Aurelia by Anne Osterlund Read Free Book Online

the gate?" robert asked. "He looked quite familiar."
    "daria's brother," Aurelia explained. "you might not have known him very well. He joined our class after you left."
    "but isn't he a couple years older than we are?" robert asked.
    "Three years," Chris said, "and even at that, he barely managed to complete his course work. He has a good aim with a rifle, and he's loyal. you couldn't get him to criticize His majesty even in jest. but he's not the brightest fellow to ever stand a post."
    Just the type of man my father promotes, Aurelia thought, someone who does what he is told without asking questions.
    "It was fortunate for us, then, that he was at the gate," robert said.
    Chris clapped a hand to his chest in mock agony. "you question my skill, cousin. I could have talked us through that gate with the king himself standing guard. Filbert just allowed me to reserve my wit for more important challenges."
    The three companions paused at the bottom of palace Hill to take in the festive view. dusk was creeping over the city, and the excitement in the air grew with the approaching darkness. painted lanterns hung from tree limbs in a shimmering palette. revelers swept along in costumes even more varied than the lanterns. Judges in black robes brushed elbows with thieves dangling fake jewels and pocket watches. From peddlers to princes, banshees to bats, nightingales to nursery rhyme characters, nothing within imagination's realm was off-limits. The only common factor was that every face wore a mask: masks of cloth, seeds, feathers, papier-mache, and dozens of other materials. some scarcely surrounded the eyes. Others completely covered faces.
    perhaps no one wanted to remain anonymous as much as Aurelia. In disguise, she was simply another person enjoying the magic of the evening. men and women welcomed her as an equal, slapping sugary drinks and alcoholic concoctions into her hands. she drank the punch and passed Chris the alcohol.
    The crowds thickened as they neared the corridor leading to the city center. The wealthiest families owned the buildings lining this road, and the most exquisite of these homes were brightly lit. scarves draped down from balconies, and wreathes of flowers graced the necks of garden statues. Windows and doors had been thrown open, causing the mingling of rich smells and music: baked chocolate with violin chords, orange peels with flute solos, maple syrup with string quartets--a wafting swirl of enticement.
    Aurelia, Chris, and robert drifted from house to house, dancing at parties, tossing rings and darts in games of chance, and sampling salty-sweet pretzels dipped in melted chocolate.
    eventually they joined in a group of singers following a small band of walking musicians and tumbling performers. This group wound its way around several city blocks, then formed a large circle under the cherry blossoms by the great marble fountain. The singing grew louder as a crowd already at the fountain joined in. The performers led everyone in five or six more songs before guiding the entire group into a tavern.
    As Aurelia and her friends waited for crowd members to pass in front of them, a girl wearing a sleek black dress and the fabric wings of a starling crashed into Chris. Her mask consisted of little more than purple heart-shaped patches worn around the eyes. recognizing her at once as one of melony's friends from court, Aurelia hoped the recognition was not mutual. Fortunately, the starling did not look in her direction. giggling up at Chris, the girl tapped him on the shoulder.
    Chris encircled the starling's thin waist with his bare arm. "How did you find me?" he asked.
    giggling again, the sound grating on Aurelia's nerves, the starling said, "I know you well enough not to fall for that disguise. I'm afraid you were not raised to blend in." she slid her hand up to caress Chris's face.
    Oh, please. The falseness behind the starling's voice and actions made Aurelia want to strike her with a talon or