Heart of Rose

Prologue

Ten years previous

A small girl with eyes the color of the brightest blue sky, and the darkest hair you have ever seen is sitting on a bench in the garden of her parent’s home, trying her best to behave. Her parents had guests in town and did not want a nine-year-old ruining the plans they had. They loved their sweet Rosaliee, but she could be quite the terror when she wanted to be. She always set her mind to get in trouble at any time possible, but her parents had told her that this meeting was important about Rosaliee and a nineteen-year-old boy named Gideon.

Gideon was a tall boy with hair that reminded you of midnight, and eyes with the color of summer’s freshest grass. He happened to come upon Rosaliee as he sat on her bench surrounded by flowers. The first thing to cross his mind was that she had a way about her that made the angriest man have peace in his mind. Her smile was infectious, and at that moment Gideon needed to forget what his father had just told him—that his king had picked him the next man in line to marry his daughter, his nine-year-old daughter, for goodness sake! Oh, what was he going to do? He wasn’t interested in any ladies but he certainly wasn’t going to sit around and wait for her to grow up and he had heard she was quite the character.

Speaking of the character, he had quite the suspicion that she was the pretty little girl sitting on the bench over there. He slowly walked over there, trying no to to startle the little girl, and slowly sat down next to her. He could tell that she had been crying by the puffiness of her eyes. He took his hand and slowly lifted her face up to see him and her eyes widened in shock when she saw how huge he was.

Rosaliee was in shock. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He was so tall and dark like he spent every day in the sun without a moment’s care but she could see from the lines in his face that he had many cares and that they were not of good kind. Rosaliee was very observant for a little girl and she knew this man knew a lot of pain and little happiness.

“Hello, hello, earth to little girl,” he said.

Rosaliee’s eyes snapped back to focus on the beautiful man who had been talking to her and noticed that she had been daydreaming again.

“I’m sorry, mister, it’s just been a very long and tiring day. I cannot seem to keep focus on anything,” she told him.

“What’s on your mind, little one? Why are you so sad? I can see it in your face.” Gideon said, looking at the little girl, wondering what could be so sad to a nine-year-old.

“My mother. She yelled at me and said to come sit out in the garden because I was useless just getting in her and Papa’s way while they are having an important meeting with Papa’s friend. She said it was for adults only and I couldn’t be there because I wasn’t old enough. But just the other day, she said I was turning into quite a lady. Why would she say one thing and say exactly the opposite just that quickly? It’s just not fair; no one ever takes me seriously.”

Gideon looked at Rosaliee and just laughed. Rosaliee at first frowned and decided Gideon was crazy but his laughing was infectious and she burst into laughter right along with him. Finally, he looked down at Rosaliee, asked her what’s her name was, and she looked up at him and gave him the most beautiful smile. “Rosaliee,” she simply said.

Gideon smiled and said, “Well Rosaliee, my name is Gideon. My father is the man your parents are meeting with inside.”

Rosaliee looked up at him again, smiling and asked, “Did they kick you out too?”

Gideon chuckled and said, “No, Rose. I decided that I didn’t want to be in a boring meeting about the future I have no say in, but I am so glad that I did leave or I would not have met a lovely young lady as yourself.” As Gideon said it, he saw Rose’s eyes light up at the words “young lady,” which is exactly why he said it to begin with.

He could already get a read on this little girl. She had fire in her but she was easily hurt as well. He had a feeling he had just become her biggest hero all because of two little words that meant absolutely nothing to a normal little girl her age, but Rose had more to her than first impressions could show.

Rosaliee sat there with Gideon, the new love of her life. As well as it could be for a little girl, they talked for another half hour then Gideon was soon offered to take Rosaliee for a horse ride and as he asked the question, Rosaliee’s eyes shot up with joy and vigorously shook her head, as her sign of yes and with that, they were off to the stables.

When they reached the stables, Gideon saddled up his horse. He put Rose on the saddle, climbed up behind her, looked down at her, and said, “Point the way, my lady.”

She was smiling happily as they trotted along and she pointed out to him all of her favorite places across the estate that she loved to visit and loved every single minute of the time she spent with her Gideon.

Gideon was enjoying his time with his Rose more than he had expected. It started off to be for her benefit but it soon ended with him smiling and laughing right along with her. Finally, he turned them back towards the stable and just as he was pulling up to the back, they heard a violent scream and he knew that by the look of Rosaliee’s face that it was her mother.

He quickly jumped off the horse; looked at her and told her to hold on to Midnight will all of her life and to not let go. He would come back for her and suddenly with tears in her eyes, she screamed, “Wait!” Gideon froze and looked at her. She leaned down, kissed his cheek and told him to be safe. Gideon was suspended for a moment, not knowing what to say. He was shocked by the caring tone of such a young girl.

As Midnight was running away with little Rosaliee, she made the mistake of turning back to check on Gideon. She saw a man walk up behind him and knock him out. She knew it wasn’t to kill him but just to render him unconscious. However, she still screamed. How could someone hurt her Gideon?

As the man turned around, she saw his face and she knew that the man as Gideon’s father, Aiden.

She had met the man several times. He was supposed to be her father’s second-in-command; to protect her and her family, not hurt them. Aiden heard the little girl scream, and then he walked over to her, grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder and gave her to one of the men. He told them to get rid of her.

She was the only thing standing in his way of being king. Rosaliee started to weep. She knew at that moment her life would never be the same.

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