• Part I

    tab A girl weaves her way through spinning fabrics, dancing all around her. The extravagant dresses, the decorative garbs, all spinning in unison to the music filling the hall. Masks mark each person’s face, some golden, some goddesses, others feathered, and one fox. She, alone, moves throughout the ball, watching her steps, hiding her presence, the fox mask always covering her face. The music stops, the people separate, and an aisle is formed in the middle of the hall. The guards announce the coming of the prince. All start whispering to another. All faces turned to the doors about to open, the girl one of them. She shifts herself to the front of the lines, but is sure to remain hidden, behind others. The doors open, and the prince walks forth. All remove their masks and lower their heads, all but the girl. Her eyes become fixed on the prince. She does not lower her mask nor her head. She just gazes at the prince as he walks forth. The prince proceeds to his chair at the far end of the hall. As he walks he looks at all of his spectators and guests. Then he spots the lone fox. He pauses in place, just looking at the girl. She gasps and quickly hides behind the crowd of people. A guard comes up to the prince.
    tab “My prince, is everything alright?” the prince breaks out of his daze.
    tab “Y-yes, of course. I am sorry for the delay.” He looks once again at the place the girl was standing and proceeds to his seat. He climbs the steps to his throne chair, then sits, looking at all of his subjects below him. He gives the order for the dance to continue, with a small gesture of is hand. The dancing commences once again. While each one of his guests dance, he scans the room for another glimpse of the girl in the fox mask. He is unable to find her for she has hidden herself behind a large pillar in the back of the hall. She has removed her mask, and is heavily breathing, with her hand upon her chest.
    tab “My, my heart is racing. That prince…” She peaks her head from behind the pillar to catch another glimpse of the prince. “He, he actually looked at me.” A smile appears on her face as she relives the moment in her mind’s eye. “My god he’s handsome! Just like a prince should be I suppose.” She looks back one more time to imbed his image into her mind one last time. She replaces the fox mask and makes her way to the entrance of the hall. As she looks back the prince is whispering to one of his guardsmen, then dismisses him.
    tab The girl travels the elegant halls, moving as swiftly as she can and makes her way to the grand entrance. There the guards cross their poles and block her path. “Excuse me?” she asked the guards wondering if she would be found out.
    tab “I am sorry that is my fault.” The girl freezes, for she recognized that voice. It pierced her skin and made its way into her heart as it did once before. She turns around and sees the prince descending the stairs behind her. She stands there frozen. “I am sorry if I scared you with the guards, they can be a little cold sometimes, I just wanted them to stop you before you left.”
    tab “You did?”
    tab “Haha, yes, how could I have you leave without even introducing myself to you.”
    tab “Why?
    tab “Haha, you are a funny girl. Is it not proper etiquette for one to introduce himself.”
    tab “Uh, I mean why me?”
    tab “Those eyes.”
    tab “My, my eyes?” her eyes widen behind the small slits of the mask.
    tab “Yes, even through that mask I can see them shining brightly. They were like a beacon to my heart and led me right to you. I am sorry for any shock I might have given you.” He grabs her hand and bows. “My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and it is a pleasure to meet you.”
    tab “Oh! I should be the one bowing not you prince.” She clumsily curtseys.
    tab “Please prince is my title, my name is Sasuke, and I would be honored if you would join me on the terrace above.” He takes her hand once again and leads her up the stairs. Once they get on the terrace the girl rushes over to the railing and looks at the land below.
    tab “Oh, its so beautiful!” Sasuke walks up to her and stands beside her.
    tab “You know you could probably see it better it you remove the mask. Or am I not allowed to see the beauty that is your face, that is hiding behind the fox.” The girl looks down, takes a deep breath, and slowly takes off the mask, and places it on the railing.
    tab “I’m ugly… I know.”
    tab “Ugly!? You are certainly not. You are beautiful. Like beauty I have never seen before.”
    tab “Really?”
    tab “If you are ugly then all those flowers down there look no better than mud.”
    tab “You really think so?”
    tab “Yes.” he takes her hands. “Ah, you can hear the orchestra from here as well. Would you like to dance m’lady?” She nods her head and they take off dancing. They spin round and round, their eyes never leaving each other’s. The girl misses a couple of steps, but the prince just laughs and continues to lead. “You know I have never asked you your name.”
    tab “My name? Its Pri- uh I mean” she suddenly stops dancing and walks back to the edge of the terrace.
    tab “What can you not tell me your name?”
    tab “No, no its not that. Its… its Eliy.”
    tab “Eliy, that is a very beautiful name, to match a very beautiful person.”
    tab “I- I have to go.” she starts to walk away. Sasuke grabs her hand.
    tab “Wait! Why? Did I do something wrong?”
    tab “No, no its not you. Its just that it is getting late and I must hurry home, before someone worries about me. I am sorry I really must be going now.”
    tab “Tomorrow!”
    tab “Tomorrow?”
    tab “Yes, tomorrow come here once again. Come meet me in the courtyard. I would love it if you could join me for a walk around the garden.”
    tab “Alright then. Tomorrow.” She rushes down the steps.
    tab The prince gazes at her till he can no longer see her image. Then he turns to the courtyard. He finds her mask still where she had placed it and picks it up. He sees Eliy running out of the castle and out of sight. He brushes his fingers against the inside of the mask and whispers “Eliy,” in a soft gentle voice.