Disclaimer: Sleeping Beauty isn't mine (obviously)...but all extra plot is!
Roses Red
Chapter IV
Queen Elaine of Nimind
A woman sat at a long dining table, a look of utter annoyance on her pretty face. She wore a black gown that complemented with the pale green tinge of her skin and made her fair hair look brighter. Her steel colored eyes stared out blankly to where a large fire roared pleasently while her hands fiddled with the end of her braid.
There was suddenly the sound of the large door that led into theroom being pushed open and a handsome man of middle years stalked into the room, sitting opposite the woman. The man had thick jet-black hair and sideburns that were just starting to salt and pepper. He had a beard cut in the upcoming fashion from the priests of the Aryans (the New Religioners as they were sometimes referred to as) and he had a tall and solid build. His mouth bore wrinkles that came not from smiling and his face had the arrogant look of someone who didn't quite believe that they were being subjected to indignity of having to do something for themselves.
The woman focused her eyes on him, frowning a little, an eyebrow raised in supreme delicacy, "You're late," she said, her voice ringing loudly across the empty room. The man gazed back at her, looking nonplussed," This is my house and I say you're early."
She would have laughed at the arrogance of that statement if she wasn't so annoyed with the man. 'Stupid mortal! Him and his goddamn things will cause problems amongst the army! Self-absorbed prick!'. "You imbecile! I have things to do and I have been stuck in this damn room waiting for you for an hour! And I arrived a half-hour late! Where in the name of Morrigan were you?"
"Trying to find your princess," the man retorted, crossing his arms and looking down his nose at her.
"Well, if you had done your job and that imbecile of a man- Matthew- hadn't made her run away into the forest she might be dead by now! If you had put the thought through your thick skull only a few days earlier this whole mess might not have happened! But, because of you everything will have to be planned again!"sheyelled at him angrily.
"Well, Trista, while you're mentioning my mistakes, let me go on about yours. If you hadn't been so stupid and had got up off your arse the moment you'd heard she'd run away, she might be six feet under by now. And let me tell you that I have found the only thing Ebony ordered you and your husband to bring her information on!Without your husband or your help, might I add," he said, smirking at her, an eyebrow cocked arrogantly.
Trista felt her mouth drop open and her steel eyes widen in shock, "You? You found out where the stones lie?" she guessed, hoping, praying that he couldn't be talking about a quest that had gone on for centuries and had been unsuccesful during all those years.
"Yes. All that's needed is a strong magician to empower them and The Five Kingdoms will be in Ebony's control.And I'm the one who will have brought them to her...not her most loyal friends and supporters. No, I did it!And after their conquest, what's stopping her from taking thesmaller countries?The only problem is that little chit, Aurelia."
"Don't worry," Trista said, her mind already forming plans, her former anger at the idiot replaced by awe, "That is something that can be take care of."
Exhausted, Aurelia opened pale eyes to see a tall woman looking down upon her with a scrutinizing gaze. Aurelia sat up quickly, giving the woman a suspicious glare, "What do you want?" Aurelia asked, blinking the sleep out of her worn eyes, gathering her sheetover her cold body.
"Isn't that the way of youth! No gratitude anymore!" the woman said haughtily, rolling her eyes at Aurelia and looking not to be much older than a youth herself, "I am healing you, you ungrateful child!"
Aurelia frowned at her, blinking at her owlishly before speaking, "And how was I supposed to know that? I was kidnapped, brought to a foreign place and now wake up to an unknown woman glaring at me while I slept...that wouldn't look odd to you?"
"You have no idea what looks odd to me..."she murmured quietly, "My name is Elaine Numond, Queen of Nimind, by the way...you're safe here in the Waer palace, um..."
"Um, my name is...Denise. Yea, that's right Denise..."Aurelia asked, looking around her, noticing that the room was a different one from the one she'd woken in during her last bout of conciousness. 'Queen of Nimind? Shit! Nimind is an ally of Dyrria...ah, Goddess be praised she obviously doesn't know who I am...'
