At the Woodchopper's Ball Bk. 01 Ch. 10

I had woken up this morning with no thought other than to seek out Enide and right the wrongs between us, yet now, I felt only reluctance. Whether it was due to drink or fatigue, all I wanted to do was to crawl into my bed. Enide must have harboured similar sentiments. She gave voice to her feelings with a weary, drawn-out whimper of protest.

Andra could not be placated with such ease, and the two began a languorous, half-whispered conversation. I went into my room and removed my jacket, waistcoat and boots before returning to rejoin them.

Enide and Andra now sat nestled together, their heads inclined in hushed and intimate consultation. They were so close to one another that the garlands on their head had become entangled. I wondered if they had forgotten I was there entirely.

My eyes were fixated on the two maidens, their grace and beauty accentuated by their natural poise. Slowly, my attention drifted down their body, as I noticed the way the fabric of their full skirts intermingled and the way they leaned their legs toward one another.

After a short spell, I sensed the two were no longer absorbed in the almost trance-like state they had drifted into. Andra raised her voice slightly so that I could hear her words, conscious of my presence.

"You've wanted Rody since you were fifteen — even before that," Andra reasoned soothingly. "Are you going to push him away now that you have your chance?"

Enide's intense gaze bore into me, almost daring me to react. It felt confrontational and belligerent, immediately igniting a surge of anger within me. I had to fight back the urge to grab her and shake her — to make her listen to what Andra was telling her.

"It's not that simple — you know that," Enide said after a long pause. Her voice was a blend of anger and remorse.

"It never will be — you know that," Andra said stroking her arm. "But you'll regret it — I promise — you'll forever regret not giving this a chance," she told Enide emphatically.

"Don't you regret it?" Enide spat angrily.

Her question made Andra flinch. Enide appeared consumed by guilt the instant the words had left her mouth and her eyes began to brim with tears.

"No, I don't," Andra replied sadly while stroking Enide's face with the back of her fingers. "Sweetheart, I really don't — not anymore — you have to believe me," she emphasised, leaving me to wonder, not for the first time, what the two were talking about. Enide seemed to deflate as she wiped her face and listened. Her defensive demeanour dissipated as she leaned closer still to Andra.

Andra seemed to take this as some kind of sign. "I know it's frightening — but I'm here," she said reassuringly. Before I could even begin to wonder what she meant by this, she lifted Enide's face and kissed her on the lips. Enide's eyes grew wide with surprise but she hesitated only briefly before closing her eyes and letting out a deep, heartfelt sigh.

Any thoughts of sleep evaporated in an instant. It was as though electricity had surged through me, jolting me out of my daze and sharpening my senses to a keen edge. My mind was a deluge of thoughts and emotions and they rushed through me with dizzying force. Enide and Andra seemed oblivious to my presence as the kiss between them grew more passionate.

I stared at the two in utter disbelief. Everything had suddenly been turned on its head.

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