Elijah - 4. Chapter 4: Masquerade

A column of royal guard entered, forming a funnel of uniforms and golden spears. Prince David was the first to enter. Dressed in the fine regalia of the crown, dashing as ever, he beamed smiles across the various individuals who inclined their heads in his direction. The butler’s staff knocked against the marble once more, followed by a choir of trumpets, which slowly faded.

“His Royal Majesty, King Titian of Elijah and Her Royal Majesty, Queen Sheridan.”

Titian was an ancient yet handsome man. Atop his severely combed gray hair rested the golden circlet of Elijah. Oak leaves dominated the pattern. The crown was the first thing most people saw; his deceptively soft brown eyes, and even softer smile, followed. It was a wondrous sight to behold the King himself. Spirits were lifted as he entered; quarrels and strife were no more. Queen Sheridan was beauty incarnate. She wore a flowing gown of white and gold lacing; her hair was auburn; however, gray slowly crept among the roots. She paid no mind; her mere gaze could freeze an entire army.

As Titian and Sheridan slowly moved toward our table, I joined the round of applause that swelled as they made their journey. At last, the King led Sheridan to her seat and gestured for the crowd to sit. “Please, please sit all of you,” his voice rang out, buttering up the hall so that he could weave intricate words into a simple address. I stared at the man who stood, a rough worn hand resting on the shoulder of his wife as he gazed across to his subjects. His demeanor was admirable, perhaps even coveted.

“Good children of Elijah. My dukes and duchesses.” He had a glass of wine within his grasp now, gesturing expansively. “Ministers, family…friends… welcome to Damascus!” A roar of applause followed. The King stilled his people. “Long before the idea of Cathedral was pregnant within my mind, Damascus was the seat of the Kingdom. Our gem by the sea, beautiful and ancient, I envy this marvel. Sadly, I have no sway over time, even though I wish it were so.” A few courtesy laughs followed. “Time crept slowly up. Construction of our new capital was soon finished, but Damascus still was true in my heart. It is here, mere miles from this place, that The Garden lies. It is The Garden that holds the beginning of what we are now. I stand before you a humble man, obedient to the needs of Elijah; and, I have news about which we may rejoice.” He raised his glass now; the crowd followed suit. “A toast to peace and harmony with our neighbors, Venz. I am pleased to announce that delegations from Venz shall arrive in a few days time to officially sign at Cathedral Palace the treaty we have drafted.” Murmurs exploded into cheers, but applause soon took over. “To peace!” And it was echoed. The feast began.

The King dominated the conversation at the table. I noticed that Braden’s father had not arrived, although the empty seat seemingly had gone unnoticed. Braden spoke with Lidia in whispers; Caleb poked at his food; and David spoke softly to the Duke of Belfala.

“And who might you be?” King Titian’s voice came over the table. I was far too busy poking my roast beef. A cloud of silence followed and, after a moment of watching the juices ooze from the meat, I glanced up to see an expectant monarch staring at me.

“Me?” I blinked, unsure if it was me he had meant. The King sliced a piece of meat for himself and ate it before glancing back at me.

“Yes, child, you,” the Queen said. Her piercing green eyes ripped my soul in two. I felt vulnerable.

“Jeremy Worthington, I am a…” Braden glanced at me and I faltered, “An acquaintance of Lord Braden.”

“Ahh, delightful, darling. Please pass the butter…” The spotlight left me and Braden gave me an odd look that I never fully deciphered. I returned to my meal.

Talk of tax reform came up often between the Duchess of Telam and the King. Queen Sheridan had an intelligent debate with the High General even though I felt she was just mocking him. I stole glances at everyone at the table. Caleb glanced at me rarely, but he downed wine constantly; and Braden watched me with a cautious gaze as if he was afraid that I would screw up at any moment. David and Lidia managed well, as did the other royals. I came to a rousing conclusion that this was incredibly boring; that is, until the lights flickered. The dinner conversations stopped and people glanced about in puzzlement. Servicemen touched their ears, hands gripping firearms concealed within jacket pockets. Royal guardsmen stood erect.

There was a flash before the royal table, and then a cloud of swirling smoke, from which an elderly man emerged. His attire was colorful and vibrant. A cloak of many different colors swirled around him, morphing into a twisted rainbow. Gray wisps of fading hair, curious brown eyes, and a warm smile. “Silas Devrun, owner of the Faire,” the Duchess of Telam said with obvious delight. The King erupted in laughter, and soon the tension eased. Silas sent streamers of light over the crowds; doves exploded from the fairy light. He finally settled in the empty seat reserved for Braden’s father..

“Silas! What a pleasant surprise,” the king said.

