((Yes to all those who may have realized, this is the same story that is already on here, this is a more edited version. In this story I will change the point of view, I will indicate this change by typing POV and the characters name. BTW the country that my characters live in is called Delerosa, hence my log in name LOL. Any feed back and constructive criticism is very welcome thanks Lady Delerosa))
POV: ROSE
I walked slowly toward Princess Sarah, holding my breath and rehearsing what I would say. I checked my appearance over again, ensuring not a hair was out of place. My long blonde hair was twisted into ringlets piled on top of my head, and my gown was made of shimmering blue silk. Tonight, maybe I wont have such a hard time, I look no different than Princess Sarah does tonight. Well... maybe minus the tiara and all of the many rings on her fingers. My whole body squirmed at the thought of speaking with her. The one person who could make my worst night mare seem sweet and innocent. Hold your breath, count to three...
"Good evening, Princess Sarah" I said, my voice was the polished tone we were taught to use when addressing nobility.
Sarah looked her over "Huh; and you are?" She said looking me over with her ever scrutinizing eye.
"Rose, of Bridge Wick estate " I said, and clenched my jaw trying furiously to ignore the foul looks aimed toward me.
She waved her and in the air, "Oh... but of course, the child born with that hideous! green thing on her hand"
I felt my face fall, ever since I was a child people ridiculed me because of the strange green marking on my hand; it looks like a vine creeping up my hand from the base of my wrist and around my middle finger. I could feel tears stinging the back of my eyes, I will not cry, I told myself. I took in a deep breath,and curtsied.
"Your highness," I said as I turned to leave. Delta stormed toward me, a combination of disgust and fury on her face. I could only guess the horrid things she would be thinking of, what torture devices she could use to muzzle Princess Sarah and the likes of punishment by death. She stood next to me, and glared and Princess Sarah. I could almost feel her green eyes boring into Sarah's head.
"Come on Rose! you don't have to put up with her highness, treating you like that!" Delta protested. Raine appeared at her side, quietly trying to calm Delta back into sense.
"Shes right, let's go" Raine whispered in my ear sympathetically. Delta and Raine linked their arms into mine; Delta glared back at Princess Sarah as Raine ushered us out toward the terrace. I could feel tears starting to slip down my cheeks, I quickly brushed them away hoping that Raine wouldn't see.
"Aw sweetie, don't cry you'll make me start" Raine cooed and swept a stray strand of hair from my face. I looked out toward the dark forest and sighed.
"It's alright Rose don't listen to her highness, she's just a bitter old wench" Delta said and wrapped her arm over my shoulder. I took a deep breath, I shuddered and felt the tears running down my face. No matter how much I hated to cry like this the tears simply wouldn't stop. Stop it Rose! I scolded my self, your acting like a child.
"it's, s-s-so hard" I sniffed, Raine handed me her hankercheif. I smiled weakly at her, "Thanks."
"We know it's hard Rose" Delta said and squeezed my arm.
"I wish she would just! just, I dunno!" I said, and thumped the rail.
"Drop dead?" Delta offered. That did make me smile. The night air was nipping at my skin, making goose bumps appear on my arms. I shivered, but I would definitely not go back inside. I rubbed my arms trying to warm them.
"C'mon let's go to my house" Delta said and walked toward the stairs. We followed her, as always we had nothing better to do. We all wanted to get away from Princess Sarah, and living in Delerosa didn't give us much option. Especially if your a noble, and expected to attend balls, dinners, and meetings.
"Oh damn, we don't have a lantern" Delta said. A wry smile came onto her face. I knew exactly what she was thinking, Being friends with Delta means you get to know her 'faces'.
"I'm sure her highness, won't mind if we 'borrow' one of her lanterns" I said cheekily, and grinned at Delta.
"You read my mind" Delta said and poked her tongue at me.
"No Delta, I read your face" I said, Raine was grinning wildly at us.
