𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒 - 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘

"𝐒𝐎 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄. '𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘, 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐖𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃."

Growing up in the background allowed Aurelia to observe. Observe the ways of court life, the drama the betrayal, the secrets.

The power. The dominance.

Aurelia wanted power, the power of a Queen. To walk into a room and command everyone's attention.

She didn't need to hide in the shadows and kissed in hallways like a dirty secret.

She was golden, she was powerful, she was rich and she had influence.

And she relished in that.

Walking into the hall Aurelia turned heads, women whispered behind her back. Even if the mask hid her identity well, Aurelia had given up blending into the shadows. She walked with power, commanded it.

She didn't want to be a helpless anybody anymore, when she was nothing she could do nothing to help others. But now? Now she had the power to do what she enjoyed.

And she enjoyed making men pay.

Living for centuries made her rich, and heiress. With money comes power. And with her engagement to Roland? Together they were a force to be reckoned with.

"There is one of the traders I've been needing to secure a deal with, will you be ok honey?" Roland spoke.

With a pat to his chest for reassurance Aurelie replied "Of course, I hope it goes well."

Her smile had attracted even more men than had been ogling her before.

A smile was a dangerous weapon in the right woman's hands.

It didn't take long for the festivities to enwrapped Aurelia's attention. The music was a mix of songs to dance to, from slow and romantic to fast and jazz-like. The smoke of cigars and the bubbling shots of champagne had become almost nostalgic for Aurelia.

Technologies and advancements came and go, but some things stayed the same. The different groups of men gathered together, their wives in separate groups. Both huddle together spilling gossip from across the globe.

Tomorrow couples would fight and fuck, but tonight appearances needed to be upheld.

It was just like court life, the rumours, the effect of alcohol, the entitlement men felt.

Lines upon lines of musicians sat, playing. More servers rushed across the room, collecting empty glasses. Couples broke off to begin dancing, making sure to keep in step with the latest dance from across the globe.

Image was everything here after all.

With a dress as golden as her rings, Aurelia looked across the room seeing the varying levels of brightness. Unsurprisingly the older businessmen, some who had started businesses that funded their empires on the backs of slaves and at the risk of others proudly stood amongst each other, glowing the weakest, dullest tang of gold, if it could even qualify as gold.

Aurelia took note of their appearances, the masks hindering her ability to correctly identify their faces for later. Some would not survive the month.

Others glowed brighter, the young wives or foolish sons, still untainted by greed.

But Aurelia couldn't say anything, for she did not glow as bright as before, she too had been tainted by greed.

At first, crowds had been too much, too bright no matter the evil beings in the crowd. But over time Aurelia had become used to it, appreciated the ability to judge one's soul. One's level of evil.

Roland was still amongst some traders, his silver costume was recognizable amongst the different glows of gold.

Before she could waltz over and ask to dance a hand was placed on her shoulder. A large hand, two rings cold against the heat radiating from his hand. Silver rings by the lack of power rushing through her body.

"May I have this dance?" A male voice greeted her, so much confidence and self-assurance in his question, like no one had dared to define him. It made Aurelia want to stab something. Preferably the man himself.

But while Ketterdam might not be the best city and more crime accepting than others, unfortunately, it would be rather hard for Aurelia to get away with stabbing someone in a crowded room.

So Aurelia did what she did best, what was expected of a lady. She turned and smiled.

Her smile was a weapon, and right now she needed this dance to be over.

Men liked to think they were different. Better than each other. Resistant to temptation.

But they weren't. Not when Aurelia was concerned, with brown skin that not even the awful weather of Ketterdam could pale and eyes of honey and gold. Long legs, which the split in her dress only extenuated.

But it was always the smile.

The smile when she laughed. When she fucked. When she cried, fake of course but an emotional woman made men uncomfortable. Personally, she thought her best smile was when she killed. When she watched the life drain out of the body. The gilded witch didn't show hesitation.

As she turned around to greet the man she schooled her smile into the default at these events, the right amount of respect and lust that these types of men demanded. They wanted the beautiful women to admire them, to want them. So Aurelia did just that, she played into every one of their desires.

Aurelia's mask veiled most of her eyesight, making her feel particularly vulnerable, but it also made her start her examination of her want to be a dance partner from his head down.

Aurelia was tall, taller than a far majority of men.

He was taller.

Her hair before had been as black as the shadows she used to hide in. Now in the right light, you could see the silvers of gold woven into the brown of her hair.

His hair was thick and trimmed well, although it was once styled neatly strands of hair had fallen from its placement, annoyingly making him look more attractive. There was unfortunately something about a dishevelled man that Aurelia loved. But it was the colour that interested her the most or lack thereof. It seemed so dark that light simply ceased to exist around it.

His mask was as black as his hair, and simple in nature, and did nothing to hide his handsomeness. His eyes were dark, Aurelia had only met a few people with that shade of colour in her time. One of them was him.

His nose was next, again, it foolishly reminded her of him. It's just that once a fellow knight at drunk too much and had begun to come onto Aurelia. Sir Barnes had quickly stepped in by throwing a punch which cause the drunk knight to smash a tray that was laying on a nearby table right into Sir Barnes's nose.

Aurelia had spent so many afternoons dodging work to lay and trace that nose. To memories each bump and freckle.

Her heart started to beat faster and her head was beginning to throb.

His lips were full and the exact same shape and size as those that she had spent hours on. That had kissed and whispered sweet nothings to. Who had told countless 'I love you'.

By the time that Aurelia had finished looking at this man up and down, one who simply thought that she was taking time to appreciate him. Who thought that she was attracted to him.

Aurelia was brimming with rage. Her head through a million thoughts.

How was he still alive?

Is he like me?

Murder was not acceptable in a room full of people, unfortunately.

Fourtanely stopping down with the heel of her shoes and then kneeing him hard in the balls was. And Aurelia was the richest heiress in Kerch, no one was going to stop her walking out of a room, not even after it went silent at her assault.