The Princess's Secret

Black Roses

I awake the next morning to find light coming in through the windows. I don't remember when or how I fell asleep after being so shellshocked. I guess maybe Evelyn or Delores came in the room to find me sleeping or something. After all, it's happened before.

I stretch my arms, sitting up. I'm still wearing my dress from last night, although it's covered in my mother's blood, it still manages to look elegantly beautiful.

Odd, if Evelyn or any of my maids had found me asleep, they would have changed my clothes for me.

That's when I hear a throaty noise, I look over in the corner to Sebastian, his armor still on and his sword sitting on the night stand table next to the chair he fell asleep on.

I stare at his face, his features relaxed and soft. He looks so young, almost as if he were 14 again.

His chest rises and falls with the breaths he takes, he's snoring softly, an adorable trait I didn't know he had. I feel myself smile slowly, my face warming.

I get off my bed as quietly as I can. I don't want to wake him, over the past couple of days, he's seemed exhausted.

It must be tough being a General Guard. I head into my bathroom, ready to wash all of my mother's blood off of my body.

I silently close the door behind me, the soft click of the knob turning back into place. I slip out of my dress, the material sticking slightly to my skin.

The blood has made parts of my dress crisp, I'm almost surprised that I'm not as disturbed by it all as I was last night.

I shake my head, trying to clear my head. Just last night, I had seen my mother, alive and well. Just last night, I had thought she was going to kill my father.

But why would she want to kill him? What was so important about eliminating my father that she decided to do it so carelessly.

I turn the faucet in the tub on, letting the water heat up. Usually Evelyn or Delores would be doing this for me, but lately I've been trying to give them as much free time as possible, along with myself.

The water is now steaming hot after I've placed my hand under it. I pull my hand away quickly, the scalding hot water burning my hand.

I undo my hair from the braid Evelyn had put it into from yesterday and let my curly hair flow down my back. It's probably so tangled, but the water can take care of that. I put some bubble bath soap into the tub, watching as bubbles form almost immediately.

Once the tub is filled, I carefully place my foot into the water. The soothing warmth welcomes me immediately, causing me to gasp.

It feels like it was ages ago when I had taken a bath, but in fact it had only been yesterday.. Or the day before that.

Once I'm fully submerged in the water, I start to scrub at the blood under my fingernails.

Against my will, I start to hum. I hum the song my father would hum to me at night when he pulled the blankets up to my chin, the one that would put me to sleep every night.

Quietly I start to sing the words.

"Among the meadows, mountains and creeks, the black roses grow."

"Tucked away in the mysterious grove, the black roses grow."

"Hushed be the children who weep their sorrows, their only sanctuary is where the black roses grow."

"That sounds dark."

I spin around in the tub, only to find Sebastian leaning against the doorway, a smug smile on his face.