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• Prelude • Chapter One • Chapter Two • About Retraspect • Chapter Three • Chapter Four • Adopt a Rose • My Sisters • Royal Treasury • Link Back • Family •

It is a mild day on the outskirts of Meridell, and you are ambling along a country lane at one-o-clock pm. Trees arch overhead, and the dappled late-spring sunlight lies fresh and yellow-green on the path in front of you. Birds call from low hedges on either side of you, and a few spotted kaus chomp idly on daisies and new grass. They eye you cautiously, but are otherwise uninterested. To your left, a fragrant and marvelous rose garden comes into view. You stop to admire it for a while. On such a fine day, you think, it is sometimes nice to be alone....

It is a fine day, is it not? says a clear, bell-like voice from somewhere behind you to your right.

Your heart jumps a bit, but it is too beautiful and sunny a day to be truly afraid. Turning, you spot a very lovely girl standing on the right side of the lane, partly concealed in the hedges. She has long, silky lavender hair which frames her pale magenta face. Her eyes are large and liquid blue, and she wears a pink silk dress with blue and plum colored accents and lace detailing. The simplicity of the dress suggests that she could be from a noble family, but somehow you sense that she is more; even royalty perhaps! She smiles at you, and you can't help but trust her.

The roses are quite exquisite today, I think, she states companionably. You nod, not quite sure what to say to her. She laughs, a tinkling bell sound that is possibly the most delightful thing you have ever heard.

I am so glad to see them in full bloom again, she sighs wistfully. You are momentarily confused; why is she so sad? It seems wrong to see a frown on such a kind creature. She laughs again at the quizzical expression on your face.

I can tell a stranger to these lands when I see one, she says with sparkling eyes.

You do not yet know the Tale of the Black Roses, she states. It is not a question, it is a statement. She does not seem perturbed or scornful of this fact, so you shake your head slowly.

She leads you deep into the fragrant rose garden, until you happen upon a white iron bench. She motions for you to sit on that, as she herself wanders to a nearby rose bush and tenderly picks a flower. Then, perching on a bird bath in front of the bench, she eyes you patiently as she inhales the scent of the blossom.

Now, guest, would you like to hear the tale?

You nod, not even surprised that she knows your name at this point.

Then, folding her delicate hands on top of the rose in her lap, she begins to speak....

Prelude

This story takes place in a time much before Skarl's rule, when King Rofus II the wise gelert was on the throne. The story begins in a rose garden about halfway in between Darigan Citadel and Meridell.

It all began on a humid summer day in the Month of Swimming. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, this very day marked the discovery of Meridell. I, Retraspect, princess of the people of Meridell, was taking my lessons in the garden with my sister and my beloved babaa, Felix. Felix thinks himself a fearsome pirate, and at the moment his fancy was to rid the area of the the latest threat to the land of Meridell...dragonflies. The family does not have the heart to remind him that they are as harmless as he is. I smiled as I watched him, large eyes narrowed, gray fur fluffy with the humidity, as he pranced about and sprung into the air, stubby legs flailing. My sister Faite laughed and caught him in her arms. Felix looked extremely miffed at this undignified landing, and glared at me in a disgruntled fashion from under a leaf that had stubbornly ensnared itself in the fur above his eyes. Faite's own magaral, Lucy, rolled her eyes as she remained perched on a large, shady leaf. Felix trotted off through the paths of the garden, abashed.

I closed my eyes as I shut All About Dark Faeries and laid it on the grass beside me. Honestly, I understand the importance of education, but when would I ever need to know about every single spell likely to be dealt out by a dark faerie? When would I ever need to know anything about a dark faerie? One wasn't likely to appear in the middle of the garden. Curiously enough, as you may have realized from past experience, often one must say something to the effect of "What could possibly happen?" or "How bad could it be?" to accidentally instigate a complication. This was one of those cases.

Chapter One

As we lounged in the sun, Lucy took a new perch on Faite's sleeping finger; fluffing and preening before drifting off. I observed my sleeping sister; alike to me but with blueish features and a more courageous face. My father had named me first, being the older of the twins. I was Retaspect,

observance of the past to help Faite, the younger sister, and the future of our kingdom. For in Meridell, the younger child becomes the ruler. This is so that their older sibling feels comfortable advising them. My own father, the king, was advised by his eldest sister, Jhazara. As for me, I did not mind this pattern at all. Faite was braver and more strong willed than I; she would be a wonderful and beloved queen. As I thought about this, i felt my eyelids growing heavy. Taking a cue from my sister, I arranged my dress and lay down on the soft grass. A rose grew red and fragrant just inches from my face, and I closed my eyes in peace.

