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A rose without thorns

Chapter 1:Violets of violence

I’m not sure how everything started the way it did. All I’m certain
of is that I will never enjoy my birthday ever again. Not after what they
did, no not after what she did to me.

“Ugh I can’t stand this bed anymore its so boring” I groaned starring up
at my canopy curtains. My bed was a simple style of green and blue
since those were my castles colors, well they are my mother’s castles
colors so we had to live by the shades. I threw my legs over the side of
the bed and started to come back from the drowsiness I was feeling.
One by one my surroundings came to view. My dresser in the corner of
the room and the way the red paint on the roses that were carved into
the side started to fade. My window with no glass that just so
happened to be twice my size and could fit two people side by side. My
full body mirror that had vine designs looping up the thin frames until
they both collided with each other and formed a flower that I wasn’t
familiar with. I rose from my bed with much argument from my bed just
as the knocking on my door echoed around my room. ”Ms. Serenheart,
your mother wishes to see you in the dining hall once you prepare
yourself.” To any other supremacy, anyone who dared knock on a
royals door without waiting for permission would’ve had their hands
cut off immediately but I personally didn’t care. “Ryan, why so timid.
I’m dressed and we are associated so come in, sit down, talk with me
for a bit.” I knew this peasant boy personally from child hood, he was
my own personal butler but our history together is so much more
complicated than that. “Yeah I know I just wanted to be your ‘Butler’
for a second” he said with the best grin I’ve seen in a while. It was much
more contagious than I thought it was because I caught myself smiling.
Even though he was a peasant he still looked considerably good. He
somehow kept his teeth to shine white like that, his brown hair which
always changed colors in the light was cut into neat bangs and the way
his green eyes seemed to stare at you instead of through you was just
so intoxicating. His frame was built from doing all the hard work around
the castle, the best way to describe him was just missing the perfect
boy mark. He walked over and threw himself on my bed. I was just
starring at his back at that point and by instinct my hand was reaching
over and rubbing small circles in between his shoulder blades. “Trying
to seduce me I see” came from where he had turned his head and was
starring at the spot just past my stomach. “Oh? And what exactly gave
you that idea?” He was silent for a count of 30 seconds and I thought I
had said something wrong for a minute. I was about to ask if he was ok
but his lips were faster than mine. “Remember the day we snuck out
the castle, the guys in the forest that we saw?” Of course I remembered
that day, how could I could ever forget it? That day is still haunting to
me and I can still feel the blood of those men on my arms. “Yeah, I
remember that day crystal clear unfortunately.” The images of those
men started flashing back to me in bits and pieces which was much
better than the whole story. The way that two men had pinned down
Ryan and while a third had repeatedly started to punch him in the gut.
How I had been tied to a tree to watch the whole thing, my white dress
now covered in mud from where my knees had burrowed themselves.
The way I left out a blood curdling scream when the plants around use
ranging from the trees overhead to the mere grass below us started to
entangle the men up to their necks and submerge them in the dirt. One
guy wasn’t as lucky though, the one that was causing harm to Ryan got
it the worst. I saw the trees bark tighten around his wrist and then I saw
the blood dripping from his arm and then I saw the arm laying at my
knees and the scream he let out was enough to give anyone
nightmares. He dropped to his knees and that’s when 3 vines decided
to wrap around his neck and yanked him to his feet, than off the
ground. The screaming stopped and his body went still.
“Rose, Rose, ROSE!!!”Ryan was standing in front of me at that
point looking down at me with a stare of regret. “I’m sorry, I didn’t
mean to make you relive 7 years ago I was just wondering if you had
better control yet.” I wasn’t even sure of that yet, I regretted my
powers since that day but I knew how to use them, It’s only when I lost
control that I got scared. “Yeah,yeah I understand them now” I said
with a false smile. Just as a demonstration I pointed to the space that
was classified as a window and willed a violet to grow from the cracks
in the stone. It wasn’t that hard for me to do it, all I had to do was
concentrate. I would give him more of a demonstration if I didn’t have
to go meet with mother soon. “Thanks for coming and stopping by but I
really must go before mother gets angry.” “Whatever her highness
wishes” he said with a smirk and a bow and even I couldn’t stop myself
from laughing. “Get out you idiot” I managed between giggles. He
walked out the door a second later leaving me with the sound of the
wind blowing through the forest in the distance.
I grabbed the first thing from my dresser which just so happened
to be a green dress with rose designs and a top that was frilly where the
fabric met the dress itself. I put my red hair up in a tight bun and made
my way out the door, not caring if I had heels on or not. I roamed this
hallway so much as a child I could practically name everything that I
passed without even looking out it. “Painting to the right, West wing to
the left” At that point I was just trying to pass the boredom. A couple
more paces to the left and I was standing in front of the grand dining
hall which some would die for just to be in its presence. I pushed the
huge double doors aside just in time to see my mother sitting down.
‘Interesting, she’s never late’ I thought to myself. “Rose, nice of you to
decide to join me. The room itself was nothing special, it was huge yes
with a glass chandelier at every third seat of the huge gold rimmed
dinning table but when you see it everyday of your life it becomes old
news. “Yes, sorry mother, it won’t happen again.” This woman sitting
no less than 60 feet from me was enough to scare even me. She had a
lot more control over her abilities than I did and all I can say is that
forest that surrounds our castle got there overnight. “I know you’ve
