidthat!. There was a deep chortle in the crowd, and then cheering. Drawing herself up, Delia smoothed down her dress, tucked an errant curl behind her ear, and moved off the dance floor.

Straight towards the long table heaped with food. And wine. A lot of winte. Pouring herself a glass, Delia took another deep breath. A memory of soft lips against her own, and she drained half the glass.

But elegantly, of course. Never said that Delia of Eldorne, even when she was blushing and in mild shock, was inelegant.

[the_lioness]

Alanna stomped out of the ballroom, ignoring the laughter and knowing smiles. Delia was yet another test from the Goddess, sent to try her patience. It was the only thing that made any sense. The woman had obviously spent too many years being bored to death in the convent and had now made it her personal mission to embarrass Alanna into early retirement.

Frowning, Alanna looked around and realized that her feet had carried her outside. The fresh air felt lovely after the stale scents and oppressive heat of the ballroom. Alanna tilted her head back as she continued down a gravel path, letting the cool breeze wash across her neck. Deep in the garden, she paused beside a dead rose bush and wondered how she was going to face the other boys after tonight's debacle.

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

She couldn't think, couldn't breath...Delia swayed and stumbled through the crowd, brushing past the laughing, drunk courtiers. A girl in pale blue swung her around, landing a kiss on her mouth before releasing her. Shaking her head, Delia almost ran outside, ripping her mask off. Leaning against the wall, she breathed deeply. It was winter, with snow on the ground, but she wasn't cold. Just pleasantly cool. She let her head fall forward, and put the mask back on. Turning to go inside, she paused. There was a flash of red hair and, almost without thinking, Delia lifted her skirts and walked down the steps to the gravel path.

The green-eyed girl caught up with Alanna by the rose bushes, and her breath caught again. The moonlight fell on the squire, making the silver trim and mask glow. Beautiful, mysterious...

Delia just stood there, watching with eyes hidden by her mask and wondering what in the name of the Mother was she doing...

[the_lioness]

Alanna paced back and forth, oblivious to her surroundings. Delia was the epitome of everything she loathed about Court life. Jonathan was better than that. He deserved someone with honor, loyalty, spirit and compassion. Someone like... Alanna? No. She shook her head at the thought. Maybe? Seeing Delia dance with Jon definitely sparked feelings of inadequacy and jealousy. So why did she keep seeing Delia's laughing green eyes and wry smile just before she leaned forward and kissed her? Clearly she was going insane. Far be it from her to buck family tradition.

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

"The gardeners are not going to be very happy in the morning to find you've ruined the ground through constant pacing, you know." Delia says at last. Her voice is quiet, but some how very throaty in the darkness.

She doesn't move forward, just stand there, watching, waiting, with moonlight reflecting off her old silver tiara.

[the_lioness]

Alanna whirled around, her startled eyes quickly finding Delia in the darkness. More accurately, finding Delia's tiara in the darkness. Bristling, Alanna glanced toward the illuminated ballroom and couldn't help but think she got her wish after all. Here she was in the garden, enjoying the crisp air. The only drawback was that Delia had decided to encroach upon her peace and quiet, not to mention her personal space. Alanna absently rubbed her thumb across her lower lip.

"The gardeners will be more concerned with the number of empty tankards littering the King's lawn than with one small, worn patch of frozen ground." She paused, slowly walking toward Delia. "Why are you here? Did you not humiliate me enough inside?"

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

Oddly calm, the girl let the squire stalk towards her without making a single move back. "Humiliate? I do beg to differ, Squire Alan...after tonight, the other knights and squires will be utterly envious and your standing will have risen considerably. I do not think those things fall underneath the defination of 'humiliate'." Her light voice is the same as her hidden expression; calm, serene, and just a little bit all-knowing and worldly.

"That said, cannot I also enjoy the cool air? Inside, I could not think." She shrugs, a noticable movement when her white skin reflected the moonlight so well. "You never know...I could even being apologizing to you."

[the_lioness]

Alanna gulped. Of course her friends would view the kiss in stride. In fact, Delia is right. She might even be lauded for it tomorrow. Shuddering, Alanna stepped back and eyed Delia warily. She wasn't sure she wanted any part of a situation in which Delia was right about something.

"My, someone thinks rather highly of herself, doesn't she?" Alanna's smirk faded. "Why would you apologize to me?

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

Another small, graceful shrug, and Delia reaches up to touch the large, smooth garnet resting just above her breasts. It could be a nervous habit, but then again, it might not be.

To cover it, Delia gives Alanna a small, cheeky smile; very different from her normal ones. "For playing into your Prince's hands so much. I fear I have given him much to mock you for, and that was not my intent."

[the_lioness]

Both irritated and curious, Alanna allowed her gaze to follow Delia's hand. She stared at the garnet for several seconds before narrowing her eyes and glancing back at Delia's face. Her pride was unreasonably stung by the mention of Jon, but she stuck her chin out and refused to reveal just how uneasy she felt.

