The devil wears a mask (Lamenting_Quill and Colonel Autumn)

The mists the evening always brought with it were thick this night, though the crickets still chirped their merry song to throw of any dark fears; The soft wind blew gentle through the forest treetops as if whispering some age old riddle that could never be solved, what song did the wind sing?
This was the question dancing through the head of a certain Seelie fairie, the lovely Princess Helenia; She was often standing out upon her balcony in the middle of the night, her eyes closed in deep concentration as she listened to the gentle music of the whispering wind. Some would say the young princess understood in perfect clarity the words of the wind, that she alone was given the gift to hear it's mysterious song.
The wind felt like heaven as it blew gently through her hip length tawny gold hair, her violet eyes casting up towards the heavens as if to count the stars.

Soon in a mattler of a few hours, the mask ball held in honor of her coming of age would begin; There would be seelie fairies from all over the enchanted forest attending, each dressing in dazzling clothes and glittering masks.
Helenia had to admit a certain liking for mask balls, it gave the perfect chance to get to know someone through words and body language alone; After all, no one could judge your face if it was covered.
Tonights celebration would prove a good stress relief for everyone after everything that had been occuring within their end of the enchanted wood, the rude pranks and mischief courtesy of the Unseelie fairies; Their less than civilized counterparts.
For centuries the Seelie and Unseelie fairies had a vast difference of opinions and have for long caused much ruckus, but the Unseelie's habit for mischief was getting a tad bit out of hand and more than a little annoying... On top of that... the pranks seemed to be becoming less and less harmless with each one..

Helenia shook her head gently as if trying to ward away the troubling thoughts, this eve was after all her eighteenth birthday; Helenia was of age to wed and she was going to enjoy tonight, perhaps even find her future husband among the masked dancers.
"Please, Please oh great ones among the stars" Helenia whispered, clutching her hands to the center of her breasts "Please let me find my soulmate tonight"
Helenia turned and entered back into her bedchambers to dress for the magical evening about to take place, she fetched the gorgeous magenta gown made for her from where it hung on the door of her wardrobe and eagerly shed her current attire; This night for certain was going to be one she would never forget.

Helenia twirled around now slowly in front an oak framed full length mirror, watching how the colors of her skirt seemed to change from magenta to rose when she moved; It was a lovely gown, the seamstress had outdone herself this time.
With a smile, Helenia brought the half mask baring rose and pearl swirls she held in her hands to her face and secured it with the pieces of ribbon on each end.
A knock upon her door though caused the princess to give a soft startled yelp before she composed herself and answered it, she found her mother standing there; The queen looked thoroughly pleased her with daughter's appearance.
"You do look lovely, my dear Helenia" The queen sighly fondly "I bet you will even find your husband tonight, who could resist your loveliness"
Helenia blushed beneath her mask "Oh mother, stop it. Do not embaress me tonight, please!"
The queen lifted a hand as if to ward off a fly "Worry not, my darling. Your father and I will maintain our distance and allow you to enjoy your special night. Now hurry along, darling, the ball will soon begin"
Helenia nodded and bidded her mother goodbye before she closed the door.


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As Helenia entered the ballroom, guests were just starting to arrive; She could her heart thumping wildly in her chest with excitement, she had waited and waited for so long for this night to arrive and it was finally here.
Soon she would be waltzing around the ballroom with all of the available Seelie males across the land, all seeking to capture her interest.
Glittering crystals aglow soft light all about the ballroom gave the room a beautiful and romantic feelings, garlands of many colors hung everywhere with flowers of many varities adorning them; The sight was breathtaking.
With a happy smile, Helenia proceeded down the ballroom staircase and into the crowd; She was never going to forget this night, not ever.

It was surprisingly easy. That was one of the first things the one who was not supposed to be in the party thought to himself after entering. Of course the seelie probably did not expect any of his kind to attend. But it was still an achievement to have snuck into the coming of age party for their princess and Alisar the son of The Lord Illisar and the Lady Midnight had pulled it off.

