Ariadne has always been a dreamer. Her mother would always say she was away with the faeries.
Until one night, an envelope shrouded with magic lands at her doorstep, inviting her to the dance of the damned in the enchanting land of Altoria.
It's m...
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The parchment sat thick and heavy in Ariadne's shaking hand. Her hair fell in a tumble of fiery red waves about her shoulders, half of it swept back into a ponytail on top of her head. Her amber eyes ringed with gold scanned the page again.
"What the hell," she whispered.
She read it again for the third time, and it still didn't make sense. Ariadne folded the parchment over and softly slotted it back into the envelope and flipped over the edge. Some of the black wax seal flaked off as it closed.
She walked into the kitchen where her mother stood at the sink cleaning the dishes. A hand covered in vile lemon coloured gloves swept across her forehead, tendrils of curly Brown hair clustered around the back of her neck. Her mother looked over her shoulder.
"What's that," she nodded to the envelope Ariadne placed on the table.
"I don't know. It just came through the letterbox. Here, you can have a look," she handed the envelope to her mother.
She took off her gloves and placed them on the side of the sink, pushing back a stray strand of hair that had slipped loose. Her warm brown eyes scanned the letter she half pulled out of the envelope. She flipped it over and her eyes widened when she saw the seal. Her mother staggered back and braced herself on the sink.
"Mum, what is it?!" Ariadne's brow furrowed.
"I thought they would have given me more time," her mother whispered.
"Mum, what is it?" Ariadne asked again, her voice was higher than before, worry slipped across her slender brow again.
"I.. It's... I have some explaining to do. Lots of it," her mother closed the envelope and walked to the table; and pulled out a plain wooden chair.
Ariadne pulled out a chair and sat in it. Her hand immediately went to the delicate chain around her neck. The one that always held a band of silver with two red rubies clasped in silver claws. She thumbed it before it slipped back inside her lilac sweater. She leaned forward on both elbows and tilted her head slightly.
"Mum... Whatever it is you have to say, please just tell me."
Her mum hesitated, her own fingers played with her own golden band on her ring finger. Her eyes roved over her daughter. Red curly hair, amber eyes ringed with gold, it was like looking into his. Her slender and graceful face with a pointed nose. It was his face, well most of it. Apart from the spattering of freckles she had across her cheeks. That was the only marker she shared with her, her own daughter.
She sighed.
"It's to do with my father, isn't it," Ariadne asked.
"Yes," Her mother replied quietly.
"I can't promise I won't freak out, but I will listen," Ariadne held out her hand to her mother.
