A few weeks passed by and Emily never once stopped thinking about Daniel. Every night she'd go to the garden and remember that wonderful night. She could still feel his ghostly lips lingering on hers. He tricked her into falling in love with him. He didn't even stop by ever since that night. Emily wished he did though she missed him so much it hurt. She missed his laughter, his smile, and his warm embrace. Out of all the suitors that tried to win her heart after the ball it could never replace the feeling Daniel gave her inside. She was in love.
The princess lay on her bed twirling the red rose in her right hand. The rose seemed to last forever. The night he gave it to her she instantly fell asleep with it in her hands. When she woke up the rose was still in perfectly good shape. No petals fell off and it showed no sign that it was going dry up and die. The sun was just setting. Everyone who worked in the castle was probably getting ready for tonight's dinner. No one would care if she wondered around the castle.
First stop was to give the rose a rightful room and home. She thought of placing it in a vase in her room but it seemed so plain and dull in her room. And plus, not that she couldn't trust her maids, but they might discover it was a rose that never died and might want to keep it or sell it. She wanted the rose always, as a memorabilia, a place where it could be left alone and undiscovered. Her hide away! The room she retreated to when she wanted to be left alone. It was a room that was hidden between a guest room and hers. There were only two doors you could go in and out of. One door was in the guest room it was hidden by an enormous mirror with a golden frame; and the other door was in her room hidden the same way.
Emily opened the mirror as if it were a door. The door to the room was an old fashion wooden cottage door. The door had a monarch butterfly just above the door knob. Down the middle of the butterfly's spine was old fashion key lock. She took out her key and pushed opened the door. As she climbed in she first closed the mirror and then the door. Still in her left hand the rose was.
The walls were turquoise, a wooden coffee table surrounded by two wooden couches, on the East side of the room hung a picture of two dolphins swimming, on the West side of the room hung a portrait of a sunset on the beach. The bed was in the middle of the room pushed against the wall and two wooden stands stood on both sides. Emily put the rose in the vase that was on top of the stand located on the East side. The girl sighed with relief knowing that the room somehow looked brighter and complete.
As she walked in and out of every hall servants asked if she need anything. And Emily always replied "no thank you." As she walked through the hall of her ancestors' paintings one window was far too bright. A young male servant that saw the princess's disturbance rushed towards the window to pull down the curtains. The young man was not as tall as Emily and could not reach the rope so the curtains would become loose. Emily's lifted part of her blue silken dress and ran in her boots to help assist the young man. The rope was very heavy for Emily but she managed. Before the curtains fell Emily saw a young man wearing all black arrive on a horse in front of the castle. The boy said quick a thank you and continued his post at the door.
Emily had a strange feeling about the man who just arrived at the castle. Something didn't seem right. 'Messengers come only once a day during the morning not during the evening and mother and father did not say we were having guest' Emily thought. She soon raced down to the door to only find that he left to meet with her mother and father. The girl raced to the thrown room the most likely place to find them during a meeting.
Two servants opened the golden doors with two lion shaped heads for door knobs. She found both king and queen sitting on two big hand made red cushioned chairs with small gold embroidery. The stranger's cloak covered his whole body and since the lighting was so dim he basically blended in with the marbled floor. Her fathers eye finally caught a glimpse of his daughter. He smiled slowly and said, this man has good news for you, daughter! Someone has offered you his hand in marriage! His name is Emory of Conte" Emily couldn't breathe; she instantly thought about Daniel.
She didn't want to marry someone she never met or loved. Emory was Daniel's half brother. Right after Daniel's mother gave birth to him she died. Two years later Daniel's father re-married to Emory's mother and then they had Emory. Emily's mind soon stopped racing for she had to find out more about the stranger that caused some kind of feeling inside of her. The king continued "Prince Emory is exactly your age. He isn't as gifted as his brother but he will take the thrown instead of his brother. For his brother is to be a knight and travel across the lands. I think you'd become a fine wife and then you can rule both your land and the Cont'es"
Emily just stood like a sitting duck. She couldn't move. Didn't even want to try and breathe for a little while. Her body just froze. But apparently her mouth did the talking "No!" Emily shouted. "What do you mean no, my dear?" the queen spoke calmly. "I said no! I don't want to marry anyone I've never met." "Well that's why Prince Emory's friend has come. He wants to give you all the information on his highness and the kingdom he grew up in"
Emily felt her feet weaken she dropped to the floor with a flop. Her mother and father took only one step forward and so did the guards; the stranger still in the same spot kneeling on the floor facing the king and queen. Holding back her tears Emily said "Fine. I'll do it but if I find one thing that I do not like about this fellow I'm calling it off". The king gasped and looked like he was about to protest but his wife held her fingers to his lips and said "Done" before a blink of an eye.
As soon as the queen said done her father said with great pride "Now this young man would like a job in the castle to keep himself occupied; what do you suggest daughter?" Why would a messenger of Cont'e like a job at her castle? That did not make sense. It didn't make sense to her. "I'm not sure maybe he can stay a guest room for a little while and then find a job he would find to his liking?" she said as she walked to the side of the man. Kneeling she caught his arm.
He lifted his gaze a little more towards the sight of their hands. He stared at her small boney hand. His hand tan and muscular twice the size of hers tingled that caused his arm to twitch. And with that twitch he lifted his gaze into her sea green eyes that made his heart skip a beat.