Lucien and Celeste 3
Halloween 1874
The driveway to Beauxment Manor was so long that the manor itself looked like a dollhouse on a hill. The grand manor house however, was entirely irrelevant to this Samhain celebration. Even a palace as grand as Beauxment Manor would not have been able to contain a celebration of such enormity. Tables sagging with food and drink lined the drive, floating lanterns casting light across the hundreds of guests all bedecked in silks and cloaks and masks as they chattered and laughed. Instruments played themselves whilst children ran around or queued to have their faces painted by an ancient looking crone who was trying, with all the patience in the world, to explain its significance to the sticky-faced little beasties. It was not a ball. It was an entire festival.
“The cost, Alder!” Lisbet whispered to her husband after she finally managed to pick her jaw up off of the floor.
“I cannot think of a comparison.” Celeste watched as their father took it all in, studying everything and adding up the cost in his head. His frown deepening.
“Everyone in the community is here!” Lisbet’s eyes threatened to pop out of her skull. Celeste had already seen at least three people she knew to be on the Grand Council.
“Not everyone,” Lily grumbled.
“Lily don’t. You’ll get in trouble,” Celeste whispered as their father shot them a warning look. This was not the place to start debating werewolf inclusion politics. Lily looked as though she were struggling not to roll her eyes, and looped an arm through Celeste’s before looking away.
“Oh look!” Lily pointed at a short fencer’s podium, where a floating sword was offering fair-goers an opponent-less fencing match . “If you hadn’t insisted on ‘proper dress’ I could have beaten that easily,” she snorted.
“You fence Miss Greene?” The rich, sonorous voice of Lucien Beauxment appeared behind the girls, making them jump. They all spun around, Celeste dropping into a curtsey. Manners were second nature to her. Lucien was even more striking up close, the piercing grey of his eyes almost silver in the moonlight.
“Oh,” Lily blinked. “Yes. Father-”
“He should never have encouraged you three into such boyish pursuits.” Lisbet said. Celeste’s eyes widened at her mother’s rudeness. Had she been drinking already? “It is an honour to meet your Lord Beauxment. These are my youngest, Lily and Celeste.” Lucien nodded, pale eyes casting over the two of them.
“It is a pleasure My Lord,” Celeste’s words were soft, eyes turning up to him only as she rose from her curtsey. He gave the smallest nod in acknowledgement before returning his attention to Lily.
“I find myself in need of a partner since my return. Should you wish to arrange a session, you are welcome to send word.” His eyes cast over all of them, moving slowly. He seemed to take in everything about them in that tiny eternity before they flicked upwards to fix on something behind them. “I do hope you enjoy my little show of community.” His eyes met Celeste’s again with that same piercing slowness as before, then he left.
“I dare say he liked you Lily,” Alder’s face contorted as he tried to suppress a grin.
“Mmm,” was Lily’s only response.
“That is a good thing Lily,” he reminded her, making Celeste chuckle at her sister’s sour face.
“May we go and explore?” Celeste asked, sensing an argument brewing as her mother muttered something about ‘decorum’ and ‘swords’. They were waved off, and the girls scampered away.
“Where are you dragging me off to?” Lily had finally allowed a smile onto her face now that they were away from their parents. “I wonder what they are doing here,” she murmured, dragging her sister to a witch and a vampire who were sat over a large cauldron. Celeste watched as the vampire woman twisted the stem of an apple before cutting the peel, and the witch murmured. The contents of the cauldron glowed lightly red and they watched the peel contort itself and a girl ran off, giggling.
“What is this?” Lily asked. The vampire woman looked up, sweeping her dark hair from her face.
“It’s a spell that can divine who your future love will be.” Celeste’s eyes widened.
“Not just your future love, but the one that your soul is destined to be with,” the witch smiled. “There is no cost. For any of the attractions here. Do you wish to try?” She raised a shiny red apple to Lily.
“She will,” Lily pushed Celeste forwards.
“Is it magic, or superstition?” Celeste’s brow arched.
“Is not our work made of both?” the vampire smiled. “Come child, try it.” Celeste hesitated. Then nodded. It couldn’t hurt.
“What do I do?”
“Hold this to your brow, and think of happiness, think of romance. This of what your heart desires most,” said the witch, holding a ruby red apple out to her. “Then kiss it, and we shall reveal its answers to you.”
“What can it hurt Celly?”
Celeste ignored her sister’s irritating childhood nickname for her and took the apple. She closed her eyes, ignoring how silly it felt holding an apple to her brow and focused. She thought of happiness, of warmth and filled her mind and heart with it, with all of the stories she read about and the love contained within. She kissed it, then handed it back. She found her heart fluttering impatient as the vampire peeled it and cast it into the cauldron as the witch started chanting. The apple skin curled, and floated before it settled. It settled, in the shape of an L.
The Veiled World 