Huntress [REWRITE] - NaNoWriMo 2023

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The party was in full swing when Lucilia entered. She assumed her parents wanted her to wait and be announced, but she slipped in the back door. Whatever her parents had planned, it was not what she wanted. Even at a dinner party.

She searched the room for a few moments before she found Raymond. Making her way around the room to him in order to avoid everyone, it took her a little longer than she would have liked.

Raymond jumped when he saw her then quickly changed his attitude, "wow you look amazing!"

"Shut up," Lucilia snapped and Raymond's smile fell into a serious look. "Promise me to not to lie again?"

He nodded his head and Lucilia continued, "is this meant to be my engagement party?"

Raymond's face turned white, "yes."

Lucilia frowned, then turned away. It was then when her mother spotted her.

"Daughter! How did you get in here without me noticing?" Her mother was grinning at her as if she was excited to see her, but Lucila could tell she was angry through her eyes. They were wide and wild.

Lucilia made sure to smile back, "I came through the door, like everyone else."

Her mother reached her and put a hand on her arm and started to guide her towards the front of the room, "well, it's time to announce you are here."

Lucilia gave her best confused look, "I thought this was a regular dinner party, why would I have to be announced?"

"You live here dear, its customary." Her mother kept trying to drag her but she held her ground.

"You've never done it before," Lucilia pointed out.

"Well, now you are a woman, so we must."

Lucilia did not like where this was going. Her mothers grip got so strong she knew it would leave bruises so she let herself be led to the front finally. Up on the dais where they would sit to eat. Cato's family was up there with her father.

Her father was frowning, but Cato's family was smiling and happy. Lucilia knew what was about to happen, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Her mother cleared her throat and one of the waiters on the said yelled to get everyone's attention. He presented Lucilia and her mother to the crowd as if she had just walked into the room. Everyone listened and watched with excitement that made Lucilia's stomach turn. Being the center of attention like this was not what she wanted. Ever.

She must have frozen in terror for quite some time, because the next thing that happened to her was Cato picking up her hand and sliding an engagement ring onto it. She stared at him on her left as the crowd clapped and celebrated.

Lucilia was numb. How dare this entire room go against her wishes and everything she said. Did they even care? She looked to her mother, who was beaming with pride, and then to her father who looked like he was tolerating being in this room. She looked back to Cato, he was grinning at her and at his family. Then finally she looked at her circle members, the next generation. Not one of them was clapping or smiling.

At least her team was on her side. She made eye contact with Raymond and he nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. Whatever Lucilia needed to do, he would help.

Lucilia looked back at Cato as he took her hand and led her down the stairs to dance together. Lucilia could not feel herself moving, but she could see it happening as she danced with him. She was taking a back seat in her own mind and watching herself dance with Cato as it was proper, but it was happening to someone else entirely.