Here it is! Sorry for the wait.
Chapter 12-I've Just Seen A Face
"And that gives you NO right to-" Lucy sighed and tuned Jacinda out again. It was midday, and because she had been exploring the castle by herself, Jacinda had taken the opportunity to yell at her about how poorly she treated Araminta. "-Little bitch, you don't deserve anyone like-"
'Wow they are a lot alike,' Lucy thought to herself. 'Hmm…I wonder what color would go better with this carpet?'
"-A whore like you shouldn't-"
'Maybe I can get Edmund to spar with me later…'
"-You deserve to be locked away and-"
'Dammit, I left my good boots in Narnia…'
"-Anyone would run at the sight of your-"
'What does Rama see in this lady?'
"-Someday you'll see, someday you'll be an old maid while-"
'I feel like I've been given this lecture before…'
"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME??"
"Of course Jacinda," Lucy said, this time out loud.
"You'd better be. Now where was I…ah, and that means he'll throw you away just like he threw away the star's daughter and my sister and-"
"How do you know about Ramandu's daughter?" Lucy asked.
"I know many things. But he'll discard of you just as he did them and you'll deserve it and-"
"Oh stuff it, Jacinda."
"Excuse me? Don't you dare talk to me like that! I'm a Princess of Calormen! You're just-"
"A Queen? Yes, last time I checked Queens were very low ranked," Lucy said sarcastically.
"Don't you use sarcasm with me! You'll regret this! I will avenge my sister and-"
"Araminta is alive, you know."
"Not inside! You tortured her!"
"How in Aslan's name did I torture her?"
"You used her, and all of you barbarians were horrible to her, and Caspian broke her heart by using a tramp like you to fulfill his needs!"
"His needs?" Lucy snorted. "What kind of a sentence is that?"
"SHUT UP!" Jacinda roared. "YOU ARE GOING TO SUFFER JUST AS SHE DID, I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT!"
"Is that your final point?" Lucy asked, trying not to show how nervous she was now.
"You disgust me," Jacinda spat, and stormed away. Lucy sunk onto the floor and put her head in her hands.
"Great," she said to herself. "Just what I need, another Calormen trying to make me miserable…who knows what she will do?" Lucy spent a few minutes trying to think of a few possible worst-case scenarios, and then started banging her head on her knees. "I'm so sick of this!"
"Er…are you ok?" Lucy looked up and was shocked to see a small red headed girl around her age looking down at her. Her face was bruised as were her arms and legs, the tunic she wore smelled and was rather dirty, and she was even bleeding in a few places.
"Am I ok? I think I should be asking you the same question," Lucy said, and the girl helped her up.
"I'm uh…just a little clumsy, that's all," the girl said. Lucy thought she might be lying, but she let it go. "What are you doing down here anyway? This is the basement of the castle."
"I was exploring, and then I started going every which way to try and throw off Jacinda. I must have ended up here."
"Jacinda can't be thrown off," the girl said, scowling. "She is…there aren't any words bad enough to describe her." Lucy laughed, and the girl smiled a little. "Anyway, I'll take you back up to the main part of the castle. It's rather confusing getting back when you don't know your way around."
"Thankyou," Lucy smiled. "My name is Lucy, by the way."
"I thought you might be one of the Narnians."
"Please, don't use any nasty titles or anything…I'd much rather just be Lucy."
"Of course. If I were royal, I'd feel the exact same way. My name is Rose."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you. It's nice to have a friend in this castle besides Vera. But what are you doing all the way down in the basement?"
"That is where my room is," Rose said.
"I thought the servant quarters were on the second floor," Lucy said, confused.
"They are. Fa--Nain just put me in the basement because we er…don't have a good history. He isn't very fond of me."
"I see. Well, I like you. I'll ask him if you could be my 'ladies maid' while I'm here."
"You would?" Rose asked, her eyes lighting up.
"Sure. You can stay in my room if you'd like."
"Then where will you sleep?"
"We can share," Lucy shrugged. "Or I can sleep with one of my brothers."
