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General Art The Tracelium Charm

Chilfo Freeze

Emma Jean Stone
I want to thank Thareous for motivating me to write this next chapter! Carry on, vital readers!

Chapter 5​

Her mother was the Arm of Justice. A rare position for a female to obtain, and yet the King had seen promise within her. She was a skilled coordinator, and she had shown her true potential throughout the years. Ms. Montunaye took the position with pride, but in the back of her mind, she knew there would be some kind of trouble.

The ball had been the climax of that trouble. Ms. Montunaye stayed by the King's side, scoping out the place for any unwelcome visitors. The ball took place within the King's palace. Upon walking into the grand room, the room expanded almost eternally, opening up to a waltzing floor along with white-sheathed tables accompanying the sides. The King and Queen sat graciously in their throwns to the right of the room upon a dazzling platform of silver and gold.

"I shall dance with my lovely wife, the queen. Ms. Montunaye, keep guard." The King smiled at Ms. Montunaye and she both nodded and curtsied in reply. The King led his Queen down to the waltzing floor, and naturally everyone parted for their entrance.

While she looked about the room, she emitted a feminine, sensuous glow. It had been a shame that the father left her, for she could hold captive the heart of any man. As everybody waltzed on the dance floor of the grand room, not a thing seemed out of place. Ms. Montunaye smiled and sighed, content with her life.

"You," someone whispered gruffly from behind her, and as quickly as he said it, he wrapped his arm around her neck, the free hand covering her mouth. This man dragged her backwards, Ms. Montunaye struggling all the while. He forced her back so very slyly that no one had noticed her departure. He threw her up against a wall, her head smacking the brick. She tried to reach for her hidden dagger, but alas, the man trapped her hands above her head. Ms. Montunaye was vulnerable.

"How does a pretty little minx like you get the position that I've strived for my whole LIFE?" He spat the words in her face, letting her feel his torment. He gripped her hands tighter. He wore black clothing, his tousled blonde hair amassed and disheveled; he was young, and yet his strength was overwhelming. His feverish brown eyes delved into Ms. Montunaye's glare. She stood tall, not wanting to be shameful.

The man took a dagger out of his hilt and held it just over her heart. "A lady does not deserve a position such as yours. You're weak; a fool for accepting the position of the Arm of Justice!" He placed the sharp, crisp end of the dagger upon her bosom, sinking it in, drawing blood. Ms. Montunaye's heart could be heard from a mile away, pounding with the force of a broken dam.

"I will set you free, if you will. This is my life that you live in, therefore, I will be more than happy to take your position once you have vanished." A smirk formed on his lips, cruel and vile. He pushed the dagger deeper, and Ms. Montunaye gasped, her breath becoming short.

"I die with honor, Avhan. Do what you will."

"Then die you shall!" With great power, he dug the dagger into her chest, tearing the seams of her heart.

"Narinia..." she faintly whispered as she fell to the floor, Avhan letting go of the dagger. Blood poured and ran from the deadly wound.

"I am Avhan, and I shall be the Arm of Justice!" He threw his head back and opened his arms wide, smiling upwards. He finally held his rightful place. He looked down upon Ms. Montunaye, a facade of woe etched in his expression. For his final act, he would convince everyone that she had been ruthlessly murdered by an intruder.

The blood from the wound seeped into Ms. Montunaye's chiffon dress, and yet it was not affecting it in any way, for the blood happened to be the same shade of red of her final dress.

***​

"Are you ready yet? Women..."

Shannon stood outside of Narinia's room in a noble ensemble; something he had stolen awhile ago, thinking that he would need it someday. He wore a black wool doublet with a pair of black chauses to match. His feet donned a pair of buckled boots, and he let a black cape seal the noble look.

He waited for Narinia to reveal the outfit of choice. He had stolen a red ensemble from a seamstress shoppe upon the merchant street. He also stole a fine pair of heels for her, slipping out the back door with ease. He loved his job; he was so very good at it.

"Almost ready," Narinia said from the other side of the door. She ran over to her nightstand and plucked a petal from the Tracelium, tucking it in the cleavage that her gown had revealed. Shannon leaned up against a wall, crossed his arms and sighed.

