Chapter 13: The Flower or the Sword
Rose looked down, trying to avoid eye-contact with Mr. Blackmen. About 20 minutes after they'd shaken Jake the van came to a halt. Aiden stood up and un-tied Rose saying, "We're here…now come alo—."
But Aiden didn't have time to complete his sentence as Rose grabbed hold of him and smashed him into the van's side face first, she then freed Christian and opened the back door of the van, but only made it about 10 yards before several L'Épée Foncée members surrounded her. Aiden entered the circle hand against his face, "I suppose you thought that was rather clever of you Rose, well it wasn't…" he then looked at one of the other figures, "Take the Ice Dragon…I'll take Rose to her relative."
Aiden took hold of Rose and lead her through what seemed like a warehouse setting, around her she saw other L'Épée Foncée members listening and singing along to music (though they sang it in French), others were playing card games like Texas Hold'em and Gin Rummy. Just then they arrived at a door where someone that looked like Jaws (from the James Bond movies) was standing guard.
"Its okay Braces…you can let us through."
"Braces?" Rose asked.
Just then 'Braces' looked down at Rose and smiled, showing a mouth full of metal. "Oh, well that explains it."
Inside the room a lone figure in a chair sat, he looked up at Rose and Aiden, it was the Huntsmaster.
"Uncle!" Rose cried heading for him, but Aiden stopped her.
"Rose!" The Huntsmaster answered.
"I hate to ruin this touching reunion…but that's not why we're here." Aiden told them. He then stepped towards the Huntsmaster and grabbed hold of the arrow shaft that was still sticking out of his right shoulder. "You need to tell Rose the truth now."
"The truth about what?" The Huntsmaster asked.
Aiden gave the arrow shaft a slight jerk to the right, the Huntsmaster groaned in pain, "I bet you that hurts…just like lying to a member of your family all this time, not telling her the truth about her parents and keeping her away from those who would look after her."
"I don't know what you're talking abo—?" The Huntsmaster said before getting the arrow moved again.
"Please stop, you're hurting him!" Rose told Aiden.
"Rose, don't tell me you believe these madmen?" The Huntsmaster asked.
"It's the truth and you know it." Aiden said calmly.
"Uncle…" Rose asked, "were my parents really part of L'Épée Foncée?"
The Huntsmaster looked at her for a moment, "I can't hide it anymore…what choice do I have?"
"Yes Rose…they were, that's how they met…your grandfather was the leader of the Huntsclan, but your Grandmother…my mother, was a member of L'Épée Foncée. I don't know how they fell in love or even had the nerve to get married despite their differences. Then they had Richard—your father, and I…your father had a gift for magic and when the Academy for L'Épée Foncée accepted him, my mother was ecstatic. But as for me…I saw from that moment on what my brother was, while I was being trained to be part of the Huntsclan my brother went to some fancy Academy to further his magical skills. It was there he met Karen, your Mother…they fell in love within 10 months, and when it came to Final Decision time at the Academy they both went in together and became enemies to the Huntsclan."
"Then where do I come in?" Rose asked.
"It was a year after they married, they had you…I had been asked to be the Best Man at the wedding…but at the Hospital, when they named the Godparent…they chose one of their friends from the Academy over me." Her uncle told her.
"They chose me," Aiden added, "and from that moment on you couldn't handle it, so you had them killed and as if that wasn't enough took Rose's files and Birth Certificate so you'd win custody!"
"I had little choice, the moment that her parents died and that mark showed up I had to lie to her!"
"You mean this…then if it's not what you had me to believe when I was part of the Huntsclan…then what is it really?" Rose asked, revealing the mark on her fore-arm.
"Rose…please, I did it for you—." Her uncle pleaded.
"What is it!" Rose asked, a bit more anger in her voice though.
"It's a form of L'Épée Foncée family magic, both marks are put invisibly on their children and the godparent or parents…and will only make itself visible when something happens to your parents resulting in their deaths, when I had your parents killed and that mark appeared on you I thought since it looked like a dragon that the easiest excuse for it would be that you were to slay your little friend the dragon."
Rose looked down for a moment, Aiden walked up to her and said, "I know this is a bit much to take in…but there is one more thing you must do, one more person you must meet Rose."
Rose looked up at him, wiping the tears from her eyes. As soon as they left the room the Huntsmaster also started quietly crying.
Rose was then lead into another room far below ground, it was really dark, just as she stepped in Aiden slammed and locked the door behind her. She turned around, "What's the meaning of this…let me out!" she cried banging on the door, about after 10 minutes (in her perspective) she just curled up into the fetal position on the floor and started crying. About at that time a voice answered from the dark, "Why do you cry child…you are not alone?" The voice was deep and sounded a bit spooky to her.
"Come closer child, I shall not harm you."
Rose got off of the floor and started walking forward into the darkness…about a good deal in she bumped into something, it felt as cold as ice, but smooth like plastic. Just then a bunch of candles lit themselves and Rose saw what she had bumped into, a sarcophagus…it didn't have any writing accept on the sides where the seal for it was, and it had chains all over it. "Now why in the world would anyone chain a coffin shut?" Rose pondered.
As she touched the sarcophagus the voice returned, "Ah…Richard and Karen's daughter, I was wondering when I'd meet their offspring?"
"Uh, where are you?"
"I'm right in front of you child." The voice answered.
Rose looked at the sarcophagus, resting on top of it was a red rose, and leaning against it was a rather interesting and well-crafted sword.
"What?" the voice in the sarcophagus asked.
"I'm sorry…it's just…it's not everyday you meet a disembodied voice inside a sarcophagus. I mean from what I know, once a person is dead they stay rather quiet." Rose told the sarcophagus.
"But I am no ordinary man my dear girl…I am the voice of which L'Épée Foncée shouts in praise, and the name which sends terror into the magical realms' heart. I am Jack de Lames himself."
Rose couldn't believe it, "Now child…I wish to make you the same choice I did your mother and father so many years ago, on my sarcophagus you see a rose, and beside me a sword. It is decision time for you, if you choose the flower you will live the rest of your days with your godfather Aiden as a normal girl…going to school, being with friends…"
Rose then started to reach for it, "but choose the rose and your entire memory of the Magical Realm will be erased, you will not remember a thing…L'Épée Foncée…the Huntsclan…even our little conversation."
Rose then brought her hand back, "but that's leads you to the sword, if you choose the sword…you will become a member of L'Épée Foncée, and under the guidance of your godfather you will learn to use magic, and in time become just as powerful as your mother and father did…weigh both decisions heavily child, for once you choose one…there is no going back."
Rose looked at the rose…then at the sword, "If I choose the sword I become Jake's enemy…but if I pick the rose I'll forget he was the American Dragon, if I choose one I'm condemned…if I choose the other I'm damned."
Rose started to look both decisions over weighing the Pros and Cons of each, she then stood before each, "I've made it this far…so there's really no turning back…" Rose said as she grasped the hilt of sword and picked it up.
Suddenly the doors opened and Aiden walked in, "Took you long enough…it's already morning." He told her, not trying to sound angry, as they left, "Now how about I treat you to some crepes, my treat."