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 Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 1:15 pm
Every fiber in her being was screaming to run, run fast down the path and back to her home, far and safe from the massive mansion that loomed over her. Crystal had never been threatened by a structure before, but it seemed as though it exuded something dark and unpleasant. Her exposed skin felt as though it would crawl off of her body to escape the experience that she was certain would leave welts on her heart and mind come morning.
The modest flower girl was dressed well. It wasn't as nicely as she could dress up, but something had told her to be cautious. She wore a formal black gown that started off her shoulders and fell like an ebon river to the ground, her waist cinched by a laced belt that was not unlike a corset. The gown was sleeveless in the warm evening, only being held up by the gentle cusp of of fabric that wrapped around her upper arm and the belt that showed her feminine figure. The skirts were loose and billowed so as not to be completely form fitting, long enough to cover her heeled feet. Oh, she so disliked heels, but it gave her two inches to her height and was far more presentable than her dress slippers.
Even her hair and jewelry were understated, wearing the pearl choker from the Masquerade (for comfort, she told herself) and a pair of pearl drop earrings. Her thickly curled hair was up in large ringlets, pulled away from her face to cascade down her back. Over her bare shoulders was a cowl of black which seemed to disappear between her hair and dress. Her eyes were large and unusually blue, making her look almost startled with her parted seashell lips.
Crystal was completely out of her element. She smiled politely to the servants outside, inclining her head respectfully to them. She was no noble, and couldn't begin to imagine their impression of her. In a clear, calm voice that completely hid her trepidation, she said, "My name is Crystal Beckett, and I have come by my Lord Irene Jewell's invitation." It covered the basics, introducing herself and her intention here, naming her host. This introduction was not unusual to her, for it was the same she used when catering. It was the part about being inside and not being the servant that was making her nervous.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 1:42 pm
The two servants looked at each other with a confused expression on their face. They then turned to Crystal and looked at her from head to toe, as if she was some kind of object rather than a human being. After the inspection one of the servants spoke up.
"We do not recall that the young master invited anyone other than---"
"Oh my!" A crisp, bell like voice rang behinde the two servants, and the two turned, surprised at another person's sudden appearance. Behind them was a girl in maid outfit. She looked young, perhaps even younger than Crystal, but the expression on her face was delightful and cheerful. The main skipped to Crystal and bowed to the other gracefully, spreading her skirt. Then she rose and blinked at Crystal, and gave a bright smile.
"You must be the lady my masters are waiting for. Please, come with me. You are a bit early, my lady, but I am sure they will be delighted in seeing you."
Without allowing Crystal to reply she turned and skipped to the two servants, and nodded to them. The servants looked at each other, perhaps even more confused than before, but in the end nodded back to the maid. She then turned and gestured at Crystal politely.
"This way, my lady."
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 2:35 pm
Masters? Crystal repeated silently, feeling her throat starting to close with anxiety. Her heart was beating so fast and hard, she was certain her dress must be jumping with its pounding. Still, she retained her perfect mask, inclining her head to the confused men with a gentle, "My apologies, gentlemen," before following the perky girl in a whirl of black fabric. She'd said that Crystal was early, but Irene never did give her a specific time other than 'tonight.'
It was very difficult for her to be called 'my Lady' by anyone other than Irene and Qadir. She suffered it only because she liked them; most people, she'd insist they use her name, simply because she didn't believe in titles. She knew this evening was going to be extremely difficult, simply because she had no idea what she was up against; if Irene wanted to play games, she would truly be at his mercy like the wolf he suggested he was mere hours before.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 5:27 pm
The maid didn't speak much other than how Crystal looked gorgeous tonight, so together they went inside the mansion. The maid nodded to all the other servants, who returned the greeting, but most of them were immediately drawn to Crystal's presence. Faint murmurs of admiration could be heard here and there, along with some quiet hushes. The hallway was wide and spacious, enough to fit at least seven people walking in a row. The floor was made of sparkling white marble stones, and a thick layer of dark red carpet with golden linings covered most of its surface. Several servants were seen transferring the house plants and dusting the walls, even though to normal people's eyes they looked perfectly clean. Faint classical music could be heard in the background, and was getting louder as the main led Crystal to turn at a corner.
As soon as they changed direction, a giant, copper colored door was revealed in front of the two. The decorations on the handles and panes were carefully engraved onto the metal colored hardwood. It looked so delicate and eloquent, that one could consider the door a piece of artwork in and out of itself.
