Thread: Midnight Rhapsody

There she stood at the end of the hallway, the epitome of elegance, the envy of many young women, the prized jewel of her father, William Ellenford, and the heiress that had yet to be charmed by a young man. A nervous smile formed on her lips as her mother and father approached her. They both were donning their own formal attire, surely to out-do the entire crowd It was their event after all. With her father on one side, and her mother on the other, the three linked arms and headed down the hallway together to greet their guests. Of course, it wasn't going to be so humble of an entrance. At the top of the stairs stood a man dressed in a black suit. With the raise of his hand, a grand trumpet played announcing the entry of the family as if they were actual royalty. Announcing, Lord William Ellenford, his wife Petunia, and their daughter, Lily, he called out to the crowd. All of the distinguished guests burst out in an applaud as one by one, the family made their way down the marble steps. First was Lord Ellenford of course, the head of the household. Then there was his wife Petunia, quite the socialite. And then came Lily, their silent and mysterious daughter. William quickly stood to the side as he made his way at the bottom of the stairs, Petunia stood on the other side. In the middle stood a group of young men in a line awaiting to greet the young woman. A confused smile formed on Lily's lips as out of social obligation, she approached the men, with her hand already held out She knew what they were there to do. Evening miss. It is a pleasure to meet you. You are looking quite lovely this evening, each one said in their own variation before kissing her hand, hoping to catch her eye. She then figured out why her father threw a random masquerade It was all to find her a potential husband. Most father's would force their daughter's into marriage, but as the Ellenford's only surviving child, they were a bit reluctant. Unfortunately for them, like usual, as soon as she greeted each young man standing there, she walked away with a bored look upon her face. The girl couldn't make it ten feet without being approached by yet another man with nothing but small talk. When it became personal, it wasn't even about her, it was about her father and his estate, as if she cared. This was a masquerade and she was the only one aside from her parents who's identity wasn't sealed. The young woman was hoping to blend in with the crowd. But thanks to their oh so grand entrance, she might as well have shown up in neon colors. As soon as she broke free from about her tenth conversation for the night, Lily found herself to the nearest server and got herself a glass of wine and chugged it before grabbing another She was going to need it to make it through the night. As luck would have it, Lily was then bombarded by not just a bunch of young men, but their father's. Each man attempted to humble brag about his son, of course the other's would always have a rebutle followed by rumors they had heard about the young men. It turned into a full on debate between the men. Lily of course wasn't paying any attention or mind to them. While looking for a a perfect excuse to get away, a certain someone caught her eye--- a rather attractive young woman dressed in rather unique garments, looking her way. She could feel the hairs on the back of her head stand as soon as the two of them locked eyes. Lily assumed the woman knew exactly what Lily was hoping for as she noticed the woman walking her way. The heiress breathed a sigh of relief as the woman made her way around the crowd and once again made eye contact. A smirk formed on Lily's lips as she spoke, freeing her from the boredom of these men who thought she was honestly interested in marrying their son's who were by no means men . With a nod of acknowledgement, Lily spoke, That would be lovely. She then turned to the men and gave them a slight wave, Sorry gentlemen, we won't bore you with our talk. You know how chatty us girl's can get. She then linked arms with the mysterious woman and lead her away from the crowd of men. You have no idea how much I owe you for that. They were boring me to tears, Lily spoke as she turned to formally introduce herself. If you do not already know, I am Lily Ellenford, the daughter of William Ellenford, the owner of this estate, she spoke, assuming the girl knew who she was, but doing what she thought was simply expected of her. She took advantage of the moment to get a good look at the girl before her. Her choice of attire sure did surprise her. Of course it was a masquerade, but most women found it degrading to dress in such a way The men always seemed more willing to dress in a theme. While women, they typically revealed their costume or theme through color coordination and their masks. It was rather dull.