Painting the White Ones Red

Prologue

Prologue 

I only knew three things: that it was cold, it was night, and I was running.I didn't know if I was running to something, or from something. I didn't know where I was. I didn't even know who I was.

Why was I running in the first place? Where was I running to? What was I running from? Where was I? Was someone chasing me? Was I chasing someone? Was I running away? Who was I? All these questions echoed in my head. They were my first thoughts.

Everything was silent, aside from my panting and wheezing. I knew if I screamed or called out, nobody would hear me. It all seemed pointless to be doing all of this for no known reason. But I still felt like I had to do it.

Giving up, I collapsed onto the cold, slightly snowy ground. I lay there, my breathing calmly down slightly. My wheezing was terrible, but it lessened. I wondered if I would die here. It felt like I would. My whole body was numb. I trembled slightly, as if I was going to cry. I tried to keep calm and watch my breath. I needed an answer. I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst.

After what felt like forever, I heard something. "What's a small child like you doing out here on a icy night like tonight?" Someone--a male teenager, it sounded like--said. "You can't be older than 5." They sounded worried.

My eyes opened slowly. I looked up at them. All I could see was the dark shape of a teenager. A gloved hand reached down for me. "Come on." They told me, when I only blinked at them, confused. "I'll take you somewhere warm."

Warm..That sounded nice. I sat up and took their hand. They smiled down at me. "What's your name?" He asked while we began to walk. I didn't speak--just watched him closely. Was he an angel? How did he find me?

When I didn't reply, he realized I didn't have a name. "Huh...That's odd." I could hear him mumble. "Well, for now, I'll call you Cordelia." They smiled down at me.

I stared up at them in awe. "C...Cordelia..." I said, liking the sound of my name. It sounded pretty. "Cordelia." I repeated with a smile up at the figure.

They nod then look ahead. "We're almost there." They tell me. The man points ahead. "See that light?" I follow his finger, to see a faint, glowing red light. "That's the palace. That's where we're going."

"P-Palace?" I ask. My curiosity is strong. Why would we go somewhere that a king and queen live? I don't look up at the figure, because I'm scared the light will go away. But as we get closer, it becomes bigger.

Again, he nods. "The Red Palace." His voice sounds stronger, like it's full of great respect and pride. "I'm taking you to the queen."

Queen...I continue to watch the red light as it grows larger, larger. Finally, I am able to see that it's not only a light, but a lamp post. I can't help but want to touch it, but I keep my hand down. The boy leads me through a large, black iron gate beside the lamp post. Through that, appears like a maze-like walkway. What would happen if we get lost?

The figure walks through the maze as if he knows the whole thing by heart--inside and out. Every so often, he has to tug my hand slightly, to make me walk again. I'm so amazed by the walls of green shrubs. Some have flowers on it and some are plain. The flowers are mostly roses of every color. It's impossible to not stop and stare at the beauty. 

Everything is light up by the lamp posts with red lights on top. I finally get a look at his face. He looked to be thirteen. His skin is fair and clear. His hair is as white as the falling snow and reaches to his waist. He wears a black trench coat over his clothes and white gloves over his hands. His ears were a white rabbit's ears, planted on the top of his head. His eyes were a rust red color, covered by large glasses.

"Keep up, Cordelia." They tell me. I nod once and catch up so I'm back at his side. We end up at what looks like the back of a building. The door is a little larger than a normal sized one, and fully white with a golden doorknob. 

He opened the door and we walked inside. Heat rushed into my body. I nearly gasped at the feeling. It was new and different. The boy laughed lightly and took off his coat, revealing a white button down shirt and black dress pants. A gold chain for a pocket watch stuck out of his black vest that covered his shirt. 

I looked around the hallway. It was wide and the ceiling was high. The walls were made of red brick and floors of white marble. It was beautiful, though. The boy knelt down on one knee so he was closer to my height. I watched him as he began to undo the buttons on my white coat. Under it, I was wearing a long sleeved white shirt and a black shirt. 

"Hm. That looks like an expensive outfit. It's not every day you see this well tailored clothes.." He told me. I blinked at him for a moment, and he stood and placed his coat and mine on a coat rack that stood beside the door.

The boy took my hand again and lead me down the hallway. "Hopefully Lareina is in the throne room..." I heard him whisper to himself. I looked up at him as he spoke. He must have felt my eyes on him, because he looked down and smiled at me. "It's nothing."

He looked ahead again. Moments later, we approached a large door. Like the one outside, it was all white aside from the black door handle. There was two doors beside each other, both would lead to the same place. 

I watched him as he pushed open both doors. "Your majesty!" He called out. The room was huge. The walls were painted red, the flooring white. There was a chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling that looked like it was made fully our of crystals. A long red carpet rolled out from the double doors we had just entered to across the room, leading up a set of three steps on a small platform with two royal-looking chairs on it. The King & Queen's chairs.

In the larger, more elegant looking chair, sat another teenager. She appeared to be seventeen. Her skin was slightly tanner than the boy with rabbit ears' skin. Her hair was stick straight and a shiny black that fell to the middle of her stomach. Her eyes were the color of blood. She wears a floor length red gown with long, flowing sleeves. A small, golden crown sits on top of her head. The boy that lead me here walked to her. I followed him, afraid to leave his side. 

"Who is this, Harvey?" She asks the boy. Her eyes don't move from me. She looks unhappy that I've shown up. 

Harvey looks down at me then back at the queen. "I found her out in the snow near the back gate. She looked lost and close to death when I first saw her. I couldn't leave her there."

She took her eyes off of me and looked at him. "So, here was the best choice for her?"  She let out a breath, maybe even a sigh.

Before he could speak, I stepped out from behind him and walked up to the first step. "I'm sorry, Miss." I spoke quietly, but loud enough for her to hear me. "I don't mean to be a bother. I'll go get my coat and leave." I said. 

The queen looked surprised. I bowed my head then turned to leave. "You act mature for a five year old." She tells me. "You can stay." She tells me.

I stop walking and turn to her. "Thank you, miss." I bow once more. 

She nods. "Harvey, show her to her room." She orders. Harvey nods, takes my hand and leads me to what would be my new bedroom in the Red Palace.

That's how my life began.