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Hello everyone, this is the first parts of my next story The Crimson Duchess



For as long as I can remember, I have danced. My body moving to the fast beat of the song and my heart beating even faster. So many steps, so many dances, and I love to do them all. I dance in ballet, waltz, tango, and so many others. I play music with a passion. Hitting the notes and making the room go silent with a soft and sorrowful piano. Learning the notes of some of the greatest songs in history, and playing them aloud to myself and cherishing my accomplishment.
My writing is sweet and detailed, grabbing your eyes and forcing them to follow the lines I write. My words each having a meaning, sometimes hidden behind facading nouns and verbs. My story dances across the page as I do in life, and music sets the beat for the next line as in my music. A story tells of a place like no other, or a story told throughout the ages. Mine tell of a place where things you dream of are real and the impossible and irrational are of sane mind.
But my talents only go so far. Some things I am bad at, such as speaking or sporting. I am good at math, history, science, art, and so much more. But there is one thing in this world I have never been good at, or even tried for that matter. I am scared of it, thinking that I will fail and I will be looked down upon. That I will be ashamed of myself and never get the chance to master it. That sweet fear is being in love with a person. Being able to feel so safe to one person and feel so good yet frightened at the same time. I am a Melodious Dancer who fears nothing but the love yet to be experienced.

My life is like the story of lonely Juliet, waiting for her dashing Romeo to whisk her away from her boring entrapment. Though Juliet probably never had the life I do its still somewhat the same. My father is a rich man, he pushes me forward in life to do my best. My father is a big man, his face sharp and powerful. His hair has already begun to gray on the side and his blue eyes no longer see with the same sharpness as before. Father loves me but in my heart I know that I need to move on from the same melancholy day I experience each day. So over and over I whisper to myself that today will be the day Romeo comes to my balcony and takes me to our new paradise, but all I get is the maid knocking on my big white door.
I live in a big rich family, we are all italian because as grandmother says, “Italians marry Italians, and one day you will find so big strong Italian man to marry.” Of course I want this but so far all I get is the annoying boys at my school. In an Italian family such as mine names are a big deal. It has to fit the face, the personality, the last name, middle name, and the sibling’s names. My name is Maria, the oldest of five and the most talented person in my family.
We live in a big house in Virginia, often I find myself walking the huge halls and observing the many paintings of our rich kin. The vast land we live on spans over forty miles of small forests and grassy fields where horses run. Long paths run all over the property, leading to the many places I go to get away from the rambunctious siblings that plague my life at times. In the fall our property becomes an incredible portrait of oranges, yellows, reds, and the occasional purple. White fences run down the length of field our many horses run in and graze on, picture perfect white fences. We even have a small pond near the center of the property that serves as a summer swimming area for my siblings and I.
Most of all I love to stand high up on my balcony. It rests of the top level of the house just outside of my huge room. A large black piano sits near the sliding glass doors that lead to the balcony. It is my favorite place to be in the world, giving me a view of most of our grand land. I love to stand by the rail and feel my softly curled chestnut hair blowing in the wind. I close my eyes, hiding away my green eyes and breathing softly. I can feel the soft breeze on my lightly tanned skin and soft facial features.
People tell my parents that I am the most beautiful little girl they had ever seen. I do not even wear makeup, just being what I am. Everyone in my immediate family has incredible looks, even my old grandmother still seems to look so young and beautiful at seventy-five. Though I do not indulge in my good looks, I care not for the simple needs of other girls my age. I do not enjoy shopping or putting on makeup or trying to look the best they can. I love to look beautiful, but it is not part of my life as it is to others, I live to be me and beautiful, talented, kind, and sixteen is what I am.
Though my life may seem so incredibly simple and luxurious it is not. I live a boring life, trying so hard to be my best at things I have done my whole life. Trying to impress my family yet only achieving things I have already done in the past. So I constantly search the world for something more, something I’ve never done before. Something that will finally satisfy my constant want for perfection and applaud from my family.

Today is a special day for a lot of people I know. Tonight to be more accurate, is the masquerade dance at my school. I did not get excited about going to such things as the other girls my age did. I saw it as another chance to see my peers be in love or have their hearts broken, leaving space for a new story to be written. Of course I am going, and I am happy about it, its just that in my schools social ranking, I am near the bottom. Almost unnoticed by others of my class. In truth, few know of my great talents, thinking I am another boring girl with nothing special about her whatsoever. But tonight I plan on showing the people what I can do, though I will be hidden behind a mask, keeping my secret identity from the judgmental girls that make up the upper social class.
As my departure to the dance came closer and closer, I became more and more mysterious. Tonight was to be a black and white dance, everyone would be in black and white outfits. But I was to be the elegant rose in a field of colorless tulips tonight. Black and white were not my colors, the color of red was the shade of my choice tonight. A long red dress dawned my body, the dress was made to look beautiful, elegant, pure, and at the same time permit difficult dancing of a high degree. My medium brown hair was done up in a royal looking fashion, a small rose sat on the side of my head, spun and formed from my own hair. I wore a small silvery necklace and earrings that matched. I looked beautiful and was finally ready to go. But first I dawned my mask, an old family heirloom made of old black material and decorated with two long red feathers and detailed with red vine like designs. I looked like a sweet lady in red with the attitude of a elegant and dangerous dancer.
Soon a black car pulled up in front of my home and I began to walk down the long curving white stairs. As I walked down my father stood at the large doors..
“You look marvelous,” He said in a deep and very italian accent.
“If you think so, then I know I am,” I replied
“You speak as if I am some sort of official, I am your father Maria,”
“I know, I choose to speak in such a way because I can.”

