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“You two look absolutely incredible,” I said, full of awe.
“Where’s your costume, Rhia?” Mendex asked.
“Well, I was just about to get ready before you two barged into my room.”
Amica squealed, clasping her hands together. “Sorry, we were just too excited and couldn’t wait! Go and put it on, I want to see!”
I ran over to my closet, grabbed my dress, and rushed into my washroom to try it on. I put on my heels, slipped on my dress, and tied on my masque. When I was finished changing, I rushed out of the washroom and over to my mirror.
My gown was black velvet, with sleeves down to my wrists and a neckline that ended at my throat. A narrow oval was cut out in the center of my chest, accentuating a bit of my cleavage. The gown hugged my body, showcasing every curve on it. There was a high slit on the side of my left leg that went all the way up to my thigh, showing practically all of my leg. The bottom of the gown pooled around my feet, leaving a small but elegant train. On the cuffs of my sleeves were fluffy black feathers that were pulled from the rachis. The feathers also outlined the bottom of my train, the edges on either side of the slit, and the top of my neckline, acting as a choker. My mask was featured in black feathers, highlighting the dark makeup that lined my eyes. The gold shadow and lipstick that Ancilla painted on my face were the perfect accents to this dress. I truly looked the part of the black swan.
Holy shit.
“Holy shit,” Three voices said from behind me.
I felt beautiful—more beautiful than I had probably ever felt before. It wasn’t just the dress, or the hair and makeup, but I swore my whole complexion was different now. It was as if I’d changed since my visit to Vesper. I was practically radiating.
“Rhia, you look—”
I turned around to find that Miles had now joined us. He wore a light gray suit and a tie made out of wool to match the ram mask he had tied around his head. Horns curved off of the mask and his blonde hair matched perfectly.
I lowered my eyes, not used to this kind of attention. “Thank you, Miles, and you look rather handsome yourself.”
He shied away at the comment, and I caught the quick motion of him looking Amica up and down.
Miles asked me to be his date to the masquerade last night when he found out that Mendex had asked Amica. Usually, we just went as a trio, but since there were four of us now, this made more sense. Miles was my friend, and of course I would go with him, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he only asked me to be his date out of jealousy.
Amica crossed the room and gave me a big hug. “I have a feeling that tonight will be the best masquerade we’ve ever had.”
I hoped that she was right, because I had that feeling too.
???
The grand ballroom was truly a work of art. The lights were dim, and vines decorated with flowers were strung across the high ceilings, making the room feel like it was a glamorized jungle. Fairy lights were woven into the greenery , illuminating the room in a magical glow.
There were hundreds, if not thousands of people here to celebrate the masquerade tonight. There were all different kinds of themed costumes and masks on displays. I saw cats, dogs, peacocks, monkeys, and pretty much every animal that could be thought of. Some wore feathers, while others wore fur, and the best part was I couldn’t tell who anyone was. The masques and costumes hid everyone’s identity, except for my friends, of course, since I came with them. However, that was always the fun part about the masquerade. There were stories of servants falling into the beds of kings and sworn enemies who danced the night away together. You could be whoever you wanted tonight, perhaps even yourself if you’d prefer not to hide for once.
“I think it’s time for us to no longer be sober for the night,” Miles said, somehow managing to have found a tray with four small glasses of hard alcohol.
I picked up one of the glasses, not caring for once that I wasn’t supposed to drink. I felt betrayed and confused, and the least I deserved was a damn drink. “I couldn’t agree more, Miles.”
Amica and Mendex followed through with, “Cheers to that.”
I tipped my head back and downed the glass in one go, my friends doing the same. The liquid burned my throat as it traveled to my stomach, instantly warming my cheeks.
Amica coughed as she blinked back tears in her eyes. “What the hell was that, Miles?”
“That tasted like straight rubbing alcohol.” I laughed, blinking rapidly as my eyes began to water.
He shrugged. “I dunno, I just asked the bartender to give us the strongest thing that the castle had.”
I truly had no idea what I just drank, and I should have probably been more concerned, but the alcohol had a nice let’s-just-not-give-any-shits-tonight effect, and I decided I’d listen to that instead.
The ballroom was already swirling with dancers as the song changed to something less traditional and a little more upbeat. The four of us locked eyes and ran to the center of the floor. The crowd spread for us as we made our way to the middle, and it felt like our little group had the attention of the entire party.
The music was fast-paced and loud. Mendex and Amica were quick to start dancing, their bodies molding together, swaying to the rhythm of the music. Miles picked me up against my will and I shrieked as he spun me around and around and around.
There were moments where Amica and I let the alcohol get the better of us and we danced on each other provocatively, putting on a free show for everyone, but I didn’t care—no one even knew who we were. Eventually, there would come a time where I no longer could be young and stupid. Hell, even a little reckless. I laughed a little louder and smiled a little wider at the thought of this moment and the special memory that it would be for me in the future.
