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And now the first chapter of Rose Petals & Snowflakes!
1 |
The king of the North Country lay dying. Even his wife and younger
daughter, who’d been optimistic to the end, were forced to concede to reality,
and they now took turns in a constant vigil at his bedside. His elder daughter,
ever the pragmatist, applied herself to matters of state so that their kingdom
not fall into ruin.
Of course, the most
pressing matter was finding their elder half-brother, on whose shoulders the
affairs of state ought to fall.
She had sent
messengers to all corners of the land and beyond, and, one by one, they had
only returned in vain. Today, however, a man had finally returned with news –
and it was troubling news indeed. If he was right – and the uncomfortable knot
in the princess’s stomach said he was – then they were in trouble indeed.
And so she tucked
the matter away and went in search of her sister. She needed a distraction and
figured that her sister, who’d been at their father’s bedside the whole day,
could use the same. By the time she’d reached his bedchamber, she’d settled the
knot of nerves in her stomach – after she’d nearly worried off her lower lip.
Knocking lightly at
the door, she stepped into the room and sighed as she sat down at her sister’s
side. “How is he, Mari?”
Snowmari blinked and
sat up straight. “Asleep. Keep quiet and don’t wake him – you know that he
doesn’t like to hear us talking about him.” She took her sister’s hand. “Oh,
Elin! Just look at him! Does he even resemble the
father we know and love? And if James – Elin, have you found any news of James?”
Elinrose released a
sigh. “I have a lead, and that’s why I need to talk to you. This … it’ll be
best if I personally pursue this. I’m leaving in the morning, and I don’t know
when I’ll be back, but I’ll return with James when I do. I promise.”
Snowmari sucked in
a breath. “Very well. Where is he?”
“Nowhere good,
which is why I’ll have to retrieve him myself.” Elinrose put a hand on
Snowmari’s shoulder. “Also, it’s Mayblossom’s bedtime, and I think she would
like it if we both tucked her in.”
Snowmari frowned,
her gaze flicking to their father. “Very well. We can leave a servant with him
for a few minutes.” She shook her head. “Oh! But to see him like this, when he
was always so strong and…” She took a deep breath and stood. “Let’s go find Mayblossom,
yes?”
“Yes,” agreed
Elinrose, hooking her arm through her sister’s and guiding her out of the room.
“Now, I just want to let you know that I’ve already spoken with Chancellor
Markim. You won’t need to worry about affairs of state while I’m away, as he
will handle them. I hope to not be gone long … but if I don’t return with James
before … well, you know happens,
don’t hesitate to hold a coronation for Mayblossom and take the position of
regent.”
“But…”
“Only if I don’t
return.” Elinrose held up a hand. “I plan to
return with James before the inevitable and not leave you in this position. I
just want to make sure that we have the backup plan in place.”
“Right.” Snowmari
gave an exaggerated sigh. “It’s just, the way you’re talking … I’m worried, that’s
all.”
“Of course, but
I’ve already told you that you have nothing to
worry about.” Elinrose patted Snowmari’s hand.
She didn’t like
patronizing her sister, but Snowmari could overreact with such melodrama over
the most minor issues … and that was the last thing that Elinrose wanted right
now.
Snowmari released a
sigh. “If you say so. You’d better return with him – I don’t know what I’ll do
if you don’t.”
“Chancellor Markim
will take care of affairs – whether until my return or until Mayblossom comes
of age. You will be her regent officially, but he will be your chief advisor. Use
him.”
“But shouldn’t
you…”
Elinrose pulled
them up short as they had reached Mayblossom’s room. “I plan to return with
James. Now, no more of this – we don’t want to upset Mayblossom. She may well
have the world on her shoulders before long.”
“And yet you stand
there, upsetting me!” Snowmari shook her head and pulled away from Elinrose.
“Now, look at me! I’m a ball of nerves – how do you expect me to not upset Mayblossom when I have this weighing on my mind?”
“Hey!” Elinrose bit
down her frustration, knowing that one of them had to remain calm. “Everything
will be fine. But if you don’t want to give Mayblossom her good-night kiss,
then, by all means, run back to Father’s side and worry yourself away.”
