Rose jumped, straightening, as her hand flew to her chest. She let out a sigh of relief as she recognized Mike, who was laughing hysterically at her reaction.
“Michael!” she sighed with exasperation, swatting his arm. “That wasn’t funny. You nearly killed me! My heart is pounding.”
Mike chuckled. “It was kinda funny. But I’m very glad I didn’t kill you, and I’m very sorry I scared you. Besides, I can think of better ways to get your heart pounding.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively. Rose blushed and smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Are you ready for this evening?” Mike asked enthusiastically.
“I suppose. I still don’t understand why the king and prince are coming to Cashmere, of all places, but if it lends itself to a night of dancing with you, I guess I can handle it.”
“Prince Trinnen is supposedly looking for a wife,” Mike said as he leaned against the edge of the shelves. “I cannot imagine how lucrative the dress business must be right now. All the ladies are spending every last penny they ever earned on the finest dresses they can find to try and impress his Majesty,” Mike rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I absolutely cannot wait for the entire province to see my lovely fiancée on my arm. Nobody is going to believe a woman as beautiful as you actually agreed to marry a goon like me.”
Rose laughed. “That’s completely absurd. But I am also excited for more people to know about us. Maybe it will keep Burton and Oliver in line.”
“Yes, yes, go on and remind me of the long list of suitors hoping I’ll choke on my next chicken leg so they can swoop in and steal my girl, why don’t you?” Mike sighed.
“Don’t pay them any attention. I’m all yours and always will be.” Rose stretched up to give Mike a kiss as the scene faded.
When the next memory took shape, I found myself in a setting very similar to the reality I’d just left at the palace, only we were outside in this instance. Many dancers held each other close, wearing their finest apparel, as they moved gracefully past each other in a swirling display of gaiety. Along the sides of the large wooden dance floor stood several tables full of delicious food. Most importantly, at the head of the dance floor stood a modest stage with two large thrones atop it. In one throne sat an elderly man wearing an ornate crown, looking utterly bored. I guessed he was Tenebris and Trinnen’s father—King Simon. The other throne sat empty. I scanned the crowd for Trinnen. I found him near the foot of the stage surrounded by a group of giggling girls, clearly enjoying the attention they drowned him in.
Closer to where I stood, I caught sight of Rosaline in a shockingly brilliant green dress that hugged her elegant curves. Her auburn hair was pulled up, displaying the graceful bend of her exposed collarbone. She rested her head on Mike’s chest who held her close as they swayed gently to the music. I inched closer to them, my heart melting at the sight of my parents, happy as they evidently once were.
The song ended, and I watched as Rose mumbled something to Mike who squeezed her hand before she briskly walked off. Whatever she said, Mike didn’t seem alarmed. Perhaps she needed to use the restroom. I wondered idly what they’d use for restrooms out here.
Mike wandered over to a table filled with fruity looking drinks. He picked up a glass and downed it in one, large gulp. He then leaned casually against one of the pillars that held up the large, white tent, watching the crowd. I did the same, noticing the way every woman’s head seemed constantly to turn in the direction of Prince Trinnen, despite the fact that nearly all of them were being twirled around the floor by other men, who seemed perturbed by their distraction.
I was lost staring at the maze of dancers when a loud crash caught my attention. I turned in the direction of the commotion to see Rosaline had fallen into one of the dessert tables. Her dress was covered in pudding and frosting. Next to her, Prince Trinnen was also covered in dessert. A large, stumbling crowd stood next to them. I gathered that the crowd had lost control and pushed Rose and the prince into the table. Probably a group of salivating girls were trying to get the attention of the prince and ended up trampling him instead. Rose simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The king was bored no longer. He immediately rushed off the stage to the place where his precious son stood. Guards also hurried to him, doing their best to clean him off. The band stopped playing, allowing me to hear what was being said.
“Please, stop, I’m fine,” Prince Trinnen brushed off the concerned throng. “See to the lady, I beg you.”
