57 Masquerade

The rest of the month passed and Tyr spent it trying to overcome Fenrir's poisonous words. Every time he made a move to kiss Macha, he choked up, worried that he would want to take it further than a kiss. This left him unwilling to do anything other than hold Macha's hand. Tyr understood this was a problem, but he was too busy to worry about it. Macha seemed content, and he found it easier to push his fears and anxiety to the side than to face them.

Tyr decided he could try kissing Macha again at the masquerade. He hoped that if he took control of the situation, then he would not have to worry about becoming too passionate. He still wanted to give Macha the romantic kiss he envisioned. The way Tyr felt for her differed from how he felt about anyone else. It was important to him that she understood his feelings properly.

While Tyr continued with his plan to confess at the masquerade, Macha resigned herself to the idea that Tyr was not attracted to her. She did not understand why he would hold her hand, but not make a move to kiss her. Macha believed Tyr must be holding her hand out of pity. She spent the days after their kiss, trying to numb her heart to Tyr's affections. Macha tried to prepare mentally for the day when Tyr would admit to not being attracted to her, so she would handle it with grace.

****

The day of the masquerade arrived and Freyr opened the palace gardens to the public. Many citizens went for the free food, music, and beautiful scenery. The masquerade was also a tourist attraction and many non-citizens attended it as well.

Tyr worked that day, but he planned to have dinner with Macha later that night. He and Macha agreed to meet in the eastern garden around eight that night. Macha wanted to show Tyr her costume before he left, but he said it could wait. Tyr had been too busy and was not concerned about finding her. Macha was the only woman that small in the city.

Macha sat by a fountain and looked at her reflection in the water. Today she wore a white and gold dress. It had a corset top with gathered layers which flared out, touching the ground. White tulle gathered around her shoulders and upper back creating a white halo around her head. Her dress had long wings which stretched towards the sky and Macha's mask was fashioned out of lace. The lace created a swan's silhouette on one side and a small pearl dangled in the middle.

Macha looked towards the crowd. Many people stumbled around, inebriated and laughing. The music played loudly, hiding most of the laughter. Macha felt a tap on her shoulder and she looked behind her. Tyr dressed in a black suit and wore a beaded wolf mask. "Tyr, you got off early! I thought we were going to meet in an hour." His appearance filled her with joy. She spent the day alone, so his early arrival brightened her mood.

Tyr pointed to the performers and cupped a hand around his ear. He motioned for her to follow him and made his way through the crowd. Macha understood that he could not hear her and followed him. He led her deep into the garden where there were fewer people.

Freyr had just finished talking to Tyr about putting down an unruly crowd by the south fountain. He made his way to the eastern garden to observe how things proceeded when he spotted Tyr. Tyr was leading Macha away from the crowd, but he seemed to have changed his clothes. Freyr sensed something seemed odd with the way Tyr moved, so he followed them.

As Freyr made his way through the crowd, he was glad to have his mask on. His pointed white mask had horns that wrapped to the side of his face. It had been adorned with golden lace and jewels which matched his paisley silk suit. Since it covered his face, few people recognized who he was, which allowed him to walk around freely.

Macha kept trying to talk to Tyr but each time she tried to tell him about her day, he made the same motion, indicating that he could not hear her. Eventually, they walked to a secluded place. Only the soft noises of lovers and the faint melody of the music echoed in the garden. "Can you hear me now?" Macha teased with a smile. She thought Tyr was being especially silly tonight, but she was excited to be alone with him.

Tyr lightly touched Macha's chin and slowly leaned down. Macha closed her eyes, expecting Tyr to kiss her. Happiness filled her heart because all her worries this past month were invalid. Macha felt a hand wrap around her neck and the hold tightened, choking her. Her eyes flashed open and Tyr raised his hand, slapping her across her face. Macha's vision blurred, and she fought to have him release his hold, but the hit to her face and lack of air made her weak. Macha felt the blood pumping in her head, and her body screamed for air.

Freyr saw Tyr hit Macha in the moonlight. His body burned with anger and he did not hesitate to rush to Macha's aid. "Tyr!" he bellowed as he ran towards them. He knew his cousin was a good fighter, but his skill matched Tyr's and he would not sit back and let the woman he loved be beaten.

Macha felt the iron-like grip release her, and she stumbled towards Freyr. Tears blurred her vision, and a mask hid his face, but she recognized his voice. "Freyr!" she cried. Macha was scared and did not understand why Tyr would do that to her.

Tyr drew a dirk that had been hidden beneath his jacket and pointed it towards Freyr. An evil smile spread across his face and he gave a laugh.

"Tyr, why are you doing this?!" Macha choked out between sobs. She did not understand what was wrong with him. He did not act normally and his laugh scared Macha. She had never heard him laugh like that before.

Freyr took his coat off and wrapped it around his arm. He left some fabric loose and he eyed his cousin with a leveled gaze, "What are you doing Tyr? You know it is me, yet you pull a dirk out. That is grounds for execution." Freyr was beginning to suspect that this was not his cousin but had no proof.

The moons shined their light down on the two men, casting their shadows across the grass. The sound of music drifted through the air and the low sound from the drums echoed throughout the garden. A white flower fell to the ground and Tyr charged at Freyr.

The dirk sped straight for Freyr's heart, but Freyr lifted his jacket covered arm in front of him. The dirk pierced through the hanging fabric and stopped before stabbing Freyr. Freyr took this opportunity to move his arm, causing the dagger to move to the side. Now that Tyr stood close, Freyr used his other hand to punch Tyr across the face.

Tyr flew into the base of a lion statue and struggled to get up. Freyr followed and kicked the dirk out of his hands. Standing above Tyr, he bellowed, "Who are you? My cousin would never fight so pathetically." With the small exchange, they made, Freyr knew this was not Tyr. Growing up, they had sparred and fought alongside one another. He memorized Tyr's fighting style and movements as if they were his own.

The masked man laughed and Freyr made a move to unmask him. The moment the mask was coming off, the man's hair changed from brown to blonde. Before Freyr could catch a glimpse of the man's face, a liquid splashed into his eyes. It burned and Freyr turned away.

Macha saw the man throw a vial of liquid into Freyr's face and run off into the garden. Macha wanted to chase after the blonde-haired man, but Freyr's health was more important. Smoke rose from his face and he tore his mask off.

Macha ran to Freyr. She picked up his mask and took his arm. "Freyr, come. I'll lead you to a fountain and you can wash your face. You need to get whatever that is off of you!" Macha knew she had to get him to help quickly, but getting whatever was on his face off was the priority.

Freyr followed Macha to a fountain and washed his face. The skin around his eyes was tender but luckily he was wearing a mask which blocked most of the liquid. "Ah!" Freyr cringed when he washed his face. The water was soothing, but his eyes still burned. "Macha, I need you to lead me to a guard. My vision is blurry." He worried that the attacker would come after them again so he added, "Keep an eye out too. I worry that the man will come back. If he does, I want you to run."

Macha trembled. She worried about Freyr's vision, "Of course, anything you say." She took Freyr's hand and led him to the palace. Macha unraveled Freyr's jacket from his arm and draped it over his head so the crowd would not recognize him. "Freyr, I'm sorry. I didn't know, you shouldn't have helped me." Guilt hit her. She wished she never came to the festivities.

Freyr's eyes stung, but he could feel Macha's hands shaking as she led him through the crowd. Her hands were cold and her voice sounded weak. He put an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Shh... I did everything on my own. This is not your fault." He rubbed her upper arm to comfort her. "Everything will be fine. I just need to get medical attention."