You could tell there was something off about the two of them. Rivals and enemies, always getting on each other's nerves...But there was something between the pair that was undeniably similar to a common notion. Was it mutual attraction or unrequited...
The preparations for the big day concerning the Countess seem to require more work than ever. The ballroom had not seen the light of the day since a fairly long time. The walls and ceilings were sealed with cobwebs and the floor was carpeted with dust. One must think, as careful as the Countess of the Castle was, she would not ignore such a celebratory corner of her abode, surely it must have been the memories surrounding it which made it all the more difficult for her to even set foot in the room again. This time, it called for more courage than ever, as the celebration was insisted by her closed ones, a request she couldn't refuse. Prior to the current scenario, Elena had tried to convince Alcina for the ballroom's reopening but had failed each time. It was finally the moment when Lady Dimitrescu would set foot in the ballroom for the first time in years, it was much cleaner now; scrubbed and washed, restored to it's previous glorious state.
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Alcina looked around....her eyes misted over, she walked the room, touching the walls...reminiscing the past. Each step initiated a series of flashbacks in her mind; the magic of the music, indistinct whispers in the crowd, tinkling of glasses, laughter of her parents and...a silhouette she so adored, making his way towards her. The sudden rushing in of the girls inside the room intervened Alcina's thoughts, her eyes widened in surprise. 'Are you alright, Lady dimitrescu?' asked Bela, the sensible one of them all, who gestured the girls to be quiet, noticing the look of desolation in the lady's eyes. 'Why yes i am,' she moved closer to the girls and smiled, 'Are you done writing the invites?' 'Yes, we have written all the names of the guests you mentioned, is Lady Donna coming for the dress fittings?'
'Yes she is on her way. Thanks to you girls for introducing this blessing, the new technology installed in the village has helped us a lot in maintaining contact much faster than before.'
'It's all Lord Karl, he engineered everything around, we didn't expect him to do it so quickly! he's really a master at his art.'
Alcina smiled, adjusting her mind to the present she had forgotten while thinking about the past.
Donna had arrived near the evening with some dresses she had designed for Alcina and the girls. The girls opted for a palette of primary colors; Bela chose red with a ruffled neckline, a yellow mermaid, form fitted gown for Cassandra and Daniela got a beautiful tea length green dress. All of the gowns looked as they were made for the girls, each of them tried on their dress and immediately fell in love. Satisfied with their dress fittings, the girls bowed to the ladies in front of them then left the room, discussing about their hairstyles and accessories to choose for the birthday event. Donna had designed a gorgeous silk floral princess-line gown for Alcina paired with a hat, embellished with florals that perfectly complimented the dress. A pair of white lace gloves added a delicate touch for the Lady.
After thanking Donna for her service, Alcina had returned to her chambers. She sat on her vanity chair, looking at herself in the mirror with an empty stare. The part of the past she had hid for so long in the depths of her heart had been unearthed in a mere moment. She suddenly felt like her walls were tumbling down and this time, the barrier was broken. The world surrounding her, had turned into a fog. In this vulnerability, she suppressed for so long, she didn't know where to find courage. She opened her vanity drawer and opened up a letter addressed to her, written by her mother when she was sick to give courage and hope to a young Alcina, who was dealing with the loss of her father at the time.
Even as a child, you weren't like other girls Others chose wars, while you chose doves Fragile as a flower, your mind made of steel Gentle at heart, eloquent in your speech Peace in your mind, no matter how hard the times You always wore a smile, a perfect disguise Don't ever let your shine disappear, Trust your heart and in yourself my dear
With the letter ending, her face contorted and she shook her head and wept. She wished she was as strong as her mother had decribed her but it seemed as if the emotional turmoil had got the best of her strength, weakening her, gradually reminding her the nights she spent in loneliness.
Karl had joined forces with the girls, helping them with what ever was needed to make the event memorable for Lady Dimitrescu. After he was done, he inquired about Alcina's whereabouts and headed to her chambers. He was about to knock the door but to his surprise, it was already half open. Walking inside he saw the Lady sleeping on the couch near the dimmed fireplace, a letter in her hand gripped firmly. Judging by the cold, he thought it better to first light up the fireplace but in doing so he unawarely woke Alcina up. She observed him as he moved around, setting up the bed for her. 'Karl', the lord startled at her voice, turned around and ran across to come closer. 'Are you okay Alcina? you didn't seem well.. And i had to talk to you about something else too..' Alcina sat straight, facing the fireplace, took another look at the letter, ' I am completely fine apart from the fact that i have feelings too and that i should have the freedom to express such behavior, i hope you deem that normal'. He looked at with concern as her eyes widened and rimmed with tears. He sat down on the carpeted floor and grabbed her hand to lead her towards the bed. 'If you can trust me with it, never hesitate to share anything with me in the future, you'll surely find me present for you in the good and bad times. I can see your mind is fixated on something that is slowly consuming you.' Alcina sighed deeply and miserably, knowing there was no cure to the sickness she felt. If only there was a way to turn back time to relive it all, a segment of wishful thinking only in the time of weakness, she mused.
'Karl, I do appreciate your concern...', Alcina's eyelids felt heavy, a yawn escaped her, exhausted from all the mental pressures, she curled up on the bed and went soundly to sleep. Karl left the room, his heart heavy from the burden of an unrequited love. The day ended gloomily, neither one of them was ready to make peace with their wars within the heart.
As Alcina lay on her bed, she dreamt of a man she loved so dearly and in the sound sleep, memories of her past, her lips whispered a name.......'Alastair'.
Author's note:
Hello guys! sorry for the delay, i know this is a relatively short part of chapter three, chapter four will be a bit longer in content too so it'll make up for this discrepancy.