"Er...right," Aurelia said to cover up the silence, "Um...is there a reason why I am covered in bandages?" she asked, gesturing with her eyes towards areas of white that hadn't been there during her last memory.
"Yes," Elaine said shortly, massaging Aurelia's legs slowly, eyes concentrating on a spot above Aurelia's head, "Good," she murmured quietly, moving to Aurelia's feet. Aurelia stifled a gasp as she began to massage them.
"What?" Elaine paused, looking up worriedly, beginning to prod the feet anxiously.
"Er, sorry. I'm ticklish," Aurelia murmured embarrasedly. Elaine flashed a small smile and continued to work around Aurelia's body, massaging the bandaged areas for what Aurelia supposed was bleeding or pain.
"Well, you're in much better condition! I expect you to stay bedridden for the following week or two and then such excercises as I deem fit...you won't be ready for any excruciating activities for a month at least. I'd better not see you attempting any...tiring feats," she raised her eyebrows at Aurelia severely and left the room and Aurelia heard a soft click that meant the door had been locked.
'Damn it!'
The Queen visited Aurelia every day, usually more than once, and always she brought with her the small silver goblet for her to drink from. The first time Elaine had tried to asked Aurelia to drink the medicined drink, Aurelia had flatly refused.
"I'm not going to drink that!" Aurelia exclaimed, looking down into the clear liquid which chose that moment to show a wisp of smoke, "It just smoked at me! Usually things that smoke are not good for the health," Aurelia said cheekily; Aurelia lacked the respect most granted Elaine because Elaine never acted the queen to Aurelia so that many times Aurelia forgot and only thought that she was another healer like her sister Marie-albeit, a bit more bossy than Marie had ever been with Aurelia.
"Madam, if you don't want to have this shoved down your throat I suggest you drink it," a guard said obnoxiously from the doorway. Aurelia frowned at him, turning afiery-eyed glare to him. The guard shuffled his feet a little under the scrutinizing glare, but didn't say anything.
"And how do I know your not just trying to poison me?" she asked shrewdly, turning her glare to where Elaine stood impatiently.
"I can give you four reasons; first, we've been giving you this for the past two weeks that you've been bedridden and unconcious. Second, may I remind you that as a healer, I really wouldn't want to waste valuable supplies on someone I'm just going to poison anyways. Third, you are not in the situation to refuse anything that could help heal you," she looked pointedly at where white bandages still covered her feet and legs and Aurelia could feel the stickiness of her upper body where aloe had been spread on thickly to help with the burns caused by the sun's cruel rays.
"And fourth," Elaine continued," Like Evan said, I will force you to drink it if you don't. I won't have you ruining all the progress you've made by being paranoid!" Elaine gave her a look so fierce that Aurelia had no choice but to grudgingly accept the glass, squinching her eyes shut, and down the steaming drink in one very bitter gulp.
"Pah! That stuff was rancid!" she exclaimed afterwards and Elaine finished her inspection, leaving Aurelia with her tray of food to eat and locking the door.
'The Goddess grant that I may be safe here...'
Hum...hum...
Aurelia sat on a small wooden stool, her feet feeling more than a little chilled in the large stone room. Her left foot moved in a steady rhythm at a spinning wheel, skeins of dark colored thread flowing out of it onto an ebony colored spindle. There were two other women in the room; The Queen Elaine and one of the kitchen girls. The Queen sat sewing a large cloak and the girl embroidered by the fire. The only sounds was the soft whir of the wheel and the women's near-silent breathing.
Hum...hum...
Aurelia was happy to say that Elaine had finally allowed Aurelia out of that one room (with the exception of restricted visite to the watering closet, Aurelia had been forced to remain in the room), but she had been commanded to remain with Elaine or Evan at all times and that for her even to try to go off on her own would result in her being kept in that room for the next two weeks.
Hum... hum...