"That would be so kind of you. I am quite tired of sleeping down in the basement. I don't fear death, I don't fear battle, I will use a sword anytime I can…but spiders scare the living daylights out of me." Lucy laughed and said,
"I feel the exact same way. But you like sword play?"
"Yes. I know, it's weird, but-"
"No, it's not! I love it too!"
"You do?" Rose asked. "I've never met another woman that likes it."
"I do. My friend Damien teaches me. He's still in Narnia, but I love using a sword. And I hate dresses."
"Me too," Rose said, motioning to her tunic. "I haven't worn a dress in about two years."
"You're lucky. I still have to on formal occasions and such."
"I don't even have any anymore. Infact, I only have a couple of tunics and they're my brothers."
"My brothers are much too tall for me to wear theirs."
"So is mine. He's as tall as Prince Rama."
"Wow, that is tall." The two girls chatted as they walked back up to the main part of the castle, which was where they almost ran into King Nain.
"Lucy! How nice it is to--what are you doing with her?" he asked, glaring at Rose.
"I was coming to ask you if she could be my ladies maid while I stay here."
"Why? She wouldn't do the job very well."
"Be mean," Rose hissed in Lucy's ear. Lucy looked a little shocked, but said,
"That's why. I thought I might be able to get the wench in better shape for you. I could do the job very well."
"Fine then. But don't complain if she stays an imbecile forever." Nain walked off, and Rose grinned.
"Yes!"
"Why is he so horrible to you?" Lucy asked her.
"I told you, we have a bad history."
"Then why does he even keep you in the castle?"
"That part is much too complicated for an explanation right now," Rose said vaguely. "I will tell you once I've gotten to know you better."
"Alright, I will hold you to that. My room shouldn't be too far away, so you can wash and change, and then I will introduce you to my brothers and Caspian."
"That sounds very nice, thankyou."
"Oh! Here it is." Lucy opened her door, and Rose followed her in.
"It's been a long time since I was in one of these rooms," Rose said quietly.
"Now, I know you don't like wearing dresses anymore than I do, but at the moment, that's all I have. If you'd like, I can go ask the boys if I can borrow a few."
"No that's alright. I think I can manage for now."
"Ok…what color would you like?"
"I've always been rather fond of green."
"Me too," Lucy said. "You know, if I didn't come from another world, I'd think we were related." Rose laughed and took the piece of clothing from her new friends hands, then walked into her bathroom.
"Lu?"
"Come in."
"Where have you been?" Edmund asked as he sat down next to her.
"I was exploring the castle," she said. She thought it best to leave out the part about Jacinda for now.
"I heard voices in here."
"Oh, I met the most wonderful girl…her name is Rose. She's one of the servants, and I swear, she is my other half."
"Lucy I forgot, do you have a brush I could borrow?" Rose asked, coming out of the bathroom. She was still very dirty, so she obviously hadn't been in the bath yet, but her hair was down and she was wrapped in a towel.
"Yes, hold on," Lucy said. Rose smiled at her, but then she caught sight of Edmund. Her eyes widened, and he smirked.
"How about I just look away," he said, still smirking, and turned around.
"I don't care if you do or not," she retorted, turning a little red.
"Oh, alright then." He turned back around and stared at her, still smirking and his eyes full of mirth. She grew even redder. Their eyes locked and Lucy came back into the main part of the room.
"Here you go. Pick any soap you want, they all smell lovely. And if you want a good shampoo, use the green bottle. I make it myself."
"Thanks Lucy." She disappeared behind the door again, and Edmund found himself still looking at the door even when she had gone behind it.
"What are you staring at?" Lucy asked him.
"Nothing."
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"Wow."
"What?" Rose asked as she walked out of the bathroom.
"You look different."
"Being clean tends to make a person look that way. Now, who was in here before?"
"That was my brother Edmund. Sorry about him, he can be a pill when he wants to be."
"I don't care, I was just wondering."
"Come, I'll introduce you to him properly. And Peter and Caspian." Lucy took Rose by the hand and led her to the sitting room where her brothers and Caspian were gathered.
"What's up, Lu?" all three boys said at the same time.
"I have someone I'd like you to meet. Rose, this is Peter, Caspian, and Edmund." Rose blushed a little when she met Edmund's eyes, and he raised an eyebrow. "Rose, these are my brothers, and the most wonderful man in the world."
