fire

“Have you heard the news?” There were several murmurs. “The prince is visiting today.” There were squeals from girls all around who couldn’t hide the excitement in their faces.

“I heard he is here to pick himself a lady.”

“I heard he already has one in his heart.”

I walked through the swarms, looking for Adelina, who is usually in the corner of a room, by herself. As I reached the door on the other side, there she was, on the corner by herself. Before I could say anything to her, Lady Emma called for our attention.

“Girls! Quiet down please, girls.” The murmurs slowly turned into whispers and then there was silence. “As you all might have heard, the prince will be visiting us.” The silence disappeared again. “His highness,” she raised her tone above the whispers, “will hold a ceremony as he comes bearing gifts for every single one of you. I expect you to dress your best and act your best. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Lady Emma,” followed by more squeals.

“Are you excited?” I turned to Adelina. Her eyes, the color of the pitch-dark night turned to me and shrugged.

“If it is food and music, I do not mind it one bit.” I chuckled at her response. She wasn’t a person that squeals over prince visitations. Matter of fact, I don’t think I have ever seen her squeal. She is always composed and carries herself with grace.

“What do you plan to wear tonight?” I asked already knowing the answer.

“The usual.” She smiled at my annoyed face.

“But the prince is coming Adelina...”

“Okay, and black is just my color. I feel the most confidence in it, isn't that all that matters?” I sighed. I knew I could not change her mind. “What about you?” she asked.

“You shall see,” I smirked playfully. I had been working on a new dress myself and this was the best opportunity to show it to my friends.

The day went so slow as everybody was busy with their preparations. I got Mary to braid my hair as she cursed to me about how she was running out of time herself.

“Borrowing my shoes comes with a price you know?” I replied. She sighed and continued. When she finally finished, I put on the dress and went to see it in the mirror. The red and the black fabric complemented each other well. The embroidery that I spent several nights perfecting was precise and the roses, beautiful. I wondered what Adelina would think of it. Well, it has black in it so she’s sure to at least like it a little.

I had never seen the place look so decorative since I moved here. The great hall was so bright that it was almost hard to see at first. The tables were set up in white and gold as flowers brought humility to them. It was an atmosphere to get you high just by simply existing in it.

“Mary!” my attention quickly turned to the sweet voice uttering my name. She stood there, and I was staring. Her dress had beautiful patterns that ordinary hands could never handle. She had gloves to match her dress and her hair was kept in place with the help of a golden headband that had alternating rows of flowers. There was a smile on her face as she waited for me to go over to her and I had to tell my brain to start again.

“You are late but I can see why,” she said smiling. The prince has already made an entrance and there was a line formed for us to greet him individually. He was giving out a present accompanied by a rose to every lady. Adelina and I got on the line, she ahead of me.

When Adelina reached the prince, I saw his eyes widen. As if he was lost in his thoughts, he had trouble reaching for the next present. When he finally found it, he picked up the rose as well and greeted her.

“Milady”, he smiled as he gave her the rose. I only saw Adelina bow from the back, but I imagine she was ecstatic. I imagine her cheeks were blushed and her smile wide. After all, this was the prince. As she moved away and it was my turn, the prince’s eyes followed her exit. He then quickly gained composure and handed me my present and my rose, silently.

The rest of the evening was filled with dancing and feasting on this special occasion. I was sipping my wine as I watched Adelina dance. Her dressmaking patterns as she gracefully moved from place to place. I moved my eyes to the prince and he too was immensely focused on her. I suddenly felt someone tug at my arm and I looked down.

“Let us dance,” Adelina said as she grabbed my hand.

“No, no, no I do not dance” I pulled her back to the tables.

“Even with me?” She tilted her head and I sighed.

As we were walking to the center, I heard my name being called. I looked back to see Lady Emma.

“Mary?”

“Yes, Lady Emma?”

“I am going to need you to fetch more wine from the basement.” Lady Emma always praised me for being responsible but that also meant she always had errands for me.

“Lady Emma, could someone else go to get the wine? Mary was to dance with me for this time.”

