Rose Red

Blood Red

I stood beside him on the balcony of the huge castle in which I had grown up, looking down upon the army in red he had raised for me. The other army approaches the tall wooden gate and calls out to our troops. They run towards one another, swords clanging, yelling as they run.

'Go inside Rose. It's too dangerous for you here.' he tells me calmly, his eyes bearing a look that I didn't recognise yet. He seems too brisk, too cold - he is hiding something, but my younger self does not understand this. I realise now that he is attempting to hide his fear.

'Yes Cirrus.' I whisper, my young voice shaking a little. 'But I don't understand...'

'Just do as I say, Rosie. I'll explain soon, I promise.' he replies, giving me a quick hug, before I squeeze his hand and walk inside, down the long passageway, once bustling with people, now empty and silent. I reach the room that is my nursery quickly, and sit down on the cold stone floor.

I didn't know then about the crimes of war. About how people don't just go away for a while when they die, I didn't understand how much it meant for me; how this would shape my future, that I might never see Cirrus again. All I knew was that war meant I couldn't play outside with Cirrus.

I go to play with my china dolls, but I can't do it properly, because it is too loud and I don't like it. I dislike their cold eyes, anyway, and the way that their skin is so cool to my soft touch. Instead, I crawl into my bed, which is too big for me. I pull the thick covers over my head, and although it is still loud, the sound is more muffled than it was before, and I hug Bear tightly to me, taking comfort in the feeling of his soft fur and the faint smell of perfume woven into the fabric of his body.

There is a lot of shouting and roaring and screaming, and I think I drift off to sleep at some point, because when I wake up it is still loud and I am afraid, so I run out to the balcony to be with Cirrus and I forget the rule about staying inside.

Then I run out, into the cold air, and it smells funny, and I don't like it because it is even louder out here. I'm shivering slightly - something isn't right. I want Cirrus again, but Cirrus isn't there, so I look down, and that's when I see.

The floor is soaked with blood, and everywhere there are bodies. Men and horses lie together on the pavestones, mangled bodies missing limbs, or heads, or crushed into pulp. Men still fight, yet we have but fifteen men left, and they are nearly a hundred. Suddenly I realise why Cirrus isn't here. He is fighting down in the courtyard, in his red armour with the roses on. He doesn't look brave now, or gallant. He looks scared and defeated and small.

I am afraid now. The stench is making me sick to my stomach, and I feel the nausea rising in my throat. I don't want to do it, but I do. I'm sick all down my red gown, and over the edge of the balcony. It alerts the people in the courtyard to my presence and I freeze as they look up at me, Cirrus included.

'No Rose!' Cirrus cries. 'Go back inside, you're too young.' as a man from the opposition holds up a sword, already covered in the scarlet blood of so many others, to kill him.

'HE'S BEHIND YOU CIRRUS!' I scream, and he turns just in time. The other men aren't so lucky. They fall down beside him, and I realise that they are dead, bodies slumped like that of my ragdoll.

'I'm sorry.' he tells me, and then he turns, and rides away, over the closing drawbridge and towards the horison, leaving me all alone with the other army. A tiny squeak escapes my lips, as they advance towards the stone castle. They won't let me play with my dolls, and they might not let me see Cirrus, or Mummy, ever again. Tears spring to my eyes at the thought of it. There's a loud crash, they are in the building. I hear footsteps, my heart pounding, blue eyes wide with fear.

I curl up into a ball on the floor, my tiny body shuddering with sobs. Where is Cirrus? Why isn't he here? I need someone to hold me until I am calm and still, but there is no one but the person coming up the stairs towards me. I shake, and tears streak down my cheeks, leaving tracks on my fair skin. They're coming in, I realise, suddenly

A man enters the room, and lifts me up, none too gently and I scream in fear, still holding Bear as he carries me away, staring over his muscly shoulder, sobbing, blue eyes wild.

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A/N: Hey! Another new story, dedicated, as usual to Scammy4eva