Kasumi Note: Yo, I'm back! And I'm sorry for those who are waiting for the thhird chapter of "The White Rose of Innocence", since I'm currently having a major writer's block. I can't seem to find a way to continue it. But rest assured, it will be finished. I'm not the kind of girl who discontinues her works. I'll get over this writer's block… *sigh*… Somehow…
Moving on. I would like to say THANK YOU to those who read, followed, favorited and reviewed the first chapter of "Attaining The Impossible"! I didn't think people would even bother to look at it, seeing that I only posted one chapter. But, boy, was I surprised! Thank you so much for reading and as a token of gratitude, I made this second chapter more eventful than the other one. I had been writing this in school during our one-week Sports Fest so I really hope it doesn't sound too rushed. I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter since it is my personal favorite… BYE~!
Twelve long years had passed since Matthew was born, yet no one still knew of his existence. The Queen had been successful in keeping her secret and Emily F. Jones had been very cooperative. The poor boy had remained locked in the tower; the stuffed polar bear his mother had given him remained his one and only companion. Emily had stopped coming when he turned six, just as the Queen had ordered her to do. With the exception of his mother, no other human being has ever entered the tower.
"Good morning, Kumamishi…" came a soft whimper from the pile of bedsheets that rested atop a ridiculously large bed on the far side of the room's left wing. Unknown to everyone, a little boy had been sleeping under that pile of bedsheets. He had just recently stirred awake.
"Who are you?"
Matthew rubbed his eyes, getting rid of the last traces of sleep from his face. "You silly bear, I'm Matthew…" he answered.
The sun had barely risen over the high mountains of Ciel and the sky still looked dark and dreary. The entire kingdom was still asleep and the only animals that were up were the bats that roamed the kingdom's lush forest. This was not the right time for a little boy to be up. And yet, this was the time Matthew loved. It was this time between dusk and dawn that Matthew's bear would begin to speak. When the magic his mother had cast on the inanimate object begant to take place. The time when the boy finally had someone to talk to.
"So, are you going out of this tower today?"
"I hope so. I'm already twelve, eh. Mother might let me go…" he replied as he sat up and began to stretch.
"That's what you said yesterday. And the day before that. And the week before the day before yesterday…"
Matthew's shoulders slumped. "I know, eh! No need to remind me!" he whined, sticking his tongue out at the polar bear. He sighed, looking out at the slowly rising sun that he could see through the room's only window.
"What happens if she won't let you out again?"
"Then…" his voice trailed off, "Then I'll ask for more roses… These blue roses mother always gives me seem to lighten up my mood everytime my eyes wander towards them…"
He looked at the elegant blue roses by his bedside table. They were placed in a slender violet vase that matched the violet in Matthew's eyes. The blue roses, as Queen François had explained, were a symbol of the Kingdom of Ciel. It was was present in their kingdom's Coat of Arms and fashioned in the knights' armor and shield. And, of all the flowers Matthew was presented with, this flower seemed to be his personal favorite.
"You always look at those. Do you even know what that color means? Your mother mentioned it once, right? That all the roses in all the kingdoms of Rosalia stand for something…"
Matthew tilted his head sideways, eyes never once leaving the bouquet of blue roses. "I think I remember, Kumashiro…" he replied slowly, "Mother mentioned that the blue rose represents 'the impossible'… They can also mean 'the unattainable'…"
"Don't they mean the same thing?"
Matthew gigled. "Wow! You sure are smart, Kumakazu!" he joked.
"I'm Kumajirou! Who are you?"
"I'm Matthew. Matthew Williams…" he sighed, closing his eyes to think.
"The impossible, eh… Like leaving this awful tower? It seems these flowers reflect my own feelings… Freedom seems to be unattainable for me, just like everything else that I want... Friends, laughter, fun… These are all unattainable… Oh, I pray mother might have mercy on me today… Maybe, if I am behaved, she might let me out… Maybe… Maybe…"
"ALFREEEEED!" came the voices of a dozen angry cooks and maids. The owner of the name, a little blonde boy the age of twelve, dashed through them leaving a trail of fallen pots, pans and plates in his wake.