Immediately, the guards responded, turning their attention to Rose who seemed unsure what had just happened. Mike hurried over to her side, concern plain on his face.
“Are you okay?” he asked, grabbing a napkin and dabbing at the splotches of pudding smeared across her green dress.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just got caught up in the crowd,” Rose sighed, also dabbing at her dress.
“I am truly sorry for running into you like that, my lady.” Prince Trinnen was mostly cleaned up and bowed low to Rosaline.
Rose was quick to return the gesture and curtseyed. “It was not your fault, your Highness.”
Mike, likewise, bowed, though the gesture seemed almost painful for him. “It might be best if you were a little more careful where you walk next time,” he said as he straightened from his bow.
Prince Trinnen tried to hide the surprise from his face at being spoken to this way. He clearly bit back a retort and said instead, “Of course. I shall be more careful. And your name is?”
“I am Carmichael Longfellow of Cashmere and my lovely fiancée is the woman you just bathed in cream puffs.”
Rose directed a subtle elbow into Mike’s ribs and gave him a wide-eyed glance. She returned her attention to the prince. “My name is Rosaline Davenport. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
My heart thrilled at even this small bit of new information—I’d never known my mother’s last name.
Prince Trinnen seemed to properly notice Rose for the first time. His eyes scanned her beautiful figure—no less attractive with the stains of pudding splattered across the green silk—and widened at the sight he took in.
“Would you do me the honor of dancing with me, Miss Davenport, as an apology for my clumsiness?” Prince Trinnen extended his bent arm for Rose to take.
Rose looked at Mike, clearly unsure what to say. “Thank you, but there’s no need. Apology accepted. I think I’d like to go home and change now.” Rose turned to leave, Mike by her side.
“Stop!” King Simon’s voice rang out. I glanced in his direction and noticed Praesidium cradled at the base of his throat. It glowed red at the command. Immediately, Rose and Mike froze in their step. “I insist that the lady obey the request of the prince,” he said, obviously bothered by Rose’s lack of enthusiasm at being asked to dance by royalty. Rose, her expression blank, returned to Prince Trinnen’s side, taking his arm.
“It would be an honor,” she said as she followed him out onto the dance floor. Mike—powerless to defy Praesidium—sank into a chair on the outskirts of the dance floor, resigned to watching his love dance with another man.
The scene began to waver, then fade. As it took shape again, I found myself in a familiar setting. I stood outside a small brown cottage with a pen of sheep in the distance. Mike and Rose stood on the front porch. A small lantern hung above them. I knew immediately what I was about to witness—my mother was going to break my dad’s heart. I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to see this again. It was hard enough the first time.
Resigned, I moved closer, deciding there might be something new in this memory I hadn’t seen or heard before. I was not disappointed. I immediately realized I’d come into the memory at an earlier point than I had the first time.
“Rose, I need you to tell me what’s going on. You’ve been so distant these past few weeks. I don’t understand what’s changed between us. We were so happy before.”
Rose’s eyes were already filled with tears. “We were happy. We were so, so happy.
But that’s all changed now, Mike. Everything has changed.”
“What do you mean? Nothing has changed for me. I feel the same way I have always felt about you, Rose. You’re my life. You’re my everything.” Mike gently lifted Rose’s chin to look her in the eye. She sobbed harder in response.
“He’s chosen me, Mike.” Rose’s voice cracked. “Prince Trinnen has chosen me as the one he wants to marry. That is why I’ve been distant these past few weeks. He has been coming often to take me to the palace, to court me. I haven’t had any say in the matter. His father has given him Praesidium now that he’s chosen a wife. As soon as we are married, he’ll be crowned king. There’s no way to escape him.” Rose’s eyes raked over Mike as if begging for him to offer any other solution. Mike’s face visibly broke into the tortured mask I’d seen the first time I’d viewed this memory.
“He chose… you? But why? He knew you were engaged to me! How could he choose you? He can’t choose you! I won’t let him!”
“You know as well as I do that we are completely and totally helpless. I cannot defy him. You cannot defy him. Oh, how I wish we could. He’s forced me to come here tonight, to break things off with you. He left me no loopholes.”
