She looked different.
Perhaps that was one of the many thoughts clouding her mind in recent days, trapped in her ivory tower. Normally, she wasn’t one to obsess over her appearance. At least, she thought she wasn’t. Or was she? Everything felt so very different now. Her body seemed foreign, yet strangely familiar. Currently, Aure found herself caught in an endless loop of yearning, a desperate need to rediscover herself amidst elusive memories. Fragments of ideas danced just beyond her mental grasp, slipping away every time she reached for them. And maybe… just maybe her reflection was the easiest thing for her broken mind to understand.
The notion on her mind at the moment was rather simple: she looked different. Older. Lost. Perhaps a little broken. It was disconcerting, almost unsettling, to witness someone staring back at her in the mirror, yet that person was entirely unrecognizable.
In Germany, where Aure could conveniently avoid confronting her reflection, life seemed simpler. Her handmaidens took care of her grooming, sparing her the sight of the stranger who stared back at her from the mirror, silently pleading for memories to return. Her focus was on her studies, and surprisingly, it was easier the second time around, even if her first attempt was now a hazy recollection.
Etiquette came naturally to her, as did dance, piano, and embroidery. Relearning German was a necessity, but it also jogged her memory of the French language. Horseback riding, however, was a different matter. Her family was adamant about keeping her away from horses, and Aure, partly in agreement, had no desire to repeat whatever had transpired during her fall from a horse, even if the details eluded her. She was making progress in Germany, and, truth be told, she would have preferred to stay there.
Though some days blurred into one another, following her recovery from a coma, she was adapting to society once more. Yet, this reentry was far easier than returning to a world that existed in her mind only as fragments. London was a familiar place inhabited by different people, people who remembered a version of her that felt foreign to Aurelia herself.
Nevertheless, duty beckoned, and as tradition demanded, she had returned. Her goal now was to secure a marriage that would compensate for the disappointing setback of the previous season. She yearned for it, needed it, craved a sense of purpose, something to reaffirm her identity. If that something meant embracing the role of the diamond she had once been chosen to be, then so be it.
For a mere second, Aure’s hand extended towards her reflection, but before it could make contact with the surface, her ivory tower was unlocked. Like clockwork, handmaidens streamed into the room, bustling with activity to help her prepare for the ball. Once more, Aure deliberately turned her back on the stranger who seemed to stare back at her from the looking glass.
It had been a long day, or perhaps even a long month, year? Time felt elusive to Aurelia as she stepped into the grand ballroom, her loyal maid close at hand. Unlike her siblings, she had traveled in a separate carriage, a decision made by her mother to limit mental excitement before the ball. In her carriage, it had been just her mother, her maid, and herself.
As she engaged in a fleeting conversation with her mother in the carriage, Aure couldn’t help but acknowledge the wisdom in her words. While she did attempt to defend her sister’s actions… as… disruptive as they were. Her mother’s "Hush now, Aurelia. Think of what is best for your sister, was enough to remind her of the truth of the situation. After the rather eventful introduction earlier in the day, it was clear that Aurelia needed to set an example for her younger sister, Lydia. She understood the gravity of the situation, knowing that her actions could influence Lydia’s prospects in the marriage market. Her mother’s counsel resonated deeply; in this world, marriage was the currency of social standing, and it was, after all, what Aure had always desired. A happy family of her own was her ultimate goal, and she hoped for the same for her beloved sister.
That’s precisely why, the moment she arrived at the event, Aure sought out her sister. Although she dearly missed her little sibling, the brief glimpses of Lydia she’d had in the past two days since her return to England made one thing clear: Lydia needed a serious conversation. One that they started to have - soon turning into a heartfelt talk about the two. She did, after all, miss Lydia in the most unbearable manner. The girl was everything to Aure, as was her brother - another individual she had yet to have a true conversation with.
As she nodded in response to her sister’s words, Aure caught a subtle glance from her mother who had joined the two, indicating that she should walk away, and Aure soon complied. She made her way toward the refreshments, all the while feeling the weight of curious gazes from the other guests. The rumors of her injury had clearly spread through the masses, and Aure couldn’t help but be aware of the watchful eyes upon her.
Aurelia couldn’t help but feel a subtle shock at the presence that had tapped her shoulder, although she made sure not to display it on her face. Such reactions were not considered ladylike, after all. Nevertheless, a faint hint of confusion did register in her expression as Lord Harrison spoke. “It’s been long,” he said, and Aurelia found herself pondering the meaning behind his words. It was clear he was referencing her absence from the season, but why was he speaking to her? Both of them were well aware of the longstanding animosity between their families, which dictated that they shouldn’t be conversing, especially not in public.
Lord Harrison’s statement, “I have completed what was asked of me,” only deepened Aurelia’s confusion. What had he completed, and who had requested it? Certainly not her. She had no desire to engage with a member of the Davis family, given the long-standing feud between their families. Despite her strong inclination to refuse the dance, she was acutely aware of the potential consequences of defying her family’s wishes. It simply wasn’t proper. Therefore, with a simple nod and an attempt to avoid causing a scene, Aurelia complied. She discreetly added Lord Harrison’s name to her dance card, marking him as her first dance partner for the evening, and followed him onto the dance floor.
However, it wasn’t long into the dance that Aure met his gaze and uttered her first words to him, her tone laced with formality and restraint “Lord Harrison, I must confess, I find myself perplexed by your decision to approach me in such a public manner. It appears there may be a misunderstanding, for our families, as you are surely aware, harbor a longstanding enmity. I must express my disapproval of your actions, which seem to disregard the potential consequences for my reputation, and by extension, your own.”
Mentioned:
@novella - Lydia
@Cerealkiller - Cassian (Briefly)