Snowmari folded her
arms over her chest, drawing in a breath. “Fine. Where is James?”
Elinrose took
Snowmari by the arm again and pulled her into Mayblossom’s room, where their
eight-year-old niece sat on her bed, playing with her dolls. Mayblossom smiled
at first, but it melted into a frown as she glanced between her aunts.
“Is something
wrong?” Mayblossom hugged one of the dolls to her chest.
“Oh, Aunt Mari and
I are just so regretful that we have to come put an end to your game!” Elinrose
slipped into a smile as she swept over to the bed and sat down at Mayblossom’s side.
“Bedtime, you know.”
Mayblossom gave a
slow nod as she reluctantly set her dolls to the side. “All right. I thought
Grandpa…”
“Grandpa’s still
with us,” said Snowmari, rushing over to sit down on Mayblossom’s other side.
“Don’t worry – he’s stubborn and will cling to life as long as he can.”
“Daddy needs to
come back home soon.” Mayblossom gave a huge sigh. “I know he doesn’t like to be
around me ‘cause I remind him of Momma, but with Grandpa so sick…”
“Your daddy loves
you plenty well!” Elinrose countered, tapping Mayblossom’s nose. “He’s just
silly and likes to adventure instead of staying here with us. Now, sweet dreams,
and don’t worry yourself about it. I’ve already made up my mind that I will be
going to find him myself this time and let him know that it’s more than time
for him to move on and come home.”
Mayblossom wrinkled
her nose but nodded as she tucked herself under the covers. “Good. I just
wish…” Here she gave a colossal sigh. “I hope I don’t scare him away once he’s
the king. It won’t be any good if he runs away then.”
“I think you
eavesdrop more than any little girl ought.” Elinrose pulled the blankets up to
the girl’s chin, pressed a kiss to her niece’s forehead, and then stood,
shaking her head. “As I said, there’s no reason for you to worry.”
She nodded to
Snowmari, who launched into a quiet lullaby. Mayblossom gave a slow sigh,
closing her eyes.
Elinrose pinched
her lips together as she listened. Mayblossom’s fears weren’t unfounded. Perhaps
if Raine, her mother, had survived her birth, then things would have been
different, but she hadn’t.
James loved his
daughter, Elinrose had no doubt about that, but the truth was, he was
sentimental, and Mayblossom was the image of her mother. James had adored
Raine, and while that affection did extend to their daughter, the pain of loss still
drove him away after only a few weeks with the child.
Indeed, the problem
only got worse the older Mayblossom got. The more she looked like her mother.
No, the girl had a right to worry. James wouldn’t have the liberty to wander
away for adventures once he was king. If he returned home at all in order to
become king…
Elinrose balled her
hands into fists. Her brother was sentimental and an idiot, and tomorrow she was going to risk her own life and freedom
to get him out of the trouble he’d found himself in this time.
But that
sentimental idiot was her
older brother, and even though it was only by half-blood, she loved him as much
as though it were full-blood. She would save his sorry backside, and she would
see him on the throne. And then she would face the issue of how to keep him on
that throne, rather than gallivanting across the countryside as was his
princely wont.
Snowmari’s song
ended, and with a few whispered words of comfort, she stood and retreated to Elinrose’s
side.
“Good night May-dearest,”
she said, twisting into a smile, and Elinrose pried herself out of her thoughts
to repeat the words, and two sisters stepped out of the bedroom together.
“Do you have to go
find James yourself?” Snowmari protested, hooking an arm through Elinrose’s, as
though she could physically anchor her sister to the castle. “Surely some
messenger could do just as well. Or … maybe I could go in your place! You know that
I can’t do half the things that you do for the kingdom. Let me go! Let me be useful!”
Elinrose bit back a
sigh and shook her head. “I wish, but I’ve already considered all of our
options. Alas, Mari, but you and James are too much alike, and the trouble he’s
in is … tricky. Mayblossom might be able to free him, were she older, but she’s
not, and as his only heir, we can’t risk her. No, it has to be me. I leave in
the morning, and there will be no further argument.”