“No. This can’t be. It doesn’t work this way. I love you and you love me. We’re meant to be together.” Mike’s eyes burned with the intensity of what he was saying. “He can’t just force you to marry him. That’s wrong! It’s disgusting! I’ll kill him myself!” Mike said, his face turning red amidst his anger and pain.
“Stop that. Stop that right now.” Rose’s voice was filled with urgency. “You can’t get yourself into trouble over this, over me. Promise me right now that you won’t intervene, that you won’t try to stop this.”
“I can’t make that promise. I love you and I’ll fight for you, Rose.”
“I love you too, Mike. And if you really love me, you’ll do what you have to do to protect yourself and to protect me.”
“Oh, I’ll do what I need to do to protect you from that monster, alright. You can bet on that.”
“Stop it, Mike, I mean it,” Rose looked into Mike’s burning eyes with an intense pain of her own. “I have to go. I’m only making things worse by being here.”
“No, Rose, don’t go.” Mike said desperately, grabbing for her. She twisted away from him.
“I’m so sorry, Mike. I really, truly am. I can’t do this,” Rosaline said, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head in dismay.
“Please, Rose, we can make it. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. We can get away from all of this. No one will be able to tell you what you can or can’t do anymore. It can be just you and me. I promise.” Mike’s voice broke with the depth of his emotion.
“I wish it were that simple, Mike. I really do. I’m sorry, but I have to go now. Please don’t try to follow me,” Rosaline said, tearing the ring off her finger and slamming it into Mike’s opened palm.
She turned to leave. Mike reached out and caught her arm. “Please, Rose, I’ll do anything,” he said with desperate eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed as she stumbled down the steps into the night.
“I love you, Rosaline!” Mike called after her. “Please, no!” Mike’s sobs rang out through the air. He turned and punched the lantern hanging by the door. The glass shattered, slicing his knuckles. He fell to his knees, cradling his head in his hands as he openly wept, blood pouring down his forearm.
The scene melted and reformed. I stood in the dank dungeons I’d visited in Will’s memories where dad had been brutally beaten. I prayed I wouldn’t have to witness that horrible scene again.
The sound of haggard breathing caught my attention. I turned toward it and saw my father—broken and bleeding—on the floor of one of the dungeon cells. He looked like he was on death’s door.
The dungeon door opened. I turned to see Rosaline slip through the crack, checking over her shoulder as she entered. She wore an elegant, baby pink dress, her hair carefully styled. She hurried over to the cell where my father lay, falling to her knees.
Her face crumpled in pain as she took in the sight of Michael on the floor. “Oh, Mike.” Her hand covered her mouth in horror. “I am so sorry. So, so sorry. I told you not to fight for me. I begged you. I knew he’d do something like this to you.”
Mike turned his head enough to see Rose. Unexpectedly, he smiled, though it appeared to take every bit of strength he had left. “You are so… beautiful,” he sighed.
Tears cascaded from Rose’s eyes, though she contained her sobs. “I am so sorry,” she said again, reaching through the bars to him.
“It’s not your fault. You told me not to,” Mike gasped. “I just couldn’t sit by and do nothing. I had to fight… for you.”
“I wish you wouldn’t have. Oh, how I wish you wouldn’t have.” Rose gently rubbed Mike’s leg. “If I could change anything in my life, we never would have gone to that stupid dance. I never would have had the misfortune of meeting Trinnen. We would be happily married by now. Oh, how I wish.” Rose gave Mike a pained smile through her tears.
“I’ll find my way back to you someday, Rose,” Mike whispered, the words difficult to make out. “Someday, we’ll be free.”
The dungeon door began to open again. Rose looked at it, startled.
“You have to hide!” Mike said, sitting up in his panic, his voice stronger than it had been throughout the entire conversation. “Quickly!”
