Scales and Talons

Chapter 12

Rosalind had not left her room since news of her lost brother had reached the castle. For the first three days she had done nothing but stare at the wall of her own tower, where a large portrait of her family hung, Roan in the center, his hand on her right shoulder. Beside him stood the king and queen; her parents, looking more like her and her youngest brother Rodyn (standing on the other side) than Roan. 

She had always loved this painting because it was the only one they smiled in. All the official paintings that hung on the walls were completely devoid of emotion, but this one, this one had been made especially for her. And her request had been to paint them as a family, not as royalty.

Now she could barely stand the painting, realizing that the family she had imagined was no more. Not that they had all been so close to begin with. In fact, the family was quite divided; she and Roan were favored by her mother and Rodyn closer to her father. And her mother, well, she hadn't seen her in person for five years. 

After bad health problems, the queen had been sent back to the place where she was born, Oakland, a city overseas in the land of the white mountains. But to be honest, Rosalind had always believed her mother had been sent away for some other reason. After all, the queen was soon replaced by another lady which she now called her stepmother. Why her real mother was send away, she had never guessed, but she had noticed that her father had not minded her mother's departure so much. Not the way a normal family would mind.

Rosalind was lying with a pillow over her chest when a letter was slipped under her door. She raised her eyebrows in surprise before crawling out of bed to collect the note. It was strange that someone would leave a message for her at this time of night. The sound had stopped hours ago and Rosalind was sure it must have been close to midnight. Still holding the pillow to her chest, she bent down and grabbed the note. Before opening it, she returned to her messy bed, threw down the pillow and collapsed onto her stomach.

Can I speak with you?

-> library

Rodyn

PS. Father is returning tomorrow afternoon. It would be good if we would greet him together.

A letter from her brother. Nothing exciting, of course, like having a lover or a secret admirer. Rosalind was far too sheltered from the world by her father and two brothers to even talk to a man alone. It had made her life quite boring over the past few years. Although Roan had been more of a wily serpent than most thought, helping her sneak out at night and taking her on secret explorations of the castle. 

She missed him. Knowing he would not return... It hurt her more than she cared to admit. But she still had another brother who needed her now. With a sigh, she tore up the paper and threw it across the room.

Why couldn't it have been -

No! Rosalind shook the idea from her mind, surprised that she had even had the courage to think of it. Rodyn was her brother too, and when not with Roan she would be exploring the secret passages of castles with him. She rose from her bed and grabbed a robe from her wardrobe. She figured her little brother would not appreciate her roaming the castle halls in nothing but a nightgown. 

Now half dressed, she went to the door and opened it slightly to nod to her guards. They seemed a little surprised by her appearance, but allowed her to leave her chambers without moving from their places. 

With a grin, Rosalind made her way to the library, just one floor below. The guards were used to her sneaking out at night, and after many adventures and secret payments, she had found her way out of her chackles. At least after dark, for when night fell and everyone else was asleep, she was free to leave her room for her own business and her guards wouldn't bat an eyelid.