The Last Ruby Rose

Chapter 20, 1970 : Masquerade

When the music started all dancers bowed to their partner before taking a step forward and connecting one hand with the hand of their partner, going in slow circles. After three turns they did a rotation and bowed again before changing to the other hand again going in circles. It was a slow, but elegant dance which provided a lot of time to observe the partner you were dancing with. The melody added a certain mystic to the unknown lady Melisande was dancing with. Her black dress shimmered like sticky tar in the golden light of the candles and her silver embroidery reminded her of stars in the night sky. Her blond hair seemed dirty or was it the dark shine? It looked like her hair had lost its beauty over the years.

~oOo~

In a country far, far away they told a story of a girl with the most beautiful hair imaginable. Her hair was like the sun's light, like gold and honey. Everyone who saw her long hair fell in love with her and gave her the most exotic gifts. Jewelry from a country not known by humankind, dresses weaved of gold, cosmetics made from Venus herself. She took all those gifts and never said a word so kind.

One day she brushed her hair and a handsome young man approached her. He had a dress in his hands, weaved of the star's light. So she smiled at him and showed her hair, but he did not notice her and just went on.

Shocked by his behavior, the woman went after him and asked: "Good Sir, who is this dress for, if not for me?" The man smiled and answered: "For my wife, who I love so deeply, that I weaved a dress from the star's shining light, which she loves so much." The woman became angry that he dared to love his wife more than her, so she took her comb of gold and ram its pointed ends into his throat and took the dress. When the villagers came and asked what happened she cried and told them: "A man with eyes so black murdered him and ran into the forest deep." And they believed her.

And so her story goes on. Every month she met another man. One had a crown out of the water's pearls, one had shoes out of the fire's flames, one had a mirror made out of the sun's warmth, one had a necklace made from precious memories and one had earrings made from the wind's peaceful songs. All of them she murdered with her comb of gold, to get the things she thought belonged to her. "It was not my fault.", she told them all and combed her hair with the bloody comb of gold.

When the seventh month was born her hair looked beautiful, but it had a sinister glow and when she combed her hair a man came by with a threat made of a mothers happy tears. She smiled at him and showed her hair, but he did not notice her and just went on. She looked at him and stood. "So shall he die, like the six men that went that path before.", she said and went after him and asked: "Good Sir, who is this threat for, if not for me?" The man smiled and answered: "For my daughter, who I love so deeply that I weaved a threat out of her mothers happy tears." The woman became angry once again, so she took her comb of gold and ram its pointed ends into his throat, but she did not die, but instead he turned into a witch, a white veil covering her face and hair. And out of the forest deep six more witches came, pointing at the woman and asking in unison: "Have you ever lied?" The woman showed her hair and said: "No, my witches of the forest." So they asked: "Have you ever killed a man so innocent?" The woman smiled and said:"No, my witches of the forest." So they laughed and showed their throats with the marks of the comb of gold. "Lair!", they said, "We were the man who wanted to verify if you were worth this beauty, but your soul is darker than the night's sky. - We demand that you shall die." The seventh sister stepped forward, grabbing the woman's hair. "Into your hair all your lies are weaved." She cutted the woman's hair, weaving a dress out of it before dressing herself in it. "Watch me wear your lies until your beauty is lost to demise." And with that the woman died and the seven sisters went back into the forest deep.

Legend has it, that if you lie, your lies shall be weaved into your hair and the more you lie, the more sinister and dark the shimmer in your hair gets and when you die dark weaver will come and weave a dress out of your lies, to wear it until your beauty is lost to demise.

~oOo~

"What is your name, Mylady.", Melisande asked, smiling. The woman chuckled. "Eva", her voice was full of something she could not quite understand. Was it hatred? They bowed to each other, intertwining their hands and taking a step forward so they stood in front of each other only centimeters apart. "And your name, dearest?" They looked into each other's eyes. "Melisande.", she answered with a skeptical voice as her silver eyes met her light green one's. Her eyes were special too. They were like a mirror into her soul and she saw a dark ball, which once was a soul of hers. No feelings, no loved memories, but a decayed soul.

~oOo~

There was a mother, who loved her child so deeply. She sang the most beautiful songs to her when it was time for her to sleep and covered her in blankets so soft. When the sun was rising she went to the field next to the house, so she could bring flowers to her child.

One day the child was running through the fields and lost her mothers hand. She did not know where she was and searched for her mother, but did not find her. When she finally reached the end of the field she saw lots of blue flowers growing underneath a big tree, water was falling from its crown and when she came near a woman approached her, her face being covered with a light blue veil. "Who are you?", the girl asked. "I am the daughter of water.", she answered, "I am the oldest." The child smiled. "Can you bring me home?" The woman shook her head, but handed her one of the flowers. "I can't."

The girl went on and reached a forest with burned trees and flowers red like flames and when she came near a woman approached her, her face being covered with a red veil. "Who are you?", the girl asked. "I am the daughter of fire.", she answered. "I am the second." The child smiled. "Can you bring me home?" The woman shook her head, but handed her one of the flowers. "I can't."

And so the girl visited three other women. One lived on a high cliff, she handed her a flower as white as snow and sent her on her way. Another lived in a forest, she handed her a flower as brown as dirt and sent her on her way. Another lived with the ghosts, she handed her a flower, long dead and sent her on her way. Another lived with the hourglasses, she handed her a flower out of gears and sent her on her way. So she met the daughters of wind, earth, spirit and time, but no one of them brought her home. So she entered the field again and wandered until she saw the spiders showing her the way to a huge spider web where a woman was sitting, her face covered with a white veil. "Who are you?", the girl asked. "I am the daughter of dreams.", she answered, "I am the youngest." The child smiled. "Can you bring me home?" The woman shook her head. "My dear sweet child, I can't. You mother lost you long ago, don't you remember? You are dead."

The legend has it that all mothers who lose their children are damned to live without a soul, the price for the sisters taking care of the child. And with every year she will lose a bit more of her soul and when the seventh year is over her soul will be decayed.

~oOo~

"You lie.", the woman said next to Melisande's ear when she bent forward. She was so near Melisande could feel her smile. Eva closed her arm around her waist and held her close as they turned together, looking deep into each other's eyes. "Pardon?" The woman laughed lightly. "Don't you think you should stop lying? Let's end this masquerade." They separated and rotated a few times alone, their dresses looked like good and evil, like day and night, like life and death. They bowed to each other and the dance was going to end. Eva stepped forward, grabbing Melisande by the neck and kissed her. Melisande felt the woman's cold lips forming a smile when she suddenly felt a sharp pain down her whole back. And with her gasping for air, the melodie ended.