"Sorry, gotta go!" he yelled over his shoulder, never once stopping to help pick up the fallen things. His clothes were covered in mud and sweat had accumulated in the cowlick on his mass of blonde hair. As he grinned, traces of what seemed to be chocolate covered his white teeth.
"I must've outran them already…" he thought to himself, glancing back to see if anyone was following him. He was completely unaware of the angry woman that situated herself in his path.
*CRASH!*
He fell face first on the ground, the woman behind him smirking with her foot still raised. The courtyard errupted in a chorus of laughter as Alfred slowly rose up to reveal his dirt covered face. He was pouting and tears pooled on the corners on his eyes. When his blue eyes wandered sideways, they caught sight of a group of kids that hid behind one of the horses. His face turned red when he saw the group laughing at him.
"What'd you do that for, Ma!" he whined, getting up and roughly wiping his hands on his dirty jumper.
"You know you deserved that, Alfred…" Emily smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"But I didn't do nothing!" he protested, kicking and imaginary stone.
"Oh, really now…" Emily began, "Then tell me, who ate Maria's chocolate? Who pushed Sesel into the pond? Who stepped on Jason's foot? Who shoved Kyle into the pig pen? And who in the world wrecked the kitchen, hm?"
Alfred's face flushed when he realized what he had done. "I just wanted a piece of Maria's chocolate, but the piece she gave me was so small! So, I took it from her and ate it all! She became all angry and stuff so she chased me. Naturally, I ran away. I didn't mean to push Sesel into the pond! She was in my way and it was her fault for leaning too close into it! " he explained , not even pausing to breathe, "And Jason was just sitting there in the middle of the garden. I mean, who does that? I thought his foot was a snake to I stepped on in. When I reached the stables, Kyle was feeding the pigs. I wanted to talk to him and all but Maria was still on my trail! I ended up pushing shoving him to the pigs! And about the kitchen, they should make it bigger! Do they know how hard it is to run in that place? I mean, everyone was angry and stuff that the pots fell. But I said sorry! I really did!"
Emily F. Jones just listened patiently to her son's wild ramblings, amusing herself by paying close detail to Alfred's movements. He waved his hands here and there, renacting everything he had done that afternoon. She smiled to herself, pleased that Alfred still had a lot of energy left in him.
"Okay, Alfred! You can stop explaining now…" she butt in. Alfred was in the middle of explaining how Maria should've just given him a bigger piece so he woulnd't have to run and none of those things would've happened.
"Aw, Ma! I was just getting' to the good part!" he complained, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Don't worry, Al… You'll have a lot of time to tell me what happened…" Emily comforted, "After you've swept the floors in the castle towers…"
"That aint' fair, Ma!" he yelled, "The castle towers haven't been swept forever! It's gonna take me forever to finish sweeping!"
Emily smiled. "Then you better get started, Mister!" she demanded, pointing to a broom and a dust pan that leaned on the stable door.
Alfred grumbled but didn't refuse. His Ma could be as scary as hell if she wanted to be and he didn't want that happening. He was lucky that she only tripped him. She could have done worst things like giving him a headlock or twisting his arm.
"Man… Ma can be such a nag sometimes…" he complained, trudging towards the entrance that the servants usually use to enter the castle. He looked up at the flight of stairs he had to climb before he reached the towers and an idea came to his mind.
"I could make this fun!" he thought, "I'll pretend that I'm a knight tryin' to save a princess. I'll be a hero!"
He began to climb up the stairs hastily, his long legs going at them two at a time. "I'm here to save ya'! Wait for me, my princess!" he yelled, climbing faster.
Alfred had no idea what he was getting himself into. Completely unaware of how loud his voice was, he kept yelling as he neared the end of the long staircase. Once there, he yelled at the top of his lungs, calling out to his imaginary princess. He told her that he was coming and he was going to take her away from the wretched tower.
Matthew had been drawing with his back to the window when he heard people laughing from below. He sighed and let his pencil drop from his hand to the floor. His drawing was that of a man with a bouquet of roses, something that came into his mind that morning when he stared at the blue roses on his bedside table.
