A Bloody Rose

Chapter 08

Frederick recalled all the events: the beginning, the fighting, and the end. Of course, in those three categories were descriptive experiences. He still wasn't sure to tell her or not but he figured that if he could tell her the basics that she could hear the rest.

"I guess I'll start with the basics," He concluded. Winry nodded her head, awaiting the information to come.

"My father was Jude Hawthorne. The violin I carry around all the time belongs to him. It was also the last thing that was left of him before he left," He said, his voice a bit strained. "My father was a prodigy; he played the violin as if it was his life."

Winry slowly took in what he was saying. Then it hit her: He got his passion for the violin from his father.

"My family used to live in peace. I and Kendra would always be fooling around and my father would join in at it. My mother would scold at all of us, but in a playful way," He recalled. She saw the clear look of recollection on his face. "That's when he came in," He spat.

Winry guessed he was talking about the King. She only thought this because each time he did, his voice always got louder and it was as if hatred was dripping off of every word.

"Maxon Gregory is the monster who deprived me of my childhood,"His words soon became cold that even she noticed it. She, of course, knew the King’s true nature.

"He's the current King and ever since then, he demands a new sacrifice to make him stronger," He explained. "One day he came into our lives and talked with Father. Then after that, Father just disappeared and we were left with a burden. I believe it was money – we weren't up to date with it. We were behind our fees to be paid for and day by day everything kept getting worse."

"That's when your mother married the king?" She asked Frederick, who nodded his head at her question.

"Correct; she married him for the money. Of course she did; that's why I don't trust Humans anymore. They'll do anything for money," He replied. It seemed to pass his mind that Winry herself was a human.

"So, Mother and that bastard got married and then everything was fixed. Except for the fact that he made everyone suffer, as if we were eternally bound to him for some debt we owed to him," Frederick mused. "I've never liked him from the day I've set eyes on him. He killed people mercilessly and forces us to do his bidding."

Winry recalled that the fact her family was killed by the same vulgar fiend. "He is a senseless murderer," She agreed.

"You've seen his doings?" Frederick asked, surprised. She nodded, remembering that cold, bitter night. "What has he done towards you?"

"He…he killed my family," She replied slowly. He was taken aback; by the looks of Winry, she still looked strong willed. Frederick flustered on his words, he didn't know what to exactly say. "A-And you know this how?"

"I witnessed it; it was right in front of my eyes," she bluntly responded.

"How?" He pressed on.

"It was five years ago," she explained. "At the time I was eleven with not a care in the world." A small smile spread on her lips as she recollected her past memories. "My mother and father were my most pride possessions, including my little brother, Jamie. She was adorable."

Frederick just sat in silence, waiting for her to continue.

Winry gulped and said, "And then the war broke out." Frederick had remembered the war when he was a kid. It was after the King had become his new father and his father had disappeared. The vampires wanted to take over all human bases, and of course, the humans fought back for their rights. Vampires were always stronger than them, so naturally they defeated the Humans. The vampires raided every house, killing the men and taking the women and children.