A Series of Observations

The evening was the highlight of the season, the longest awaited evening in many young individuals’ summers. The details were chosen to represent the highest level of perfection, a standard everyone strove for and evenings such as this often exposed that no one was.

The evening air was charged with the electrification of various excitement, an energy that was carried by all except two individuals, hidden in opposing corners of the room.

The woman plastered a smile onto her face as she was instructed to do, and graciously accepted the invitations of many suiters who asked for a dance, some daring for two. Knowing the deep inconvenience that would be made towards her if she denied, she accepted all. Her smile was never seen as the ploy it was as the intricate mask she wore kept her true feeling far away.

Masks hid every person throughout the ballroom, as the invited guests traveled around to discover their friends or foes behind each one. The woman adjusted her gloves as she admired the room around her, though she wished she was anywhere else, even she could not criticize the extent the hosts went to for the evening.

The man on the other side of the room spoke in hushed tones with the confidants around him. There had been much troubling him lately, and he was accompanied already by multiple glasses of wine to ease the sting of the circumstances that brought him here alone. His friends had urged him to attend, to attempt to enjoy what little was left of the summer months before there was no fun at all to be had. Reluctantly he agreed, and thus he was there, but his true motivations were kept as closely to himself as the perfectly tailored tuxedo he wore.

The room could not have endured any more visitors, the expansive manor still welcoming many guests from the neighboring towns. The most elite of society was present for the occasion, and thus their games began. The music was in exceptional form, showcasing tunes from far and wide, those that were beloved classics and many that were just becoming popular. The woman accepted the hand of each dance partner that approached her, and despite not having wanted to come at all, she begun to feel otherwise. Her evening became a hunt, a constant dance of flirtation and indulgence to see what she might uncover from the masked men who she danced with.

Her crimson gown glowed compared to the women around her, dressed in much more somber tones befitting of the theme given unto them. She, however, was never interested in fitting in, she had every intention of being seen and relished in that attention.

The man caught sight of her the moment she entered the room; how could he not with the unnerving perfection of her. This was retribution, he knew, for the unexplainable mistakes he had made, his bow tie suddenly too tight for the way he longed to go straight for her, rumors be damned.

His blood used to boil at the sight of her, the sound of her melodic voice as it always taunted him, but now his urges had altered entirely, his blood still singing that sinful tune that would not stop without her. The man had never been a stranger to conflict or shied away from a challenge, but that woman, the cursed woman, brought out the very best and worst of him. His friends attempted to distract him when they saw the only thing he held focus on in the room, but it was far too late for them to intervene, once his mind was made up there was no alternative for him.

The woman floated around the room, guided by strong arms and tall men, each so willingly giving into her temptations, contributing to her deceit. She knew what eyes tracked her throughout each piece, the only pair that had ever seen behind the masks she so carefully placed. It did not matter to her much what others thought, though society always urged it so for women of her standing.

Long gone were the trepidations of their families, that were so adamantly against each other to ever see what was happening under their very noses. Even the woman’s own nose was once held high at the thought of the man, and the man had not once taken the time to see the depth of the woman before the past few years. Blind were both to the assumptions of the other, and tonight there was nothing left between them to doubt.

The man had gone nearly half a night’s worth of dances enduring the image of the woman admiring anyone but him. This sort of torture he thought he would never have to endure, and with others was never in danger of it. His friends had long forced him to abandon his thirst to dull his senses, and he stood in that same spot, on the opposing side of the room with cruel clarity forcing itself through him.

He left thought behind as he stepped forward, again and again until a perfectly timed twirl landed him in the position to steal the woman from her latest dance partner. That partner abandoned his hopes at the glare the man gave him, a clear sign to not come back again.

The woman made to force herself away, even went as far as to say so to the man, urging him to let her go.

He would not, could not, and had yet to figure out how to make her understand. His grip held her tighter, and the music swelled with a force as he maintained their rhythm.