He did feel satisfaction at what he had accomplished but Alisar realized that he didn't really have a plan for what to do next. Sneaking in was all well and good but he was the prince of the darkest court and merely sneaking in was not good enough, not nearly good enough. As he pondered what to do next there was a stirring among the invited guests and his gaze was drawn like all the others to the seelie princess as she walked down the stairs into the ballroom proper.

The prince of the dark Fae was momentarily taken aback. It had been said that the seelie princess was beautiful but said mutterings had not done the girl justice and the beginnings of an idea began to slither around in his mind. For a time he moved in the crowd of guests simply watching the princess as she danced with several others of the seelie fae.

After another of the dances ended Alisar reached a decision. He had snuck into the ball and of course he would dance with the seelie princess Helenia, the stories of such an act would long be remembered in the dark court and he was not about to pass up a chance to dance with such a beauty in any case. A hand came up and straightened his mask, the silver shape that covered most of his face and checked his black hair, making sure none of it was out of place. As there was a brief pause between the dances he made his way through the crowd towards the seelie pincess.

His red and silver raiment was if slightly less colorful than most of the seelie close enough to not stand out and as he gracefully maneuvered through the crowd to reach her. Alisar stepped forward and extended his hand towards the princess. "May I have this next dance?" He asked smoothly looking down at her slightly from his greater height.

Time seemed to slow as Helenia's aqua eyes rose to meet the gaze belonging to the fey standing before her, his gloved hand outstretched to her in invitation; Her breath caught in her throat from the intense beauty of them.
Even peering through the holes of his mask, those silver eyes were mystifying and striking; It was almost as if those eyes could look right through her very body and into her soul. A million stars seemed to sparkle and allure within the depths of those orbs.

All Helenia could manage was a numb nod and she extended a hand to accept his offered hand, then before she knew it was was swept into a passionate waltz; The searing warmth of his body soaked into her own as she was pulled close into his embrace.
This fey, he was definitely someone she had never met before, this aura of his was electric and sensual; Something Helenia had never before experienced in her life. It filled her body with a strange but delectable heat, she wanted to feel more even though she knew deep down that this fey was a stranger to her and one should never lust after a complete stranger.

Pressed against his body, the sheer sensual heat scorching her though her gown in the most delicious way that Helenia never believed existed or even imagined.
"I... I do not believe I have met you before, do you live here in the capital? Or perhaps in another of the Seelie provinces? I do not travel much, but I'd like to eventually. I am sure there is much to see.... You are a wonderful dancer, umm... What is your name?" Helenia said, trying her best to make her bashful tongue engage in conversation; Though she suspected somewhat that she was babbling.
Though what female wouldn't babble in such close proximity to such a virile masculine creature such as this, she had a hard time thinking that this handsome fey was unmarried.

It nearly made Helenia blush when she found she was fighting the impulse to reach up and stroke the soft looking ebony black hair that hung loosely around his neck, it shone like water and swayed with elegance as he moved her in the dance.
She almost lost all her breath when she felt him pulling her in closer to his warmth, her hands desperately clung to his forearms as they moved and her eyes eventually sought out the great clock that hung in the far reaches of the ballroom.
11: 55, there was only five minutes left until Helenia would get to see the beauty hidden beneath his mask and learn his full identity. Perhaps even if he was unmarried, Helenia just might have found what she was hoping for.

The current dance certainly met his approval and he would be the first to say that the dancing itself was quite pleasant. The prince of the darker court did find the princess whom he was currently dancing with quite attractive. Alisar had danced with many before, after all the dark ones were just as fond of throwing parties as their lighter relatives just the restraint shown at the two differed greatly, but there was something about this one that made him crave what he really couldn't have.

"I live ... far removed from the capital" Alisar answered the first and second of Hellennia's questions as they continued to dance and the music continued to play . He was not blind and could see the effect that he was having on the girl, and a smile slid across his face that looked warm and was at least mostly. She was clearly flustered and she likely wouldn't notice he hadn't really given much of an answer to her questions.