“Quite so, Titian, quite so.” I got the impression they were friends, at least behind Court doors, since he was so free to call the king by his first name. “I have brought the most fascinating things this year, you must attend the shows this evening, you must!” Silas glanced around for some food. I had heard only rumors about the Faire; it usually had exotic animals and people. Some say that Silas was a magus, a practitioner of magic. It was never proved and most just considered him a carnival huckster with fancy mirror tricks. Everyone always said that the Faire would remain in Damascus only for two days, and then vanish completely until the next year.

When asked where they went, Silas responded, “Other worlds and realms; we cater to everything and everyone!” The man was clearly deranged, but probably quite rich. I watched him as I ate my potatoes. His wine glass would float where he left it; forks and knives would vanish in one hand and appear in the other. I was certain it was merely sleight of hand; but, it intrigued me. After some time, Braden rose and excused himself. Lidia followed suit; Caleb left soon after. I was left alone and unattended.

“I still think it is a rather rash idea, father.” David’s voice caught my attention.

“I think it is rather sound. It has been long …required that we attend to peace with Venz; wasting countless coffers on petty wars is ridiculous,”

“Venz is a menace. They control the northeastern boarders near Kulmath; we cannot mine there. Even the farming villages along the Kul’en River have been attacked. This is just part of numerous things, minor things… You know I have worked so hard helping with our resistance to Venz. Father…” Titian held up his hand to silence David; the rest of the table paid no mind, or they did so on purpose.

“David, this is not the time and place again. I allotted you a seat in Court to observe, not to voice your opinions where they are not needed. I shall attend to this nation while I breathe. Do you understand?” David glanced at the Queen who did not even look towards her son.

“As you say, Father.” The last word was spat out as he rose from the table. He moved away, fluidly. Suddenly lips neared my ear as Braden returned.

“Let’s go.” I rose, bowed towards the King and Queen who did not bother to acknowledge my existence. I followed Braden outside the dining hall were Lidia waited.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“To the Faire of course,” Lidia smirked at me. “It will be fun. The Faire is always a trip.” I was ushered into a dark car. Braden and Lidia started drinking; I joined in soon after.

“What kind of party?” I was anxious. Tapping my foot, wiping my hands along my pant leg, I anticipated the night even before it had begun. My heart pumped even though we were still just lounging in the car as it rolled through the streets of Damascus. I wondered how we escaped the uptight Ministers and Court socialites, and evaded the eye of the King and Queen. We were young: we were obligated, destined to be like this. It was natural and I enjoyed it as I downed more of the fiery liquid.

“A masquerade; here.” Braden brandished a mask from a side compartment. I chose one that was green with gray feathers and various designs. I did not care, it looked great and I bet I looked great in it.

I felt the car stop; the doors were opened. A red carpet led away from the car; Braden slid out followed by Lidia and me. Flashing lights exploded in all directions, it was all so methodical and slow. Clutching my mask, I put it to my face to hide myself from the paparazzi and the fame. I had no place here; I was a nobody. Lidia gripped the sleeve of my jacket and pulled me along the carpet as we entered a rather posh looking club named ARK. As we were swallowed by the ARK, the lights and pulsing bulbs were no more, now replaced by an echoing beat that was music.

My hand met the velvet lining of the walls, feeling the beat of the music roll through the structure. We moved into a vast courtyard with a fountain in the center, and a raised platform in the corner where a DJ spun beats that drifted deep into my brain. It was fantastic. The courtyard was devoid of a ceiling; strands of silken drapes floated in columns and acted as walls and partitions. Masks adorned the faces of everyone: ravens, eagles, harlequins, everything. I reeled in excitement. Braden put a red mask to his face. Lidia shouted and giggled while putting on a mask of silver lace. We approached a group of people, my mask was not on and I felt naked.

Caleb turned to greet us. He was devoid of a mask.

“Finally. Shall we enjoy?” Braden asked. Lidia nodded, and scampered off with some clownish figure. A nymph soon sauntered over to Braden, wrapped her legs about his thigh, and melded with him into the dry humping crowd. Caleb stood before me and smiled something mischievous. I saw his fingers travel to his lips and then he was closer than before. I felt dizzy. I could smell him, the musk; I could see the perspiration on his smooth features.

“Ready, Jeremy of Portalis?”

“For what?” I yelled over the noise; my voice felt hoarse.

“For anything…” It was quiet at first, and then the sound rose in a crescendo that was led by the music. Caleb moved forward and his hand found the back of my neck. Lips pressed against mine. His tongue forced my lips open, but they did so willingly. Something slipped from his tongue to mine and sizzled with anticipation. It coursed through my body as I moved my head to accommodate his. I had never kissed anyone before, nothing like this. My mask was limp in my fingers; it slowly drifted to the trash covered ground. I did not need the mask. I leaned into Caleb and he obliged. I felt my hand travel about his slender back. It felt fantastic, the music, everything.