The maid stepped forward, a precise number of steps without faultering, and knocked the door exactly three times, with the perfect control that would produce the most clear sound. For the moment the hallway was quiet, so the knocking echoed from the ceiling, which had the most bright lightings sealed in the most sparkly crystals.
"Her ladyship is here, master." The maid announced in her silver-bell voice. After a few seconds a woman's voice replied.
"Come in."
The maid took a few steps back, and the door opened from inside by two male servants dressed neatly in black suits. A wide, over-lit room was revealed in front of Crystal, and the sound of classical music can be heard very clearly now.
In the middle of the room sat an elderly woman around the age of 40s. Two servants were beside her, one of them massaging the lady's shoulder, the other serving some kind of drink on the small table in front of her. Seeing Crystal, the elderly woman waved the servants away, and bent over a little to take the little tea cup in her hands. She seeped it calmly, and settled it down. Finally she looked up at Crystal. Her eyes were pure blue, and her hair had the lightest shade of yellow. She looked at Crystal without any emotions, the same way the servants at the door looked at the girl. However her glance was more graceful, more reserved. After a while the corner of her mouth curved up just a tiny little bit to show a hint of a smile. Her gloved hand raised to gesture the girl to come in.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 5:39 pm
The young woman followed the maid with her head held high, not looking anywhere other than the way before her. It was not arrogance or pride that made Crystal walk so, but more a fear of not knowing what was expected of her. She felt a little foolish to have thought the mansion would be empty in the first place; the idea of taking a look around while people were so obviously watching her was completely out of the question.
She stopped her long strides a short ways behind the maid, turning her bright eyes over the door with a muted admiration. Her training had kicked into the highest gear possible, giving her the appearance of being cool and collected, although there was no readable thought on her face other than a shadow of appreciation. Her hands lay still at her sides, relaxed as though she'd done this a thousand times; perhaps she had, just not in this particular mansion.
As the doors opened to reveal their treasure, Crystal was neither pleased nor surprised to hear a voice that was not Irene's, although the impression wasn't so much as a flicker across her careful porcelain face. When the woman was visible to her, she was careful not to look her in the face, her chin lowered in acknowledgement of who she must be. The motion to come in was not missed, however, and with a soft "Thank you," to the maid, the flower girl turned walking doll entered the room, careful to lift her skirts to keep from dragging on the lusterous carpets.
Crystal stopped halfway between the door and the woman in the room, sinking into a deep curtsey. She would not approach any further unless instructed, nor would she speak unless spoken to; such were the unwritten rules of the world she had so unwittingly entered.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 5:55 pm
The elderly woman nodded in appreciation, and took her eyes off of Crystal for an instant to stand up. She returned Crystal's courtship with a gracious bow, and looked around, fanning herself.
"Nice meeting you, lady...Maria, I assume? Now, where is that boy...."
Before Crystal could respond to anything, the door on the side of the room flung open, and entered Irene a little flustered. The young man was exceptionally well dressed, and his hair was combed back neatly so they settled behind his back without flying around like they did in the early afternoon. He did not look at Crystal, but instead went traight to the elderly lady and bowed deeply.
"Forgive me mother, something had kept me from---"
"Hush, her ladyship is here, behave yourself, Irene."
Irene sighed slightly, and nodded. When he looked up and turned his head to Crystal, however, his eyes went wide with horror. The young man tried his best not to stumble backwards at the sight of Crystal and his mother, but could not keep his mouth shut. The lady, seeing how Irene was obviously gawking, frowned and tugged at the young man's sleeves. She looked at Irene in a condescending expression.
"Is there something the matter, young master?"
"No! Nothing, mother. I was...I just realized that I had forgotten the daily exercises before I came in." Irene rambled on, not caring what he was talking about. The elderly woman gave a dissatisfied sigh, and walked back to her seat. As soon as the lady turned, however, Irene snapped his head to Crystal immediately. His expression was a mixture of fear, anxiety and confusion. He made a very clear motion of shaking his head at the girl, but the meaning was all the more baffling.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 6:04 pm
She raised from the curtsey at the sound of a voice addressing her, and was horrified to find the elderly woman bowing back to her! Before Crystal could do so much as blink, Irene came flying in to the room. She felt a mixture of emotions, the two largest being admiration for his stunning good looks and humiliation for being brought into this situation to begin with. Maria? Was that the one he was buying a flower for?
