Rosmary Eledron – The Dark Rose
Part One:
Nervous eyes darted from side to side, watching the people as they passed her by. People of all races and both genders, but it didn't matter to her. They were just as scary either way.
The towering night elfs, looking intimitading no matter what they did. A simple greeting sounded like a threat in her ears. She knew they hated this alliance and she could understand why people didn't trust them either. They were ready to kill anyone to protect their own cause. Or so she had heard…
The short dwarfs, crude in the way they spoke and acted. Not a caring in the world about the welfare of others as long as they got their beer. She had no doubt they would crack a head open if they got in the way of their beverages…
The small gnomes, a look of evil and cunning in their eyes. They claimed their used their engenious nature for the greater good for all, but she didn't believe them what so ever. She knew they were using their invension for something bad. She had heard about the happening in Gnomeregan, about inventions having taken over. Of gnomes going mad…
The large Draenei, even bigger than a night elf and twice as intimidating as one. They faces looked so hard, she found it hard to read them or even understand them. Claiming they came from a different world, having crashed in a ship in Kalimdor. They even claimed to follow the light, but she wasn't sure if she believed that. After all, what was the light anyway..? What was it good for, when it couldn't, or wouldn't, protect it's wielder.
And then there was the humans…
She hissed silently, feeling the sweat form on her brow from the mere thought of humans.
She despised them, thought of them as vermin. If the other races in the alliance were bad, then humans were the lowest of the low. They couldn't be trusted what so ever. They would paint their true intentions with pretty words and then rip you apart, sucking you dry of everything you had…
Nobody was to be trusted.
Even the most honourable of people were filthy creatures that all too easily swayed to the path of evil.
Only darkness could be trusted…
Darkness was eternal, not to be mistaken.
Darkness could hide you, protect you, when the light gave you away and left you to suffer.
She knew all to well the truth to this, she knew that in the end, you stood alone.
She closed her eyes, removing the world from her mind as she tugged her hood further down her face. She wished for darkness so she could slip away without anyone noticing her.
Darkness…
It was her only friend. Always had been, from when she was young and foolish.
She could remember it like it was yesterday.
"The church is all clean now, mother," Rosmary called out as she walked up to her mother, a broom still in her hands. "Shall I go out and see if the stairs and street need a sweeping?"
An elderly woman dressed from top to toe in white nodded as she turned away from the holy symbols on the altar, giving Rosmary a smile. "If you would not mind, dear. After all, the house of the light must look presentable at all times."
Rosmary just nodded eagerly before walking with fast steps towards the exit. The elderly woman smiled before looking lovingly over towards an elderly man that came out from one of the side-rooms. "She is growing up so fast, husband… She has turned into such a lovely young woman…"
"Aye, she is," the man replied as he walked over to his wife, kissing her cheek before smiling down at her. "And one day she will follow on our footsteps and take over this church for us. She will make a fine priestess. She truly has been blessed by the light in every way. Your lovely looks. Your talents in the art of healing."
The woman blushed before smiling up at her husband. "Yes, my dear… She has been blessed in every way possible. She is destined to become something great."
Meanwhile Rosmary was busy sweeping the stairs of the church, humming as she did so. Her long, ebony hair was dancing with every movement, the slight breeze helping in making it dance around her. Her skin was pale, though not unhealthily so. It only helped in enchanting her lovely and fair appearance, making her look like a doll. The white robe belonging to the church of Stratholme only made her look more innocent, even holy, being the reason of many admiring looks from suitors around town.
A husband though had never been on Rosmary's mind. She felt she was married to the church and the light, putting her duties above her own personal life. As long as she had the light and her duties, she thought, she would have no time for a family. It would just have to wait. Besides, she could not marry some commoner. She would have to find a man of the light, a priest like her father perhaps…
She was so caught up in her own duties that she failed to hear the sound of armour and heavy footsteps approach the church until a voice spoke up.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Looking up from her task, stopping the movements from the broom, Rosmary felt her breath catch in her chest as she watched a stranger approach her from the bottom of the stairs.
He was quite the stunner, she thought, admiring the man's look. Long, blonde hair, giving the man a pure look to him. Intense-looking blue eyes, burning with a passion and intensity. A handsome face, though he had a nasty-looking scar on his left cheek. No doubt from battle, Rosmary guessed as she continued to look at the handsome man. The scar didn't really put a dampening on his appearance, if anything he just looked more mature.
Letting her eyes trail from his face, she took in the mighty-looking mace resting on his shoulder, supported by the grip from a strong-looking, gloved hand. His metal armour was clean, the sun making the silvery metal shine because of the reflextion. It looked like he was glowing with an inner light, making him even more pleasant to look at. From his belt was a book, a libram she recogniced, fastened with a solid chain, the symbol on the cover glowing lightly in blue. He was wearing a tabard with the seal of the Silver Hand, so he was without a doubt a paladin. He even had the mark of Lordaeron attatched to the front of his cape. Maybe he was even a part of Uther the Lightbringer's own army…
"Miss?"
