The Enchanted Rose (6 page)

Black clouds that look like death itself roll forward, casting shadows across the entire kingdom, reaching farther than I can see. As the storm approaches, I notice it is not black, but shimmery blue, like that of butterfly wings or dragon scales. Sparks of cerulean break up the darkness overhead and make my heart beat against my rib cage as I look on, knowing this is no ordinary storm.

The sound of cracking pulls my attention away from the window and to my left. Just as I look, the vase holding the white rose shatters. I jump, clutching at my chest as it feels like my heart will beat right out of it. I watch as the flower falls, spiraling to the floor as the tips of its petals turn a nasty black before curling, crumbling. The black turns to red. Just the tips, but it is enough to cause my heart to fall. 

I look back out the window. Thunder shakes me to my core.  Violet lightning strikes the ground not too far from the village. I lean against the wall, fearing for the town and all those in it. 

What is going on? What could bring on such a terrible storm, unlike any Avonathia has ever experienced? I watch as the people in the village begin to scramble, taking cover from the elements. The rain hasn’t begun, but I can smell it.

I know I should close the shades over my window and avoid the storm as much as possible. When something so unnatural comes about, one should not watch it, but run from it. 

“Milady, please.” Madrid’s voice, filled with panic, startles me. I didn’t hear her enter my room. But there she stands, her hand out for me, waiting to run with me for the safety of the inner rooms in the castle. 

“Wait, please, Madrid.” I turn back to the window again. “This is no regular storm. This is something else entirely, and I must know what it is. What it means.” I’m torn, wanting desperately to take cover, to find safety, to go with Madrid. But another part of me is stuck where I stand, unable to tear my attention away from the storm. 

“Princess Roselyn,” Madrid speaks again. I turn to look at her, still not wanting to do anything but watch the storm. “If you do not come with me now, I will fetch the guards. I am sorry, but I have to protect you. I have to think of your safety first and your feelings later, milady. Now please, come with me?” She looks terrified, but she stands her ground. 

I know it doesn’t matter how I feel. I must go with her. If not for my sake, for hers. She won’t leave without me, and I cannot put her in any danger. 

“Let’s go.” I take her hand and run through the corridors with her as we search for my father and mother.

Another clap of thunder shakes the castle walls, and we jump. If I didn’t know better, I would think the storm was coming to attack the castle directly. 

The walls tremor as if they aren’t thousands of years old, having withstood the worst storms ever recorded in our history. Madrid’s hand squeezes mine harder. I do not know which is more terrifying— my thoughts, or her fear. 

Servants rush past us, going in all directions as people barge through the main doors demanding protection from the storm raging outside. I do not blame them. I too would seek shelter in the longeststanding building in the entire kingdom. 

As sworn protectors and rightful rulers of Tivor, the king and queen allow their entrance, setting up camps for families in the main hall. More servants rush in, bringing clothing and blankets and food. 

As I watch, slowing my run, knowing we are safe for now, I look at each face, hoping he’s here. Knowing Osric has promised to come to Tivor soon—perhaps even this night. If he is not here, he may be caught in the storm that continues just outside.

My heart stutters when I do not see him, but there are many faces looking away from me.
He could be here
, I tell myself. I force myself to believe it, despite the evidence saying otherwise.  I continue to search every face.

But in my heart, I know. He won’t be in here. Even if he tried to enter, my mother would send him away. She loathes him for reasons I don’t understand. 

I can only hope he never left Wentsden. A part of me wishes I could believe that, but I know it isn’t so. Osric promised to come, and that means he is coming. Worry threatens to overtake me. I rock back and forth on my heels, holding a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. 

“Roselyn!” my mother shrieks. I turn to her, still forcing myself to hold back all my fears and worries. “Come! Help those in need! Do not just stand there!” She points in the other direction, where people are still pouring through the main doors. 