My father sighed a little and led me to the car. I got in the front seat and we drove to my high school.
I go to a prestigious private high school in Virginia, and the school looks as if it was built for royalty. My father and I pulled into the school. I looked around and saw girls and black and white dresses with boys leading them in on their arms. My neutral expression did not change, but I still did not get out of the car.
“Maria, why don’t you go?” My father asked, seeing my hesitation.
“I...want to wait a moment,” I said, still sounding so perfect.
“Even roses must wilt in the end my dear, wait much longer and you will miss your chance and being to fade.”
“Sometimes roses last longer than you think.”

I waited a little longer, almost everyone had arrived and gone into the school. I decided to get out.
“Good luck my sweet dancer,” My father said.
“I don’t need luck, I need a miracle.”

I walked into the school, my tall black heels tapping the clean tile floors as I approached the gymnasium. One teacher saw me as I walked in, she dropped her books and stared at me, clearly shocked by seeing such an elegant and frightening girl such as I was that night. The teacher quickly picked up her books and scurried away to the office, most likely to tell our gossip queen office manager.
I stood in front of the gym doors and could see the lights and people dancing. I could hear the music, a song I liked a little, it of course was not my taste. I pulled out my phone and pressed a button, I put the phone to my ear and my friend answered.
“Your here?” He said.
“Yeah, lets show them something they won’t forget.” I said back.

The phone hung up and I put it away. In the gym music of a softer more elegant tone began to play. It sounded almost spanish and english at the same time. I opened the doors and walked in, people began to turn as they heard the gym doors open and shut. Some gasped and whispered, others frowned and smirked, seeing they were clearly being outdone by this strange girl in red.
My expression was still the same, not a smile, not a frown, just the same emotionless face as before. As I walked forward the people began to part for me. I walked slowly to the center of the gym where a man stood. He was dressed in a mask much like mine and a black tailored suit. On it was a red rose. He had the same expression as I and looked just as handsome and mysterious. He put his hand out and I took it, my hand tightly gripping his.
Just for that moment I smiled and little and suddenly the music began to move with great speed. He spun me forward and our marvelous dance began. It looked as if I was just floating around him as was described to me by one of my closest friends whom was the one that played the music. Our graceful yet powerful dance lasted for only about two minutes but felt like forever. Once it ended the two of us stood close to one another, so close there was no space in between us.
There people were totally silent, just staring at us. Even the teachers and parents were totally in awe, they just stood there unable to move, speak, react or even feel the power my partner and I gave off. My partner and I then stepped apart, he smiled, I smiled and then the music stopped and all the lights went out. Girls screamed and jumped, teachers ran to find the lights and soon they were back on. But by the time they had the lights on my partner and I were no where to be seen. But in the spot where we had stood only a moment before was a rose just sitting on the floor all alone.
My partner was actually my cousin Anthony, who was probably the second best dancer in our family after me. This of course was all a plan constructed by my friends and I over a long period of time. We all loved to start weird rumors in our school about things, and surly this would bring up a lot of talk, and this act was only the opening show, soon the two people there that night would become mysterious icons of interest to everyone and eventually two people who would leave an imprint on this school no one would ever forget.

