The Unknown Thief

Part 4

Chapter 4 

Aubrey sighed as she stared at the woman in the mirror.  She had made her hair too red.  Running a hand through it, she watched as it turned to a deep, dark auburn.  One that, although beautiful, would be less noticeable in a crowd.  Her eyes were next.  The blue was too noticeable.  Many people had blue eyes, but none as bright as the ones she currently possessed.  She blinked twice before considering the new color.  Dark green was better.  It fit with the hair and was not very eye catching.

Stepping away from the mirror, she smiled.  Better, much better.  With her new disguise, she could easily hide herself.  It was a game they played at her parties.  They would all attempt to discover her, while she did her best to stay undiscovered.  She never came as herself; her true colors were saved for her journeys.  As she began to turn away, she hesitated.  The light blue gown fit her well, but the color was at odds with the new hair and eyes.  Twirling, she closed her eyes a chuckled.  The everyday routines she had when she was home were some of the most joyful times of her life.  It kept her grounded.

"Aubrey!" someone called out causing her to stumble in her haste to make it towards the door.

Flinging it open, she smiled at Ainsely. "I am ready."

He held his arm out.  She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and began walking down the corridor with him.  "Love, you forgot to change your slippers to match the green of your gown."

She glanced down, ready to morph the color from the former blue, but, as it turned out, the color was already the dark green of her eyes.  "I hate it when you do that," she mumbled.

Ainsely smiled down on her.  "You could do the same to me."

"I know.  It is because we share the same heritage, but I do not try it on you.  I am fine with keeping my magic to myself."

"Yes, well, I have to humor myself with changing small things as your slippers because I cannot change my own."

He said it in a joking manner, but Aubrey could hear the underlining angst.  He could not even magic his own clothing.  Anything to change his appearance was against his curse.  Tightening her grip on his arm, she looked up at him and smiled.  "I will trade you curses.  You can have mine and I will take the burden of having to look beautiful."

"You are already beautiful and you know it," he told her still not mollified.  "If you would only let people see your true self instead of masking yourself behind these disguises.  I know what people have done to you, but not everyone is that cruel."

"It is in the past, Ainsely," she replied absentmindedly while thinking of how to lessen her brother's unease.

"What was it you were doing the night you came here?"

"Stealing a dreadful painting from a man, I only did it because I wanted to test my skills in breaking into a manor.  I actually met-" she stopped and glanced at him with anger.  "You did that on purpose."

He chuckled, finally able to forget his own pain.  "It is not my fault you cannot tell a lie.  It is also not my fault you seem to answer when your attention is elsewhere.  Like I previously said, your curse is not so bad."

"Only being able to tell the truth is a horrid thing.  You may not think it, and others may not either, but how do you think I feel?  I cannot keep a simple secret because of this.  I give out information that could hinder our family; how could you say that this is not a curse?"

"It may be a curse," he conceded, "but you are going about the wrong way to cure yourself of it.  It is not a life hindering ordeal.  You could live without telling a lie."