Snapping out of her daydream, Rosmary blushed and looked away, smiling shyly. "Pardon me good seer, I didn't mean to stare," she said in a small voice, feeling embarrassed that she had been caught staring in such an obvious way. "I just saw the tabard and I just got intrigued…"
The man chuckled, a deep rumbling sound coming from the depths of the man's throat. Giving her a gentle smile, he used a gloved hand to remove some of the blonde strands of hair away from his face. "Do not feel embarrassed, miss. It is no crime to stare when curious. If anything, I shall take it as a compliment."
Rosmary just nodded slowly as she turned her back against the man, once again caught by surprise by the man's handsome appearance. "Still… It is not suited for a lady to stare. It is not polite either."
"When being stared at by a lady such as yourself, I see nothing wrong with it," the man murmured before chuckling, bringing a hand to his neck nervously as he gave a sheepish smile. "Well now, I seem to have completely forgotten my manners as well," he murmured before bowing deeply for Rosmary. "My name is Emmet Fersot." Peeking up between his blonde hair, he reached out a hand to Rosmary. "May I be so bold and ask for your name?"
Rosmary flushed and nodded, reaching out her own hand to Emmet.. "R-rosmary Eledron. It is an honor to meet you, sir Fersot."
"Rosmary," Emmet murmured and took Rosmary's hand, kissing it lightly. "A lovely and suited name for a flower such as yourself. And believe me, the honour is all mine."
Straighening back up, Emmet gently released Rosmary's hand and smiled. "Now… With the dangers of being rude, might I ask for you to escort me to the tavern? I am afraid I am not very well known around these parts and I'd hate to end up somewhere I am not supposed to."
"Oh? This is your first time in Stratholme?" Rosmary asked, giving the man a curious look.
Emmet nodded while rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Yes, I am afraid so. I was enrolled in the army not long ago and before that, I wasn't very… Well-travelled," he confessed, making Rosmary giggle from the man's bashfulness.
"Very well, I shall help you then," she smiled before walking towards the entrance of the church. "Just wait here, I will just let my parents know!"
"Of course," Emmet replied and bowed before turning around, looking over the city with curiousity.
Smiling, Rosmary placed the broom by the entrance of the church before hurrying inside, eager to ask her parents for permission. Taking a moment to straighten out her clothes at the corner, Rosmary regained her composture before entering the main hall of the church, approaching the man and woman by the altar. "Mother? Father?"
Looking up from the scroll he was reading, Rosmary's father gave his daughter a small smile before nodding. "Yes, dear? Have you finished your chores already?"
Rosmary shook her head before lowering her head ever so slightly. "Not yet, father, but I must ask something off you."
Blinking, Rosmary's father carefully rolled the scroll together again before nodding to his daughter, urging her to continue.
"A man of the light came by the church and asked if I could be so kind to show him to the inn. I promise that I shall start my chores right away after I have done so," Rosmary continued, having difficulties with keeping the excitement out of her voice.
The priest raised an eyebrow as Rosmary spoke, slowly tapping the scroll against his other hand as he weighted his daughter's words. "A man of the light, hmm..?"
Rosmary nodded again while letting a modest smile play on her lips. She didn't want to seem eager, that was not appropriate for a lady. Still, as her father kept silent, she could not help but feel a little impacient.
Finally he nodded and spoke up, a smile of his own playing on his lips. "I can not see what harm that could do, and you have already promised me to do your chores later. And I know you are good for your word, my flower. You have never failed to let me down, not once. And it would be dishonourable to let the young paladin roam around in the city without help. Go, my daughter, and help the servant of the light."
"Yes, father," Rosmary replied and bowed lightly in respect and gratitude. Her heart was already beating hard in her chest as she turned and walked back to speak to the man, eager just to see him again. It frightened her, the way she had already become so interested in him, but she felt it was more curiousity than anything else. While she had seen paladins before, she had never been so close to a man blessed in such a way before and it fascinated her.
Her smile only turned wider when she saw the Paladin still waiting outside for her, having even picked up her broom and finished the rest of the church's stairs for her. "You did not have to do that, kind ser," she called, making the man look up and smile.
"A small price to pay in exchange for a lovely woman showing me around."
Blushing, Rosmary let out a small, nervous giggle as he stopped next to him, reaching out to take the broom from him. "Nonsense, ser," she murmured in a shy voice, looking down as she held the broom in a tight grip in her hands.
Feeling a finger under her chin, lifting her head up, Rosmary let out a small gasp as she found herself locked with Emmet's gaze. He smiled before removing his hand and cleared his throat. "Forgive me, ma'am. I did not mean to get so close and personal. I just… I do not wish to embarrass a lady of the light," he murmured.
Rosmary shook her head and walked over to place the broom next to the church's grey stone wall. "Do not think off it, ser," she replied as she walked back. "Now… You wanted the nearest inn?"
Emmet nodded and bowed for Rosmary, gesturing for her to go before him. "Lead the way, my lady and I shall follow."
The priestess only smiled brightly at that as they walked together into the busy streets of Stratholme, unknowing that this was the day when her whole would change for forever.