My Pink Pale Heart

Chapter one

There once was a princess named Belladonna. She was a pretty girl, destined to marry the prince of another land to bring peace to the two feuding kingdoms.

The kingdoms had been at war for decades because of water and food shortages. Many of the princess's people had been driven out of their country homes and brought to a refugee camp not far from the castle.

But the princess refused to marry the princes, saying that her heart was set on a young man that she loved dearly, named Bartimaeus. 

Her father tried to convince her, saying that she was being selfish. But the princess didn't think it selfish, she thought it as the most selfless act she could make, but she didn't say why.

When her father said she must, the princess made plans with her lover to elope. 

Her mother heard of these plans and locked the princess in the cellar, keeping the keys with her wherever she went. The king then took Bartimaeus, who was the captain of the military, and killed him using the Gullotine. 

The princess Belladonna was so heartbroken, she wouldn't eat anything for days. They only thing she consumed was water.

Her mother became impatient. "Belladonna, you are only skin and bones! Eat this chicken, we don't want you dead! Your wedding is in one year and we can't have you as skinny as a stick!"

The princess still refused. "You didn't give Bartimaeus any chance to eat. He's now rotting in the ground because you killed him. I will never, ever marry the prince. You are a terrible person to think I will and so is father, you remember that!"

But her mother only sighed and left the tray of food in the princesses room, in hopes that the princess would give in and start eating.

The princess would always lay the tray down on the ground by her bed and wait for her cat, Mercy, to wake up and eat her breakfast.

Mercy was given to the princess so she wouldn't have to live in a cellar infested with rats. The cellar the princess lived in was also refurbished so she wouldn't live in too much discomfort.

 Belladonna wasted away in the cellar. Soon, she found she couldn't go another day without food. So when her mother came with the tray, she accepted it and ate one piece of bread. "I will eat no more, no less. Now take the tray away and out of my sight!" She would snap.

Her mother was glad she was finally eating something, but also was scared. She really didn't want her daughter dead, and killing Bartimaeus was not her idea. The king was very impulsive, if he heard that his daughter would not marry the prince because her heart was stolen by another, he wouldl kill the man that stole her heart! 

Belladonna believed she would never see Bartimaeus ever again. Day after day, she would lay in her bed and do nothing but remember his smile, his laugh, his touch, his kiss, until she went mad.

She would see Bartimaeus in every dream. Some were dreams, some were nightmares. The dreams usually consisted of her seeing Bartimaeus again and kissing him. The nightmares were seeing him getting his head cut off.

After a long period of time, she finally regained her sanity. She started eating food again, and actually did something each day, instead of wasting away on her bed.

She drew pictures of war and kingdoms and princes and princesses. She read books about romance and hope and mercy and love. She felt she finally had a purpose, to make herself knowledgable with the kingdoms past, present, and future.

It was six months after the death of her lover when she saw him. It was exactly midnight, and as the princess heard the far off clanging of the bells, he appeared.

"Belladonna? Is that really you?" He whispered.

Belladonna rubbed her eyes in amazement. "Pinch me, I'm dreaming." 

"Okay," Bartimaeus walked forwards and pinched her on the arm.

"Ow!" she cried out.

"I'm real." He grinned. Belladonna narrowed her eyes. "But you're dead. You can't touch me. You were killed."

"I'm dead." Bartimaeus agreed. "But I came back for you."

"You... Want me to die?" Belladonna turned her head to one side, confused.

Bartimaeus shook his head feverantly. "Oh heavens no! I came back to see you. I have one hundred days until I turn into a real ghost, one that you cannot see or hear or touch."

"Don't leave me again!" Belladonna wailed and threw her arms around her dead lover. Bartimaeus held her close. "No one but you can see me. Our secret is safe for real now."

"Kiss me." Belladonna whispered and stroked his cheek. Bartimaeus eagerly obliged.

It was interesting, the kiss. To Belladonna, it felt like the warm breeze that everyone tastes at springtime was ticking her lips.

To Bartimaeus, it felt like it always did in real life, since Belladonna was still alive.

When the kiss ended, they looked each other in the eyes. Belladonna loved the way Bartimaeus's eyes looked now. When he was living, they were a beautiful sky blue, but in death, they were deep grey. Like storm clouds.

Bartimaeus caressed her her head with his ghostly fingers. "After the one hundred days, I will have one hundred years until I become a real spirit and join the otherworld. So for as long as you live, I will watch over you."

"I will find you in the otherworld, when I join the spirits." Belladonna murmured. 

"I will wait for you." Bartimaeus put his forehead to hers and let out a breeze from his mouth that tickled her cheeks.

"I thought you couldn't breathe." Belladonna said to him, curious. Bartimaeus laughed heartily. "Oh Belladonna, of course I can't breathe. I'm not sure how this ghost thing works, but I can kind of breathe out a warm breeze. Interesting, isn't it?"

Belladonna smiled. "Yes. Interesting."

They curled up together on Belladonna's bed and fell asleep. Well, Belladonna fell asleep. Bartimaeus couldn't, so he watched her pale face slowly relax as it slipped into the depths of rest.

But when Belladonna awoke, he was not there.