"Jon would find something to mock me for with or without your intervention, Lady Delia." Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "But it is always friendly in nature. Do not fear."

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

"Fear?" Delia's light voice held laughter in it, much like it could hold interest or modesty. The girl shook her head, laughing. Taking her mask off with a smooth gesture, she gave Alanna an amused look. Her face was young, still slightly rounded from childhood. Delia wasn't at the height of her beauty, not by far, but she was still utterly lovely to look at.

"I do not fear Jon."

[the_lioness]

"No," Alanna smiled grimly, a touch of envy clouding her vision. Flirtation, charm, love - these things came so easily to Delia. That's not to say that Alanna wanted to be good at these things. Goddess, no. Truth be told, Alanna wanted nothing to do with love. She wanted freedom, and love meant shackling yourself to someone else. It wasn't for her.

Alanna briefly wondered what it would feel like to have Jon look at her like he looked at Delia. She blinked. Nauseating, most likely.

"I can't see you fearing any man. You are far too aware of your own charms. No, it is rejection that you fear." Unnerved by Delia's gaze, she glanced at the other girl's mask. It looked empty without Delia's green eyes shining through. Alanna was suddenly afraid to remove her own, as if her very soul would be laid bare. She didn't want to be that open. That unprotected.

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

Delia's eyes flickered down to her empty mask, an odd little smile on her face. She knew she looked lovely in the moment, with her dress and old silver tiara and earrings and oh, just everything. So lovely, so precious, so pretty and wonderful and delicate...

Beauty and ugliness were two sides of the same coin; with both, one only saw the surface. Inside, Delia was just as ugly everyone else around her. Superficial, her lovely form floating above her empty soul. The squire in front of her still had the silver mask on, as protection, no doubt. Delia had removed hers for the same reason, to protect herself.

Somewhere inside her, Delia wondered if she saw herself in the mirror with that plain, black mask on if she would see someone home.

Unlikely.

"You read me so well?" The girl asked at last, her light voice almost...bland as she gazed at Alanna once more. No, not gazed; stared.

[the_lioness]

Alanna's breath lodged in her throat. Why did that keep happening around Delia? The other girl's eyes burned into her until Alanna was tempted to take a step back. No, she would not beat a cowardly retreat. Instead, she gave Delia a blank look, hoping she wouldn't notice that Alanna was actually looking at something over her shoulder.

"I fear I do not read you well at all. You constantly keep me guessing." She paused, licking her lips. "I'm curious though. How well can you read me?"

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

Delia ducks her head at that, smiling. Brushing past Alanna, the girl reached over and plucked a rose from the dead bush. Letting her mask fall to the snow-covered ground, she cupped the full bloom in her hands. It was a deep, purple-black, and made her skin almost glow.

"Shall we see? Black roses are for mourning, white for purity, yellow for jealousy..."as she speaks each colour, the rose changes to match; a snowy, glowing white; a vibrant yellow; a deep, blood-red..."and red is for passion." Delia pauses, and when she looks at Alanna, her green eyes are a mystery.

"Which colour do you think it should be, Squire Alan?"

[the_lioness]

Alanna watched the mask fall to the ground and land with a soft thud. She flinched. It was too fair to toss aside so carelessly. Delia's voice slowly drew Alanna out of her reverie, and she peered curiously at the roses. Which color to choose...

"Red," Alanna croaked. "Yellow. Red and yellow, both."

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

"Passion." A whispered caress of a word, the deep red petals pulsing faintly. "Jealousy." Sharper, the yellow almost harsh. Delia tilts her head, raising one of her delicate brows.

"Who are you jealous of, Squire Alan?" She asks quietly. "Jon? Me?" a gentle pause.

"Who?"

[the_lioness]

Alanna touched the blood red rose with a callused fingertip. It felt soft and smooth. Cool to the touch, yet unbearably alive. Alanna glanced at the dead rose bush in confusion and pushed impatiently at her mask. She suddenly wanted it off.

"I'm not sure, Delia." Alanna whispered, her throat feeling as dry as sand. "Again, perhaps my answer is 'both.'"

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

The rose went from red to yellow then to red again, never quite settling down but always changing.

"It can't be both," she said softly, biting her bottom lip. "Just one colour. For tonight, it can only be one colour. And it's your choice, you see. Red or yellow?"

[the_lioness]

Alanna watched the rose carefully. Every time she decided on a color, it would change again. Her breath quickened, and Alanna suddenly felt as though she were trapped in a never ending whirlpool, watching the rest of the world carry on as usual. She looked uneasily into Delia's eyes. Her answer slipped out just as the rose turned yellow again.

"Red." Alanna felt her face turn just that color and she cleared her throat.

[eldorne-girl.livejournal.com]

The rose turned red, deep red, and stayed that way. And Delia smiled. It was a bright, and yet somewhat shy smile. Delighted, and girlish. It made her look younger, but not as pretty.

"Red it shall be," the girl reached out, and slid the squire's silver mask off, "Alanna." Taking a step back, Delia opened her hands and let the silver mask and red rose fall to the snow either side of her.