“How dare you do this; do you aim to insult me? Or simply instill further ridicule to the already crumbling opinions of our families towards each other.” the woman fumed.

This made the man smile, and with the first effort of true ease, he locked eyes with her.

“You and I both know that I do not have much need to worry about what people think of me-”

“You arrogant bast-” the woman attempted to interrupt. The man spun her around and meticulously followed the steps of the dance. Taking a moment to appreciate the mouth she possessed, careful not to let his thoughts go further of other ways he could show his appreciation.

“-regardless, our families will think what they will, I am beyond attempting to convince them of otherwise, aren’t you?”

The woman gapped at the man, and he bolstered with happiness at his success as rendering her speechless. The pair had made a complete turn about the room by that point, and they could feel the growing attention on them, the words that were no doubt being spread with fervor. The longest awaited evening of the summer certainly had no chance of disappointing.

“I loathe you, now-”

“No you do not, now why don’t you tell me why you are putting on this little show this evening? If it was my attention you desired, you need only ask.”

“You are shameless, and I haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about.” she looked up at him, her brows furrowing but a constant flush grew on her cheeks.

“Shameless indeed, only for you it would seem, and since you are not willing to be honest, I will have no choice but to be on both of our behalf’s.” the man’s hands grew lethal on the woman’s waist, holding back until she gave the word. “I refuse to stand there for another moment and watch another man attempt to flatter you with compliments that will never explain the true extent of your beauty. I refuse to accept that you are interested in their attentions. I refuse to be in this very room and believe that you do not want me as I want you, when with every look, every sharp word of your tongue only aims to suggest otherwise. I will not watch as you deny what has changed between us, will you?”

The man spun the woman around again, the song quickly coming to a close and his desperation rising with its conclusion. This would be the only moment he opened himself up to this. He did not take his gaze away from the woman, would not dare if this was perhaps the last moment he could commit her to memory.

Her steps did not falter, yet the man could see how viciously her mind worked.

“There would be no coming back from this, no opportunity for doubt, do you understand what you are asking of both of us?” she pressed closer to him, he allowed himself to feel a moment of hope.

“I do.” He promised, “I understand that from now until the end of our days, I will be yours in every sense that is understood by men and the God’s they follow. I understand that our families will reject and do their best to separate us, but I will never fall victim to their attempts, and I will stand by your side as I hope you will stand by mine.”

The woman contemplated this again, she never thought this day would come, let alone with someone like him. She could not explain how their childhood of taunting turned into an adolescence of hatred, to become an adulthood of longing and passion. The books she read had hinted towards such scandalous things time and time again, but she always believed it to be fiction, merely words on a page.

Now they were words being spoken only for her, words from lips that she had dreamt of repeatedly. She thought again, does she know what he is asking of her? She thought of the brave women in her books and what they might do, quickly accepting what she so desperately wanted to do.

The dance had ended, and the pair stood facing each other, their breaths deep with exertion, cheeks flush with all that was confessed. The man would not move without her answer, and so she stepped towards him. From her corset, resting between her breasts, she procured the end of a long chain which held the ring he had given to her in secret weeks ago. The man stared at that ring, pleading with his gaze for her to end his torture, to set him free to heal his wounds or simply let them finally be together.

“You once asked me to wear this when you asked me a certain question. Do you recall?”

The man nodded; that was all he could allow or else his composure would slip.

“Well, I’ve worn it every day since you gave it to me, is that not answer enough?”

Composure be damned, as the two smiled at each other in a way they had never allowed in public before. The next song had begun and matched their glorious outcoming, a tune that spoke of triumph and trials that the two felt deeply.

The woman removed the chain from her neck and freed the ring from its clasp. She gave it to the man, who placed it delicately on her finger. The man wasted no time in bringing the woman into his arms again, publicly claiming each other with a passionate kiss, and he remained by her side as promised for every song that came after.