The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

MIRA

I am walking in my costume back and forth behind the stage. Well, it’s not a costume really, just one of the gerdian dresses Derrien gave me once he still liked me – a beautiful silvery silk one with a train and a cape attached to it, yet it goes so low that most of my back is still bare. I did my make up in silver tones as well to match everything and to create the cold look I am going for.

I am watching Xia nail it on the stage and she gets the most applause up to the hour. Gerdians are not the most appreciative spectators, to say the least. If they don’t like something, they are not going to waste their time pretending to.

A few girls left the stage with tears in their eyes.

Morgan is next and her herbology experiments are also received well. The best part of it was when she called one of the spectators to join her and Brandon volunteered, offering her his support. She then asked him to pick three ingredients and then promised to add three herself for a potion. When they both did, she mixed it all up and then poured it into a cocktail glass, adding an olive inside, and offered it to him as a drink. He took it all in one gulp, including the olive, and said to her that the taste was weird, but he is glad he is still alive. The audience burst out laughing as while he was saying it his hair turned into a nice shade of light green.

Honestly, I have to give it to him, he is one of the few people here who know that there is a murderer between us. And he is still ready to drink whatever she offers… He must be really into her. Interesting, does he know that what he drunk was absolutely harmless to his hair and cheeky Morgan must have hidden the real potion for the colour change into that damn olive.

Note to myself, do not quarrel with Morgan. And do not eat or drink anything she offers. Just in case.

“It’s your turn, lady Freyn!” Cecilia gestures to me to start climbing the ladder. My appearance today must be grand. Lady Cecilia was clapping her hands when she heard of it and praised me for finally listening to her advice. Poor naïve lady Cecilia… You have no idea…

The stage goes dark… I take my seat on a swing shaped like a silver crescent and a sad melody of my choice starts to play from the crystal I charmed earlier today. I light up the crescent and, slowly, it is gradually lowered to the side of the stage. I summon the air element for a light breeze and it makes my dress and hair flutter delicately. A picture of perfection, just what they want us to be.

I wave my hand and send ice crystals to the air. They shine like little stars and as soon as I make another wave – it starts snowing lightly over the heads of my spectators.

I can’t see any faces, as their seats are in the dark and all the light is on me. But see how silhouettes look up at the sudden snow.

I stretch my hand and summon the little ice crystals back to me. They begin to whirl in a dance of a blizzard, multiplying in numbers any second now until I have enough. They soon turn into the figures of two girls with long hair. They hold hands and perform a beautiful dance. I hear applause, but it’s not too loud. Poor naïve gerdians, they don’t even know that I haven’t started yet.

The figures disintegrate into thousands of little grains of ice and then form again into the shape of just one girl. She curtsies gracefully. “Belladonna Grosvenor,” Bella’s voice sounds from the crystal just as I charmed it to, “Daughter of a Count… When I was 16 my older brother and I dressed like commoners and escaped to our town’s summer fair. We walked freely the whole day…”

Bella falls apart and next the snow forms a completely different picture. A girl in a chair, her eyes open, but she does not move. Another girl in a nightgown walks up to her “Bella! Bella! Bellaaaaa!” my voice shrieks.

Disintegration again. Next figure – a girl in a beautiful dress with her hair up. “This is my first ball, ladies, I am so excited! I never had an opportunity like that before…”, Fawn’s voice is as sweet as I remember. “I just wish to marry one of them and create a happy family…”

Next – the girl drinks something from a cup. I suppose that’s how Sideria got into her body. And then another one whispers in her ear. And the figure of Fawn hangs herself on an ice rope. The crowd before me starts buzzing and I hear loud gasps from behind the stage. Taking a quick glance I see that one of the girls fainted and lady Cecilia is trying to bring her back to her senses.

And that’s when the last accord starts. “One more, one less! It’s not about you, girls! It’s about them! Everything here is about them! They are important, not you!” Cecilia’s voice breaks across the concert hall, creating even more havoc.

I look back at my spectators. I want to see their reactions.

But all I see is two eyes full of dark magic watching me… Derrien. He is here. Standing in the very centre right at the main door between the rows of seats. And he is watching me. But his magic does not scare me anymore. If anything, right now I see it as a sign of support.

I wave my hand again and thousands of tiniest pieces of ice fly to the seats in front of me, landing on those smug gerdian faces.

I easily jump off the moon, even though I am in heels and it’s pretty high. But I have no time to lose. There wouldn’t be a way out for me through lady Cecilia, so I’d better try and escape now.

I jump off the stage and run through the passage between the seats. When I am next to Derrien, his eyes stop shining. He is leaning over the door with his hands crossed on his chest and a smirk on his face.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Well, that was stupid,” he says to me.

“But totally worth it!” I retort, “Do you mind?”

“Run, little mage, run,” he snorts letting me through and even holding the door for me. And when I am outside, I start walking away when I hear his single applause…