When I got home that night with Anthony my grandmother was sitting in the living room in her chair. The chair was old, probably at least one hundred and fifty years old. It was covered in a light and faded flower print and it was the place my grandmother sat when she wanted to speak with me.
I said goodbye to Anthony and he drove off, I noticed her sitting in the chair and I walked in to her and sat on the soft old couch.
“Look at you, you look like I did when I first fell in love with your grandfather.” She said, her old shaky voice made her sound wise and soft. My grandmother still had her natural brown hair, her skin wasn’t very dark even though she worked out in the garden all the time. She had wrinkly skin yes but she still looked young and strong for an old woman.
I took of the mask and brushed some hair from my soft face and looked up at my grandmother.
“That mask was mine you know, back when I was a dancer,” She said smiling a little. I knew it best not to talk since grandmother was about to go into one of her stories.
“Back when I was young and strong like you I was a great dancer, I danced all over italy, spain, europe, and I loved it so much. People adored my dancing and soon I found a great partner whom would later become my husband and your grandfather. We danced together all the time, showing people our incredible talent. But soon we began to fall out of the light, people became uninterested and lost faith in us. So we decided to let them have something new, something never seen before. I found and incredible red dress and black mask with two long red feathers. I put them on and your grandfather dressed himself in a fitting black suit, black top hat with two red feathers and a large red rose in his jacket. He also wore a red mask much like mine but with black feathers and less detail. When we first danced people were in awe of us, the two of us didn’t dance like we used to, we were powerful, elegant, strong dancers and grabbed our people once more. No one knew who we were though and soon we gained the aliases The Crimson Duchess and Scarlet Duke from a group of prestigious englishmen.”
My grandmother smiled at me, and I smiled softly in response.
“Now, get to sleep, you’ve had a big night my sweet dancer,” My grandmother stood up slowly and walked to her room on the first floor since stairs were no longer her cup of tea.
“The Scarlet Duke....The Crimson Duchess....that’ll do.”

All night I was planning what to do next, drawing pictures and writing down things. I eventually fell asleep but the rest of the night I would dream of my dance with the sweet Duke.

The next day I called up my friends and we met, and The Duke and Duchess were to make their next debut during the Romeo and Juliet play two days from now.

Waiting, planning, thinking, hoping, wishing, all things that went into the plan. Of course Anthony and I took full force into this, re-creating our costumes and making a signature for ourselves. My new outfit was much like the one I had worn to the dance that night. I still wore a long red dress, but now it had black vine like detailing on it, and a large black bow and ribbon around my waist. I wore my mask, the two long red feathers sticking out. Anthony somewhat revived his outfit, wearing a black suit and dark red shirt. The rose on his jacket and the mask. But to add, he now wore a black top hat with two long red feathers on the side. We both looked like something out of a story or movie, and the two of us soon became the images of our grandparents.

There had been tons of talk about the girl and boy in red at the dance, saying they could be somebody at the school. Others thought they were dangerous or something, but I let it go since did not bug me much. I loved the mystery of it all, and decided to add one final part to my costume: A silver ring around my right ring finger. It was incredibly detailed with vines and flowers so small that it seemed not even today’s technology could produce it.

Then the night of our next grand entrance came.

The auditorium was full of students, tonight was a students only play and everyone was invited. The play was just beginning when Anthony and I appeared, we were sitting high up in the back, all done up in our costumes. Our friends were in on this too, and their task was to spread a whisper through the students that the two from the dance were here in the theater.
This quickly got people attention, they began to look about, trying to find out where. Then someone finally saw us, we were sitting in the highest booth in the back all alone right next to one another. The person told their friends and they began to look back. Soon much of the people were in a quiet whisper about it, but Anthony and I kept a cool face as if we really were watching the play.
“They see us,” I said quietly, not looking away from the stage.
“Yes my sweet Duchess, and soon we will make a grand reveal of ourselves to the students.” Anthony said in reply, how exactly our names where to get out was already set. I had a good friend named Jamie who happened to write the school students newsletters, and we were to be the front page.
After a while Anthony and I stood up, as we did several people gasped and whispered. This standing was planned, for it happened when the entire room was to go dark as said in the play, and we were to make our leave at this moment. When the room went black Anthony quickly ran from the auditorium and back to our cars which were hidden. Thus we drove away, our reputation beginning to rise throughout the student body.
Within two days the news had spread and our names were out in the open. The front page of the newsletter showed it all.
“JUST WHO ARE THE CRIMSON DUCHESS AND SCARLET DUKE?”

People began to talk and ask questions, trying to ascertain who the two mysterious figures were. Anthony and I began to make solo appearances from time to time. One such time was at a big dance event, I came in and sat in the far back, all dressed in my costume and watched the dancers with interest. Of course my appearances at all dancing events in school became a norm, I would sit in back and people would see me from time to time. But no one ever approached me for fear that something bad could happen.
Anthony made appearances at all plays and performances in the theatrical department. Gaining a reputation as the theatrical one of the two where as I, the Duchess, would see singing and dancing.
All this only made people more and more suspicious of the two of us, they began to point fingers and narrow down who the two could be. But soon began to give it up as their suspects ran dry. But there was one time after a dance recital where I found myself on the stage in my costume.

I stood there in the bright spotlight, it was still shining down even though the people had all left. I had figured out the music system and it began to play one of my favorite dance songs. So then I began to dance, slowly, softly, all alone. I felt so enveloped in the character that I forgot who I was. I had gained myself a mysterious second personality, one that seemed dark and mysterious yet graceful and elegant at the same time. I closed my eyes and just danced, unaware that there were some girls watching me.
“Look at her...” One said.
“Shhhhh,” The another said.
“I wonder who she really is....and why she does that..” One said.
“We have to find out..” A voice said, a voice that would become a real problem for me in the future.

