Behind the stained glass windows.

Chapter 1 "The rose labyrinth"

Once upon a time, there lives a lonely princess far-far away. Her name is Ciel; Ciel is a beautiful girl with dark blue, long hair, deep blue eyes and a porcelain white skin. She spent most of her time being looked up inside the castle, because her parents won't allow her to go outside. Most of the time, she was just fantasizing about the world outside the palace walls. Thinking what would've happen if she wasn't born as a princess but as an ordinary girl, maybe her life would've been better that way.

Her story starts in one fine morning, Ciel just woke up from her deep slumber. A fine and beautiful day, another day in reality that she hated. She walked into her dressing room to change into one of her elegant gowns. She wore a blue elegant dress with dark blue raffles along her wrist and chest. A big black ribbon with white stripes at the back of her waist and layers of raffled cloth going down to her feet. As soon as she's done preparing herself, she went straight to the dining room. As always, she was always the one who sits first in the table because her parents were always away for some agreement with the other kingdom.

"Good morning your highness." A tall girl with short black hair said.

"Good morning too Lucy." She said with a tiny gentle smile.

"Is mother and father out again today?"

"Yes your highness, but they'll be home soon"

"Ok…I'll just wait until they arrived, until then; I'll be in my room."

Hours and her parents haven't arrived yet; she was beginning to think that she won't be able to see her parents again today. So she just wandered around the castle in search for something fun to do. Then finally, she knew where she wanted to go, she went outside the castle and then she crossed a small bridge which will lead her to her favorite place. The garden. It's not outside the palace walls but this is the closes place where she can get her foot on. The rich soil if the garden and the cool breeze of air on her face was welcoming, because of this, she wanted to go out of the castle walls more than before, but she knew that her parents won't allow her, so she just decided to forget about going outside.

At the entrance to the garden was a big gate covered with vines and some blooming flowers. She opened the gate and went inside the wonderful paradise. There were different kinds of flower blooming everywhere. But there was one garden that she wanted to see twenty-four-seven. The rose garden. She went to the small path leading directly to the entrance of the rose garden. She went there and observed the beautiful white roses. The feeling she gets when she sees beautiful flowers was soothing and always comforting.

But there was something that caught her attention even before when she was still young. In the middle of the field of white roses, was a maze that was overflowing with red passionate ones.

The scenery was like you're in a blissful wonder land, beautiful roses surrounded the area. And the red roses was so enchanting, alluring, captivating and beautiful yet it was also full of dangerous thorns which makes it difficult to pick. Tempting like sin.

As she went closer, she remembered the first time she had been here.

It was a time just like this. Her parents went somewhere and she was all alone minding her own business until she saw the rose garden and the maze inside it. She remembered that there was a small creamed colored pavilion in the center of the maze.

Without any second thoughts, she quickly dashed into the maze, so eager to see the small pavilion again. She turned left and right it was like she remembered all the possible way to the center. She work her way in and out of the maze as if she has been there a zillion times. Moments later, she finally arrived ah the center.

The pavilion was there, just like she remembered it. It was a white colored pavilion with a shade of cream, and a little bench inside it. She sat on the bench and looked at the beautiful surroundings; her mind was at peace and calm. She wanted to take a nap again and sleep forever this time. When she was about to fell asleep, she heard a voice calling her from a distance. It was Lucy; she quickly went pout of the maze as fast as she can.

When she finally arrived at the exit, se saw Lucy running towards her.

"What is it Lucy?" Ciel asked

"Your highness! Your majesty has arrived!!" she said trying to catch her breath.

"Mother and father, their home?!" she run in excitement, she was so exited to see her parents again; they haven't seen each other for a month. She wanted to hug them and see them, so she went straight to the throne room and wore her best welcome-back face.

When she arrived at the foot of the tall throne room doors, she straightens up herself and then pushes back the two big oak doors as wide as she can. She saw her mother and father sitting on the beautifully carved golden throne and a wave of happiness flooded her heart for the first time in many years, finally beads of tears came falling down her cheeks as she run towards them.

"Mother! Father!" she rush towards them and hugged them tight, as if she doesn't want to let go, coz it feels like if she let them go, they will disappear again.

"Honey, how energetic you are" said her father.

"Father! Mother! I've miss you so much!" she can feel her eyes water as she was about to cry again.

