A Rose With Thorns

Flowers

Flowers 

                “Mother!” Rose called for her mother, she looked around a corner to see her mother sitting in the garden, staring at the grey sky. Smiling she waltzed up to her. “Mother, there you are.” Rose smiled sitting beside her.

“Hello dear.” Her mother smiled back at her, a bright gleam in her eye. “What are you doing out of your studies?” she asked.

“Mother!” Rose whined. “They are boring and uninteresting. How many times must I walk across a room with a book placed upon my head? Or pour the same cup of tea, over and over again. Why can’t I learn something important?”

“Rose.” Her mother scolded. “You know better, you must be brought up like a lady. You are a princess.” Her mother stated once again, and to Rose what felt like the millionth time.

“But mother! I want to help father! Why can’t I study politics?” She complained, quite unladylike in her mother’s perspective. “I could help in council meetings, and town meetings, I could...”

“Now Rose,” a deeper voice interrupted her rant, the two woman turned to face the king who had joined them. “The men at those meetings are rough and unschooled, that is no place for a young lady like yourself to be. You would be better off with your mother’s lessons. To win a man’s heart is not by being smarter than him but by winning him over.” He stated.

“I thought the way to winning a man’s heart was through his stomach?” Rose replied, glancing slightly at her father’s swollen belly. Her parents laughed.

“That way works too.” Her mother stated getting up and patting Rose on the shoulder. “But what your father is trying to tell you that if you hurt a man’s pride, by out witting him, and that makes him dislike you.”

“So I’m not to make them prideful?” she asked.

He parents shook their heads and sat next to her on the bench to better explain what was going on in the workings of the heart, even though most of it was very confusing. “You’ll understand once you are in love.” Her mother finally said patting her back.

“All right mother.” Rose replied, still very confused. With that the queen took her leave through the garden.

“Rose darling,” her father gently gained her attention. “You will know when you are in love, the moment it happens the world will stop and all you will see is that person in front of you, and you will think that they are the most beautiful person you had ever seen in your life. And you won’t be able to look away.” Rose eyed her father suspiciously as he watched the fading form of his queen make her way through the garden. Rose spotted this and nudged her father.

“Then why don’t you go freeze time?” she suggested urging him on. He grinned at her, almost silly, and kissed the top of her head. And off he went after his queen, one thought in his mind. To freeze time for just a moment.

She was a little surprised that he came up and wrapped and arm around her waist. “Richard?” she asked quite shocked.

“Just a moment.” He whispered to her, and in a quick movement he spun her and gently placed his lips on hers. “I love you.” He whispered again and added more pressure. The queen swayed in his arms, so he held tighter as her hands gripped the collar of his shirt. And they froze time, for a moment.

Then the trumpets blared and horns blew, a guest had arrived. The king pulled away sighing. “We’ll continue tonight.” He promised and kissed her fingers.

The queen was left with a deep red blush on her cheeks as the stunning man of her husband slipped away to do his duties.

Rose heard the announcement of the new arrivals and rushed to see who had come to the castle unannounced. She did not recognize the dark carriage with its dark steeds. She watched from a distance while the guards groaned and complained about the visitor.