"I sailed seas of emotion,
to wander a forest of stars,
I am a dance of
Light and darkness,
A galaxy of shadow and stars"
R.Queen
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Song: Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy, Alexis Weissenberg
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She danced with grace.
One limb followed the other like her body was water cascading in the air. The way she controlled the movements just enough to maintain balance but let her raw emotions show at every turn could captivate any audience. She was lost in the music. Her mind was in the clouds while her feet stuck to the ground and flew through the surrounding space. Nobody knew she could dance like that. That she could move mountains and cross worlds just by leaping and twirling. Nobody had ever seen her tell a poem with just her body. It was like a secret. A secret she held dear to her heart. A part of her soul that she kept close to her.
The song was just getting to the climax. The piano notes got faster as did her movements. Sweat dripped down her face, her breathing was labored but controlled. She could feel herself get more immersed into the song. She was just about to leap into the air when she was interrupted.
"Ophelia! It's time for dinner!"
She fell to the ground. It was like she was ripped out of her own world and brought back to reality.
"Yes Mama!" She yelled as loud as she could back although Ophelia doubted her mother could hear anyway.
She laid on the ground staring at the ceiling just listening to the last few notes of the beautiful piano. After taking a couple deep breaths she rocked herself up. She walked over to the music player and pressed the pause button.
Glancing at herself in the mirror she looked slightly disheveled. Her golden curls had a life of their own; they were never tame. She also sported her dance clothes, which were just the clothes she wore around the house.
"Ophelia!" Her mother shouted again.
"Coming mama!" Ophelia bent down and untied her ballet shoes quickly and placed them near the music player.
She rushed up the stairs not forgetting to turn off the lights and shut the door behind her.
They all sat at the table together.
"You're always dancing down there." Her mother commented. "Maybe you should start doing more chores since you have so much time."
"Yes Mama." Was all Ophelia replied.
"Eat some more. You're too small." Her mother scooped more of her hash into Ophelia's bowl.
"Mother, you must let Ophelia join us at the ball!" Emily, one of Ophelia's older siblings said. In total there were six of them, but only three remained at their mother's house.
"I don't think it is a good idea." Their mother waved them off.
In truth Ophelia didn't get out much, especially since their father passed away a few years back. Both her parents kept her sheltered, hidden away. Ophelia's siblings got to travel the world and revel in new experiences but she stayed hidden away in their cottage.
"But Mother, you know the consequences if they find out. It is bad enough that she rarely goes out but to not attend the ball would be outrageous. It would fall back on all of us." Her eldest sister, Mary, tried to reason.
The subject at hand was a large ball being thrown by the royals. It only happened every twenty years and was mandatory attendance, unless you were approved beforehand. The ball was held for the king to find his soulmate. He was nearly two hundred, although he didn't look a day over twenty-five. Women and men would line up waiting for the chance to be his wife. It was important for everyone, especially eligible women, to be there. Those who failed to not make it suffered the consequences, in most cases it was death. Which may seem barbaric but there were few traditions that were upheld from the past generations. This just happened to be one.
Ophelia wanted to go. Not because it was mandatory or to be the king's wife but because it seemed lovely. She always wanted to get dressed up and meet more people, although she was painfully shy. Ophelia would only go into the village once every three months, if that. Any interaction with the outside world she was willing to jump at the chance.
"I don't wish to speak about this any longer. I will decide when the time comes." Their mother snapped. No one moved. "Eat. Before it gets cold."
Ophelia sighed softly. She was hoping her mother would say yes. She wanted to pick out dresses with her sisters and talk about what hair she was going to wear, if they thought it would look good up or down.
All the girls ate silently. Scraping of silverware on plates was all that could be heard. The older Ophelia got the more she noticed her siblings fighting back at their parents. Her mother getting angry seemed to be a regular occurrence as of late.
"All I'm saying is that she needs to-" Emily started but was quickly cut off.
"Enough!" The oldest woman banged on the table.
Ophelia jumped back in freight as did the other girls.
"I have had enough of this talk! She is mine! Why must you try to take her away from me!" Ophelia's mother wailed into a cloth napkin.
"I am not trying to take her away! No one is! She is of age mother! There are consequences." Emily snapped back.
"Give me death then!"
Ophelia was taken aback as her mother said that but remained silent. It was almost comical. Her mother seemed to hate her usually, always treating her less than. Yet, when it came to letting her go there was no discussion. It seemed like she would be stuck in this house forever.
"What about Ophelia? You wish death upon her? That is what they will do, don't you understand! We have left this subject alone until we couldn't wait any longer. The ball is tomorrow and she is going." Mary spoke with such finality.
Ophelia observed her sisters battle with their mother. She admired their strength and fierceness. Always looking up to them she saw them as role models. Unafraid to give their opinion, something she wished she could do.
"Ophelia will not go! That is final! They would never kill her!" Her mother was shouting in angry huffs.
"It is not final! We have put up with you keeping her here- away from everything- for years! She is a beautiful grown woman! Don't you see. She needs to start a life. Explore the world, like the rest of us have! It is unfair! You have kept her away from school, you have kept her away from everything this world offers. This ball was something we have looked forward to for years. Aside from their punishment of death, can't you see that you are killing her!" Mary pointed to Ophelia, who was shrinking back in her chair. "Let her go mother. Not just to the ball but let her live her life."
The older woman looked at Ophelia through her tears. All she could see was her nineteen year old. A fragile girl that she has cherished and loved through the years in her own twisted way, but for the first time she truly looked at Ophelia.
"Ophelia?" Her mother called out causing Ophelia's eyes to instantly connect with the older woman.
"Y-yes?"
"Do you wish to attend the ball?" Ophelia shot up at this question.
"Oh yes mama! I-I really wish to go! Oh if you w-would let me!" Ophelia begged. Never in her life did she want to go somewhere so bad.
"Fine, but you will come right back home to me after." Her mother nodded her head agreeing with her own statement.
"Thank you mama!" Ophelia jumped and hugged her mother.
"You must come home to me, okay my darling?" The older woman whispered in her ear.
"Always." Ophelia agreed.
YOU ARE READING
The Dancing Queen
Romance*Ophelia June Clarke* She was soft, sweet and nice. Her mother sheltered her from the world while the rest of her siblings got to venture out. *King Zeus* He was the great ruler of the skies and western land. He had led his people to prosperity...