"I like the way you two think!"Raine said in mock astonishment
"Let's call it, sweet revenge on the old prune!" Delta laughed mischievously. We slunk around the corner and checked for guards. We couldn't see anything, The lazy guards had probably snuck off to the kitchen to flirt with the serving girls for some extra food.
"All clear" I said playfully, We ran across the lawn, snatched a lantern from it's stand and disappeared into the back path that led to Delta's home. The leaves crunched under our feet and the trees swayed in the gentle breeze. I could smell the earthy scents coming from the woods all around me. We walked in silence, which is good because I need a little time to think. What is Princess Sarah's problem! I NEVER did anything to her. The second we meet I swear she just decided to hold some kind over vendetta against me. It's not my fault I was born with a weird marking, which I have discovered doesn't come off no matter how much I scrub. I scowled at myself.
"I can't wait until we leave this town " I muttered
"Yeah, then we can get away from little miss, I'm better than the rest of the world" Raine said making a bad imitation of Princess Sarah.
"I'd like to see her, do a good hard days work!'' Delta said smugly.
"That's for sure!" Raine agreed nodding her head. We walked in silence again, engrossed in our own thoughts. Delta looked up and stopped dead in her tracks.
"What are you doing Delta?" I said while trying to pull her forward, but she wouldn't budge. Raine followed her fixed stare and quickly realized why she was refusing to move. She turned me to the direction that they were both looking. My eyes widened and I froze like my friends.
"Don't move" Delta whispered
"Wasn't planning on it" I replied shakily.
Down the narrow path, was a misty black horse, on it's back was a hooded dark figure. It turned it's head and looked directly at us, under the hood were glowing amber eyes that illuminated it's sturdy frame. It seemed like an age before the creature broke the stare and turned away.
"It looks almost ghostly" I whispered into then dimly lit pathway.
"Shh" Reine instructed. A gust of wind tore past us, In an instance the figure disappeared leaving us in a trance. We scanned the path but it was nowhere to be seen, all that was left was us and the sound of our heavy breathing.
"What in the world was that?" Raine whispered, a shudder traveled down her spine
"I-I-I; I don't know" Delta stuttered. It was a rare occasion that Delta was ever left lost for words, and often I didn't do much good.
Raine wrinkled her delicate forehead "Neither do I" there was an long silence. "Well maybe we were hallucinating." Delta gave her the look to say what have you been drinking?
"No! Don't you give me that look! it's possible you know! We've been walking for ages!" She protested.
Delta and I looked at each other and burst out laughing;
"You two, stop it right now!" she demanded "What so funny! hmm?"
We stifled our laughter, trying to conduct ourselves. Raine scowled at us and tapped her foot impatiently.
"Raine we wouldn't all hallucinate the exact same thing; it's not possible" I said trying my best to persuade her.
"She's right Raine it's not possible" Delta said.
"I suppose you right, I'd just like to know what that was" she said and frowned.
The narrow path finally came to an end revealing the old castle which was Delta's home. Suddenly they heard the sound of hooves beating on the ground, we spun around wide eyed and fearful. I could feel my heart racing, the adrenaline began to rush through my body. Padon rode in on his mount, and waved out to us. He halted his horse and sighed.
"There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Padon said as he slid down from his mount.
"Well congratulations you found us" Delta declared, she let out a silent sigh of relief
"Your Da heard about you giving Princess Sarah the look" He said and smirked.
"Hm how long will it have to take etiquette lessons this time" Delta said rolling her eyes.
POV: RAINE
Padon shook his shaggy Brown hair and for a split second his dreamy hazel eyes met mine, My heart melted as vibes went shooting from one another. I gazed dreamily at his defined face as if trying to memorize every detail, completely unaware of the conversation surrounding me.
"Raine" Padon said waving his hand in front of her face "Wakie Wakie Raine" He said and chuckled
"Hm, ah; what?" I said in confusion, and pinched myself for letting my dreaming make me seem like an idiot, yet again.
