Lady in the Iron Mask

III: Chapter 2

Eve's heart pounded with adrenaline as the guards inspected their invitations, and then their appearances. Had the guards seen the state of the women even an hour ago, they would have seen greasy, unkempt humans, unfit for court. Now, they flourished.

Both of them had used hair chalk to dye their hair brown, and were posing as twins. The façade was realistic. Evie wore a jade green dress, which puffed out around her and covered her muscular legs and arms with smooth, beautiful fabric. Even her hair had been brushed to provide the appearance that her hair did not run down the centre of her skull, but in a heavy plait that covered her head. Her eyes were smoky and slanted, promising a night of debauchery to those who met her alluring gaze. In contrast, Eve wore a thin, body-conforming dress in a violet shade, which trickled down her legs like a river into a natural mid-thigh slit. Her eyes had a simple line of black to emphasise her lashes, and her catlike features. Her hair was a waterfall down her back. Both were beautiful. Both had piercingly icy eyes, like a crisp winter's day.

"Here." One of the guards returned the letter to Evie. "Have fun, beautiful."

"I will," she responded in a sickly sweet tone.

"Maybe you can...come back later with your sister?" The other guard stroked a gauntlet-covered hand down Eve's arm.

If only he knew how she could make him hurt if she wanted to.

"Of course," Eve reassured him, giggling like a fool.

They passed them easily, and got into the city. It was a circular maze of houses and small alleyways, which reminded Eve constantly of the first time she had met Kieran. Of him dragging her back to court. Striding through them quickly, they slowly made their way up to the top; rats in a maze. However, this city was better kept than Eve's. She could hardly see any beggars, and the floor was a pale, beautiful marble. The stone was easily washed by rainfall, which trickled down the city and cleansed it of impurity. Their walk was a pleasant one, and they passed by each lit candle while taking in the scent of dinner.

Evie wore a scowl. She had done since they left the guards.

"What?" Eve asked as they carried on climbing up the last stretch of steps leading to the castle.

"I just have never felt so harassed in my life. I always look intimidating, so no men have dared to flirt with me. That was a complete disgrace. They were like dogs! Did you see one of their faces? I saw drool, coming out-"

Eve allowed her to rant, laughing sincerely at her sheer annoyance. Finally, she quieted down.

"Is that...normal?" She finally said. "To be harassed for being a woman?"

Eve sighed.

"Yes. Kiera used to get it all the time. They never bothered with me; I was always dirty-looking and for all they knew, probably a man."

"Well, I don't like it." Evie told her. "And if I ever find a man who I actually want to be with, I will be head of the household, as is customary for my tribe. And he will never touch me without permission."

"That seems a little cold," Eve teased. "How would your other clan mates react to that?"

"Well, not very well, but not for the reason you believe. We tend to kill our husband once they impregnate us. They are useless any other way, and bring a horde of problems. For one, they are not discreet, and easily tracked. Secondly, since they are an outsider, they risk revealing us all, and possibly putting us at risk of an invasion of self-righteous, pillaging men who want nothing more than to rape and murder strong women."

As they reached this new set of guards, the smile had left Eve's face. It was so difficult just to live these days. The only reason she had gotten by was by pretending she was someone else, for most of her life. But now, she was done. They wanted her to appear like a perfect princess? They would get just that, and then she would stab them all in the back just to get what she wanted.

The guards looked them over, and then allowed them entrance. The emblem of a yellow sun over a white background was on their armour, and on all of the flags around. Finding their way to the ballroom across the expanse of stony hallways was easy; the music was loud, and the bass vibrated her heartstrings, which tugged at her uncomfortably. She hammered a hand on her chest, and the feeling went away. But she could still feel it.

He was getting closer, and the bond that hooked their hearts together let her know that.

"Shall we?" Evie linked her arm through Eve's as they reached the huge oak doors, and they both donned their masks: Eve's was iron, and fierce. Evie's was intricate, but strong like her markings.

Taking a deep breath, Eve allowed herself a moment to relax fully. She remembered the lessons she had been taught by Lilith so fiercely. It had been so long. Hands resting, not clenched. Eyelids fluttering but not too much. Relaxed shoulders - this one was the hardest - and a gentle smile. This was the front that Eve successfully presented on that night, thankful that even though she had been a terrible student, her old friend had never given up on her.

And it allowed her and Evie to blend seamlessly into the crowd, dancing together. Evie had the vial of poison tucked away into the folds of her many layers of dress, which could easily be ripped away to reveal a small dress, much like Eve's, if they needed to escape. Both women walked softly and slowly to the edge of the room, talking softly about nonsense but wondering if Kieran had infiltrated the palace yet, and when to strike.