"I still do not understand."
"Parveneh, must I explain everything a hundred times?"
The three women stood around the rose, which glowed a strong blue hue, contained inside a glass reliquary.
"The rose," the duchess said, "will be the downfall of our sweet prince."
"And why do we need to kill him?"
"Because, as long as he lives, Ivy cannot be harmed, remember?" The duchess growled in her throat. She had found out about that stupid midwife's little charm, and she knew by now that the prince was Ivy's one true love.
It was Souzan's turn to ask. "And why must we harm the both of them?"
"Because, dear, with the prince gone, my ascension to the throne will be that much easier. And with the silly girl gone, the prince can be gone without any intrusion," the duchess said with a smile. "By selling my soul to the reliquary, I shall have powers beyond anyone's imagination. I need Ivy's life energy to make it stronger, so that we may go through with our plan."
Souzan looked uncomfortable.
"I still don't like the plan," she said nervously.
The duchess didn't answer. She was leaning over a small pool of water. In the reflection, she watched as Ivy fell, as if dead, lying completely still. She saw Souzan take the form of Ivy, and the prince falling under her spell, to his death.
"It will work," she whispered, to no one in particular. "And when it does, the kingdom of Vievalla will be mine."
********************
Ivy couldn't help but think of the prince the following day. Try as she might, her heart continually dropped every time she thought of how she had been so sure he had changed. She worked in the garden, trying to suppress the hope that he might show up.
"Why?" she suddenly said to herself. "Why do you care if he shows up? He is obviously still the mean, arrogant snob that you saw back at the chateau."
But Ivy couldn't help but think that there was still a chance to turn him around.
"And that some Galinion princess isn't good enough for him," she mumbled.
"What was that?"
Ivy yelped and turned around. Adrian stood there, in his silly work clothes again, looking rather worried.
"I am sorry, I did not mean to frighten you," he said.
"It's alright," Ivy said.
"I am also sorry I am late," he said. "I was…delayed."
Ivy just nodded. She wasn't quite sure how to act around him.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No," she answered, although it sounded thoroughly unconvincing.
He nodded, and looked confused, but said, "So, what are we doing today?"
"Gardenias," she answered. She showed him how to plant them, and he was soon engrossed and completely dirty. They worked side by side silently for a few minutes.
"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" he said, looking sideways at her.
She sighed. "It's nothing."
He stopped working and leaned back on his knee, looking at her intently.
"Scarlett," he said.
"What?" she said, sounded exasperated.
"You're lying to me."
She leaned back as well, and looked at him. His brown eyes were looking fixedly into hers. She sighed, and broke the gaze.
"I just…"
"What?"
She hesitated.
"What is it you want to tell me?" he asked, knowingly.
"It's just that…I thought you said you had changed."
"What do you mean?"
"When you took me to Evelyn's last night, I didn't close the door all the way," she said cautiously.
He thought for a moment. "Oh."
"I just thought…I mean, I think, that you can change."
"How? How do you know?" he said, staring at her intensely now.
"I don't know, I just do. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've seen it there in you."
"Seen what?"
She shrugged. "Good. Kindness…I don't know." She bit her lip. This was not the way this conversation was supposed to go.
He sighed. "Maybe you're right." He thought for a moment. "It's just that… why? Why should I change?"
"Why not? You are going to be the king of this land one day."
"Don't remind me."
"One day your people will come to you for help, and you cannot turn them away like yesterday's bread. Because one day you will find the girl of your dreams, and she won't like arrogant snobs."
He sighed heavily. "I doubt it."
"Doubt what?"
"That I shall ever find someone."
"Don't say that."
"It's true! My station has defined my entire life. I was told that one day I will find a beautiful princess and that we shall live happily ever after. And do you know what? I believed them. All of them. My parents, my tutors, the nobles…everyone. And look! I have met dozens of beautiful princesses and not one of them could I picture living happily ever after with. Scarlett, don't you understand? It isn't going to happen for me. I am not going to lead that life."
She sighed, but didn't know what to say.
There was a long pause. Adrian was staring intently at the dirt, twirling some of it with his finger. His brow was furrowed in thought. Ivy watched him warily.
"Might I ask you something?" she said.
"What?"
"Why do want to work on this garden with me?"
He thought for a second. "Because, that was when I decided that maybe it was time for a change," he said with a sarcastic smile.
She sighed.
"If you want to stop, don't feel like you can't," she said.
It was his turn to sigh. "Do you really believe in me?" he said.
"Yes," she said. "Even if you are a bit confusing."
He chuckled. "Why, though?"
"I guess it's because I have to believe that people can change. That things won't always go in circles. That people won't always stay the same, that someone or something can convince them that they have to change," she said fervently.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that deep down inside, there is some good just dying to come out, all it takes is that one someone who can see it, and will it to come to the surface. That people who are terrible aren't really terrible, that they only appear that way because of some…insecurity. Or something just as terrible had happened to them in the past, or someone…" she trailed off. She realized she had long ceased to be thinking about the prince…she had been thinking of her stepfamily.
He was staring at her.
"How do get so passionate about these things?" he asked.
"I don't really know," she said. "I don't get so passionate about everything… hardly anything, as a matter of fact."
"But when you do, it's amazing."
She looked at him quizzically. "Really?"
"Yes. Just now, for instance, you weren't even looking at anything, your eyes just got this sort of glaze over them."
She took a deep breath, and created a little more space between them. He quickly filled it again.
"Maybe I can change."
"Do you mean it this time?"
"Yes."
"Then maybe this princess will the one," she said, sliding back from him again. He sighed.
"Yes, maybe."
***
Adrian thought with a mix of sadness and hope of his conversation with Ivy. He felt so drawn to her, and yet… she had distanced herself from him. He had been fascinated by her passion, but then she had said that the princess, of all people, could be the one. The princess!
He wasn't actually falling in love with her, was he? No, of course not. She was just helping him, being a friend. And who knows, maybe she was right. Maybe the princess would be the one; he would just have to wait and see.
***
"It's the prince! The prince is the one you're in love with!"
Evelyn was beside herself. Ivy had done nothing but discuss her conversation with the prince.
"What? Yesterday you talked of nothing but Julius!" Ivy reprimanded.
"Yes, well, that's different. Julius has already proclaimed his love for me. I have every right to talk about him."
"And to bore us all to death."
"Julius is a wonderful man!" Evelyn cried.
"I'm not saying he isn't. I'm just saying he's a bit more wonderful to you than he is to me."
"That's fair."
"But still, you are in love with him." Evelyn had not let the subject go.
"I am not!"
"Then why do you keep insisting that he's changing, and that he'll be such an amazing person when he does?" Evelyn said mockingly.
"Because! I truly believe he will be!" Ivy said defensively. "Besides, it's all your fault he thinks I'm someone I'm not."
"Oh, please. If he really does turn out to be this 'amazing person' you think he will, then you have nothing to worry about."
"I have nothing to worry about anyways! We're barely even friends."
"Oh really?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
Ivy went to sleep that night, turning over everything in her mind. She wasn't in love with him. That's ridiculous. Anyway, he'll meet that princess next week and completely forget about Scarlett. Which was fine with Ivy. The sooner this was over, the better.
**** Sorry this took so long! It's been a little crazy, but I hope you will forgive me? Please? I hope the thing with the rose makes sense… think 'Anastasia'. It will make more sense as the story goes on, I promise! But for now, review! Or I shall not update! (just kidding) ~Emma