A/N: Sorry for the delay in the update, it's all been a bit hectic but bear with me; we'll get there...eventually: p

Part Three-Neighbourhood

3 years had passed and now Rosie was seven years old and true to his promise William agreed to take Rosie into Nottingham whilst he did some business there. He collected his things and went to find Rosie who was playing outside there house in a mound of dirt

"Rosie" William said sighing as he saw his daughter's mud streaked face "Come here", he took his daughters hand and let her over to the well where Elle his eldest daughter was standing waiting with a bucket of water

"No!" Rosie shouted and ducked behind William as Elle went to wash her face

"Rosie come on!" Elle said taking her by the hand and pushing the wet cloth in her face.

Rosie squirmed and twisted but Elle held onto her firmly. After another brief struggle they were finished and Rosie's face was clean.

"Can you get her properly dressed whilst I saddle up the horse?" William said motioning to the torn mud streaked dress that Rosie wore.

Elle took her sisters hand and went indoors. She fished around in a cupboard and pulled out a pretty white dress that their mother had made years ago. Each of the Oak's daughters had worn it and now it was Rosie's turn. Rosie ran out of the room and came back with the dress on

"You look lovely" Elle said crouching down to smooth it out "Like a princess"

"No, I don't want to be a princess" Rosie sulked

"What do you want to be then?"

"An explorer like Daddy" Rosie said clambering up onto the stool as Elle tried to sort out her little sister's tangled mouse coloured hair "Ow" Rosie cried

"Sit still" Elle scolded as she brushed out Rosie's long hair and plaited a crown of flowers into it

"Why do I have to get dressed up, I'm only going into Nottingham" Rosie said wincing as Elle pulled her hair

"The king is in Nottingham today and father wants you to look nice" Elle said "There done" she smiled as she put the finishing touch to Rosie's hair and showed her in the mirror "What do you think?"

"Pretty" Rosie smiled admiring herself and giving Elle a hug

"Go to father now" Elle said ushering Rosie out of the door.

As Rosie ran out she nearly collided with Sapphire who was coming in. The two elder daughters sat in the room and watched out of the window as they saw their little sister run to their father who helped her up onto Bracken their old black horse

"Do you think father was right putting Rosie in white, it's a dangerous colour for her to wear" Elle said looking down at the dirt pile

"She's nothing like us..." Sapphire said gently

"...I know I was thinking the same thing whilst I was doing her hair. I have done both yours and Willow's but each time I called your princesses you two loved it but with Rosie she dismissed the idea and told me she wanted to be an explorer like father" Elle said frowning slightly

Sapphire wrinkled her nose at the thought of that but then said "She'll go where her heart leads and no one will be able to stop her"

"I know that's what I'm worried about" Elle said giving her sister a nervous look

William helped Rosie up onto Bracken and then he got on sitting behind her so he could catch her if she fell. Not that he needed to. Rosie was an avid rider brimming with confidence and already rode better than her sister's had at that age. She was close to Bracken and would spend hours sitting on the fence talking to him and in return Bracken trusted her when she rode him. Soon they were on the road leading up to Nottingham and William slowed Bracken's pace

"Daddy why do I have to wear a dress?" Rosie said as the novelty was wearing off

"Because I want you to look smart"

"For the king?" and William nodded "Why is he in Nottingham?"

"He wants me to help him with some maps"

"Will he want the ones I drew?" Rosie said referring to the map making skills William had been teaching her. Although her skills were good they had yet to be refined and her maps were detailed yet somehow inaccurate

But William not wanting to hurt her feelings said "He might do" and then they passed into Nottingham and they said no more. Rosie was taken back by all the sights, sounds and smells of Nottingham. People bustled to and fro chattering amongst themselves. She could hear music playing from travelling performers and she could hear the clang of the blacksmith and the chop of the carpenter. William stopped Bracken outside the Carpenters workshop and helped Rosie down. At the sound of the arrival a man exited the shop with a beam on his face as he saw who it was

"William!" the man said embracing him

"Dan Scarlet it is good to see you" William laughed

"And who is this young beauty?" Dan said mentioning to Rosie who had suddenly become very shy and was hiding behind William

"This is my Rosie" He said dragging her out from behind him

"She has your eyes" Dan smiled

At that point a young boy a few years older than Rosie came out of the workshop with sawdust in his hair. His father smiled at him gently and the boy grinned when he saw the visitors

"This is my son, Will" he said gesturing to the young boy

"Will this is William Oaks and his daughter Rosie"

"Pleased to meet you" he said to Rosie who became shy again and hid behind William

"She's a little shy" William said softly to Will who grinned in return

"I like your dress" he blushed

"I don't its girly" she sulked and Will grinned

"Yeah, it is a bit" he said laughing

"Rosie we should get going now" William said taking his daughter's hand

"Hope to see you soon Rosie" Will called before disappearing back inside the workshop

"Right now little one" he said pulling something out of his pocket "This is a compass rose, your very own compass rose and now you will never have to be lost again"

He held up the glass object to the light as it glistened in the sun. It was attached to a purple ribbon which matched her eyes. He fastened it round her neck and stepped back to look at his handiwork

"Thank you daddy" she said looking down at it

"Right now off we go to see the king" he said taking her hand and leading her towards the castle.

The compass rose round her neck glowed in the late summer sun almost like it was part of Rosie's very soul. William knew that she was safe now she had her compass rose he just hoped he hadn't left it too late this time.