Prince of Porcelain

Chapter 19: Revealed

   Month 9, Day 22, Year 603
   Dear Diary,
   It's been more than a month since I've seen Abraham. At every event, every time I've snuck into town, I've looked for him, and I never found him.
   Tonight is the Ball of the Autumn Equinox, so I hope Abraham will come and join me for the celebration. Even though he may or may not be high class, I will let him be an exception.
   I hope he comes...
   The moment the ball began, I searched for Abraham through the crowds of guests. My heart sank as I could not see him, missing his kind, beautiful face.
   But then, from the top of the stairs, I saw a head of silver hair. A huge smile grew on my face as I quickly ran down the wide flight of stairs. I was about to call out for Abraham as I ran towards the figure that I thought was him.
   As I approached the silver-haired figure, I was both baffled and heartbroken.
   This person was not Abraham. It was a woman staring at me in shock as I approached her. She had the same hair, even the same eyes as him. Her long, silver hair was pulled back into a long, flowing braid, and she wore long, sky blue gloves that went to her elbows.
   The woman wore a long, flowing dress made with the colors of a twilight sky. The satins and silks the color of a sky blue was accompanied with swirling rose-colored designs, dark blue trim, and a blue sash at her hips. Her torso appeared as if her corset was tied too tight.
   This woman's lips were the color of a pink rose, as were her cheeks, and her eyelashes were painted black. She looked far too much like Abraham to not be related to him. Was this his sister?
An older woman, who was Lady Elle, accompanied this mysterious woman and looked surprised at my arrival. She immediately bowed, and gave a strict look to the other lady, then she bowed as well.
I greeted them, and Lady Elle did the same as the two ladies rose. She introduced the mysterious woman to me, whose name was Lady Annabell. I took Lady Annabell's hand and kissed it, making her blush horribly.
Lady Elle seemed as old as dirt, even though she was only in her late fifties. Her face, often seen as emotionless or strict, was lined with wrinkles, accompanied with curly dark hair pulled into a bun. Lady Elle's brown eyes barely held emotion, and her pale skin stood out with her dark blue, elaborate dress.
   Jewels and precious metals of all colors and sizes hung over Lady Elle's neck, ears, hands, and wrists. She loved to show off how much money she had from her job as an outfit designer.
   Lady Elle shuffled Lady Annabell away, and I didn't see her for a while. As the night went on I became bored. I didn't dance with any women, and only my father, mother, and brother talked to me.
   But, as the hours passed, I thought I saw someone walk into a dark corridor near the stairs. I followed them to investigate, and found a familiar face.
   Lady Annabell was leaning against the wall, and her face was turned away from me. I thought I could hear her crying as I approached her. I hoped that she wouldn't feel offended if I tried to comfort her.
   "Ma'am?" I said, not too loudly. Lady Annabell quickly turned to me and backed into the wall. She wiped her tears and straightened her dress, but she still appeared slightly bedraggled.
   I asked her if she was alright, and she simply stepped closer to me, a sad look painted on her face. "Prince Marcus," she spoke, her voice small and high. "I...is something wrong?" I said that nothing was wrong, but I desired to know why she was so sad.
   Lady Annabell didn't say anything, just looking at me with sad, searching eyes. Then, in that moment, I saw some of her makeup had been smudged off of the area near her eye. Seeing the skin beneath the makeup, I now realize who this woman really was.
   This wasn't Abraham's sister, or just some other woman. This was Abraham. His turquoise eyes, his long, silver hair... it was him.
   I whispered his name, and his eyes filled with tears as he gasped. "I-it's me...," Abraham stuttered holding back tears. "Abraham..." In shock, I held his hands and asked him why in God's name was he dressed like a woman. The response I got as he leaned against the wall was heartbreaking. I remembered every word.
   "My mother... Lady Elle... wanted to have a daughter. When she got... me, she was fine because my father told her that the unexpected can bring the best things. I began to grow my hair past my shoulders as a child, and my father liked it. When we would talk he would play with it. We were all happy.
   "But... when my father got sick... I thought he would get better. He died... and I cried for hours... My mother was heartbroken, but not like I was. Now that her husband was gone... she ran the household. She remembered my father loving me for who I was... and remembered what she truly wanted.
   "She tried to cut my hair... and when I refused, she decided to turn me into... this. My mother lied to everyone, saying that I had gotten sick and passed away with my father. Everyone knows me as his sister, Annabell. Except for those men in the woods. They found it I was a man... and called me their property. They hurt me whenever they can..."
   I had no words to return to Abraham. How could his own mother treat him this way? I asked him how long he had been doing this, and he told me six years. Six years of pretending to be someone you weren't.
   Tears escaped Abraham's eyes, and he tried to hide them from me. I cupped my hand around his cheek and dried his tears, and he stared deep into my eyes. It seemed like Abraham was ashamed of doing this, even though it wasn't his fault.
   I asked him if he wanted to dance, and he looked shocked. I told him that I wouldn't tell anyone, and that I didn't care if he was a man or a woman, just that he was him.
   Abraham smiled and I took his hand. He seemed to tense up, but calmed as I led him to the dance floor. Others danced as well, but Abraham was the only thing I focused on. We both smiled and laughed as we danced, spinning and twirling around. Those ballroom dancing lessons were finally put to good use.
   I'll never forget tonight... the night I truly knew Abraham.
                                                        Sincerely,
                                                         Marcus