Masked

Chapter 13 HER

I stare at the floor-length mirror, mesmerized by the girl staring back at me. Though this is the same face I have seen every day of my life, there's something oddly different tonight. The top half of my dark hair is softly pulled away from my face by a circular ruby hair-pin, leaving the rest falling down my back in loose curls. My eyes are lined with a smudge of black charcoal, making their color striking behind thick, long eyelashes. My cheeks are flushed pink with my nerves, and my lips appear fuller, stained a vibrant red. Even as I pull my bottom lip into my mouth and nervously nip at it, the color doesn't fade.

Framing my eyes is a delicate golden mask. It's made from a fine wire that curves and twists to create the appearance of vines. The mask fits so well that it seems as though gold vines have been painted around my eyes and across the top of my cheekbones.

But it's not my face, mask, or hair that holds my attention—it's the dress.

The silky red fabric presses flush and low against my chest and is followed by a red fitted bodice that fits tightly on my waist and leads down to a full red skirt. Long, red sleeves drape off my shoulders and cascade well past my wrists. It's a gorgeous dress, and it's hard to believe I'm the girl wearing it.

"Charles won't be able to take his eyes off you tonight," Mother says excitedly, as she walks around me, taking in every detail she worked so hard to create. Charles . . . I had forgotten about him. "He won't be the only one either. There'll be quite a few young men who want you on their arm." Mother really wants me to receive a jonquil. Maybe now I will. The thought makes me sick with anxiety, but I try to tell myself that this is something I want, something I need. Mother stops directly in front of me, holding my face between her hands. "I'm so glad Gregory will be there to look after you."

"You are Father aren't coming?"

"No. This night is about you and Gregory." She drops her hands to her sides and turns to her bed stand. "Your father and I have been to plenty of Balls. Now it's your turn to enjoy one, without your parents' prying eyes." She chuckles while she flips open the lid of her silver jewelry box and rummages through it. "Besides, we don't want to leave Elizabeth alone."

"You should go. I can stay with her. I really don't have to go."

"Don't be absurd, Addalynne. Your father and I would never dream of it." She shuts the lid of the box and turns to face me. "Besides, you look far too beautiful to stay home." She moves toward me, a coy smile on her lips. "Now turn around."

I do as she asks and feel something cold and solid fall against my chest. My mother grabs hold of my shoulders and steers me back toward the mirror. A gold necklace now hangs down my chest, ending with a ruby pendant that sits on top of the curve of my bust. I watch as the scarlet gem rises and falls with my breaths.

"It was your grandmother's. I wore it to my first Floret Ball. My parents arranged for your uncle and I to visit Faygrene, sending us all the way from Artania in hopes that we would find a match. That was the night I met your father," she says quietly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. I turn to face her and she cups my face in her hand. "You have grown into such a beautiful young lady. How did I get so lucky?"

I try to find something to say to her, a way to tell her how much she means to me and how grateful I am to her, but before I get a chance, she gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and ushers me out the front door, insisting I can't be late.

My stomach spins with trepidation while I wait for the carriage to arrive, my fingers fiddling with the hem of my sleeves. It's a perfectly clear night, with stars lining the path to the full moon that illuminates the ground with its silver light.

"Gregory hurry!" I shout. I can't stand waiting out here alone.

Several seconds later the front door finally opens and Gregory walks out. He's wearing a white shirt underneath a long black leather vest. His black breeches are met at the knee by new, black leather riding boots. There are silver ribbons tied around his elbows, in order to add the right amount of decoration for the festivities.