"Wow, I like it when you introduce me," Caspian said, grinning. He went over to shake Rose's hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too."
"So how long have you been in the castle?" Peter asked Rose once the story of how Lucy had come upon her had been told.
"Since I was born…so almost 16 years."
"You're only 15?" Lucy asked, and she nodded.
"My birthday is in two weeks, though."
"Even so, you look a lot older than 16," Edmund said, and Rose looked at him.
"Gee thanks," she said sarcastically.
"Sorry about him," Peter apologized.
"He isn't such a prick once you get to know him," Caspian added.
"It's nice to know you all think so highly of me," Edmund said wryly. "So Rose, are you at all acquainted with Jacinda, or Vera?"
"Yes, both of them. I'm er…not fond of either."
"Why don't you like Vera?" Lucy asked curiously, but at that moment the door opened to reveal the same woman she had just asked about.
"Hello everyone," she smiled, and immediately went over to the sofa Edmund was sitting on so she could sit next to him, even though there were two empty chairs closer to the door. Rose gulped as the woman looked at her, and their eyes met. "I didn't think I'd see you here."
"You thought wrong."
"I guess I did."
"Huh," Peter said, and the others turned to him.
"What?" Lucy asked.
"It's just…you two kind of look alike," he said, nodding at Vera and Rose.
"No we don't," they said together. For the most part, they didn't. Vera had shoulder length, beautiful, wavy black hair. Her eyes were a dark blue, and she had very fair skin. Rose on the other hand, had red hair that fell down to her waist in messy, frizzy curls. Her eyes were hazel-a mixture of blue, green and grey, and she was much shorter and much tanner than Vera. And yet, they resembled each other slightly.
"He's right," Caspian nodded. "That's weird. Are you at all related?" The two girls froze up, but it was Vera who found her tongue.
"Maybe somewhere down the line," she said vaguely. No more questions could be asked, however, for the dinner bell began to ring. Everyone got up but Rose.
"Aren't you coming?" Lucy asked her, and the younger girl shook her head.
"I don't eat with the rest of the castle."
"Now that you're our friend, you should eat at the same table we do," Peter said kindly, and pulled Rose up from the sofa. "My lady?" She grinned and took his arm, both of them oblivious to the jealous looks from one of the occupants of the sitting room. Caspian took Lucy's hand, so Vera instantly grabbed Edmund's arm. They walked down to the dining hall, Peter and Rose chatting amiably, and Caspian and Lucy just enjoying each other's presence. Edmund, however, couldn't even get a word in because Vera wouldn't stop talking to him.
When they reached their destination, Edmund found himself seated on the end and next to Vera, so he couldn't talk to much of anyone except her. He liked Vera a lot, but this was beginning to be too much.
"Oh this food is good," Rose said after she had taken a bite. Peter laughed and said,
"You've never had it before? You live here."
"Like I said, I don't usually eat at these meals."
"When do you eat?" Lucy asked.
"When I find food," Rose said, ignoring the looks she was receiving from Vera. "So are you enjoying yourselves here?"
"Very much," Caspian said. "Vera has been very welcoming and she's excellent company."
"Why thankyou, Caspian."
"I am glad we have another friend now, however. Most of the castle seems to be manipulated by Jacinda, it will be good to have some more help," Peter said.
"Help?" Rose asked, confused.
"They're helping me prove Jacinda is a fraud and she doesn't actually love Rama," Vera said coldly.
"Can I help?" Rose asked eagerly. Vera opened her mouth to say no, but Edmund cut her off.
"I don't see why not," he shrugged. "I know atleast I'd definitely like the company." Rose turned a little pink, and he smirked. "You seem to do that everytime I say anything to you."
"Do what?" she asked.
"Blush."
"I do not," she said indignantly. "And even so, you always seem to smirk when I say anything to you."
"It's my nature."
"Maybe blushing is mine."
"You just admitted you do."
"Fine then, I do."
"Why?"
"I'm just not used to talking to someone as pretty as you," she said sarcastically.
