Euphoria

When We First Met: I

The young prince was quite bored and wanted to see the other side of the palace. He didn't want to be locked in his room and forced to play piano all the time.

So explore he did. He went down the spiral staircases and tunnels of the palace a smile gracing his chubby cheeks as he felt free for the first time. His arms spread out in a large plane-like embrace as he felt the wind rip his gelled down hair, his princely robes splattered with rain and mud.

He splashed in the puddles being able to have fun for the first time.

He suddenly saw a head peek from behind the shade of the palace columns.

Pretty, he thought when he saw her.

"Prince" she called out in agony, "you must come back in."

Entranced by her pretty curls and bright brown hair he was lured into the shade of the palace from the roaring rain. When he realized he was no longer in the rain he pouted.

"Please don't be sad your highness," said the girl with a pout. "We can be friends, we can hang out anytime you want when it's not raining." She said with a smile.

And that's when he decided she was a blooming flower, he wanted to be her friend. He followed her and noticed she was taking him back to his room. He immediately grabbed her hand in haste.

"No" he whined, "Take me to where you stay." He said eager to be away from the teachers who would scold him. And definitely from the disapproving gaze of his father.

She stopped contemplating for a second her face scrunched in thought. "fine" she nodded her curls bouncing, the boy entranced touched a curl, and saw how it sprung as if it was alive.

He giggled "So pretty," he said with a blush on his face. She laughed and took his hand.

"Come on" she skipped cheerily her servant dress tattered but her spirit not.

"So you're a vampire right?" She asked curiously.

The prince proudly nodded puffing his chest out "the future king of vampires, Prince Dorian."

"You don't smell like one though?" He asked curiously.

She laughs and nods "I am a nymph" she responds. "My name is Briar Rose."

When they reached the kitchen where many servants were preparing food her mother scolded her for bringing the prince to such a "filthy place."

The prince assured that it was he who requested to be brought here. He baked with her and her mom chocolate sauce on his cheeks laughing and putting cookies in the oven. When evening arose and he knew they would all be looking for he took two of the cookies baked and left thanking them goodbye. He promised he would be back as this day was the most fun he's ever had in his life. And it was all because of a girl with a huge smile and a head of curly hair.

∞

The next day the prince finished his piano, violin, ballroom dancing, math, science and geography, and leadership classes with fervor excited to see the girl again.

He went to the garden to pick out a bouquet of roses for her.

You're my sweet rose

the eight-year-old prince wanted to say.

He happily skipped to the kitchen trying to remain undetected by the guards so they don't report back to his father.

The smell of something roasting filled his nose and he breathed heavily entering the large stone kitchen excitedly to see his new friend. Unable to find her and her mother he poked a woman cooking and she turned around her eyes going wide.

"Prince, you shouldn't be down here." She says sweetly.

He pouts "Where is Briar Rose" he scowls.

Her face goes into a surprise "ah" she crouches down to his height.

"Well, they were hired elsewhere this morning." She said her tone laced with sadness.

The prince stared at her as his eyes went wide and filled with tears. His lip poked out and wobbled as he began to sniffle.

He immediately ran off up the stairs wiping his tears away.

He heard the woman's calls behind him but he ran not stopping until he reached the garden. It was pouring heavily again but he didn't dance in the rain.

This time he cried with the sky.

His flower was gone.

But what he didn't know was after the storm comes the rainbow.