Fire VS Shadow

“Fire!” Rose’s voice roused me from my dreams. I laid there with my eyes still closed showing no sign that I was really awake.

“Come on Fire! Wake up! I swear, if you’re not up in ten seconds, I let your brother get up! I swear I will!! 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3” I jumped out of bed, my muscles protested. Rose watched me, her eyes narrowed when she saw my muscles tense resisting a wincing.

“Fire would you please drop this insane dream. You know your Father only said yes because he thought that you’d only last a week! Fire look at your bruises! You’re black and blue head to toe.” Rose said gesturing to my new bruised cheek. “Please Fire I’m begging.”  Sweet, wonderful overprotective, worrying Rose, with her mouse brown hair, and deep pink eyes; Rose was old enough to be my grandmother, she was short and plump. Rose had partially raised me, as my nanny when I was little, then my maid when I was older, now I don’t know what she is, you could call her my maid, or my lady-servant but she mostly my caretaker. This is exactly what I except from the woman who raised me.

“Rose,” I said with a small smile. “You know that I’ll do anything to become a knight. And I don’t have as many bruises as a used to. I’m getting better, really I am.” Rose gave me a look that told me she wasn’t convinced. Sometimes I hated how well Rose could read me. I could reassure everyone else not to worry and that I’m fine, but of course I couldn’t convince Rose. I sighed and changed into my practice clothes, they’re beige and lose fitting. I sat on the stool in front of my mirror while Rose began to braid my long red hair that came to the middle of my back.  I studied my reflection. My ambereyes are big and round, my nose was two bumps where I broke it a long time ago, but I drew attention to my full lips. All in all my face wasn’t the most beautiful. No matter what Rose insisted, I know I’m no beauty but I’m fine with that, it meant I can avoid most of the parties and balls.

“My Lady,” Rose began, but just ‘My Lady’ was enough to tell me that it was bad news. Still looking at my reflection my eyes started to look like glowing coals. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the roses in a vase start open and close getting faster and faster tell me that Rose was nervous about what ever she was about to tell me. She gulped and continued,

“There’s that midsummer ball tonight.” She paused, took a depth breath and started so fast I could barely catch it. “Your father wants to go, he says you’re not allowed to skip, and you’re to entertain, that includes dancing with Lord Shadow’s son Darkness.” My eyes were no longer glowing, they were flaming. Rose stopped.

“Is that all?” I asked through gritted teeth, when Rose didn’t say anything, she finished my braid, so I turned around to read her face. She was biting, like she wasn’t sure if she should tell me something else, or not.

“Spit it out Rose!” I said with a bit more of an edge than I intended.

“Please don’t be mad at me or your father or whoever.”

“I’ll Try,” I promised still reading her face.

“Your father told me to tell you, that it’s time you learned to be a lady and start meeting some of the young men who want to count you.” She stared into my eyes trying to judge my reaction. My brain felt like it was frozen, stuck.

“Father wants me to see young men?” I managed to say; all of a sudden my brain was working at full speed. I closed my eyes and shut down my face so that she could not see how close I was to full fury. “What about my knight training? What if I don’t want to give it up? What if I refuse to become a lady? What of I make sure no mom will want to court me?” I didn’t give her a chance to reply of any of my questions. “I’m not giving up being a knight!” I almost yell. Flames ran up my arm, my hair turned the colour of fire, and the tips of my hair were actually flames. I knew I was about to distorter my room. My eye snapped open, to see Rose had gone pale, staring at me with big frightened eyes, I hated it when I scared her. I swallowed my anger but I little voice in the back of my mind told me that I wouldn’t be able to stay in control if I stayed much longer.