"Rose!" Dart shouted, jumping to shield her form the land sliding rocks. Lost for words, Rose did not utter a thing, but to Dart, her stares were already enough to tell him what she felt.
"Are you alright?" he examined her. She nodded.
"It's just a sprain from the fall," realizing their fixed gazes, Rose rapidly sifted her eyes to the ground. "Nothing serious," she added, trying to stand up. But her legs failed her, so she stumbled to the ground. Standing was now a very hard task.
"Let me help you," Dart reached for Rose's arms to assist her, but she resisted.
"Don't touch me! I can walk on my own," she impatiently answered. Rose used her rapier to support her as she stood up.
"How arrogant can she get?" Haschel commented. Upon hearing his remark, she glared at him, still trying to walk. Each step was like swords stabbing her legs.
Dart watched her, squirming with every step. He noted himself not to say another word. After months of knowing her, Rose was still a mystery.
"Come on Dart," Shana said, holding his hand and breaking his reverie.
"We're here at Serdio, the ship's about to dock," the conductor rang his bell to alert everyone.
'Another day…' Rose thought.
After reaching the royal castle, Rose dozed off. Anger and temper must have made her so weary. "Look..." Albert said pointing at her sleeping form.
"Kongol thinks Rose angelic…" Kongol handed her body over to an attendant in the castle.
"Gosh! I can't wait to tour the castle!" Meru jumped up and down, running insanely from one place to another.
"Shh..." Haschel and Albert echoed.
"Oopsie, how cute! She's asleep…" Meru wondered at the beauty Rose possessed. She never saw her looking frail, for she never retreated a fight. But this sight of her changed it all. In her mind she mused that probably, 'She wasn't perfect after all.'
"Ladies, you will stay in this room," Albert, now in majestic air, gave orders to the maidens to nurse his guests. He snapped his fingers as an attendant carrying Rose's body immediately appeared, carefully laying her down on the bed. Albert summoned one of the maidens to change Rose's clothes, then he went out and closed the door.
"Uh…excuse me Madame, but where is Madame Rose's clothing?" one of the maidens approached Meru. Playful as she is, she formulated a prank on Rose.
'This wouldn't hurt her anyway…' She giggled to herself.
Instead of giving the maiden Rose's normal armor and shield fashion, Meru handed her one of her own clothing. "Tee-hee. Here change her clothes." She couldn't help but snigger as Shana watched her with annoyance.
"What's wrong with you? You're going to wake Rose," Shana remembered how cranky Rose gets when she is disturbed.
"Oh, nothing… you'd see," Meru winked mischievously, grabbing her hand as they went out to tour the palace.
Chattering at the corridor, they did not notice Albert approaching. Their laughter sounded in the hallway as Meru imitated Rose. "You two seem so restless today, what's the matter?" Albert looked quizzically at Shana then at Meru.
"Nothing, nothing, not a thing, your majesty," Meru dramatically bowed in front of him. Albert looked at her queerly, deciphering the peculiar smile she wore on her face.
"Ok… If you say so." Finally giving up the thought, starting to go his way. "But I am pretty sure you did something." He looked back at them smirking.
"You two should go ahead to the ballroom. Dinner's about to start," continuing his steps.
"Hey Darty!" Meru ran towards Dart, hugging and jumping onto him.
"Whoa! You're getting heavier!" Meru placed up a brow, and pinched Dart's face. It was so painful that he loosened his grip on her.
"That hurts…" Dart stroke the reddish part of his face.
"Oh, let me see…" Shana held his face, and massaged it tenderly. Dart blushed.
"Th-thanks!" He nervously said, looking around. " Where's Rose?"
"Oh no! We forgot to wake her up!" Shana said looking troubled at Meru, who just slyly grinned.
"Why don't you fetch her in our room Dart?" She added.
"Ok…" He went his way to the quiet corridors of the castle. Realizing that he did not know where their room was, and seeing that there were like thousands of rooms in the hall. Dart checked the first few rooms to search for Rose. "Phew… This is quite hopeless. I can't check every room here…" He sat down near a post to retire a bit, when giggles from the end of the room caught his attention. It seemed to be from a room at the end of the Hall.
"I remembered that…" The girl murmured, chuckling softly.
"Who could this girl be?" Dart stared at the girl, she looked familiar to him. "She must be a priestess here…" He satisfied himself with the stares he gave the beautiful girl.
The surreal moment suddenly disappeared when suddenly he found himself being gripped by this angelic looking woman. "Please… I'm sorry… I didn't mean any harm…" Dart froze at the girl's sudden attack. "I was looking for a friend…." He tried to explain. The girl's face gradually softened. "Dart… I thought you were an attacker…"
"Rose?" He jumped from shock. His gaze was now fixed at Rose's eyes than before; for it occurred to him just now that she resembled her.