"Yes there is much outside of this place to see, I have seen many wonders." and that was not even a lie, Alisar had indeed seen many wondrous things that one who had never visited the dark court never could have, though not all those things were what people would have desired to see. As the dance went on and the pleasant feel of her pressed against him continued he began to think, why shouldn't he have what he wanted, everything else he wanted and had the ability to get he had, so why not have this. New plans whirling around in his head he was momentarily distracted when Hellennia asked what his name was.

Fortunately he was still paying enough attention to not blurt his name when asked and he also noting the time had pulled her closer to him and began to manuever them through the crowd towards a doorway that led to a uncovered balcony area.

The cool night air was refreshingly crisp as the handsome stranger twirled her out onto the empty balcony, she knew in the back of her mind that she shouldn't be alone like this being unmarried; Did she listen to that little voice in her head? Nope.
They stood still now, though they had not broken the embrace they maintained from the dance; Helenia could only stare at him through her mask, her breath was reluctant to reach her lungs it seemed.

Everything about this stranger oozed sensuality, she wondered where her normal steady demeanor had gone; She was completely caught off guard by everything she was feeling in his embrace.
“Who are you?” Helenia said in a breathy murmur more to herself than to him, her heart was pounding in her chest and she just did not understand it. She had never encountered anything like this before.
“Tell me your name, please, I must know” Helenia pleaded softly, reaching up to stroke the edge of his mask with a finger tip.

She could hear the fey within the ballroom start cheering and counting as the great clock began to its final strokes to midnight, thirty seconds remained, she could scarcely breath at the anticipation.
Helenia smiled flirtaciously at him, unaware of just how dangerous it was to encourage the fey whose arms held her.
Her mind raced as she tried hard to imagine just whose face it was beneath the mask, many nobles traveled to the capital to attend court and perhaps his face might be familiar to her. Perhaps even he might propose to her. The idea of a royal wedding nearly made her giggle with feminine mirth.

Helenia wrapped her arms around his shoulders and grinned “Barely fifteen seconds now, a name couldn't hurt, just a first name. Please, I fear I may succumb to madness without it?”
Though she was only teasing, she certainly was internally squirming to learn his name; A name to pair with this stranger whom enchanted her more and more with each passing moment.

“Five, four, three, two, one” Helenia counted down the final seconds before she dropped her arms from his shoulders to untie the ribbons holding up her mask to remove it, revealing the whole of her lovely face “Your turn now, Mr. Mystery”
Helenia nibbled her bottom lip excitely as she waited on baited breath for him to remove the mask that hid his identity.

Alisar smiled as the mask was pulled back her saw her face. Much like he had already expected after all he did know what the princess of the other side looked like. He did enjoy the sight though and his smile was partially because of that and partially because he could see a way to get what he wanted out of this situation after all. She had come with him out onto the balcony and out of the eyes of the crowd. It would be almost easy he decided to himself. "Alright, my turn." He conceded still gracefully and smiling as he said it and lifted one arm from the embrace but with the other one still gently but firmly around her.

"I present myself" His hand slipped the silver mask up and off of his face and tossed it aside. The mask fluttering down towards the ground as he tilted his head so she could get a clear look at his face. "I am Alisar, son of the Lord Illisar and Lady Midnight" He winked at her and chuckled, "And the one you just spent the night dancing with so enjoyably and I did find it enjoyable myself."

The sound of his mask hitting the ground echoed loudly in her ears as everything slowed down to nearly not moving at all.
This was no Seelie fey at all, this was the prince of her peoples sworn enemy; The Unseelie!
Her heart almost refused to beat in the sheer shock and the pure shame, she felt so ashamed to have found such attraction in the arms of an Unseelie prince; An attraction that still burned stubbornly in her chest.

Helenia brought her hands to his chest and tried to push away, though he seemed to be refusing to let her budge at all “I... I... Let me go! If you do not, I shall scream!”
At this point, she was hoping he wouldn't call her out on that as she doubted her lungs would cooperate that well at this point to be able to scream. She could barely speak as it was.

