I
"She has been ill for some time, Jasmine. She needs more time to fully awaken without the fear of reoccurrence. The limitation of contact is what is best for her."
"I understand, Kamijo. I can wait longer to see the girl."
There had been a hint of sarcasm in the woman's voice. "Not much longer, I promise. Please keep the other two busy away from here. That is really all I ask of you now."
The door opened and the man gazed in at the sleeping girl. The cold had given her a fever and the blood loss started to slow her body to fatal speeds. She now lay on a grand four-poster bed, covered by thick quilts to help drown out the fever she contracted. Strands of her blond hair clung to her forehead and neck and she rested calmly, her breathing now at an appropriate rate.
The man Kamijo smiled as the woman, Jasmine, peered over his shoulder and peeked in at the girl. Jasmine, a girl not much older than the other, with tight dark brown curls and deep brown eyes accented with paints and jewels. Several roses adorned the top of her head, along with array of colored feathers, and she wore, of all colors, purple; a deep purple with accents all around. She was rather splendorous compared to the man next to her.
"She look like fun to dress up," she whispered aloud.
"We'll wait and see," Kamijo nodded, sliding into the room and closing the door behind him, forcing Jasmine to go about her activities.
The girl shifted in her sleep, turning onto her side and snuggling more into the coverlets. Kamijo looked on in what felt like pride; he saved the girl from death and she seemed a perfect addition to the "family." It had been two days since then and no word of her disappearance reached his ears. Based on how she was dressed, she was not of Noble blood. A servant, more or less, but not an important one by the way she was abandoned.
As he stood there, the girl began to awaken, sitting up slowly and pushing the covers off of her. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, then stretched her arms out. Her eyes fluttered open and it was only then that she sensed she was not by herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the man from the night before and her hands dropped to her lap.
She saw him fully now, without the fog of exhaustion or snow or the covering of his cloak. The urge to cry again caused her throat to tighten; his beauty caused her to want to break the barriers of her mature adulthood and cry like a girl lost in love. He stood there, wearing what he wore the first time she saw him; the black coat, the white shirt and cravat, the boots that looked so soft and pliable. His arms, crossed over his chest, made him look intimidating, yet the way his hair fell into those mesmerizing silver eyes gave him an air of elegance: a rogue Prince alone in his castle.
"You are awake, Princess. The fever is gone. You are well, I see."
The way his voice resounded in the room sent chills down the girl's back. His very words sounded like the cure for all problems; happiness for the saddened, compassion for the heartbroken, companionship for the lonely…
She shook the thought from her mind as quickly as she could, wanting nothing of the sort to fill her time. Now that she felt better after his rescuing her, she knew she must not waste more of this man's time. As gently as she could, she climbed from the grand bed and, still in her torn garment, gave a small bow in thanks and respect.
"I must ask," Kamijo tilted his head a fraction, "what name you were given. Your name my fit you better than 'Princess.'"
This startled her. He wanted to call her "Princess." Then again, she never had a name. In fact, she was nearly invisible.
"I…I was never given a name. No one has really ever spoken to me before."
She noticed that his eyes had widened for a mere moment, then they scrunched together in confusion when he got over the shock of her voice. She figured his confusion was from her namelessness, but she was unsure of her assumption. One thing she was sure of was that she was being treated far better than she was worth and it made her uncomfortable.
"You were never given a name? How odd. What must have possessed one to omit a small sense of pride from a beautiful Princess such as you?"
She looked away from him as she shook her head.
Before she knew it, the man placed his hands on her arms and bore his gaze onto her. Blood began to tickle her cheeks and she gulped nervously. She tried to pull loose, but he held firm, unrelenting.
"I don't know why, or how, you were abandoned, but there was no excuse for it. The way I found you—there is nothing acceptable about leaving a girl in the cold without proper attire.
"And the way you thrown out like nothing—no name, no…anything—is why I brought you here. You're okay now."
The girl looked into his eyes, hers blurred by eminent tears.
"One thing you can have when you're here is a name. I cannot call you Princess forever, so we need to come up with something that would become you."
He racked his brain for only a moment or two before a smile spread across his face, seeping into his silver gaze. "I have thought of something. You will make the final decision, but it would be nice if you tried it on for size."
He took her chin in his hand and lifted her face to him.
"How about 'Hizaki'? Simple, but not unbecoming."
The girl looked into his eyes and, with a grin starting to spread across her face, nodded once. "It sounds elegant. I think I will like it."
Kamijo's smile widened in pride. "Then Hizaki you shall be. Now, let me show you your new home, Princess Hizaki."
He led her to the door and, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders, opened the door of new life to the reborn girl who felt almost Noble with a name and a caring Prince to help her along the way.
A.N. Another chapter down! Wow, and it only took a few days! With a holiday like this, I will be able to spend more time updating both this writing and one that hasn't been touched since June! Thank you to all who have read 'A Rose in the Snow' and will continue to stay with me until the final words. Merry Christmas to you all and I hope you have a great New Year!