****

In my dream, I saw the sky grow darker. The clouds roiled above, casting a greenish-gray light over the whole scene. I was still in the garden, and there was my sleeping sister and Lucy. Felix, I supposed, was still out galavanting. No doubt in real life he would return soon; storms frightened him. But I heard nothing but a sudden strong breeze. This unnerved me; Meridell was near to the sea, so a breeze was not unexpected, but this one was different. Cold, harsher. Not the usual warm caress of the ocean wind. This felt as if it had a hard edge to it that I couldn't place. I instinctively moved closer to the rose hedge, which, thankfully had remained the same. Even in my dream, I understood why. These roses were protected by the magic of the kingdom's faeries; nothing could touch them. That was a slight comfort to me. Suddenly, I heard soft footsteps on the misty path in front of me. I crouched to hide, but I was soon relieved. Out of the mists came a small girl, blonde and cherubic, wearing a well-kept peasant's dress. She then smiled, but something was wrong in the smile. It was not unfriendly, but it seemed more like a smirk. Her large eyes glinted in the strange light. Slowly she walked towards me, hands clasped behind her back.

She stopped about two feet from me and looked up, still smiling, as she unclasped her hands and held them out to me. In them she held something that I did not recognize at first. When I finally did, I was horrified. In her perfect, pale hands, she held a single rose. A single, pitch black, clearly dead, rose.

****

I woke with a start, fighting back a scream. I looked around me to calm myself, taking in the perfectly red roses. It was just a dream. Just a dream. I would consult my mother later; she was an expert in the realms of the mind. Maybe she could help me interpret it. This soothed me, but all the same I wanted to get out of the garden for now. I roused my sister, and Lucy rolled off her finger and landed upside-down in the grass. She fluffed herself indignantly and rose to perch on Faite's shoulder. I decided not to tell Faite about the dream; it would only trouble her. I did, however, need to find Felix. He had never been gone this long before, and it slightly troubled me. Faite willingly agreed to help me, as I knew she would.

The rose garden was expansive; a maze of tall hedges with larger rectangular areas scattered through it. Most of the garden was free for wandering about, save for one outer section which my father's sister Jhazara used for her personal garden. The plants there were very delicate and rare, and she disallowed anyone but herself to wander those paths. I sincerely hoped that Felix had not decided that only the laws of pirates applied to him and had gone wandering in Jhazara's garden. She was not the most forgiving of souls. I voiced this fear, and Faite agreed that we should avoid going back there if at all possible. We decided that we could peer through the hedges that bordered Jhazara's garden and watch for movement, if it was necessary. We decided to spread out from their resting place *marked with an X on the map*. Faite took the path to the left that led to some larger spaces and the entrance. I decided to start with the straight path that became a small, dead end hallway. This was the path from my dream from whence the girl came, *marked with a Z on the map* and though I was a little nervous to venture down it, I knew that seeing all the roses in their normal red would help to assuage the fear I felt of the place. I had never felt fear in the rose garden before; why should I now? I turned and walked confidently down the path, hoping, once again, that Felix had not strayed far.

As I walked, I suddenly felt the same chill wind from my dream ruffle my hair. I stopped, alarmed. I heard my sister call out to me; asking if I had felt the strange wind. I told her that I had, and tried to reassure her that it was just the change of the seasons approaching. With ice in my stomach, I continued slowly, trying to reassure myself as I had my sister. I must have felt the chill wind as I slept, and incorporated it into my dream. I turned the last corner slowly, and froze when I saw something moving in the shadows at the end of the path.

It moved slightly closer, as I stood paralyzed with fear. I could see the sky above; growing ever darker as evening approached, and I wondered if I should scream. The shape came closer and closer...until suddenly I could make it out. My incorrigible babaa was meandering down the path, in the process of eating a rose. I laughed, all that fear for nothing. The stem of the flower hung out of Felix's tiny mouth, and he looked quite comical with his bulging cheeks.