"We've miss you too honey" said her mother, hugging her

"How was your conversation with the king of east?" Ciel said as she let's go of them and then wipe the tears away.

"It's a good thing you asked…we want to discus this topic to you too" her father said. She looked at her mother who's being awfully quiet, she stared at her long enough and then she pick up a sad expression from her mother's face, and then she knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong? Did something wrong happened with your conversation with the king of east?" she said with a worried look

"No, it went perfectly fine. The king set a truce, and he won't attack our kingdom anymore"

You see, this story started a very long time ago. They say that the king of east wanted to take over the kingdom of west to make it one of their territories, but the west king didn't allow it. He fought back and then the fight lasted for generations. Their fight has been passed down from king to king, and now, Ciel's father King Victor is the current king of west.

"But, in one condition…." The king continued

"w-what's the condition?" Ciel asked with a confused face.

"……………" her mother was speechless

"He wants you to marry his eldest son Prince Druitt"

"What?!?!?!?" Ciel's face was formed into a frown as she herd her father's words.

"But I don't even know him, I don't love him!"

"Love has nothing to do with this. You should follow my orders whether you like them or not!" he said coldly looking straight in Ciel's teary eyes. Her mother was just staring at her with her lonely gaze, it almost felt like she was trying to say that I'm sorry honey, please understand.

"But-"

"No buts! You will marry prince Druitt as soon as possible."

"Please understand Ciel, this is for our kingdom" her mother said softly

"Does locking me up in this damn castle have anything to do with the kingdom? You're sacrificing your own daughter's life! My life and my free will is all that I have left! And now you're taking that away from me?!" Ciel suddenly buttered out.

"We keep you inside here for your safety. For you not to be hurt" said her mother

"Well I don't understand! I refuse to understand! I want to be free and marry the one I love! And I don't want to marry that prince Druitt!" Ciel said it loud and clear that it almost echoed half of the castle, hoping that her parents would just stop their madness.

"Well sorry to say, but you can never be free. This is your fate. Live with it and you'll learn to love it sooner or later. Her father once again said

"……….I hate you!" Ciel started crying and stormed out of the room.

"Ciel!" her mother stands up to go after her running daughter, but the king stoped her by grabbing her hand.

"Let her be. She needs all the her time"

"...But darling…"

"You can talk to her tomorrow."

"…Ok…"

Later that night, Ciel was crying in her room, letting all her anger flow out through crying. She lifted her head and saw the little stained glass windows by her chair where she usually daydream about getting out and living a normal life in the village, but she knew now that her dream will never come true. She walked towards the window and saw the rose garden below. She then decided to go there and have some fresh air. She quietly sneaked out of the castle and into the garden. She entered the rose maze and find her way to the center, the cold wind blows down on her face, oh how she love to feel the fresh air outside. After a couple of minutes rooming around the beautiful rose maze, she finally arrived at her destination. She sat down at the cold stone bench and tried to calm herself down "relax, relax, stress isn't god for you" she said to herself as she looks around her surroundings. Everything seems to be exactly the way she remembered.

But at the corner of her eyes, she saw something covered by shadows. She took a step forward and looked at it closely; she couldn't quite see the figure so she decided to move towards it.

It was a bust. It was a bust of her great ancestor, Rosinda Rosecliff

"Huh? I never seen this here before" Rosinda Rosecliff adored rose so much she didn't have enough time to care for her health and her family. But she soon died, not because of poor health, but because she fell on a cliff, a cliff where wild rose grow. When the town's people found her, her body was covered with rose and its thorns. So that's why they called her 'Rosinda Rosecliff'.

She reached out her hands to touch the bust but at the moment she touched it, the head lowered down. She was surprise when she heard something at the pavilion. What she saw surprised the living daylights out of her, the white marbles that was surrounding the pavilion went down and formed a staircase. With a little hesitation, she move towards it and the smell of fresh grass and fresh air reached her nose. She heard water splashing through rocks and waves going to the shore. She knew only one thing…

"There's a path leading outside the castle walls!"

She said with excitement and fear…

Blacklili29:

Sorry it got delayed, I have a hospital rush these past weeks.

Well anyway, this is my new story. Hope it interest you.

And I can promise you that there will be a man coated in black in the next chapter.