The Royal Rose

Graveyard

It was a wine-colored evening of the Cold december, and poor Rose had escaped from her step mother's house. She walked through the streets in her thin shoes, that were almost worn out. She held her coat against her chest, to keep the stabbing wind from entering through the creases.

There were few people out in the street, at this time of the evening. The whistling wind foretold about the worsening weather. Rose was hungry from the morning, and her stomach growled as she sat down on the bench of a park watching a couple having popcorns. She had no other place to go, and for a minute, she even thought of going back. But then something stopped her.

The rain started pouring down, bringing back the sad memories of the day her father parted for never coming back.

The water soaked her coat deeper to her dress, and she kept sitting there as her teeth rattled with the cold.

"Mother, help me?"

She kept repeating this under her breath. May be, it was just a dream. Nothing else. But she took a step, and now she had to stay strong.

Her vision was getting blurred, but she kept walking towards the graveyard gate. The only place, she could think of was her father's grave. She wanted to see him, and question him.

Waddling through the mud, she reached her father's grave. She lied down next to it, as the rain kept pouring over her, almost burying her into mud.

"Is this the pleasant time you always talked about?"

Her tears dissolved in the rain droplets, and she closed her eyes.

"Papa, Is this the future you wished for me?"

She felt lightheaded, and her surroundings started to fade. The weakness in her lower limbs spread up towards her heart,and everything blacked out.

*********************************

The softness of the bed and the warmth of the blanket made Rose sleep comfortable for hours.When she woke up, her head was blazing and her eyes were burning like two balls of fire. She must have caught fever after spending a long time in the rain.But where was she?

She opened her eyes, and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling. The only sound in the room was of scorching coal,being eaten away like paper. There was fruits,placed in the golden plate on the side table. She stretched her hand to pick one but she was too weak to move. She noticed that her clothes were changed to a white sleeping gown,too big for her slim figure.Was she dead? Was this the heaven?

Suddenly the door opened, an old woman entered the room.

"So, you're awake.At last."

Rose was lying oblique in the bed, because of her attempts to pick up the fruits.

"Are you hungry?"

Rose managed to whisper,"Where am I?"

"You were unconscious in the grave yard ,and we brought you back with us.You had high fever and we had to call a doctor."

"I'm so sorry." Rose whispered.

The old woman shook her head,"It's alright,my dear. Who are you? And what were you doing in the graveyard?"

Rose told her the entire story, starting from her mother's death to the step mother's cruelty.

The old woman was lost in thoughts and then she spoke.

"Was your dog a golden retriever?"

Rose nodded as hard as she could.

"Yes...Yes,Goldie's a golden retriever."

The old woman smiled,"My husband found him in the very same graveyard.He brought him last night. But we can't keep him imside the palace, so he's at the dog house."

Rose gaped,"The Royal Palace?"

"Yes.I came with the Queen when she got married,40 years ago. Me and my husband served her till we got too old. Now, we supervise all the other servants of the Palace."

She sat next to Rose on the bed, and stretched her hand to pick the plate up.

She cut the apples into pieces and offered the plate to Rose.

Rose ate greedily with more hands. Suddenly, the door opened again and a teen girl entered.

"Mom, I have done my work."

She looked at Rose, and smiled.

"Hello, I'm Alice."

Rose smiled,"Rose Mary."

The old woman thought for a while and then spoke.

"If you want, you could stay with us. There would be a huge ball soon for choosing Prince Luke's bride. We could use all the help, we could get."

"You want her to work here?" Alice asked her mother.

Rose spoke before the old woman said anything. "I..I'm sorry. I should go."

"No,I don't mean THAT. I'm just saying this because you're too pretty. You do know what I mean,mom?"

The old woman nodded,"Give Rose your shaggiest clothes, and get her hair tied."

Alice opened the wardrobes,and started searching for the clothes.

"I'm sorry for bothering you." Rose spoke to the old woman.

"We would love to have you,child."

Alice gave her brown huge frock, that made her look obese.Then she pulled all her hair back in a tight bun. Rose couldn't even recognize herself. She wasn't looking ugly but hardly noticeable.

"You could start working with us today."

"Where's the ball going to happen?"

"In 3 days."

Rose smiled, and left the room with Alice. The feeling of home was returning back, as Rose got her freedom from the step mother.