Hey guys! Welcome to yet another Wattpad Block Party! I'm Ashleigh aka AshleighParkers on Wattpad and this is my fourth time participating in this glorious event! These series have been going on for so long and it couldn't be possible without the lovely  behind the scenes putting all this together for us. Thank you so much for having me be apart of this Kelly! <3 Hugs and daggers! ;)

For this Wattpad Block Party, I wanted to share with you all a short extract of something a friend of mine and I worked on. She was given the assignment to work on a story for historical fiction where the main character faced prejudicial behaviour based on who they were or the color of their skin. My friend chose to look at Vitiligo - a disease in which the pigment cells of the skin, melanocytes, are destroyed in certain areas. I was then tasked to do a story surrounding that disease and how our main character would overcome it [with a little romantic motivation of course ;)]

So without further adieu, I present The Masterpiece Within:

P.S. There's no such thing as the Cryptic Times, haha. We only used that for the project

~~~

 Elizabeth Dartworth paced the corner of the peach coated room, her olive green dress dragging on the hard wooden floorboards. Her light brown hair had been pinned up neatly, the way her grandmother had instructed. Her green eyes occasionally glanced out her window, where she had the most spectacular view of the sun shimmering above the ocean. She could hear Grandmother's voice rising as she spoke, her true temperament showing in her tone.

The doctors had departed, just as all the others did when they finished their tests. They did not know what was wrong with me, they didn't know the answers to my worried Grandfather's questions.

"There is nothing more you can do for her, George!" Grandmother screamed at the top of her voice, "Let the child be. She is not to be associated with this family. She shan't!"

"She is your own flesh and blood, Juliette -"

"She is not mine!" her voice towered over his, "she shall never be mine. She merely lives in this house out of the kindness of your heart. Our son's transgressions. Had he chosen a better mistress -"

"Enough!"

The silence that followed was deafening. She looked towards her bedroom door and allowed herself to breathe when she overheard the slam of Grandfather's office and the clicking of Grandmother's heels as she walked passed her room. Moving towards the left of the room, she delicately sat on the light wooden in front of her matching study table and reached for her diary. It was a small book that her grandfather blessed her with, in hopes that it would take her mind away from her severe illness.

It did.

Elizabeth used the small pink book as her only escape from the bland walls she was forced to look at every day. With her thoughts on paper, she was anywhere and anyone. She wasn't the ill woman that had to be fixed. She wasn't a transgression.

She turned the pages until she found a blank one and picked up the white feather lying beside it before dipping it in some ink and began writing.

She placed down the feather and looked down, opening the drawer in front of her. Beneath its contents, an oval mirror winked at her. She dug it out and stared at herself through the cracks. It was a small mirror, but it was the only one she was allowed to have. After this illness, her grandfather removed all mirrors from her room in thoughts that she would not have been happy with what she saw.

She stared.

For the years that had passed, all she could do was stare. Acceptance sunk through her pores as much as denial floated over her dear grandfather's head. He sought out hundreds of doctors, oracles, and witches, but no one had ever seen this disease before. Among those who studied medicine, foretelling, and witchcraft, no one knew what plague this was. Elizabeth was willing to accept that knowledge and whatever outcome would come from it.

Placing the mirror back in its hiding place, she rubbed her hands down her dress and sighed. Then, she took the feather in her hand once more and wrote her heart's desires.

A knock came to her door, forcing her to leave her diary and stand. Meeting her gaze was her grandfather, who entered the room with caution.

"My dear, how are you this afternoon?" he asked.

"I am well, grandfather," she immediately responded, "thank you. And yourself?"

"I am fine, my child. It is of unfortunate events that I come bearing news that the doctors have yet to find a cure for you," he wore a frown on his face, folding his arms behind his back as he paced tersely, "I apologize, my child. We will find better doctors,"

"It is I who should be apologizing, grandfather, for causing all this chaos throughout the years,"

His brows furrowed in disturbance, "Nonsense! You are my granddaughter. We will make you better once more."

Better.

He wanted his child to be better and be able to live a happy life. To live, to love. Surely, he was capable of such. Was he not?

Elizabeth noticed her grandfather deep in thought and walked up to him, placing a palm on his cheek.

"I shall accept my fate, Grandfather," she said with a smile, "I am in acceptance with my outward appearance, as should you be. The Oracle from the south has said no harm shall come to me, has she not?"

"I will keep fighting my child," he said returning the gesture and placing his palm on her cheek tenderly. He just wanted the best for his family. After all, he was an old man with a kind heart. Elizabeth's heart reminded him of his own, kind and filled with love. He wanted her to have a cherished life.

She knew better than to argue with Grandfather when his mind was set on something.

