Claude sighed, the day was progressing far faster than she had hoped, and still no sign. She tried to stand still as the servants put on the finishing touches, making sure every fasten and button and tie was perfectly in place on her dress. Every detail had been carefully supervised by her mother months ago, every flower approved, every seam inspected. It clung to her body, every curve, but she didn't care how pretty it was or how it suited her. Her heart wasn't in it, her heart was somewhere else, and so was her mind.
Finally she could take it no longer, she shoo'd all the servants away, there was nothing more they could do, it couldn't be any more bloody perfect She needed time alone, time to think, time to pray to Andraste, maybe, maybe this time she would hear and answer, maybe. She checked herself in the mirror, she smiled, she wanted to see just how impeccable her mask was, would it stand up to scrutiny, could she play the hand she was given and fool this oaf of a man into thinking she was in love with him. Maybe, but her heart wasn't truly there, her heart was with someone else.
She heard a knock on the door, her mother checking on her, finding out why she's sent the servants away. Her mother peered in, not even waiting for Claude to bid her enter, "Dear why are all the servants out here and not in there helping you get ready?" She asked. Her mother didn't care what she wanted, let alone who she wanted. Of course, it hadn't helped that Frankie's parents has also agreed wholeheartedly that they weren't a suitable match. It had sealed her fate.
"I am all ready mother, they are no longer needed." She sighed, trying to put on the mask, wear the mask, be the mask, fool everyone.
"Well then, can't we get started, all the guests are here? What are you waiting for?" Her mother asked impatiently. What was she waiting for. The gift she'd sent, it would have arrived at Frankie's estate hours ago, first thing in the morning like she'd requested. He'd surely have opened it by now, didn't he understand what the gift meant, today of all days, couldn't he read between the lines, couldn't he feel her, couldn't he see through her mask? She sighed and turned her head to her mother, wear the mask, be the mask.
"Of course mother, I just need a few more moments before facing all those people." She bowed her head politely, dutifully, the good daughter she was, for honour, for duty, but not for love, it appeared very shortly her mask would be come a permanent fixture to her face. If only......
Once her mother left her alone once more, she paced out to the balcony, it overlooked the gardens, and just beyond them she could see the bustling city streets of Antiva. Was he out there? Was he coming for her? For weeks, every night, she dreamed only of one thing, of escape, but not just any escape, that her beautiful crazy Frankie would come for her. That he would spit in the faces of those that denied them their love, that he would take her away and promise to love her forever, her and only her.
Seconds turned to Minutes, each minute ticking by, closer to sealing her fate. She could feel them, behind her mask, tears welling up, an ache so deep in her chest she thought she would suffocate from it. Another knock on the door, she ignored it. She needed to believe, she needed to have hope, but hope was a fickle thing, and time was fleeting. Time to put on the mask, time to live in the mask, time to accept her fate.
Finally another knock, but this time she was ready, she opened the door and simply nodded. After a few moments of servants moving into places, her father appeared and offered her his arm. It was time. She put on her mask, she'd learned to wear it well, she smiled and she walked forward into the waiting crowd. The music started to play, she smiled, she wore her mask bravely, it was the only thing holding her together.
Each step, each step carried her one step closer to an eternity with a man she loathed, and one step further away from her true heart's desires. Each step, a nail in her coffin, a fate she didn't want, a fate she didn't believe she deserved. A stranger was waiting for her at the end of her steps, he wanted advancement, he wanted standing, he wanted heirs, he saw her mask, nothing more.
As her father stepped away and left her with this man, she still hoped, a tiny ember deep down inside, the last flicker of hope survived. She glanced back the way she had come, glanced back, what did she expect to see. She'd waited, she'd hoped, what more could she do. She took a deep breath, and turned away, looking up into the eyes of her fate, those cold eyes looking down at her, seeing only her mask.
She didn't really hear any of the words being spoken, but she smiled and nodded in all the right places, each nod adding another crack in her heart. He wasn't coming. Finally, there was no more time, he wasn't coming and time had run out, a deep voice from somewhere close announced the fateful words. "I now present to you Duke Geralt Manchette and Duchess Claude Antoinette Poisson, husband and wife."
Banners were waved, people cheered, fireworks were sent up above the city, all to honour a fate she despised. She turned to the crowd with her husband, she smiled, she kissed back when he kissed her, but her heart wasn't in it. She wore the mask well, but her heart would always belong to someone else. The mask she wore belonged to her husband, her heart would forever and always belong to Frankie, even if he was too stupid to come claim it.