The door swung open and there stood a spitting image of Ms. Montunaye. This red gown was made of pure satin, which accented her slightly-tanned skin. The sweetheart neckline was tantalizingly revealing, and the corset wrapped gorgeously around her torso and waist, letting her feminine features flourish. The sleeves extended just past her hands, a black lace weaving an outline. From the waist, the deep red material flowed majestically to the floor, and with every step that Narinia took, it swayed along with her.

The gown was not the only thing that made her beauty magnificent. Narina's brown hair was slightly curled, and it softly fell to just below her bosom. It shined at the glint of light, as did her eyes. Her lips were full, and a dark red lipstick had been painted upon them, giving her a carnal aura. Any man that attended the Autumn Festival would fall to his knees upon first glance.

"I don't know, it may be too much for the Autumn Festival," Narinia said, with wavering thoughts in her mind.

Shannon's mouth had been slightly ajar until he caught himself. He quickly gained his composure.

"No, no. It's perfect. You're representing one of the many colors of the changing leaves." His eyes never left her while he spoke; just the fact that she had changed into a dress made her appearance change drastically.

Narinia's cheeks grew a bit red and she glanced away for a second. "Well alright, if you say so."

Shannon held out his hand to her, "the beautiful lady needs beautiful embellishments."

Narinia took his hand and nodded. They headed down the flight of stairs, Narinia holding up the length of her dress on the way. Shannon let go of her hand and went to stand behind the display counter of the jewelry shoppe.

"Ah, it seems we have a customer! Miss, what do you have in mind to accompany that radiant dress?" Shannon pretended to be a worker within the shoppe, so Narinia naturally giggled and went along with it.

"Well, sir. I'd love to have a necklace and earrings to match my mother's diamond pin." She pointed to the pin within the counter.

"Great choice, milady." Shannon smiled at her, his green eyes sparkling with vivacity. He reached down and delicately picked up the pin and placed it on the counter.

"Let's take a look at the diamonds, shall we?" He swept his arm in a gesture towards the diamonds of all sizes. Narinia knew this jewelry by heart, and yet she had no idea what to pick.

She looked up at Shannon and said, "You pick."

Shannon was caught by surprise, but after a few seconds, he smiled and nodded. "The lady shall get what she wants. Turn around."

Narinia did as she was told, turning around and waiting to see Shannon's choice. She held her hands together, fidgeting.

Shannon came up behind her and said, "Lift your hair and close your eyes."

Narinia did as she was told, sweeping her hair to the side and out of the way, swiftly closing her eyes. Shannon gently looped his arms over her head, placing the chosen diamond upon her neck and clasping the necklace together. Narinia felt a cool chill from the diamond, and involuntarily shivered at the feeling of Shannon's fingers at the back of her neck. She blushed once more.

"Okay, turn around and take a look." Shannon held up a mirror for her to peer into.

Narinia let down her hair and turned around. She slightly gasped at his choice, her eyes sparkling with admiration. The diamond was teardrop-shaped, diving simply on a silver chain at the center of her chest, just barely reaching the cleavage of her bosom.

"Earrings to match, milady." Shannon placed the mirror on the counter and held up a pair of diamond earrings, the same shape as the necklace but of a smaller size.

"Of couse, sir." Narinia took the earrings and placed them into her ears. Shannon picked up the mirror once again, and Narinia couldn't help but shed a tear. She knew that she looked like her mother; she was reminded of the last time that she had seen her on that fateful night.

"Thank you, Shannon." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged Shannon tightly. Again, he was a bit taken aback, but he encircled his arms about her and hugged her back.

"You deserve this, with the life you've had," he said to her as she stepped back from the embrace. He was being earnest, and she could tell. "The last piece to the puzzle..." Shannon picked up the diamond pin from the counter.

"May I?"

Narinia nodded, and Shannon placed the diamond within her hair, having brought back strands of hair to be held within the clasp. She smiled up at him, her eyes bouncing with joy. Shannon smiled and soaked in her beauty, not quite able to believe the transformation. He almost felt bad for subjecting her to stealing, but he would never admit that. He needed her to help him; her beauty would attract so many candidates.

