Day 23: I Hear Her Singing Through The Wires
Short bit today. I've started exercising again, and I'm surprised at how good I feel. I thought it would take a chunk out of me.
Suddenly Hannah felt herself swept up in powerful arms. The man had a strong jaw and a night-blue mask with grey down for eyebrows. At least she hoped that part of his face was the mask. He swung her around and dipped her low. His breath was warm against her upturned face, and smelled of something astringently alcoholic.
“Aren't you supposed to ask a lady for a dance?” she asked hen she got her breath back.
He did not answer, merely smirked. If it was meant to be roguishly charming, it utterly failed. Hannah did not like this. Worse than the sudden and uninvited physical contact was the fact that this seemed planned. Specifically it seemed calculated to seperate her from the gatekeeper. The only person in this place who seemed to make sense.
Hannah tried to look around with losing her blance and falling against her dancing partner's chest. Somehow that would make everything even worse. At first she saw nothing but the blur of whirling evening dresses, cloaks and pantaloons. Everyone seemed to be taller than her. Then, for a few brief moments the writhing crowd parted, and Hannah could see where they were. They were dancing on a large dais, and below them a steep slope lead down to the edge of a lake. A thick mist had gathered at the lake's center. On the other side Hannah could dimly make out something like towers and columns.
The crowd closed again and the dance went on. It seemed impossible to Hannah that anyone could enjoy this. After what seemed an eternity, the music stopped for a moment, and her dancing partner relinquished his grip. He made an exaggerated bow which seemed mocking. Hannah did not wait for the music to pick up again. She ran. Away from the dancers and into a crowd of more sedate people drinking and carrying hushed conversations.
She let herself fall into a high-backed red velvet chair when she felt almost sure that no dancers were pursuing her. Almost immediately a servant in a white cloak offered her a drink. She accepted it, and the servant went on, quiet as a ghost.
“Sorry about that. Some of the guests don't know their own strength.”
She turned her head and there sat the gatekeeper. He looked tired but smiled kindly.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I didn't exactly know” he said. “I had a pretty good idea though”.
She took a sip of her drink. It had a warm honey-like flavor.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Certainly” the gatekeeper said. “I expect you have many questions”.
“Yeah”. Hannah tried to think of where to start. “Do you know why I am here?”
“You are here because you sneaked out of your house, careful not to wake your parents. They wouldn't have allowed you to go here, of course. But I'm guessing that wasn't the answer you wanted. You are here because your parents let the king enter their lives”.
“What king? The king of this place?”
“Indeed. The king is the host and the unquestioned master of the carnival, the lake and the city on the other side”.
“I think I saw that”.
“You probably did. It is a beautiful place in many ways.”
“So, my parents were here?” Hannah could not exactly picture it.
“No. They met the king on the road. They made him a promise on the day you were born”. This entry was originally posted at http://hafwit.dreamwidth.org/18303.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Suddenly Hannah felt herself swept up in powerful arms. The man had a strong jaw and a night-blue mask with grey down for eyebrows. At least she hoped that part of his face was the mask. He swung her around and dipped her low. His breath was warm against her upturned face, and smelled of something astringently alcoholic.
“Aren't you supposed to ask a lady for a dance?” she asked hen she got her breath back.
He did not answer, merely smirked. If it was meant to be roguishly charming, it utterly failed. Hannah did not like this. Worse than the sudden and uninvited physical contact was the fact that this seemed planned. Specifically it seemed calculated to seperate her from the gatekeeper. The only person in this place who seemed to make sense.
Hannah tried to look around with losing her blance and falling against her dancing partner's chest. Somehow that would make everything even worse. At first she saw nothing but the blur of whirling evening dresses, cloaks and pantaloons. Everyone seemed to be taller than her. Then, for a few brief moments the writhing crowd parted, and Hannah could see where they were. They were dancing on a large dais, and below them a steep slope lead down to the edge of a lake. A thick mist had gathered at the lake's center. On the other side Hannah could dimly make out something like towers and columns.
The crowd closed again and the dance went on. It seemed impossible to Hannah that anyone could enjoy this. After what seemed an eternity, the music stopped for a moment, and her dancing partner relinquished his grip. He made an exaggerated bow which seemed mocking. Hannah did not wait for the music to pick up again. She ran. Away from the dancers and into a crowd of more sedate people drinking and carrying hushed conversations.
She let herself fall into a high-backed red velvet chair when she felt almost sure that no dancers were pursuing her. Almost immediately a servant in a white cloak offered her a drink. She accepted it, and the servant went on, quiet as a ghost.
“Sorry about that. Some of the guests don't know their own strength.”
She turned her head and there sat the gatekeeper. He looked tired but smiled kindly.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I didn't exactly know” he said. “I had a pretty good idea though”.
She took a sip of her drink. It had a warm honey-like flavor.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Certainly” the gatekeeper said. “I expect you have many questions”.
“Yeah”. Hannah tried to think of where to start. “Do you know why I am here?”
“You are here because you sneaked out of your house, careful not to wake your parents. They wouldn't have allowed you to go here, of course. But I'm guessing that wasn't the answer you wanted. You are here because your parents let the king enter their lives”.
“What king? The king of this place?”
“Indeed. The king is the host and the unquestioned master of the carnival, the lake and the city on the other side”.
“I think I saw that”.
“You probably did. It is a beautiful place in many ways.”
“So, my parents were here?” Hannah could not exactly picture it.
“No. They met the king on the road. They made him a promise on the day you were born”. This entry was originally posted at http://hafwit.dreamwidth.org/18303.html. Please comment there using OpenID.