the met gala

TW:slavery, sexual violence.

August 2 1825.

It was a normal summer day in Paris, as a young white woman walked through the streets of Sartrouville. She wore a cloak that covered her body, she passed by multiple people without being noticed. She walked across a bridge to a small house with smoke coming out of the chimney. She knocked twice on the door. “Come in.” said a quiet female voice. The young woman stepped inside the small house, there stood an old black woman in a dirty dress with a red shawl over her, beside her stood a young light browned skin girl. Her face was flat and her hazelnut hair was in a messy bun. Dirt smothered her cheeks. The young woman knew in the child’s eyes that she was her daughter, and she was the mother. “Did you get everything?” she asked the old woman. “Yes Miss Lacroix, everything that belonged to her,” Miss Lacroix looked at her daughter, “is all in this sack.” the old woman held out a sack to the Miss, and she took it graciously. Then she bends down, coming into the young girl’s view. Miss Lacroix took her daughter’s hand with a smile. “Hello Marianna, I am your mama. It's so nice to finally see my girl again.” Marianna looked up at her grandma, and she nodded. “You're my mama?” she said in a soft quiet tone. Miss Lacroix nodded her head. “Yes, I am so sorry to hear about what happened to your father…I loved him very much.” awkwardly, Marianna hugged her mother tight, which caught Miss Lacroix off guard but then she slowly succumbed to it. When they let Miss Lacroix somehow knew everything was going to be okay for them. “Come daughter, let us go home.”

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September 13 1838.

All her life Marianna has been called ugly. She did not look like her other family members, no. her skin was browner than everyone else’s, her hair was so thick and it would get tangled up so easily and you could put a comb through it. Her face was covered in freckles and she was more plump than her half sister Anais. When Miss Lacroix came home to her parents' mansion, claiming this little…negro child was her’s, it put a shock to everyone. She had an affair with a slave and easily hid the birth of her mixed thing from her parents? How dare she! But they could all see that this child was a part of the Lacroix family line. She had her mother’s beautiful tinted blue eyes. At first Miss Lacroix parents weren't very accepting toward’s Marianna, but slowly the child’s goofiness and her bright open mind made them fall in love with their grandchild. But God, she was so weird looking. “You will never find a husband looking like this sister.” said her half sister Anais. Her half sister was given the nickname “swan princess.” for her perfectly posed face, and whitish blonde hair. Many men wanted her hand in marriage. Both girls were busy getting dressed for the latest met gala this month. The met gala, a place for multiple rich families to come and dance around together. A few find their true loves, others find a long lasting friendship. Marianna hated these balls, she was mostly behind her family the whole time. Even if they accepted her in their household they were still embarrassed to call her their own in public. Anais wore a long emerald blue off shoulder slit A-line dress. For jewellery, she wore pearls, The most expensive pearls money could ever buy. Meanwhile Marianna wore an off shoulder pink baroque dress with the poofist bottom. She didn't wear much jewellery like her sister, mostly a golden cabochon in pewter frame pendant necklace, given to her by her mother when she was a child. As always Anais' hair was easy to do, she had it in a bun with a few hair accessories in the bun. But Marianna needed the maid Lucy to comb and braided it into the back which took a minute. “Anais please go on without me.” Marianna said,

Realising she will be taking a longer time than she thought. “Oh but I want us to go down together.” Marianna shook her head. “No, please go ahead…I will be down in a minute, let mama and our grandparents know.” Anais nodded her head and left the dressing room. “Please bend your head down, Miss.” Marianna did as she was told, she was a good girl like that. Lucy tugged on her hair, breaking it the knots which made Marianna wince a couple of times. But soon, Lucy was done adding a small rose on the side. “You look lovely Miss.” she said with a smile. Marianna almost believed her, she did look lovely in the golden frame mirror. But still…there was a feeling of doubt in the pit of her stomach. She said goodbye to the maid and made her way down stairs to the Met gala. It was being held at her grandparents house this time, which made Marianna happy because she wouldn't need to ride in a carriage at all. She passed paintings of her family’s line, glancing at the one with her mother as a young child standing beside her parents. One day she and her sister will have a painting of themselves on this wall. She stopped at the top of spiral stairs, hearing laughter and classical music playing at the bottom of it. Her nerves started to tingle, she shouldn't be here. Not today at least. But she remembered her sister and mother at the bottom waiting for her. With a heavy heart Marianna made her way down the stairs with elegance.