"Why are they laughing, Kumashinji?" he asked his bear. The think did not reply. He sighed, remembering that the magic always wore off when the sun had reached the place where the bear had been placed.
"Very well then, I'll go see what is happening myself…" he said, turning around so his face looked out of the large window. He could see a blonde boy sitting in the middle of the courtyard, a woman standing in front of him. Something in the way the woman stood told Matthew that the young boy was her son.
"Oh, it that Emily?" he asked himself, squinting in the afternoon sun. He could see the red hair clip his nurse fondly wore and realized that the woman really was Emily F. Jones.
"My, Miss Emily has grown!" he exclaimed, studying the woman's features from his place by the window, "Yet she seems as vibrant as always… She looks like she hasn't even gained any wait! Oh, how I long to see her again! And that must be her son! I wonder how old he is… Maybe he is about my age. That would be great! If I get out of here, I could come and play with him!"
"Who would you play with, mon ami?" came a voice from the door.
Matthew turned to see his mother, elegantly dressed in a red satin gown. Age had been kind to her and she looked as young as she did ten years ago. Deep concern was mirrored in her face as she walked towards Matthew, stretching out her arms for him.
"Come, give your Maman a hug…" she said.
Matthew stood and ran towards her, coiling his arms around her waist and pulling her in a tight embrace. "Bonjour, Maman…" he greeted, "What has brought you here when you are busy preparing for war?"
Queen François shook her head, sitting on the edge of Matthew's bed. "I came to see if you are alright… You seem upset, mon cher… Is something going on in your mind?" she asked. "Why don't you come sit next to me and we can talk…" she said patting the space beside her.
Matthew did as was told and sat there, resting his head on his mother's shoulder. "Maman, I-I wanted to a-a-ask you something…" he stuttered, waiting to see his mother's reaction.
"What is it Matthieu?" she replied.
Matthew took a deep breath.
"I want to leave this tower. I want to play with the servants' children. They all seem so fun and playful that I envy them… Oh please, Maman? Can't you let me go?" he thought.
He roughly shook his head, dismissing the thought of asking such a silly request from his mother. Instead, he chose to ask her of the country's state; "How is the war between our army and the pirates of Rouge? Has the King made any advancements yet?"
The Queen's eyes widened in surprise. "My, my… You seem oddly interested in Ciel's affairs…"
"Well, big brother Francis is in the army, is he not? I just wanted to know if he is doing fine…" he lied.
"You're brother is a trained swordman and an equally skillfull lady's man. He is already seventeen, I am sure he can take care of himself…" Queen François replied, amused at how Matthew listened to her every word.
"Oh. And what about the pirates of Rouge? Are they also skillful?" he asked fearfully.
"People speak often about their captain. Though I always seem to forget his name. What was it again… Kurt? Allen? Alex? Oh, it's at the tip of my tongue!" the Queen joked, playfully tickling the sides of Matthew's stomach.
"Maman! P-P-Please hurry and remember! I-I-I can't seem to stop laughing!" he managed to say through his laughter.
"Oh, now I remember!" the Queen announced, her hand stopping. Matthew managed to take in a feew gulps of air. "Arthur! That was it! His name is Arthur Kirkland! He has three sons; Allistair, James and Arthur…"
Matthew titled his head. "He named one son after himself?"
"Yes, the people say it's because he had chosen his third son as his successor to the throne. If being a captain of a fleet of stinky pirates would be worth calling a throne…"
Matthew leaned in closer to his mother. "Maman,I remember you mention that we had two servants who are also named Kirkland? Are they related to our enemy?"
"Oh, Jason and Kyle are very sweet. I do not dare think they are related to the captain of that unruly country! Alas, they are his children. Borne from a woman whose name he doesn't even remember…"
Matthew nodded in understanding. He had ran out of things to ask. He wondered if now was the time for him to ask him mother if he could go out and play with the children today. He gathered all of his will and began to say; "Maman, I-"
"I'm sorry, petite… But I have to leave…" Queen François interrupted, her eyes fixed on something above Matthew's head.
The latter followed her gaze and saw that a dove had perched itself on one of his bookshelves. It had a note in its beak that told Matthew it had flown into the tower for a reason.