gotten my request to meet me in the dining pavilion, yet you took your
time. Very interesting, maybe it was that peasant boy you keep talking
to.” I was frozen stiff at that point, my mother got up to reveal her
outfit. Simple in its own serene grace, a white dress with flowers and
vines embraided in the fabric that somehow didn’t die. Her high cheek
bones and blue eyes were a deadly beauty to it, like a Venus fly trap.
What caught my attention most though was the whip at her side. It
wasn’t made of leather, but It looked like it hurt much worse. It was a
thick vine covered in thorns from top to bottom and the handle was
made of grass weaved together and I knew that weapon would be
powerless in anyone else’s hand but her own. “Let me give you a lesson
on what these rats are to us.” With that she clapped her hands and
immediately a girl in a tattered black gown was running through the
doors with tea in her hands. She seemed not to be aware of what was
about to happen to her but I knew all too well. “Tea girl, go stand in the
center of the room please.” A look of confusion passed over her face
but she did as she was told and all my mouth wanted to scream at her
was to run. My mother took the whip from where it had been at her
side and just held it there. She flicked her wrist and the vines from the
top of the dining hall grew until they were surrounding the girl and then
they went stiff and it took me a minute to realize that she had just
made a cage around her. “OK MOTHER I GET YOUR POINT!!” I was not
trying to watch some innocent person die by her hands. “I don’t think
you do get my point.” Her other hand lashed out with deadly accuracy
as the whip slipped through the open space in the cage and ripped the
skin away from a patch around her ankle. She stood there, the amount
of hurt and shock apparent on her face. Tears coming out of her eyes
but not screaming. She knew all to well that you do not say a thing until
you are addressed, or that would lead to more punishment. Another
flick of my mother’s wrist was all the more I could take. I felt a tugging
sensation in my stomach as the whip in her hands went slack just as it
was about to wrap around the girls neck. I willed the vines around the
slave to rise and as soon as they did she ran to the door. “MOTHER
WHAT WAS THAT!!!” I was genuinely infuriated with her. “Just proving
a point” was all she said before she walked towards the door herself.
“BUT YOU DIDN’T NEED TO MAME A GIRL!” She was not getting away
from me that easily. “Oh please Rose, WE ARE ROYALS. WE DON’T
ASSOCIATE WITH THEIR KIND!” The disgust in her voice made me sick
and all I was wondering was how did things escalate so quickly. She
caught that she wasn’t being very royal by yelling so she quickly gained
her composure and starting walking back to the door. “Tomorrow is
your birthday and the royals from the other kingdoms will be joining us,
look decent. You must impress them with your powers in order for
them to see that you are an honorable heir. Do not disappoint me or
there will be consequences.” Was she trying to scare me? “Oh please, I
know you’d never do something like that to me.” That was the truth,
she wouldn’t lay a hand on me at the risk of how I could ruin her life
just as easily as she could ruin mine. “I never did say the punishment
would be towards you, did I?” Just like that she left the pavilion, blood
still on the floor from where the girl had stood and ran, but the
realization of what she had planned made me wish it was me who was
in that death trap instead of the person who I knew that woman would
put in there.
I followed the blood trail that the girl had left until I found her
outside, working in the garden with a limp like a wounded animal. Her
black hair was plastered to her head from the scorching sunlight
overhead and I immediately felt bad. “Um, are you ok?”
“Oh Ms. Serenhar-“She said with a flinch. “Rose, call me Rose, id rather
not be associated with my mother at this point in time. I’m sorry about
what she did to you and I really do wish that I could help more of you
when it comes to this whole ‘royals are top priority’ nonsense but I’m
powerless in this situation.” I pointed to a spot in the dirt and just as I
willed it, a single leaf to sprouted from the ground. I was getting good
at that. I kneeled over in the dirt from where I was sitting in front of her
and I plucked it from the earth with ease. “Eat this and you should be
good by tomorrow.” I saw the suspicion on her face and I wasn’t even
able to feel offended by it. I was Briar Serenharts daughter, why would
she believe me. “Look you don’t have to but I would highly advise it
before you get an infection, please at least trust me on this. Then I
won’t bother you anymore.” I got up from my position in the dirt, my
green dress now brown in the spot where I crouched. I put the leaf
down on her lap and just as I was turning to walk away from her, I felt a
tightening grip on my stomach. The girl who I’d helped was hugging me
from behind, her crying muffled in my dress and all I could think of was
how long had it been since someone had been nice to these kids. How
had it felt when they’d been ripped from their mothers crying arms just
so they could have the privilege of serving ‘royasl’ “Anytime tea gir-,
Ashley”
“My name is tea girl, mam.” “No, you have a name now and don’t
forget, I’m Rose. “ I walked away and I could hear her mumbling her
name to herself which filled me with a silent happiness. Out of utmost
curiosity I looked up at the castle to where my mother’s chambers were
constructed, following the cracks in the side sprouting some kind of
plant that snaked up to the room and I could see her staring at me, a
blank stare of full on amusement was all she allowed me to see before
she closed the curtains. “Whatever woman.”
“ROSE WAIT UP” was all I heard from a males voice and I knew only one
person would call me that even when I allowed it around the building.
“Ryan, what are you doing here?” I thought he had laundry duty today.
“Uhhh long story, but I saw what you did in the garden for her. You
know your mother won’t be happy about that.” “Your point?” I
honestly didn’t care what she wanted at this point in time. “Oh I almost
forgot, you have the rest of the day off. My order, we are gonna go out
to the village, explore around. Just like how we used to do.” I don’t
know whether it was the heat or if I was blushing but my face had gone
red just from that gleaming smile he threw my way. “If it gets me out of
this place than gladly.”

