Disclaimer: Ahem...blah blah blah Sleeping Beauty...blah blah blah. Blah.

Roses Red

Chapter IX

Edward

"Alright you confounded idiot," Aurelia said, shutting the door quietly behind her and rolling her eyes at Joseph's worried expression, "Nobody saw me or my hair...don't worry."

"And nobody saw your scar-thing, right?"

"Are you asking me if I walked around showing my neck to every man in this entire building? You know, that way it would make it easier for them to recognize me without just having to guess?" Aurelia asked, her crankiness from her lack of sleep coming through.

"Oh, shut up," Joseph said, ignoring her sarcastic tone, "Just hurry up and finish whatever you're doing, I'm tired."

"Well, go to sleep. I'm not stopping you."

"Uh...actually you are. We're sharing this bed whether you like it or not."

"You know," Aurelia began, a blush heatingher face," A gentleman would at least offer to let me sleep in the bed alone."

"Yea, well obviously, I'm not a gentleman. Look, I'm not going to try to take advantage of you if that's what you're worried about," he added the last part after seeing Aurelia still looking wary.

"Um..."

"Look, it's just for one night. Nothing will happen. Now could you please please please hurry up!"

"Well, I would like to brush my hair now that I don't have to worry about one of your bodyguards spying on me," she said, sitting at the edge of the big bed and taking down her hair. She felt Joseph's eyes on her and looked over at him, an eyebrow raised, "Can I help you?"

"Well, do you want some help?" Joseph asked, thankful that she hadn't realized how mesmerized he was by her beautiful hair and the way the silver streaks brought the red out.

"No. I'm pretty sure I can brush my own hair. In case you haven't noticed, I am over fifteen summers and I'm approaching my sixteenth, which means that I'm a big enough girl now that I can brush my hair all by myself."

"Well you don't have to be so snooty about it, Nissy," Joseph muttered, all feelings of being mesmerized by her exotic beauty swept away. At least until he heard her sharp intakes of breath as the brush yanked through tangled knots of hair. Standing up, he moved to the opposite end of the bed where Aurelia sat with her back ramrod straight, her small face frowning and contorting with each yank of the brush. Pulling it firmly out of her hand, he turned her shocked face to the opposite wall with one hand while the other began to smooth the brush down Aurelia's thick hair.

"Ow...ow...Ow!" Aurelia said, the last coming out in something resembling a shriek as Joseph went through a particularly tangled area and Joseph smiled relieved once he finally got the brush through, though he took a wad of hair the size of his thumb out with it.

"Aurelia. Hush." Joseph said impatiently, pausing only for a moment, working on another hard knot. He yanked one more time and Aurelia, once again, protested her displeasure.

"Jo-seph! That-" but she was interupted by the slamming open of the door to their room. Aurelia quickly threw herself behind Joseph, trying her best to shove her hair into the handkercheif that lay beside the used towel. Joseph moved quickly to make sure Aurelia was completely protected before turning to look at the intruder.

It was a man. A man swathed in black. His entire body was covered in clothes similar to those worn by nomad priests, but his face was now revealed for he had pulled down what looked like a hood and removed a dusty face covering.. He was a tall man, swarthy-skinned with pale eyes and light brown hair. There was something about him that was familiar though...

He felt Aurelia peek around his body, but expected her to retreat back again and opened his mouth to ask who the hell the guy thought he was barging into their room like that. What he didn't expect was that Aurelia would bound out from behind Joseph and run to the cloaked man, giving him the sort of hug Joseph unconciously wished she'd give him.

"Edward! Whatever are you doing here?" she asked, and Joseph could hear the subtle change in her voice that told whoever was listening that she was noble. Obviously, whoever the man was, he had earned her respect. Smiling down at her, the man named 'Edward' reached around her to shut the door behind him.

"You there," he said, speaking with a raspy voice, "What do you think you were doing to my sister?" Ah. So that was what was so familiar about him. When Aurelia was standing next to him, the similarities were noticeable. The had the same green-grey eyes and Aurelia's nose was only a proportionatly smaller to Edward's.

"How do I know you're her brother?" Joseph returned, dodging the question for some reason. He saw Edward raise a dark eyebrow and look towards Aurelia skepticaly, and he watched as Aurelia shrugged her shoulders and smiled back at Joseph; smiled a smile that sent a warmth spreading through Joseph's body.

"Besides the fact that she's got her arms around me in a way that shouts sibling love? Well, I guess there's also the fact that we share the same last name and if you don't believe that we're siblings...well, I guess it doesn't speak too highly of your inference skills."