Aurelia had been taught how to spin earlier that day and was now working on some dark wool. The last time she had spun had been when she was ten years old and she had done it against her mother's will. Hermother had told her to never touch a spinning wheel, but it had looked so interesting that she had begged for one of the maids to help teach her; her fingers had been nimble and she had spun for over an hour before the Queen found her. The Queen had looked upon Aurelia with more fear in her eyes than Aurelia had ever seen and Isabella hadforbidden her from going outside her room for a month.
Hum... hum
The dark wool in Aurelia's hands felt comforting againsther hands'roughness. The desert had scarred her hands with all manner of things and they were badly burned, but luckily, her hands were healing and there would only be a slight hardness and a few slash scars across them after a few months. At the thought of the desert, Aurelia realised the thing she'd been worried about for the past two or so weeks...the feeling that had been there since before she'd run away had disappeared until yesterday and now Aurelia could feel it again. Aurelia didn't know what to feel at the thought of this new discovery, but was relieved from thinking of it anymore by the sound of clomping footsteps, followed by the appearence of a man covered in dust and muck.
Hum...clunk
With a shock, Aurelia realised that she had dropped the wool and in doing so the spindle had come unattached from the wheel and fallen to the floor with a loud noise. 'Oh for Venus' sake! Just because the man happens to be a little hansdsomer than whatI'm used to doesn't mean I have to act as though I'm as flighty as one ofthe Goddess' priestesses' . Though, to say he was only a little handsomer than most men she'd seen was putting it mildly; the man was tall and tanned with golden hair set in soft waves and soft honey eyes that you might see in a faithful dog. He was by far the handsomest man she had ever seen and Aurelia could feel herself take an involuntary gasp and heard the kitchen girl beside her do the same.
'Oh please...he's a prince and I'm...well, I'm some washed up half-breed with not even a little royal blood in me' she thought as she hurriedly stuck the spindle back onto the wheel, her cheeks turning bright red. Elaine had glanced atAurelia worriedly at the sound of the spindle falling and Aurelia could feel her cheeks turning even redder with embarrasment at being caught.
"Obviously, spinning might be just a bit too much for you, dear," she said kindly, smiling at Aurelia before turning back to the handsome man. Aurelia felt her cheeks flare up again and bowed her head, regretful over the fact that she had chosen this day -and every other day- to plait her hair back and away from her face, which now left her flaming cheeks exposed.
Her cheeks still throbbing, Aurelia beganher work at the spindle again and sent up a prayer that she could make the reason for her to be imprisoned here known to her.Suddenly, so suddenly that Aurelia was almost sure she had thought it, she felt an assurance that there was a reason and that all would be right soon.
And when Aurelia glanced back up, catching the eye of the mysterious man, a new thought was sent to her. One that told her that there was a reason for her meeting him, as well.
Author's Note: once again, sorry for the inconvenience about the previous edited chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one ! I'm getting ready to go to band camp so I'll be kinda busy during the upcoming weeks (not that I updated regularly anyways...lazy lazy lazy). Hope you'll review! Oh, btw, these reviews made me so happy it was slightly pathetic...so thanks for making my day!
o: thanks for the review andI hope you like this chapter!
Druantia: Thank you for the compliment and I can't wait for an update on your story! Thanks for not calling your story this, cuz then I'd have to leave mine with Unbeloved Beauty...it took me a few months to finally come up with this one...what can I say? I'm a dunce sometimes.
mistqueen: thank you for the critique...I hope that the last chapter is a little easier to understand (I went back and edited) and I really appreciate the review!
Glaze: lol...green piggy does not WANT to come back...as a bribe I have bout him a green Ms. Piggy and they're now happily married with two little green piglets...you want one? I can't believe that you took him away from his family tear the piglets they cry...oh so cruel thou art. I know the new chappy was totally different but I needed to add something in there that is important later!
Ardelis Mercy: Did I ever tell you how cool I think your screen name is? well if I didn't, it's cool. Thanks for the review and I'm really glad you like the story.
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