One life

Prologue

A hand, fingers so thin and cold they looked as if they may snap. Mia was jealous, her own stubby fingers would never look that pretty, never be good enough to wear a golden band around them. That didn't matter though, she knew that she would never marry. Looking around the room all she could see were blossoms and red roses, each of them dancing with the perfect man, a soldier, a lord, always important, always a bastard.

Mia Langeston wasn't ugly, like she sounds, just very invisable and perhaps not the most abstract looking girl. Her skin was the colour of condensed milk, with a starburst of cinnamon freckles across her cheeks and nose. Her eyes weren't overly large but shone a pretty jade green. She wore her usually loose mid length curls of pale, sunset auburn hair up that night as dancing at a ball with long hair was not practical. The dress she wore was the colour of her eyes and trimmed with gold and pearl silk.

Taking a deep breath, she sighed with boredom and sat in the nearest window seat, it was only two more hours till she could return home and sleep for what would feel like eternity. "Excuse me?" She was so nearly asleep that the voice made her jump out of her skin. "Yes?", she thought he might ask her to make room for his lady or ask her if she had seen some blossom or rose bud. "Would you care to dance?" Shocked, she focused on the man. His skin was foreign and the colour of caramel, his hair was rich and golden. Heavenly eyes of aqua sat on his heavenly defined cheek bones. Taking the gentleman's hand, they moved onto the dance floor and teisted and turned for a few minutes. "You are very beautiful tonight." This was how it always started, she thought; a compliment and a kiss on the cheek would later result in her disgrace and a forced marriage. "Thankyou." Any other girl would find this man utterly angelic but Mia was finding him utterly boring and predictable. After the dance she made the excuse of feeling dizzy and requested that she be left alone to get fresh air.

The August air was sticky and warm on her skin, the sky was ablaze with pinks and marroons as she walked into the gardens and past the stables. Horses, at home she would talk to them whenever she felt lonely and now she was. The stable was dimly lit but warm from the straw. Six horses stood in lines, some dozed off and others jumpy from her arrival. "Hello." She began carressing the nearest horse's shoulder and then leant her head against it's coal black fur. It's chest began to beat fast, it was scared of something, she could tell. Stepping out of the cubicle the most amazing bird caught her eye. A giant pair of raven's wings that streched arcoss the stable, the bird must have been as big as the horse. "Ohhh," she marvelled at the beauty of the wings. Suddenly they shot up to reveal a man, he was frightened, eyes wild as a feral child. "Please don't scream!" Staying on the spot he stretched out his arms in panic. "Why would I scream?" Instantly she had adored him, she loved him. The black of his wings, his hair. The hazel of his eyes and the redness of his lips. Palm outstretched she went to touch him, but he stepped back.

"Aren't you afraid?" He was shocked at how little she feared him and let her walk closer to him. "Why would I be afraid? You are an angel, fallen maybe but still an angel."  A palm on his chest and a hand resting on a wing she looked at him. "The other is an angel too? You're both here for me?" Suddenly a flash of silver broke through. "You shall not have her!"