Lord Louis Thomas Blanc did not want to be at this met gala today. He would rather be locked in his room fiddling with the little metal animals he loved to make. He could have been finishing up the cat he was making, but his bastard father forced him to attend this ball, “it will look good on our family name to have our eldest child to join us, and maybe you will find a wife.” his father said. How did Louis wish he pretended to be sick, him finding a wife? Ha! That will only happen when pigs fly. As always every woman was interested in him, but he was not with them. They praised him, complimenting him. But he was just not interested, mostly fancying himself in this strange flavor of wine. Until his eyes landed on a woman across the room. She did not look like every other woman in this gala, no. She was strange looking, she was darker than everyone else and more round. Her strange face covered in freckles, her eyes blue. There was something complex about her. Louis felt very intrigued to meet her now, but the thing that caught his attention the most was the way she was around white people. Was she not a slave? But would a slave dress in the most expensive clothes of the season? He thought. Oh he wanted to learn much, much more about this girl and who she was. “It's Marianna Lacroix.” he heard someone whisper, “isnt she the mixed negro child that belongs to Ann Lacroix?” A mixed girl? Meaning her mother slept with…he never heard such a thing. He watched her kiss an older woman who must have been her mother. She was so captivating it annoyed him, but dammit he couldn't look away. He might as well be falling in love.

Marianna felt as if she was being watched by someone, but who? There were so many white faces she didn't know which it could be. But she decided to ignore it, try to enjoy the party Mary. she thought to herself. So she smiled and laughed with her sister, as she introduced two young men. “Marianna, these are the Durand boys, Clark and timothy.” Both boys kissed Marianna on the cheek, but she could feel Clark stiffen. She tried to act unbothered by it. “Marianna…you are much talked about in town.” Timothy said. “I am?” She never knew she was famous in her small town. “Yes, everyone talked about the brown frog princess!” he said laughing, all of them started to laugh, but Marianna laugh was quiet like a mouse. She drank some of her wine to wash down the embarrassment she felt. “Yes, Marianna is very unique in ways.” Clark said, giving her a weird look. “May I ask if the lady will love a dance?” he held out his hand. Marianna glanced at Anais and she nodded her head. So Marianna took Lord Clark’s hand and he led her onto the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he did her waist. They follow the rhythm of the music. everyone whispered at the sight of them two. “Everyone is whispering about us.” she whispered, “yes…are you embarrassed?” Marianna shook her head. “No my Lord, just…nervous. Noone ever asked me to dance before.” “So I am the first?” “Besides my grandfather, yes.” Both of them laughed, and she hadn't noticed him moving them outside onto the courtyard. “It is a beautiful night.” “yes.” she agreed, feeling slightly alive at this feeling in her stomach, but suddenly she felt Clark’s hand dip lower than they should. Surprise, she pulled slightly away but not letting him go. “What are you doing my lord?” she asked with a nervous smile. Clark returned that grin but it felt different. “You must have never been kissed before huh?” well not on the lips, she usually gets kisses on the cheek by her family, never on the lips. It felt like a deed you did with someone you truly love. “no…I never have been.” she answered honestly. She felt his grip tighten around her. “Would you like one now?” nope, never, not now at least. “My Lord I am not interested in that sort of thing…I barely have gotten to know you yet…”  

He ignored her though and moved very close to her, she pulled away, well at least she tried. His grip was tight and was hurting her. “Unhand me b-” but she was cutted off by a force kiss, a kiss that felt nothing like the ones she read about. It was hard and just…forced. But as quickly as he did it he let go, shoving her away. “Next time do not struggle as much.” and then he walked away, leaving her in trembling.

Louis saw the whole thing. And he felt shameful to not have stopped that bastard. He watched him walk leaving Marianna in sobbing, awkwardly, he walked up to her. Standing there and listening to her cry. But then he slowly placed a hand on her back and said, “are you alright Cherie?” she looked up with a stun face.

Good heavens, who was this handsome man Marianna was staring at? His eyes were brown in the moonlight, his hair a dirty blonde color. He wore a white blouse shirt underneath a black tailcoat with golden buttons, his pants were black as well. Marianna started to wipe away the tears in her eyes when he pulled out a white handkerchief. “I saw what happened…I should have intervened sooner, Cherie.” A small smile forms on her face. “What could you have done my Lord? Shout in a dramatic tone to stop?” “It would have been something instead of letting you cry here.” they stare into each other’s eyes, the moonlight made Marianna’s eyes sparkle like stars. “Please come inside Miss…” “Marianna, Marianna Lacroix.”