I take one look at her, my eyes veering to the door again. I have to go find him. I have to know if he’s all right. I don’t stop to help the people as I know I should. I feel awful for leaving them, but once they are in the castle, I know all will be well. 

I run, pushing past those who seek refuge here, weaving between people, going straight into the storm that is bringing others in. I still hear her yelling my name, but she is the least of my worries now.

The rain pierces my skin, sending an uncomfortable tingling feeling through me, almost as if the rain is charged with magic itself. I shield my eyes as I force myself against the wind, pushing with all my might as I make my way to the stables.

“I’m so sorry, Cherry Blossom. But I can’t go out there alone.” I open the doors and begin saddling my horse, the stable boys nowhere to be seen.  

I mount and pull on the reins, attempting to convince Cherry to ride into the storm. “Please, I need your help! My other half may be in danger,” I whisper against her mane. She seems to awaken, understanding my pain. She bolts forward, sending us into the storm. 

Rain pummels down, marring everything it hits. My skin prickles, and a throbbing pain overcomes me. But I continue on, riding through the town square in search of Osric. 

What I find is not the prince, but destruction of every kind. Gardens washed away, buildings beginning to crumble and decay. Signs fallen to the ground, smashed and shattered. 

The wind is strong, but not enough to do this kind of damage. It feels like the world is falling apart, crumbling under the power of the thunder overhead. Lightning strikes to my left, so close I watch as it touches down, almost as if time has slowed. A deafening clap of thunder shakes the very ground.

A fire lights, spreading toward the forest. The few people who haven’t sought refuge in the castle begin rushing toward it, doing all they can to put it out. 

“Help!” A shrill cry breaks my attention from the fire and toward the building a few doors down from where I’m standing. The roof has collapsed, the walls leaning in. The doorway is fractured and in risk of falling over at any time, but I push my way through the debris and go inside. 

There, a young mother holds her baby to her chest, cradling the infant as she tries to find a way out. I grab her hand and push the wood away. I lift my hand, calling to my magic so I can clear away the mess and get this woman and her baby out of here, but nothing happens. 

Again, I try to command my powers to react, but nothing happens. A frustrated sigh escapes me as I shove things out of my path. Just as I think the way is cleared, the doorway falls. I close my eyes and turn, shielding the mother and child behind me. 

I step over the pieces, holding on to the woman so she keeps her balance. As soon as we’ve made it from the house, I call to Cherry.

“Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” The woman mumbles the words repeatedly, bowing at the waist, holding her child to her. 

“Please, go.” I help her mount my horse. “Get them to safety, all right?” I pet Cherry’s mane once more before smacking her behind and forcing her to go charging toward the castle. 

Thunder overhead, lightning striking the ground, no magic, all alone in the pouring rain, and no prince in sight. My heart falls—hope seems to be lost. A fire burning bright, the forest all but gone, once a beautiful city now in ruins. 

I turn, looking all around me, turning again and again until I’ve gone in a circle, trying to get a bearing on my surroundings. Everything is ruined. I think of the rose in my room, the petals turning from white to red. 

“I will love you until the last rose turns red. For should that happen, somehow our love isn’t true...”
The storm started, the flower began to change, the city is ruined, very few structures remain in one piece. The magic . . . The storm did something to all the magic.

“Rose!” I turn around to find Osric running toward me. I take two steps toward him, and then I’m running. We meet, colliding into one another, wrapping our arms around each other. “What are you doing out here?” He sounds angered.

“Searching for you!” I look into his eyes. They soften a bit. 

“You could have been hurt. We need to get out of this storm!” He lets go of me, doing what I did, circling to assess everything. He grabs my hand and leads me around one of the small buildings, where his horse awaits.

I cling to him, afraid he’ll disappear any second, fearing he’ll be forced to leave just as abruptly as he arrived. Though the storm is terrifying and threatening, already having done more damage than I can comprehend, I know that with Osric at my side, I’ll be able to face anything. 

