Hey everyone! I hope you are enjoying the story so far :) I'm sorrt I haven't been able to update for a while! :p reviews appreciated x
Tomboy or Princess?
Chapter 7
"Good afternoon, George." Rose smiled, as she entered The Dancing Dove, full as ever from the workers on their midday breaks. The tavern looked a lot different in daylight, with sunshine lighting the room rather than a dimly lit candle. It had been two days since her first watch as palace guard, and she was yet to visit George as she was exhausted from the early rises.
George sat at his table, with a jug of water in one hand, and a bread roll in the other, his eyes boring into empty space. "I'm glad to see you are feeling better! I hope that bread isn't from Mrs Patsy's stall." She mocked a scornful look and rested her hand on her hips.
George recaptured his long lost stare. Something wasn't right. Usually he would welcome her with open arms. But that day, he hadn't.
"I need to speak with you, Mathew." He snapped. Rose jumped at his sudden harshness.
"In private."
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"What, George?" Rose asked, she hoped his mood was from the alcohol sickness. He ignored her question and led her upstairs to his room. Rose went in first, then George knelt down on his knees and fiddled with the lock. She assumed he had magicked it, but for what reason she did not know.
After brushing his hands on his tunic, he crossed them over his chest and stood to face her, his glare was enough to make her cower in the corner. "What's your real name?" He barked, Rose jumped again. But not at his voice, but instead because of the cold adrenaline running up and down her veins. "Wha..." She mumbled, frustrated because she didn't know what to say, he had remembered seeing her with her hair down the evening before.
"This has to be the end of me!" She screamed inside. One bad word from the lips of the Rogue would be enough to be prowled on by a city of rats for the rest of her life.
George rolled his eyes in frustration, "Tell me, Lass!" He accentuated the Lass, to let it sharply slice the innards of her slow beating, cold flesh. Rose let her cheeks redden, and tried to hold the tears back, but they flowed from her eyelids like waterfalls spilling over a pink cliffs. "Oh, please don't tell anyone George!" She cried. "I just wanted to..." George let his shoulders relax a little. "Just wanted t' what? Pull one over our eyes! As if we were children who knew no better?" He questioned, his voice was still tense, but he seemed kinder now.
Rose dabbed her cheeks on the sleeve of her tunic, thank the gods her nose hadn't started running. She cleared her throat, "I just wanted to serve at the palace, George!" She whined, "I have to pay back my sister, she basically raised me by herself! She wasted her childhood on me, and it makes me hate myself everyday because of it." She gasped. No longer her tears flowed, but her words did.
George nodded his head kindly. Rose was relieved he hadn't yet cut her throat for lying. "What's your real name, Lass." He repeated his question that Rose had reluctantly ignored at the beginning of the conversation.
"Rose Nightly." She hung her head in shame, and reached up to grab the scruffy mat of wig from her head. Her blonde hair rested at her waist, itching her back, but she knew it was no time to get distracted.
George pulled up two chairs next to the hearth and collapsed into one, running his big hands through his short hair. "Sit." He commanded,
Rose obeyed and sat down in the seat. "Explain."
She sighed, it was to be a long day.
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"But if your father died when y' were so wee, Rose, how come ye and your sister weren't put in the children's home?" George asked, he and Rose had been talking for over an hour, but the time still had not reached mid afternoon.
"Well, my sister was fourteen when my father died. The age most girls were married and had families bigger than the amount of fingers on my hands." She said. " The women at the children's home thought they needn't have any use for us, and my sister was old enough to raise me." She finished, George scoffed. "Old enough to bare children? I think not."
Rose didn't want to continue the conversation any further, it made her feel ever so guilty. "But why a palace guard, Rose?" He questioned. Rose sat taller in her seat, she had forgotten a person with such title should sit politely.
"Well, I had always dreamt of becoming a knight, the excitement of it all was incredible!" She gasped, dreams of galloping over foreign lands, and fighting for their King seeped back into her memory. "But alas I am no blue blood." She sighed, kicking at the edge of the carpet. "Or male." She added.
George furrowed his brows. "But if you liked the action so much, why not become a dog of the Provost guard?" He questioned, "Y'know it's legal for a lass to be one of 'em."
"I have no knowledge of the city and its ways, George. And the pay was not twice as good as the guard's." She said. George fiddled with the collar of his shirt. "If you be slavin' away in the city, why aren't ye both living in the 'ere?" He asked. "My sister got pregnant to some toe-scum of a man that left her for another woman." She answered. Rose had always dreamt of ripping him to a million shreds, so the remains of his body would copy the snow falling on the snow capped mountains of Corus.
There was a sudden rasp on the door, someone wanted to come in, and fast.