He removed himself from their small embrace and pulled a book from behind his back. He knew his granddaughter enjoyed reading whenever she was given the opportunity. It was his deepest despair to have her locked in her room like a caged animal, but it was for her own good. The servants knew better than to insult her, but those who roamed the streets would think down of her. He will not allow that to happen to any of his grandchildren, especially his beloved Elizabeth.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the book, hugging it to her as she respectfully thanked her grandfather. She always bathed in his kindness and generosity.

"Mr. Dartworth," a male voice came from the doorway. Her grandfather's head servant. Without glancing in the direction of Elizabeth, he continued, "the late afternoon tea with Mr. and Mrs. Henry Williamsburg has been served. Mrs. Dartworth and the Dartworth family have also been seated,"

"Thank you, Edmond," he said before turning back to Elizabeth, "enjoy the book, my dear. Perhaps you can have some afternoon tea after we have concluded,"

Her insides flushed with disappointment as she was not requested to join them, but she tried to smile at her kind grandfather.

"Of course, grandfather. Please enjoy your late afternoon tea,"

He left with a smile, closing her door gently. She was once again alone, but now she had another book to engulf her imaginations in. The thought made her smile and she trodded towards her bedside, with plans to enjoy the new works of William Shakespeare.

***

She had finished the book grandfather gave her fast enough and a servant had come to inform her that the Dartworth's afternoon tea was finished and she was now welcomed downstairs. She was changed and given the courtesy to roam the halls as she pleased. After having tea, she chose the gardens to watch the sun go down. Quietly, she snuck down to the foyer looking around her before going through the glass doors.

It was sundown and Elizabeth found herself strolling through the west gardens. She tugged at the baby blue dress she wore, having grown accustomed to the tightness of the bodice underneath and the spread of the flap on her hips that made the dress puff. She walked alongside the green hedges, spotting a tulip hanging from its patch. The softness of its coat met her fingertips when she touched it, and immediately, the shell of burgundy burst open. Looking passed the height of the walls, she gazed at the sun before closing her eyes and letting herself soak in its effulgent rays that kissed her skin as they disappeared beyond the oceans.

These were the days she enjoyed; ones where she could escape the confinement of her room and take quiet strolls in the gardens. Her small frame trapped in nature's embrace. It was a rather calming thought for her. Her eyes fluttered open, looking in awe at the vast colors of red, yellow and orange that filled the sky as its master retreated.

"Miss Dartworth," a meek voice behind her said causing her to spin around. Grandmother's servant. At the mere age of the twenty-two, she served at the pleasure of her family.

"Your grandmother requests your presence immediately," the servant said with her head bowed, her dark curls falling on her face. She didn't want to look at her, at the spots that marked her very existence.

Without another word, the servant turned and walked away, her low heels clicking on the cracked pavements. Elizabeth's first thought was that she was ordered not to look at her; that her grandfather ordered them not to look at her. He was the kind and caring one, and always sensed her discomfort when they looked in pity and judgment. It was the reason her grandfather requested that she be placed in her room. Forever confined by the four peach walls. She wished everything would have been different. She wished for acceptance.

Acceptance.

It was what she told her grandfather, and it was what she believed in now. There was nothing wrong with her, despite what everyone believed.

She stood in place, casting a gaze at the sun as it disappeared and the beautiful colors faded that with it before she walked behind the woman. Her hand trailed alongside the hedges, enjoying the aura of peace and calmness. She wanted to close her eyes and enjoy the feel, but that would mean missing out on so much before she went back to so little.

A deep chuckle caught her ear and she turned her head to the right to see a man walking through the garden, speaking to a Mrs. Williamsburg.

~~~~~

   Dorothy Williamsburg stared out the window of her guest bedroom, her hands clasped in front of her with elegance and poise. Her blonde hair, curled, fell past her shoulders and her full lips formed in a small smile. Her sunlight yellow dress hugged her tightly, frilling out from her waist down.

It had been twelve past the hour and the sun was just minutes away from disappearing beyond the horizon. Dorothy's gaze found her mother and older brother as they strolled in the Dartworth's maze. It seemed beautiful out, she mused, she would have to see it for herself tomorrow afternoon.

About to walk away from the window, she paused when she saw a maid rushing not too far from where her family stood. She thought the maid was going to her mother but her eyebrows narrowed when she rushed passed them. She hadn't noticed another woman in the garden. She was dressed in a gown quite similar to her own, so she knew she must have been apart of the royal household, yet she had never heard of any other daughter from the Dartworth lineage. Her brown locks were blowing gently in the wind as her fingers plucked at the petals of a rose.

