faded in time

chapter 2

Looking back on how we meet it comes as a shock to me that I ever really worked up the courage to even speak to you. Thank god it was you who ended up speaking first. I remember it as if it was yesterday. It was the summer of 2XXX, and I had arrived shortly before the parade of roses that took place every 6 yrs in the town square. For 7 days and nights, people from all over the universe would gather around to see this magnificent sight that was in honor of the emperor Travis and empress Layla vi of blood rose, it was really to celebrate and congratulate the royal family for another decade of peace and prosperity throughout all nations, planets and kingdoms alike. For the lucky few who were invited to the feast on the last day in the palace, they got to experience what no other person in the kingdom got to see. they would witness the world of glittering gold, that held the monarchs and the universe's finest. And if that wasn't enough they would all be catered to and entertained by the empire's reigning rulers and their family. Of course I never liked that event, mostly because I would never attend the party on the last day, heck even during the parades I would rarely if any get to see it, I only did on the rare occasions that I managed to slip past everyone to have a look myself, that or I climbed from my room to the highest point to really have a look at it all. It wasn't that I wasn't invited to it, on the contrary, it should be expected of me to attend. Thing is, I'm this kingdom's, most guarded secret and the royal family wants to keep it that way. Bloodrose like any other kingdom to nation in this universe has a king or a queen, both maybe, some like mine, for instance, has an emperor and an empress, and like all good royal families that have the heir and a spare heir just in case, the heir is usually a male, here they have two princes Xavier le and Vincent xi of bloodrose, their normal human names which they prefer to be called by since they don't like their super long and complicated royal birth name, their words not mine. So by now your thinking wait...how could I ever know that much about a royal family, so here it is I guess, while emperor Travis and empress Layla have two sons that are known and thought of as their only two children, that isn't necessarily all true. They have one more whom they've kept hidden away, away from everyone's eyes for the past 17yrs. The unknown blood rose child, the princess alicia Blaire vi bloodrose. If you think sneaking into a kingdom undetected was hard, try a palace when it's surrounded by thousands of people. Pushing my way through crowds and crowds of people was one thing, getting knocked over, pushed and shoved was another. Reason number one why I hated this parade, I'm not one for crowded places I get claustrophobic to easily. After what seemed to be an eternity of walking through heavily decorated streets that were lined from top to bottom with all sorts of flower arrangements as far as the eye can see. Even I must admit it was a magnificent sight to behold. At night it was even more grand, while not all the decor was taken down, people in each house lined up and down the streets would hand lights, stretching from one side to the other criss-cross or overlapping more lights. As the final lights where hung, every citizen or vacationer would leave their cozy homes or exquisite hotel room, in their fancy new gowns and shoes, while some decorated their faces with makeup or glitter other wore masks to cover their face. Everyone would gather on the streets, on roads, in the square, everywhere as a matter of fact. What I liked the most about this part of the parade of roses was the atmosphere, the liveliness, the sounds of laughter that turned into music, the clapping of hands, the clatter of shoes and The swinging of skirts. Everyone as far as the eye can see wore a smile on their face, not a frown insight, everyone content and happy. Whenever I could I would sit for hours on end watching all this, I would watch it all from the fountain of Fate located at the center of the kingdom. The crazy name isn't it, well I didn't name it so there isn't really much I could do about it. There's a whole legend behind how it got its name, but that's a story for another time, anyway they say if you look into the fountain at exactly twelve on the last day if the parade of roses you'll see your future, be it a person, a job anything could come up. Wither I, believe it or not, it doesn't work for me I learned that years ago, not once have a saw so much as a glimpse of this so-called fate. I stopped getting my hopes up after the second time after I saw yet again a face of a distraught child in the ripping water down below, next time I tell myself, there's always next time. It isn't just the crowdedness of the people that I dislike, I have another reason as to why I hate this event, you see even if it is every 6 yrs each time without fail the last day of the celebration end on my birthday. And each time yet again I am reminded that I am but a forgotten child in a family of royals, a celebration meant to bring prosperity and hope, is shattered by my misery and stained by my tears.