Twisted Rose

Thanks again to anyone who has reviewed. It really means a lot. Please keep giving feedback and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I'm probably going to start leaving a lyric on each chapter like I do with my other stories.

Lyrics: Do you remember summer '09. Want to go back there every night. Just can't lie it was the best time of my life. Lying on the beach as the sun blew out. Playing this guitar by the fire too loud. Oh my, my they could never shut us down.

Chapter Three

"My good God!" She exclaimed as I thumped down on my four poster bed and finally allowed my shoulders sag now that I wasn't in the presence of my cossetted mother. "What on earth happened to you?" She was careful not to sit down, knowing that if my mother was to hear about this she would probably get the sack.

Lillia crouched down before me and gave me a warm smile. It was at times like these when I realised that this girl that was probably younger than me cared about me more than my own mother ever could.

"I'm just being silly again" I waved off as I wiped desperately at my eyes. No one was supposed to see me cry. After all, I was Royal. I didn't have a reason to cry…I had the best life anyone could ever wish for. The words repeated and bounced around in my head…the words that my mother had being saying to me ever since I was old enough to understand what she meant. "It's just been a really long day. I'm probably just tired."

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Miss" She apologised in advance as she bit her lip hard, torn between leaving her friend or toying with losing her job. "You and I both know that that is not the reason why your face is stained with tears. Please tell me what's wrong. I promise I won't let anyone know…I won't let your mother now."

Lillia knew how annoyed and upset I got over my mother. She knew that my best interests weren't at heart when it came to that woman. She understood. "I wish I wasn't Royal" My tiny voice sounded just like that of a mouse as I averted eye contact with her. To wish for something like that was virtually unheard of and it sure as hell wouldn't be tolerated had I said it outside of my bedroom.

For a moment, I couldn't believe that I had ever said it. There were people on the outskirts of town starving to death. You couldn't go out after it got dark down in the village for fear of being attacked. This wasn't a good place to live…crime wasn't unheard of. I was safe in the manor. No one could hurt me from here, yet I was wishing that I didn't have this safety.

"What makes you say this?" Lillia asked and for a while, I believed that she was disgusted in what I had said. Everyone else would have been. Her face was hardened as she stared deep inside my eyes as though she was able to retrieve an answer from them. Her face soon softened before she patted me gingerly on the shoulder.

"It's like I don't even have my own life" I mumbled, beginning to feel very much like a petty child, pouting at her mother when she didn't get what she wanted. "Everyone just controls me. I might as well just be a pawn on a chest set."

"Oh, that's not true at all" She retorted. "You have the power to do so much more than you think. Lady Hathaway can't rule forever. Soon she will have to step down and then it will be your turn to rule. Then you'll be independent. You'll be able to do whatever you want. What brought this on?"

"I've been feeling like this for a while." I answered. "It reached its height as soon as Dimitri began working here. My mother was furious about it. That's when I realised that I didn't even have the power to make any of my own decisions. It just got to me, you know?"

"Yes, I understand" She answered, however her face took on a stony expression. "That Dimitri really is a handsome lad." Oh, was that why she didn't seem too happy to hear of my involvement with him. Was Lillia after Dimitri? At that moment, I suddenly began to feel guilty. Lillia deserved him. I was probably going to marry someone of high status.

"Indeed he is" I answered as I offered her a warm smile…one that my heart wasn't really into. "You should talk to him more often. Maybe love will blossom." Although I didn't want to say it, I knew it would make her happy to hear it. After all, it's my job to keep people happy…keep the peace.

A blush crept over her cheeks before a smile broke out on her face. "Oh, I don't know" She sighed. "I don't think my parents would be all too pleased if I brought a Russian man home to meet them. They're very old fashioned."

"I'm sure they'll be fine with it once they see how happy you are." I answered as I slipped into a night gown before feeling the tiredness wash over me. I felt selfish for thinking this, but I just want Lillia to leave me in peace for now. My brain simply couldn't be bothered with trivial conversation about Dimitri.

"I guess so" She agreed, but I could tell she didn't believe it. Even as I clambered into bed and pulled the covers tightly up to my chin, she still just sat at the floor and made no move to leave.

"Lillia, would you mind leaving, so I can get some sleep please?" I questioned, knowing full well that she had no choice. Whatever I say goes, right?

"Of course" She exclaimed as she stumbled up from her spot on the floor, shocked by my request. She had never once known me to want to be left alone. She gave a weak smile before scurrying from my room and disappearing out into the hallway.

