The Masque of the Red Death [Open and ACCEPTING!!]

[Nick_austin90]

Ah, such a beautiful melody, Nicholas thought through his half-concious state. Did I fall asleep somehow? He thought. Is the singing a dream too?

He sat up and blinked. Strange, my head feels lighter, he thought. He dismissed the thought and got up from his resting spot. He felt at ease now. He walked. He could feel the breeze playing with his locks. It was cold yet soothing on his skin. The wind caresses his cheeks like a mother's touch. He stood rooted to the spot, letting the wind pamper him and the lovely song calm him.

The melody is sweet to my ears, he thought. And the wind against my face makes it better.

He walked on towards a pond he saw without even once realizing that his mask had been left behind.  

[Rin128563]

Scarlet finished singing and stood up to go back. She didn't want her gaurds to worry about her. She began to walk back but as she looked up she saw someone was with her. Someone she didn't see at the party..."Who are you?" she asked not recognizing him.  

[Nick_austin90]

"Princess Scarlet?" he called the moment he saw her. To his surprise, she seemed confused and she asked of his identity.

"Your Highness, it is I, Duke Nicholas. Do you not recognize my mask? I believe that I am the only one who wore one," he chuckled. His smile not reaching the eyes that Princess Scarlet can now see.  

[Rin128563]

"What....but...but you are not wearing a mask." Scarlet looked at him with some confusion.

((uhh what does he look like lol))  

[Nick_austin90]

"W-what?!" he exclaimed. He touched his face. Oh no, he panicked.

"Don't look at me," he said as he ran into the shadows to search for his mask. After all this time, someone had seen my face! He thought angrily.

((lol...I wanted you to make up his face ^^))  

[Rin128563]

((alright how about his face is extremly handsome lol XD))

Scarlet ran after him and grabbed his arm, "Wait why are you hiding your face. Theres nothing wrong with it..." she broke off and looked away as she slightly blushed.  

[Nick_austin90]

((Yay for handsome guys! X3))

"My mask, where is it?" Nicholas was indeed panicked. He must find his mask soon. He must not be seen. Then he heard the rustle of leaves and the voice of the princess. She was close by and if she went further she would see him.

"She must not see me again," he muttered. Little did he know that Scarlet was determined to corner him.

((I feel like I'm writing a book with you..lolz))  

[Rin128563]

((lol awesome love it!!!))

Scarlet soon found him and stepped infornt of him with his mask in her hands. "I told you to wait, and that there is no need for you to hide your face," Scarlet tilted her head from side to side trying to look at his face. Althought the dark wouldn't allow her to view him.  

[Nick_austin90]

"Princess, there is nothing to see from my face. Please return my mask to me. I must wear it," he pleaded. He sighed. Scarlet was determined not to give in.

"Your Highness, you do know me so please refrain from testing my patience," he said softly. "You are too beautiful to see a person as ugly as I. So please, return my mask," he pleaded again. Scarlet remained defiant and quiet.

"Princess, what is it that I could do so that you would return my mask?" He sighed at last.  

[Rin128563]

"Tell me why you where this mask and why you think you look the way you think you look. Because honestly you are far from ugly." Scarlet gave him a soft smile and hid the mask behind her.  

[Nick_austin90]

"I-I," he faltered. He drew another breath. "I w-was, i-its,you," he sighed.

"If you must know," Nicholas gave in.

"Everyone in my area knew that my family had suddenly vanished from sight. 15 years later I returned but everything was gone," he stopped. "The reason I returned was because my family is no more and," he hesitated, "and."

He stopped. He couldn't go on. Pain was numbing him as the memory came back in a flash. He leaned against the wall that Scarlet had pinned him at and slid down, covering his face.  

[Rin128563]

Scarlet knelt beside him, "It's ok i wont make you tell me. I apologize i didn't mean to make you feel this way." Scarlet placed her hand on his shoulder and held the mask in front of him. She would not force him to remember something that he obviously didn't want to remember.  

[Nick_austin90]

"No, no. That is not it," Nicholas said. "Please sit beside me, I would feel better if you would join me on the soil rather than we stand," he moved a little to his side. "If that would displease you than I will just tell," he hesitated.  

[Rin128563]

"Sure i will," Scarlet picked up her dress a bit and sat down beside him. "Now go on."  

[Nick_austin90]

Nicholas sighed far to much within a short period of time.

"Well, I told you where I was at before here did I not?" He asked. Scarlet nodded.

"I was abroad. My parents had always been worried of my poor health and decided to take me to someplace where the air is clean and the condition is perfect for recuperation. We would have gone there officially if my uncle had not made an alliance with the underworld. He threatened my father that he will kill me if the tittle 'Duke' was not passed to him. My father sensed that his brother was serious thus we left in the middle of the night with only our house keeper knowing of our whereabouts," he recalled the face of the wizened man who used to play with him as a child.

"Our house keeper went into hiding but within three years he was found dead on his bed with," he searched for a different way to explain it, "with a serious injury oh his neck," Scarlet gasped.

"Forgive me but I will try being less blunt than possible," he apologized. "So we went into hiding, deeper and deeper into the world until we were completely cut off from the real world." Nicholas stopped and he gazed to the stars. His expression serene. "That was when my life was the most happiest,"