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When Roses Grow Black Chapter 38 I would like to say that I fell into another dream, but if I said that, it would be untrue. Each dream that I had was telling the truth of what happened, but was also gradually worked up to. At certain parts in the dream, warnings of the future would be given off to me. Like the flow of blood in one of the dreams. All the dreams surfacing form the back of my subconscious mind. My mind knew that I was ready and prepared for what laid ahead and that's what triggered everything. As I got farther and farther from what I once considered my 'world', the magic inside of me was awoken. The magic slowly but surely awoke Vance from his long unnatural sleep. He was ready for the finally battle; the battle that would win the war. He was unprepared for me to be clueless as to who I was. All of this was happening and I was totally unaware of it. My instincts were correct that night the lady picked me up hitch hiking, though. Vance was hot on my trail from day one. He had pulled the lady over and murdered her cold-bloodedly. He was going to come after me next, but I fled and was run over by another part of my past instead. My supposed 'Guardians', or in this life the Backstreet Boys. The deal with the changing colors will be answered soon enough. I wasn't in a dream. I was in my memories, re-living them. One by one."Hey, Daddy? Can we see if the new dimensions portal is working, yet?" I asked my father as we wandered through the halls of the modern day palace. It was then in the memory that it hit me. The reason why we were in America at the time was because we were from a different dimension. Every hallway in the palace was filled with modern day things and even some futuristic things yet every one was stuck on the medieval code of chivalry. I noticed that the technology was passed our own, but the culture was medieval. "I don't see why we can't," he answered as we entered a huge room with a long table filled with food, "We'll go this afternoon." He sat down the opposite of my mother. I took a double take and smiled. My mother was Denise McLean. I knew there had to be a tie in to me and AJ being brother and sister. "Good morning, mom," I greeted her as I sat down for breakfast. She smiled at me as she thanked one of the servants for pouring her another cup of hot coffee. "Good morning, Rose. Have you seen Alexander around today? I haven't seen him in days unless he was leaving again. I find it just awful that he can't just stay here with us for one day! I'm so glad you don't take off like that!" she exclaimed exasperated as she sipped her coffee. "Well, I also have to worry about my training for taking the throne once I come of age, Mom. He doesn't have the same responsibilities as I do," I replied in defense of my restless older brother. He was going to owe me later, though.Suddenly, the image before me changed in a flash and I was no longer in that memory. Now, I was in a whole new one. "Hey, Alexander," I sighed as I plopped down on to his bed next to him. It was late at night and the rest of the palace was asleep. I wasn't tired at all and needed some one to talk to. I was walking by his room on my way down stairs to the kitchen, and I noticed he was awake, writing. "Hey, sis," he replied as he closed his journal. "What’s going on?" "Nothing really, I just can't sleep." I sighed as I laid back. He looked at me with a familiar twinkle in his eye, and I rolled my eyes at him. "Nothing is wrong! Stop worrying!" "What do you think this new suitor will be like?" he asked me and I looked at him quizzically. "You did know about your next suitor coming tomorrow morning, didn't you?" he asked me as he sat up straighter and I had to laugh at his eagerness to hear my answer. "That's tomorrow?" I groaned. I had gotten so many suitors coming to the palace since the day I turned fifteen it made me sick. Alexander noticed the miserable expression cross my face and wrapped one arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry, Rose. He does one thing you don't like, and your guardians will be sure you never see him again," he tried comforting me. Unfortunately it didn't work. It only brought to mind that the circle of the guardians was still incomplete. Everything we tried to do to complete it never worked. Everyone who tried to be the fifth guardian, the magic rejected. We just couldn't find the final member, and time was running short. The circle had to be complete by the time of my 20th birthday or it was prophesized that the Dynasty would fall and the entire world would die. I was fifteen and it had already taken my entire lifetime to find the other four guardians. There was only five years left. Alexander seemed to understand my silence and hugged me tighter. As if reading my thoughts he spoke softly into my ear, "We will find the other guardian. Everything will be all right. You'll see." I looked into his pleading eyes, and smiled. I felt safe around him. He had been protecting me since the day I was born and that was how he became the first Guardian. He knew my every secret, every wish. He was my older brother who would tell me scary stories late at night and then let