Chapter 1

The summer days were as hot as ever. The forest behind our house was quiet. A few crows were cawing. Everything was peaceful. That day was just an ordinary day but little did I know my peaceful ordinary days would turn into an extraordinary adventure.

Belle and I were at home on the porch looking out at the village. It was the afternoon and we were sitting in different types chairs and we were both reading completely different books. Belle was reading How to transform a prince into an animal and back while I was reading a more romantic story East of the Sun, West of the Moon (my favorite book).

But no one would ever guess we were sisters. Our ages had a difference that shocked people; Belle was 18 and I was 16. Even though I was younger I was slightly taller than my sister. Belle has golden hair that shown in the morning like the sun that curled to perfect beauty. Her blue/green eyes were as beautiful as the sea, and she was graceful. Belle was fairly slender and there was no flaw about her.

I on the other hand have mossy brown hair that went down to my shoulders. Unlike my sister's ocean eyes my eyes looked like a bog. My eyes looked like a muddy hazel. I was a little taller than my sister and scrawny but I was still strong. I had high cheek bones and a pretty smile. My ears were slightly pointed. My feet were small like elves feet (elves are as tall as us but have feet small like a leaf.)

Belle was more suited to be a queen then a carpenter's daughter. But the cloths she wore were the same as mine but different colors. When we wore our regular dresses it was to our ankles with an apron, I looked like I belonged as a carpenter's daughter. When Belle wore the dress, it looked like there was a queen that wanted to come out.

We were quiet as the forest but the town below the hill was alive as ever; people were busy for the Rose festival. The girls were squealing in delight as they were wondering who their partners was going to be. The men, women, and children all helped decorate the stage where couples danced and tell each other they loved one another. Others helped put up the stands for the carnival.

The festival's legend was that the kings' daughter went to the red rose gardens to meet the man that was to be her husband and got lost for three whole days. She wandered through the garden; she got glimpses of a shadow. As she ran she fell she tripped and fell. She was unconscious for hours. When she regained consciousness she was on a bench with roses scattered around her. She looked off to the distance she saw the village people calling her name. She ran to the town to her family, they told her she was gone for weeks. She didn't know how she made it but she thanked the black shadow for her reunion with her family and future husband. The tale has been passed down for generations.

The men were to wear black in honor of the shadow and the girls wore red in honor of the King's daughter. The men would ask their favorite girl if they would be their partner to for the Rose Festival. If the girl is lucky he will ask her to marry him. All the girls were beautiful in town; even my own sister had all the men head over heels for her. All the travelers would stare in awe of her beauty.

Once when I was younger I heard the legend from a blind storyteller in the center of town. I would listen of the stories from faraway lands. Some were happy, some were sad, but they always had a sprinkle adventure. My favorite one was a tale called East of the Sun West of the Moon. Every day I would go to the storyteller and hear his wonderful adventures and romances. Sometimes I would imagine I was the hero fighting fearsome monsters or the princess who fell in love with a knight. But as the years passed I realized there was neither adventure nor any love for me, a devil child as my father calls me. I went there often but soon the storyteller didn't come anymore, and soon after a bookstore opened up.

…

As the sun was at midway I knew we had to get food so I put my book down. The world seemed different today. Something made me think something was going to happen.

"Belle, come on!" I said in a hurry. She stopped reading her book and looked on to the horizon. She stayed put.

"Belle, come on!" I repeated she ignored me. I took hold of her and dragged her across the bridge to the square in a rush.

"Why Rose I am not done with my book, why do I have to leave" Belle retorted.

"Belle, come on we have to go to the square and buy some food for dinner." I said with frustration. She just ignored me and kept on reading. I dragged her in annoyance.

This town is so boring, nothing exciting happens here, and there is no one who really likes me. I thought. The least you can do is help me get some food!

The town had nothing happen to it since the legend of the Rose princess. The whole village was plain (expect for my sister). The most excitement that I ever had happen to me was 6 years ago. I was lost in the forest for days. There were shadows that followed me while I was wandering. The experience was the same as the Rose princess in the rose garden, but mine was in the forest and a lot, a lot scarier. The wolves howled and I heard a howl of an injured animal in the distance. I went to unconscious and the next thing I knew I was laid on door step when I regained conciseness. I had lost all my memory so when my parents (for that is what they told me they are) told me who I was, I made a vow from that point on I wouldn't wander far into the woods or trying to remember that fateful night.

But I only truly want to remember a boy with blue eyes the color that was paler then cobalt blue and darker then sapphire. He had kept on saying "It is going to be alright, Rose stay awake please. I….. I…." I never heard the rest. I only remember the boy's voice, it was frantic, yet soothing but also it was sad. The voice was harsh as if the voice belonged to an animal. But when I am a sleep I remember his face from before that time but it dissolves as quickly as it comes. Then I forget how he looks and I only remember seeing the blue sapphire eyes and hearing that calm gentle voice.

…

"Come on, give me a break Rose! After the week is up I am going to live in the forest with mama" Belle exclaimed interrupting my thoughts. She thought a little threat would not have us go. "The men will follow us."

I knew she would use that excuse.

"Yes I know and father wants you to at least have one good last meal with us." I replied. "And I don't care about the stuck up prissy little villagers."

