Blistered Roses

Chapter 9: Past Present Future Thoughts

                  

Past

8 year old Tara hummed to the traditional Irish wedding music as she danced in her peasant's dress. Her small wooden home was as clean as it possibly could get with her mother cleaning it. She looked over at the door as it opened and her father entered the house with dirt all over his hands and face. He had been working in the fields to provide his family food and the city.

He smiled at his daughter even though he was very tired from a long day at work. Tara ran over to her father and he lifted her up in the air resting her on his hip

"Hey honey." He said to his daughter giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, daddy!" She said with excitement that he was home.

Caoimbe walked over to Mervyn, her husband and the father of her child, and kissed him on the lips. They both smiled at each other and Tara looked at them back and forth happy that her parents were together. Caoimbe walked back to the wooden counter to fix some food for the family. Mervyn put Tara on the floor and she looked up at him.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Will ye walk me when I get married one day?" She asked shyly and rubbed her tippy toes against the floor.

He bent over a little and stared in her eyes, "Of course."

Tara hugged him tightly smiling and he patted her back until he let go and danced with Tara setting her on his boots. He started humming the traditional Irish wedding music that his daughter was doing earlier. She began to hum along, giggling, and smiling at her daddy's humor.

Present

"I miss daddy."

Tara looked at Caoimbe who misses her father deeply too. She grabbed Tara's hands and held them in hers.

They were sitting in a little wardrobe room where Tara was trying on different wedding gowns that came in from people who made them. Tara sat in a chair next to her mother where an end table was in between them.

"I miss him too, dear." Caoimbe said, "I think now is the time I give ye something special."

Tara looked at her mother confused who stood up letting go of her hands and Tara stood too. Caoimbe looked at the ring that had been on her left ring finger for so long that it seemed to be there like concrete. She extended her fingers and slowly slid the ring off of her finger. "I never thought this day would come and yer father not be here. For the past 7 years, we've been apart most of the time, but ye are still my daughter and I love ye very much." Her eyes lifted up from the ring and looked at Tara to reveal her teary eyes.

Tara stared in her mother's eyes and pursued her lips together furrowing her eyebrows to give her mother a sympathy look. She hugged her mother close to her and enjoyed the minute hugging her mother.

"Take good care of this. It has been passed down from generations." Caoimbe said once they pulled back from the hug. She held out of the ring with her index and thumb gripping on the bottom of it.

Caoimbe watched as her daughter grabbed the ring with care and Tara looked over as she noticed a figure standing by the doorway. Prince Cían had noticed the ring in Tara's hand and he walked over to her.

"Allow me?" He asked gently grabbing her left hand.

Tara stared at him in his eyes, "You're not supposed to be in here, Cían." She said wanting him to leave, but she didn't make that known to him.

"Oh, come on, I don't know if the dress you are wearing right now will be the one you wear to the wedding." He said and Tara nodded her head giving him the ring where he took it and slid it on her left ring finger staring in her eyes. "It is quite beautiful." He said looking at the ring now.

"I agree." Tara looked at her mother with a smile and looked back at Cían.

"I must go train now." Cían said and gave Tara a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, be careful." She said trying to act like she cares.

He smiled a bit and walked out of the room leaving Caoimbe and Tara alone again. Prince Cían has to train for the war in case he and his father are called in to lead a fight.

Tara continued to try on dresses while her mother helped at times and she looked in the mirror for each dress. She finally reached one that she really liked and she stared at herself in the mirror and fettled with her fingers.

The dress was a silk white that extended all the way down to the floor. The sleeve was snuff against Tara's upper arms and once it hit to her forearms the sleeve opened up and became much larger where blue embroidering went around the end of each sleeve. Blue embroidering divided part of the front of the dress giving a middle opening where the embroidering ran up from the bottom of the dress, over her bosom, and around her neck at the edges. At her bosom where her upper chest was a little bare, the dress had ruffles. Underneath the ruffles was a criss-cross section of a string that tightened over the corset she was wearing underneath.

"Is this the dress you wish to wear?" Caoimbe asked sitting down and looked at Tara in the mirror.

Tara looked at her for a moment and nodded her head. She stared at herself in the mirror becoming emotionless—she didn't smile to the beautiful dress, she didn't feel happy, and she didn't feel sad either. She had no idea what to feel at this moment at this time. She stared at the dress as if it was something unusual. In her case, it was unusual. She only had nice things now, because she was getting married to the Prince who one day will rule most of Ireland.

It was clear now of what her fate would be soon. She had decisions to make and preparations to think of. Her thoughts and destiny terrified her, but relieved her as well. She eyed her mother in the mirror and thought about how wonderful of a mother she has been. She wonders what her life would be like if her father hadn't died. She wouldn't have met the Princess and never would have found her eternal happiness, because she was forced to be married to guy. She never would have gotten the chance to know what it was like to fall in love with the most delicate, wonderful, and beautiful human.

The Princess and Tara lay in bed together and held each other close face to face. Tara let Adelaide know of her feelings and thoughts about everything and the future. Adelaide understood, because she was having the same feelings and thoughts as well.

"We should check on those roses tomorrow." Adelaide whispered.

Tara nodded her head agreeing and rubbed Adelaide's back slowly. She leaned in kissing her softly on the lips and pulled back staring in her eyes. She could do this forever, but wished she could do this in their own home where they could live happily ever after. The problem is that this isn't a stereotypical Princess who falls in love and has a happily ever after story for them. It would be happy for a period of time until someone found out or they could no longer hide it.

After the two wed, they won't be staying in the same chambers anymore. Tara will be Princess Tara and with Prince Cían alone in a chamber. Adelaide will stay as Princess Adelaide, but be with her Prince Ardan and alone in a chamber too. They both felt sick and disgusted at the thought of a man sleeping next to them. Neither knew what a man's body felt like holding them, but knew it could never feel as amazing as a woman's body.

"We know what we must do." Adelaide said softly staring in  Tara's eyes and Tara smiled a little feeling at peace. Adelaide kissed her and held her close to her body feeling the softness and curviness Tara had to offer.

"I love you." Tara whispered against Adelaide's lips.

"And I love you..."

-->Author's note: You guys are awesome. Thank you for reading.
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