Chapter 2
361 Words
She slipped from the tower’s cold stone, the night swallowing her footsteps as she slipped toward the palace. From the shadows she could finally drink in the kaleidoscope of lanterns spilling across the courtyard, gold, ruby, sapphire, each pulse a promise of the ball within. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine and something sweeter, a hint of anticipation that made her heart thrace a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
A sudden clatter shattered the reverie. A massive chestnut horse reared, its hooves striking the cobblestones with a thunderous echo. The rider, a broad shouldered figure in a dark cloak, yanked hard on the reins, his eyes widening as he saw her teeter on the edge of the marble steps. Time seemed to stretch. she stumbled, the world tilting, and landed hard on the cold stones, a gasp escaping her lips.
A deep, warm voice cut through the chaos, “Are you alright?” It was low, resonant, and carried a note of genuine concern that made the chill in her bones melt for a moment. A strong hand reached for her, calloused yet gentle, fingers brushing the silk of her dress as her black veil falls to the ground. She felt the firm grip pull her back from the brink, his blue eyes stared into hers and for a heartbeat she was suspended between the night sky and the steady pulse of the stranger’s palm.
she quickly slipped her waist from his grasp shifting her gaze to the ground.
“Here,” he bent towards the ground and picked up the veil, his voice a low murmur that seemed to blend with the distant music drifting from the ballroom. The lantern light caught the edge of his face, revealing a chiseled jawline, a scar tracing his cheek, and eyes that held a flicker of something, perhaps curiosity, perhaps something deeper.
She snatched the fabric, the silk slipping through trembling fingers, and for a split second their skin brushed. A jolt of unexpected warmth traveled up her arm, and she felt an unfamiliar heat bloom in her chest. Without another word, she turned and fled back toward the tower.
- Writer
