A Stolen Life

Chapter Nineteen: Rosamaire

"Come on, time to get up, you can't lie in bed all day," a voice said pulling me out of my sleep. "It's not my fault you were out for most of the night when you were supposed to be sleeping." My eyes shot open and I stared at Claire. "Who do you think erases the video? So where did the two of you go?" 

I sat up. "My house."

"Oh so you got to see your family? That must have made you feel better," she commented and I just looked at her. "Or not." She sat down next to me. "What happened?"

I cried myself to sleep last night despite me trying not to and just like then I couldn't stop the tears now. Claire put her arms around me and held me tightly.

"It's okay, you can cry Rose," she said.

"He's gone. I won't see him again," I cried.

"Who?" she asked almost hesitantly and I pulled away from her.

"My brother was sick, we didn't get the medicine to him in time," I explained.

"I would like to tell you to stay in today, but-" she began.

I wiped the tears off my face. "But I'm not supposed to know since I'm not supposed to have contact with my family. So I can't be sad over this, they can't know that I saw them, so I have to do what I'm told."

"I'm sorry, really if it was me I wouldn't even be able to leave the bed. Are you sure you can do this?"

"I have to. Besides it will be good practice to hide my feelings and thoughts, right?"

She gave me a sympathetic smile, but nodded. "Then let's get you ready for the day, I'll get the others."

"Don't I just need a dress and my hair done?" I asked. 

"We need to paint your skin to make it look lighter, we'll progressively get lighter as the days go on," she stated, but I still didn't understand it. "People have seen you with our skin tone, we can't just make you suddenly as light as they are. We'll say that your parents continuously dyed your skin, so as time goes on-"

"My skin would get lighter as I didn't get the dye, which is why you'll paint my skin lighter and light until its 'normal'," I finished and she nodded. "A lot is going into this lie." 

"A lot has to, these nobles they aren't as dumb as we tend to think, they'll notice things. Slip ups can be attributed to you being raised as a Bronze, but deep down you have to convince them that you are one of them," she said and I nodded. She got up and went to get the other maids, one of them I met on my first day, her name was Callie. The other two girls were Allison and Mary. The painted me from head to toe, being careful not to get anything on my hair. Once the paint dried Callie began to do my makeup and Allison did my hair. Claire and Mary were picking out jewelry, a dress, and shoes. Once my hair and makeup were done Claire helped my put on a light blue dress, she fastened the back. I slipped on a pair of white high heels and a simple silver necklace was placed on my neck. I looked at myself in the mirror, but I didn't recognize me. The only thing that told me that this girl I saw in the mirror was me was the bracelet on my wrist and my eyes that reminded me of the true color of my blood.

"Damn I am good," Claire said and I gave her a small smile. The other maids had been dismissed already. "Come on, I'm supposed to take you to breakfast before the rest of the Silvers arrive." I nodded and she escorted me out of the room. "Remember you are Rosamarie Howell."

"I am the daughter of General Howell and a Lothair, they both died on the battlefront only a few weeks after I was born. The man who raised me took me from the battlefield and raised me as his daughter, dying my skin so that no one would know the truth, even I didn't know of my real family. Until I was brought here as a maid and discovered my powers which lead to the discovery of my real identity," I said and Claire smiled.

"For me running through that information once with you, you remembered a lot your parents names are Augustus and Angela," she complimented.

"Good memory, I guess," I replied and we stopped at the doors.

"This is where I leave you, I'll get the details later. Good luck in there, remember they can't kill you," she said.

"Not yet although they have killed Rose Loera," I replied she smiled before leaving, probably to go back to her normal duties. I took a deep breath before opening the doors. The king, queen, and both princes were there along with Troy.

"You may just pull this off with that look," Al commented and the queen glared at him.

"Rosamarie, Troy will be your guard from now on. He will take you to your lessons, to every meal, and guard outside your door at night to ensure you don't cause trouble," the king announced and I looked at Troy, who gave me a small smile.

"I assume Claire has told you about your new identity," the queen stated.

"Yes ma'am, she has," I replied. "I'm Rosamarie Howell daughter of General Augustus Howell and Angela Lothair, both died a few weeks after I was born on the battlefield, the man who raised me took me from there and lied to me and everyone around me about where I came from even to the point of dying my skin. I discovered my power and my true identity during the incident at the arena. I am now back where I belong."

"Except you don't belong here, you never will and one slip will mean your demise, understand?" the queen asked.

"Yes my queen, I understand," I replied.

"Oh and one more thing before the others arrive," the king said. "You will be marrying my son Ignace." Everyone in the room stared wide eyed at the king. 

"Bernard, surely you are joking," the queen said.

"Would I joke about this? This girl is supposed to be a long lost member of our society, a girl that had everything taken away from her. What better way to get her introduced back into society than marriage to our son? Besides we can keep an eye on her and more people will not find out about this secret," the king said.

"Bernard, you can't have our son marry some Bronze!" the queen shouted.

"Do not question me Caterina, my decision is final," the king stated and she glared at me. I could only imagine what she was thinking. "Take a seat next to him Rosamarie." I stepped forward and took the seat next to the youngest prince. I looked at him.

"I'm sorry you're forced into this," I whispered. 

"It was my idea that allowed this to happen in the first place," he replied back just as quietly.