As the night and festivities wore on, she found herself once again alone on the balcony overlooking the gardens, it was nearly midnight now, in a few more minutes it would no longer be Frankie's birthday. She was tired, her mask felt heavy, and for a brief moment, she felt it crumble away, and there in the moonlight, a single tear slid down her cheek.
Finally she could take it no longer, she shoo'd all the servants away, there was nothing more they could do, it couldn't be any more bloody perfect She needed time alone, time to think, time to pray to Andraste, maybe, maybe this time she would hear and answer, maybe. She checked herself in the mirror, she smiled, she wanted to see just how impeccable her mask was, would it stand up to scrutiny, could she play the hand she was given and fool this oaf of a man into thinking she was in love with him. Maybe, but her heart wasn't truly there, her heart was with someone else.
She heard a knock on the door, her mother checking on her, finding out why she's sent the servants away. Her mother peered in, not even waiting for Claude to bid her enter, "Dear why are all the servants out here and not in there helping you get ready?" She asked. Her mother didn't care what she wanted, let alone who she wanted. Of course, it hadn't helped that Frankie's parents has also agreed wholeheartedly that they weren't a suitable match. It had sealed her fate.
"I am all ready mother, they are no longer needed." She sighed, trying to put on the mask, wear the mask, be the mask, fool everyone.
"Well then, can't we get started, all the guests are here? What are you waiting for?" Her mother asked impatiently. What was she waiting for. The gift she'd sent, it would have arrived at Frankie's estate hours ago, first thing in the morning like she'd requested. He'd surely have opened it by now, didn't he understand what the gift meant, today of all days, couldn't he read between the lines, couldn't he feel her, couldn't he see through her mask? She sighed and turned her head to her mother, wear the mask, be the mask.
"Of course mother, I just need a few more moments before facing all those people." She bowed her head politely, dutifully, the good daughter she was, for honour, for duty, but not for love, it appeared very shortly her mask would be come a permanent fixture to her face. If only......
Once her mother left her alone once more, she paced out to the balcony, it overlooked the gardens, and just beyond them she could see the bustling city streets of Antiva. Was he out there? Was he coming for her? For weeks, every night, she dreamed only of one thing, of escape, but not just any escape, that her beautiful crazy Frankie would come for her. That he would spit in the faces of those that denied them their love, that he would take her away and promise to love her forever, her and only her.
Seconds turned to Minutes, each minute ticking by, closer to sealing her fate. She could feel them, behind her mask, tears welling up, an ache so deep in her chest she thought she would suffocate from it. Another knock on the door, she ignored it. She needed to believe, she needed to have hope, but hope was a fickle thing, and time was fleeting. Time to put on the mask, time to live in the mask, time to accept her fate.
Finally another knock, but this time she was ready, she opened the door and simply nodded. After a few moments of servants moving into places, her father appeared and offered her his arm. It was time. She put on her mask, she'd learned to wear it well, she smiled and she walked forward into the waiting crowd. The music started to play, she smiled, she wore her mask bravely, it was the only thing holding her together.
Each step, each step carried her one step closer to an eternity with a man she loathed, and one step further away from her true heart's desires. Each step, a nail in her coffin, a fate she didn't want, a fate she didn't believe she deserved. A stranger was waiting for her at the end of her steps, he wanted advancement, he wanted standing, he wanted heirs, he saw her mask, nothing more.
As her father stepped away and left her with this man, she still hoped, a tiny ember deep down inside, the last flicker of hope survived. She glanced back the way she had come, glanced back, what did she expect to see. She'd waited, she'd hoped, what more could she do. She took a deep breath, and turned away, looking up into the eyes of her fate, those cold eyes looking down at her, seeing only her mask.
She didn't really hear any of the words being spoken, but she smiled and nodded in all the right places, each nod adding another crack in her heart. He wasn't coming. Finally, there was no more time, he wasn't coming and time had run out, a deep voice from somewhere close announced the fateful words. "I now present to you Duke Geralt Manchette and Duchess Claude Antoinette Poisson, husband and wife."
Banners were waved, people cheered, fireworks were sent up above the city, all to honour a fate she despised. She turned to the crowd with her husband, she smiled, she kissed back when he kissed her, but her heart wasn't in it. She wore the mask well, but her heart would always belong to someone else. The mask she wore belonged to her husband, her heart would forever and always belong to Frankie, even if he was too stupid to come claim it.
As the night and festivities wore on, she found herself once again alone on the balcony overlooking the gardens, it was nearly midnight now, in a few more minutes it would no longer be Frankie's birthday. She was tired, her mask felt heavy, and for a brief moment, she felt it crumble away, and there in the moonlight, a single tear slid down her cheek.
11-19-2023, 07:35 AM