Shannon walked to the entrance of the shoppe and opened the door for Narinia.

"Ladies first."

Narinia's heart skipped a couple beats as she realized that she was truly headed to the Autumn Festival. It would be her first time, and she could never look more stunning for her arrival. Her mind then wandered to the deal that she had struck with Shannon, and her mood dimmed a bit. She didn't have to steal from the Prince, right? There were other nobles attending that she could steal from; why did it have to be the Prince? If she got the chance to dance with him, that is...

Narinia stepped outside the shoppe and locked the door after Shannon had closed it. Shannon then took her hand in his, leading her across the street. Her heels clacked on the cobblestone road, and she prayed to the good Lord to not let her fall.

"A mask, Narinia. That's all we need, and then we begin."

"Right." Narinia nodded once, signaling to him that she knew what her duty was, despite the fact that she had a slightly different plan in mind.



_____________________________________________

EDIT: I took Myriad's post into consideration, so I decided to change up the intro to the chapter a bit. ^^
 
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Myriadviper42

Fulcrum Agent
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Location
Control
Wow. That was great, although, we could have been introduced to Ms. Montunaye a bit better, spent a little bit more time with the talk between the king and her, a bit short, but otherwise it was great.
 

Azure Sage

March onward forever...
Staff member
ZD Legend
Comm. Coordinator
Oh-ho, so it was jealousy that killed Narinia's mother. What a ********. :P Aw, Shannon can be such a gentleman when he tries. My love triangle senses are tingling... ;) Once again, a wonderful chapter, Chilfo! I can't get over how well this is written, and the details are just as stunning as ever. Keep it up! :>
 

Go_Skyward

Seek a door that carries a [9]
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Location
Nevada Test Site
Chilfro, you're stunning writing skills put me in awe once again c:

All I have to say... this:
Shannon's mouth had been slightly ajar until he caught himself. He quickly gained his composure.
It's scary how you play Shannon so well! He's more Shannon than Shannon should be! whut...

Dude, you could seriously publish this! It's so amazing. I'd buy like... 20 copies of this story LOL.
 

Raindrop14

Soldier for Christ!
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
Location
E-Arth
Okay, I promise to read this when I have time. A lot of stuff is going on at my house and it's all chaotic. I'm so behind in reading everything! But I'll read this soon! ^^
 

blue-eyes

Phoenix
Joined
Jul 28, 2010
Location
Among the stars
Just read this and I am impressed. I could picture all of it, and when I read the beginning, I wondered if I should have recognized the name. I am anxiously waiting for the next chapter, and the dance with the prince.
 

*M i d n a*

Æsir Scribe
Joined
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Location
*Midgard*
Gender
Entity
Very good, Chilfo. Again, well written and smoothly flowing. :) I just saw something that stands out. You should get rid of the it before no one. ;)

He forced her back so very slyly that it no one had noticed her departure.
 

Chilfo Freeze

Emma Jean Stone
Oh-ho, so it was jealousy that killed Narinia's mother. What a ********. :P Aw, Shannon can be such a gentleman when he tries. My love triangle senses are tingling... ;) Once again, a wonderful chapter, Chilfo! I can't get over how well this is written, and the details are just as stunning as ever. Keep it up! :>

Thank you, Azure! I love when you tell about your interpretations of my story; it helps me in figuring out how my readers truly feel about the plot.

Chilfro, you're stunning writing skills put me in awe once again c:

All I have to say... this:

It's scary how you play Shannon so well! He's more Shannon than Shannon should be! whut...

Dude, you could seriously publish this! It's so amazing. I'd buy like... 20 copies of this story LOL.

I'm so happy that I can characterize him the way that you envisioned! Hopefully I will continue to do so, and thanks! :)

Just read this and I am impressed. I could picture all of it, and when I read the beginning, I wondered if I should have recognized the name. I am anxiously waiting for the next chapter, and the dance with the prince.

Thanks blue! Ms. Montunaye is (was) Narinia's mother. The short intro was the description of how she died, which solved the mystery of the prologue.