George ran to the door and squinted through a small peep-hole. "It's Alan!" He whispered furiously, "Quick! Go put ye wig on!" He cried. Rose had to laugh at his concern, "It's alright George, let him in." She giggled.
George gave Rose an odd look before he opened the door and let Alanna in.
Alanna had changed into a plain tunic just as Rose had, thieves in this area were smart about burgling people dressed from the palace.
"George, why aren't you downstairs? Me 'n Jon have been waiting a while!" She snapped, Rose now knew that her temper matched her hair. Alanna saw George's silence, and then noticed Rose sitting by the fireplace fiddling with her long hair. "Oh." She breathed. "Afternoon Rose. You know, the more people you tell secrets, the more unwanted ears will hear 'em too." Alanna put her hands on her hips in concern. Rose's cheeks went flushed, "Afternoon Alanna.", George interrupted the pair, looking gobsmacked. "What?!" He boomed loudly.
"How were you told, Alanna? Not me? Am I so untrustworthy?" He sulked. Alanna rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, George." She said, mocking kindly. "I figured it out for my self if you must be so nosy." She ran her hands through her fiery bob. George still looked as though someone had hit him with a rotten fish. "But..." He stumbled, looking frantically at empty space, then relaxed and slid down to the floor. "I dunno anymore, lass." He sighed. Alanna laughed coldly, "It it getting too much for the Rouge? Mayhap you'll have to retire early, George." She snickered. This made Rose laugh, the two couldn't be anymore different, but yet they suited each other so well.
"Is Jon downstairs?" Rose asked curiously, she thought it mayhap be nice to spend the evening with the Prince and the others. Alanna nodded her head.
Let's forget our woes and you can drown them in ale George!" She chirped, stuffing the wig back into Roses's hair and grabbed her by the arm. George huffed, and followed Alanna and Rose downstairs.
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The three met the young prince at their usual spot and exchanged greetings. Rose was please to see her friends after such a long time at the palace. She had made friends with Muat and Smithy, but the other guards preferred to spend their spare time with their hands up young servant skirts.
"Another ale, George?" Rose asked, with an evil grin. George turned pale and held his hand to his stomach. "It 'as been two days Matty, but me stomach has not quite fully recovered." He said. Jon laughed, "So while poor Alan and I have been slaving away at the palace, you two have been emptying barrels of ale!" He mocked scornfully. "Aye, but only one night." George smiled, Rose was glad Jon didn't ask why George had been drowning his sorrows.
"So what have you and Alan been doing that has taken up all of your concentration." Rose asked, curious as to what the duties Jon had to attend to in such haste. George leaned forward, obviously keen to cop an earful of gossip. Jon and Alanna both glanced at each other before Jon explained, Rose thought it mayhap be secret palace business that would be handy to keep up her sleeve, so she listened carefully.
"We have been having trouble with the slaves from the Copper Isles," he said.
George shook his head, "Well the crown wouldn't have the problem if we abolished slavery." He growled. Jon stuck his chest out in defence, "Don't blame this on my father, George." He warned. Alanna nodded her head in agreement, "Yes, slavery is a terrible thing George. But our society was built by slaves, they have been branded in our history since the beginning of time." She told George, "It's not as if the King created the whole thing, he was stuck with it from the beginning he was crowned."
Rose sighed, "No matter who's fault it is, it still doesn't make it right." She said. Everyone at the table nodded their heads in agreement.
"Anyhow," Jon continued, "As you know the main head of the Isles is the Queen. There has been an uproar as to whom will become the next heiress, as the queen has not yet bore children." He said. "Why not?" Rose asked.
Jon sighed, "She has no husband, but there is a myth that she did have a child to a white man many years ago, and she and the babe suffered in the birth, they think she is mayhap to scared to birth again. But alas, if she had a daughter, there would be no unrest." He said.
"The people think there mayhap be an overthrowing of the Queen. That is whats causing so much anger." Jon said, "The slaves wish to return home and fight for or against the Queen. Many have tried to escape within the past few days, and brawls amongst them have grown hugely popular." He finished.
Rose was puzzled, usually the Raka kept peaceful I most situations, it was rare for there to be an altercation amongst them. "Keep an eye out for any suspicious movements, George." Alanna told him. George agreed to do so.
"You too, Mathew." Jon asked her. "Yes of course," Rose replied, "I share the same dorm with just one Raka, but he seems to trust me, so I'll put in a few words with him." She said. Jon began to look her up and down, making Rose extremely uncomfortable and her cheeks stain red. "Yes, please do so." He said, and Rose nodded. "Although... Don't mind me asking, Mathew, but are you of Raka blood?" He questioned. Rose wanted to bang her head down on the table in frustration. "I don't think so, I think I'm just tanned from farm work." She replied calmly. But George joined in, "Are you sure? Well for the exception of your..." He was stopped short of his sentence by a glare from Alanna. "...Your blue eyes." He puffed. But Rose calmly persisted, "I am sure of it." She said.
