Suddenly

🌸Candle Light🌸

As we walked through the crowd the fellow dancers stopped to watch. He pulled the cape of feathers around and over his shoulder as he placed my other hand against his arm. I faced him staring deeply into his eyes, even though his facial expressions never changed and he stayed stern and angry there was a lightness about him. His eyes seemed to be less sharp and dagger like, they seemed more inviting. A feeling I'd missed, a feeling I didn't know I'd missed till it was gone. We waltzed around the room as the people stepped away to watch in amazement. I could tell he wasn't comfortable by his physical stance but his eyes never left my gaze. I was his mediator, as long as he watched me he felt safe. I smiled at him in all of my amazement as he spun me around, he didn't smile back but I could tell the smile had affected him. The tightness in his shoulders lessened by a little, and he danced more freely. I felt myself leaning in closer to him as we danced. I was starting to recognize the pattern, I was the white swan, the purity, the innocence, the beauty. And he was the black swan, the evil, the tormented, the ugly. I raised my hand on his cape feeling the feathers in my hand, they were slick and cold. He took hold of my hand and spun me around, I landed against his chest looking into his eyes. We stood there just looking at each other for a moment. He seemed to snap out of his gaze and pushed himself back, backing away to look at me. "Mademoiselle." He whispered quietly. "Antoinette, please...Antoinette." I said, my eyes not leaving his gaze.
"Antoinette." He responded sliding his hand down to grasp mine. He turned and held my hand as I curtsied towards the crowd, he bowed just slightly in confusion and led me away from the eyes of the crowd. My heart was still racing from everything I had just experienced everything I had just gone through. He dropped his cape so it billowed behind him again and led me down another hallway. He pulled me aside to an area only lit by one candle. I admired him, his face had eased up a little maybe even a slight chance of a smirk on his face. He was nearly unreadable when it came to emotions, but he seemed warm and inviting again. "You didn't leave." He said quietly. We met each other's gaze and I could tell there was a sort of happiness and relief in his gaze. "I couldn't." I responded with a little smile. I caught a smirk as the corner of his mouth turned upwards. There we were again, close to each other. But this time we were all alone, just us in the warmth of the candlelight. I couldn't help it, I don't know what was coming over me. I went from complete hatred of the man, to complete and utter admiration. I looked behind me at the party and back at him, the darkness was growing closer to us as the candle melted away. The darkness was slowly creeping over his shoulder as I pulled in closer to him. I pulled my right hand up and placed it gingerly on the side of his face not covered by the mask. He slightly turned his head into my hand closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in, I pushed myself upwards and met my lips with his pulling my other arm up and resting it behind his neck. He in shock, froze for a moment before resting his arms around my waist. I melted into his arms as he held me close, the candle now completely burnt out it was just us in the darkness. I wanted it to stay just us, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out why.