Blood Rose [On hold]

Chapter 1

Nickolas Rose, a young wealthy man born and raised in Crafton, awakened to the smell of freshly cut roses. When he opened his slumbering eyes he observed his mother, Katharina Rose, place blood red roses on the wardrobe next to his bed. Nick jumped out of bed and lifted his mother from the ground hugging her as tightly as he could. Anthony Rose, Nickolas father, always teased that Katharina married him solely for his surname which ironically enough is the same as her most treasured flower, Rose. Since Nick could remember his mom placed freshly cut roses in his room every morning before softly waking him up with her honey sweet singing voice. Her smile caused small wrinkles appearing around her eyes and the corners of her mouth. Katharina is now only 40 years of age with Nickolas being her youngest child who was only turning 19 in three weeks. Her body was small and thin, one would not say she had given birth to six children. Her hair reflected light tones of grey in the morning son.

Today Nickolas’s household and his fiancée, Elizabeth Scot, would pay his elder brother Tony a visit who has received the gift of his first child two days ago. Tony and his wife Betty had been wishing for this gift more than four years. After finishing his morning rituals Nick ran passed his father knocking the newspaper out of his hands. “She won’t run away yet my sun, she didn’t make you old yet” Anthony mocked as his son stormed out the door. “Do you remember the time we were courted for the first time” Katharina said softly blushing at the thought that they too were once so stupid love. “My sweet wife it only proved to me that you do truly love me, When I think back to our courting days I often find myself wondering why you did not break it off” Anthony wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist and gave her a loving kiss on her forehead making the servants giggle. Anthony wicked at Leshia, the youngest and hopeless romantic of their servants, cueing her to start playing the violin leading her lord and lady into a loving waltz.

At the Scot manor Elizabeth stood on the gravel waiting her fiancée’s arrival, with Lady Mary pulling at her corset and tucking at her hair. “For crying out loud Mary we are visiting his family not the queen of England” Elizabeth tried to grab the old woman’s hands gazing at the big black gate. “Tony is a high class business man Milady. I think he would not want his baby brother marrying a woman who can’t look proper when needed” The old woman took her place next to Elizabeth pulling up her nose at the young girl’s attitude. Black horses came racing in dragging a big dark wooden carriage behind them, Nick controlling the speed of the beast. Nick jumped of the carriage with a big playful smile on his face. “Good morning my beautiful lady” Nickolas directed himself towards Lady Mary planting a kiss on her wrinkled hand causing her to blush and hide her face behind her grey hair. “My lord kind as always” Elizabeth responded on Lady Mary’s behalf. When Nick turned to face his young red headed fiancée her big green playful eyes and soft strawberry lips stole his heart all over again. Fighting the temptation to take her in his arms and steeling a kiss from her virgin lips he bowed in front her kissing her soft small hand instead. Not letting her hand go he escorted her toward the carriage helping her keep her balance when climbing in. Nick extended his hand toward Lady Mary when a young girl came running out. “Lady Mary the lady of the house requires your attention, It seem she has fallen sick” the girl looked scared so Nick and Mary choose not to inform her unknowing daughter. Mary took her leave and Nick joined Elizabeth in the carriage. As soon as the carriage’s wheels started to turn Elizabeth jumped off her seat and into Nickolas lap pressing her bust against his neck as she hugged him. Nickolas became extremely uncomfortable by the pleasure he experienced by the position the two of them were placed in when the wheels hit a rock. His right hand was placed on her thigh, very high up on her thigh, and his mouth only inches away from her bust, the parts her dress left exposed. This experience left Nickolas uneasy since he had a former reputation of seducing innocent young ladies into his unseen web, playing them having his way and leaving them begging for more. Elizabeth was only 17 now and she had no former courting, not to mention intimate, relations.

Nickolas courted Elizabeth on the 30th of December 1858 hoping to have his fun and send her on her way again. Instead Elizabeth left him after she heard about his exploiting behavior toward the more than willing ladies. Elizabeth’s rejection left him heart broken and his seductions held no more pleasure. Months he begged Elizabeth to forgive him, he even send her some of his mother’s red roses. Elizabeth wrote him after receiving the roses. “The color of the roses match the blood of my broken heart and I would not even notice the bloodstains of the many hearts you broke on them if I am not the first to receive this gift.” Her reply broke Nickolas. Elizabeth found Nickolas laying on the river starting at the blank sky, after walking away she practically ran back pretending not to notice him. “Have you born bored with the town dames Lord Rose?” she whispered softly hoping he won’t hear her. Nickolas turned his gaze to her. His long blond hair spread out on the ground and his blue eyes filled with tears. Elizabeth directed her eyes to his reflection on the water when he stood up and bowed at her. His white shirt was half unbuttoned exposing his muscular chest, his riding pants revealed that his legs were built well just like the rest of his body. “It pains me to think what you have to think of me Milady. However I did grow bored with the town dames, willing to open their legs in hope that I will find their hearts if I ride them long enough. They tough of their exposed flesh the seduction of their wet lips on my body leave me uninterested. This phenomenon left me baffled since a woman’s tough is the poison to a man’s morals. I have come to a conclusion though” Nickolas explained looking bored at two girls walking past him. “And what might your conclusion be?” Elizabeth asked unsure. “They aren’t you Milady” Nickolas spoke heavy and his voice broke. Without looking at her once he walked away with his gaze aimed at the ground. Elizabeth ran towards him taking his hand in her trembling hand. Elizabeth looked deep into his eyes moving her lips closer to his, just as their lips were about to touch Elizabeth turned her face away. “Would you be more at peace if I am willing to give you a second chance, without any prejudice?” Elizabeth’s green eyes sparkled. “Only if you are willing to trust in me, Milady”. After two years of proving his worth, more to Nickolas than to Elizabeth, they have chosen to spend the rest of their lives together. Their wedding date has been set for this winter.

Without thinking Nickolas instantly removed his hands of her body. Elizabeth was surprised with his reaction so she jumped back onto her seat and pretended not to have noticed anything. They stopped at the Rose manor to pick up Lord and Lady Rose and set off to Fortress Cave. Fortress Cave is a little town only a few miles from Crafton where most of Nickolas siblings have settled except for Nicole who stayed in Crafton.

Tony greeted his parents and little brother fast and stormed back into the house. “Tony, I would like to introduce you” Nickolas tried to stop his brother who was ram paging through the house. The Roses and Elizabeth took comfort in the living room until Tony and his wife would come down to join their guest.  After about a half hour Tony walked into the living room with his baby daughter in his arms handing her over to his mother. “Mom, I want you to meet Elizabeth Katharina Rose. Her mother likes to call her Elsie. It is our way of accepting Elizabeth into the family, she has to be a amazing woman if she cured my little brother” Tony looked distracted while talking. “Where is Betty sweet heart?”  Katharina asked holding her new granddaughter in her arms. Tony just turned around and walked out with Anthony and Nickolas tailing him. “Tony what is going on?” Anthony asked loud and caring making Tony stop in his footsteps. “Betty is dying. They don’t know what it is, she is coughing blood and her temperature keeps rising. Now she is even bleeding out of her ears and her eyes have turned white. Her gums are swollen and bloody her teeth even falling out” Tony stopped to try and breath. Together they walked in silent, standing at the door looking at the doctors running around her cleaning blood. At once all the doctors stopped and the older one walked closer. “There was nothing more we could do” Tony looked at the doctors cleaning Betty’s body, each one started to cry at the sight of Tony’s disbelieve.