"We best be getting back to the palace then, Jon?" Alanna said, she knew that the conversation was beginning to get dangerous. Jon smiled a handsome grin, one that made Rose's stomach do somersaults. "Yes, I think that would be best, Alan." He said. The pair stood from the table and said their goodbyes, "Won't you come back with us, Mathew?" Jon asked. Rose shook her head, "I have three days off, so I thought I might stay in the city." She smiled. But before Jon could reply, his voice was cut off by a small, sweet voice, much similar to Rose's sister's. "Excuse me, but is that you, Mathew?" It asked, and much to Rose's surprise, she turned to see her sister standing behind her.
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"Grace!" Rose cried, and she grabbed her sister in a tight embrace. "I've missed you, Mathew." She giggled in Rose's ear. "And to whom do we owe the pleasure?" George asked, whipping Rose out of the fast spinning whirlpool of emotions. "I am Grace Nightly, Mathew's older sister." Grace smiled. Realisation and shock hit the three faces before Rose and Grace.
"Bu...But you two look nothing alike!" Alanna questioned. "Aye!" George agreed, Jonathan nodded his head.
"We don't, do we?" Grace laughed, Rose smiled, she loved having her sister by her side, even though Rose towered over her by far. Grace wore a dainty lavender dress that hid her baby bump well, to Rose it was as if she had no babe in her belly at all. Her furious curls were swept up into a bun, showing off the pale skin of her neck and her smooth green eyes and plump lips.
"What are you doing in the city?" Rose asked, "You shouldn't be travelling with a babe in your belly." She warned Grace, but her sister waved the comment off. "I came to see how you were, I haven't seen you in months!" She smiled.
"Well you can't possibly go home now, Grace!" Rose said with concern, "The babe must be due any day now! You'll have to have it here." She said scornfully. "My mother is a woman's healer," George said to Grace, "She would be glad to help with the delivery?" He asked, Alanna nodded her head,
"It would be too risky to travel alone, forgive me, but I did not realise you were pregnant?" She asked puzzled. "Easy prey for bandits." George said.
Grace huffed in disappointment, "I come to visit you, Mathew and all you do is bombard me with questions!" She scorned Rose. "Sorry, Grace, but we do worry for you." She said. Grace sighed and hugged Rose again. " I'm sorry, everyone, my mood is wilder than the seas of Port Cayan." She blushed.
"Not a worry, Grace." Jon smiled. "I think we best leave you to it!" He exclaimed, "Yes, I agree." Alanna added. "I'll see you both out." George smiled, "I won't interrupt you two again until tomorrow evening." He said, " I have some unfinished business to attend to." He finished. And with that, Grace and Rose were left to themselves.
"Oh I've missed you, Rose." Grace exclaimed. Rose held a finger to her lips to hush her. "Not here, I have a room upstairs." She said.
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Rose's room was still warm, the fire cackled quietly but hypnotically.
"Oh!" Grace gasped. "Let's sit down by the fire." She said, eyeing off the armchair greedily. Rose pulled up a small wooden stool from underneath the bed and dragged it beside Grace's armchair.
"How did you find me?" Rose asked, she hoped Grace hadn't gone to a tracking Mage, Rose would have died from embarrassment.
"Oh, I made it halfway up to the palace,"
"You walked up to the palace in your condition! Constellations above, Grace!"
Rose exclaimed. But Grace laughed her sister's concern off. "I was only going to walk half way then beg for a ride with someone!" She winked. Rose shook her head.
"As I was saying, I met a nice Raka man. I think his name was... Matu?... No, I think it was..." She thought. "Muat?" Rose tried. Grace's eyes lit up, "Yes! That was it, Muat." She exclaimed, "Muat offered me a ride up to the palace, he said that he was a Guard also! Do you know each other?" Grace asked.
Rose bit her lip, "Yes, I do." She said.
"Well," Grace started, "he kindly asked me what business I had at the palace, I then told him I was looking for you, and he said where you might be." She winked, "To bad you're my brother...not sister." She sighed dramatically.
"He is very handsome!" She exclaimed. Rose shook her head,
"This is why I don't want to be a girl." She shook her head again.
Grace laughed hysterically, "Anyhow, what business brings you here?" She said, thankfully off the girly topics Rose too felt uncomfortable to discuss.
"Those three men, are my new friends, George is runs this tavern, Alan is Jon's squire, and Jon is the Prin..." Rose flung a hand to her gob, and Grace's eyes lit up like a wildfire. "The Prince!" She gasped, "why was he down here?!
