November nights are especially stricken with melancholy, as if the ghosts of all winter past come rushing to haunt her heart.
She was a captive of her love, her desire, and her dreams.
There's always a special quality to the loneliness of dusk, a...
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"Evil is whatever distracts" -Franz Kafka
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The dress she wore held her waist in a vice grip, her chest thudding against the silk fabric in a way that made it feel contained within a confine of thorn bushes. Her lungs filled with air and yet still, she felt short of breath. Soft breaths blew past her parted lips while her eyes darted back and forth among the crowd of people.
The crowd was a sea of smiles, the festival raised the ambient soul of the people who attended. There was food, music and, dancing. It was a beautiful spring day, the sun was forgiving as it shyly peaked through white clouds.
Painfully, her stomach churned with anxiety. Ruth dreaded having to see him and that woman together in union. Up until that day, she had pushed away every image of them together, telling herself that it was no use to torture her heart in such a way. Sebastian had already made his destain for that woman very clean to her and she believed him. The way he spoke about his wife always put her heart at ease because he disliked her just as much as she did. They were only married to appease his father in an advantageous union.
She stood still amidst the crowd, her eyes strained up to the high palace balcony waiting for Sebastian's grand entrance. He'd done this many times before, he would come out and greet the people right before his father did. There were times were he would give speeches and Ruth knew each and every word memorized because he always practiced them with her. But that time was different. The future queen was expected to make her first public appearance by his side.
"I heard her name is Aurora" Ruth glanced at the three young girls conversing, rather loudly, by her side. They wore floral matching dresses, each with a different colored ribbon at the seam. Their hair up in loose updos.
"I hate her already! " One of them dramatically huffed "Oh, to be her- could you imagine?! Marrying Prince Sebastian and being the queen." She sighed in longing, looking off into the distance deep in reverie.
"Who told you of her name, Natalie?" One asked, her face speckled with freckles.
"I'm great friends with one of the servant girls who works at the palace you know" The girl folded her arms, a smug look on her face "She tells me all the gossip that goes on in there"
"Do tell! What else do you know?" The dreamer perked up, excitedly clapping her hands.
"Oh, well I'm not sure if I should tell " The girl feigned seriousness.
"Come on Natalie!" The two girls begged, hands clasped. But the girl only shook her head, a smile twitching on her lips.
"It's not fair we always share everything with each other" One of them said, now more annoyed at her friend's tactic to make them beg.