Even if Louis already knew her name he wanted to hear her say it. He wanted her beautiful name to come out of her lips. “And what is your name my Lord?” She is only fair to ask. “I am Louis Blanc Miss Lacroix.” he her helped off the ground, and watched her puff out her dress. He suddenly found himself staring at the little cleavage that was revealing as she bent down to fix the tips of her dress. When she stood up again and looked him in the face, he turned away putting a hand over his mouth to hide the fact he was blushing hard. “Are you ready Cherie?” he asked, holding out his hand. “Yes, my Lord.”

Throughout the night of the party, Marianna and Louis never felt so…alive. It was as if they knew each other their whole life. They spent most of their time dancing and getting drunk with laughter. Marianna never acted this wild at any party, she usually stood behind her mother with her head down. But someone saw her, a part of her she never did show. Louis had to step away for a second, so Marianna sat down with a drunken smile on her face. “You look happy dear.” She looked up to see her mother smiling at her. “I am happy mama!” Mrs. LaCroix took a seat next to her daughter. “I saw you dancing with that stranger…you seemed really happy with him.” “mama, I am, I never felt…these feelings before…and they slightly scare me.” Marianna said why slurring over her words, and needing to take a breath every second. “You know…I felt the same way with your father, I never agreed with slavery…I helped a lot of slaves escape from my father but your father was so different.” Mrs. Lacroix put a hand on her cheek as if remembering her past. “But I could never marry him, but it was too late. I was pregnant with you and everything. I was too afraid for my parents to meet you so I helped your father get far away from my family…with you.” a tear fell from her mother’s face. “It was so hard for me to let you go Mary, I loved you so much.” her mother then grabbed her daughter’s hand, squeezing it tight. “Do not be like me and be afraid of what other people think, if you want to be with him go after him.” Marianna pulled her mother into a hug, “thank you mama.” she whispers into her ear, then she gets up to look for Louis, but he was nowhere to be found.

Louis felt like he was in a daze, no woman could make him laugh as much as he did with Marianna. For really believed this was true love, why else would he be acting like this? Yes. it was love, he truly believed it was love. He spotted Marianna at a table a few feet away from him, she was talking to her mother who had tears coming out of her eyes. This was it, he is going to ask Mrs. Lacroix if he could have her daughter’s hand in marriage. But before he could even take a step his father appeared in front of him. “We are leaving now, son.” already? It's been an hour already? “Father can we not leave-” “Louis we are needed back home now, we are leaving.” “can I just say goodbye-” “no,” Mr. Blanc gave his son a hard stare, and Louis went silent. “I don't have time for your stupid nonsense, this is not about you, let's go.” Louis looked back at Marianna who was now getting up, he whispered a silent goodbye and followed his father to their carriage.

  Marianna didn't know what happened. Louis was gone, but he was with her a few minutes ago, did she dream the whole thing? She pinched herself, no…it was not a dream. Marianna then turns in early, feeling disappointed, sad, and upset. How could he leave without saying goodbye? Will she ever even see him again? Lucy helped her take off her dress and changed her into a white nightgown. “Do you need anything else Miss?” Lucy asked, “no…I am fine.” but Lucy could clearly see she was not fine, but she wasn't. going to pressure Marianna into telling her what happened. “Alright Miss…goodnight.” Lucy left Marianna alone, she listened to Lucy’s footsteps departing, and when she knew Lucy was far enough away she began to cry into the night. 

Louis stared out the window of the carriage, he ignored the voice of his father explaining why they left early. He only focused on the trees and the moon, remembering Marianna’s eyes that sparkled in the moonlight. Suddenly, he burst into an endless amount of tears.

January 20 1827. 

My dearest Marianna Lacroix.

“Not a day goes by as I think about you, I wish I never left the way I did at the Met gala. My father forced me and I regret following him. I want to pour all my heart out on this letter, je t’aime chérie. I think I loved you when I saw you walk down those enchanting stairs, I loved you when you started to laugh, I loved you when you got so drunk I didn't understand a word you said. I do not care if we are different in many ways, love does not stop for no man. And I want to be in your life. I want us to live on a farm, away from the world and raise our kids together on it. I want us to grow old together and die peacefully together. I want a life with you my cherie, I want to die for you my cherie. I would go through fire and ice just to see your beautiful face again, just to see you smile and laugh in my arms. Je t’aime chérie, je t’aime chérie. Will you marry me?”