I read it! :D And it was so good! I loved that begining part! I can't wait for more! <3

Thanks, Rainy! I decided to finally add how Ms. Montunaye came into play; I figured y'all had waited long enough from the prologue ;)

Very good, Chilfo. Again, well written and smoothly flowing. :) I just saw something that stands out. You should get rid of the it before no one. ;)

He forced her back so very slyly that it no one had noticed her departure.

Gotta love fluidity in writing, so thanks! Since you pointed out that error, I was able to find others that I could fix. Again, thank you! :)

Wow. You did such an amazing job. This is really awesome stuff.

Oh, shucks. I'm just glad that you have continued to read my story! :)

To all who read: The next chapter will be posted later tonight. My motivation to write it is building up, no worries!

____________________________________________________________________________

Welp, I thought it was gonna be a double-post, but it looks like that feature has been taken care of! So, without further ado:

Chapter 6

Carmine red and midnight black Venetian fabric wove a path upon the delicacy of Narinia's mask. The pattern swung and looped around the almond-shaped eyes, diving effortlessly down and across the mid-section. Narinia carefully placed the mask upon her face, turning to Shannon for approval.

"Is it the right size?" Narinia fiddled with the sides, unsure.

Shannon grabbed her hands and pulled them down to her waist. "You look stunning. Let it be." Shannon dropped one hand but kept hold of the other so that he could lead her to the town square. With his free hand, he placed his simple black mask upon his face.

"How 'bout mine? Decent enough for stealing?" He whispered the last part, chuckling a bit.

"Of course," Narinia said in response. Her gaze followed the road before her which led to the Autumn Festival. She gulped. Shannon saw the reaction, but he knew he could do nothing about it, so he pulled on her hand and they started on their way.

***​

"Dylan, don't I look as beautiful as ever?" She spun around a couple times in her dress, letting the fabric float about her. She smiled and giggled, then looked up at Dylan through her eyelashes, coy and seductive. Her eyes matched her wild, sapphire blue hair, which just barely reached her shoulders.

Prince Dylan attempted to smile at her and said, "Yes, Lilina. You look gorgeous." He was about to roll his eyes, but stopped abruptly before Lilina would accuse him of anything unsatisfactory. He couldn't help but tap his foot upon the ground; they were running a bit late to the Autumn Festival.

"Oh, Dylan! You're too sweet." Lilina took his hand and aimlessly played with his fingers. She smiled and tilted her head, looking back up at him. "You know, soon I won't have the last name of 'de Ositia'. It will be the same as yours. Can you imagine?" She then picked up his hand and placed it just over her heart.

"My name will be 'Lilina Maka'." She sighed happily, closing her eyes and reveling in the moment.

This was about the tenth time that Prince Dylan had heard this from his soon-to-be wife, but nonetheless, he forced another smile upon his lips and kindly took his hand away.

"Yes. Grande, isn't it? Shall we be on our way now?" Prince Dylan reluctantly held out his arm for her to take. Lilina was more than willing, so she looped her arm through his and they went on their way to the carriage which would send them to the Festival.

***​

The wrought-iron gate swung open its doors to the annual celebration of the changing of the leaves. It was difficult for Narinia and Shannon to move about; there were people by the hundreds and thousands who had gathered to partake in this lovely event. Shannon held tightly onto Narinia's hand, guiding her through the people.

The music flourished from the center of the square, where the group of musicians happened to create a stage decorated in the lively colors of Autumn. Lanterns lit up the stage so that all who attended could witness the music at first glance. The notes from the flutes could be heard at the edges of Purbeck, so that even the residents who did not attend could still be lucky enough to listen to the tunes. Lanterns were strung and hung about the stores which encircled the town square. They cast a dim shadow, giving the Festival a mysterious, magical vibe. Narinia was in awe; she had never attended the Festival, so this seemed like a dream to her. She held onto Shannon's hand, but payed no attention to where they were going. Narinia simply just could not look away from the mystical sights before her.

Shannon pulled Narinia into a small alleyway, dark and crypt. She hesitantly looked up at Shannon, then realized that before her stood someone she had seen before.

