20
PRINCE MANOR
Frederick IIIʼs Ballroom
Robin
Vinci, LA
Catahoula County
October 31st, 2014
_____________________________
A sea of satin.
Robin swam in a sea of pink satin, floating through streams of consciousness. As the Orderʼs annual Halloween masquerade commenced with beguiling pearly illusions, Robin stared at the elegantly crafted ice sculptures along the French windows, the inviting monikers of crimson that flooded Frederick IIIʼs ballroom. The heart of the Order was indeed a sensual one; the pale reds of Sigismundʼs Throne luring masquerade-goers into the dark poetry and history of the feral Dragonʼs claw. An odd fixation. In a sea of satin, a night of primal, sensual bookends, the Prince family stood poised yet artful, Machiavellian at heart, ready to send her children to the slaughter: pimping them out to the highest bidder.
Desdemona, taking in the glorious terror, smiled wickedly at Robin as she readied herself to captivate the eager crowd of social vultures.
Robin bubbled herself back to life with a sparkling rosé. Remedios smirked, joining her in stride.
"Iʼm going to be sick," Robin mumbled.
"Patience, hermanita," Remedios said simply. "Funʼs just getting started."
In the dreams, the Order of the Dragon became a nightmare. Power, again, shaped the way the Southerners looked at the dawn, an arduous form of commitment that was la guerre, and as Desdemona stood front-and-center, she declared war on anyone that would dare threaten her beguiling, seductive illusion. Underneath waves of newly christened moonlight, Robinʼs children stood under the Stairs of Heaven like a collection of little dolls, framed by the heavily wooded valleys of Vinci and the farmland that stretched itself as far as the eye could see. Louisiana was hungry for the night, and in the loud silence, the loud haze, her grating voice entered the room, a lionness in her own little animal kingdom.
She stared: In dreams...
"Fear. Itʼs a fire that burns from within and paralyzes even the coldest of hearts. Too many times we let fear cloud our judgement, predicate irrational behaviors, from the monster under our bed to the future that takes all we hold dear," Desdemona began, a wispy voice in Robinʼs fading subconscious.
"Today, the fear my family felt at seeing the changes in the environment, in the atmosphere, echoes that sentiment. Fear that is unimaginable, inescapable. But not as unimaginable as the seventy percent of the Vinci population without the proper access and awareness on these issues. Their fear of the future, of their livelihoods. Life is defined by the roles we play, by the choices we make. And with your continued support and contributions to The Literacy Project this hallowed evening, I know Thatcher would be forever appreciative of your efforts to take that fear away."
A sea of satin.
Robin watched as a trail of bleeding roses snaked around the crowd, staring, searching, her children an ocean of light caramel tresses and warm, bright eyes, with that tinge of dark haired de Medici coloring. Wolves in seductive clothing.
Romeo, her eldest son, took center stage. Deep seated panic.
"So tonight, leave your fears at the door."
Javier and Whitney, her second and third oldest, following en suite:
"Let our familyʼs spirits inspire yours."
And then, finally, little Trevor and Olivia:
"And happy Halloween!"
In dreams...
YOU ARE READING
Our Dark Prince (The Scottish Play)
FantasyTHE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO LOUISIANA - And there will be killing until the score is settled. Tortured and exiled, Robin DeMarcus came back to the United States unscathed: a ruthless heiress to an antebellum empire with a hunger for revenge to carry on...
