"Pardon?" Akira asked, her voice sounding shriller than she would have liked.

"What do you mean?" Lady Charlotte said, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. "You are getting married to my grandson this summer, right?"

"I, uh-", Akira stuttered as she frantically glanced at her grandmother in wild confusion. The corner of Grandmother's lips lifted as she stared down at Akira with a condescending look. Akira felt the floor fall out from underneath her feet.

What on Earth was going on?

Akira felt her heart beat anxiously and the leering faces of the people around her swarmed around her, taunting her.

This was her grandmother's punishment. This was why Grandmother was so smug. Akira was backed into a tight, hard corner. If she said now that she didn't know about the wedding it would damage relations between the Astley's and the Byron's and Grandmother would probably kick her out right now. She would lose everything. Her family home, her childhood, her parent's legacy. All of them were tied, dangling on a string by Grandmother, taunting her like a carrot to a donkey.

The blood drained out of her face. She couldn't lose everything. She couldn't. She would have to play along, she had no choice. Akira clenched her fists together.

Bilal was working on building a court case. As soon as she gained a substantial foothold, she could leave safely. The engagement would be void.

Akira took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly and pushed aside her growing anxiety.

"Never show your weaknesses, even when you're on your last leg and the world is against you, don't give them the satisfaction of knowing they really and truly have won", father had always said. Akira would play along, for now.

"Right?" Lady Emmeline asked with a hint of maliciousness.

Akira narrowed her eyes. It appeared Lady Emmeline knew exactly what was going on. This was a game to her, wasn't it? She could get the man she wanted so she would try to trap his daughter instead. It would bring this vicious vengeful cycle to a close.

"That's right", Akira smiled, placing on a facade of happiness. "Pardon me, this dress is quite heavy so I was acting absentminded and very rude".

"Oh, that's alright dear", Lady Charlotte gushed. "We are to be family soon, you can feel comfortable with us".

"Thank you, My Lady", Akira laughed graciously.

She cast a look at her grandmother who spitefully smiled. Grandmother thought she had won. She thought that she had trapped Akira into saying yes but Akira still had some cards up her sleeve. But why was a marriage between the two ducal families so important that Grandmother would try to sell out her son first and then her granddaughter?

"I'm sure you must be very excited to see my son", Lady Emmeline giggled.

"Of course, I am", Akira responded cheerily. "I think I am quite lucky to marry such a good man".

"And we are happy that he has married you too", Lady Charlotte beamed. "Although your... exotic looks are different to what we expected, you are quite fair, aren't you?"

Akira went quiet and the smile dropped from her face. There it was. There was the subtle racism she had been expecting. Because of her South Asian heritage, she had tanned skin, fuller lips and almond eyes which she had never had a problem with but it seemed it would be a point of discussion against the mostly English powerful nobility.

Grandmother cleared her throat to break the rising tension as Akira stared at the group in anger. "It seems we have held you up for too long, Akira. You may socialise now".

"It appears so", Akira mused, masking her anger with a deadly kindness. "Lady Charlotte, is the colour of skin a problem?"

Lady Charlotte flushed pink and stammered. "No, of course not".

"Akira", Grandmother interrupted, threateningly.

"Well, yes, my mother was not English", Akira continued, nonplussed. "But I am still an Astley".

"Dear me, I didn't mean no malice with my words", Lady Charlotte hurriedly said. "Pardon me, I'm just an old lady who talks too much at times".

"Oh, Lady Charlotte, it is alright", Akira replied even though it was not alright. "I will excuse myself now".

Akira curtsied and walked down the dais without looking back. She could feel Grandmother's rage stabbing her in the back but she didn't really care. She was proud of her heritage and her Pakistani features even if it came at the expense of her not looking 'English enough'.

A frown threatened to cross her lips so she smoothed her features and swapped it for a gentle smile. The least she could do was win public approval. As she walked around the room, greeting strangers, smiling and exchanging pleasant words, she caught Lord Arthur's guilty eye and he quickly turned his head away from her, obviously feeling ashamed. Akira sighed. She would spare him of her anger because she knew he wanted to tell her but her cursed grandmother had refrained him from doing so. He wasn't even allowed to see her till now.

But someone else knew. Someone else knew and had not bothered to tell her. As the name came to mind, she met the gaze of the women she thought she could trust.

Madam Matilda.

The moment she locked eyes with Madam Matilda, Madam Matilda struck a conversation with a passer-by as if that would somehow stop Akira. Akira excused herself from the poor fellow asking for a dance and treaded carefully to where Madam Matilda stood in a small circle of women.

"Pardon me, I would hate to intrude", Akira started with a glint in her eye as she assessed the group. She supposed all that rigorous training and testing was useful as she could easily identify most people in the room. "But I couldn't help but notice what a lovely dress you are wearing, Lady Sofia. It caught my eyes from across the ballroom!"

