"Mother! Mother!" Rosalie ran down the halls of the castle, in search of her mother. She ran past a window and stopped short. She ran back to the window to see what she'd glanced at earlier. She'd always wondered why she liked the forest so much. Maybe it was the animals in it, or the serene quiet and relaxing atmosphere. Or, maybe the color. Green was her favorite color after all.
Rosalie grabbing a cloak from a nearby pile of clothes the servants were finished cleaning. she quickly draped it over herself and quietly opened a side door of the castle. It lead right outside, away from the town full of people.
Rosalie felt slightly guilty about leaving home without her mother and father with her, they didn't even know she'd left. She didn't plan on staying in the forest long. I'll play with a few animals, then go back home. She concluded to herself as she made her way to the forest.
Meanwhile, in the abandoned cottage, a little boy, no older than 7 or 8, was busy looking through the cabinets and drawers for something to eat. "Out of food..." he muttered to himself. He grabbed a small basket near the door and left to get some apples and berries.
As the young boy walked, his thoughts wandered to his parents. He knew who they were, he'd always remember them. What he didn't know is why they felt the need to leave him the way they did. They had left him not even a whole year ago, but just about.
His father had tucked him in, told him 'good night', and gently closed the door to his bedroom. Then, before he could even close his eyes to prepare for sleep, he heard hushed voices and the closing of a door.
The boy had crept out of his room to see his parents preparing to leave. As they closed the door to the cottage, he had run to reopen it and asked them why they had left. But, his body wouldn't move. He just sat down at the top of the step and hugged himself, hoping they'd be back in the morning.
The boy shook the memories out of his head. He focused on picking berries and tried not to think of his parents. while he was gathering food, he heard someone humming and laughing. He glanced around until his eyes fell on a girl, about his age, petting a rabbit.
She was pretty, there was no denying that. But, what set the boy off was her clothes. They looked much fancier than his tattered shirt and trousers. He quietly snuck closer to get a better look at her.
Rosalie gently ran her fingers over her new friend's head, blissfully unaware that she was being watched. She quickly took off her cloak and draped it over a low-hanging branch as she stood up to have a look around.
"Ah, it's so nice out here, isn't it?" she said out loud to no one. The boy watching her didn't know whether he should respond or keep quiet. He stepped out into the light and, almost inaudibly, cleared his throat. Rosalie turned around, her soft brown hair spinning behind her.
"Oh! I thought I was alone... Who are you?" she asked him kindly. When he didn't respond, she took a small step closer to him. "I'm sorry if I scared you." he said quietly.
"Oh, that's okay! I'm Rosalie. What's your name?" Rosalie said, leaving out the fact she was a princess. She didn't want the boy to feel obligated to bow to her.
"Axel." He said, looking at the ground. Rosalie smiled warmly at him, causing him to feel heat rush to his face. Axel looked back up to see that Rosalie was gone. He started to think that she was some illusion or dream.
"Axel! Over here!" He heard her call from a small distance behind him. He turned around to see her walking toward a berry bush. He ran over to her and stood slightly away from her.
Rosalie saw this and motioned for him to stand next to her. He slowly made his way over to her, unsure of why she wanted him closer to her. "Look." she pointed to a lake that reflected the evening sun perfectly, making it look as if it sparkled.
Axel had never seen the lake like this before. Granted, he had been to it a few times in his life for water or to clean his clothes, but he'd never been out at this time of day. His green eyes widen a bit as he took in the sight. "Wow..." he sighed.
Rosalie smiled. Then, a thought crossed her mind. "Where are your parents, Axel?" She asked, looking over at him. Axel kept his eyes on the lake as he spoke.
"They left. I don't know where they are." He made sure to keep his voice even and not show how much sadness was behind his words.
Rosalie gently touched his shoulder. "I'm sure they'll be back soon." Then, she glanced down at his exposed upper arm. His skin was a light forest green. She touched it lightly, causing Axel to jump slightly at the touch. "Why is your skin green?" she asked curiously.
Axel looked back at the lake, not wanting to see the possible fear on her face. Nobody liked his green skin. His mother had flinched away from him many times. His father had a sad look in his eyes whenever he'd look at him. "Does it bother you?" he asked quietly.
"No! I love the color green! It's my favorite." she said, her bright smile returning to her face. Even if Axel knew nothing about it at his age, he knew he'd fallen in love just then. He smiled slightly, and shrugged. "I don't know. I was just born this way, I guess."
Rosalie looked up at the sky and saw that it was getting dark. "I need to get home. I'll see you tomorrow, Axel." she said. she grabbed her cloak and waved good-bye to Axel. He waved back, slowly.
As he watched Rosalie leave, Axel started to wonder if he'd really see her tomorrow. He hoped he would.