❝peel off a layer of that beautiful skin,
and you'd find nothing but rotten flesh❞
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
Violet could feel her knees aching as danced, unable to breathe as she focused on not falling in front of her audience. The beautiful gown no longer seemed so lovely as she had to focus on not tripping as she pirouetted across the stage.
The man who played her prince took her hand and dipped her in time to the music and she spun out of his hold. Violet could feel the searing gaze of Paul Adire to stage left but decided to focus instead on the crowd.
Like every night, it was sold out. Aristocrats filled the seats, clothes in velvets and silks and pearls to boot. They all would gaze with wonder at the performers and then clap politely, an endless arrangement that Violet had quickly become bored with.
Her partner's strong hands curved around her waist and within moments she was lifted above his head.
And cue gasp, Violet thought sardonically and low and behold a unanimous gasp erupted from the audience. Quickly followed by polite applause.
As she was spun slowly around, her eyes caught on someone in the audience. She could not see properly in the light from the stage lights but she could see the soft glow of hair so gold it could've been ichor and amber eyes.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Violet's heart seemed to leap in her chest in desperate grand jetés almost as though it wanted to fly to the woman who's eyes gazed back at the ballerina with a wide eyed appreciation.
Violet didn't seem to mind her wondrous stare as compared to the stuffy nobility that surrounded her.
However in her moment of distraction, Violet had missed her cue.
Her heart dropped.
She hadn't even realised she had been set down. It was only by one second, no one in the crowd could've even noticed and she continued to dance as though nothing was wrong but she could feel matching glowers on the back of her head for the rest of the performance that seemed to overshadow the marvelling gaze of the golden haired woman in the crowd.
For the rest of the performance, all she could was tremble in her partners hold and desperately try not to collapse in front of the audience.
Sa mère ne considérerait pas cela comme parfait.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
"So..." Alice said, turning to Rosalie as the curtain was lowered and the people around them were bustling out of the hall. "What did you think of it?'
Rosalie's eyes had not left the stage the entire performance, if her heart was still beating between her ribs she would be sure it would've failed from her own wonder.
"She was incredible." Rosalie muttered lightly and Alice sent her a teasing grin.
"I didn't ask about Violet Dubois." She said in a teasing tone and that seemed to make Rosalie snap out of it.
"You knew! You conniving little-" Rosalie hissed but Alice hushed her once more.
Rosalie was getting sick of Alice's hushing.
"Well, let's go." Alice said, standing quickly and throwing her scarf around her alabaster white neck.
"Go where?" Rosalie asked, allowing herself to be dragged through the crowd by the pixie like vampire girl. Alice paused, sending a toothy grin Rosalie's way with a knowing look in her eye.
"Why to meet your mate after all!"
Rosalie knew of the mate bond, she was surrounded by it on a daily basis with Jasper and Alice and Carlisle and Esme. She had even been changed because Carlisle thought that she may be Edwards mate. Too bad Edward wasn't exactly her type.
Rosalie had always wanted love from a very early age but her fatal flaw was mistaking comfort for love.
And mistaking men for the people she was attracted to.
Rosalie still sometimes rolled her eyes at her own obliviousness.
But she knew for sure as she watched the sepia skinned dancer practically defy the laws of gravity. Rosalie knew the moment that Violet Dubois was lifted into the air and amber eyes met brown through the soft rays of the stage light, she knew.
And one word Alice said repeated over and over in her mind.
Mate, mate, mate.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
Violet had run from the stage the moment the heavy thud of the curtains fabric hit the wood. She could hear the faint congratulations passed among the dancers as she wove her way quickly through them to her dressing room.
She just needed a few moments, just to catch her breath before the wolves descended.
Violet sent small smiles and rushed words of praise to her fellow dancers as raced backstage. She was a friendly girl by nature and she knew deep down she would've perhaps had more friends own this life had it not been the overwhelming ambition of her mother.
Loneliness ached in her bones as she swallowed a lump in her throat, passing by the open doored dressing room of one of the back up dancers. Her boyfriend had brought her flowers and she had her arms wrapped around his neck in thanks.
How sweet.
Violet would have loved to love and be loved in return. Even in simple sweet nothings like the gift of flowers, pre bought because any performance was perfect in their lovers eyes. Violet wanted to be loved so desperately that her fingers shook with it.
But what thing worthy of love could be found in her?
Violet made it to her dressing room without any run in with either Paul or her mother. She slipped inside and quickly locked the door, finally breathing properly for the first time since she saw the blonde woman in the crowd.
Her panic subsided momentarily, a fluttery feeling rushing through her blood as she remembered the amber eyes that did not leave her figure for the entire show.
Only for her to seize up in fear when she felt a knock on the door behind her.
Was it her mother? Here to berate her endlessly for a tiny misstep not even the reviewers would notice? Violet thought for a moment, perhaps her mother would've been happier without her. That if perhaps Marie was to swallow her and give birth to her once again, then perhaps she would finally make her proud.
Or, an even more sickening thought, was it Paul on the other side of the door?
She refused to even think of what he might do to her.
"Madame Dubois?" A voice called to her, muffled slightly by the chaos of dancers backstage. "You have VIPs to see you! Elles sont Americans!" [they are Americans!]
Violet did not answer immediately. Breathing deeply and brushing away frustrated, exhausted tears that had emerged.
Then she opened the door.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
