C5 Blood on the petals

Rosaline was looking at the view from the balcony. The wind felt cold to her cheeks. For once she wished she was inside the room, but her legs felt sore. She is eagerly waiting for her brother. The little princess pouted her face and stood close to the railings. ‘Will he be really late?’ She thought of Rafael her brothers knight. ‘Soon it will be my turn to choose a knight who should I choose?’ A foot step bought her back from her thoughts. It was a little boy with dark brown hair. He still has his childish features in him with those chubby cheeks and the twinkle in his purple eyes, the boy looked close to her age. He was wearing a light blue colored suit behind him was his knight. Rosaline looked at the insignia on the knight’s sword beside him. ‘Burassca house she thought.’ It was part of her studies to learn about the different houses present in the state. The little boy smiled and bowed to her, ‘Oh my so cute’ she thought and gave a small head nod in greeting. She felt out of place so she waited for a bit and thought of going back to the room. ‘Maria must be looking for me.’ The young master of burassca spoke first, “Your highness I am sorry to intrude without permission. I did not know you were here.” He looked really shy in uttering those words. Rosaline put a hand on her mouth “It is alright I was just leaving.” She slowly walked close to the entrance but looked back he looked like he wanted to say something. “What is your name?” He looked surprised at her words, “Sloan Burassca.” He said he looked shy to utter anything else. She slowly walked close to him held out her hand. “Want to get some cake?” Sloan smiled and nodded accepting her offer.

Rosaline lead Sloan to the rose garden with his knight close beside him. Some of the guests of the party were visiting the garden. It was open for all during the banquets. She did not go towards the middle of the garden where the red rose beds are instead she took him to the white rose beds it had a beautiful fountain close to it. She thought he might like it here. A few of the guests greeted her when she walked by. “I like white roses.” Sloan took one of the rose from the bush. He ignored the warning from his knight about thorns. “Young master please allow me.” He gave it to Rosaline with a smile. She took it with a smile. “Thank you I will get you more white roses.” She looked around for the largest one in the area. She gave the flower back to him. “Hold this for me.” She ran close to the bush which almost hid her beside the statue of the fairy pouring water. She bent down and carefully picked out two roses when she went for the third one the light wind stopped blowing. Something felt wrong. A scream came from somewhere followed by more screams around her. There were roars and screams mixed in the sound. Rosaline stood up in fear, her body shook in the tremble. The screams were horrible. It was a mixture of fear and anger. “Young master get behind me.” Rosaline turned around to move but her feet were stuck in the spot.

She somehow dragged her feet to peak from the top. She wished she did not see it. A group of armored men came and ganged up on Sloan’s knight. He tried his best to hold them back but was cut down with three swords piercing him. They killed anyone they can find. The princess felt her legs give away she sat down and crawled slowly back in the bush putting hands in her mouth. There were still cries heard. Men, Women and worse there were screams of little children. After a while the screams ended. The clinks of the swords stopped for a while. “All done here” a harsh voice spoke out. “All done captain nothing left around here.” Slowly the footsteps faded in the far distance. Rosaline sat in her hidden place for a while. Her small hands covering her mouth, the two white roses are still in her hand. She did not move until her body stopped shaking. She slowly stood up and looked around. A pungent stench filled the air. Her hair had a few small leaves stuck. She slowly walked out a pool of blood made pools in the ground. The grass had a few green color mostly went brown. She did not brush off the thorns or small leaves that stuck to her dress. A tiny piece of the dress was torn and stuck in the plant. Her feet took her to the place she was last standing in front of Sloan. The boy had his neck half cut with a face of shock on him. Close to him lay his knight the sword on his body is missing. His eyes closed, lying on a pool of his blood. She looked at the small body of Sloan her hands shook the two rose fell down from her hand. It got stenches with the other white rose close to his body. The blood did not make it pink rather it was making the rose dark red. Rosaline could not stop herself tears fell down from her face. She put her hand on her mouth again in fear of her sound being heard around. She did not know what should be done. She kept crying looking at the dead body. Her feet got rooted again on the spot and her body shook in tremors.

“Your Highness.” She looked up and saw Maria running towards her. Her shoes have blood spots. She quickly came close to the princess and kneeled down to hug her breathing a sigh of relief. Rosaline cried really hard her screams muffled in Marias arms. Maria looked around for a while. The sound of sword clash and footsteps came again. “We have to get you somewhere safe.” She looked at the dead body of the child the princess was standing next to. Something came to her mind. She quickly released the princess and dried of her tears. “We need to change your outfit.” She struggled to move fast and exchanged the princess dress with fallen young master. She discarded the jewels except for the silver one. The princess hair looked a mess she smiled in pity if only she had a comb to fix it. Maria stood up to look for anything she can find she took the knights cape and kneeled down in front of Sloan mutter an apology. “Please forgive me young master.” She raised her hand and closed his eyes brushing the hair fallen on his forehead. ‘Poor child, he was too young.’ She thought biting her lips. She looked at the princess again covering the body with the cape and picking him up in her lap with one hand and held out her other hand to Rosaline. “Your Highness, You must follow whatever I say without a question.” Rosaline still confused and shaken in fear just nodded her head. Maria looked at the child’s face which gave a pain in her heart. The beautiful smiling face now has tear streaks marks and those eyes looks shaken with fear.

