[♛] ─ in my blood !!

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lars
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text the room was nearly motionless; the only signs of movement were the constant rise and fall of amal's
breathing and the soft flutter of sunlight entering the room. as the wind shifted the leaves of a nearby
tree, the light danced about, making its way to the white dress solemnly hanging in the doorway. the
normally straight passage from the single-pane window to door was halted by amal's still figure. the
garment appeared in her quarters that morning alongside a box of accessories, the only indication of their
arrival being a curt "knock!" on her door. from that moment forward, she had been perched in front of the
satin gown, mystified by its beauty and wary of what it represented.

the simple, silk-like dress was more than just a piece of cloth gathered together; it was a symbol of her
uncertain future and of her failed mission. amal had been meticulously trained to blend in, to be invisible.
containing her laughs, keeping a stiff lip, flattening her voice ─ it was all to protect her family. such an
undertaking was far from easy, but she managed it. that is, until she was noticed for her penchant for
camouflage and recruited by the silver-blooded she desperately hoped to avoid. yet even then, she still
had some leverage to defend her family with. but now, she had nothing. the all too familiar feeling of fear
for the uncertain that had been plaguing her since her powers had been ousted took root in the pit of her
stomach, paralyzing her for the majority of the morning, hence amal's steadfast position in front of the
foreign object.

with silent footsteps she pierced the stillness of the quaint room, inching closer towards the dress before
taking the fabric in her hands, scared to grab more than a fingertips' worth for fear of sullying the pristine
garment. the material was cool and smooth in her weathered hands, more luxurious than anything that she
had ever been permitted to wear. though amal was no stranger to handling valuable information with ease,
being able to hold such obvious, tangible proof of her disparity in her unworthy hands was an entirely
different feeling. the thought of having to wear it tonight was distressing enough to make her let go of the
smooth satin. even as it met its sudden descent, the cloth was graceful, flowing downwards and collapsing
upon itself until coming to rest just short of the floor.

taking a two steps back, she positioned herself opposite the dress once more, standing level with the
intimidating collection of fabric. it hung limply before her, so lifeless yet so regal, almost as if it were
taunting her. with a small shake of her head and a mumbled "you can do it," she shifted from dwelling on
the future and towards the ivory mass itself. she took the garment off its hanger and slipped it on, the cool
material gliding across her skin as it fell. with it on, the dress lost its power; it was just another uniform.

by the time she stepped foot outside of her room, the sun beamed brightly overhead, signalling midday. for
amal, the greater powers at the palace had forgone the usual bevy of carriages that transported guests to
events of this magnitude, giving her the chance to walk to through the familiar halls one more time before
her life was upended. as she navigated the corridors, amal's usual stealth had abandoned her, the heeled,
alien footwear taking a fair toll on her. workers rushed to and fro, and from the public hallways to the
hidden ones reserved for royal employees, no doubt per jun-soo's stream of orders. as she scurried through
the halls, her head was bowed ever so slightly, tracing the intricate patterns on the floor while adopting
her usual technique of watching approaching footsteps to guide her direction. although it was common
practice for amal to go about this way to avoid catching anyone's attention, today there was an added
factor to keep from compounding her unease for the day, nay life, ahead.

so, amal let her guard down and her sight wander. the all-too-familiar floors of the halls faded from her
view as she averted her eyes to decorous walls, vast windows, and towering ceilings above. soon enough,
she was caught in awe, standing still once again, this time analyzing a new facet of these once familiar
halls. she never allowed herself the chance to look up when working, always speeding off to the next task
with her eyes caught on her foot steps. now, without the pressure to follow another's every order or the
obligation of having some place to be, the walls that once confined her opened up towards a glass windows
and open scenery that invited her to explore.

and in those few moments, the future was not so scary to amal. however, this positive outlook on life was
abruptly ended by a audible "smack!" where amal's forehead collided with the hard chin of a tall figure.
amal's eyes met the stranger's for a brief moment, just long enough to take in the landscape of his face.

"i-i'm so sorry, sir." immediately, the apology flew out of her lips, but the voice that came out was not
hers. the voice was flustered, emotional; the only recognizable quality was its volume, barely above a
whisper. again, she apologized, her voice reverting back to its safe, monotonous tone. "please forgive my
ignorance, sir." her gaze focused on the floor in front of her, not daring to look the stranger in the eye
longer than she already had. his shadow extended further than her own, even for her above average
stature in heels. refusing to withstand her embarrassment a second more, she fled from the man and
darted from the hall towards the royal court, resuming her typical precautions that would have anticipated
this unfortunate situation.

as she retreated, years of lifted secrets swirled around, the faces of her past employers and their visitors
waltzing in and out of her thoughts, failing to catch up to the face of the stranger that ran across her mind.
whether it was the pulsing pain in her head or not, amal did not recognize the towering stranger. rarely, if
ever, did she fail to identify the palace's guests, unless, by chance, this man was a fellow red-blooded
commoner. but he had an air of confidence about him, one not uncommon in silvers. perhaps they had
never crossed paths? she turned her head ever so slightly, catching another glimpse at the foreigner before
setting her attention towards the royal court once again. whoever he was, it wasn't her job to keep tabs on
him anymore.

with that, she picked up her pace, her foot falls changing its tempo from a relaxed adagio to a brisk allegro.
the long, drawn out day met its match as she entered the boisterous courtroom. the night had just begun,
and it was not going to pass by quickly.