Tales from The Castle (Short Stories)

A Thousand Times Before - Pride Short (KITS)

Ara could never give her the chance.

There were certain secrets one did not tell anyone, no matter how the universe said they should trust them.

Five years on and that had not changed.

Though a few months ago Marie-Fey had snapped to, like she had woken from a dream, and Ara couldn't quite figure out what had changed about her.

Something had... shifted.

She was still the Marie-Fey she'd known.

But she also... just wasn't.

It was like she had hardened overnight. Suffered something that had brought her to breaking point and back again.

Not to mention she had started slipping up and calling her Maanah every now and then and the same sent a weird spark through Ara that she didn't care for.

"What are you frowning at?" Marie-Fey asked and Ara smiled at her.

"Nothing," she said as the carriage rolled to a stop and they climbed out at a perfect time. Not too early that there would be no one to socialise with. Not too late that it would be rude. Though, Ara had discovered after so many years of attending parties with the Leighs that it didn't matter when they turned up, they were always treated like the guests of honour.

She and Marie-Fey made their way up the grand steps, greeting the hosts, making the rounds to catch friends, getting stopped by young male acquaintances who wanted spots on their dance cards.

Ara accepted those who asked her, as she always did, though she still did not enjoy dancing. Her parents weren't attending the ball that evening though, which was a relief. There would be no talk of finding a suitable partner. She was getting old, she knew that. But she just couldn't bring herself to face that future, the idea was too painful.

She wasn't sure how long she could hold off though. Reasonably at least. It was not as if she had a reason to avoid the subject forever. All her friends were married or marrying and asking about her marriage. Except Marie-Fey but a Leigh Lady didn't count because someone would always want to marry them. She didn't ask about Ara marrying either.

Sometimes she felt Marie-Fey knew more of Ara's secrets than she let on. The idea sent a chill up her spine. Because she trusted Marie-Fey greatly, but to have that secret out there, somehow out of her control, it terrified her.

But she could never entirely tell.

Especially after Marie-Fey strange shift.

"You are away with the fairies tonight, what is it?"

Marie-Fey's voice knocked her back to the moment and she smiled.

"Nothing," she said.

Marie-Fey shot her a look that said she didn't believe her but carried on, sweeping away with her first dance partner, leaving Ara to go take up her position, smiling at the man opposite her.

Marie-Fey assured her often that she was an excellent dancer, but she never felt comfortable. She was taller than most of the other ladies and it made her feel gangly in a way that she didn't feel when just walking.

The dance was easy enough though, thankfully.

Easy that it allowed her mind and eyes to wander, admiring how the sunny yellow gown hugged Miss Leeya's figure beside her. It had to be new, she hadn't seen that gown before, and it was too flattering to not have had an outing before this.

The same could be said for Miss Renyolds peach gown. Though that had a different goal in mind clearly, considering how low cut the neck was, and how her corset pushed her bust up in a way that was impossible to ignore. She was out to get a husband this season. Ara almost pitied the man she was partnered with – as he tried to keep his eyes up the entire dance.