me sleep in his room when I got too scared to sleep in my own room alone. As the years went on he had fought off every bad suitor and he made it a requirement that he met the suitor before me. He also sheltered me from a lot of things I never knew about. Conflicts within the castle he didn't want me worrying about. I never knew what, but I knew he did it. "Okay," I smiled and got up, "Good-night" He smiled back as he picked his journal back up, "Good-night."Again, the memory faded away and slowly led me to another one. I sat high on a red chair in what seemed to be a huge hall. Instantly it sank in: I was in the throne room! I was sitting on the Princess throne. To my far left was Alexander and in between the two of us our parents sat. Alexander looked as though he had a rough night and woke up late. I was about to express my concerns to him when I herd trumpets blaring and the huge metal doors to the hall swing open. Sun light flooded into the hall and a solitary dark figure walked in. Dressed in black futuristic armor, he stopped in front of the thrones and bowed. I grabbed on to the golden locket I had been given at birth for protection when I saw his black eyes and felt his cold stare upon me. I felt his evil roll off him in waves and I shivered as I wondered who this man was and what he wanted. Something about him made my heart freeze in terror when he looked at me. I did not like him. I looked to my right to my advisor and long time friend, Howard. He gave me a sympathetic look and I felt my stomach drop like a ton of lead to my feet. "Announcing Prince Vance of the Shadow Kingdom. Here to be a suitor for Princess Rose," Howard announced the evil man's business and I cringed. I stole a glance to Alexander to see if he had approved this suitor. By the shocked and angry expression on his face I already knew he had not. "Hello, your Majesties," Vance greeted and I shuddered. His voice was deep and hollow, completely devoid of emotion. And I was supposed to court this man? "Hello, Prince Vance. We have to say that your visit is very unexpected. Although we welcome you to our kingdom. How long shall your stay be?" my father asked formally and I prayed that Vance's stay would not me long. At the first sight of him I knew he was evil. "Well, If I am not intruding," Vance began with a glance around the throne room, "I would like to stay to see the beautiful Princess wed. No matter to who." My stomach fell right then and there. 'Please, please, say no, Daddy, please.' I thought as I watched a wicked smirk cross his face as he looked me up and down. "Of course you are not intruding. We hope you enjoy your stay. Howard?" my father stated. I knew even before he spoke that the horrible Prince would be staying for as long as he wanted. It would look bad to the public and other kingdoms to turn away a suitor. Not to mention the fact that the peace between us and the Shadow Kingdom was very thin. We ruled the Light Kingdom. The Light and the Shadow Kingdoms were the biggest, both controlling entire continents with smaller kingdoms inside them. Basically, the two Kingdoms ruled the world. If war were to break out, all of mankind would perish. Howard stepped forward and bowed slightly to my father, "Yes, your highness?" "Show the Prince to his room for his stay, and show him around the castle. We couldn't let him get lost, now could we?" my dad spoke in an insinuation. He meant for Howard to show him all the things that he would need around the castle. He wanted to be sure Vance had no excuses to go snooping around. "Yes, sire," Howard said in understanding. He flashed me a weak smile hoping to comfort me. I let out a heavy sigh as I watched the two disappear out of the door. 'Don't trust your back with him, Howard,' I thought uneasily in worry for my advisor and friend. The moment they were out of the door Alexander jumped out of his seat in fury, "I thought I saw all the suitors before Rose?!" He began pacing back and forth in front of the seats. Every time I had seen him angry I never dared to step in. It was very rare for him to loose his temper, but when he did you had to look out because it was horrible. I suppose I was afraid of what he might have done if I had interjected. So I stayed quite. "Alexander! Sit your royal butt down right now!" my Mother scolded him and he shrugged his shoulders as he plopped back down onto his throne. "We had no idea Prince Vance was coming. We were just as shocked as you." She always had a way of handling him that my father had never obtained. He listened to her, unlike my father. "You wouldn't have been able to approve or disapprove him anyway, Alexander," my Father spoke up and I could almost see the steam come out of my older brother's ears. "Excuse me?! Why not?!" he asked indignantly. I sighed and rubbed my face. I silently prepared myself for the oncoming argument between the two. It was always like this, day in and day out. They just couldn't get along. Even the public was aware of it by now. I was actually beginning to think that it was normal. After each of the fights either my Mother or I were left to pick up the pieces of the two. I had always tried my best to help my Dad understand Alexander better and vice versa, but it was beginning to wear on me. "The Shadow Kingdom can either be a very powerful ally or a very deadly enemy. We couldn't very well kick the Prince of the Shadow Kingdom out because he wasn't to your liking!!" my Father exploded. "Here we go," I groaned as I buried my head into my hands. I was so sick of this and only wished to escape from it for today. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I jumped and turned to the person and a wide smile spread across my face. "Kevin! What are you doing here?!" I asked now ignoring the argument between my family members. I jumped up and he engulfed me into a bear huge. His 6'1 frame almost completely swallowed my small 4'11 one. "God, I've missed you so much!" I whispered into his ear before pulling away. He looked me up and down and smiled, "You’re just as beautiful as ever, Rose. You've grown, too." He smiled widely and his green eyes shined emerald in the dim light of the room. Although it was broad daylight out the throne room had no windows, just the huge double doors. "What, what are you doing here?" I asked in shocked happiness. When my Dad's best friend, Jerald, died, he began spending time with Jerald's sons. Kevin was the youngest at the time and needed guidance while my Dad needed to be reminded of his friend. It worked out perfectly. Over the years, Kevin became a close friend of my entire family. Although he remained the closest to my Dad, everybody loved him. Kevin had watched me grow up from a toddler to now. He had watched over me almost like a second Father. When my parents became too busy to spend time with me, he did. He took the place of my all too busy Father and protected me more than Alexander did. He taught me the street smarts I lacked and about the myths and fairy tales I loved. That was how he became my second Guardian. When I was 7 he introduced me to his younger cousin, Brian. Although I was only a child and Brian was already 17, we quickly became best friends despite the age difference. It was with Brian that I had gotten into the habit of sneaking out late at night to meet him. As Kevin grew up and went away on business more and more, Brian and I became closer and closer. By the time I was 9 it was forgotten that Kevin had introduced us and we went to each other for everything. The day of my 13th birthday, Brian disappeared out of no where. Brian's father was a noble man who had made many enemies in his youth who swore to get revenge. This was what set Kevin and I off to the fact that something horrible had happened. What better revenge than to take your enemy's youngest son? I was ready to go searching all over the world for him myself, but I was not allowed to. I was born into a status of privilege and power, but with that privilege and power came certain responsibilities. I was thirteen and finally old enough for suitors to be banging down my door. I was utterly devastated that my best friend ever may be dying somewhere and I couldn't help the search one little bit. So Kevin vowed to me he'd find him and bring him back. "I will not come home empty handed, I refuse to," were his exact words to me before he left. That was the last I had heard of him until now. "I brought you something as a late birthday present. He's your second favorite person, besides me of course," he chuckled at his own funny. My jaw dropped and I felt the tears of joy spring to my eyes. "You found him?!?!?" I whispered as it wasn't settled into my brain. Kevin just nodded gently as he hugged me again. "You found him!" I cried out happily as he lifted me up swung me around in the hug. He slowly put me down and laughed, "I told you I wouldn't come back empty handed! Now, I need to go- whoa, is that Alexander and your father in that fight?" He stopped mid-sentence finally taking notice of the fight raging on behind us. "Yeah, unfortunately, Things have changed drastically since you were last here," I sighed sadly. Things really had been going down hill. But now that Kevin was back, perhaps there was that glimmer of hope that life could be put back to normal. Whatever that was. "I could tell things had changed the moment I entered the room and didn't recognize you," he said trying to lighten up my mood. "Look at you, you’re all grown up, now. You’re gonna scare Brian when he sees you." I was baffled at his behavior of trying to make me laugh and smile again while my father and brother where fighting. "Don't worry about your family, I'll talk to your parents if you take your brother, deal?" He won, I smiled at the suggestion, "Deal. Where is Brian, anyway?" Kevin looked perplexed for a moment as if he were re-thinking his cousins word. "He said tonight, same way, same time, same place. Be there," he said slowly and it all made sense to me. He didn't understand what it meant! No one would have and that was the point of the message. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad your both back and intact," I gave him one last hug before things went black again.So much information was stored in each one of these memories, I could feel my mind spinning even as the world was dark. Everything was making sense to me now, but the more it made sense the more scared I became. |