“What are we going to do? You can’t return to Wentsden in this storm, but my mother would never allow you to stay in the castle.” I think about the options we have. 

“You can return to the castle. I’ll find somewhere to sleep in one of the buildings that hasn’t been destroyed. You are my first and only concern at the moment.” He pushes me toward his mare, but I don’t let go of his hand. 

“Osric, I won’t leave you. I’m not going to be sheltered and protected, knowing you aren’t. You’re coming with me. It isn’t as if you’ve never been inside the castle without the permission of my parents. Please.” I beg him, looking into his eyes, knowing I can’t let him be out here alone.

For a moment, the rain let up, but it’s beginning to pour down harder now. With every drop that falls upon us, I know we must get inside. Every drop of rain stings as it hits my skin. Something is terribly wrong. 

“All right,” he relents. I give a small nod, and he lifts me at the waist, helping me onto the horse. He climbs on behind me, wrapping his arms around me as he grabs the reins. 

I lean against his chest as we ride toward the castle, now soaking wet, in pain, and trying not to panic. 

Perhaps this storm is more a blessing than a curse. At least I’ll get to be with Osric one last time before I’m married to another prince and whisked away to a kingdom where I do not want to be.  

Roselyn takes Knight through the gates, past the guards, and to the stables. I hate watching her walk away, but we both agreed it would be for the best if I enter by my usual route. She is right—her mother would never allow me to stay in the castle. She would know what—or in this case, who—I was here for, and I wouldn’t see Rose ever again. Most likely, I’d be locked away in the dungeons, never to be seen or heard from furthermore. Forever so close, yet always so far away from my love. 

Once Rose disappears from view, I sneak around to the other wall. There, the ivy hides a hole just large enough for me to slip through, if I’m careful. I do not know how the hole came to be or why, but I am grateful. It’s positioned perfectly so all guards on duty look away from the exact spot I come through. 

There, I follow the path of trees leading almost directly below Roselyn’s window. I climb the thick ivy branches that scale the castle wall. The balcony gives me enough to hold on to once I reach it, just as the ivy begins thinning out. I’m also grateful she’s only on the third level of the castle. 

I pull myself over the banister, slick from rain. I lose my grip and land on my back with a thud. I have to remain still on the balcony floor long enough for the air to re-enter my lungs before getting to my feet and poking my head through the curtains hiding me from the view of anyone who might be in the room. 

Madrid is less than a foot away. The surprised sound coming from me is similar to that of a bird squawking while she jumps and screams. My panic is over in an instant as I surge forward and cover her mouth with my hand. 

Her eyes widen, but she calms down when she realizes it’s me. I take a step back, removing my hand. 

“I’m sorry. I did not mean to startle you so,” I say, unsure what to do. 

“It’s not your fault. It’s fine. With the storm, I didn’t expect you to be here tonight. You are the reason Roselyn left, isn’t it?” She gives me a small smile and returns to her task. 

She is sweeping up broken glass. It only takes me a moment to realize where that glass came from. I look at the rose lying on the table. The tips of the petals have turned crimson, almost as if they are stained with blood. It is a terrifying sight, causing my heart to beat in an irregular rhythm. 

“What happened?” I manage to get out, gripping the table, my knuckles now white. 

“When the storm started, the vase shattered, and the petals began to change. I planned to tell you, but we were both busy when I found you in the village,” a timid voice says from behind me. I turn to find Roselyn soaking wet. 

Even wet, I can see the trails of tears that have fallen down her cheeks. I don’t say a word as I take two steps toward her, closing the distance and wrapping my arms around her.

“It’s all right. It will all be all right,” I say, though I understand and fear what the rose means. The wizard said our love would find a way if that rose remained white. But if it should turn red, there was no hope. I'm standing here with Roselyn in my arms, and all I can feel is determination. 

“Osric, what are we going to do?” She sniffles. 