Felix! You monstrous little furball. The roses are not for eating! I reprimanded him half-heartedly. I was so relieved that he was the only thing at the end of the murky pathway that I could not truly be annoyed at him.

My relief was only momentarily. For, being reprimanded, Felix released the rose upon the ground. It lay there, mangled, wet, and black as midnight. At the end of the hedged hallway, another shadow moved. It quickly retreated back into the gathering dark, but not before I made out the face of a small, blonde girl, smiling coldly, a crown of black roses braided into her fine hair. There was no fighting the scream this time.

Chapter Two

Faite found me curled around Felix's quivering form about two feet into the hedged path. She didn't ask questions; she simply took my hand and kicked the mutilated rose underneath a bush.

She placed Felix carefully but firmly in the round woven basket that we brought to carry the books, and we fled from the darkening maze. Upon exiting, we found that sunset had fallen over the land. The country lane was blue with the gathering dark, and the sky above was light indigo with lightning streaks of magenta. Meridell castle was still a twenty minute walk from the rose garden, all across open fields. It did not comfort me that it would be dark not even half-way through our journey, but the fact that we did not have to venture through any woods or other shrouded areas ameliorated the prospect. About sixty feet from the edge of the maze, we paused to look back. The maze, for the first time in my recollection, looked positively spooky. A dark cloud hovered over it, cloaking the green foliage in gloomy shade. Faite placed her hand on my shoulder and began forward again, but I remained staring transfixed at the maze.

Some evil is afoot here, sister. We must make haste!exclaimed Faite in a slightly panicked manner while Lucy peered nervously from under her hair. This shook me; I had never heard my sister panic, and I had never seen Lucy show anything but disdain for anything or anyone but my sister. I started to walk quickly. The long grass in the fields disquieted me; It was about knee high. I couldn't shake off the feeling that anything could be hiding in it. I realized how melodramatic I had become in the last few hours, and was greatly annoyed at myself. Then again, I had good cause. Either way, I was very glad to reach the village around the castle.

We passed the field of Meri Acres farm just as complete darkness fell, and reached the gates of the castle about two minutes later. The friendly old green draik at the door let us in, and we immediately collapsed against the strong, uneven stone walls. I hadn't realized it until now, but I had been holding my breath for much of the time we had been walking, and I was now experiencing the dizziness that accompanied this. We sat in silence for about a minute, breathing slowly. I removed Felix from his basket and stroked the soft, gray fur. Finally, I turned to Faite.

What must we do? Will father listen to us? I queried. The king of Meridell was a busy man, and we had learned not to trouble him with trivial matters. Faite took my hand.

Retra, he'll want to hear about this. trust me. she soothed. I also desired to see my mother, whom I could ask about my dream. With that thought, we gathered our pile of belongings and turned walked through the wooden doors to the royal chambers. Our father sat at the end of the long carpeted hall, facing us from his throne; his sister and advisor Jhazara standing imperiously next to him.

To his left was an empty, smaller throne where my mother usually sat. I eyed it curiously and glanced sideways at Faite. She mouthed Altador until mid-August, and we continued forward towards our father; my heart sinking.

My daughters, he said in a commanding, still kindly voice, What news from the gardens? This was always his question when we had been in the rose garden, for, of course, there never was any news. Today was wholly different. I looked at Faite, took a deep, calming breath, and began....

****

When I finished our story, with occasional added details from Faite or shudders from Felix, the king was silent. I stepped back towards my sister and bowed my head.

What could this mean? asked my father in a hushed voice, to no one in particular. I was surprised; nothing ever deeply concerned him. Jhazara did not seem surprised, she simply eyed the king. After two minutes of silence, I decided to speak up again.

Father, perhaps Darigan is behind this? The garden is near the border to the dark land. He looked up at me, seemingly in thought.

No, daughter, he said slowly. The minions of that sinister city move with less stealth and more violence. No, this is not Darigan's dark work. Some other evil is at work here. He sat again in silence, while I received a worried glance from Faite.

Jhazara stepped forward. Her black hair rippled half way down her back, and her deep purple silk gown glowed in the moonlight. On her head she wore the gold circlet of the king's advisor. Her calculating silver-violet eyes glinted as she began to speak.

If I might interject, my lord and brother, she said in her mellifluous voice, I might question the credibility of this story. She glanced at me, and her mouth briefly turned up into a smile that did not reach her eyes. It reminded me of something that made me uneasy...something I couldn't quite place....