Snowmari released a
long sigh, tightening her hold of her sister’s arm. “Fine. I … I guess I’ll
just stay here. And worry. Do what you can.”
Elinrose forced a
smile. “Austere willing, I’ll be back before you even realize I’m gone.”
Of course, Elinrose
knew even then that her words were but a cheerful exaggeration. Though she left
at the first light of dawn the next morning, she had a journey of two days on
horseback before she arrived at the mysterious Forest that formed their
country’s border. Rarely had anyone ever stepped into that wood and returned
afterward. She couldn’t imagine what had possessed her brother to take the
risk, but here she was now.
“None of you are to
follow me,” she instructed the soldiers that had accompanied her this far. “You
can wait for me a week, but then return to the castle if I haven’t emerged
again.”
“Of course, your
highness,” said the captain. “Are you sure you want to go in there yourself?”
Elinrose shook her
head. “I have to, but thank you for your concern.” With that, she spurred her horse
forward into the ominous wood.
Despite the
temperature rising as she threaded through the trees, a chill settled over
Elinrose. This forest was oddly lit. No sunbeam seemed to penetrate the foliage
above, yet a green glow was everywhere, casting shadows at odd angles.
The plant life was
odd here as well – though, having grown up in an ice-locked kingdom, Elinrose supposed
that the large, leafy trees, vines, and bushes could be perfectly normal in a
warmer clime. Still, it set her nerves on end, especially as she stared at the
jagged leaves and thorny stems. The very air hung with a sense of foreboding,
and the constant rustling in the undergrowth didn’t help.
She tightened her
grip on her horse’s reigns. If she could just see what were making the noises…
No, she had to
focus. She had to find James, do what she had to do to get him out of here, and
then see him back to the castle. If she didn’t escape herself, if she had to
remain behind to buy his freedom, then so be it.
But she really
hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.
And, first, she had
to find him. Elinrose hardly knew how to begin. The Forest was huge. How was
she to even know where to
begin.
Well, there was
nothing to do but to press forward and pray to Austere that she was going in
the right direction. People lived here – or so the legends said. She didn’t
know how much faith to put into those legends, but what else did she have?
And then it started
raining.
It didn’t rain in
the North Country; it snowed. And while the canopy of leaves over her helped,
it also made for solid streams of water that dumped on her head at the most
inopportune moments.
Still, Elinrose
pressed forward. She had to find James. She was in the Forest. She’d made her
decision. There was no turning back now.
The rain subsided,
and a thick mist took its place. The light was fading, so Elinrose decided that
it wasn’t worth it to press any further that day. She dismounted, and, not
knowing where better to set up camp, she opened her saddlebags to retrieve some
jerky and sat down dejectedly on a rock.
What was she doing?
Her country was in a critical state, she was the best to lead it, and here she
was, chasing after her idiot of a brother who clearly had no respect for the
power that was due him. And she was pretty sure that it was too late for her to
turn back.
An unexpected crack
of thunder tore the air, and her unsecured horse bolted. Elinrose hadn’t even
time to leap up and grab the reigns. The mare was gone.
The day was getting
worse by the minute. Now she was alone in this Forest without her supplies and
little practical knowledge for survival. She wanted to curl up under a rock and
cry … but there were no rocks at hand to serve such a purpose. No, she had to
press forward and … well, she honestly didn’t know what she was going to do.
She didn’t do things on whim and without a plan … but this Forest defied plans.
It was growing
dark, so she knew that she needed to find somewhere to sleep for the night. But
the ground was wet, a chill had settled into the air, and her horse had taken
her blanket and tarp. What was she to do now?
The trees shifted,
and another chill shuddered down her spine as they formed into an arching path
ahead of her. She dared not take this path, and yet, as she glanced about
herself, she found that the Forest had closed on her every other side.
“Foul magic,” she
swore under her breath, and then she stood. She had no recourse but forward.
Was this why no one
returned from the Forest? She hadn’t even found James yet!
Hiking up her
riding skirts, she took one step forward, then another. Then she broke into a
run.
She was already
lost. Why not follow the path before her?
Then, just as
suddenly, she was at a dead end. The trees closed into a curtain before her,
and she drew up short.