Maria walked quickly and as hidden as she can. Her blouse was staining with the blood from the body she is clutching close to her, her other hand held on to the princess hand tight. She quickly made her way out of the castle door. They meet with pool of blood and dead bodies after every few feet. The bodies were some of guest the others of staffs and some of them guards of the castle. She pulled the princess hand when she felt the princess getting slow. “We must hurry princess.” She led her through the servant pass to the back door in through the kitchen. She was praying not to find any of the enemy soldiers on the way. She quickly walked to the back door and found the stable boy cowering and hiding behind the cart. “Tom, help me here.” She screamed to the boy. “Sister Maria we should get out of here.” He quickly ran to her.

Tom found a small girl behind Maria she looked at him with fear. Maria quickly settled Rosaline on the cart. “Your highness no matter what happens, remember never to reveal you identity.” She looked at Tom nodding him to get up to the small hay cart ride to the east border village. Do not stop. Hide her.” The boy looked at Maria with pity but nodded in agreement. Rosaline looked around she reached out to pull on the sleeves of Maria. She could not utter any words just pulling on the sleeve. Maria felt tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. She slowly pulled away from her grip and hugged the princess with one hand. “Your highness, remember my words you must survive no matter what. I will find you soon.” She quickly let go pushing her in the hay stack to hide. “Do not come out until it is safe.” She looked up and nodded for Tom to leave quickly. He pulled the reign of the horse to move it quickly made its way to the road and quickly disappeared from sight. Maria let her tears fall. She could sound of footsteps and roars from a distance behind her it was getting louder quickly, she clutched the young child’s body close to her body and walked towards the kitchen door. She opened the door and closed the behind her bolting it with the door and a dead body lying on the floor. She let some tears fall when she saw the face and closed her eyes for a moment. This maid was kind enough to share a piece of the pie with her. “I am sorry she muttered dragging her body close to the back door to make it seem like the door was not open at all. Footsteps came closer and entered the room as soon as she let go of the maid’s hand. One of the armored men unsheathes his sword and slowly walked towards her. She clutched the body close to her muttering in a repeat in her mind. “Forgive me your highness for lying to you.”

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The sky feels dark and gloomy the wind became heavy with a damp smell. The people are afraid to come out of their home. They quickly bolted their houses with locks and knights put out their swords feeling restless. In the street a lot of the horses with soldiers riding as fast as they could to the castle. The streets were made empty for the horses to pass quickly. Nicholas rode faster then everyone in the front of the group. The gate of the castle was half open with some of the soldiers in the ground fighting each other. The royal soldiers were almost over powered. Nicholas roared, “Get ready to attack.” They unsheathe their sword and roared in reply. The swords clashed with each other. The opponent soldiers fell quickly under the lead and the group force of the Prince’s cavalry. Nicholas slashed and moved forward as fast as he could he ran and forced his way into the group. He moved and ran faster towards the throne room. The enemy soldiers fell quickly. Nicholas prayed he is not late to save his family. He ran over as fast as he could and went through cutting down the armored enemy soldiers in front of the entrance hall. Upon entering the throne room he got angrier and charged on the remaining soldiers. A sign of relief came over the kings eyes when he saw his son in front of his eyes. His uniform blood spattered his sword dripping the liquid blood only from the handle and the tip of it. When he releases it for a second from the body he cuts off. Louis knees gave away he almost fell but Regina was holding him along with his knight on the other hand. “Your Majesty please we must leave this place and tend to your wounds.”

Around an hour later

One by one the castle was cleared of the invaders. Sir Svero managed to return a few moments after Nicholas with his group and joined the battle. The revolt was quickly suppressed. All the enemy soldiers’ bodies lay on the ground. None was spared in the battle. Nicholas shook his sword and put his sword away. He looked terribly stressed at the remaining bodies. A lot of the guests fell in the revolt. He fisted his hand shaking in anger. He saw his father almost fainting in pain with the stab in his ribs. His mother was looking worried and franticly begged him by clutching his hand, “Please find Rosaline she is missing for so long. We cannot find her at all.” The princess is missing her maids were found dead on the throne room but Maria is still missing. He is hoping they are found safe and sound. The remaining staffs were running around helping the wounded. The soldiers helped to take care of the bodies fallen on the ground.

