Clang clang clang. The bell struck twelve times. Sylvia was fiddling with her sleeves as she swept her view across the ballroom. The guests were loud and jovial, and perhaps the music more so. Her shoulders relaxed as she sighed. No visible threat at the moment.
Carefully, she walked the length of the room. Even if her thoughts were principally on safety, she thought of Hortensia and Geranium who were most likely having a good time. "Speaking of, where are they?" she pondered wordlessly. She approached the curtains concealing a balcony, where she was sure she spied them slipping off to. Poking her hand through then gently pulling it open, her hand instinctively grabbed for her sword at her hip. The floor was marked with fresh red as a metallic scent infested her senses. The column of light from the hall shone upon an unmoving figure. Sylvia felt a jolt of fear up her spine.
How could this have happened on her watch? Especially to the king.
She rushed towards the corpse, pointing her sword at the scuttling in the darkest corner of the balcony. Her eyes adjusted, as her breath, which was visible in the cold night air, halted, recognising the figure jamming itself into the point where the two walls met. "Geranium, what happened?" she cried out. However, the tiefling said nothing and stared as she heaved, her chest rising and falling quickly as a mouse trapped in a lion pride. "What happened?" she asked again, softer as the grip on her sword loosened. Still, no response.
Gazing at the body, then back at Geranium. She made a step forward, freezing Geranium's breathing, then another step forward. "What happened?" she dropped her sword, it falling to the ground with a loud clang, as her eyebrows furrowed into sincerity. Her eyes scanned her, before stopping on the red stains on her dress and then at the dagger she clung onto.
"Geranium." she spoke, wavering with betrayal as if you could hear her heart shattering into millions of miniscule pieces. "Just go." she sighed, head falling to look upon the hard, bitter ground. Geranium scuttled over to the edge of the balcony and slinked down it silently.
YOU ARE READING
Tales of Jollieus
Viễn tưởngShort stories in my DnD character's backstory Her alias is Jollieus the Jolly and her real name is Geranium Rosamus. She is a purple teifling bard who was the jester of a human kingdom's court. She is the bastard of a devil and a human, meaning she...