"Who's this?! You think 'cause you brought a lady with you that you're gonna get outta this?"

Narinia recognized him as he stepped into the light. It was the same man that had chased Shannon on the day that they had met. He had threatened Shannon and had given him a time limit. Narinia scowled in his direction.

"No, no! Dane, she's not here for the reason you believe. She's actually here to help."

"Here to help?" Dane looked at Narinia, his eyes vulgarly grazing over her body. Narinia squirmed a bit, inching closer to Shannon. Shannon instantly grabbed her hand tighter, trying to let her know that he was her protection.

Dane's lips quirked and raised into a half-smile, apparently enjoying what he saw. "Alright. We'll see what she can do for you. You're gonna need the help." He shoved Shannon's shoulder, giving him a small warning. As Dane walked down the alley and disappeared from sight, Shannon turned to Narinia. His expression displayed some anxiety, but he quickly brushed it away.

"I'm sorry you had to see him. I actually should have never told him that you were going to help me in the first place." Shannon silently cursed himself. He should have never placed Narinia in such a position; he should have left her alone for a couple moments while he dealt with his business. The only good sign that Shannon could find in the situation was that Narinia still had her mask on, so Dane would have no idea who she was. Shannon used that sign to turn his mood around, hoping to see the positives rather than the negatives.

"You have your mask on, though. So he has no idea who you-"

Narinia could visibly see the trouble that Shannon was having, so she did what she thought would settle him down. She placed her timid hand upon his cheek, silencing him. Her brilliant brown eyes explored Shannon's, delving into his emotions.

"It's alright, Shannon. You need me, here I am. I'm here before you, aren't I?" Narinia then lowered her hand and proceeded to pick up his arm and point it towards the crowd. "Where should I start?"

Narinia's hand had stunned Shannon and made him become inarticulate. He cleared his throat, attempting to cover up the color that had risen in his cheeks.

"Yes, well. I say, you could start over by the East entrance." Shannon took his index finger and motioned to the gate. "The nobles live to the east of Purbeck, so they will arrive through there."

Narinia let go of Shannon's arm and turned back around to him. "Do I go alone?" She was worried; Narinia had never been among so many people before.

"I'll come with," Shannon replied as he saw the anguish in her facial features. He grabbed her hand once again and led her through the crowd of dancing people.

***​

"Dance with me, Dylan!"

Lilina hastily clutched at Prince Dylan's hand and led him towards the musical stage. The couple had arrived through the East entrance, and the carriage had dropped them off just outside. Prince Dylan followed Lilina out towards the crowd.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

A dressed-up peasant had yelled at Prince Dylan for accidentally knocking into him. The Prince almost turned around and demanded he apologize, but he forgot about the rules of the Autumn Festival. The peasant would think him a fool for pretending to be the Prince, especially with the mask on.

Lilina took hold of his arms and fluttered her eyelashes, letting him take the lead. He did so, carelessly placing a hand upon her hip. As the couple swayed back and forth, dancing to the music, the Prince's eyes scoped the square. He had his sights set for the beauty he had met in the quaint jewelry shoppe. He had gone to town in search for a present for his to-be wife, but alas, he had come upon a radiant young woman. It had only been a few minutes that he had seen her with her true personality; her uncle had revealed his identity to her, which changed her into just another ordinary peasant. Those few minutes of her true being had been all that he needed to decide that he had to spend precious time with her.

The Prince couldn't help but feel ashamed, for he had a woman to be wed to already, but Narinia had done something to him. He didn't know what exactly that was, but he knew with confidence that she was something different.

"Dylan... what are you looking for?" Lilina looked up at the Prince, questioning his averted eyes.

"It's nothing, Lilina. I'm just looking out for the safety of the people of Purbeck." Dylan continued to scope out Narinia within the crowd. His task became increasingly more difficult due to the many masks that all of the women wore to the Festival. Just before he was about to give up hope, he spotted a striking red gown amongst the crowd. The hair, the eyes, the figure... it was her.

"Lilina, go to Avhan. I see something going on." The Prince led Lilina to the edge of the entrance, giving her hand to Avhan.

