Burntout

Revealed at Midnight

???

"They call me a hero but I'm not- I'm not capable of doing good." Her last words echoed in my head as I watched her descend the stairs, a floating cloud of yellow. Her mask covered her features but I knew it was her, the way she walked and the light steps, like a plotting panther. Not a panther, I corrected myself, she referred to herself as a snake, tempting but slippery. Luring men as a game but slipping out of their grip. She hadn't pulled the trick of flirting with a knife with me before she had disappeared. Instead, she had urged me into going on walks with her in the garden and clumsy waltzing in the dusty ballroom, ignoring the faint bloodstain on the west side.

The woman she was linking arms with stumbled slightly, pulling her down a step and causing her yellow dress to trip her even more. The other person laughed and pulled her back up. Their pink and yellow dresses mixed as they helped each other down the rest of the steps. As they passed a decoration of flowers near the banister, she reached out and plucked a flower from it, and tucked it behind her ear. Laughing together, they went onto the dance floor, dresses floating around each other as men gained them as partners. Theodore, of course, it was him, who got her but soon enough I would be the one with her in my arms.

Everybody was dancing but I kept my gaze on her. I waited 4 years for this day, I could wait just a few more minutes.

Andromeda Claire Holloway

Theodore grasped my hand as we waltzed through the ballroom. I knew it was him but I didn't think he knew it was me, after all, Cassie had done wonders on my hair and face. The mask also covered my facial features so I didn't expect him to have any clue except for the color of my eyes. But it was unlike any male to remember a female's eye color so I didn't suspect anything.

His dancing was stiff, his arm feeling awkward on my waist. Still, I swirled to the rhythm of the instrumental music that was playing. I hadn't danced in years, much less a waltz, but my feet seemed to remember each motion, not tripping over themselves. An odd feeling as I had expected two left feet but I didn't want to overthink it and ruin it.

I could feel eyes watching me but every time I looked past Theodore I didn't see anyone watching me. The other couples on the dance floor made it impossible to decipher who was who. Too many women in pinks and blues, purples and yellows, I couldn't see Cassie.

"You're a wonderful dancer," Theodore said, breaking me out of my thoughts, "I'll figure out who you are at midnight."

This man expected me to marry him but it seemed like he had a wandering eye. A sudden idea struck me, I could get information out of him about his notions of marrying me. If he didn't know it was me, he would most likely slip into some sweet talk and tell, "You shouldn't flirt like that, a married man like you." A quick drop of assumption and maybe he would react to it, possibly correct and heed way for me to ask.

"I'm not married, not yet at least."

He looked unsettled now so, feigning innocence, I apologized, "So sorry, sir. Who's the lucky bride?"

"Andromeda, Andromeda Holloway. She's somewhere here but at midnight, when we all remove our masks, I'll propose to her."

I had a feeling the only reason he wanted to hold a ball was for this very reason, to have a gateway and excuse to publicly embarrass me into accepting his hand in marriage. Clearing my throat, I questioned, "What happens if she declines."

"She won't be able to back out. I'm re-proposing to her as we were already engaged before she disappeared. This is simply a quick re-sealing over the inevitable," he quickly pulled us away from bumping into another couple, "fact that she has to end up with me. We were meant for each other, there's no way around it."

He sounded so sure of it, that I felt bad for him for a second. But then I remembered- he's trying to force me to marry him over a stupid decision I probably didn't want to make 4 years ago. I noticed a tinge of jealousy in his voice and I had a feeling it may come from something after the proposal in the woods, the missing memories I was keenly aware of now. The music was slowly coming to a stop now so using the time I had left I gave him a last piece of advice, "You may want to fill her in on why you are jealous. Trust is a key part."

I broke free from his grip, leaving him stunned, and glided back over to the staircase. Not wanting to dance anymore and instead too filled with my thoughts, I mused and watched the scene of people in front of me. All were poised elegantly, almost like posing to get captured by a painter at any moment.

*

*

*

"Would you care for a dance, my lady?" a voice asked, waking me from the light sleep I had been taking on the steps. I looked up at a man, dressed in dark blue with a silver mask. He was offering me his hand and I couldn't decide if I wanted to or not. I had declined the three previous offers from other men. Cassie had come by a while back and had told me to accept at least one more dance before the evening was over. I hadn't told her what I had learned from Theodore or that I had been playing on leaving the ball.

Sighing, and against my better judgment, I took his hand as a new melody began playing. He had wavy dark-brown hair, like the brunette version of Theodore. A few inches taller than me, I had to look up to look him in the eye. They winked mischievously, and I winced at the same elfish facial similarities that he seemed to share with Theodore. I scolded myself for thinking of him again just as the stranger asked, "Do I know you?"

I tripped on my feet at his sudden words, either because of the flashback it gave me or the sudden pang of a headache I got. He chuckled and caught me, "I have all of the girls falling for me, don't I?"

I scowled, "I've only met you and I don't know why but, I think-"

"I'm the most handsome person you've ever met, why thank you."

"That you're ego is mildly stretched. Hopefully, I don't break it like I did the king's."

The stranger faltered, "You know the king? Who are you?"

I laughed over the swoop of the music, "That'll be revealed at midnight."

He laughed, "What if I take off your mask?"

"Wouldn't that be considered rude, 'Prince' Charming?"

"No, not unless you give me permission to remove it-" he paused, his eyes fixing on mine cockishly, "Or maybe some other things as well."

We bantered back and forth, bordering on flirtatious but not crossing it, all while keeping in time on the dance floor. As the music was coming to a stop once again, he leaned in and muttered, "I heard there's an assassin in our midst."

Pausing, I looked up at him and said dangerously soft, "Who would that be?"

"Only the one who brings a dagger to a masquerade ball."

Then the arrows came flying.

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A/N:

2 chapters written in two days! And the new POV like promised... so who is this new character and does he have any ties to the king? How does he know Andromeda because it seems like they have some history? That cliffhanger at the end though...

Special thanks to my IRL friends who celebrated every victory and ranking this story got. Sending my love to y'all and I'll see you when school starts again. Glad you're Draco Malfoy obsession is over and I can stop writing that canonhead for you, C! (No, I don't mean headcanon. Canonhead is an inside joke we have :) )

-Rae