│PROLOGUE │
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” A wise man once said humans are oceans of pain, deceit and melancholy. So wise child, only navigate the surface of the ocean and never the depths for we know- the depths only hold fruits we cannot understand. ”
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I LADY DELPHINE’S BEDCHAMBERS I
: BYTHESEA MANSION :
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HER END.
DELPHINE VERMOA BYTHESEA had only yearned for one thing in her entire life and-that was to watch the world burn.
No one had ever asked her why she wished for the world to burn.
She scoffed, her bruised lips curling into a snarl. She should rephrase that train of thought.
No one cared to ask her the reasons why she wished for the world to burn.
Yet, in the end, she supposed none of that ever mattered. Her thoughts, opinions, emotions or ideals were just specks of dust meant to be swept away into oblivion. She glanced at the ruby ring on her finger. She twisted the wretched thing and held it up to the moonlight to see the glimmer of the horrid jewel. It was the only piece of remembrance she was able to get her hands on after the maids threw out all of her mother’s belongings. Her heart throbbed as she rubbed the ruby close to her chest. The only person who had showered her in warmth was her mother-she was also the last person to show her any warmth.
Her tattered clothes and scarred skin were evidence of her fall into the depths of hell. Her fingers grazed the fresh streaks of blood oozing from the lacerations on her arms. She harshly bit the inside of her mouth to prevent whimpers from escaping. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut and escaped into the memories of the past.
“You can’t do anything without me.”
“Sister, do you honestly think that anybody ever liked you?”
“You better live quietly.”
“Useless and stupid, qualites that you inherited from that cursed mother of yours.”
“Vile! Her cursed blood surely made her personality wicked.”
“If only she could be like her sweet innocent younger sister.”
“You never tried hard enough.”
She screamed.
She had spun so many versions of herself just to meet the demands and expectations of those around her. She only did what anyone else in her situation would have done, she built iron walls around herself and turned to her wealth to defend herself. She used silk dresses, makeup brushes and jewels as her weapons. She attacked with a haughty smile and remarks so cruel they left deeper wounds than a whip did. Yet, none of it brought her closer to the ones she wanted love from. She was always told to act a certain way, she was always criticized and she was always blamed.
No one asked her questions, no one wanted to know how she was doing or how her day went. She snorted, it was all right if they never inquired about her wellbeing or if they never gave her the benefit of the doubt. It was all right, she could handle it because she knew she was no saint. She was not the bright-eyed innocent girl with stars in her eyes. She was not gentle or flawless in beauty or personality. She did not wear pastel colored dresses, exude kindness or resemble a dove.
Delphine was a woman.
And no one cared to inquire about her inner self.
She was dark-eyed with storms in her eyes, she was rough and flawed because beauty contained edges and personalities were flawed. She wore dresses of the night sky, exuded hostility and resembled a raven. That’s who Delphine molded herself to be-no, that’s how she survived in her crumbling world.
Delphine craned her neck to follow the single beam of light on the bloody floor and found herself face to face with the object of all her misery and desires. His cold eyes raked over her body until they landed on her weary face. Her heart ached when she saw a pale hand squeezing his forearm. Her eyes landed on a heart-shaped face, her stomach churned when she saw green eyes filled with terror staring back at her. It was funny how two people could share the same features but manage to look so different at the same time.
“Delphine Vermoa, if only you tried to be like your sister then you could have lived longer.” He coldy stated, he slid an arm around her sister’s waist and pulled her closer to him.
Delphine blankly stared at them. Her throat had been parched for days, her stomach was as dull as a rock and her eyes were drier than the rivers in the north. She had been starved and locked up for days. She didn’t know what they wanted from her anymore nor did she have the strength to give them anything. So she did the only thing she knew how to do perfectly -
“I was and always will be better than her.” She haughtily stated in a dry voice, her smile wicked as the devil.
-and that was to be the villainess everyone hated.
Her sister softly whimpered, tears falling from her big green eyes as she took in the state of Delphine. She could feel the harsh glare of her former beloved pierce through her skin but Delphine couldn’t care less. As he fretted over her sister, Delphine twisted her ruby ring once more. Her eyes found the brilliant stars and a small smile found its way to her cracked lips. It reminded her of the warm summer night when she was 18. That night, the summer breeze tickled her bare shoulders. The brilliant stars illuminated the ebony sky and next to her sat a friendly acquaintance. One, she mused, that she should’ve taken seriously. She vaguely remembered their sparkling indigo eyes, teasing grin and passing words. Her iron walls wavered, if there was one person she could place a tiny bit of hope on to mourn her passing-it would be them.