"The King has summoned me and I am to go to him…" his mother explained, taking the bird from the shelf. She held it close to her bosom and smiled at Matthew. "We shall talk later, oui?"
Matthew nodded meekly, wishing that he had asked his mother's permission earlier when he still had the chance. He watched with sad eyes as his mother closed the door behind her. Once again, he was alone. He looked out the window and saw that Emily was not in the courtyard anymore. He sighed, wondering what his former nurse was doing. His mind wandered to Emily's son. What would it feel it that boy was to play with him? Would he have fun like the children in his stories?
He began to think of the different games he could play when he finally met people his age. He rested his head on his hand and began to drift to sleep. He would have gone on forever thinking of the many impossible things he could do outside that he could never do in the tower. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he heard footsteps coming up the staircase. He quickly walked towards the door and leaned into it, placing his ears right above the door's handle.
"I'm coming to save ya'! Wait for me, princess!" came the voice of a young boy.
Matthew's heart skipped a beat. "I-I am not a princess!" he whined, "And I certainly do not need saving!"
"Are you sure?"
Matthew spun around and saw that the sun was now a few inches away from his stuffed bear. The bear could now talk again.
"Who are you?"
Matthew's brow twitched. "I told you I'm Matthew!" he yelled in annoyance, "And I do not need saving!"
Alfred heard the voice and stopped in his tracks. "Uhm, is anyone here?" he asked, looking around cautiously. "H-H-Hey… If ya' don't need any saving, I'll go back down. It's all good, bro!"
"No!" Matthew yelled on impulse. Okay, so this kid called him a Princess. But, this kid seemed to sound fun. And Matthew ached for a human companion. Someone who would play with him, talk with him and laugh with him. He was not going to let this oppurtunity slip through his fingers.
"Wait, please don't go!" he yelled, softly this time. "I d-don't need any saving… B-B-But I need a friend…"
Alfred smiled. This ghost didn't seem so bad. In fact, his voice sounded as if he were a bit lonely. "Then I'll be your friend, Mr. Ghost!" he declared, dropping his broom.
Matthew became annoyed. "First he called me a princess. Now I'm a ghost… Can't he make up his mind?" he complained to himself.
Alfred waited patiently for Matthew's reply. When nothing came, he called out for him. "Hey! Where are ya'? You're here in this tower, aint' ya? Why don't you show yourself?"
"I-I-I can't!" Matthew replied.
"Idiot. The door's locked from the outside."
"He can't hear you, Kumasama… Shut up…"
Alfred brows crinkled. "Why not? Where are you anyways? I'll let you out!" he replied, striking his usual hero pose.
Matthew felt his heart beat faster. "I'm going to get out…" he told himself. Even if he was not able to ask his mother's permission, this boy had stumbled upon him like some kind of blessing and was telling him that he would set him free.
"Hey!" Alfred yelled again, getting impatient. "Tell me where you are already! I can't help you if I can't see you!"
Matthew took a deep breath to gather his nerves. "Second door to the left of the staircase!" he yelled back. He kept his fingers crossed as he wished and wished that this was not just his imagination. That someone was really out there listening to him.
Alfred, on the other hand, wasn't the least bit worried. Instead, he was excited. Who new such a big adventure was waiting for him in the castle towers? He felt like some knight-in-shining-armor as he ran to where the voice instructed him to go and stopped in front of the huge bolted door.
"Wait up! I'll have to remove this here bolt! Stand back!" he yelled. Matthew heard him through the door and he did as he was told. He moved a few steps backward and braced himself for what was to happen.
He heard a loud clunk on the other side of the door and Alfred's voice say "Got it!". He couldn't help but smile. Just a few seconds and he would be able to play with somebody his age for a change. The more excited he became the more the feeling of worry grew in his stomach.
"It's not a dream. It's not a dream. Oh, please! Don't let this be a dream!" he repeated again and again like some kind of chant that kept everything real and possible.
The door opened and Alfred walked in. He had a big smile on his face and his blue eyes glittered like gold. His face and clothes were coverd in dirt and his hair was a mess with a drop of sweat running down his unruly cowlick. His mother would have been outraged to see Matthew with a boy like that, bu the latter didn't care anymore.
