Rose's Faerie Tale

Just A Little Longer

Ventane was Rose's shield from the storm for the next few weeks, as they meandered about the palace. The plans that the two of them knew about were only spoken of behind closed doors, and Ventanes shielding spells.

Rose was not to be left to her own devices, by order of the Elven King. So, Rose stayed close to Ventane as she could without seeming clingy...

There was, however, one, incident, just as the leaves in the palace garden had become tinged with the twilight of the evening one night.

Rose happened to glance to her right as she walked towards her apartment, when she noticed a very strange thing.

Where she had seen statues before, there were woman, men, and children bound by the decrepit and thorn-ridden vines of roses. They were screaming silently, their faces contorted in agony as they stood firmly 'planted' to the spot. There were gashes, cuts, bruises... everywhere.

Rose grasped Ventane's hand as a short, rather stubby looking man with an over-sized beaked nose peered up at one of them. He was wearing, not the finery that she had seen so much of, but a rather plain set of what Rose assumed to be work clothes.

He was carrying a big set of pruning shears that seemed to be almost as large as he was. The sharp edges glistened in the light, as though they had only recently been crudely done. There were rusty red stains all over the shears.

His had was blood red.

Blood.

Rose had to turn her face towards Ventane to keep from crying out.. But she already had an idea of what was happening. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked towards Ventane.

"Lovely Evening, Lady Rose." he whispered. There was a bit of sympathy in his voice.

Rose's voice caught in her throat. She wanted to reply. She was supposed to reply. She wasn't supposed to know what the sudden cry was behind them as they walked past the Dwarf, carrying the arm of his victim over his shoulder.

"Lovely.." she managed in a hoarse voice.

Somehow, she didn't want to know where that arm was going.

Or what was going to happen to it.

She looked up at Ventane who kept his eyes ahead. He calmly led Rose to her room, and opened the door to let her in.

She sank to knees in the middle of the dirt packed, softly scented floor, and curled up. 'Oh, God. I'm in hell..." she thought pitifully. Sobbing, she allowed herself to wrap her arms around herself and rock.

Ventane looked down at her. He crouched next to her, and lifted her gently in his arms. "Come, Lady Rose. It is time again to release..." he said gently, "And call upon the fifth race."

"I wont survive long enough.." she whispered, "He was looking right at me when he walked by.." she was shivering, and her voice broke, "oh.. Oh God, Ventane, they're going to do it to me too, aren't they?" She put her arms around his neck, and put her face in his chest.

Ventane sighed deeply, letting his chest rise and fall, "Lady Rose, you must not think like that. We only have twice more to do this, and then we can create the spell to take you home again.. You'll be fine. I am keeping my promise to yourself and to your friend. I swore, remember." he said gently.

Tilly jumped down from the bed. She didn't look like a fluffy ball now, but more like a ball of fluffy light. She didn't really have eyes to see with, or feet to walk with, but she managed to get around. She ran circles around Ventane and Rose, making the same chirping and chattering sounds that she had before.

Rose trembled and looked at Tilly. She looked up a Ventane, who, though he seated himself on the bed, showed no signs of releasing her. He gently clung to her trembling body, trying to comfort her.

"Relax, Lady Rose." he spoke gently, "Listen to my voice." He began the chant. Rose recognized some of the words. She closed her eyes, and leaned against him. He put his free hand on her own, while the other supported her.

Like before, she could feel the light and warmth that surrounded them.

Like before, Ventane and she were wrapped in a strange blanket of someone's embrace, and lifted higher into a place what was familiar, but never the same. As Rose lay in Ventane's embrace, she couldn't help but wonder what other unholy things happened in this so called Palace that she was lain guest in.

As quickly as it had begun, the enchantment ended. Ventane cradled Rose for a long time.

"How much more?" Rose asked softly, "You said twice... can we do it no sooner?" she pleaded softly.

Ventane looked away from her, his blond hair curtaining his face from her view. "Lady Rose, I am trying as hard as I might. The Fifth race only allows me so much growth at a time before I lose control of it." he looked down at her. His eyes were darkened a bit by circles that she had never noticed before.  "Be strong, my sweet Lady. All is not lost. Faith, perseverances, a bit more time. That's all we need." She was impatient, but he had realised that from the start. All she needed to do was be patient enough while time passed.

Rose nodded meekly. She felt bad for being so selfish. At the same time, she hated him for telling her to wait for this longer.

Just how much more of this could she possibly handle?