Chapter 2: Wilting flower


Since Ryan was no longer on laundry duty I decided to just change
my cloths altogether. This time I threw on something that was decent.
It was a blue top that separated at the middle of my stomach and then
a green skirt with rose designs trailing around the bottom. I let my hair
fall out into its natural mess which looked fine to me. The way the
blonder parts at the bottom made it seem like the sun was reflecting. It
snaked its way to my hips than stopped. When I decided I looked good
enough I strode out my door locking it behind me and sneaking out of
the castle to where I saw Ryan waiting for me. “Wow, you look
surprisingly good. “ He said with that smile that could make my face
turn to fire. “Oh shut up boy, you know I always look good.” I said
joking back to him. “Well you wouldn’t be wrong by that.” If it was
possible I’m pretty sure I was blushing even more and I just hoped he
didn’t see me doing it. He looked exactly the same as he had before,
since slaves didn’t get more than 3 outfits in their lives they never had
the opportunity to look nice often but even I could tell that Ryan had
found some kind of river or lake and washed up a bit. The grime and
dirt on his arms, face, and legs were gone entirely. His hair looked clean
and his bangs were in its own little world. “I see someone got clean for
this occasion.” He turned around from me and started walking but was
still talking. “Well naturally, I have to dress to impress. Especially since
you’re around with me.” Well isn’t he nice. We started off at a nice
pace walking through the giant metal gates of the entry castle than
down the road through the forest. I never liked it in this forest, it
reminded me too much of my mother. Quiet, calculating, deadly. Too
much all in the same place. I found myself walking closer to Ryan,
slowly inching my way to the one nice thing in this whole mess of a
place. “Does someone want to be close to their friend?” If only he knew
the half of it. “No dummy, this forest just scares the hell out of me. And
we both know all too well that anything my mother created can’t be
this clean.” I saw the realization on his face just as soon as I saw the
black shadow move at the corner of my eye. I didn’t turn around in fear
that they would see me and know that I knew they were there. All I did
was lean over and whisper into Ryan’s ear. “We’re being followed” I
said in the lowest tone possible. I could feel his muscles tense up in his
arm considering this point we were shoulder to shoulder. “Are you sure
about that?” He had to lean down to say this and it was at that point I
realized was a full head over mine. Of course I was sure, my heart
wouldn’t be pounding and my pulse wouldn’t increase if I wasn’t sure. I
wanted to say it but there wouldn’t be a point in being rude. I had to
stay calm, we we’re in the forest and even if it was my mother’s
creation I still had control here. I was the predator in this situation and
my prey just cornered itself. I saw the shadow again this time behind
the tree to my far right. The light shining through the spots in the holes
in the tree made it difficult for me to see any actual details but I knew
something was there and I knew it was not friendly. An idea popped
into my head but it would involve us being off guard. And the worse
part of that idea was that it was extremely embarrassing. I looked over
to Ryan and told him the plan and he didn’t even mind it. He just let a
little laugh slip through his lips. I started the plan up immediately
before that strange figure had time to strike. I willed for whatever roots
that were under my feet to rise and make a small trail behind me. It
looked like the stones we were walking on was about to pop off the
pavement with the pressure but they stayed in place. I than took Ryan’s
hand and lead him to a small clearing in the side of the woods which I
cleverly created in a matter of seconds. Once there I pressed him
against the nearest tree and just laid on h

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