"No one is, it's hard to find someone like me." Lucy, Caspian and Peter all stared at him in shock. He hadn't acted this cocky since the days when Peter ruled as High King at Cair Paravel. Rose, however, who didn't know anything of Edmund's nature, laughed and said,
"Well then, I guess I'm very lucky to have met someone so extraordinary and modest as you." They ended the conversation, but their eyes didn't leave the other. It seemed to be a battle of who would look away first, and Rose won, because Vera got Edmund's attention. As she was talking to him, Rose turned to Caspian and Lucy.
"So I'm assuming you two are together?" she asked, and they nodded.
"Yes." They smiled at each other, and Peter mimed throwing up. Lucy just smacked him upside the head.
"Ow!"
"What? The brave warrior High King Peter can't take a slap from a girl?" Lucy teased.
"Not when she's you," he laughed, still rubbing the back of his skull.
"What about you, Peter? Are you with anyone?"
"Yes, I'm engaged to an elf named Shaina."
"She's pregnant!" Lucy added.
"Lucy's very excited about being an aunt, you see," Caspian explained. "She's always had a soft spot for children."
"How can someone not have a soft spot for children?" Rose asked, and Vera averted her gaze from Edmund to Rose.
"I don't," she said.
"Oh, yes, I know," Rose scowled. "How could I forget?"
"You don't like children?" Edmund asked Vera, and she shook her head.
"Not at all. They're obnoxious and selfish."
"Look who's talking," Rose mumbled under her breath. Vera rounded on her.
"What was that?" she snapped, and Rose smiled sweetly.
"Nothing." Vera looked positively livid, but Edmund put a hand on her arm and said,
"Calm down, she didn't say anything," he lied, and winked at Rose. Vera instantly melted and gazed dreamily at Edmund's face, completely oblivious to the silent conversation between Rose and the man she was lusting after.
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"So you can either share with me, or I can go ask Edmund or Peter," Lucy said to Rose much later that night. They had spent atleast five hours talking with Edmund, Vera, Peter and Caspian, so now it was nearly midnight. In those five hours Rose found herself having the time of her life, and she already felt as if she had known them for a long time. Caspian, Peter and Edmund all loved her, and Lucy did as well. Vera, however, still held a grudge against her and had spent the night trying to stop the others from befriending Rose. It hadn't worked, so she contented herself with being as flirtacious with Edmund as possible. When she had fallen asleep on Edmund (by accident, of course?) he had to carry her to her room, which was when the others realized they should go to bed as well.
"Do you care if we share?"
"Not at all. I feel as if you're another sister already, and I used to share with Susan all the time."
"You have a sister? Where is she?"
"Far away. Very far away," Lucy sighed. "I miss her so much…" Rose put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Atleast you like your sister. I don't get along with mine at all."
"I don't either anymore. You see, she's changed a lot, and for the worse. She isn't at all like she used to be. She used to be such fun, but now all she cares about are boys." Lucy sighed again, and continued. "Atleast I have my brothers."
"They seem to love you very much."
"They do. As much as I love Caspian, I don't know what I'd do without Edmund or Peter here."
"I understand. My brother is all I have."
"That's not true, you have us now," Lucy grinned. "I'm going to say goodnight to Edmund since I never got the chance. Would you like to come?"
"Sure," she shrugged. Rose followed Lucy out into the hall and into the door next to her room.
"Ed?" Lucy called out, and he walked out of the bathroom, towel around his waist.
"Ha! Now you know how it feels," Rose smirked.
"Like what you see?" he smirked back, and Rose just raised an eyebrow.
"You wish."
"Do you two ever stop?" Lucy groaned.
"Stop what?" they asked together.
"Flirting!"
"We don't flirt!" they said indignantly.
"Yeah ok," Lucy snorted. "We came to say goodnight since you left before we got the chance."
"Ah right. Well goodnight," he said, and hugged Lucy. He turned to Rose and they just stood there awkwardly. "Er…"
"Goodnight," she said, and nodded at him. He did the same, and the two girls left the room.
"Oh Aslan, what's gotten into me?" Edmund groaned, and collapsed onto his bed.
Hope you enjoyed it! Did you like Rose? Tell me what you think, please!