“I don’t know, love. But we’ll do something. We will figure this out. I promise you we will.” I kiss her forehead and hold her close. Madrid has disappeared, which I am eternally grateful for in this moment. 

“What about the wizard, what he said?” She is shaking, and I don’t know if it is from fear or cold. I pull her toward the bed and grab the comforter from it, wrapping the blanket around Roselyn’s shoulders. “Thank you,” she whispers. 

“Rose, look at me.” She does, her eyes shining with tears. A blush covers her cheeks from the cold. She is the most important person in my life. I can’t lose her now. “We will figure out a way to be together. We will. True love knows no bounds.” 

“What if . . . what if we aren’t meant to be together? What if all this happening—the betrothal, my parents, the rose, the storm—what if they are all signs showing us we aren’t right for each other?” 

“How could you say that? How, for even a moment, could you entertain that thought?” Fear grips me as I realize that perhaps she does not want us to be together nearly as much as I do. But how can I doubt her love? 

“Jossa has pushed the wedding forward.” She steps away from my embrace, dropping the blanket on the floor as she begins to walk around the room, though her arms are still covered in goose bumps. I want to wrap her up again, but I give her the space she clearly desires. 

“Chavez will be here tomorrow. My mother has already sent me for dress fittings. She does not want me here. She wants to rule, and she will stop at nothing to do just that. To always be on the throne.” 

The words I was ready to speak leave my every thought. Jossa is sending Roselyn—her only daughter—away to marry a man she barely knows. I worry about Rose, I worry about me—I worry about Tivor. 

But most of all, I wonder why in the world Jossa would refuse to allow us to marry if all she wants is the kingdom. Roselyn could live in Wentsden or Umare with me, and Jossa would still have the throne. 

“What is she planning?” It’s all I can ask. 

“I don’t know, but it’s going to be disastrous. If she simply wants me gone, why not let me be with you? I’d leave willingly.” My heart soars as I hear those words, knowing we feel the same way.  

“That’s what worries me. What is so important about Elna? Or is it something about Chavez

specifically?” 

“Do you think he requested this betrothal? How could he? He’s only a few years older than I am.” She squeaks, beginning to panic. 

“Which makes me wonder why he wasn’t betrothed sooner. Perhaps he did plan this. We can’t rule anything out until we have all the facts. I wouldn’t wonder if Chavez wanted to be with you. You’re beautiful.” I take a step toward her. “And kind.” Another step. “And when you smile, it’s as if my every worry has disappeared.” I lean closer, cupping her cheek. “You are more precious than all the gold in existence.” I press my lips to hers, savoring this moment, knowing that at any time, everything could change for us. 

“Osric,” Rose says against my lips. 

I mumble “Hmm?” and keep kissing her. 

“Osric.” She laughs and pushes against my chest. I lean back. 

“Yes?” She doesn’t look like she was ready for that kiss to end either as she keeps looking at my lips, but she clears her throat. 

“What if this isn’t about me marrying someone else or going somewhere else?” 

“What do you mean?” I ask, wrapping my fingers around her upper arms, soothing the goose bumps. 

“What if this is simply about keeping us apart?” Her question takes me by surprise. I don’t understand how someone could only want us not to be together. Why would they go to all the trouble? 

But the events leading up to this moment do appear as if someone is willing to do whatever it takes to keep us apart. I think about the way her family hates me for no reason—though maybe her father has a reason, even if it isn’t a good one. 

Only days after I gave her a magical rose that would help us, it seems all magic is breaking. It doesn’t make sense, but it explains a lot. Roselyn begins to shake. I hadn’t realized I dropped my hands. I envelop her once more.

“If that’s the case, they’re going to have to try a lot harder than this,” I whisper in her ear. She just nods and leans her head against my chest. 

The sounds of thunder and lightning surround us, the fear of never being together clenches at our hearts, but for now, at this moment, we are all right. We will find a way around this, to fix this. 