“Nonsense, I do not have anyone else to fetch the wine. And Adelina I already told you, the prince asked you to a dance. You do not keep a prince waiting.”

I hear a sigh.

“The wine,” Adelina replies. “I am sure we need lots of it for the rest of the party. I shall go help Mary carry them up.”

“That is not necessary”, Lady Emma proclaims but before I know it, I and Adelina are running out of the hall and to the basement. She was still holding my hand and the hems of our noises were making sounds as they rubbed on each other.

We reached the stairs and she finally let's go. “Ladies first” she announced as she waited for me to go down the stairs. She picked up a rushlight as she followed me down. The vine room was the last in the basement hall. As we walked in, I went to search for the right vine while Adelina sat down.

“Hey! I require some light over here” I laugh, and she gets up. “Of course.” And then it is pitch dark.

“Adelina?”, I extend my arms in panic. “Adelina?”

“Shush, I am here, right here”, she reaches out to me and my body calms down a little. “There were some old candles and tinderboxes on the other corner of the room. Stay right here, I will be right back, alright?” I nodded and then realized she probably could not see it.

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

And then she was gone. Having my eyes open and seeing the darkness somehow felt scarier so I closed them. “What a childish thing?” I thought, being afraid of the dark. Mother used to tell me I would outgrow it, but here I was, an adult who was terrified of the darkness as if darkness would make my heart explode. Being alone, helpless in the dark is no better than not existing at all.

I hear a spark and there she is looking at me. I finally breathe out and my heartbeat slows down.

“You are alright” I feel her arms hugging me as I rest my head on her shoulder. It’s calming. After a while, she lets go.

“One thing is,” she says, “the candle is not movable.”

“Oh no, what are we to do?”

“For now, just sit down. I’m sure someone will come to get us. They are to run out of vine pretty soon”, she laughs. Adelina and I never run out of things to talk but tonight, the main character of the night always seems to show up in our words.

"There are rumors that the prince is charmed by you," I tell her smiling as her deep brown eyes are set in mine. She is silent and looks away from the fire. "I saw the way he looked at you earlier on, I’m sure he fancies you. Oh, and how could I forget? He, himself asked you to a dance. How is it that you didn’t tell me?"

The silence remains.

“Ah, perhaps it was a tad bit embarrassing. I am aware that you hate to brag. I did not mean to intrude. I apologize. But still, you must have been over the moon when you heard!”

"The prince is not the one who stole my heart," she finally replies, and I stop breathing only for a couple of seconds. There was a knot slowly forming in my stomach. The silence started manifesting physically as I try to change the subject.

"I hope someone comes down here for more wine soon.”

"You're not curious about who the thief is?" I could feel her gaze was burning into my skin, though I could not bring myself to look at her. I put the loose strand of hair behind my ear again.

"I'm thankful we have this candle to-"

"We have known each other for four years and you are not curious," she paused "…at all?"

The silence had returned. Her eyes were still fixed on me as if she would miss the world if she looked away a second.

"I am not curious," I looked away at the darkness keeping my trembling hands in place "that secret belongs to you."

She did not respond. Instead, her eyes finally left my body, and looked away to the fire. I look to catch the reflection of the fire in her eyes. I could see that the candle was almost over. Like all good things, the light was going to end, it would be pitch dark again and then... it was.

Everything became invisible as my other senses heightened once more to accommodate. I rather quickly closed my eyes again. I pretended I was in bed, waiting to fall asleep. The fire took away all the heat in this cold, dark basement as the chills were steadily creeping in my body. Then suddenly, I felt warmth on my lips. It was soft and the knot disappeared. The warmth spread to my cheeks as I felt two palms holding my face gently. Hands so delicate and soft that I could not bring myself to touch them. She slowly placed the strand of my hair back to where it belonged, and the warmth spread to my neck.

There was a feeling of safeness, of comfort. Forgetting of all current human conditions. My hands were steady again as I returned her warmth. My heartbeat echoing through the silence.

And the light came back, but this time it was inside me.