Surely not! I mean... Really!" She exclaimed, Rose put another finger to her lips to hush her frantic sister once again.
"Yes, he is Prince Jonathan, but you must swear not to tell anyone!" She whispered furiously. Grace nodded her head solemnly. "Ok, not a word."
"Good." Rose snapped, her sister had the gift of the gab that could spread gossip to the countryside and back.
"How is it going up there?" Grace asked, resting her hand on Rose's knee.
"It's going well," Rose began, "I have a nice enough partner, we guard the nursery together." she said, smiling at the thought of dimpled cheeks and nursery rhymes. Grace nodded her head.
"Not as much action as I had anticipated, but I suppose that's what every palace guard wants, really." She sighed.
"Anyway, how was the boat trip?" Rose asked her sister, she knew that she definitely wouldn't have taken the long dangerous trek as Rose had.
Grace's cheeks went pale, "Horrid!" She said, "I was made to sit next to two Raka slaves, who kept trying to escape." She told her sister.
Rose already knew why, "Yes, there is problems within the Raka court at the moment, the queen has still not yet provided the next heiress." She shook her head.
"All slaves from the Isles wish to return home and fight for, or against the poor queen." She shook her head. "I do feel sorry for her, she has many rumours spread of her about a kidnapped daughter bred by a white lover." Rose sighed. Grace began to shuffle uncomfortably in her seat, but Rose assumed it was baby pains.
"May I feel your belly?" Rose asked, she had longed to feel the gentle kick of her niece against her palm. Once again, Grace shuffled uncomfortably in her chair. With no response, Rose gently shook her sister's arm to make sure she was well. At her touch, Grace jumped out of her seat.
"Do not touch me, Rose!" She wailed. Rose assumed it was her moodiness that was fiddling with her emotions. "Why not? Is there something wrong? I could go and get the Women's heal..." Grace burst into tears before Rose could finish her sentence. "No, she can't do anything!" Grace wailed.
Rose stood beside her sister and hugged her tightly. She felt so skinny for a pregnant woman, even considering Grace was quite thin before she conceived. "Why not, Grace?" She muttered into her ear. Grace pulled away from Rose and wiped her cheeks.
"Because there is no baby, Rose."
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Rose stepped back at her sister's statement, if not surprised beyond belief.
"Wha..?" She gasped, "What do you mean! No baby?" Rose stuttered.
Grace returned to her chair, sitting stiffly against the plush cushions that ached for her to relax in. Grace cleared her throat and blew her nose on a daintily embroidered handkerchief.
"I didn't just come see how you were doing, Rose" Grace began, "I need to tell you something very important." She said. Rose sat down on her stool, but said nothing. She was too shocked as to what her sister had told her to be concerned about any other matters.
"Now, you must swear on your life you will tell nobody what I am about to say to you." She told Rose sternly. Rose began to feel an ache in the back of her throat, something that happened before she cried.
"Al...Alright, I swear." She mumbled. "Good, don't interrupt me either, otherwise we'll be here for hours." Grace replied stunted, and Rose nodded her head obediently.
"Seventeen years ago, your father visited the Copper Isles as a Corussian ambassador for a meeting amongst all the provinces of Tortall." Grace began.
"Whilst he was there, he fell in love with a most beautiful woman, the newly crowned Queen of the Isles." She said. Rose let out a gasp, such a scandal would have led to execution if anyone were to discover the pair. But still Rose kept silent. If she spoke, the tears would flood her cheeks like a raging river.
"But unfortunately, the Queen became pregnant, so she travelled to the countryside to conceal her pregnancy until the baby was born. The Queen returned home, and left the baby with your father until she could find away to keep her newly born daughter, without spoiling her reputation." Grace said, staring of into the distance of the rooftops of the lower city.
"All went to plan, except when for when the one of the Queen's servants bragged she knew the baby before anyone else did, including the Queen's Mother to her friends." She sighed. "So as you could imagine, Rose, the gossip spread like a wildfire. Most believed it untrue, with the strong exempt of the Queen's mother." Rose began to feel sorrow for the poor Queen.
"The Queen's mother was so wicked, she sent for the rumoured baby to be executed. She would have no spoiled blood infiltrate the clean bloodlines of the royal Raka family." Grace sniffed, "But thankfully, your father escaped in time, and sailed to the countryside of Tortall, where he knew his daughter would be safe." She smiled. Rose couldn't believe it, her father had an affair with a Queen!
"Seventeen years ago!" Rose thought, "that's the time when I was bor..."
Rose stopped. Her blood ran cold, and her heart seemed as though it did not beat anymore. "You mean, I am the missing princess?" Rose stuttered.
Very solemnly, Grace nodded her head.
"Yes, Rose, you are the missing Princess of The Copper Isles."
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