Then he turned his unhappy gaze on her, and every emotion possible seemed to flicker across his face. That brought her some sense of justice, although she felt horribly guilty for thinking like that in the first place. When his mother went to sit down, she allowed a slight crack in her mask to return her own sense of horror - laced with a certain drawing fear - before her perfect expression was back in place.
She didn't dare speak; she could not lie! Instead, she drew into another deep curtsey to Irene, hoping the fast talking young man would figure a way out of this. Her family's reputation, everything she'd worked for was at stake if he didn't fix the mess. Worst come to worse...she'd fix it herself.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 6:26 pm
The elderly woman allowed herself to sit with the most presentation of nobility. She took a sip at her drink, and looked up at the two young people in the room. The lady blinked at the two curiously, and put her drink down. She then looked at Crystal apologitically.
"Miss Maria, please, sit down. Forgive the young master today...a stroll in the lower class area this afternoon must have made him somewhat slow to catch back up." The lady casted a harsh glance at Irene, who gulped, and smiled awkwardly at Crystal. He himself took a seat beside his mother, and tried to look as composed as possible.
The classical music in the room did nothing to clam the tension down, and the three sat in silence, with the lady occasionally seeping at her tea.
Finally Irene broke the silence, and smiled at Crystal. It was a fake smile, but enough to hide his mixture of boiling emotions.
"Allow me to introduce myself...I'm Irene Jewell, the 16th descendent of Herman Jewell, the high official who used to serve our king..." a harsh glance from the lady. "I mean the king at the times. I uh...I heard much about you, miss Maria, you and your family's corporation in the stock market. We are very impressed by your family's progress."
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 6:42 pm
Crystal was not one to harbor ill emotions or thoughts, but she could have sworn she felt a tingle of wrath starting to build in her chest. So, he wanted her to play his game, to save his hide? She didn't like this, not one bit; if they had thought she was 'Maria,' who was to say the real thing wouldn't walk in at any given moment? She had to get out of here, and fast.
"Forgive me, Lady Mistress, for being so withdrawn. I am in awe of finally being in your presence," she started in her most honeyed voice, not unlike a gentle singing. She turned her pleasant blue gaze onto Irene, not showing anything with her face or eyes. "I'm glad you made it back in one piece, Master Jewell. It's not advisable to wallow in such shallow waters." Crystal gave a delicate cough, feeling that tickle starting to build. So far, she'd been able to speak without acknowledging who she was or what she was truly here for. It appeared Irene couldn't be the man she needed in her time of need.
She had to think. The classical music was lilting in her head like a crazy tune, making her feel a little dizzy. Still, she smiled on as she managed to say, "Your words are megnamious, Master Jewell. I...oh! Lady Mistress, if you would excuse this humble and absent minded girl, I have brought a gift that I would like to extend to you and your family. However, I wish to present it to you myself, but I left it in my carriage in my excitement to be here. I am so very sorry to waste your time." She dipped into another curtsey, allowing her eyes to show the regret she felt, even if the emotion was not for the words she said out loud.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 6:58 pm
The elderly lady raised an eyebrow at Crystal's request. "Silly girl. " She put the tea cup down on the table. "Running back and forth is not suitable for ladies. Let the servants fetch them for you." And with that she snapped a finger at the two male servants at the door. Before they could approach, however, Irene stood up abruptly and blocked the two. He deeply bowed to his mother, and, without straighteneing himself, he requested, "Mother, allow me to go with lady Maria myself...I have some a gift that I bought this afternoon also, and I wish to present my gift to lady Maria personally. So please!"
"So improudent! Have I failed in teaching you all these years? Sit!" The lady almost screamed the last word, and Irene, as if he was being slapped on the face, sank back down to his seat and bowed his head. The lady paused, breathing a little heavily. After she'd settled down a little she smiled at Crystal.
"Do forgive him for his rudeness, Miss Maria. If you wish, perhaps you two could take a stroll in the garden afterwards. But for now, I'm interested in chatting with you---"
the elderly lady's voice was broken when the maid from earlier rushed in. Her face, unlike earlier, was red, as if she had run in here. The elderly lady rose and frowned at the maid, who bowed deeply, but came forward and whispered something in the lady's ear. The lady's eyes went wide, and looked at Crystal with somewhat a puzzled expression. She nodded to the maid, and turned to the two.
"Please excuse me for a moment, there seems to be some unsettling events...happening at the front gate." She motioned the two male servants, and the two guided the lady out of the door.
