I stood in the ballroom, my mind struggling to understand what I'd just heard. I'd had an opening? He distracted me? I shook my head. She must have just been angry that I danced with Masquerade.
Still, her words had stirred up an anxious agitation in me. I couldn't put my finger on why I was unnerved. Nothing she said made any sense. Maybe her tone disturbed me. And her eyes! God, I'd never seen such an intense look in all my life.
My stomach growled, reminding me that a meal waited for me. With one last glance to the gorgeous room, I moved into the main hall. Near the front door, a side hall led to the dining hall. As I walked to its grand entrance, I suddenly regretted not coming with the rest of the guests. With everyone already seated, I was going to look awkward entering by myself. My growling stomach assured me that momentary embarassment was worth it if food came after.
The hall came into view and dazzled my eyes. Polished dishes, gleaming wal
Jenna sure is lucky to be able to sit next to Masquerade! Thank goodness for that tradition! Do you guys think Jenna's dress is too somber? Would she look better in a brighter color? Which color would you choose for her? (Alright! You can see why it made sense to begin again. I can't wait to show you all the next few chapters! I think you'll love 'em. I know I do <3 Don't forget to check out Falling for Lord Masquerade's *** page for aesthetics, polls, and more! Masquerade hopes to see you there ;D )
Too late I realized I'd spoken out loud. My mask stung my cheeks, making me grab the ends to soothe the heat. My mind snapped out of its fog in time for me to see the two men staring at me in stunned silence.For once I was glad their faces were half-covered in masks.What the hell, Jenna?!"Um, I mean, I chose the dark red because the dress only came in that color," I said hastily, feeling confused and mortified.Alessandro leaned forward, "But you said a boy--""Only in that color?" Masquerade interrupted, touching my wrist, "Are you certain? The dresses I have are every color under the sun. You can pick any one you wish."His fingers caressed my wrist gently. I knew he wasn't expressing sympathy for my lack of color choices. I wished I could forget anyone else was here. My heart longed for a moment alone with him. We could talk about anything and nothing, could do anything and nothing. Who would be there to stop us?Di
Hey all! Have you been able to read the past two chapters I've updated? "Dining with the Host" and "Reflection in the Mirror"?I can't see them on my end and I wanted to make sure y'all can before I post any more chapters. This is not a joke. The chapters look blank when I click on them.(The problem came because I didn't know GoodNovel was against any mention of social media. For some reason their warnings didn't come through until after I had already posted two chapters with social media references in the author's notes. So yeah, that's why I'm not sure whether or not my chapters are visible.)Please comment and let me know whether you can read them or not. I'd really appreciate it. I'm working on the next chapter and I should have it uploaded next week. I think y'all will like it! I mean, who doesn't like gorgeous outfits? XDThank you all again! You guys are the best! I appreciate you very much(P.S. Sorry for all the Published Au
Sometimes, a story feels so surreal, you have to write it down to prove to yourself it actually happened. When you see the choices you made and the people you met staring back at you from the page, something stirs in your mind. The memories become more distinct and the faces become clearer until you can't doubt the truth any longer.Maybe that is what I'm doing, trying to prove to myself that where I am right now is due to a series of bizarre and unusual events—that somehow were linked together by a completely normal desire. It sounds crazy, doesn't it?
It was chilly outside. Yes, October isn't supposed to be warm, but tonight was crisper than the last few nights had been. I grabbed a black shrug before I went out to start Mom's car. She had promised to drop me off before heading to her night shift at McDonald's. I skimmed my texts while I waited. Steve hadn't texted me since yesterday beyond a simple "yes" when I asked if he was going to homecoming tonight. Well, he also told me his car was in the shop so his brother was going to drop him off. Otherwise, he would have picked me up.Homecoming was a big deal at my high school. We liked our outfits to have more cosplay theme to them, so much so that most of us kids cut to the cha
Colored green and blue, the lanterns swung on their posts as a roar of wind blew over the fountain. Water suddenly gushed from the top, sounding like a peal of thunder that chased the wind back into the trees. I screamed, staring in fear at the sight of the clear waters filling the rusted basin. Did someone just activate the pump system in the fountain? That broken thing didn't look like it had tasted moisture in years. How was it filling up now?Frightened by the fountain's jump-scare, I tried to pull the vine away from my ankle. But the vine was stronger than it looked. Pushing and pulling did nothing but leave my fingers raw. The agitation made my ankle begin to throb.
I breathed heavily into my hands, feeling a strange tingling in my chest. Why did I just enter a manor house on the advice of a strangely sentient owl? Granted no one was here but it was still weird that he was so insistent I come inside, almost anxiously insistent. I had no idea why, but perhaps it wasn't so bad getting a chance to explore an old mansion. Nobody would see me in the few minutes I was in here. Besides, if I tried to back down and slip outside again, my goggle-eyed friend would be waiting for me.Can't go back out just yet, I told myself,He's agitated enough as it is.
Somehow breaking free from his grasp, I began pushing my way through the ballroom. I heard him calling after me. Some dancers noticed with surprise, yet most continued to dance unconcerned. In my struggle to get through, I snagged someone's foot and fell heavily to the floor. Gowns, slippers, and shoes came dangerously near. Some found their mark.God, it was awful! I tried to stand, but my legs buckled. Helpless and desperate, I started to sob.The masks now towered over me, staring down at me like I was some sort of spectacle. I crawled a few feet before the searing pain in
Just as I began to enjoy my new surroundings, an odd rumble cut through the air. Masquerade paused at his work, and Garrett's head turned towards the bed. My face flushed immediately. I forgot I hadn't eaten since the early afternoon. I had forgotten to eat at the prom like I promised. That was hours ago by now."Excuse me," I mumbled.The faint smile returned."Garrett," Masquerade said, "I think my guest is in need of further refreshment."