She closed her eyes tightly shut and looked away as she tried to push against his chest, she did not want to lose herself in those star-kissed silver eyes or else she might have been tempted to lean up and see for herself if his lips were as soft as they looked.
It was so unfair, for ones enemy to be so temptingly beautiful as Prince Alisar was; he was delicious as sin and she could bet that he knew it.

This was very, very bad, she was all alone out here on the balcony with the prince of the Unseelie fey and with all the noise in the ballroom, it was doubtful she'd be heard if she cried out.
“What do you want? Why are you here?!” Helenia pleaded softly, praying she had not fallen prey to some fatal trap “Please do not harm me, just let me go, I will tell no one you were here!”
If he left now, she just might be able to quell these amorous feelings brewing within her; She could pretend he never existed, that she felt nothing at all for the Unseelie prince. She just needed him gone now before she was lost.

She tried to focus on how obvious it was how he was gloating over the fact that she had no idea whom he was during the time he wore his mask, she fought to feed on that and use it to resent him. It would be so much easier though, she relented, if he wasn't so blasted breathtaking.

The prince of the dark court did not relinquish his grip on the girl though he took care to avoid causing pain in how he kept his arm wrapped around her, unlike his father the prince Alisar did not particularly enjoy causing pain for no reason. This was going to be an achievement greater than any his father had pulled off, it showed more skill and intellect to sneak into the very heart of the day court and do what he had done.

As Hellenia threatened breathlessly to scream he had remained motionless still holding her to him and only continued to smile that same warm smile that had been so intoxicating before as they had danced. And as she asked the prince of the dark what it was he was here for and what he wanted Alisar did take a brief moment to think about what exactly his plan was.

The whole affair had been little more than spur of the moment ideas. Impulse had led him to sneak into the great coming of age ball, impulse had led him to dance with the princess, and impulse had led him to maneuvering her to the balcony and unmasking himself before her. Now he needed something other than impulse if he wanted to actually get what he was begining to desire quite strongly now. Alisar wanted the girl and what he got he wanted but he himself did require time to come up with a plan for just how to proceed.

As she begged him not harm her a vague sequence of events began to take form in his mind and he slowly brought up the hand he had used to remove his mask. It gently pushed Hellenia's head up so that she was looking him in the face as he continued to smile at her and still without replying he slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers as he tightened his embrace slightly, pulling her more closely against him.

Helenia's breath caught in her chest when the prince brought up his free hand, she was almost afraid he might strike her for defying him. His hand however did not strike her fair face and instead tilted her face up to look him square in those beautiful silver starry eyes, that seductive smile smile glued to his sensual lips.

There was no time at all to think before those lips of his came down upon her own, claiming them in a possessive kiss. His arms gathered around her smaller frame and pulled her into as close as he could get her to his own body without crushing her, she could feel every contour of his body as he kissed her.
She knew she could fight back, she knew she should push him away and slap him for his insolence, but she found that her body absolutely refused to obey those sensible commands. No, her traitorous body melted into his and accepted his dominating mouth on hers.

It was only until she as a maiden slowly began to become very much aware of the prince as a virile male, one whose desire was obviously growing with each second that she remained pressed against his hard male body.
Helenia slowly began to take back her mind and make more attempts to squirm out of the Unseelie prince's embrace, he meant to seduce her and she had been letting him like a besotted untried maiden... even though she was in truth an untried maiden.... she still could not allow herself to be seduced so easily, by an enemy of her people no less.

"Enough" Helenia managed to get out as she turned her face a bit reluctantly away from his kiss, her voice slightly husky from desire and much foreign pleasure "This is forbidden!"
With a bit of stubborn determination, Helenia lifted her hands to his strong chest and tried to push herself out of his arms, it took a great deal of will power to resist his powerful seductive charms "I will not be seduced by an Unseelie!"

In the back of Helenia's mind she was kicking herself, one did not fire such barbs at an Unseelie's pride; They never reacted too well to that, the Unseelie royalty she'd heard were no exception to that. In fact, they were just prideful as any family of royalty.
She debated in her head whether or not she should try to call out for help, if she was not heard then she would be at the mercy of the Unseelie prince's wrath and who knew what a pissed off Unseelie prince might do.