Ashes of Cinder

35

The battered and ruined dress draped there on the chair of the office, looking sad as ever. It was quite the shame no one would ever get to wear it again, as it had glimmered under the moonlight sky that one day. Blaise could remember every detail of it. He could remember the way you stood there, embarrassed yet elated to be wearing it. He thought you truly beautiful and in that moment, knew that he could no longer throw you under the bus. Which was why he was going to do this... the dirty work.

Plunging his right arm into the fabrics of the dress, the silk rustled within the silence of the room for a few seconds until he had found the one thing he needed. Once it was taken out, a rusty, little thing sat there on his palm, reflecting the glow of the candlelight. It was a key — a key that had been trapped within the walls of the Royal Palace for the last ten years without its true owner.

The man pocketed the item and left the office to return to the familiar toy shop. Red eyes peered out in the dimness of the room. The little girl ominously stood there near the back door, as still as a statue. Veria watched him unblinkingly and only then made a movement when he reached her. She bowed her head low, her golden locks spilling over her shoulder. Her tiny fingers showed him a dark dagger, glinting dangerously, the tip of it sharpened and coated with unknown substance. "Here you are, master," she said delicately, keeping her eyes trained to the floor.

Slowly extending out to it with his gloved hand, he held onto the firm handle that fit him perfectly. Sheathing it with its cover, he stuffed into his pocket, alongside with the key. With a silent nod from him, he opened the back door and entered into the outside world, a similar experience to the night he had paid your stepmother a visit. Instead of turning left though, he went right, where the towers loomed in the distance, looking rather haunting at this hour. He shuffled through the quiet streets, his head down to avoid any attention.

It took him a few miles to get there, but the stroll did not tire him out at all. Instead, his heart raced in anticipation and a smile laid there on his face. Once this was night was over, his life would finally take a turn for the better. You were going to be by his side forever... and that was enough to make him the happiest man on earth.

Arriving to the gated walls of the palace -- which had been open on the day of the Ball -- he didn't go straight to where the guards stood, whom were desperately fighting a battle against sleep. Slipping into nearby trees, he strayed from the path and kept trailing around the tall gates of the property. He soon halted when he spotted a bush that was extraordinarily shaped like bunny ears. Taking a few steps forward, his polished shoes stepped on a hard surface, a rattle heard from beneath him.

Though it looked like he was standing on grass, he knew that it was entirely something else. He crouched down to the ground and upon closer inspection, found the wood being covered by the greenery. While his hands brushed them to the side, it took him a minute to find a hole. Feeling satisfied with himself, he took the key out and jammed it into the small space. He rotated his grip and it made a click to prove that it was successful.

A grunt left his lips as he pulled on the handle of the trapdoor. It groaned loudly in protest, but after some serious concentration, Blaise had managed to prop it open.

What awaited him was a descending cob-stoned stairway, pitch blackness, and cobwebs.

Looking down at his pocket watch, he saw that there were a few more minutes until it was midnight. Right on time.

Unbothered by the sight of this secret passage, he climbed down the stairs and slammed the door shut behind him. Cold air instantly met him and damp moisture stuck to his skin as if he was crossing a murky swamp. He kept on going until the steps faded into a passage way of some sorts. As his vision began to get used to the darkness, he could make out the narrow space that waited before him. The world was painted blue almost, for the dark gray stony walls gave off a cool, chilly feeling. All was silent, saved for his shoes hitting the pavement and the distant dripping of liquid. The passage seemed to stretch on forever, with eerie, empty cells sitting there on either side from him. Torture chambers. Now they were no longer used, but it was just a few generations back that the royal ancestors kept prisoners here.