Irene watched his mother's movement intently, and as soon as the door was shut he took ahold of Crystal's hand, turned and walked, or rather ran to the side door. He muttered a "run" during the process, and that was exactly what he did, pulling Crystal out of the side door and onto another hallway. There he walked fast, and disregarded any surprised sounds made from the servants. The hand held Crystal's tightly, and Irene didn't look back until they were out of the mansion and onto the moonlit lawn. There he paused, and turned to Crystal, his facial expression hidden by the darkness.
"Now, how in the world did you get in here?"
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:10 pm
Crystal was numb through the proceedings, almost finding the elderly woman insufferable. The rest was a blur, from her crazed screaming at Irene, to the maid coming in, to Irene grabbing her hand, hardly giving her time to take off her heels before she ran with him through the side door and onto the lawn.
The woman cast a frantic glance out of the gates, seeing her carriage still safely off to the side. "I got in because your servants didn't know who I was and the maid lead me in and I didn't know any...my Lord." It was all she could do not to cry in frustration, her perfect mask shattering as she started to shake, her words coming out too fast and her fear starting to get the better of her. Everything had been moving so slowly, and now it was speeding along so fast she couldn't keep herself together enough to think clearly. She dropped her heels and reached for him in the darkness, grasping his arms, her face openly worried. "She'll know you covered for me," she whispered, her wide eyes almost completely blue. "My Lord, what can I do? I feared for myself and my family, but now it is your well being I fear is in jeopardy."
She wanted to curse him for playing with her emotions like this, for making her so angry and then making her so scared for him. She wanted to scream at him and walk away, but she couldn't. Instead, she tried to see his face, tried to see any of him and why he had allowed it to happen.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:17 pm
Irene shook his head. "Can't explain right now. We have to get you to somewhere safe first. The real Maria is probably at the gates right now...things are in a mess. But we can't have you stay here...you'll get killed." He breathed heavily, and tried his best to keep his voice low. "Follow me...and don't let go of my hand." He turned and paused, looking at Crystal's dress.
"they are beautiful, my lady, but you might want to...tear them short a little so we can walk faster." Irene knew he was blushing as soon as he felt the burn on his face. Thank goodness the darkness hid it. He gave a heavy sigh, and placed his hands frimly on the girl's slim shoulders.
"I'll protect you, my lady, so please....trust me for once."
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:22 pm
Killed? Safe? What type of family had she gotten into? This was bad, more than bad, it was maddening! He touched her then, and brought her back to herself, seeing the seriousness on his face. He'd even had the grace to blush at mentioning she leave her encumbersome dress. That softened her heart, and Crystal did as he asked, although not exactly so. She carefully pulled the shoulder pieces off of her arms, reaching behind to uncinch her belt and letting the pieces drop to reveal an under-skirt and slip, as well as a body-piece that was commonly worn beneath such fancy dresses. She kneeled quickly to retrieve said dress, belt and her heels, tucking them under one arm before taking his hand.
"Lead, my Lord, and I will follow."
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:30 pm
By the time Crystal took off her dress, Irene already turned his head away from the girl. He had a rough sense of what she did, and he was now too afraid to look back for such a distraction. Instead he locked his fingers onto Crystal's one wrist, and led the girl carfully through the bushes.
"There is one place where the tiles are broken down on one of the walls...mother called the workers to fix it, but they won't be arriving till tomorrow." Irene said while the two walked. "It'll only take a small push to climb over that part of the wall, so hopefully there will be mo guards....and if there are, I'll handle them and you...just run, and don't stop until you get back home."
Irene could feel his heart pounding up to his throat. Why did he get himself into this mess? More importantly, why did he get Crystal into this mess? He was sure the girl would hate him now, and he was not comfortable in imagining so. The least he could do now was to get the girl out of danger. As for himself...well...he won't die, at least.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:43 pm
The woman allowed herself to be lead like a lost lamb, feeling her senses completely on edge. She felt no fear of the elderly woman, even though Irene insisted Crystal could be killed if they were caught. These times were not violent ones, so while the fright was there, it was not one she could take seriously. No, from that woman screaming and carrying on like a maniac, the flower girl had the distinct feeling that whatever should have happened to her, would be two fold on Irene.
She picked her way carefully through the bushes, thankful he had mentioned her dress. She didn't even have the ability to be embarrassed by her lack of clothing, not when so much was riding on their success. "When you can..." she whispered, her voice sounding more like her own, "will you...will you let me know you're all right, somehow? If you can come by or send word...?" Maybe this wasn't the time to ask, but she truly felt that his mother was deranged. She wanted to make sure he wouldn't suffer a punishment meant for herself.
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