"I'm sorry… I choked you," for a moment her expression appeared to be so worried of Dart ,but it changed rapidly. "Why were you so close to me like that? It never occurred to me that you're a maniac!' She said furiously.
"I-I thought you were a priestess here…" He said scratching his head.
"What!" She looked at him a bit puzzled by what he said, then realized that she was wearing something different. Searching down the bed, she couldn't find her rapier.
"Where are my things!" Her temper rose.
"It's safely kept, our weapons might scare the people." Dart tried to explain. Rose now standing up, revealed the elegant dress which revealed her firm abdomen, and the curves of her body, usually covered by her thick armor. The eyes which were usually dark and empty, shined with the silver tiara resting on her head. "Wow…." Was all Dart was able to utter upon fixing his eyes on her.
"What are you looking at?" She asked impatiently, brows now close to each other.
"Nothing… Let's go to dinner…" He led her the way to the ballroom, unable to take his eyes off her.
Dart was silent the whole time, he couldn't even look at Rose, who was walking behind him. Thoughts of her face filled his mind. "So beautiful…" he thought aloud, forgetting that Rose was just inches away from him. She stared at him for a moment, and then continued. "This way," he led her to a door glittering in gold. Dart proceeded to the door, opening it for her. Upon the unbolting the lock, they were able to here the noisy chattering of their companions.
"Finally you guys are here! I'm so famished…" Meru complained upon hearing the click of the door's lock. Rose first appeared before them. The splendid array of lights emphasized her flawless skin; she appeared like an enchanted creature to them.
"Excuse me Madame, may we help you?" Albert hurriedly approached her. The sight of Dart turning up beside her puzzled him that he just stared at both of them for a long time, long enough for Meru to recognize the attire the girl had on. "I told you to get Rose, and not some pretty castle priestess," Albert added patting Dart teasingly. Rose stared sharply at Albert.
"Rose?" Meru faltered, looking at her intently.
"What are you people's problem?" She irritably dragged herself to the nearest chair found directly in front of the door, and quietly sat on it. Dart and the others couldn't help but stare at her, this added to her annoyance.
Watching her intently made them notice Rose's poised movements: her graceful movements as her hand embrace the goblet, and the refined manner she lifts her spoon and fork. Albert overlooked what he was about to take in, as a result the pieces of meat fell on his corduroy. He jerked backwards upon feeling the moist from the sauce of the meat touch his skin. Noticing his stirred movements, Rose raised her head to see what was going on. Their fixed gazes made her feel uncomfortable.
"I'm done," she announced, standing abruptly to move towards the door. The room fell silent as she exited the place.
"That was something," Haschel commented turning towards Dart who was still mesmerized by what he saw. Shana also noticed this, seeing that the food on his plate was untouched. "Kongol likes Rose more now," this remark of Kongol broke everyone's hidden fancy of her. Her new look simply changed their perception of her.
"This is the weirdest day I've had in years," Rose mumbled to herself as she reached the balcony found at the end of the room. "I know you'd laugh at me if you see me now," chuckling at the thought of Zeig's expression if he sees her wearing that revealing outfit.
"It's been a long time since I had thoughts like this," she looked wistfully at the moon; remembering the painful years she was burdened with. "Thoughts of you both alleviate and intensify the melancholy years I've lived through…." She sighed, reminiscing on the last time she was able to touch Zeig's hands, but her vision of him was distorted to the image of Dart.
"Dart… He reminds me so much of you," Rose pictured Dart's face that is a reminiscent of how Zieg looked like. Visualizing him conjured up different feelings in her. Emotions she terminated to feel: Love. She now thought of this ambiguous feeling she contained her, deciphering the reaction she should feel. For sometime, she remained unmoving, staring blankly at the flow of water seemingly like the surge of emotions forming in her.
"You're serious again," Dart tapped her back. Her introspection led to her startled ness in Dart's sudden approach. Dumbfounded, Rose stared at him, still speechless. "I'm just letting time pass…" She impassively replied, starting to go her way. "Time is too long…" Nostalgia is coming back to her. "Too long…" She repeated to herself sighing.
"We're here for you I'm here for you," Dart comforted her, resting his hand on her shoulders. This comforted her; it was the first time in years she felt the warmth of being touched. "Thank you." She did not know the reason why she said this, but she knew that she liked the warm feeling Dart made.
For sometime, they stood unmoving, just gazing at each other's eyes. Upon the realization of this fixedness, ardor filled Dart. He just realized that he wanted her. He wanted Rose. Her withdrawnness attracted her to him: the unfathomable means she thinks, the way her fiery eyes looked at him, the scowl she wore in her face, and the mystery that envelopes her.
"Dart? Dart?" Shana's voice echoed in the hallway, the sound of her voice going nearer and nearer.