"My, my!" Lady Sophia giggled as she turned to face her. "That is high praise coming from yourself when wearing such a splendid green dress. I was very excited to see you, you see, as I've heard much about you ".

"All good things, I hope", Akira responded as she brushed a kiss against Lady Sophia's cheek.

"Of course, all good things!" Lady Sophia exclaimed happily. "Especially from Lady Matilda here".

There it was. That was the break she needed to speak to Madam Matilda alone.

"Speaking of Madam Matilda", Akira asked, pretending to be shy. "Will it be okay if I steal Madam Matilda away for a little while? We won't be too long, I promise".

"Akira, we could have a chat later-"

"Oh, don't be silly. Take her away!" Lady Sophia said, interrupting Madam Matilda's protesting.

"Thank you", Akira said sweetly. She hooked her arm with Madam Matilda's and walked away a tad forcefully, dragging the unwilling Madam behind her.

The moment they were out of earshot, Akira spun around to face her.

"You told me you were on my side!" Akira exclaimed angrily.

"And I did, I am-"

"Did you know about this?" Akira interrupted.

"Well, I-"

"It's a simple question, Madam Matilda", Akira said coldly. "Yes or no?"

Madam Matilda sighed. "Yes, I did".

"And you thought nothing about it?" Akira was seething now. All this talk about how Akira had an ally in her and she betrayed Akira in one of the worst ways possible.

"I couldn't possibly tell you, you do know that?" Madam Matilda responded, looking offended.

"Well, then you shouldn't have lied and told me I could trust you", Akira replied. "Then I would have had no expectations of you. I'll leave you now, your betrayal makes me sick".

"Akira", Madam Matilda called out.

Akira walked on, ignoring whatever else she was going to say. It really stung knowing that Madam Matilda knew because it meant she really was all alone in this unforgivable, unfamiliar, hellish place.

Was it okay if she left? She met almost everyone and a couple of hours had passed since the ball had started. Her feet were starting to throb from standing for too long. Maybe it was best if she did leave.

Just as she was turning, a cold slender hand wrapped around her wrist and tugged sharply.

Akira whirled around in surprise only to three well-dressed women looking at her with thinly veiled contempt. The one who gripped her wrist seemed to be the ringleader in this circus of monkeys judging by how extravagant her jewellery was and how the other two fanned out from behind her.

If she was to describe the leader, it would, unfortunately, match the stereotype of having blonde hair. She was beautiful and had angelic features but the scowl on her face seemed to distort her features making her look rather ugly and stupid. The two behind her had a similar style and were pretty much unmemorable.

Akira wondered what they would find fault with. She knew she was going to run into women like this sooner or later but she was genuinely perplexed as to what they would have an issue with.

She knew who they all were though and none seemed particularly important. The leader must be Lady Isabella, daughter of an Earl and the other two were Ladies Julia and Vivian, both daughters of a count. Akira ranked higher than all of them as the granddaughter of a duke.

"Yes?" Akira asked impatiently.

"You!" Lady Isabella seethed.

"What about me?" Akira responded, annoyed.

Lady Isabella took a deep breath in as if to calm herself down but it clearly wasn't working much with how much the red wine in her glass was sloshing around, teetering on the edge.

"You know what you've done!"

"No, I think you'd find that I don't", Akira said, bored. "If that is all, I will be taking my leave".

"No, you will not!" She exclaimed. Her grip on the stem of the wine glass tightened to the point Akira was scared it would crack and spill everywhere. "How dare you waltz in as you wish and- and-"

"And what?"

The people around them started to notice that something was wrong and a slow crowd began to form. Akira sighed and turned to leave.

"How dare you waltz in here and- and just get engaged to him!" Lady Isabella asked a little too loudly.

Akira scoffed and glanced around. More people were slowly drawing closer so they could watch the scene unfold.

"Was he promised to you?"

"No, but-"

"So, you have no claim on him? Is it a one-sided love?"

She spluttered in anger.

"My condolences, I will be taking my leave now", Akira smiled savagely.

Lady Isabella let out a small shriek and flung out her glass in anger. Akira watched in horror as the red contents flew out of the glass in slow motion, making a red arc of expensive liquid. The wine caught in the light, sparkling as it began to fall. Akira flinched back, her eyelids closing until she heard a faint splatter. She opened her eyes and looked down. The wine had splashed along the mid-section of her dress, dripping down to her feet. She looked up at Lady Isabella who stared in a mixture of anger and nervousness. The crowd around them went deathly silent and people waited with bated breaths to see what would happen next.

"Stay away from him, you leeching whore", Lady Isabella hissed, deciding to go on an offensive. "I guess it's true, like mother, like daughter".

Sorry for the long wait :)

Question for today:

If you join any fantasy world, which would it be?

Xx