The ballroom was crowded with a host of swarming people that seemed to dance in formation as if it were a battleground. The famed musicians were playing melodies that seemed to liven up everyone's spirits and kept the people dancing and twirling.
The halls were crowded with people in dresses and coats and masks. All clothing that suited the occasion, it was a masquerade.
Lilliana was led by her brother and Vivianne who was his childhood friend on the occasion and the two couldn't stop talking and made it impossible for Lilliana to not fall asleep on foot so she rerouted as soon as the two busied themselves once again in only 'friendly' talking and giggling that seemed liked flirting.
She turned away from the tooth rotting fluff of their talking she seemed to sigh in relief as she now had no urge to throw up at their giggling. She took a few turns and reached to the entrance of the decorated ballroom. She stood there to look at herself in the mirror highly conscious of herself.
She was in a gown of lavish blood red, with a plunging neckline that seemed possible to ignore. The skirt of the gown had many strips of darker red pleated fabric sewn on. The frills were the petals of a rose. The sleeves ended short and her hands were adorned in red gloves that started from her elbow. The ensemble made her look like a blooming rose.
Her hair had been braided half and tied into a bun and secured with a comb and the rest of her hair fell in curls. There had been beads strung into her hair and it suited the dress beautifully.
Her face though had been covered by the mask she was wearing but the bronze dust on her eyes was noticeable and set the red off perfectly making it shine and shimmer. And her lips had been coated in red. Perfectly matching.
She set one of her curls in place and adjusted her red mask and took a deep breath before turning and entering the room. Who was who she had no idea so it was fair to say she looked confused. She moved among the crown towards the tables where bottles of liquor, whiskey and wine sat.
She was pouring herself a glass, when a stranger approached her. She turned to look at them, her glass of wine in hand.
The male rose an eyebrow at the color scheme.
As coincidentally it almost matched his.
The male was dressed in white shirt that had the first two buttons unfastened. With a burnt orange (more to the red side) jacket over it and the same colored straight pants with shoes underneath. In the pocket of his jacket sat a white Lily. The male's auburn hair were messy.
And the mask made his amber eyes look golden.
"Surprising." She said
"Of course."
"You sound familiar." She said narrowing her eyes
A smile formed on his lips at that.
"You may have heard it in your dreams." He said grinning like an idiot
She laughed. It sounded joyful. Crisp and happy.
When she looked at him he looked so shocked.
"Your laugh is beautiful." He breathed
"Thank..you." She said
Her heart raced.
"May I have a dance?" He said extending his hand forward and sketching a bow.
A smile bloomed on her lips.
She just placed her hand in his and nodded.
He pulled her to the floor, placing her hand on his shoulder and then placing his own at her waist, and then the dance began according to the melody.
"I'm not much of a dancer, my teacher said I was an ugly duck quacking and waddling among a group of beautiful dancing swans." She said
"You dance beautifully."
"I-
"Every part of you is beautiful." He said
"You don't know that." She said even as her cheeks reddened
"I don't need to see it to know it." He said smiling.
"Flirt." She murmured
His smile widened.
"You know you're sharp." He said
"Excuse me? I'm a petite rose." She said
"You're the whole bush of roses blooming at once, shaking and yet so earthly."
She smiled.
He twirled her and spun her thrice.
"So you flirt with every dancer?" She raised her eyebrows
"No, not every single one."
"Oh so was there something special here?" She was grinning
"Everything is." He smiled
"Charming." Her cheeks were aflame.
Then as the tune of the song moved from from fast to slow, he spun her dramatically.
"Where are you from?" She asked
"Does it matter?"
"It does."
"Why?"
"I need to know where this fine male originated from."
"For research purposes." She added
"Oh really?" He swept her down and then pulled her back.
Lilliana caught Kallias's teasing stare.
She was in for so much later.
"Of course." She grinned wildly
"I don't know Lil- miss." He said
Her brows furrowed.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing." He said quickly
She nodded slowly.
"You're from here?" He asked
"Uh yes."
He nodded.
"What about you?"
"I-
"Red hair?"
She had seen these auburn hair before, messy in the same way, soft and curly. The face seemed familiar too, the same face cut and jaw, she had seen it somewhere. And the voice was too familiar.
"Autumn court?" She asked in a shaky breath
"Maybe." He said with a sly smile.
"Honestly?"
"I don't think you'd like my honesty, little rose."
"Och." She said
"What?"
"Little rose?" She narrowed her eyes
"Oh so that's the only thing you caught to be ask-worthy?"
She laughed.
"No I need the honesty."
"From what I've heard, honesty is found near fir trees." there was once again a clever smile coiling at his mouth.
"Oh really? Is that an invite to the garden?"
"Yeah." He breathed.
Then she pulled him outside the hall, outside the corridor, outside the wing, outside the palace. They ended up in the garden on a bench.
"Now?" She asked gesturing to the garden.
"Nothing." He hummed
"So you had me bring you out for nothing."
"Not exactly."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You won't mind if I..
He trailed off as his hands sat at the ribbons of the red mask.
She knew exactly what he intended.
"You want to take it off?"
He nodded.
"You take yours, I take mine so its fair."
"I'm not a particular fan of that suggestion."
"Why?"
"I suppose you would not want to see my truth."
"Why is that?"
"I might be a ogre."
"You are fae." She said
He sounded nervous.
She inched closer,
"You're hiding something." She said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
He looked around as if he was truly hiding something.
"Come on-
She was cut off as he inched very close. His breath fanning her cheek. He bent down to kiss her cheek. softly. Before-
"Goodbye little rose."
And then he vanished into thin air. His mask in her hands. With a white petal that had something inked on it. She looked closely and found her name in his writing.
She knew that writing. She knew that voice. She knew those eyes, that face. She definitely knew it. She knew the person. She knew that fae.
"Rose, right?" He asked
"It's Lilliana." She muttered
"Of course." He said clicking his tongue.
"So, aside from taking my breath away, what do you do?" He asked
She looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"what do you want?" She asked sighing.
"You know what?" he said a smile forming on his lips
"What?"
"If you let me borrow a kiss, I promise I'll give it right back." He said
She remembered it all too well.