As soon as the door was closed, I had time to just lie in my bed and reflect on everything that had happened today. The gentle, classical music floated up from downstairs up to my room. The hum of chatter and the occasional roar of laughter often greeted my ears. For once in my life, I was ecstatic by the fact that I didn't have to be part of a party. I was glad that I was hole up in my room without anyone telling me how beautiful my dress was or about how my hair was to die for.

With that thought in my head, I drifted off into an undisturbed sleep.

The drapes of my bedroom were ripped open, allowing a harsh, bright light to attack the room. My eyes squinted firmly as I turned over in my bed to hide myself. Oh, that was not a nice feeling.

"Don't you dare try and hide from me" A soft, melancholic voice sang. Oh, that voice had sounded so foreign. It felt like it had been so long since I last got to properly talk to her. My eyes shot open, despite the bright light that was continuously seeping through my window.

"Lissa, I've wanted to talk to you for so long!" I exclaimed as I sat upright in bed. "Where have you been lately?"

"I'm sorry, Rose" She sighed. "I've been so busy lately. Anyway, get this on. We're going for a walk." She handed me a long flowing skirt that stopped at the knees and a white blouse. My eyes bugged out as I stared at it.

"You do realise that it would be incredibly bad for me to wear this?" I questioned. "I'll disgrace my mother." For my whole life, I'm expected to wear long, captivating dresses. A skirt is, what my mother would call, 'prostitutes attire.' I had never worn a skirt before, but I seriously wanted to try.

"That's exactly why we're going to do it" She laughed as she gestured at the skirt once more. "I know how upset you've been getting lately over not having control over yourself. Well, we're going to try and show her that you can make your own choices."

A grin broke out on my face as I began to get dressed. "You are one wicked woman, Lissa."

As soon as we took our first steps out of the house and into the gardens, I began to feel nervous and self-conscious. The grounds were open for anyone of the public to come to…a chance to relax. Anyone could see me right now.

A few glances fixed on me and their jaws dropped. Oh god, they hated it.

"Is this Rose Hathaway wearing a skirt?" A voice asked from behind me. I whirled round to see Adrian Ivashkov staring intently at me. "You look wonderful, Rosemarie." He complimented, before leaning over to one of the flowerbeds and picking a tulip for me. "For you, m'lady."

"Thank you, Mr Ivashkov" I replied politely as I took the tulip from him. My insides felt ready to burst. This was the kind of man that everyone wanted to be with. The kind that even my mother would be pleased to see me with.

"Please, call me Adrian" He rectified friendly before giving a flashing smile. "You really do look dashing in that skirt, Rosemarie."

"If I call you Adrian, will you call me Rose?" I questioned as I fixed him with a smile of my own. I had never been one to be flirtatious, but it seemed as though Adrian had the power to make anyone possess the ability to.

"Anything you wish for, my dear." He answered. "I didn't see you at the party last night."

"I was a little busy" I lied as I tried to forget the memories of trying to run away. "Perhaps you'll be at the weekly dinner that my mother hosts?" There was a part of me that told me that I was being silly, but there was another part that told me to pursue this.

"Hmm, perhaps I will be" He answered in that mysterious way of his. "I look forward to seeing you again, Rose." He took my hand in his and pressed his lips gently to it like a true gentleman before tuning to face Lissa. "Vasilisa" He acknowledged with a nod of the head before continuing his walk.

"Did that just happen?" Lissa asked as her face split into a grin. To be honest, I was finding it hard to believe too. Just as I was about to answer her, a harsh voice spoke from behind me.

"What on earth are you wearing?" She spat. When I turned, I saw my mother standing there with her arms folded tightly over her chest and her mouth set in a straight line.

"Mother, my fashion choice is my own" I defended. It was probably the first time I had ever stood up to her and it felt good.

"No choice is your own" She snapped. "You're lucky it was Mr. Ivashkov you were talking to. Make sure you stick with him. He'd make a good husband" With that said, she stormed off, leaving me unable to comprehend what she had even said. I only spoke to the man…there was no way I was going to marry him.

"Don't let her know that Dimitri has a thing for you" Lissa sighed as she followed my mother back into the house. I followed, but said nothing more. Dimitri doesn't have a thing for me, does he? Oh, why did everyone in this stupid house have to ask so preposterous all the time.

Well, that's chapter three. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review. Also, I apologise for taking so long to update for this story.