Second place winner: Unmasking Estella by Tiger_Lily245

A masked Valentines & a secret Challenge 

There he was, the white half of his mask glinting against the light, while the black half seemed to consume it. She walked over to the bar, readjusting her black mask as she went. Normally, the ladies wore white masks, twined with lace. In her parent's eyes, she wasn't considered a woman.

Leaning over the bar, she pointed at the whiskey bottle on the shelf. The bartender poured her a glass and slid it across the bar. With a sigh, she sat down her binding tightening at the movement. Music poured over her as she quickly finished her first glass and gestured for a second.

"It's nice to see you again Prince," a husky voice sounds over her shoulder.

"Hello Elias," she remarks sipping her whiskey.

Elias doesn't know for sure about her gender, but he has his suspicions. He runs his hand down her arm and she jerks it away.

"Stop it, Elias!" she exclaims quietly and he backs away with his hands raised, "I don't want people getting the wrong idea about us."

He chuckles and leans closer to her, "I guess you're right Prince Elijah," he leans closer about to say something when he was cut off.

"Prince Elijah," she turns her head so fast that her wig almost flies off, "it's an honour to finally make your acquaintance," it's him, the mysterious man with the black and white mask!

She turns to Elias, "If you'll please leave us, Elias," looking over his shoulder, "I believe your fiancé is waiting for you.

Elias follows her gaze to the blonde, twirling her ring and looking around nervously. He gives both the mystery man and Elijah a small smile and excuses himself. Elijah watches as Elias walks up to his fiancé and wraps his arms around her, whisking her away to the dancefloor. She couldn't help the pang of jealousy that shot through her like a bolt. She would never be whisked away to dance, or kissed passionately by the love of her life. She was trapped, with an identity that didn't feel like her own.

"Elijah," the man snapped her out of her daydreams, thankful for the mask that hid her tears.

"All right you know my name," she says huskily, "may I know yours now?"

"Elijah, are you saying you don't remember me?" he puts a hand over his chest in mock heartbreak.

She looks at him in confusion until he puts his hand over hers, it felt so warm and familiar.

"Or should I call you, Estella? My beloved Queen," he asked with a smile.

She was immediately sent to another world, a place where she was once a Princess. Where, in the eyes of one person, she had always been a Princess. He had brought her jewelry and took her on walks through the garden. Tears began rolling down her face, past the mask she wore. The General's Son and the one person who saw her for who she was.

"Tristen?" she asked her voice breaking, "Is that really you?"

She sat stunned until it hit her, the mask that Tristen wore was a message to her. He saw the white underneath her black mask. It was a message that at least one person knew what she was struggling with. How torn apart she was by her true identity and the black mask she wore to hide it.

"Yes, my love it's me," he nodded taking her hand and leading her from the bar, "Now we need to go."

"Tristen where are you taking me?" she asked dropping her husky man voice, "Why am I in danger?"

He starts looking around and picking up the pace as they maneuvered through the crowds of people. She could feel the confused look of the people around them staring. She had hundreds of questions racing through her mind, all at once.

It wasn't until they were off of the dancefloor that she realized that someone was chasing them. Not just someone, more like some five giant burly men in black suits.

"Tristen what is going on?" she asks panicked as the men follow them out into the courtyard.

"Once we get out of here I will tell you everything," he states breaking out into a run with Estella trailing behind him.

She tried to keep up, but the chest binding was only making it harder and harder to breathe. She could see black spots forming in the corners of her vision.

Tristen could hear the ragged breathing coming from behind him and he turned to see Estella struggling to keep up. He took a quick glance behind him to see the guards falling behind. He pulled Estella behind a shed.

"What's wrong Estel?" he asked concern glazing over his eyes.

"I can't... the binding," she said between breaths.

She pulled off her jacket and unbuttoned the first two buttons on her shirt to show the top of the tight binder around her chest. Sadness washed over Tristen in a wave, followed by regret for not remembering the wretched instrument that Estella's mother forced her in.

He remembered the first time her mother had forced her into it when she was ten. How she had cried in pain when they tightened it to the point where she couldn't breathe and left her in the room. She had clawed at it and tried to rip it off but, the back had clasps that required someone else to unlock because the wearer can't reach them properly.

"Tristen, please," she begged, "I can't myself."

"Quickly, take off your shirt I'll unclasp it," he said as she quickly unbuttoned her shirt.

She turned her back and he expertly released each clasp. He remembered sneaking into her room to help her every time her family or maids forgot to take it off of her. Seeing her laying on the floor struggling to breathe during the first months had shattered his heart.

She ripped off the binder and left it on the ground behind the shed. Her shaky breaths began to even out and she put her shirt back on, buttoning up each button before turning back to him. They couldn't tell under each other's masks but, they were both blushing bright red.

"How are you feeling my love?" he asked softly holding his hand out to her.

"Like Estella," she responded putting her hand in his, "let's keep going."

With one hand in Tristen's, she used the other to rip off her wig and drop it onto the ground beside the binder. Her blonde waves falling to her shoulders as she ran with Tristen around the back of the shed and into the forest. Leaving everything that she hated, to go with the only thing in her life that had ever mattered to her.

Goodbye Elijah.

***

After about an hour of running, they had come across a small cave where they could rest. Estella sat down against a wall and Tristen took his spot beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, hugging her against him. He took off his mask and looked to see Estella brushing her fingers over her own, which was still tied tightly around her head.

"You said I was in danger Tristen," she paused staring at the wall across from her, "Why? Who were those men?"

"Those men were hired by your father, to kidnap you and take you to a doctor," he said coldly, "A doctor that would transition you completely."

There was a sharp intake of breath as Estella hugged her knees against her chest, "I heard my mother speaking about such an operation to my mother," she paused swallowing back her tears, "she spoke to me about it, she phrased it as a question, and I told her I would never do it."

There was a long pause until Tristen spoke, "I would never let that happen to you Estella," he tucked a lock of hair around her ear.

"How did you know about it?" she asked quietly.

"I overheard your mother asking to borrow some of my father's men," he began rubbing his hand up and down her arm, "when he asked her why I knew I couldn't stand by and let it happen."

She wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her into his lap and held her as she buried her face into his chest. Her scent of juniper and spring washing over him.

"Tristen," she paused, looking up at him, "why did you leave?"

He felt his heart stop and stomach drop. Reality hit him like a bulldozer and he felt all his walls crumbling.

"My father found out that we were hanging out as he sensed that my," he gulped, "feelings for you growing stronger," he looked away from Estella's blue eyes, "he restationed my guard post to one of the other royal families, and found me a fiancé."

Estella looked away, as tears began rolling down her cheeks. She felt hollow and tired. As if her body was floating in a void.

"I love you, Estella," he said gently grabbing her chin to look into his eyes, "no one in the world matters more than you."

She grabbed his cheek and brushed her lips against his. He captured her lips in his and in that moment she felt anchored and safe. Then as quick as it started they pulled away.

"Runaway with me," he whispered, leaning his forehead against her own, "we can start a new life."

He reaches up and unties the ribbon holding the mask to her face.

"We will start a new life," he drops the mask to the ground, "as Tristen and Estella."

She nods and grabs Tristen's disregarded mask. She runs a finger over the line dividing the black and white. The sound of a snap echoed through the cave as they both stared at the broken halves of the mask. She passes the black half to Tristen as she holds the white half in her hands. Breaking her gaze from the piece of the mask she looks up at Tristen.

"As Tristen," she whispers, smiling brightly, "and Estella."