Blood Rose

Chapter 2~Royal Duty

"Great people will always be mocked by those who feel smaller than them. A lion does not flinch at laughter coming from a hyena. A gorilla does not budge from a banana thrown at it by a monkey. A nightingale does not stop singing its beautiful song at the intrusion of an annoying woodpecker. Whenever you should doubt your self-worth, remember the lotus flower. Even though it plunges to life from beneath the mud,

it does not allow the dirt that surrounds it to affect its growth or beauty."

― Suzy Kassem

Lying in bed was more of a hopeless attempt, as all the princess could do was toss and turn. As her eyes seemed to be giving way under the pressure a hissing sound from outside of Persephone's door flung them back open again. This hissing continued on until she forced her body off the bed which proved to be more difficult than normal, feet dragging a bit with every step. Her fingers gripped the door knob a bit tighter than normal and lingered there.

For a moment she savored the idea of strangling the unknown nuisance but opened the door to find Sir Doogue dripping from every inch, his brown hair stuck up in every angle and his blue eyes full of worry. Before she could manage a word he placed a finger against his lips, shushing her silently, and began pulling Persephone by her arm down the castle's long corridors.

"Doogue what are you doing?!" Persephone snapped, her voice echoed off the stone walls as she attempted to pull away from his grasp. It was no use- he knew all too well by now how to restrain her.

He pulled her harder, but her legs had a hard time keeping pace as they kept buckling. Doogue noticed this, swooped her up, and rushed on.

"Just keep quiet and trust me on this one. There is another king here! The king of Berkshim!" Doogue finally replied in a fast whisper.

Persephone wanted to fight the knight's unwelcomed touch but this news left a ringing in her ear.

"The king of Berkshim is here? Isn't there a separation act between our kingdoms? I mean like a really old separation act? I didn't pay very much attention during study, seemed silly, but I'm pretty sure there's a-" Persephone's voice trailed off as Doogue looked down at her momentarily with his signature raised eyebrow, twitching left eye and straight line of a mouth.

"Exactly, now keep your mouth shut will you?" Doogue pleaded but he didn't stop moving, his eyes remained locked on something. Persephone bit her lips then stuck out her bottom lip in a pout that her knight didn't see, because he knew better than to look at this point.

The silence seemed to last an eternity and Sir Doogue hadn't seemed to notice how tense the princess had become. Or maybe he didn't care about it, was all Persephone could think. He was never usually so short with her, but she knew her knight must have a reason. He always did.

Setting her down outside her father's study Doogue gave her one last eye-twitching look. She wanted to tease him about it but two voices that echoed from King Meccio's study stopped her; King Meccio -who sounded furious- and another much more sinister-sounding voice.

"YOU COME TO ME NOW WITH THIS NONSENSE AGAIN?!" Meccio boomed.

His voice was a power to behold, shaking the door's frame slightly open. Persephone dared to look through to see the man who could, or would, have possibly made her father so angry. As far as the princess knew her father was always reasonable.

She nudged the door open ever so slightly to see the other man who was more like a fancy pig than a man; dressed in furs of all colors-that had stains of all colors, countless silver chains and emblems hung out from the rolls of his neck, rings embellished every one of his sausage like fingers, his unruly black beard had bits of food in it and stuck out like it hadn't been kempt in years, and his hair hung in greasy dark grey locks a little past his waist.