Off To Wonderland

A Burning Coal

Clovis stood nobly on the top of the stairs, scanning the crowd for the dancing foreigner, who had hypnotized him. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark this, dark that, he was tired at looking only at darkness, it was beginning to sicken him; but when he had seen her ocean green eyes his heart had leaped in his chest, like never before. Yes he loved his bride in the classic sense, but there was no spark. Nothing made his heart race like the foreigner’s eyes; and he longed to see them again. A smooth, slender hand slid across his arm, as his bride to be stepped up closer. As was custom, she face would be veiled till he carried her off to bed after the wedding night.

“Hello my love,” she sighed as she wrapped her arm around his. She was the most beautiful woman to ever live in the kingdom, and he had swooned after her beauty, and lusted after it. Even now his curves called his touch, and kiss. But her eyes were dead, their conversations, droll. Where she satisfied him physically as men a man would want in a relationship, she couldn’t provide more. He was growing tired of her; and she sensed it. “Shall we go greet our guests?”

“Yes my lady,” he sighed. A trumpet blew announcing their presence, and they slowly and gracefully walked down the stairs. He smiled politely, but it never reached his eyes. They were tired, bored, and longing for something new. His attraction to Amber may have just been just the allure of something new, but deep down he felt there was something more. And he wanted to talk with her more to find if his gut feeling was true.

“Clovis!” cried a voice shrill with joy. He turned to see his darling little sister, in a red dress come running at him, quite unlady like; but she was fourteen and rebelling against everything their parents wanted. Her maid fallowed right behind her flustered.

“Lady, Cherry! Oh lady Cherry do please walk like a lady!” he chuckled to himself, and his bride sighed with distaste. She had been brought up in a strict and proper home, and founded upon who she deemed under her. It really irked him, how she felt she was better than everyone; his mother and father, however, loved and fawned over her, constantly telling him he had made and ‘excellent choice’, and how ‘wonderfully proper’ she was.

“Clovis?” Cherry said, pulling from his thoughts.

“Yes my darling sister?” he smiled down at her.

“Come dance with me!” she giggled, he turned to his bide, happy to have an excuse to get away,

“My sister calls,” he smiled; she bride smiled back and nodded letting go of his arm. His sister pulled him to the dance floor just as a waltz began to play. They swayed to the music a minute or so before his sister said,

“I don’t like her Clov,” she voice was hushed, and her eyes sad. He felt bad that his marriage was affecting her so.

“She’ll grow on you I promise,” Clovis said trying to cheer her up.

“Yeah, like fungus,” she muttered, he chuckled at his little sisters wit. “Have you seen the dancer yet?” her eyes sparkled with curiosity and knowing.

“No, not yet,” He said, before spinning her and pulling her back.

“Do you think she will come?”

“I can only hope Cherry,” he sighed, “I can only hope.” Cherry looked at her brother with pity. She knew he didn’t want to marry the woman, she had seen the way his eyes had been glued to the beautiful foreign dancer, and how his face longed after her. She felt bad that her brother was being forced to marry someone just because father and mother thought it was best for the kingdom. The dance ended and her brother took her hand and kissed it. “I miss our talks Cherry,” he said quietly.

“Then I shall steal you away all night long,” she said with a sinister smile, he smiled and mouthed a ‘thank you’ before heading back to his bride. Cherry watched him leave and saw the bride glaring at her. The veil covered her face, but her dark eyes shown through with disgust and loathing, and it make Cherry shutter.

She walked away looking around when she spotted a green hood and a sea blue green dress. Cherry’s jaw dropped. The dancer from before was beautiful, but now she looked down right stunning. She found her legs leading her over to Amber’s direction. The nanny called after her but she ignored her cries to ‘wait’ and before she had a total plan in her head her mouth opened.

“Hi my name is Cherry,” she said with a genuine smile. Her eyes sparkled with interest as to why the foreigner wore a hood. Amber stood for a moment, sort of in shock but then responded hastily.

“Nice to meet you my name is Amber.” By now Cherry’s maid had caught up with her and was huffing for breath. Poor dear must have had her corset pulled tight to catch the eye of an unlucky man.

“Why are you wearing a hood inside? I don’t think the chandeliers will give you sun burn.”

“Miss Cherry that was extremely ru-“Amber burst into laughter, cutting off the scolding; she found Cherry to be quite witty and fun. She decided they would defiantly get along great. Her laugher died down to giggling and she responded,

“I am wearing it because I don’t want people to stare any more than they already are,” she said smiling.

“What else would they stare at?” Cherry asked curiously, her eyes flashing with mischief.

“My hair,” Cherry looked confused.

“You’re hair? What about your hair?” she demanded to know.

“If we go someplace no one will see I will show you,” she promised with a smile. Cherry’s face lit up, and she quickly grabbed Amber’s arm pulling her to an outside balcony. She closed the window and pulled Amber so they wouldn’t be seen.

“Show me” her dark eyes looked fiercely into her blue green ones. Slowly Amber pulled off her hood and a waterfall of red curls fell down around her, curling up just under her breasts. Cherry gasped, “It’s so beautiful…” she said reaching forward to touch a soft fiery curl, she pulled it back and let go watching it bounce before settling back into place. “I’ve never seen hair like this before,” she awed, then looked up into Amber’s eyes. They were warm, like a tropical beach. No wonder my brother has fallen for her. She thought to herself. “Come,” she said taking Amber’s hand gently.

“Wait,” she said her eyes wide with fear. “My hood”

“You don’t need it,” Cherry said smiling up at her. “It will only mess up your lovely hair,” Amber faltered for a moment, before following behind. Just as she thought, when she entered the room again, everyone went silent and stared at her. She stared at the floor nervously, and a blush crept over her face. Prince Clovis spotter her immediately; she was a burning coal, in the middle of dark ashes slowly making her way toward him, led by the hand of his little sister.