Teenagers are so imaginative, she said softly. Felix glared at her, and she raised her dark eyebrows at him. the small babaa hid behind my dress, but I could sense his annoyance. Faite looked like she was about to say something from the angry expression on her face, but just then the wooden doors burst open. Everyone wheeled around as a bedraggled looking yellow techo, panting extremely hard, stumbled headlong down the carpeted aisle. He stopped, bowed jerkily, and passed out from exertion. Faite ran to him immediately, calling for water from the servants at the doors. My father and I strode quickly towards the limp form. Jhazara remained where she was. Almost immediately, servants appeared to take the techo to the houses of healing. As they bore him off, his hand fell open, revealing a piece of paper wrapped in scroll fashion.

Wait! I called, and hurried to retrieve the paper. It appears that he is a messenger. I handed the scroll to my father, who opened it immediately. Fate and I read over his shoulder.

Why does the King of Brightvale request my presence, Father? Faite inquired with a nervous glance at me.

Diplomacy, daughter. Now, pack your necessary belongings. We leave at dawn.

But father! I interjected. What of the roses? The black roses? I asked furiously. Was all forgotten in the case of this letter?

Retraspect, when one must choose between an immediate threat and a possible threat, one chooses the immediate, he said sadly. He then turned to his court.

I request a private word with my daughter, he said loudly. I will inform you when your presence is again desired. The entire room walked immediately to the doors, all save Jhazara and the servants, who stood in the shadows. The king nodded to Jhazara, and then the door. Her eyes narrowed, but she loped out of the doors with a feline grace, shutting them behind her. Now only the servants remained with us. My father turned to me and opened his mouth to speak. When all that came out was a whisper, I was surprised.

Retraspect, do not assume that I take this situation lightly. There is a matter which I must discuss with you before leaving. You know well that the magic of the faeries keeps the roses ever fresh and verdant. But, what none but myself and the queen know is that the roses symbolize our kingdom. Long ago, a dark faerie cast a spell on our land; proclaiming that, when the last of the season's roses died, all the land would fall into darkness and a new era of evil would begin. It would have been so, but the good faeries of our kingdom countered it; making the roses here ever growing, never dying. But, daughter,he said quietly, some magic is too powerful to undo. The faeries keep the roses alive, but if they should die, the dark prophecy will come true. His eyes glowed. We must not let this happen. Faite and I must go, Retraspect. It is our duty. But you, daughter, the fate of our kingdom may rest in your hands. He paused, glancing nervously around him. The longer I speak here, the greater that chance that we will be overheard. Tomorrow, go to the old wizard's shack in the nearby forest. He will tell you what you need to know. Good luck, and fare well. He looked at me and sighed sadly. Do you understand all that I have just told you?

Yes, father, I said, shocked at these revelations.

Good. Now, go to sleep. Morning brings new peril, I fear. He turned to walk away, but one last thought occurred to me.

Father! I cried. He turned back to me. Does Jhazara know of this? I asked, fearing the answer for some reason.

Of course, he said, slightly puzzled. Jhazara and the servants hear all of the court secrets, but they are not likely to mean anything to them. He turned once more and walked away, shutting the doors behind him, leaving me alone with the servants. I looked through the unlit stained glass windows out into the night. When a voice of a girl came behind me, I did not turn.

Excuse me, my lady?, said the voice. We'll be dousing the torches now. Wouldn't want your ladyship to be caught in the dark. The last words had a strange, cautionary edge to them, and I turned around. There, standing with a pail of water, was a small, blonde girl, smiling at me. The last of a withered black petal was entwined in the hair above her ear.

Chapter Three

This time, rather than freezing up, my legs moved of their own accord. I flew out of the court chamber and up the staircase to the bedroom I shared with Faite; Felix clinging to my shoulder. Luckily, Faite was inside, so I could lock the door without trapping her in the hallway. She looked at me in alarm as I bolted the door and slid down the rough wood. No signs of pursuit came from outside the door; not that I expected them too. As father had said earlier, these enemies used stealth, not violence. I hurriedly told Faite my tale, ending with my most recent thought about stealth.

Clearly right they want to scare us, not harm us, I mused. but that could change at any time. We have to be prepared, Faite. She hesitated, looking nervous.