Our bodies meshed and swayed to the throbbing beat. I gasped, attempting to catch my breath. Caleb leaned back, smiling lazily at me and moved away, while letting his lingering fingertips play at my jaw. He vanished into the crowd and I was left alone, grooving to the music. The music got louder and the people became beautiful. Each mask was alive and vibrant, moving and flowing with each person it inhabited.

I felt hands upon my hips, moving them back and forth, to and fro. I sank back into the creature behind me. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a crimson face and howling blue eyes. Arching my back, I gripped the strong neck. My other hand gingerly clasped the inner thigh as I moved, so lucid, like liquid with the red god behind me. I felt hands travel where they had never been and my back stiffened, I leaned in further, arching my back in what I thought was pleasure. My body stirred and the music was soon in me, rather than around me. I felt myself turn to face my seducer; I leaned into it, riding the thigh of the masked monster. I did not care what it was, it was fantastic and lovely and I wanted more. I leaned up and placed my lips upon softer tender lips that returned my infatuation. Tongues probed and traveled, my hand rested lazily upon nape of the neck. I breathed slightly, whimpering to myself. We moved to the music as if we had been doing it since the creation of the universe.

The mask and I kissed again, tender lips dancing together. My body shivered and I whimpered in delight, like a small imp in the throes of decedent euphoria. My partner vanished, but I kept myself busy. Wandering about, kissing strangers and drinking for no reason or cause. I had lost my jacket by this time, my tie was loose and my fly was down. Buttons were missing from my shirt and my hair was terrible. After stumbling to and fro, I found Lidia frisking the clown. Caleb was lounging on a plush divan with a harem of masked denizens about him. Each feeding one another grapes, some half naked, others licking softly at the skin of the prince.

I wandered out of the courtyard to where the music was a dull, faded roar. Stumbling along a corridor, I came to a balcony which overlooked the sea. Moving to the edge, I looked down into a private garden below. Figures moved. The voices of the two shadows were hard to hear at first, but then clear for a moment.

“We are ready when you give the signal, sir.” The voice was accented. I gripped the balcony railing, the moon swirled in the sky and I tried to get a better view of the two below.

“Good. It will be soon. I will be in contact once I return to Cathedral.” I squinted. The voice was so familiar, so smooth, and so young. One figure looked up. His face dashed with moonlight, so that it blinded me. Loud laughter startled me from behind as a couple stumbled through the corridor. Returning my drunken attention to the garden below, I found that the shadowy figures were gone. Was I hallucinating?

I made my way towards the music, but was intercepted by Prince David. I gripped at the wall, my head swam.

“Jeremy! Enjoying yourself?” He held a mask of black within his hands, a handsome smile greeted me.

“Y-yes I am, my…” I almost fainted, my vision swam. A firm grasp caught my arm.

“Whoa, there. Find yourself a place to sit and relax. I must find myself a drink.” He gave me a friendly tap on the shoulder and donned his mask. He jumped into the crowd. I found myself following him. Before I could join the surging crowd, I was accosted by Braden and Caleb.

“Fun isn’t it, commoner?” Caleb growled. His mask was half broken; he fidgeted with it, and then tossed it to the ground, stomping on it violently. Braden unmasked himself and leaned towards me, alcohol on his breath. I inhaled it deeply.

“I am having fun, yes…” I whispered. Braden smirked at me and wrapped a hand around my waist. I did not mind; nothing crossed my mind.

“Good, as it should be, now, we have things to attend to!” He pointed to nothing in particular in the air and, unwrapping his arm, stumbled off. Caleb followed gesturing wildly for me to follow.

We bounced along stone corridors with views of the moon-kissed ocean. Torches flickered along the causeways; laughter could be heard. It all echoed: things were there and other things were not. Braden dove into a room larger than my whole house. A bedroom. I saw numerous individuals lying about among satin curtains that flowed in the sea breeze. Braden wandered off, riding himself of his dress shirt. Caleb let out a howl of laughter and sprinted around me. I felt myself being pushed to the bed.

As I fell ever so slowly, I saw girls and boys, together in the throes of ecstasy. The room smelled of sea and musk, alcohol and sweat. I collided with the soft pillows, enjoying them, rapture within. My hands curled around the fabric, Caleb pounced on top of me; however, his landing was gentle. He gazed at me with dark green eyes.

“You’re one of us now, Jeremy of Portalis…”

“One of wha--?” My sentence was cut off. Lips pressing into mine. I was unsure how to react. It felt unnatural; my head swayed and swam. I resisted, but finally gave in. I kissed him back. I felt hands move to rid me of my pants. Cold fingers brimming past my undergarments, shivering; it felt foreign to me. It soon felt fantastic, and another joined, and then another. Switching, twirling, flipping, changing every which way. I was confused but I was blissful. I cried out. I laughed. I cringed and gripped at flesh and then darkness.