She looked up when the maid called to her before sighing and looking out at the setting sun before following behind her. Dorothy's curiosity had grown, especially when the woman turned to look at her brother. Her mother noticed her too and tried to make pleasant conversation, but the woman simply blushed and curtsied before hastening behind the maid.

Surely she could not have been a part of the Dartworth lineage. She hadn't sat with them for tea when they arrived. It was impossible. With that thought, she shook her head and strutted away, making her way to her luggage. As she went to retrieve her journal, a knock came to her door.

"Lady Dorothy," a feeble voice called before the door opened. Another maid, she noted with a smile, "I apologize, those were to be finished by dinner,"

Dorothy smiled at her kindly, showing her that she wasn't really bothered by it. She could unpack her own luggage, but her mother insisted that she rest. Her mother's worries made her agree. Her hands reached out for her journal, the smooth texture of the rose pink book meeting her fingertips. Once she was far away from the suitcases, she gestured for her to come in, seating herself at the desk by the window, with her feet elegantly crossed at her ankles.

She skimmed through the pages, her lips quirking at her own thoughts, memories, and dreams on paper. There were days she would just sit and read through it like like it was a storybook and she was the main character.

Her fingertips grazed the blank page she landed on before she picked up the feather that had been solidified in bronze. It was a feather her father had given her, one he used almost every day himself before he passed away. She cherished it and thought of him as she dipped it in the ink at the top of the table. 

A knock came at her door before her mother, Luanna Williamsburg, walked in the room, with her brother, Christophe, in tow. Mother's arms were clasped before her and her eyes clouded with worry. It was her brother who spoke first, stepping in from behind her mother.

"How are you, sister?" he asked.

She looked at him for a while, her brain slowly piecing together a response as she watched the concern create an aura around him. She didn't like it, she knew she didn't, but with her illness, she couldn't help it. Reassuringly, she smiled at him before letting out a response.

"I... I am fine, brother," she replied seeing his shoulders slightly sag in relief. He was pleased to hear her voice; you could never know when she wasn't going to speak. Relief truly washed over him.

She beckoned him closer, showing him the last paragraph she wrote in her journal. He rested on one knee as his eyes gazed over the words she wrote.

"Who..." she cleared her throat, "who was that woman? I'd seen her through the windows. She... she spoke to you,"

"I'm not sure dear," her mother stepped in, "we wondered ourselves."

"She says here that she was too well dressed to be a servant, which I completely agree with, but if she wasn't a servant then who is she?" Christophe questioned, "Is there a possibility that she is apart of the household?"

Her mother shook her head strongly, "Impossible. We met with all the members of the Dartworth household. You know that,"

"We will just have to ask at dinner," Christophe finalized.

He stood, dusting off his pants before looking down at his sister. Christophe opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a knock on the door. A servant, the same woman who unpacked Dorothy's things, entered the room.

"Apologies for my interruption," she softly said as she curtsied, "I have been asked to inform you that dinner will be served at a quarter past the hour,"

"Do they not served dinner at six, my dear?"

A blush deepened her cheeks to a shade of scarlet, "Y-Yes, Princess Luanna. Our chef received some late night preparations which delayed the kitchen,"

"Thank you," Christophe said with a warm smile.

"Before you go dear," her mother said as she stepped towards her, "is there any way you could tell us the direct members of the Dartworth household?"

"I... well there is Mr. Dartworth and his wife, owners of the house. Their daughter Madeline Dartworth - Tyntesfield and her husband, Raymond Tyntesfield and their daughter, Phoebe. You have met them all. Master's son, Winsome is not residing with us at this point as he was recruited for the army, but his daughter Elizabeth -"

"His daughter?" mother interrupted, "I was under the impression that the Dartworths only had one grandchild,"

"I... Uhh... it is under the request of Mrs. Dartworth that the child, Elizabeth, not be associated with the family due to her parentage and her illness," the servant covered her mouth, "I am sorry, I have said too much,"

"Is it that -"

"I'm sorry, dinner will be served a quarter past the hour," with that, the servant gave a hasty curtsey before rushing out the door.

~~~

Thank you all for reading my entry. I truly hope you enjoyed it! Would you like to see the story continue? Let me know in the comments ;) Until then, feel free to keep up with all my updates through my social media platforms!

One more thing! AshleighParkers be giving away ONE Amazon e-gift cards and one Wattpad book cover to ONE lucky winner. My giveaway is open internationally!

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