Chapter 1 - Prosperity and Ruin
Lady Sienna of the house Loretta, the emblem was a single green leaf representing prosperity, growth, and resilience. That is what her father had once told her. Yet here she was, sitting in her room, staring into that same mirror as maids and her stepmother, Diane, fussed over the smallest details. Her real mother died at birth from blood loss, someone she unfortunately never got the joy of knowing. It was a tragic beginning to Sienna’s story; one that made her feel more like a curse than a blessing. Her father named her Sienna, explaining that the name represented a colour, a colour that reminded him of blood. Now that Sienna was twenty years old, she knew exactly what her father meant; she knew he blamed her for the death of her birth mother. Diane had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. However, Diane always acted more like a dictator over her life than an actual mother.
“Hair half up. Her face looks thinner that way.” Her stepmother spoke, giving no room for movement. This was the usual for Sienna, every factor of her life controlled by her family, all in the pursuit of maintaining their social standing. The maids nodded in response, brushing Sienna’s raven-black hair into a half-updo.
“I was hoping to do a braid,” Sienna spoke softly, letting her green eyes meet Diane’s blue ones in the mirror. The maid halted, giving her stepmother room to respond. Diane gave her usual thin smile, one that hid her disapproval beneath a lie. She walked slowly around till she was leaning on the dressing table.
“I know you were darling.” She reached out, grabbing her chin and meeting her at eye level. “But it’s time you became more lady than child, especially at the ball.” She released her chin, straightening up with a pause. “You must find a husband after all.” Diane knew Sienna had tried to retaliate against finding a husband on multiple occasions by begging her father. Sienna tensed, gripping her dress tightly. The gathering was something she had been dreading for a while. But unfortunately, she had delayed as long as she could, having already missed an entire year. Her stepmother managed to talk her father into forcing her to attend. Sienna didn’t want to be married off like some cattle; she saw the ball only as a parade to present the goods. If a gentleman presented a suitable offer to her father, that would be it.
“I fail to see how a braid would represent that.” Sienna’s voice felt stronger now, determined. It wasn’t the braid that was important; it was maintaining her autonomy.
“You will!” Something furious sparked in her eyes as she struggled to compose herself. “You will… wear a half-up hairdo.” She repeated in a softer tone, that same thin smile appearing. She cursed under her breath, “I am trying to help you, so for once in your life just listen.” Diane directed the maid standing nearby, “Apply more makeup; her cheeks are flushed.” As per usual, no one said anything. The room was deadly quiet as the maid worked to Diane’s demands. Diane kept this side of her well hidden from her father, not that it was hard to do, considering he was too much of a drunk to notice.
“Forgive me, stepmother.” Sienna’s voice trembled slightly. She bit the inside of her cheek, holding back the frustration and urge to say more. Diane didn’t respond, watching as the maids half-tied up her hair and applied more makeup.
“Add this.” Diane finally spoke, handing a silver metal leaf ornament to one of the maids. The hair clip’s edges were rough, clearly not made for comfort. Sienna could feel that the ornament was going to give her a headache for sure. Once Diane was satisfied, she clapped her hands twice, indicating to the maids to leave. “We will be leaving in 10 minutes.” Diane paused. “That clip was once your mother’s.” Although her words held no warmth, her eyes slipped past a moment of regret. Diane left the room without another word. Sienna gently touched the hair clip and gazed at herself in the mirror, letting out a defeated sigh. She barely even recognised herself adorned with silver jewellery and a dark blue dress with accents of black lace. She felt more like she was wearing expensive gift wrap paper than an actual dress.
After a long silent carriage ride with her stepmom, she eventually reached the Benevolents’ estate, which was hosting this month’s ball for single bachelors and ladies. It was one of the few times she had ever left the Loretta estate. The ballroom stole her attention before the guests ever could. Her eyes traced the intricate beams arching overhead, their dark elegance framing glittering gold chandeliers that cast light across the room. She lingered on the architecture, mesmerised by its beauty.
“Don’t gawk with your mouth open; a bug might just fly in.” Diane scolded discreetly behind a small fan she was using. She gave Sienna her first warning glare of many she expected to come. Sienna let out a sigh, directing her attention to the assortment of unfamiliar faces already in sync with one another, laughing, talking, and dancing on the main floor. The music mixed of violins and cellos seemed to bounce off the walls, creating a pleasant atmosphere. The following hours led with Sienna hiding her true self, responding with hollow smiles and polite dismissals to dance. Something Diane gave her subtle glares for every time. Sienna managed to cling to the wall, despite Diana’s encouragement to socialise by bringing over “potential prospects”, as she described some of the noblemen. Diane had already begun mingling with some of the other ladies of the ball, gossiping about a certain lady who also seemed to be in a similar position to Sienna.
“Lady Ashbourne has already reached her fourth year with no suitors in sight.” They giggled quietly amongst themselves, staring obviously at the slender woman with orange hair.
“No wonder,” chipped in another, “she is nearly twenty-four years old! Far past her prime for finding a husband.” Their laughter rippled through the ballroom like hyenas’ cackles, their fans fluttering with every cruel remark.
Sienna rolled her eyes, turning her face away. She silently hoped this ball would finish soon. Diane was just one of the many reasons she hated the noble life. She hated the women within it, the way they spoke about others, the way they seemed to feed off others’ misfortune. Lady Julia Ashbourne had once been one of the most admired young ladies of the court, until a cruel rumour concerning her chastity spread through noble circles. Of course, this meant that, in the eyes of noblemen, Julia was ruined. Something Sienna thought ridiculous, considering the kinds of repellent activities noblemen often engaged in during their spare time. She knew this from having an older brother. With Diane preoccupied with her gossiping peers, Sienna took the moment to slip away. She was starving, having missed dinner after Diane insisted beauty meant pain. She made her way to the table filled with an assortment of food, taking a small plate of items while her eyes wandered over the walls of paintings.
Her eyes drifted over them, some depicting moments of war, others depicting scenes of serenity and nature. One particular painting that stood out, locking her gaze, was a carnival-based oil painting. The outer frame was painted gold, while the picture depicted a crowd surrounding a knife-thrower in a carnival tent. Some of the faces were happy, while others were almost disfigured and frightened. In the middle was a woman in a small costume who appeared to be tied to a wooden board, with several daggers already impaling it. Sienna was taken aback, noticing that the unknown woman had a dagger impaled through her head, with a pool of blood below the woman. A shiver ran up her spine; the longer she looked at the painting, the more horrific it became. Strangely, the more she unpacked its hidden horrors, the more convinced she was that the painting itself was changing. One thing in particular was the jester’s attention, which she had assumed was fixed upon the woman bound to the board, had shifted. His painted smile remained unchanged, but his eyes were no longer looking at his victim. Instead, he was now peering at her. She blinked for only a moment, the jester now looking back at the girl.
“What on earth…” She squinted, almost blurring her vision, to get a better look. Then, a jingle chimed. Not from any specific direction, but it seemed to draw her eyes away from the painting and towards a jester entertaining a small group of nobles.
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Chapter two coming soon! Feel free to leave feedback (❀❛ ֊ ❛„)♡
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