Assassins Withering Rose

The letter. . . .

~Chaol's POV~

I thought that today I would tell Damen that I loved Scarlett I mean she loved me too and I just can't help it my best friend has always been there to support me I love him.    Today's the day and the perfect moment to tell him we were walking down the halls of the palace to the royal breakfast to give the returning comepetitors their new challenge for failing the last except those three who actually passed. There was still an hour left "Hey Damen" I asked getting his attention as he turned around and smiled to me "I have to tell you something okay?"    "Okie dokie Chaol tell me' "The thing is I love Scarlett alot and I confessed to her last night she felt the same way and I just wanted you to be the first person to know since we are best friends."

~Damens POV~

As Chaol told me what he had to say the smile I had vanished as I frowned to myself Chaol was my best friend but he loved Scarlett and Scarlett loves him back his words soaked into my brain I could feel it. How my heart started to break in half. I could never hate Chaol for taking the one I love away from me I just couldn't bring myself to do it he was like my brother. What should I do?

Let me mend your broken heart

and wipe away your tears

Let me hold you to stop your violent shaking

and warm your freezing hands

Look me in the eyes

and watch the clouds roll back from your sky,

let me calm your storm

I will stop the waves of pain

and hold back the floods

and pounding wave of tears

I will silence the thunder of anger

and stop the constant flash of regret and sorrow

Let me end the mob of reminders

that tell you that your alone

Talk to me and end the deafening silence

and let my love end the blinding darkness

Sometimes love isn't how we always see it sometimes our loves aren't meant to be the one we truely love someday even as you regret everything that you have done there will always be someone who will love you more than you think you just have to open your eyes and see it. You must earn that other persons love don't give up just yet. I loved a woman once a woman I could never have but we were friends even till this day even after she married my brother they were in love and I just had to let it happen.

When I was younger those words always helped me even as I grew up my uncle told me these words before he died I never understood what he meant for I was only nine but now I understand Scarlett was the one I loved and I wont give up just yet.          "Chaol thats just wonderful" I answered but I wasn't done "I love Scarlette more than just being friends it's her choice who she chooses but I wont give up or interferre in your love life even if she rejects me" His face at first went from sadness to an understanding we smiled at each other and walked to the dining hall it isn't about who is better or winning it's about being happy.

~THIRD PERSON POV~

Chaol and Damen were at the door wearing they're fiinest smiles getting ready to see everyone to tell them the news and as Chaol opened the door for Damen who entered first stopped with his eyes wide opened.    The only ones there was the king and queen along with his brother, the trainers, the weapons master, and the rest of the royal guard there weren't any of the competitors that were rounded up a few hours ago, and Scarlett wasn't there either. "Where is everyone" The king boomed he was furious as there was no one there he would have to cut off there heads for not being here on time "Guards Go to the competitors rooms and as for you Chaol go check Lady Kaitlyn's room" The queen ordered.                 Chaol did not wait and bursted through hallway after hallway until he landed to Scarlett's door along with Damen they both entered her room to be greeted with a surprise Scarlett was no where to be seen the only thing that they both saw was a single red rose attached to a letter reading:

Dearest Chaol and Damen,

                     I am truely sorry that I was not there for the royal breakfast I had to leave and fast along with the other competitors for it wasn't safe in the castle or anywhere near there your father is hiding a deep dark secret something that should not be discovered I implore you to leave as well once you become king you will regret it forever. The both of you must come to meet me in the border for which the darkness cannot cross even as you read this letter the room is guarded by the light in this very room you must burn this letter after you have figured out my riddle. If you dont harm will come to everyone you both hold dear when you are safe the letters shall reveal the puzzles For when you have solved all the clues and have found me I will be sleeping wait untill I wake up to tell the rest

I walk the face of earth once more,

a mindless puppet, my strings are torn

the creaky bones, the bad eyesight,

Yet the chance to turn wrong to right.

wars-a-waging, old mans guilt,

the world now on more then just a tilt.

parents weeping, children slain,

bloody thoughts, fear will reign.

I look in the shadows, a creature did lurk,

he whispered to me, hiding a smirk

"Thou shalt be killed if thee cant find,

the demon lurking in thou mind."

So off I ventured, to quench my thirst,

of corpses piled with hearts-a-burst

And on that quest what did I see?

The wicked path of destiny

Damen could not begin to understand this puzzle what could it mean? He had looked up to Chaol who looked like he was in deep thought as he was Chaol had wondered why this poem sounded to familiar then he remembered.                  Once upon a time there was this foolish traveler who had gone on a journey. Why was he foolish? Well because he was fooled by everyone he'd met. Everywhere he went people made up all kinds of sad stories to tell him, and the traveler fell for every one of them. Pretty soon his money, his clothes, even his shoes have been cheated away from him, but the foolish traveler was always glad to help and he always told people the same thing; I wish you happiness. But by this point, the traveler was completely naked and nothing left to cover himself he decided to leave the main road and travel through the dense forest where no one can see him. But soon he was discovered by the goblins that lived in the woods. The goblins wanted to eat the traveler's body! So they begged and pleaded and used kind words to try and trick him. Of course, the traveler was fooled. First he let the goblins eat one of his legs, then arm, then more and more. After it was over all the traveler had left was his head. He'd even given his eyes away to the last of the goblins. And as the last goblin was eating the traveler's eyes, he turned and said, "Thank you, traveler. In return I leave you this present." All the goblin left was this piece of paper with the word fool written on it. The traveler couldn't see it, he didn't know what it was. Even so, tears began to float out of his face. "Thank you," he said, "This is the first present anyone's ever given me, I'm so happy!" Even without his eyes, he cryed with tears of joy. Then, the traveler died, the smile still on his face.

Then everything came clear he had told Damen of what to look for a cave full of flowers surrounded by a waterfall the same waterfall that they would play at that was in the forest of the palace.       

~Chaols POV~

I wasn't gooing to lose Scar that easily and I wont give up Damen and I had destroyed the note into the fireplace so no one would know of the secret place we have to go to. I told the King everything that I knew except for the letter he wasn't supposed to know and since I trust Scarlett I will not tell anyone. Everything was prepared for our journey only twenty guards including myself and Damen had walked into the forest we all walked for hours and hours till we came upon the clearing where the waterfall had been. A single orchid layed for the poor traveler who had died a smile on his face I walked up to the orchid picking up the next letter only this one was blank. . . . . .