“What now?” she
breathed, gaze darting about, and she drew back in muffled surprise as she saw
a pair of eyes glowing from the darkness before her.
“Are you lost,
princess?”
Elinrose swallowed down fear at the rough,
growling voice.
“Who’s there?” The
question came out at a higher pitch than she liked. “How do you know that I’m a
princess?”
The answer was a
low chuckle that sounded even more like a growl. “I smell the nobility in your
blood, and you reek of purpose and quest besides. Are you related to one of the
princes we have wandering about? Perhaps you’ve chased after your lover?”
Princes? The
thought lodged in her throat.
“I’m looking for my
brother,” she admitted. “Our father is dying. Do you know where I might find
him … sir?”
There was a sound
of crunching and crackling as the mysterious figure drew near. The shadow … did
not seem human.
“I may be able to
take you to the foolhardy fellow who shares your scent,” the man answered.
But then, he burst
out from the tree line, and Elinrose saw that it was, indeed, no man at all,
but a great, shaggy bear.
She took another
step back, but held her composure in an iron fist.
“You’re a talking
bear.”
“And you’re an
observant princess.”
Elinrose nodded
sharply. “Will you help me find my brother?”
If legend and lore
were to be believed, then this bear was as likely to be friend as foe.
“I might,” he
answered, with another growling chuckle. “How desperately do you wish to find
him?”
He was bargaining.
Elinrose knew better than to give in to such a scheme – yet what else could she
do? Her brother had to be found, and she was without a horse now.
“I’m afraid that my
horse ran off with everything I had of value,” she answered noncommittally.
“Did he, now?”
asked the bear, tilting his head to the side. “How unfortunate.”
Elinrose lifted her
chin. “Are you patronizing me?”
The bear took a
step towards her, giving a growl that sounded strangely – and terrifyingly –
like a chuckle. “You have courage, princess. Perhaps I shall take pity on you.”
“I don’t need your
pity.”
“Ah, but you do –
and your brother as well,” the bear answered. “So does every mortal soul that
steps foot inside this Forest. Pity, for they are fools. Come, mount upon my
back, and I will take you to your brother, though what good it shall do, I
don’t know. Every soul who steps foot in this Forest entangles themselves in a
web that is not easily undone.”
He took another
step towards her, and every muscle in her body screamed to run, but she held
her ground.
“How can I trust
you?” she asked.
He gave another
growling chuckle. “You already trusted yourself to this forest, and it is a
thousand times more dangerous than I could ever be,” he answered. “You will trust
me because you must. Without my help, you have no hope of finding your brother
– no hope of finding your way out of this Forest.”
“And you’re doing
this out of pity?” she asked.
“Does it surprise
you that a bear can possess a heart?” he asked. “Did you not know that our
hearts are the largest in the Forest? Come now, let us find your brother. If I
have heard correctly, your father’s life drains away as we speak. There is no
time to waste.”
He was upon her
now. Even on his all-fours, he stared her in the eye. And yet, that seemed to
reassure her, for though his mouth was filled with teeth sharp indeed, those
eyes were strangely gentle. Human, even.
“You’re a trifle
large for me to mount,” she pointed out.
“True enough, but
we must manage,” he answered. He turned from her and crouched down so his belly
was against the forest floor.
She grimaced as she
took hold of a large clump of his fur, hoping that she wasn’t hurting him, and
climbed onto the beast’s back in a heartbeat. In the rain, the bear smelled
strongly of wet dog, and Elinrose knew that her dress was ruined for good.
Well, that was why
she was wearing an old dress.
“Hold tight,” the bear
instructed, and then he took off at a bounding run.
The Forest blurred
into a streak of gray-green, and she held tightly to two fistfuls of his fur,
not knowing what else to cling to. He didn’t protest, so she supposed it must
be all right. At length, the bear slowed to a walk, pausing every few moments to
sniff the air.
“So, what is your
name?” she asked after a moment. When he didn’t answer, she continued. “Come
now, I can’t just call you ‘bear,’ now can I?”
“Bear will do,” he
answered. “Now, quiet, princess. We’re near your brother.”
Elinrose clamped her mouth closed in a frown.
