𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 [discontinued]

one. masquerade

Green. That was all my eyes could see when I woke up. That was strange, I woke up in a forest. The green leaves and shrubbery blocked my view as I laid on the dark brown trunks of the great big trees. Where the tell was I? I was not back at home in Texas. It's too green for Texas. I look around and see nothing but green. Damn, what the hell. I get up and I hear music being played loudly somewhere close so I followed it.

The loud music came from a large mansion. It has marble columns and everything. I walked up to the entrance of the mansion, maybe I could ask the master of the manor where I was. I look at the many men and women walking inside, they all branded some sort of animalistic mask. I noticed I wore one too, a fox mask but I don't remember putting it on.

I walked inside, butlers and servants ran past me holding an array of food and drinks. I walked backwards and accidentally bump into a man with dark umber eyes, short white messy locks and wore a deer-like half mask and very flattering blue tuxedo and black button up. His aura was nothing like the others around us, he was so much more powerful and it was as though he was choking me without even touching me, I shivered at that thought of it.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you alright, sir," I apologised profusely at the man in front of me, I felt so stupid for bumping into him like that. He could probably snap my neck in two seconds if he wanted to.

"No, I'm sorry. I was the one that wasn't paying attention," he apologised back, smiling awkwardly, "I have no clue what I'm doing."

"Same. To be honest, I don't know where I am. I got lost in the woods. I was going to ask the master of the house where I was," I confess to the man. He is so scary.

"Oh, I see. Do you at least know your name? Surely you would know that, right," he asks me.

I smile politely as I answer, "[Y/N]. My name is [Y/N] [L/N]."

He stared at me in shock for a moment, opening and closing his mouth to try and find the right words to say but then a maid started to rush up to me and the man. Her fragile body nearly tripping over the carpet, "My lady, my lady!I've been looking all over for you! Your father is not pleased about your disappearance. You have to get ready, come with me!"

She takes me by the hand and whisks me away to a large room filled with various beauty products and clothes. I internally roll my eyes, every girls dream. I do have to say the interior is beautiful.

"Wear this," the maid states as she throws me a [f/c] dress with [f/c/a], "Quickly undress so I can lace you up." 

I quickly do so and undress from my wrinkled dark blue dress to get into the purple one. Once I finish that, the maid gets me laced up making it bone crushingly tight. I put on my fox mask and open my mouth to ask the maid, "Why are we having a masquerade?"

She freezes and stares at me with a concerned look on her face, "My lady? How- how do you not remember?"

"I-i don't know," I stutter out, "I woke up in the forest and I just- where am I?"

"My lady, I am Kayla, or Kae. You can call me whatever you'd like. I am your personal handmaiden and I have known you since we were kids. Your father, Master [L/N], is a very rich lord in the kingdom of Rivendell. Today he is holding a masquerade in your honour since it's your eighteenth birthday," she informs me while she brushes the knots out of my hair, "Now that you are legally allowed to marry. Your father has invited all of the eligible bachelors to attend and compete for your hand."

"Compete," I ask her with a confused look on my face, "Am I just some object that my father can auction off to the highest bidding man?"

"It is your duty, my lady. We as women do not have the liberty to do as we please like the men," she explains, putting on light makeup on my face, "Our lives are chosen for us from birth. I mean, marrying a wealthy young man wouldn't be the worst thing to happen. He could support you financially. It's not like you have to talk to him. It's very common for husbands and wives to not sleep in the same room these days."

I sigh in discontent, "I don't want to be won like a prize, Kae. I want to be loved for being human, for being me. Is all I want too much to ask? Are my expectations far too high?"

"I whole fully agree with you, my lady but if only we had that choice," she sadly says. I don't argue with her, she is right in her own way. These people are not like the people in twenty-twenty-one. I look at Kae as she finished me up, "You are ready my lady."

I walk out of the room and follow Kae as she heads to the grand stair. I look out to the sea of people below me. I was totally not in my world anymore. I breathe in an out as I mutter out, 

"Okay, let's do this."