A Tangled Web of Truth | Complete (ONC 2021 Shortlister)

7. Proposition

The moment Alicia left the ball, Ailine must have sensed the issue and chased after her because it wasn't even a minute later that the two were standing face to face in the middle of the gardens.

"Go enjoy the party, Ailine."

"But..."

"Please? I'm just tired. I'll meet you out in the limo, okay?"

It took several attempts to convince Ailine to return to the party, but she had reluctantly left in the end, leaving Alicia to wander the gardens carrying her shoes and her purse. The fan Ailine had given her earlier dangled from her wrist by a small string as she wandered through the gardens, taking in the dimly lit flowers and statues. Finally she stopped to sit on a bench shielded from the palace by a tall hedge. The light dusting of water coming off the nearby fountain stung her skin where it landed, but she allowed her head to fall back and closed her eyes. This wasn't what was supposed to happen.

Her fingers ached as she slid her frozen feet back into her shoes. The limousine would offer far fewer distractions than the gardens, but the weather would not allow her any other choices. I'm not going back into the palace, she reasoned with herself, though it would definitely be warm.

She reluctantly shuffled her way down the winding path until she found Ailine's driver and slid into the backseat of the car. With a bottle of water and her phone as company, she tried to occupy herself with phone games to keep her mind off everything. But her mind had no intention of doing as it was told.

The bubbles popped as she matched them together on her phone game, and the door to the limousine flung open as if a tornado had selectively picked up only the door. Alicia found herself huddled in the back corner of the limousine, hoping she wouldn't be snatched off with the door.

"Alicia!" Ailine whisper-shouted as she barrelled into the backseat and landed in Alicia's lap. "You and... he... and then you... I cannot believe this," she panted between the words, pushing up off Alicia's lap and sitting down, fanning herself. "You... AH!"

"I what, Ailine? Are you okay?" Alicia searched the back of the vehicle for a water bottle to give Ailine. "What happened?"

"You have to come with me!" Ailine reached for Alicia's hand. "Put your mask back on and come with me. Just hurry, please!"

"Okay, okay," Alicia relented, knowing that fighting with Ailine when she was like this would be futile. "Ailine, you'd better not be dragging me back there just because you want me to try the dessert or something." Alicia secured the ties of her mask behind her head as she followed her friend across the ground and onto a small stone path.

"I swear I'm... Oh, hello," she said with an exaggerated curtsey as they rounded the corner.

Alicia stopped dead in her tracks. There was no mistaking the piercing brown eyes of the man standing before her. And Ailine had curtseyed. Oh no. I cannot be right. I just can't.

Alicia forced herself into a curtsey, despite the fact that everything in her wanted to turn and run.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he said, slightly out of breath. "Could we maybe talk?"

A short, barking laugh escaped Alicia's mouth despite herself. There is no way this is for real. Maybe Ailine set it up? But one look at Ailine said that was impossible. Her friend's face was simultaneously serious and giddy.

So there it was.

The man she had somehow found herself drawn to. The one she had danced with. The first person to make her want to give romance a try. Standing before her in the dimly lit courtyard, offering his hand. The man whose words and face wouldn't leave her thoughts.