Rafael ran towards the prince standing in the main hall looking at the soldiers, he wanted to leave by himself to find his sister. “Your highness, the king is looking for you please come quickly.” Nicholas ran to the main room quickly. The medics ran from the inside the room with cloths stained in red and bowl of water. The door opened to a smell of medicine. In the large bed Louis laid down on the large bed. He had a large bandage on his stomach. He looked pale and was struggling to get up from the bed. The prince took hold of the physician who was talking out of the room to bring in more medicines. “How serious is it?” The lead medic shook in fear at the sight of the Prince he saw anger blaze in his eyes, “Your Highness I am sorry the king’s condition is severe. The wound is really deep and we fear his majesty might develop an infection which might prove fatal.” Nicholas looked down anger just kept building up in his thoughts. “Do everything in you can to save him.” The lead medic quickly bowed and left to treat the king. Nicholas slowly went close to his father’s bed side. He felt embarrassed to stand in inappropriate attire which was a mess. Regina was not in the bed chambers ‘she must have been removed since the treatment is going on.’ He thought. The feeling of being helpless is the last thing he wished to feel right now. The king’s face made him worry more he wanted to get up and talk about something. But he was looking very weak and pale. Nicholas did not know what he should do at this stage. Louis took a deep breath and forced himself to sit up. He was pushed back by his medics. “Your Majesty, please stay still. You will open up your wounds.” He ignored the medics and pulled to extend his hand to grab onto Nicholas. The prince quickly went forward to hold his hand. He wanted to help out but instead he gritted his teeth. ‘How could this happen?’ he thought not knowing what to feel anger or sadness. Louis took deep breath and looked at his eyes, “Nicholas you need to act fast. They will reach the empire soon and come back with the statement. Take the office command it. You cannot let Rante fall in his hand.” The prince understood the urgency of the situation but he could not understand who he was warning about? “Father who is it? Who is going to come back? Who did all this?” The king could not reply to his answers he collapsed under the pain. Nicholas gently put his hand down beside him. “Take care of the King please.” He stood a little back from the bed. Aldrich knocked on the main door slowly. He motioned Nicholas to come closer when their eyes met. Nicholas took a last look on his father’s face and slowly walked towards the door. “What is it?” His friend shook his head and leads him, “I think you should brace yourself for what you are going to see.” He followed with stress building up. “What is this all about?” He was feeling a dreaded feeling in his heart. Aldrich looked back a bit. “We think we found the princess.” “Really where?” the prince could not stop to listen to the whole thing. He just ran past his friend to the place. He panted while running towards the underground kitchen cellar. He pushed through the soldiers and a few of the medics on the doorway. He heard a fearful scream which made him stop on his tracks, “Noo……………… Your highness, please wake up.” His chest felt a sharp pain, the beats felt empty and silent. ‘The Queen must be in there, why is she down here?’ He started feeling nervous in fear what he is about to see. The room was with three medics and some soldiers. Two of the maid was holding on Queen she looked like she fainted.

Nicholas wanted to move in and help her but his feet felt stuck to the ground. They quickly moved her away. His eyes moved slowly to the scene he saw in front of him. The floor had some bodies covered with clothes others being slowly looked at by the medics. They try to recognize some of the bodies and some. He walked closer into the room. The smell of blood hit him, he could blood pooled underneath some bodies in the room. He saw what he feared. Maria eyes closed lying on her side; she was pierced in multiple places her white apron is crimson in color. A medic closed her eyes. ‘To think this lady stayed with the Queen must have been a shock for her.’ He thought while looking around the room silently praying there was no small body. His selfish mind was hoping to not see any small body except the ones in the room even though he could recognize almost all of them.

He looked at the middle of the room hidden under the purple blanket. A little bit of the red dress came out a small hand was shown out of the blanket. Nicholas felt like his breath left his body he staggered back. Aldrich quickly held on him to stop him from falling. He wanted to ask if Nicholas is alright but stopped in the midway. The prince’s body shook he slowly got steady and was slowly went forward to look under the cape. Aldrich quickly held his hand stopping him from moving further. “Don’t look it will not be pleasant.” Nicholas felt a tremor. “What do you……” he could not finish the sentence. “The body is badly damaged we could only recognize her with the dress.” He wanted to explain more but held his tongue. ‘Nicholas is not in the right state of mind to know more.’ He grabbed his arm steadying him. He announced to the people in the room. “Take care of things here.” He was worried about the situation of his friend. Nicholas stopped him and stood straight. “I am fine.” He walked away a few feet later when no one was around he covered his eyes with his right hand with a single tear falling from his eyes.