Hey all! Have you been able to read the past two chapters I've updated? "Dining with the Host" and "Reflection in the Mirror"?I can't see them on my end and I wanted to make sure y'all can before I post any more chapters. This is not a joke. The chapters look blank when I click on them.(The problem came because I didn't know GoodNovel was against any mention of social media. For some reason their warnings didn't come through until after I had already posted two chapters with social media references in the author's notes. So yeah, that's why I'm not sure whether or not my chapters are visible.)Please comment and let me know whether you can read them or not. I'd really appreciate it. I'm working on the next chapter and I should have it uploaded next week. I think y'all will like it! I mean, who doesn't like gorgeous outfits? XDThank you all again! You guys are the best! I appreciate you very much(P.S. Sorry for all the Published Au
Too late I realized I'd spoken out loud. My mask stung my cheeks, making me grab the ends to soothe the heat. My mind snapped out of its fog in time for me to see the two men staring at me in stunned silence.For once I was glad their faces were half-covered in masks.What the hell, Jenna?!"Um, I mean, I chose the dark red because the dress only came in that color," I said hastily, feeling confused and mortified.Alessandro leaned forward, "But you said a boy--""Only in that color?" Masquerade interrupted, touching my wrist, "Are you certain? The dresses I have are every color under the sun. You can pick any one you wish."His fingers caressed my wrist gently. I knew he wasn't expressing sympathy for my lack of color choices. I wished I could forget anyone else was here. My heart longed for a moment alone with him. We could talk about anything and nothing, could do anything and nothing. Who would be there to stop us?Di
I stood in the ballroom, my mind struggling to understand what I'd just heard. I'd had an opening? He distracted me? I shook my head. She must have just been angry that I danced with Masquerade. Still, her words had stirred up an anxious agitation in me. I couldn't put my finger on why I was unnerved. Nothing she said made any sense. Maybe her tone disturbed me. And her eyes! God, I'd never seen such an intense look in all my life. My stomach growled, reminding me that a meal waited for me. With one last glance to the gorgeous room, I moved into the main hall. Near the front door, a side hall led to the dining hall. As I walked to its grand entrance, I suddenly regretted not coming with the rest of the guests. With everyone already seated, I was going to look awkward entering by myself. My growling stomach assured me that momentary embarassment was worth it if food came after. The hall came into view and dazzled my eyes. Polished dishes, gleaming wal
Hello all! I know these last few chapters have been full of twists, but I need to step back just a little in the story because I feel some key scenes are needed to give a full atmosphere and weight to the story. So I'm going to take down the last four chapters, and continue the story after the chapter "A Creeoy Warning."I know part of what happens next will already be known by the time you get there, but trust me, you'll be much more invested when you do and will feel a lot more for Jenna and Masquerade. Plus you'll have spent more time seeing the different events of the ball, not just the dances.As a thank you for your patience, I invite you to check out Falling for Lord Masquerade's facebook page, where you can see images of the art inspirations I have for the story.I'll work my hardest to get these new chapters out this week. Again, I promise you'll be glad I did.Thank you, all! Much love,Emily Christine
Masquerade gracefully resumed waltzing, and I let myself be swept along, my lips still tingling from the sensation of his kiss. If the expression on Masquerade's face indicated anything, he had enjoyed it, too. He seemed a little bewildered, and frankly, so was I. How was it possible to be this happy? The music swirled around us as we moved in perfect harmony. Sometimes, we would happen to step closer and warm each other's face
We continued the waltz. The dancers moved together like a colorful kaleidoscope. My hair swirled to the sides with every twirl and step, exposing my face and shoulders picturesquely. Oh, I wanted so badly to forget that we were surrounded by the other guests, that everyone in the ballroom must be looking at me and making judgments because I was dancing with the host. Then I could dance with him without attracting so much attention. But I guess I could count myself lucky that I was dancing with him at all. He noticed my anxious glances around the ballroom.
I had hardly danced with Clarence when I realized just how lucky I was. He was graceful, but not stiff, like a lot of other dancers were. Knowing he wouldn't judge me, I felt very at ease. Though he kept me going at a good clip, he wasn't rude when I would slip or get confused. If anything, my mistakes fueled our conversation. "Ah, it would seem you've met your match, Miss Phillips," he grinned broadly. "It would seem so," I agreed, "Perhaps I don't swim so well as I thought."
The strings inside my chest had dissolved. I pulled my hair to the side and Masquerade smiled."Now! Chin up, shoulders erect, head high," he told me. "You are a lady of my halls. Command such respect!" I noticed Clarence approaching from behind Masquerade. "The gentlemen cannot help but admire you, then."
He turned back to me, and my eyes met his. Somehow, thinking these people were all rich and I was the poor one wedged between them like a sore thumb seemed a better alternative to this harsh truth. Literally, anyone...any kind of person could be here...I had no idea what that kind of person could be.Why did I ever want to come to this dance?Tears of fright began to well in my eyelids. I bit my lip hard, trying to sort through my raging thoughts. Masquerade regarded me.