The Rose
It was a gloomy day and the date was July 27th 1650. There was a young girl who lived in the castle of Anthurburg. This young girl went by the name of Alexis, her father was King Jerald. Her mother deceased but went by the name of Queen Annabelle. Alexis was only at the age of 17 years, and was expected to be queen by her 20th year of life.
Alexis was just like her mother in many ways, she had the thick brown hair that was tied into a strong thick bun on the top of her head so that her veil could hang low to the ground behind her. She had blue eyes, blue as the sky in the small kingdom of Anthurburg. Anthurburg was the old medieval town that everyone imagines, there was a huge castle upon a hill and it had a spiral road leading down to where the market was and then there was a square where the king's law reader would well read the laws. Alexis hardly left the castle unless she had to go to a state dinner or to go prancing around to talk to the regulars.
King Jerald was a very strict father towards Alexis, he didn't want anything to happen to her, but as a king he was cruel. So of course he had a huge army he was planning something big for his last several years as king but no one knew what, not even his brother who was still a prince, but not the prince of his brothers empire. That was Alexis's job. Any way, it was Wednesday and Alexis had permission from her father to go to the market as long as she had her two imperil guards protecting her. Alexis hated having guards but the two guards have known her since birth so of course they were her friends, so they sometimes let her "bend" the rules like talk to a boy or leave their sight for a small amount of time with a young fellow to talk for a while.
Alexis loved being a princess but hated having to spend time with the princes because she thought they were all so self absorbed except for one whose name was prince Elksir, he was a very nice man but way to old for Alexis. Alexis was down at the market and was looking through the breads. Alexis loved bread; she loved the color, the scent, and the flavor. Sometimes the bread maker's wife let her take a loaf home to the king, but Anna always ate the whole loaf on her way back to the castle, but with the guards help of course.
Right before Alexis entered the gate of the castles spiraling road up the hill she would make the coach driver stop and let her buy a rose from the young rose maiden. They were one copper coin, but Alexis always gave her two silver pieces. This would be enough for a nice meal for a family of three if you just used bread meat and wine. Alexis hated going up the spiral road because it was so bumpy and narrow she especially hated going up it at night when the torches where lit and the archers were on their little elevated stages made of wood on the wall of the hill. The fire and arrows made her nervous. Of course during the day it was very narrow because the guards on horses rode up and down and would bow when Alexis passed and the coach would go over very far to the edge to avoid hitting them. Once they would reach the top Alexis's maids were waiting for her and they took her into her changing room to get her into her ball gown, tonight was the Kings prince and knights ball, the kings brought their queens, the princes their future brides and the knights well they didn't even stay in the same room, they were in another room with well what ever girl they picked up on the street. Alexis hated this because what ever prince didn't have a date was well hers.
The ball always started at dusk and Alexis never entered until 2 hours after it started Alexis liked a grand entrance. Alexis walked to the big doors and her name was called by the announcer. The doors opened and the sound of music filled the air and the smell of chicken and wine tingled her taste buds. Alexis looked down the stairs to see who was her date, when she looked down the stairs she was very surprised as to who she saw.