Bride of Adron | ✓

Chapter 1 - The Dinner Party

A young girl of fifteen, slightly more, sat tensely at a large, fancy wooden table. There were bright, blinding lights around her, flashing the room in colours as the chatter of adults filled the space. Their words weaved into her ears as they paid meaningless compliments to gain her attention.

She ignored them, instead tilting her head down as she carved her gaze into the table below her, imagining it crumble and burn along with everything else in the room. Her long, black hair cascaded past her shoulders, tickling her cheeks and jaw. She was alone at this wretched party, for her parents were elsewhere cozying themselves up to another high-status person, and her younger sister was left at home to her own devices.

She presumed she was the youngest person present at the dinner party, as everyone else must've been at least over 20.

"Noelle, your dress looks stunning today. Do you know where your parents are? I would like to talk with them."

The girl, Noelle Park, glanced up at the man talking to her. He was short and squat, with a bushy moustache that resembled a hairy caterpillar and big, watery eyes. He was dressed in a smart grey suit, a red tie and a snow-white handkerchief tucked neatly into his pocket. His entire demeanour reeked of wealth and power.

"No." Noelle wrinkled her nose, looking at the man for only a second before averting her gaze back to the rest of the room. She'd rather not look at him; he reminded her too much of her own father.

The man's too-wide smile faltered for only a jiffy when he thought she couldn't see, but he fixed it right back on just as quickly.

"Well, could you point me in the direction in which they may be?" he asked politely.

"I would, but I don't know. I'm sorry," Noelle said hurriedly and excused herself. "I must use the bathroom, have a good night, sir."

She left him behind, pushing herself through the hoard of people in the room. Despite its size, there were a great number of families present at the dinner party. She watched each of her steps to make sure she didn't accidentally trod on the new dress of this lady or barge and spill the drink on the suit of that gentleman.

All the time, she looked around to spot the familiar face she was looking for. The only reason why she ever agreed to attend the party. She should be arriving at any moment, one of the last to show up before the feast begins.

When she spotted her, Noelle's heart seized in relief. Her tanned face stood out among the countless grey shapes surrounding her.

"Noelle!" the girl called and threaded her way throughout the room like an expert as her short brown hair bounced behind her.

Her name was Zuzanna Winter, Noelle's longest friend. They'd met years ago, too long for Noelle to count, and had been stuck at the hip since. Devoted to one another, they pledged to be best friends forever. It was a naïve childhood fantasy, part of Noelle argued, but friends do not leave you, not in your darkest days.

"Let's get out of here," Zuzanna breathed in her ear, an angel, a beacon, a light. Her hero saved her from this awful place and got her away from those people.

"Gardens?" Noelle suggested. The door was closed, no one would know.

She threaded her fingers through the gaps in Zuzanna's hand and led her to the rosy gardens just outside. They slipped through the door, unheard, and ducked under the windowsill so as to not be spotted by a guest astray.

Then did Noelle realise she still held Zuzanna's hand, and she let go as if burned by fire. Zuzanna didn't react if she noticed.

The path below them was carefully engraved in the soil, with tidy flowers dotted in a straight line. Aloe vera was planted in the soil, an unusual sight. The garden adorned so many breathtaking species of plants; roses, colours of pink, yellow and red; tulips, planted at the far fence and lining the path they walked, petunias, in the multiple flowerbeds; yellow acacias hanging from pots; vines, growing on the walls like a raging and uncontrolled fire; it was a beautiful sight indeed, and Noelle felt like she was blessed by God to be in this garden of Eden accompanied by the presence of Zuzanna to her right.