'A Gala to Remember'
After many hours of indecisiveness,
both Genie and I found the perfect gowns, and accessories, and shoes, and the list never stopped. Genie’s dress was magnificent on her. The base color of the dress was that of a ripe peach. It fit against her body tightly at the chest before it blossomed out at her calves. There was a shimmering skirt that followed behind her as she walked. A beautiful golden flower was etched into the dress starting mid-way down her hips to her feet, and a matching golden halter strap wrapped around her delicate neck.
As she walked into the ballroom,
the crowd of people went silent. Her golden hair was down and curled. The dress had never seen a match like it. Morgan turned around to see his fiancé, coming down the stairs. She was as beautiful in this dress as she would be when she had just awoken from sleep to him. He felt his heart pound as he waited for her at the end of the staircase. She set her hand in his and they knew they were meant for each other.
I, on the other hand,
couldn’t get myself to leave my room. I was standing in my room staring at my reflection in the wall length mirror. I couldn’t recognize me. My dull black hair didn’t seem as dull now as it lay straight, hot and pressed. Mother had put a tiara on my head, and I couldn’t stop touching it, afraid it would disappear. The makeup on my face brought out the color of my eyes and lightened my skin in all the right areas. Though it was all slightly extreme, I felt like maybe I was pretty, at least for a night.
My dress could not have suited my style
at the moment more. The pink lace fit snug against my chest and waist, before a pink ribbon separated it at a diagonal, leaving a full-length pink, shimmer, petal skirt. I continued to stare at myself in the mirror, unable to look away; I was nervous and slightly afraid. Then I heard another rapid tap on the door.
“Miss, your escort is waiting.”
My maid entered the room.
“Oh, Lady Clara!” she exclaimed, using my first name for the first time in years, “You are positively elegant!”
“Thank you Jessie.”
“Don’t be afraid miss, you’ll be just fine. I promise you.”
And with that, I exited my room,
and headed for the celebrated room. The closer I got, the more nervous I felt. When I stood in front of the twin wooden doors that led me down the grand staircase into the gala, I took a deep breath and before I could release it the doors opened. The bright light from inside the room momentarily blinded me, and then I could see them. There were people everywhere. It seemed a lot of people were happy for Genie and Morgan. Just as I felt myself starting to panic, I looked down the staircase, and spotted him.
Lawrence was standing at the bottom
of the grand stairs, with his beautiful golden hair pulled back impeccably. He turned and looked up at me stunned, as the entire crowd followed suit. I looked over the wonderfully dressed people, and saw my sister dancing with Morgan. She stopped and stared at me. I started down the staircase staring at my feet, counting to make sure I didn’t trip.
When I reached the bottom, Lawrence held out his arm and whispered, “You are not going to trip.”
I looked up at him, and smiled. As we walked to the shimmering dance floor, the spirit lifting music began again, people started up their conversations, and I felt a lot less nervous. Genie grabbed my arm, surprising me, and pulled me into a tight hug.
“Shall we dance?” Morgan asked us.
“That sounds wonderful brother.”
Lawrence swiftly wrapped his arms around me, and before I knew it I was swaying across the dance floor, laughing.
“This isn’t so bad, now is it?” Lawrence laughed.
“Well, you make it better.”
I blushed and grinned. He smiled and continued to whirl me around until my feet hurt.
“I have to get some cool air or I will faint!”
I laughed. As we turned to head in the direction of fresh air, I bumped into my father.
“Daddy, you look so handsome, as always,” I exclaimed kissing his cheek.
“Clara, darling, look at you,” he spun me around, “Now who is this fine gentleman?”
He reached out his hand to Lawrence.
“Oh, I am sorry daddy. This is Lawrence Thyne, Morgan’s brother. Lawrence this is my father, Thomas,” I said as I nervously introduced the two men.
“A pleasure, sir.”
Lawrence shook his hand.
“Mr. Thyne, you take care of my Clara now…” he started in.
“Daddy, now none of that. We were just headed outside for some air.”
I leaned in and kissed his cheek.
“Indeed,” he sighed.
With that, I grabbed Lawrence’s hand and we ran out to the vine-covered terrace. I bent over the side and breathed in the warm, salty, ocean air. Lawrence quickly joined me, and we leaned on the iron railing, watching the flowing waves.
“Of course you can. You can tell me anything.”
I turned to face him as he bent his head down, and looked out at the misted ocean, away from me.
“There’s no easy way to say this.”
“What?”
I started to feel sick to my stomach.
I wrapped my arms around myself.
*“My father told me a few weeks ago that he promised me to a friend of the family’s daughter.”
“Promised you what?”
I knew what he was saying but I didn’t want to accept it.
“No, he… damn it Clara! I’m promised to marry someone else!”
“I…I…”
“After meeting your father in there, and dancing with you, I just, I am starting to really like you, and as I am already going to marry someone else, I think it’s only right that I stopped this before it became something more.”
I couldn’t say anything. I felt my heart explode, and I turned to run.
“Clara!” he yelled, reaching out and grabbing my arm.
Suddenly extremely angry and overwhelmed, I felt my fist hit his chin, before I took off running.
fantastic story.i like your post and following, @frolickinraptors.