Red Roses - (FCRAs 2016 Winner)

Lorelie May

"Did you hear about Lord Rodden from the neighbouring county? Apparently his family have had him sent to the continent for recuperation because of his sickness. I'm willing to bet they had him put away."

"After last month? The way he came screaming out of the forest like demons were chasing him, raving about monsters, anyone would get put away."

"Must have been serious for them to put a lord in the mad house."

"That's what they get for illegally hunting in those forests. What do you think, Lore? Do you think he's in the mad house?"

"I think you could move out of my way so I can put this bread out."

Lorelie May kicked one of Jake's boots and he sprung off the table he was sat on, freeing up the space needed for the basket of bread loaves she was carrying. She shoved them onto the table and walked across the shop floor to another basket of bread.

"Alright, so yes or no to mad house?" Suzy asked, examining the cookies that were waiting to be displayed.

"You saw how scared he was. It's only been a month, he couldn't possibly be recovered from whatever he saw, there are monsters in those forests."

"Ah, come on, there's no such thing as monsters," Suzy said, choosing a cookie and setting the money for it down on the counter for later before taking a huge bite.

"There are monsters," Lorelie said.

"Then how come Jake has never been attacked? He has to travel through that forest all the time but he always makes it out in one piece. Those idiot lords were probably just embarrassed about having not caught anything so made up excuses. Right, Jake?"

Jake gave a dramatic shrug. "Who knows, maybe?"

"That doesn't help," Suzy said, shoving his arm, "You're coming from Rose Castle, tell her there's nothing in those woods."

Jake just linked his fingers behind his head, rocking back on his heels, whistling as he looked innocently up the ceiling.

"Useless," Suzy said and Jake sniggered. She sat down heavily on one of the chairs, crossing her arms and legs and pouting. "I wish you'd take us to Rose Castle at some point, I want to see it."

"Oh I would but it's not a place for just anyone."

"Maybe I should just try and find it."

Jake grinned, glancing at Lorelie who rolled her eyes and put out the cookies.

"You don't just find Rose Castle," Jake said, straddling the chair beside her and folding his arms on the back, resting his chin on them and looking at her, "Once you've lived around here long enough, you'll learn that Rose Castle finds you, not the other way around."

"You make it sound enchanted."

"And what's more enchanting then a mysterious castle lost in the forest?"

"Stop teasing her, Jake," Lorelie said, looking over her shoulder at Suzy. "It's just an old castle so deep in the woods it's hard to find without a map. Nothing more amazing then that. Besides," she continued, heaving up a sack of flour into her arms and turning to them, "No one gets to visit Rose Castle while Bel is away."

"Bel... Bel... wait, who was she?"

"He," Jake said with a snigger, "Captain Beldon. Beloved master at Rose Castle, the rose petals to Lord Luka's thorns."

"Captain in the army and pride of court," Lorelie said, smiling.

"How ridiculously poetic, who talks about a man like that?" Suzy asked. "I swear people always seem to talk about him as if he's some angel."