"There is nothing wrong with my inference skills!" Joseph retorted hotly, rising from the bed and moving towards the two of them, towering over even Edward by and inch or two.

"Look," Edward said raising his hands ina sign of peace," Big beefy machoman. I," he motioned at himself, "Mean you," he pointed at Joseph, "No harm. Do you understand me?"

"Shut up you foolish, ignorant annoying phlegm-like man!" Joseph began, raising his fist back and at eye level to Edward.

"Enough!" Aurelia said quietly and firmly, bringing Joseph's fist down and pushing Edward back a step into the door, "You two need to just shut up!"

That was when Joseph realized his breath was coming out in sharp breaths.

That was when Edward realized he was smirking.

"Can you two little boys get along, or am I going to have to throw you two out the window," Aurelia asked, shooting both Joseph and Edward a look. Edward held out a hand to Joseph, which Joseph took, shaking it heartily.

"Well, then. Now that that's settled," Aurelia smiled radiantly, taking her brother by the hand and moving to wear a small cushioned chair stood by the window, opposite a bigger, wooden rocking chair.

"Now, Edward darling, why don't you explain to me why you're dressed as a nomad and skulking around in shadows. Moreover, darling why haven't you arrested me?" Aurelia looked at him shrewdly and Joseph saw the faint glow ofambery-brown magic that only those with magic themselves could see reaching out to slowly surround Edward. 'Earth...how very sardonic of her.' Earth and Air were opposites and when she and the man were surrounded by the protection of earth magic, Joseph wouldn't be able to use magic to try to harm him. It showed that however she felt about this Edward, he would have her protection

Catching Aurelia's eye, Joseph raised an eyebrow and she smiled at him, and he watched, slightly shocked as the ambery magic drew back and in it's place a cool blue replaced it. 'She trusts me...'

"You can remove the shields, Aurelia," Edward said, shocking both Aurelia and Joseph out of their silent conversation, "I have my own protections."

And Joseph looked closer as Edward blinked his fiery red shields at them, a thread of orange running though the scarlet fog-like walls.

"Well," Edward began again, clasping his hands together, "Now that we have that out of the way, let's get down to buisness. Rose is going to try her best to kill you."

"What? My sister Rose?" Aurelia asked, her green-grey eyes widening and her eyebrows raising sardonically, "The sister that was away with the Empress Trina of Nae-"

"Queen," Joseph inserted.

"Oh, whatever. And you," she pointed at Joseph, "Can shut your bloody little mouth. Rose? Trina would never condone murder...well, she would but not if it could be connected in any way to her or her beloved brat, Robarte."

Joseph and Edward nodded in unison at her last comment.

"But she's not married to Robarte," Edward said softly, "Didn't you hear? He publicly ended their engagement with as much attention called to it as he could possibly arrange. And then he turned around and stated it was because he didn't want to have an insane murderess as an inlaw. he meant you," Edward said as he caught sight of Aurelia's confused face.

"But-but..."

"That's not even the worst of it. She's married to Henri-"

"Henri of Yun? Oh my god...but he's pure evil? He'll kill her!"

"Oh, that is where you're are wrong. Any many who would be foolish enough to kill a murderous little jewel like Rose would most likely sign his own death certificate. I've seen many things over this past year since you left...and even the years before when I was supposed to be gone campaining."

"But you weren't?" Aurelia coouldn't help being shocked, even though she'd kind of figured it out from his wardrobe and lack of fear in dealing with a man as large and skilled as Joseph.

"No...sister, now what I'm about to tell you is very important and crucial to The Stones' survival and our own. You must listen while I explain everything and try not to talk cecause we don't have much time. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Scoutcraft Piratess- As always, your reviews are a joy to read. But (alas) I could never make Joseph do bad things because-well, I'm going to marry him and it would ruin everything if he acted like a real jerk...you know a typical man...lol.

Ardelis Mercy- Thank you for the review. It's always so much fun to hear from you! But where is a story for me to read? I'm so dissapointed...but it's cool.

Bianca Robinson- Thank you for the review, too. I think the new chapter didn't show beacause I had just uploaded it...but now there are two chapters to see! Oh, and it's cool you knew what edamame was...don't you just love it?

I saw The Replacements the other night and I loved it! Anyone else seen it?...Well, once again thank you all for the reviews and just remember I love them! So please press the pretty button to the left and remember that you will have my love for a very long time...

±Glitterpoison±