Chapter 7: The girl in the burgundy dress

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Hywel
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The ball was of course overly extravagant. Everyone was excited and they were chatting amongst themselves, the feeling mutual between everyone. The grand table in the corners of the ballroom were arranged with platters piled high with food that no one would eat, the floor polished to a fine shine, everyone in dresses edged and detailed with gold and silver. My mother and father sitting in the highest alcove, looking down at everyone with a polite look of mild disdain, as some of these people are threatening our side of the land.

People and waiters milled around in a sort of frantic dance, asking if anyone wanted more drinks or more food to be brought out. I surveyed the grand ballroom with desperate eyes, everyone here has met me.

I catch the eyes of Red, he's slightly smirking and flicks his eyes to the left. I search for what he means and my eyes snare on a elegant burgundy dress. She blends in well, but I see her face and catch her hard brown eyes, her dark ink skin and feel drawn to her. I start moving slowly but end up nearly running to catch up with her. I turn the corner and look up the stairs, she's standing and observing the crowd with a wistful eye. Like she is missing out on the ball. Her shoulder length ironwood dark hair that hung around her neck was straight like it had been ironed and her ink dark skin shone in the chandelier light. I climb the stairs and carefully step towards her. Her dark eyes dart to mine and I raise my hands in surrender.

"Why are you following me?" She asks staring into the crowd, and at no one in particular at the same time, her sharp accent cutting through the joyful mood like a knife.

"You caught my attention. Couldn't help it." I say sliding up next to her on the balustrade. She takes one tiny step away and I act like I don't notice. "So what are you looking for?" I ask, turning to her. She looks at me and her eyes roam my face, and turns back to the crowd. Everything about her seems to be dark and shrouded with mystery.

"Want to dance?" A look of stubbornness crosses her face but she takes my outstretched hand. We almost glide down the stairs and the crowd turns to us. In the centre of the ballroom, I gently place my hand at her waist, and her eyes flick up to mine as she places her hand on my shoulder.

We start to dance and a small smile creeps into her cheeks. I grin and lead into turning her, around and around her dress spins. We end the way we started, and the crowd claps politely. I bow and in turn, she curtsies. I take her hand and give it a soft kiss. A blush starts to form on her face when she turns away and melts into the crowd like mist on the highlands.

I search for her for the rest of the night by sweeping over the crowd with a fine toothed comb. I walk so much that my feet are starting to hurt and my tunic is choking me. I won't give up though, I want Red's sword, even if I have more swords than I can count.

I'm going to win this bet no matter what. I climb the stairs frustratedly and walk to the alcove where my parents sat earlier in the evening. I catch a swish of the burgundy dress turn around the corner, and give chase. But as soon as the chase has begun, it ends. She is no where to be seen. These stairs lead to the dungeon and the library. I turn back around and stomp back down the stairs.

I catch myself on the last step and turn back around. I wanted to see my father and talk to him about the expedition he's going on. Without me. I stomp back up the stairs and open the door to the alcove. There is no one inside, but a glass of wine is tipped over and my breath quickens. I turn out the door and try to walk calmly to my parents' rooms, but I end up running and opening the door with a loud thump. I turn to the bathroom and see a hand sticking out of the door limply. My breaths are in gasps now. I slowly walk closer to see a sight that has damned me to nightmares when I sleep.

My mother is clutching a knife in her dead hands, long cuts going down her arms and ending at the wrist. I fall to my knees and clutch her dead hand. There is blood everywhere. My mother's blood pools at my knees and tears run down my face. My breaths come out in shudders now and I scream. I scream for the goodbye that I never got to say, for my mother's life and now mine. Her dead eyes stare at nothing and I close them with shaky hands, guards come to the door and fill the room. My father pokes his head into the room and asks one of guards what the screaming is about. They clear a path that ends at me crying over my mother's cold dead body.

He pushes his way into the bathroom and gets on one knee. His tears are solemn and full of the sorrow of a grieving man. He touches her hair softly and a sob chokes his breathing and he cries over her body. The guards clear out until Red is left staring open mouthed with eyes of sadness at me clutching my mother's face telling her to wake up over and over again. But she won't. And she will never again open her eyes to look at me and tell me why. Why did you do this? Why? Tell me! I scream at her. My father hushes me and he wipes the tears off his puffy face. 'tenet  spes nostra ad inquirenda illa' he utters. To searching for new hope after our darkest day. But I don't think there is any hope to search for.

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