Chapter-XIX
The Rhodes-Pierce Family cordially invite:
Brenneth Dearth, Trystan Pierce, Shalom Aaronson along with Karsyn and Kyan Chadwick to the
"Annual Amendment Ball"
The event will be hosted at the Rhodes mansion in the Lavender Fields located behind the estate.
This year's theme will be "Haute Couture".
We look forward to your presence this weekend at sundown.
The Dictator and Miranda Rhodes-Pierce.
"What is the amendment ball?" Twyll asked.
"The history and reasoning behind this ball are as much of a mystery as it is to you. Some say it is to celebrate the formation of the dictatorship and some call it a celebration of the freedom granted. What freedom is yet to be brought forward." Bren answered.
"Didn't you get an invitation too?" Trystan asked.
Twyll looked down at the gold engraved, cream card and said, "I did get one. I'm not sure I'd want to go. I mean I don't own anything "Haute Couture"."
Bren laughed.
"We are going and you are coming. As for your clothing arrangements, you don't need to worry about that. This invitation is our access to one of the most protected fortresses on the continent. I want all of you to suit up and work on your charms." Turning towards Twyll she said, "You and Trystan will follow me to the tech closet." And then she walked out of the foyer with confident strides.
Shrugging, Trystan followed and Twyll ran after them.
...
Twyll felt her jaw drop.
The room if it could even be called that was colossal. The room was occupied by polished wood sofas that looked as if they were made of clouds. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with shelves hanging with clothes of every colour. The middle of the room was just one wide pillar of screens and glass tubes.
"This is the Tech closet?" Twyll asked as she walked across the plush carpets and fingered the luxurious fabrics of the clothes.
"This is called the tech closet because all clothes in this room were made using technology and few are handmade," Bren explained as she flipped switches and clacked on keyboards.
"All screens and devices such as the magic of the house are powered by the combined Crystal Energies of the occupants of this house. Each of us has our own unique crystal footprint which enables us to access our screens to research something, communicate and even watch moving pictures from Earthly Realms."
Twyll felt her mouth being pushed up as Trystan strolled past her. She felt her chin quiver at his surprise touch.
"Now now golden girl we don't want a bug to fly in now do we?" He taunted with a glint in his eye.
Twyll gave him her best haughty eye roll before walking over to the screens ignoring his rambunctious laughter.
Peering at the designs she said, "These dresses are being designed to help conceal weapons and crystals."
"You are right. Entering the ball with weapons would be extremely suspicious. Trystan here is going to be taking you to the basement to choose your weapons so that we can understand what dress in this wardrobe will suit you best."
"I get to wear a dress from this closet?" She asked with barely contained excitement.
"Yes, anything from this closet that catches your fancy. Unless... You would like a new one made?" Bren asked uncertainly.
"No, this will be perfect. In Rhodesïa I never really had a reason to wear pretty clothes and my ex-lover never really invited me... Anyway, I am really grateful for this. Thank you." Twyll rambled on as her cheeks burned with embarrassment over her word vomit.
Bren looked at her with a far greater understanding in her eyes than Twyll was ready for.
"Of course dear, you are under our protection now." She replied demurely.
Twyll nodded her head and walked off towards one of the shelves bursting with clothes.
"Bren, what are you planning? You never offer our protection to someone for free." Trystan whispered, cautious of Twyll hearing them.
"I don't, but something about her strikes. She has this darkness about her that I want to understand. Her energies are bright as the sun, blinding almost, yet her eyes stay shadowed. I can feel our magic entwining with hers and revelling in their entanglements."
"You are right about her magic, it does call to me. I feel exhilarated when I'm near her- like I'm on a high." Trystan felt as if he'd run a marathon, his breath was uneven and his heart was pounding just by thinking about the sensations.
Bren's eyes widened at his description and an amused yet shocked smile bloomed on her face.
"Hmmm..." she hummed mysteriously.
"What do you mean by that?" Trystan demanded.
"Something tells me you'll know soon enough.
...
Twyll looked over at Trystan and Bren whispering with their heads together. Even with her heightened senses, all she could hear were murmurs of what was going on.
Trying to ignore them, she resumed running her hands through each of the dresses randomly choosing ones that she liked the best.
Her head throbbed at the memory of her rambling on about her past life. Everything had been so meaningless across the Crossing. Every year, month, week, day and hour had felt like a weight settling more and more on her heart, chipping away at her soul. Her relationship with Ryker had been soul-sucking and toxic. It had been obvious from the start that he had been ashamed of her and was just using her as bragging rights.
Easy. Desperate.
Each word had been gut-wrenching, demeaning, hurtful.
No one knew that she had curled into a ball and cried. Sobbed. Sloppy, wet tears, of anger, of humiliation, of disgust- not at them, but at herself.
Remembering how broken she had felt in that moment, how empty. She clenched her fists around the fabric she was holding, the embellishments digging into her skin until it broke through skin drawing blood. Immediately she let go of the fabric to avoid staining it.
"Twyll! What happened? Are you alright?" Bren exclaimed as she quickly picked up Twyll's hand to presumably examine the wound.
"I am fine." And then in a lower voice, "I am fine."
She didn't know what she was referring to, the wound that was already healing or something else entirely.