Rose was already on her feet, running around a bend in the dungeon corridor. King Trinnen walked through the door with a blonde gentleman at his side. The pair marched up to the dungeon door where Trinnen let himself into the cell with a key. Without warning, he kicked Mike forcefully in the ribs. Mike bent into himself but didn’t cry out, as if he was too exhausted to make any noise.
“You should know better than to try and steal what is your king’s, peasant. Rosaline was mine the moment I set eyes on her. You were a fool to try and take her from the palace.” Trinnen bent low over Mike’s bleeding face. “Fortunately, I’ll never have to worry about seeing your pathetic little face again. Enjoy the human realm.”
He grabbed Mike by the hair and yanked him to his feet. “Jackson,” the king addressed the man he’d brought with him, “you are ordered to leave this swine in the human realm. I expect you to report back when your task is finished.” He gruffly shoved Mike forward into Jackson’s arms and then stalked back up the dungeon corridor toward the door.
Jackson grabbed Mike by his left bicep and the two disappeared from view, Traveling to the human realm. Just as they vanished into thin air, Rose emerged from her hiding place, reaching out to the spot where Mike had just stood. She collapsed to the ground, weeping, rocking back and forth in her pain.
The sad scene before me transformed into one of utter panic. Rosaline sat completely naked in an oversized bathtub, her stomach bulging as if it would pop with the slightest provocation. A woman leaned over the edge of the tub at the end of Rose’s bent legs, trying to coach Rose through her frantic breathing. I quickly understood that Rose was giving birth. Was I about to witness my own entrance into the world? How odd. I wasn’t sure I wanted to stick around for this.
“Come on, Rose, keep pushing. You’re doing great. Almost there.” The haggard woman at Rose’s feet was obviously trying to appear calm, but her wild eyes betrayed her.
“Ahhh,” Rose grunted, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. “How much longer, Vi?”
“I can see a head,” the woman responded excitedly. “Come on, Rose. Give me one more good push!”
Rose pushed as she screamed and the woman called Vi reached forward, catching a small child who emerged suddenly. I tried not to be too disgusted at how awful the baby looked—or how awful I looked, I guess. I cringed.
Rose and Vi smiled at each other as Vi snipped the umbilical cord and passed the baby to Rose.
“It’s a boy,” Rose breathed, her eyes alight with curiosity and love.
“You
thought it would be,” Vi responded with another adoring smile. “Good work.”
Huh. Now I was really confused. Did I have a brother I didn’t know about? This didn’t make any sense at all.
Rose’s expression changed to one of intense discomfort. “Violet, we’re not done yet,” she said with alarm.
“It’s just your placenta. It’s okay,” Violet reassured her.
“No, we are not done yet!” Rose screamed, tensing up as she frantically passed the child back to Violet.
Violet ducked back down to examine Rose. “I think you’re right. Another baby is coming!”
“For heaven’s sake, no!” Rose cried. “I can’t have two. What will he say? What will he do?”
“We’ll worry about that in a moment. For now, concentrate.” Violet shifted back into midwife mode. She frantically wrapped the crying boy in a blanket and left him in a small basket near the tub. She then turned her attention back to Rose who was again screaming in pain.
“You can do this. Keep pushing,” Violet coached. Rose glared at her.
After another minute or so of strenuous pushing, Violet emerged once again with a baby in her arms. “It’s a girl,” she sighed as she passed the baby to Rose, whose eyes were filled with tears. Rose cradled the girl to her chest as tears continued to stream down her face. Violet bent over and picked up the boy from the basket.
“What am I going to do?” Rose looked up at Violet. “I can’t have two. He’ll do something to her—he’ll kill her!” she moaned, her tears becoming even more intense.
“Shhhh, shhh, shhh,” Violet tried to soothe Rose. “Surely King Trinnen would never do such a thing. This is his child, after all. He would never—”
“He would,” Rose cut her off. “He most certainly would. He hates his own brother. He hates the constant challenge to his throne, his authority. He has already vowed to me that we will never have a second child. If he ever finds out about her, he will dispose of her. Believe me, nothing is beneath the royals and they have done it before.”
The Cyrun Page 23