"I'll be back."

***​

Upon reaching the East entrance, Shannon said to Narinia, "You won't need me for long. Soon, a lucky man will walk up and-"

"Excuse me. Shall the dashing lady dance with thee?" A tall, blonde-haired noble had cut in front of Shannon and held out his hand to Narinia, bowing to her. Narinia's eyes widened and she stumbled back a step, caught off-gaurd. She regained her composure just then, remembering that she was at the Festival to help Shannon out.

"Yes, sir." Narinia softly placed her hand in his, and the noble led her out to dance upon the cobblestone streets under the tender glow of the flames within the many lanterns. Narinia slowly began to ease into her role, playing the part of a temptress. When the blonde gentleman placed his hand upon her waist, she made an effort to sway in the direction of his hand. Narinia also stepped up to him a bit closer, sealing the space between them. She did well for getting in enough proximity, but she needed to complete her mission.

Shannon watched her get taken away by the noble. His eyes were unwavering as he saw her work her magic. He knew that she had it within her, but there was something in him that ached. One part of him wanted Narinia to be that close to him. The last thought broke him out of his reverie. He turned away from the tantalizing scene, searching for a woman to swipe from.

Narinia's hand snaked its way to the noble's pocket as they danced. Her hand was shaky, her thoughts rambling and colliding in her head. Was she doing it right? Was there another way to do it? She would surely be caught. To Narinia's surprise, the gentleman had absolutely no idea what she had done, for he was so very taken by her beauty. Narinia smiled up at him, but not because she was taken by him, but because she had been successful.

"Switch."

All of a sudden, another gentleman came into the scene, taking Narinia's free hand from the noble's grasp. He swung her into his arms and away from the noble. The noble glowered at the man, but did abolutely nothing about it. Instead, he threw his arm up in disgust and walked away, sulking.

The new gentleman steadied Narinia in his arms, holding her close. This time, he did the tempting, not her. Narinia looked up into the gentleman's eyes and knew at once who he was...

It was the Prince.
 
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Azure Sage

March onward forever...
Staff member
ZD Legend
Comm. Coordinator
Oooooooh, I knew it! Shannon is falling for Narinia, isn't he? This is so precious I can't... And the Prince wants Narinia too? So it was love at first sight for both of them? Didn't expect that. As usual Chilfo, amazing chapter! I'm still curious about this trouble Shannon is in with that Dane guy, I hope to find out more about that soon. I can't wait for the next chapter!
 

*M i d n a*

Æsir Scribe
Joined
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Location
*Midgard*
Gender
Entity
Again, very well written, Chilfo. I noticed twice that you switched tenses, but maybe you didn't become aware of that. I will show you those and also a typo. But besides that, nothing wrong with your tale, it is looking awesome, and it is cool to see that Narinia was successful in pickpocketing that gentleman, however, you could have made her doubt herself before doing it, or at least could have made her feel a bit nervous, I sense none of that when she took care of business. :P

"Is it the right size?" Narinia fiddles with the sides, unsure.

"Here to help?" Dane looked at Narinia, his eyes vulgarly grazing over her body. Narinia squirmed a bit, inching closer to Shannon. Shannon instantly grabbed her hand tighter, trying to let her know that he is her protection.

"It's nothing, Lilina. I'm just looking out for the safety of the people of Purbeck." Dylan continued to scope out Narinia within the crowd. His task became increasingly more difficult due to the many masks that all of the women wore to the Festival. Just before he was about to give up hope, he spotted a strking red gown amongst the crowd. The hair, the eyes, the figure... it was her.


--Awesome, Chilfo, I reread that part and noticed that you took care of business. Well done, that looks much better. :)
 
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MikauIncarnate

Hero of the Zora
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
Location
U.S.
Really good. Only one issue I noticed. (I put it in a spoiler cause it kindof is)

The noble glowered at the Prince, but did abolutely nothing about it.
That kinda reveals the whole thing. I know it was probably just a mis-type though.

So yeah, awesome chapter. I'm beginning to get a little Cinderella-esque vibe...
 

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