Poppies and Rosemaries

Belinda

It had been precisely one hour until the soldier had come to pick Rosemary up. With one forlorn glance at the bathroom that Solas had disappeared into, she sighed and followed the man. He went on and on about how the School was an honor to get into, what she needed for it, and all sorts of things she didn't have the patience to listen to. 

Eventually, they made their way to Saffi's cell, and the girl grinned widely upon glancing at Rosemary's face. Rosemary had assumed it was because she hadn't seen another (living) human being for hours, so she returned her smile. 

She was removed from her cell by the soldier accompanying Rosemary to the School for Villainy. Saffi started talking to the soldier; the pair of them were complete extroverts, so they wouldn't stop talking. Meanwhile, Rosemary worked on her plan: to escape this wretched place and get the poppy. 

She froze in place. What if the poppy was right here, on this island? If so, that would change things substantially. Besides, there was another reason she wanted to stay for longer: Solas. She couldn't leave things between them like this. Also, she couldn't leave without telling him how she truly felt about him. The plan would simply have to wait. 

"We're here," the soldier announced, snapping her back to reality. The foreboding school towered above her, casting a dark shadow on the ground, which was already dark. The architecture of the school was gothic and classic. Rosemary had to admit that it was rather stunning. 

The soldier left them at the gates and waved at Saffi. Clearly, the two had become friends. This made Rosemary feel suddenly grateful for her best friend; instead of making other friends and ditching her, she stayed by her side through thick and thin. How lucky she was to have a loyal friend. How lucky she was, indeed.

The duo waltzed through the gates and arrived at the entrance. They were greeted by a short, stocky girl whose makeshift name tag read "Belinda." In her stubby hands were two sacks of books, potentially. She had thick, brown locks, which seemed like she hadn't brushed them in what seemed like a while. Her nose was covered in freckles and her eyes were the same shade of soft brown as Solas'. That pout of hers was also oddly reminiscent of his. 

Rosemary held out her hand for Belinda to shake, "Hello, I'm Rosemary."

"Rosemary? As in, the one that shares a cell with Solas?" Her eyes widened when Rosemary nodded in confirmation. She clutched her hand tighter, "How's he doing? Is he okay? Tell me, what is my brother up to now?"

"What," Saffi demanded, "Is happening? Who is Solas? Why do you share a cell with him?"

Rosemary met her eyes and gulped. "Oh riiiiiiiight," she chuckled nervously, "Solas is my cellmate and apparently Belinda's brother. And to answer your question, Belinda, he is perfectly fine. Well, not fine like good-looking, actually now that's a lie; he is quite attractive, but anyway he's doing just fine."

Thankfully, Belinda was too busy thinking about her brother to notice Rosemary's strange behavior. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with Saffi, who kept giving Rosemary weird looks. 

Belinda cleared her throat, "Well, Rosemary, Saffi, I am your guide. I will show you around this school and help you when it is necessary. These are your school supplies." She handed them the sacks that were in her hands, and Saffi thanked her, sweetly. 

From the deep pockets of her uniform's robe, she produced their liveries, "And here are your uniforms." When Saffi opened her mouth, she added, "They are not to be taken off at school unless you are using the restroom."

"Alright. We appreciate it." Rosemary said, and Belinda simply nodded her head. Then, she proceeded to walk ahead, "Let's begin the tour now." When Belinda was ahead of them, but not completely out of earshot, Saffi grabbed Rosemary. 

Angrily, she whispered, "You didn't think to tell me that you shared a cell with the prince of Erebus? Maybe sharing a cell with a boy has made you lose the ability to think clearly."

"Shh," Rosemary shushed her, "It's not that. I just need time. I might have a plan, but I need Solas for it."

"And your plan is to get with him, isn't it?" Saffi accused.

"No," she continued calmly, despite the blush creeping up her cheek, "My plan is to escape. He knows this place better than I do. Besides, he doesn't seem to like this place much anyway." Then, she walked away from Saffi and toward Belinda. 

"Hi," she whispered, glancing back to make sure Saffi wasn't trying to listen.

Belinda looked at her, surprised, "Hi."

"Can you tell me about Erebus? And maybe, possibly about your feelings toward it? Well, you're the princess, so you probably love it. Right?" Rosemary bombarded Belinda with questions, hoping for answers. 

"Well," Belinda laughed, a bitter sound, "It's complicated. My mother is a horrible person and she tried to raise me to become just like her. She tortured and punished me and my brother whenever we did something kind; contrary to what other parents might do to their kids. As he got older, he became more rebellious and would constantly argue with my mother. You know, he even saved me from getting punished many times. He told me he would do anything for me, and that as my big brother, it was his job to keep me safe. Eventually, Mother got so fed up with him that she sent him directly to prison. He's been there for at least a year."

Rosemary spluttered, "A year? What kind of a mother sends her son to prison for a year?"

"I'm afraid she's going to do much worse. Which is why we have to get the hell out of here," spat Belinda.

"I could help you," Rosemary said, her voice the slightest whisper, "I have a plan. But it has to wait until tomorrow if we want to help Solas break out of jail."

Belinda nodded, the slightest sliver of hope gleaming in her eyes, "Okay."