Tales of Jollieus

Story 4 - The End And Beginning

The loud sound of chatter drowned out the careful jingling of Geranium's bells. One of her hands clutched to the skirt of her dark purple dress, while the other clutched to the shiny bell on her white-pink choker. It was almost an impossible task to be quiet with the bell around her neck, as well as the extra bells draped off of her horns tied to the exact same white-pink cloth as her choker.

It may have been night, eleven almost twelve to be exact, but there was no need for the sun when the blinding chandeliers were perched above upon the ceiling. The tiefling, and in fact the only tiefling in the largely populated room, looked from the sides wishfully to the middle of the hard floor. The song came to an end as the couples parted, but she didn't care about the couples. Keeping her eye wordlessly on one figure and one figure only. Jerking herself awake back to reality, she caught sight of the eyes on her. Questioning glances aimed towards her that sheepishly jumped away. Were they frightened or just confused? Either way, it wouldn't stop anytime in the present.

"Geranium." a familiar voice spoke. The figure she had kept her eyes on was now approaching her, causing even more confused glances and even some of subtle outrage. Quickly, she swivelled herself around into a curtsey.

"King Hortensia." she responded. The king smiled in amusement at his friend.

Offering out his hand, he vocalised his intent. "Care to dance?"

Geranium went silent in processing, then responded "Surely you haven't gone blind, your majesty?" she gestured to her horns.

"I still have at least one working eye left." he laughed.

Taking his hand, she quipped "I've been waiting for you to ask all night."

The two found their place on the ballroom floor. They had gotten used to the stares a long time ago. The music started as all the couples spun to the arrangement of the instruments. The pair smiled at each other, but the end of the dance seemed to come only seconds after it had begun. Oh, how time seemed to betray them.

"What should we do now?"

Taking his hand with a mischievous gleam, Geranium ran into the darkness of the night.

"We sneak off!"

The cold infested itself through their fancy clothes, creating goosebumps along their arms. Alas, neither of them could feel it or would take notice of the visibility of their warm breaths in the cool night air.

"Were you really comfortable dancing with me in front of so many people like that, Hortensia?"

"Yes, I'm the one in charge. It's not your fault you were born."

She smiled at him.

But he continued, "Your mother was exiled for it, so the toll has been paid."

She froze, her stomach sank and insides turned scorching cold.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm telling you that your mother already paid the price."

"My mother was- is a kind woman."

Hortensia looked at her, questioningly. Like the eyes before.

"My mother raised me, Hortensia."

"I know, but-"

"Everybody turned their back on her, Hortensia."

"I know-"

"She was human just like you, Hortensia."

"I-"

"She didn't deserve that, Hortensia!"

"Geranium!" he raised his voice and shouted, halting her. Clear frustration and aggravation laced his voice not so subtly.

"Geranium..." he breathed out before continuing, "You're a bastard child. Your mother was an educated woman so she should have known better than to deal with devils."

But Geranium wasn't listening.

Turned away from him, her face was twisted into a sharp disarray of disgruntled mess as her brow dived deep into a scowl and her teeth bared themselves like a starved, feral dog. Resentment grew, bubbled, exploded quickly inside of her core. fists clenched - violently turning red - compressed around the handle of her dagger. Before she could stop herself she drew it.

The clanging of bells sounded as the clock struck midnight, deafening the two as she slid her blade into his gut.

He dropped to the ground.

"Hortensia. I didn't mean to- oh god!"

She stared into his eye, adrenaline cooling off and wearing her down. Blood dripped down the dagger in her hand and onto the ground wet with red.

His pupil stared at her, engulfed in the darkness of his iris - piercing through into her soul as she had just pierced into his gut.

Geranium wheeched down to his side, clinging to him shakenly as she elevated his head in her hands. "No." she muttered in refusal, incessantly chanting the word over, over and over again until her throat was too sore to persevere. "I didn't mean to- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Not yet, please, I love you."