Finding Heathcliff

Three

The flickering light of hundreds of candles, multiplied into infinity by their trembling reflections cast by the countless mirrors lining the walls of the large room, washed over the young couple as they entered, dispersing Astrid's dark thoughts momentarily.

The music that had been playing quietly paused even as Orion led her through the multitude of guests already gathered in the Mirror Room, greeting the royal couple politely as they passed by. Some stood in chattering clusters dispersed throughout the chamber, others in flirting couples, a few on their own by the tall mirrors, adjusting their dazzling clothes and magnificent hairdos.

As usual, the musicians had been waiting for Astrid to arrive, and now the ball would start. She could picture the men and their instruments, sitting in the long gallery above the room, exchanging signs and preparing to play for the dancers, without looking at them. They never waited for her uncle; such were their orders. The Black Night Ball was happening far too often to be considered a formal event requiring the regent's presence. Uncle Arcturus would probably appear later at some point, his arm around his sorceress' waist...

Astrid never liked Deimos. The otherworldly sorceress scared her. She envied Orion, who didn't believe in anything he could not see and touch. He considered the beautiful sorceress, who never performed any magic publicly, a harmless impostor. Maybe Astrid would think her that too, if she herself didn't set paper on fire out of anger sometimes, divined people's thoughts and feelings occasionally, or saw men, well, just one man, no one else seemed to notice.

What would Orion do when he found out about her magic? Would he tell her uncle? And what would the regent do about it, what would Deimos...?

The princess frowned again as she felt her dark thoughts creep back into the forefront of her mind, soliciting a look full of questions from Orion. He led her into the middle of the room, positioned his hands correctly on her hips, and with a slight nod towards the gallery, gave the sign to the musicians to start playing.

Forcing her lips into a smile, Astrid shook her head to disperse his worries. She didn't want to answer his questions tonight; she was in the mood to ask. And she had precisely two songs to do so, before, according to the court custom, Orion would have to relinquish his fiancée to the other men present.

"This time next year you'll have turned sixteen and we'll be about to get married, my lady," Orion whispered over the music when the complicated steps of the dance permitted him to get close enough to Astrid, his arms encasing her in a brief, tight embrace for a heartbeat.

Astrid had known forever that she would once marry this handsome, caring, brilliant young man. She had known it for so long that the thought of becoming her... best friend's wife had become... boring at some point. How he still found it exciting was beyond her. Right now, she was more interested in the trial that she would have to go through before the wedding.

Despite herself, she smiled at him. Orion deserved only the best she could give him. He was a dear friend, a pleasant companion, an understanding confessor and advisor, someone who had always been there for her... And yet he had never sent her heart racing; he had never taken her breath away...

Astrid closed her eyes briefly, trying to banish that nagging thought. But she knew she wouldn't stop thinking about it unless she asked.

"Orion, what if love exists, only it doesn't happen often, not to everyone?" she whispered in his ear this time.

Even though disappointing, his answer did not surprise her. It was as if Arabella spoke through her fiancé's mouth when he replied after he stopped laughing, "Have you been reading old novels again? Love doesn't exist, Astrid. Those books are nonsense. If they weren't so valuable, your uncle would have burned them long ago."

Astrid was relieved when the steps and figures they had to execute made it impossible to speak for a while, but his lips were at her ear too soon again. "Have you finished reading the history book assigned for this week? History is what you should concentrate on. Geography, science..."

The song finished just then, and Orion had to stop talking, bow to her silently, and then take her by the hand, making her twirl around as the new dance began.

"I understand. Don't speak." Astrid warned him before he could open his mouth as they stood face to face for an instant, his hands on her hips, hers on his arms. He nodded, lifting her and setting her back down on her feet gently, their moves mirrored by tens of other dancing couples and their own countless reflections.

Astrid felt, and she saw her face finally relaxing into a smile as she watched the ballroom in the mirrors; it really was rather beautiful. She let Orion kiss her when the song was over, watched him walk away, and accepted her next dancer politely.

The princess was quite happy until the rare scent of various flowers her uncle's guests wore as perfume was obliterated by an even rarer smell. Burning incense.

Even without seeing him, Astrid knew that he was there inside the ballroom, the stranger from the library. Her heart skipped a beat and then started to race as she tried to spot him in the mirrors, resisting the urge to press her hands to her burning cheeks. Where... who was he?

Soon, she found his reflection in the mirror behind her and multiplied in several others, making it impossible for her to guess immediately where he really stood.

But he was spellbinding as always, his straight platinum hair looking as golden as her curls under the light of so many candles. As the music slowed, she finally realised that he stood at the far end of the ballroom and... held an arrow aimed at her back. In the mirror, she saw him, almost heard him take a deep breath as he pulled the bowstring taut and prepared to let the arrow fly to land in her heart. She was sure that he wouldn't miss despite the crowded ballroom.

Why did no one look at him, not even now that he was about to kill her? Where were her uncle's guards? Why didn't they stop him? Was this all a game, one of her uncle's or Deimos' ideas to make the ball more exciting, a way to distract the guests from the boredom of the too-often balls they could not avoid?

Whatever it was supposed to mean, Astrid knew that despite the crowd of dancers, she was alone in this one moment in time. No one would stop the mysterious man, not fast enough. She spun towards him and winked because she didn't know what else to do.

He stiffened for a few heartbeats, his eyes fixed on hers, winter sea flooding summer sky. Then he let the bow and arrow drop to his side and dashed out of the room.

The music stopped even as he vanished beyond the massive wooden door that had not opened to let him out.