᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽
Eyes as dark as the night that now surrounded him, black hair and a pale skin that was the complete opposite of what normally belonged to him.A disguise.A crude one.Well, but it wasn't as if the dragon needed more, not as if anyone would notice it was him, not with that little intellect that all those guards seemed to possess."Did you hear? They said she went crazy and killed the archduke's favorite mistress" one of the guards approached the one next to him "the cause was strangulation, and then a deep cut to the throat…" the man's gaze dropped, as if they were now feeling sorry for the poor soul they had never even met."Yes, everyone was talking about how the body was found, it was something horrible to see" the other added "she really must have succumbed to madness as they said, but it's not surprising" he leaned forward a little more, thus putting his hand in front of his mouth, like a true gossip woman of high society "it was common knowledge that she didn't groom herself, and always looked downcast" she continued with those poisonous words.'Maybe he should become a gossip writer, not remain a guard' Audra thought as he heard that, all those meaningless words that were just thrown around for not knowing anything, not even wanting to know anything.He wanted to kill them.No, he couldn't.He was trying to be discreet, he was trying to keep his identity hidden and his presence too in that dump they called a mansion.But nobody there was cooperating."Crazy women get what they deserve."A female voice not far away said with disdain."You're right, I couldn't stand to see her walking around with that self-pitying air anymore." Another one continued, this one covering her own face with her fan, which was decorated in very bad taste, with those frills fluttering on the end of it.'All you do is judge her? She didn't even want to…' he didn't complete his thought, he knew she didn't, he knew that none of them cared and just wanted a subject for the next useless tea party they were so fond of throwing, along with those fake smiles and words that managed to be even more so.And that chatter continued, the more he entered that place, the more gossip and insults could be heard.No, he should.It couldn't.No...Fuck it."SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He ended up shouting when he had already entered that place "STOP RESUMING IT TO SOMETHING SO FUCKING!" He continued, thus abandoning his entire plan and any logic and reason he once had in his being "I don't care if you don't, but don't tarnish her memory!" He finished, immediately running after his angry outburst.He had to find her, I had to get her out of there."DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!" It could be heard in the distance, probably the voice of some guard "CLOSE THE EXITS!" The same voice spoke soon after.Damn.Why so reckless?He had no time for that, not a millisecond to wonder why he had been so impulsive and foolish; he had to act quickly.He was running, and yet he could hear from all sides the sound of heavy metal, of swords clattering carelessly.Where is this cell?Where is this thing?But when he arrived, there were those eyes, those polished sapphire eyes that he hated so much, that he disliked so much.Kyree.The useless man who had the title of Archduke."Oh? What do I owe your illustrious presence?" Audra said debauchedly, even though she saw that she was surrounded "have you come to show some slight consideration for your wife?" he asked, already knowing the answer, with a malicious arch of his lips."What have I got to do with a crazy woman? You invaded my house!" he spoke with a certain anger in his tone, pointing his sword in the dragon's direction "you deserve death, for such disrespect!" he gripped the hilt of the sword with considerable force.Bullshit."Then why did you come in person? If it was just an invasion, as you are saying." he kept a provocative eye contact with the archduke while fingering the rapier at his waist "why come here in person? Don't you trust your soldiers? Or...did you have to make sure that something valuable would not be taken from you?" Audra's tone became velvety, a velvety full of traps.The deep blue eyes carried confusion and a certain surprise in their widening.Did that stranger know?No, he couldn't have."STOP TALKING NONSENSE!" he shouted as he came a little closer, still with his sword pointed at Audra. "Just get out!" he could see that pale face, painted by several freckles, turn as red as the dragon's true hair color.Liar.A horrible liar."Of course, of course… but if you're just bothered by my unwanted visit... you could let me take her, don't you think?" he turned his face slightly to the side, as if expecting an answer.'Don't you dare!' was stamped on Kyree's face, but what could he do at that point?Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had already seen Audra's threatening aura.He already knew he would be killed."Do as you like…" the sword was brought to the ground, next to his gaze "just take that dying woman away, do what you want!" he added as he turned his back.Coward.And this is how you will treat her?And this is how you will return the years that you have fucked with her life?It didn't matter, the cell had been opened, he would get what he wanted, he would give her the second chance she deserved."I can at least... decide how…" saw that small and weak body say, along with a weak smile on his face as he lifted that dagger "father, mother...I will find you again…" he muttered a few seconds before shoving that shiny tip into his stomach.He was too late.He couldn't prevent her death.Idiot.Idiot.Idiot.Idiot.Idiot.Idiot.Not even her disguise could keep up when she witnessed this, her silver eyes stared at her, staring along with the tears that were kept from falling."It can't end like this, it shouldn't end like this…"❈•♱•♱•᯽•♱•♱•❈᯽⊱❈═ K Y R E E ═❈⊰᯽Guilt.Guilt.Guilt.Guilt.Blame.Blame.Blame.His blame.Only his, no one else's, yours, and there would be no taking the weight off of him, the one that was crushing her bones with each passing day.She was dead, she was dead inside a body that still kept walking, the bright eyes, those purple ones that you admired so much from afar, that you loved so much and selfishly wanted to keep for yourself.They were dull.Dull.Imbecile!It was going on in his head, next to his fingers that were practically pulling the blond strands that he was so attached to before, that he was so proud of before.What good was it? What good did it all do?A descendant of the heavens? The title he had inherited from the Archduke? All the power and beauty that anyone could ever wish to have?What was the use?What was the problem?What was wrong with him?Everything."I ended her life." his eyes allowed the tears to well up, so that they came out in a shaky, choked tone "everything tha
᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽He would take that cold body in his arms, the one that was now lifeless and unresponsive, the one that now had a blade stuck in it with blood flowing as profusely as it did in a waterfall.He would bring her back.He stood up with her on his lap, and walked to the outside of the cell, where Kyree was staring at him with those deep eyes."Why are you still here?" the dragon asked in a cold, cutting way, with an arched lip that matched his "I thought you didn't care" he turned his now silver eyes to Ethel, eyes that now carried melancholy and regret."I had to be sure you wouldn't make a joke when you left," he said as he fixed his sapphire gaze on the corpse, "did you kill her?" he seemed to try to keep his tone unchanged, but clearly failed when he sounded embarrassed and frightened."Why do you care?" the silver eyes stared at him "do you want to pretend that she matters now?" he spoke trying to contain the scream he wanted to give, the anger he wanted to throw at
᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽At the festival, this was where she was, this place she found herself, in this call full of noise, people, and colors too vivid for her eyes to keep up with.'I don't know where to look…' she thought as she closed her eyes briefly, trying to make them not hurt, trying to get a direction of where she was, where she was taken."Ready...whoa...? - She looked around, looked everywhere possible but couldn't find it.No sign of those brown hairs that looked like honey when the sun was shining; no sign of those platinum hairs like hers.She was lost."We didn't even get to the festival properly." she realized while searching, while trying to see hair as white as the petals of a lily "how can I lose such white hair?" she asked herself, a question that was recurrent even in her early life, since it didn't enter her head how she could not find her father, not with such an extravagant color on his head."Miss...?" a child with black skin, burgundy hair and silver eyes asked a
᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽He had seen her again, had met those violet eyes he had seen lifeless, had seen that white hair without being stained with a viscous, icy crimson.He just saw her, being a child and simply... living."This... makes me happy," his forearm covered his eyes, eyes that could no longer stand the light coming into them, "I hope you're not an idiot like the first time," he smiled at the thought, wondering if she could ever reach that level again, if she would ever fall in love with that unhappy celestial.No, she couldn't.He hoped something would confirm that she was smarter than he expected."She has her memories, there's no way…" the silver-eyed man found himself answering his own questioning "only if he really thought he could change something, and this... clearly isn't the case" his voice was getting lower, worried "there's no way to change something like that, he's an imbecile of a Maverick" his teeth clenched, clenched, clen
᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽· · • • • One month later • • • · ·Papers, papers and more papers. That's what she had in her hands at that moment, the ones she had picked up while her father was not in his office."Let's see, who could it be?"She concentrated while reading in the middle of that garden full of flowers, the fragrance was spreading everywhere because of the wind that now messed up her hair and made it difficult to read."For the… I nee-...A leaf ended up flying through the air and a slight panic filled her. She couldn't lose that leaf, she shouldn't even have that leaf to begin with.But in the midst of this, red hair was seen next to a black garment that accompanied the hand that took the document. It was the boy who had helped her at the festival."...What are you doing here?" he seemed to really question as he looked into those silver eyes."Your father sa
᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽He kept looking at his options, what would be the culprits?Obviously, if they took out the damn archduke and the damn curse that went with it, maybe even that wouldn't be necessary in a way, maybe a culprit wouldn't even show up before that thing they called Kyree sprouted and fell in love with her...but it was good not to remedy, he didn't want to make any mistakes this time."Suspects..., suspects..., suspects…" he started mumbling to himself.Nobles? But what nobles? That family was barely involved in anything, you barely heard Verena's name in the gossip wheels, they were practically erased in this matter, and only stand out in a way by their title..., so something from within would be more likely?"On her mother's part? No, what would be the motive? It's a distant place and they're a family of priests, plus the place goes well...from her father? Who is left? That old woman with the sour face?"He took the artifact and ac
᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽More days went by, and with them, more meetings between Ethel and Audra.Be it in the garden where the platinum one used to stay, or sometimes a certain being with dragon wings landing on the balcony of her room.And these encounters were something the little dragon treasured in his chest, even if he never dared to say it out loud."You should stop coming to my balcony, they might get the wrong idea," the girl said with some concern."So what? If they get it wrong, that's less bad suitors for you," the burgundy-haired one said as if it were too obvious, "no loss.""You mean none, don't you?" She leaned her elbows on the railing, and sulked as she looked up at the reddish sky, which made the color of her eyes even more vibrant."Whatever, you don't have to think about it now," the little dragon lay down on the ledge and began to twirl a violet between his fingers, "and even when the time comes to think about it, I won't let any
⊰᯽⊱┈A U D R A┈⊰᯽⊱· · • • • two years later • • • · ·The celebration of the seventh birthday of the ducal princess. There was so much pink and so many frilly things around the place, that the little dragon swore that when he left there, he wouldn't be able to see another color in his eyes for quite a while."You came! I was beginning to think I'd be alone..." the purple-eyed one whimpered as she clung to his arm."You'd think I'd leave you alone on your birthday, what do you think I am?" she asked with one of her eyebrows arched as a slight smile painted on her face.The purple-eyed one gave a mischievous smile before opening her mouth.She didn't want to hear it, it would be better."Don't answer" he placed one of his fingers in front of the girl's lips, which made her laugh lowly; so consequently the red haired one gave a long sigh and a simple smile."Can you be here? Shouldn't you be talking to the others?" the little dragon questioned her as she reached out to straighten her own
᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽"And that was the dream," Audra concluded simply. "It was voices in a strange and noisy void.""Is something bothering you lately?" the platinum-haired woman couldn't help but deduce something of that sort. "You know, dreams are sometimes things that our mind thinks or sees frequently.""No, I refuse to believe that I would fixate on something like that," Audra tried to speak nonchalantly, shrugging. "Who would be so idle?""I don't know," Ethel replied with an ironic tone, her lips arched mischievously. "I really have no idea.""So funny," Audra responded with a hint of irony. "Why haven't they hired you as a court jester yet, huh?" He arched one eyebrow as he approached her shoulder, almost lightly pushing her. "Your humor would be so memorable it would go down in history.""Do you feel so offended by me insinuating something so obvious?" The tone was arrogant, sarcastic. "And besides, I really would... imagine," she le
᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽"Great, she seems fine..." the burgundy-haired dragon sighed in relief as he looked at the amulet again. "Now... I deserve...," he finally surrendered to the mattress, wrapping himself in the soft blankets scented with lavender and jasmine. "So warm..." he murmured, smiling to himself as he buried his face even deeper into the fluffy fabric.He had thought about devising a plan at that moment, he had indeed considered it, but... he couldn't deny that he was also exhausted to a level he hated to admit.His body was already succumbing to darkness, his eyes closing slowly as they could no longer stay awake, no longer remain conscious.Even dragons couldn't overcome tiredness.—⊰᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽⊱—"Hmm..." the burgundy-haired man mumbled, squinting his eyes due to the light that shone on his face. "Is it morning already?" he questioned, realizing that he had fallen asleep at that very moment the previous night, right after
᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽"Mum...?" the platinum-haired girl arrived, heading towards her mother's room with a gentle smile. "Are you still awake? The ball ended not long ago..." She searched, and searched a little more until she saw a familiar silhouette leaning against a chair."Darling! How was it there?" her mother asked with a gentle smile."Tiring," she slumped down, burying her face in her mother's neck. "Nobles talk too much and are bothersome..." She whined like a tired child, even though her body was no longer that of a child."I know how it is, but... you know you don't have to go," her mother gently stroked her snowy white hair."I have to," she replied succinctly. "Connections are good, necessary."Her mother sighed, giving her a weak smile, knowing that her daughter was not wrong, but also having a slight desire that her child wouldn't have to go through that exhaustion."Just don't overdo it," the woman with honey-colored hai
᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽· · • • • Several years later • • • · ·"Look who just arrived, Miss Verena!" an elderly man exclaimed, raising a champagne glass."Miss? I thought you were already married," another man next to him said, as if it were a highly convincing compliment.Their faces were flushed, and they were swaying, leaning on each other's shoulders. Their speech was occasionally slurred.Did they really think they could accomplish anything in that state?"I see I made you wait, my dear," firm hands grasped the pale shoulders, hands with dark skin and sharp black nails that were extremely familiar. A disguised smile appeared on the dragon's face, one that hinted that if given any kind of permission, a murder would occur at that very moment."It's nothing important," the platinum-haired woman replied, accompanied by a social smile, one that was clearly forced and rehearsed. "D
᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽It wants me well, it wants me badly, it wants me well, it wants me badly...That's what that poor flower was being asked as the burgundy-haired one plucked a petal, and then another and another, without even knowing the purpose or reason for it."This is stupid! Why do people do that?" he couldn't help but show immense indignation as he got up off the ground with everything "how would a flower determine that? How would I prefer i-..." only one petal was missing, one just after a 'barely me that. ' "silly thing..." he plucked the last one, thus blushing and hiding his face with one hand.It was extremely ridiculous that something like happiness was filling him at that moment, all because of a petal that was like a premeditated bet, or at least one that seemed very premeditated.No, it wasn't premeditated...Almost nothing was, destiny was something abstract but at the same time something that made too much sense.On
᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽A villain, that's what the little dragon said to her, that's what he suggested to her to thrones, to avoid that cold, sharp fate at her core; that crimson sheet on the floor spreading."Thinking too much, violet?" the dragon wings that were so familiar just landed on the balcony, with an almost theatrical delicacy."Overthinking is euphemism, dear..." the purple-eyed one sighed as she said "this all seems so...strange.""Maybe it is" the burgundy haired one quickly replied "but things that can save your skin are usually strange, no?""And how do you know I'm thinking about it?" she turned her head sharply towards him "are you reading my mind?""No..." he laughed "it was just a kick, after all...that was the last thing we talked about" he said simply as he gestured with one hand "and another, you always think too much, about anything I or any other being talks about."'That's true...' the platinum one couldn't help
᯽⊱❈═ K Y R E E ═❈⊰᯽Amethyst eyes, eyes of such a beautiful purple that they automatically had his attention.And those eyes were moving away from him, were leaving along with a silhouette just as lovely."Ethel, wait for me!"A burgundy-haired being soon followed behind, a being that he could feel a slight twinge of envy.Why was it able to stay so close to her? So close in a way that he was not despised that even he had not been?What was wrong with him? Was there another infamous rumor involving him? Another thing that said his personality was unpleasant, that he was a humble phony?Well, it didn't matter, he would try to change that opinion about him.Whatever bad opinion she had."But..., you can't fall in love with her" he tried to remind himself as he clenched his fists "you wouldn't want to take the shine out of those eyes, right?"He tried to convince himself of this, that he wouldn't become a selfish per
᯽⊱❈═ A U D R A ═❈⊰᯽Ethel Verena had lost her parents at the age of seven in an unfortunate carriage accident sometime after the fall festival. An accident that caused her to be placed in the care of her grandmother.That was what he remembered hearing, that her parents' death had created a commotion, and had become a topic of conversation for days in the wheels of unoccupied noblemen.And there she was with the memories that this could happen, that this happened at some point in her mother's arms as a stray child who didn't know what to do anymore, who didn't know what plan to draw, who to trust and what to follow.Those purple eyes clearly begged for everything that woman holding her in her arms to be true, for everything she really felt to go away, for her doubts to fly away like dry leaves in the winter wind.How alone had she been until now?What was it like to have the refuge taken from you when you were so young?You would have
᯽⊱❈═ E T H E L ═❈⊰᯽That smell, the one that was flowery and always brought her so calm, the one that was like a gentle spring breeze, one that seemed to take all her worries away."I don’t want to let go, I refuse to let go..." when she thought about it, she felt her heart shatter into several pieces, pieces that she wouldn’t know when she would be able to put together, how she could put it together."Will pass, calm..." that sweet voice said as if that really was true, as something that would really happen "there is no pain in this world that can not pass, my child" as much as the tone of that woman with honey hair was mild, there was conviction in it, one that Ethel really wanted to know where it came from."How can you be so sure of that?" his voice was choked to feel his small throat almost close "of course there are pains that do not pass!""But eventually they go down, right? This is also a way to pass on" that gentle smile still