“Milady. Your Highness.” Madrid has reappeared. She looks to Roselyn and then me. “I think it would be best if the prince left.” She looks at me apologetically, but speaks to Rose.  

“No!” She lifts her head. “I am not sending him back into that storm. I won’t. I can’t.” She clings tighter to me. 

“Milady, the queen demands to see you. She is only but a few feet away from your door. He needs to hide, if nothing else.” She looks around the room, as if trying to find somewhere I can be concealed until the queen leaves. But truthfully, I fear Jossa would be able to hear the pounding of my heart. 

“Roselyn, it’s all right. I will climb down the balcony and hide in the bushes. Better that I hide outside so she does not hear me than to be caught, captured, and thrown into a dungeon for the rest of my life.” I kiss her on the lips, pulling away far too soon. 

Parting the curtain, I step out onto the balcony, climb over the rail, and begin lowering myself down the ivy. 

“Psst!” The sound startles me, almost causing me to lose my grip on the branches. I jump down the last few feet, landing in the bushes, and peek around, trying to find what or who made that noise. 

“Prince!” the same voice calls. I look to the trees opposite where I am. The wizard who gave me the rose is standing there, watching me, waving at me to come to him. 

I look around, watching for guards, before I spring from the bushes and dash to the cover of the trees. The rain is still pouring, but not nearly as hard as before. Now it comes down in a light drizzle, though it still stings as it hits my skin.

“What are you doing here?” I whisper, my voice harsh. “And where are your fairies?” I look around, noticing they are not with him this time. Though, the way they hid from me, I might think I imagined them being there the first time we met. 

“This is not a journey for them. They are safe, and that is all that matters.” He nods. “You are a prince of your word, are you not?” He straightens, now standing at his full height, which can be no less than six feet tall. 

I straighten my back as well, though he still stands inches above myself. “Of course.” 

“Then you should know why I am here. I have come to claim the debt you owe.” My heart sinks. So soon? I do not need another worry right now. 

“Why, at this moment, have you chosen to claim a favor when I am no more than a prince? I thought your request would come at a time when my royal ranking was higher.” That, at least, is what it seemed like he would want when we initially made the deal.

“That was my intention, yes. But now things have changed. And what is coming to pass, I cannot fix on my own.” 

“What are you talking about?” My eyebrows pull together as my confusion deepens. 

“Your rose is turning red, is it not?” he asks, but he already knows the answer. 

“What of it?” 

“This storm is not an ordinary one. You should know that. Anyone—royal or not—who has magic should be aware of it. And the storm will continue until all the magic in this world is gone. Washed away.”

“How is this possible? Why is this happening?” I ask, now leaning against a tree. Of course, I knew it wasn’t a regular storm. That much was evident by the way it was destroying only specific things in its path. Apparently, those things were anything involving magic. 

“Someone intentionally created this storm. I do not know why or how, but this is no accident.” He pulls at his cloak and tugs out a map. 

“So, what can we do?” I gulp, not meaning to, but realizing that if this storm wipes away every bit of magic, that rose won’t last, and that means neither will my relationship with Rose.  

“We have to stop the storm, figure out who started it and why.” 

“And how to you suppose we do that?” Lightning fills up the sky, followed by a loud roar of thunder shaking the very ground.

“This storm started in the west, washing over the land. Do you know anything about that mountain?” he asks. Something in the way he asks makes me fearful of whatever it is. 

I think back to everything I know. I’ve heard the stories. Mother has told me a little about it. Something about her journey to defeat Mendina, the princess witch who destroyed almost every kingdom. 

“The seer lives on that mountain.” 

“Indeed. She would have the power to cause this storm, but her life is dependent on magic.” “So it wouldn’t make sense for her to start a storm that can take it all away,” I finish. 

He nods in agreement. I think about what this means. The seer could start the storm, but why would she?

“How do we figure it out who did this?” 

“I believe we should start within the mountains. That is where the storm originated. That is where we must go.” 

“We?” My heart stops.