The music slowly came to stop and I stopped dancing. I just stood there for a while in the light, I pulled something out of my pocket. I had created pockets in my dress to hide things such as a phone or something. I pulled out a small silver ring, not the one I was wearing on my finger but another with Duchess inscribed on it. I turned towards the curtains and walked forward slowly, the ring falling into the light behind me.
The girls waited for a long time before running down to the stage, one picked up the ring and held it.
“She left this...” The girl said.
“It says Duchess..” Another said being oh so observant.
“And its a clue to who that girl is.”

Months passed by, and the facade of the duchess consumed much of my life. I continued to leave small items after my appearances and planned on leaving one final item before the school year was up. A Letter and a Gift.

Today was a big day, the day of a huge performance, play, speech, and another short play. People all over expected the Duke and Duchess to attend, and during the first play they looked all over but never saw us.
“Their not here...” people said.
“The Duke always comes to stuff like this...” others said.
“The Duchess would never pass up a chance to see her dance,” but all this did was keep them in a vice, waiting for us to make an appearance.

Once the play and speech and the final play were over the lights went out. One dim light appeared on stage, and the glittering vine design began to appear. The light began to get stronger and stronger until my shape appeared.
People gasped and whispered and pointed. It was me alone up there, a special mic on me so I didn’t have to hold one. This would be the first time I had ever spoken as the Duchess in front of people.
“Hello there,” I said, my voice was being changed into a softer more mysterious one by special equipment. The people only stared and whispered, some smiled seeing me up there.
“Unfortunately the Duke is unable to be here tonight, so I guess the Duchess must take his place.” I looked out over them, I stood there in the light totally still.
“Ever since the Duke and I made our first appearance at the dance you have all been trying to learn our names, what we really look like, why we do what we do. Well there is a game behind all this, a puzzle, a chance at learning our secret.” I walked slowly to an old box from the last play. I opened it and produced a small chest about the size of a toaster. It was decorated with gold and many fine designs, and had a keyhole on the front.
“Inside this chest is my secrets, my name, my appearance, and my personal book of stories. The Duke has a similar one, and both require a key to open. But do not think you can just force the boxes open, the keys disable a trap on the inside. If the boxes are opened without the keys the inside will be set ablaze and all the contents will be burned.” I still held the box in my hands, the people seemed to all be on the edges of their seats.
“Now both the Duke and I hold the keys to the boxes, and only one person may be the one to open the box. Both of us have decided to give the key to the person that we come to trust the most. The one we are most impressed with. The one we fall in love with.” As I said this people began to speak and move.
“I will leave you tonight with this to think about, just remember that gaining our trust is not going to be easy....a secret such as ours is dangerous and only someone we can truly trust is to learn that secret.”

With that the lights shut off once more and I was gone when they came back on.

Thus the school year ended, people were still giddy with suspicion about who we were and how to get to us. It was just all so exciting, and next year was going to be a big one.

Over the summer I worked more and more on the character of the Duchess, improving to costume and character. I even added a headset and speaker into my mask, allowing me to hear my friends during our more dramatic performances. I accomplished this with the help of my father who thought what I was doing was rather strange but felt it was rather theatrical of me.

I turned seven-teen that summer, and I noticed how different I was becoming. I made one really big mistake that summer. After being with a bunch of my friends and acting stupid, I got •The Crimson Duchess• Tattooed onto my lower back. Under it was a small rose. It was easily seeable if I say didn’t have my shirt on or something which was something I really never did unless I was swimming or something.
The thing was that my parents didn’t mind, in my family all the girls received a marking of their nickname on their eighteenth birthday for some reason, and I getting mine a year early didn’t bother them much.

Soon school came around once more and I was ready to get back into the feel of things. Though the Duke and Duchess appeared less frequently this year. People still tried to get close to us, but never could get us to do anything. Anthony and I were always careful never to show our secrets, mine of course was harder to keep now that the name was tattooed on me but I held out. Though I did bring one more part of the Duchess into my life. I began wearing the ring I wore as the Duchess in school. No one really could tell since nobody had ever gotten close to the Duchess to see the ring.
There was one thing in school I really hated. That would happen to be gym class. I hate gym, it sucks personally, and I rarely say that. I hate the idea of having to do all the running and sports and exercises. But it does help when making escapes so I try not to complain to much.

One day after gym I was changing in the locker rooms. I was really tired as usual and wasn’t honestly paying attention. I took my shirt off, showing my tattoo. What I didn’t know was that I wasn’t the only one in the locker rooms. Since then Grace Darson walked around the corner and saw me. I didn’t know she was there, and by some chance she was silent. Grace’s eyes widened as she saw the tattoo. She ran out of the locker rooms.