“DELPHINE VERMOA!” A loud voice bellowed, ripping her away from her silly musings and back into her bleak reality.
She looked up at her sobbing sister and fuming former beloved, her heart frosted and her bones steeled over. “Oh sister.” Her lovely innocent younger sister wailed as she dared to come closer to Delphine, “If only I loved you more-you wouldn’t have hated me. You wouldn’t have been jealous of Ozanne and I.”
Once her lips were close enough to Delphine’s ears, “Please dear sweet sister, don’t sleep tonight.” Her green orbs earnestly pleaded with Delphine’s cold ones. Her sister wrapped her hands around her own marred hands.
Delphine’s blood ran cold as she stared into the sweet innocent eyes of her sister. She couldn’t hear the footsteps of servants outside her room. She didn’t realize her sister returned to Ozanne’s side until her hands felt empty. Her heart raced like wolves in the forest and her lungs struggled to breathe as her brain processed the words of her sister. Any ounce of hope in her shriveled and died. Delphine knew at that moment that no one truly cared for her existence. A peal of giggles escaped her cracked lips, her shoulders shook from the weight of her realization. Her sister and Ozanne took a step back from her and glanced at her waywardly.
Delphine didn’t care anymore.
Her giggles descended into full-blown laughter, her boisterous laughter resounded through the hallways and all the way to the countess’s room. Ozanne escorted her sister out of the room but Delphine had other plans.
Why must she bear all of the pain and ridicule?
She wickedly smiled at her sister and hoped this would haunt her lovely sister’s dreams forever. She grabbed the sword resting on Ozanne’s hip and pushed it into his hands. Out of reflex, his hands automatically gripped the handle of the sword and before he could push her back, she dashingly grinned up at him. His pupils were wide and alert as he stared down at her, Delphine knew this moment would replay in his head everyday. She pushed the sword forward and let it pierce her agonizing heart. The sound of flesh connecting with metal was vile and terrifyingly sharp. Streaks of pain shot through her body, her vision blackened and blood gushed out of her cracked lips. She vaguely heard screams erupting from around her, hands shaking her body and footsteps. Ozanne and her sister rushed out of the room and locked the door.
No tears escaped her, no screams begged to be released from her lips for she knew in her bones she would die alone. Yet, as life seeped out of her bones the only thing she found herself wishing for was another chance to heed the passing words spoken to her from the night of brilliant stars.
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│DELPHINE’S BEDCHAMBERS│
3 HOURS AFTER HER DEATH
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A lithe figure stealthily entered the room of Lady Delphine, it was beyond the normal hours of the night. The stench of acrid blood and decayed flesh permeated through the air making it hard for one to breathe. The lithe figure gently stepped forward ensuring their footsteps were light as a feather and their presence invisible as air. They slowly took in the state of the lady’s bedchambers. Clawed marks were evident on the alabaster white walls, chains surrounded the bed posts and rotten food spilled across the floor. Blood marked almost every corner of the room. The figure clenched their fists-clearly the lady was not treated well even in her final moments. Once they reached the lifeless body of the lady, they stared down at the ruined lady. Shakily, they kneeled down and gently took her lifeless form into their arms.
A moment of deathly silence prevailed in the blood-streaked room.
If it was rage or anguish, one will never know but the figure trembled and shook as quiet sobs left their lips. They hugged the fallen lady and silently buried their head into her neck as if to conceal their cries. Their ebony hair tumbled down their shoulders and revealed luminous curls. Tiny beams of moonlight reflected across the floor as the figure removed their cloak and laid it over Lady Delphine. The figure stood up and moved across the room and just briefly when the beams of moonlight revealed one half of their face-one could see sparkling indigo eyes.
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: AUTHORS CORNER :
ELLLOOOO! First and foremost, welcome to The Bizarre Tale of Delphine! I know the start of the story is sort of dark but it’ll get sort of not dark?
Enjoy the story and I hope y’all stick around.
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