Retra, you recall that I depart at dawn, correct? she asked.

Yes, of course! That is why this cannot wait. I recalled all of the King's words to her, finishing with his advice to see the mage in the woods tomorrow.

You mean to go tonight, said Faite. She already knew my plan.

Yes, i said, grabbing our travel cloaks. We have established that they want me to fear something. I think they want me to fear to venture outside. They want me to hide in our quarters and do nothing. Well, I said, pausing my packing whirlwind and turning to look at her; All I have to say to them is: Not likely.

Due to our knowledge of the castle, we were able to slip through the courtyard unnoticed by any guards, or, thankfully, the unsettling little girl. I walked behind Faite, carrying a small torch. We stepped silently through the back passage of the wall; a secret we had found long ago. No one, as far as we knew, was aware of it besides ourselves.

Jhazara! Faite exclaimed, halting suddenly in front of me. My stomach turned to a cold, sinking cube of ice. So someone else did know. Someone whom I was not delighted to see right now. I had forgotten to tell Faite about my inexplicable distrust of Jhazara...and if she happened to ask where-

exactly do you think you are going? Her question harmonized with my panicked thoughts.

We are visiting the wi-

Will. I mean, well. Yes, we are visiting...going to...the well. To fetch water. Then we are coming back, I stuttered, saying anything to cut Faite's "wizard" off.

Yes. We are, Faite reaffirmed. She may not have understood my reasoning, but she could tell that something was up. Jhazara eyed us suspiciously.

Wandering after dark is not a good idea, she remarked, eyebrows raised. And, coincidentally, you cannot venture to the ahh..."will" in either case, she said, pointing to Faite. Another urgent message from the king of Brightvale has arrived. Your father prepares to leave at once. Faite, you will accompany me to the castle at once. Retraspect, please hurry back from the well. Torches don't last forever, you know. We wouldn't want you to be...mm...caught in the dark. My blood ran cold. There could be no doubt now. Jhazara smiled at me, the torchlight illuminating her strange, silvery eyes. It was a cold, terrifying smile. I knew that Faite could not be left alone with her in this dark tunnel; I had to do something. As Jhazara steered Faite away into the darkness, I acted upon my hasty plan. Loudly, and hitting as many things as possible, I "tripped" and screamed. Of course, the guards were there in seconds. Jhazara glared at me as the tunnel was filled with torchlight.

What ever has happened?! asked a small, green draik, peering around. Blimey, I've never even seen this place before.

Oh, clumsy, foolish me, I tripped! I exclaimed in a quite innocent voice. I'm alright, but Jhazara here was about to head back to the castle without a torch! I simply couldn't let her; she might get lost. Would it trouble you terribly to escort her and my sister back safely? I asked. Jhazara sighed.

Really, that is not at all necessa- she said, perturbed.

Oh, but it is, Jhazara, I said in my most innocent manner as the guards began to assemble around the pair. I hugged my sister and we said our farewells briefly. Then I turned again to Jhazara.

After all, we wouldn't want you to be caught in the dark. I gave her my coldest smile, and turned to go down the path leading out of the castle.

****

The trip across the lawns was a short, but spooky one. I jumped at every sound and started at every gust of wind. Finally, at the border of the deep woods, I reached the old wizard's house. Luck was in my favor; the light was on inside. I had heard plenty of stories about the mad old sorcerer, but never seen him with my own eyes. I raised my hand to knock on the door, but it flew open. I jumped back and yelled, but I wasn't either attacked or screamed at, both of which I was expecting. Instead, I peered up to see a completely insane looking island yurble. He had a long, golden beard, and appeared to be very old. This was not what made him appear unstable, however. I am, in fact, fairly certain that it was the fact that he was carrying a staff of garlic and sporting to different sized monocles in both eyes that alerted me to this fact. He peered at me wildly for one second, and then cracked a broad smile.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IN THE MEANTIME; ADOPT A ROSE!
Please leave the credit ON these roses, and do not remove the link. I worked very hard to make these, and I will remove them if they are stolen + report the user.

Rose Garden

remember to leave the credit on, and do not remove the link. Jhazara will hunt you down. D:
The codes are in the order that the roses appear.

Link Back

Why thank you guest! I am so glad that you enjoyed my page enough to link it! My owner Felicity will be very pleased.
Codes are in the order of the buttons. :3

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