Royal Masquerade

Chapter 30

Astrea was still fuming over the morning’s incident during tea-time. She was left to haunt the house as everyone around her seems to be busy attending their own things. Narcissus had belatedly informed her over a phone call that he’ll be back late, as he need to go to office to settle a few documents. Zephyr was no where in sight, and she was still sulking as she paced around in the garden restlessly, waiting for Narcissus to come back so that she could complain to him about Zachary again. She felt like things are getting out of hand. The man simply have no respect towards her privacy and what’s worst, the man is also crude and not to mention intolerable.

Astrea sighed and looked at the long forgotten book in her hand that she had borrowed from Narcissus’s study. the book was interesting, and she had planned to finish reading it today, but concentration is one thing that’s not granted to her today. She kept thinking about her little encounter with ‘Zachary’ in her bedroom earlier that morning. She can’t believe she actually mistook Narcissus’s younger brother as him. What had possessed her, she could not comprehend. Her eyes narrowed. Now only she realized that both of them actually have almost the same feature. Her heart suddenly thud out very loudly. They’re both exquisite in their own way. One is a charming, well built but sickly gentleman, while another is a magnificent but blood boiling character. They both put fire in her veins in different ways. There’s something about Zachary that tugs at her heart. But she simply could not figure out what. Her thoughts strayed, she secretly wished that she could have both Narcissus and Zachary at the same time. They both intrigue her indefinitely.

Astrea threw the book onto the table near where she’s sitting and groaned disgustedly at the stray thought. How could she even think of Zachary that way? The man is her mortal enemy, her nemesis. Having such affectionate feelings for him is completely out of the question. Besides, she already have Narcissus, who loved her more than life itself. She stood up, and feeling that she needed to clear her head. The spring heat must be getting to her head. She walked to the towards the flower bushes where roses are budding. Astrea closed her eyes and inhale the scent that’s so relaxing that it’s almost intoxicating.

A vision of a girl in white giggling as she skipped and danced around in a huge rose garden came to her mind again, but this time, instead of fighting off the overwhelming feelings, Astrea relaxed and absorbed the scene before her. As the vague vision of the girl dance around happily, flower petals flew in the air like a blizzard. Laughter echoed as a Pegasus descended from the sky and flew dangerously towards the girl. The girl stood still and waited until the creature flew by her side. She then leaped gracefully onto the mytical creature and latches on it’s mane for support as they took flight. But out of the sudden, the girl lost balance and fell down from her ride. She let out a frightened scream, and the Pegasus started to fly to her to rescue her from the fall, but it was too late. Another flying creature flew by, took grasp of her in it’s arms.

Astrea looked closely. The creature who had just rescued the girl was a man with wings, but the wings are not angel-like. It’s black in colour. The colour of a crow’s wings. Her heart beats faster as she tried to focus on the frightening but exhilarating sight before her. The human-like creature’s eyes were suddenly on hers, as if she’s the one who is in his arms. The sudden change shocked her. The eyes, it’s so familiar, so intense…she have seen this pair of piercing eyes before but the question is where did she see it?