Twisted Rose

Chapter 1- Wonderful Awakening

The daylight seemed to come eariler than it did; shining it's arduous rays to torture my face while I slept. Gasping, my hands dug into the blankets, pulling them over my head to try to blind me once more.

"Oh, Rose! It's time to get up. You cannot sleep in this morning; your father has scheduled another ball tonight! Lord Fantomhive is suppost to be attending, along with his son James." Ginabee sang as she tried to tug my blankets down. I shuddered; I despised being called that name. Only my father and young men called me Beauty, and all the females called me Rose, but never the same together.

"Ginabee," I grumbled. "Please try and not wrinkle my night gown; it was flown in from Mulan about a fort-night ago. Damage it and it's cost you your life in prision, or worse."

Her hands stopped pushing at once. I let out a pained sigh and opened my eyes to see a shocked Ginabee hovering over me. Her wide grey eyes mortified, frozen over with confusion.

"Well, are you going to run my bath water or what? I'm not getting any cleaner just sitting right here." Stiffling back a yawn, I sat up and blinked ferociously, taking all the glory power can make in a room.

The walls were painted white with delicately pink flowers displayed about every six inches or so. A great window fell over the bottom stairs patio, where me and my sisters will be dining for breakfast in a matter of minutes. I shuffled over, hesitantly pulling back the silky rose colored curtains. Fairylyn, her brown hair pulled up in a tight bun was sat down at the head of the table. To her left was Bethann, dressed in a pure white dress and left her blonde hair fall into waves upon her shoudlers, and to her right was Califlower, her hair in girly pigtails and wearing a short green gown. Their breakfast already being served.

My eyes watered, and tears threatened to pour over. They were suppost to wait! Do they care for me that little? What have I done! Why do they treat me so? Their own flesh and blood?

My hands gropped the wall, trying to steady myself from all the pain swelling up in my head, pounding the thoughts into my memory system. I pulled a small laced hankerchif out of my night gown's pocket and dabbed my eyes, wiping away all traces of sadness.

Fine,

I thought. If you care so low for me, just see how it feels if I care so low for you.

"Ginabee," My voice rang out pure and steady. "go fetch some of those one leaves- you know? The one's that make your skin smooth. I'm afraid this mornings bath will be quit long. After all, there is a ball tonight."

"But what about breakfast! It should be starting in about," Ginabee glanced at the clock on the wall, "In about five minutes! It takes roughly a full hour to wash the leaves in the bath." She wrung her hands nervously, staring at me with worry and doubt.

Slightly annoyed at having my actions questioned, I turned to Ginabee with narrowed eyes. "Ginabee, your new here; just started working a few hours ago. One, never wake me up, i'll get up when I feel like it. Two, never touch me, not to shake me, not to give me a hug, and not to try and catch me if I trip. And finally, never, ever question my moves. Are we clear, Ginabee?" My voice was firm, not violently yelling, not red-in-the-face-i'm-going-to-explode- screaming, just calm and peaceful...Because the most peaceful things are the things that'll hurt you in the most violent way.

Ginabee nodded gravely, her back pressed again the post to my king sized bed. Even through the silence, a pressing noise seemed to follow me, buzzing along the walls, up into the roofs, and under the floors tickling my feet.

"Good." I murmured. "Now, go get the leaves." She turned out the door and left, silencing the noises in my head as she went.

**********

As I'm pulling up my white gloves, a small silouhette catches my attention. I turn my head toward the door and come face to face with a grinning mouth.

"Ah, Franklin." I spoke. "I want to go to breakfast now." I gently picked up the hand mirror lying on the window sill, admiring my appearance. My lips were painted a deep scarlet, and my eyes a deep charcoal, illuminating my violet eyes.

A soft chuckle imerged from his lips. "A little late, isn't it? Your sisters must be hyped up, you making them sit for a hour or two. I'm surprised they haven't left earlier."

"Nonsense. You know father's rule about breakfast; every daughter must be done eating before getting up. And I highly doubt that Fairylyn, or the others for that matter, would disobey father's oders just out of her distaste for me." I turned around to Franklin, adjusting my gown as I do. Franklin, his slick black hair parted to the right side, was dressed in the typical butler uniform; white button down shirt, black vest, black jacket, and black pants. His eyes, a musty grey color, was partly covered by a pair of specticles. He held out his arm.

"Well, Miss Beauty. Sha'll we go to breakfast then?" His hand, gloved with a silky white glove, was inches from my own. I smiled and placed my hand over his.

"You know, Franklin. You might be the only friend I've ever had." My smile faded, and my heart broke.

Am I that hated? To live a life without the company of souls who truely love me?

A tear rolled down my cheek, tearing down the barrier I built with it. I gripped the bed post, locking my fingers around it so tight they were soon stiff from tension, and cried, cried for all the past eighteen years of ignorance, humiliation, and eighteen years of self pity. Cried them all away, or atleast tried too. The tears flowed, but not my pain...

I felt something on my back and semi-turned around. Through a hazy waterfall I saw a worried Franklin. He wrapped his arms around me and tucked my head under his chin, which made my cries even louder.

"Why, why is this happening to me? I try and be nice and it barely gets through them. I try and ignore them, but it's not like they even care. Why can't I be wanted, be loved by them? Am I that despiseable?" I looked up into his grey eyes, so full of despair, so full of understanding.

"Oh, Beauty. You are the most loveable person I know. Your sisters are just being stubborn, like all siblings are to each other. If you show them your not bothered by them, they might ease up." He gave a grave smile, the wrinkles folding up in the krinkles of his eyes.

I gave my head a quick nod, rattling my ear drums in the process. The room seemed to swell with silence, feeding on the words our mouths refused to say. Franklin, his arms no longer around me, so warm and comforting, so full of life, was poised infront of the door.

Smirking, he bowed. "Shall we, Beauty?" His bow was low and graceful; his nose was inches away from the stone floor.

Stiffening my back, lowering my lips into a narrow line, and placing one foot infront of the other, I exited my room to met the most audacious people I've have yet to understand. Meeting them like a princess would; completely heartless and cold.