Beguiled

Part One

Glistening gold filled the palace, every square of the tiled floor shimmering with speckled glitter. From the ornate filigree, to the rich decor, everything was wondrous as Iris entered the gathering hall. Hors d'oeuvre and wine tables decked the expanse, the large room traced with sitting chaises. Music played heavenly from the grand piano. Every aspect was surreal, her affordance to be there was surreal. For her mother to allow her the grace of attending was a miracle. She must have trusted her not to run, nor to reveal herself.

The young woman's eyes grazed the crowd as she moved elegantly to the center, though deterred around the cluster of attendees dancing. Every guest held on their visages a mask of a different colour, some metallic, others matte, some sparkling, and some feathered; each unique, and each equally captivating.

Iris' own flashed silver, catching the light to appear gradient and bright. Her deep velvet dress encircled her, swaying back and forth with her every careful step. She felt inclined to wring her fingers, lifting her hands to lightly touch them together before dropping them back down to her sides. She must be confident, she commanded herself, though her head was filled with worry that, if she spoke, she'd fumble, and be shunned.

She made her way to one of the appetizers, taking a morsel delicately between her fingers and bringing it to her blushed lips, where she bit into it with perfect etiquette, scanning the room once more. And then her gaze was caught and she paused, her eyes rounding in stupor. He wore a crimson mask, detailed with opulent engraving. He stared at her, his jaw firm but his eyes speaking to her.

Despite feeling as though she could not remove her gaze from him, she flushed and turned her back to him, taking the second and last bite of what she now had come to realize was a crab filled puff. Her thoughts ran wild with how she might approach the man, what she might say, whether or not he would approve. Though he wore a mask like all the others, there was something alluring beneath it. Something making her ache to remove it.

She swallowed, working up the courage to turn back around to face him a second time, when she felt someone stepping beside her, close. She didn't have to look to know it was him. She meant to look, but she was frozen, her body traitorous with anxious reluctance. Then she heard his kind voice.

"Would you care to accompany me for a glass?"

Her cheeks turned rose as she finally looked over to him, finding him smiling softly, his eyes shining with predisposed fondness. The corners of her parted lips twitched before she blinked, followed by a nod, her lips closing into a soft smile of her own. A corner of his mouth lifted further and he regarded her a moment more before turning, presumably to lead her. It was then that she wrung her hands as she followed him, nervous for two reasons. One, he was utterly attractive, at least the parts she could see, his demeanor adding to the allure, and two, she had no clue as to what to say.

They stopped at another table, set up with wine and he turned to face her, his ever present smile upon his lips and his brown eyes shining. His hand floated above the table, ready to grab a glass, "Red or white?"

Her gaze fell down to the glasses, her lips parting. Did she dare? It was overwhelmingly tempting. She hadn't yet had the chance to display what she could do, outside of her home. Very slowly, she lowered her hand onto the table, pressing her palm lightly into it. There was a pause before she delicately lifted her fingers, and, yet a moment later, a glass slid smoothly over to her hand, where she pinched the stem between her fingers. He had gotten his answer. White.

Lifting her gaze back up she smiled before lifting the glass of wine into both hands. He didn't look as surprised as she thought he would. Instead, he looked amused, "Now, you will have to tell me how you did that trick."