"Are you up for it?" He asked
"Up for what?" I said, even more confused than before.
"The picnic, Tomorrow; were you even listening?" He said raising his eyebrows incredulously.
"Um; No I was day dreaming; Ah... well night dreaming I guess; well any way yeah a picnic sounds great". I clenched my jaw before anymore meaningless babble fell from my mouth.
Delta leaned toward Rose and whispered in her ear, they giggled. I could imagine what they were saying but I'd rather just ignore them.
"Well I'll see you tomorrow then" Padon said still looking at me. I smiled at him trying furiously not to blush.
"Yeah tomorrow; Goodbye Padon" I said and waved.
Padon mounted his horse and looked back at me smiling
"Goodbye Raine" he said smoothly "Bye girls". He smiled charmingly and rode of into the darkness, I kept my eyes fixed on him as he disappeared.
"Earth to Raine" Delta said waving her hands in front of my face.
"Wow I could feel the chemistry bouncing off you two" Rose declared with a grin. I looked at the ground hoping,no... praying they couldn't see how embarrassed I was.
"Someones in L-o-o-ve" Delta teased, and looked at me through a heart made with her hands.
"I am not!" I said stubbornly and crossed my arms across my chest
"I, think you are!" Delta said smugly.
"I am not in love with Padon!" I scowled at her giving her the icy glare that always makes people look away. She was wise and kept her eyes away from mine while she continued to taunt me.
"Yes , yes you are" Delta argued
"C'mon Raine I haven't seen you this head over heels for a anyone since Johnathan, and he stopped liking you after Delta pushed him off the stage at the Far welling of the Knights" Rose looked at Delta meaningfully.
"Hey I saw him wink at another girl! I had a reason! I was protecting you!" She protested and stamped her foot.
"It was his sister!" I wailed.
"Well how was i supposed to know!" Delta said and glared back at us.
"Hm.. well, i dunno, maybe because, THEY'RE IDENTICAL TWINS!" I screamed. Hurling every bit of rage I could muster up at her.
"Technically they're not identical twins.." she began and I cut her off.
"Just drop it OK! Don't ruin this for me!" I wailed and stormed away from them.
"Raine!" Rose said in shock.
"What!" I hurled back at her.
"That was really mean!"
"So" I said stubbornly, and crossed my arms. My whole body was tight with agitation.
"So apologize right now!" She said sternly
"Don't make her" Delta said coldly and stormed off toward the house. She lifted up a small cobble stone off the path to reveal a key, she snatched it up and put the stone back into place. She fumbled around at the door stabbing viciously trying to find the key hole.
"Some light over here would help!" Delta snapped. Rose stood next to her and held up the lantern so she could see. The lock groaned and grumbled as she turned the key.
"Come on it's cold out here"Rose said pulling me into the house.
"Del I'm really sorry" I began, but Delta cut me off.
"Forget about it, come on follow me or you'll get lost" Delta said looking Rose and I. I sighed and followed her, I defiantly did not want to get lost in here. It's an old castle, and is not one of the most inviting places. Especially alone in the dark. Our heels clicked on the hard marble floor, as we made our way to a tall winding stair well. The door creaked loudly as Delta swung it open, the stairwell was lit dimly by the pale moonlight, shinning through the window high above us. Delta lit the small candelabras as she made her way up the stairs. By the time we reached the top the whole stairwell was illuminated by the flickering amber glow of the candles. The door to her bedchamber creaked as she pushed it open on its old un-oiled hinges. Delta plunged onto her bed.
I stood infront of the mirror and looked at my reflection. My dark brown hair, fell across my shoulders in thick waves. My chocolate brown eyes looked a little tired. I took a clean face cloth from the drawer and wiped the make up off my face that would come off. I sighed at my reflection, as always seeing all the flaws no one else does. Finally I gave up on removing the rest of the lash darkener and went to sleep.