Her plan back fired like usual and I won the battle.

…

I knew that Belle was going to join mama in the woods so she can learn about magic (mom was given a choice when I was born if she would take care of me or leave to the woods, and she chose to not take care of me and ran into the woods). Mother was a witch that guarded the village from evil. When Belle was born she was to become a witch. It was decided at my birth that I would not learn magic. That is because I was second born. All the first born girls in my family became first rate witches. Each child that was born into a witch's family would get gifts (but not ones you can rap) at birth. My sister's gifts were magic, beauty, and able to capture hearts of men, but she could not capture their hearts if they were in love with someone else before they met her. My gifts were more complicated, my gifts were understanding, kindness, and (the most puzzling) seeing.

I would have known my 4th gift (all second born children get an extra gift that one of the sibling has in families of witches) but my mother didn't tell me the rest. She yelled and screamed that they were useless gifts and I could never be like my sister. I learned of this when I was 4 when my sister said she told me.

As Belle and I entered the square all heads turned our way. Belle was the prettiest girl in the village. All the men would huddle around her and ask her questions. Other maidens envied her. Every one of the young men (and I mean every one of them) hustled to see Belle. I was watching in awe how every one of them rushed to her. The only time when I want Belle to come is that I want to do the shopping with ease. While Belle can get all the attention she wants.

…

As I entered the bakers shop, I smelled the freshly baked pies. The sour dough bread just coming out of the oven was golden brown.

"I see your sister is still quite the center of attention" Madelyn said taking out the freshly made baguette. She was the town's new baker after the old one retired. Her father was woods man. He lived in the woods on the opposite side of the forest. I had seen him only once before. And that was roughly around four years ago. It was only one year before that when she moved from the sea side.

Madelyn had been my only friend. She was six years older than me. She had honey brown skin that looked almost liked golden beach. Her short black hair was in a bon. She was the best singer in the entire village; she could even enchant a dragon with her singing. That is how she got her husband Jack. He's not a dragon I can assure you. Jack is a sailor on one of the biggest ships and he hasn't come back home in two years. He sailed on a ship called Ocean Bird that was due back a year ago. Madelyn never told me about what happened.

"Yes nothing has ever changed. May I have two cinnamon buns please?" I said trying to avoid the conversation with her about marriage and my sister. But Madelyn knew me far too well. She eyed me as to see what could be happening that made me squeak "yes"

"Yes coming right up. I am worried about you because you are at the age of marriage." She frowned in worry. Her gray eyes filled with sorrow and concern.

I almost choked up. To close to tears I looked down in dismay. My hair covered my face as if it were a barrier. I looked at my little feet. They tapped the floor with a pitter patter. I was weak. I couldn't let Madelyn see me cry. Not now. I needed to stay strong for her.

"My sister is eighteen and she isn't married; besides there is no man in the village who is already head over heels for her." I pleaded in my defense. I mumbled at a barely audible level.

I need to clean my boots. I thought half convincingly

"Someday you will meet a man who will love you and give you a red rose. But knowing you, you would marry the first man who proposes to you" She said affectionately. I smiled only a little. I felt her hand on my shoulder. "That will be three silver shackles"

"I promised myself I would only fall in love with my soul mate and I won't marry the first man who proposes to me. And besides I'll probably never fall in love!" I laughed. I sounded so rude to her. I handed her the coins, collected the pastries and walked back to the town square.

"YOU WILL ROSE!" I heard from the backer's shop. "I KNOW YOU WILL!"

While I walked past the seamstress shop I saw a man give a woman a red rose. He was down on one knee with a single rose in his hand. She toke the rose and started to cry. Turning her back to him she wept. As she was crying the man tried to comfort her. Suddenly she turned and wrapped her arms around him. He was surprised and he hugged her back.

What does a red rose mean anyway and why do people get happy when they get one? I wondered curiously.

…

I did the shopping with ease like usual. As I went back to fetch Belle I turned my head and saw a young handsome man in the shadows looking at me. His eyes were full of sadness and eagerness, he looked like he wanted to belong here but there was no way possible. He was too perfect to be real. I knew his blue radiant eyes from somewhere. They were pale blue. They were mesmerizing. His golden brown hair curled at the nape of his neck. He was stunning. He looked familiar but I knew I never met him before. As I blinked in astonishment of him, he was gone. This caught me off guard. I ran to the mob that Belle was in the middle of.

"Belle I got the groceries, time to go home." I said loudly as I grabbed Belle and dragged her home.

By the time we got home I was tired of pulling Belle around. The shopping took all day. Father was sitting in his armchair fast asleep his peppered hair shone in the firelight. Belle went to the bed and started to read her book again. I pondered about that man early that day. It was strange he was the most handsome man I ever laid eyes on and it haunted me as I cooked dinner.

…

As I went to sleep I dreamed about a castle in the woods. There were red and white roses that surrounded the castle. The castle itself was amazing. There were neither birds nor any other creatures there. Then I saw myself in the castle laughing and playing with a BEAST. It was only a shadow but I woke up that instance of fear. I would have dreams about the future. I never told anyone about this. Was this to be my future? After I calmed down I drifted back to a dark sleep.