"Yo! You called for me?" was the first thing that came out of Alfred's mouth.
Matthew couldn't believe it. He was talking to someone his age. Finally, another human being. "Y-Y-Yes… Thank you for answering…" he replied, tears streaming down his face.
Alfred began to worry. "Hey! Why're ya' crying?! You should be greatful that a hero like me heard you! Why are you sad?" he rambled, closing the door as he walked closer to Matthew.
"I-I-I'm just happy! I-I-I'm not alone anymore!" he replied joyfully.
Alfred smiled even wider. "Of course you aint' alone! I'm here!" he comforted.
Matthew smiled, his curly blonde hair falling to the side of his face. Alfred felt a blush creep to his face and he quickly looked away.
"H-H-Hey, who are you? And why are you locked up in here?" he asked, trying to hide the blush on his face.
"I'm Matthew. Matthew Williams…" Matthew replied, "My mother told me to stay here so that I may always be safe…"
Alfred's eyes grew wide. "What's wrong? You in danger or something?" he asked, looking around the room to see if he could find something suspicious. He ran to the bed and began to look under it, then he scanned the bookshelves and looked ou the window.
"Everythin' here seems to be fine…" he concluded, jumping on the soft bed.
Matthew giggled at how impulsive the other boy was being. "Oh, I'm not in any danger… My mother just worries too much…" he answered, taking a seat next to Alfred on the bed. "Well, I told you my name. It's about time you told me yours…"
Alfred grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Alfred. Alfred F. Jones… You can call me hero if ya' want! But most of my friends call me Al…" he introduced.
"Al…" Matthew repeated, "Can I call you that too?"
"Of course you can, Mattie! We're friends now, aren't we?!" he agreed, leaning back until his back rested on the soft mattress.
"M-M-Mattie?!" Matthew stammered, "N-N-N-No one's ever calle dme that before…"
"Well, I'll be the first one then! Lucky me!" he laughed. A kind of laugh that made Matthew laugh with him.
"H-H-Hey… Wanna play with me, eh?" Matthew asked meekly, "I-I-I've never had anyone to play with…"
Alfred beamed and immediately stood up. "Sure! Let's do it!" he gradded Matthew's arm and dragged him towards the door.
Matthew stopped. "I-I-I can't leave, Al…" he whimpered when Alfred gave him a look, "My-My mother would be unpleased with me…"
"Oh…" Alfred's smile disappeared. An awkward silence fell and Matthew began to feel uneasy. "Then…" Alfred began, "We can play here!"
His face brigthened up again and Matthew smiled as well. The latter took a small ball from a chest at the foot of his bed and they started playing with it. For the entire day, they played, talked and laughed. Matthew almost forgot that Alfred had to go home. And when night fell, he was in tears as he watched Alfred close the door behind him.
"I'll come back tomorrow, Mattie!" he yelled as he bolted up the door, "I promise ya'! I won't leave ya' alone! I'll be your hero!"
"I'll wait for you everyday, okay Al?!" Matthew called back, "Please play with me again soon!"
"Promise, Mattie!"
Matthew heard his footsteps grow fainter and fainter. He slumped back on his bed and let his tears fall unto his pillow. He had such a fun time today and he feared that when he woke up tomorrow, everything woulc disappear. Hefeared that everything was just a dream.
"Don't cry…"
The bear patted his head and snuggled against his face.
"He said he was coming back. Go to sleep already so you can see him sooner…"
Matthew smiled and hugged the bear tightly. "Thank you, Kumaritsu…"
"Who are you?"
He smiled. "I'm Matthew…" And I exist.
Kasumi Note: To those who are wondering how many years older Francis is compared to Matthew, I would like to answer your questions. Francis isfive years older than Matthew. To those who don't know who Sesel, Maria, Jason and Kyle are, just refer to the guide in the first chapter. This might seem like it's the last chapter, but believe me, it gets more dramatic in the next chapter. Thank you for your patience and I hope you'll be as patient when you wait for chapter 3!