For the Love of Masquerades (x2)

Welcome to the fourth day of the Realms Faire & Joust organized by the fair Lady MPax of realms near and far away.

Jousting! I, Ghost Knight, prithee visit Lady MPax's blog to cheer the jousters. Here are a few cheers to share:

Ghost Knight and her trusty steed, Atone, come forth from the fog leaving neverlove in the past and victory to bear.
Or
Atone whinnies into the charge with Ghost Knight in perfect form to win against the stain of neverlove.

And we're back to the Masquerade Parade!
 - "mystery authors" showcase their skills with a snippet of a masquerade moment
 - commenters can guess "who" the parading author is
 - a winner will be randomly plucked from the pool of correct guessers
 - prizes vary by the author so make sure to stop by each day to try for a prize :-)
 - to assist in the guessing, participating authors are listed here...but don't think you can win by process of elimination since "phantom names" will be mixed in with the real entrants :-)

On to the Masquerade Parade!

Credit to gajman @ flickr.com

***Here's our fifth parader***

Credit to gnuckx @ flickr.com

I don’t usually do balls, especially not the masquerade kind. It’s not that I have anything against them, I mean I’m all about romance, making wishes, and believing in them. The simple truth is, I’m just not one for a fuss. I feel more comfortable hanging with the peasants than partying with the rich folk. Even when it’s the handsome Coulter men insisting I attend their little shindig. I know, deep in my hillbilly heart, they are just being polite inviting me to their party. They know they owe me for their happily-ever-afters and their thanks are long past due. But, even though I don’t like to dress up and I’m still in the midst of healing from summering, I will go. I never question what fate intends, so before I lose my nerve, I will grab me a gown…I think I shall choose pink…and gather my unruly hair on top of my head. Lastly, I’ll grab my mask. I might be attending the party, but no one need know it’s me.

The prize offered by this author is a $10 Amazon gift card.

***Here's our sixth parader***

Credit to gnuckx @ flickr.com

Well, what did he say?” Marcia asked, fiddling with her mask, which was identical to Michelle’s.

“He, uh, didn’t say yes or no.”

Shoulders slumped, Marcia scanned the room. Their co-workers swarmed by the bar. Others clustered within reach of the hors d’hoeuvres. The subject of their discussion, a handsome Rastafarian, stood across the room with another man and one of their co-workers stuck to his arm.

Leech!

As if he felt her watching him, Lee turned his head. His pirate costume wasn’t good enough to give him anonymity.

“What man would pass up an invitation to walk on the beach under the moonlight?”

This one, apparently, Michelle thought. This island girl would love to give him the time of day.

Marcia was staring at Lee as if he was the last piece of dark fruit cake at Christmas dinner.

The woman on his arm left his side and he looked their way. Eyeing her sister, Michelle crooked a finger at Lee and pointed to the door facing the beach.

Lee tipped his head toward the door and got moving.

Smiling, Marcia followed.

Michelle swallowed her disappointment.

What would Lee say when he realized he’d be romancing the wrong twin?

The prize offered by this author is one of their ebook of your choosing.

Now let the guessing begin :-)

For more Realms Faire fun, make sure to check out these links: Joust ~ Drench-a-Wench/Soak-a-Bloke ~ Stockade Brigade ~ Dueling Bards ~ Phasers ~ Collective Performance ~Castle Jumble ~ Dragon Hunt