章節 8: Chapter-8 I hate Roses
It was midday Rosa was sitting under a tree close to the main road. She put her chin on her palms waiting for someone. Beside her a young lad with light brown hair and brown eyes, close to her age was laying down all relaxed. “Rosa you better rest it is going to take a while before brother Eugene arrives.” She did not answer anything but continued to stare towards the road. He still continued whining, “I am hungry and why do we need to wait for him? He knows the way.” Rosa answered without looking at him, “He needs the pass to get in.” Kanfe built outposts around the village. The pass is given to only the chief and councilors. Others have to check identity on the pass paper or someone has to escort them from the village or they are taken to the chief hut first to get permission. Edan lay back down on the ground with his head on his palms closing his eyes. A few mins passed which made Rosa stand up she spotted the brown horse with a rider on top. She quickly pulled Edan and ran down towards the road. Edan almost fell but managed to steady himself grumbling about the whole thing.
The rider had two small bags tied on the side of the horse and a cape to cover himself. The horse stopped in front of them. The rider had black hair and dark eyes he was unshaven due to being on the road for a long period of time. He got down the horse and pushed back his hood to properly reveal his face, and greeted both of them. “How have you been?” he patted Rosa’s head. Rosa nodded and held out the wooden carved pass in front of him. “How are you back this season? Are you home for a long time now?” Edan asked being excited. “Till there is a call but for now I am here for a long time.” They walked side by side to the main entrance gate. Eugene put the pass in the guard box to enter the village. Edan had a lot of questions to ask Eugene. He kept on answering them one by one with patience. He on the other hand recounted all the places he went. When they reached the gate Olivia came out running from the house with tears in her eyes. Justin came out of the door and patted him on the back after a brief hug.
They all sat at the dining table with Eugene being the last one to join them. “What is the news from the front?” Justin passed on the water mug to him. “It is holding up itself but still there is still a miss link in the communication.” He drank heavily it has been a long journey for him.” Rosa went to the kitchen with Olivia to serve food on the table. “Is the emperor still not responsive in this battle I thought it was in his orders the battle is done.” Edan took a bite of the bread. “There is something wrong in the capital hardly provisions are sent the captain himself feels helpless.” Eugene answered. “There is news of the new champion and heir not seeing eye to eye with the emperor.” “Another heir isn’t the only child of the emperor a princess? So the competition was held?” Edan interrupted.
“New heir or someone known the cut off from the front lines will make villages like ours an easy target for the attackers.” Justin looked concerned. “With children leaving for war and recruited we are no longer a neutral village. The auction houses are still having fights.” Olivia interrupted with another bowl of stew pot in the middle. “The chief needs to do something about it. I would really like to live my life in peace.” They all agreed except Justin who shook his head. “This village needs to stay neutral or we will be monopolized by one kingdom. Besides we already betrayed a lot of the sides by sending our children to the front line.” The village is becoming restless day by day while many believe it will sty peaceful some fears that they might be in verge of attack. Some are leaving the village with the unrest. “I might be called soon if unrest occurs or a change in the authority. It is a bit in the whisper but there is news that the new ruler might force his way to the throne but he is only supported by one house. Others are not backing him.” Eugene looked sad at the thought. Edan looked at him with a confused look. “But he won the event he is still not accepted in the throne?” Eugene shook his head, “It is said that he is the least favored by the people in the capital.” Edan had a big confused look, “Huh? That is not right that is like cheating.” Justin scoffed at the statement, “Throne politics is different from our village politics the Emperor might be thinking of other reasons to avoid this heir. He might be more troublesome than we can imagine.” The table grew silent with Justin’s words. It seemed everyone feared the same thoughts. “Who is this champion any information about him yet?” Eugene shook his head. “Nothing no information it is hidden from beyond the castle spectators says he carries a silver sword and always full armored when he shows up. Only a few knows his identity. It is a surprise that the princess supports him so much. Was she not promised to someone else?” Bowls on the table made noises while being moved as the lunch slowly came to an end. Rosa helped Olivia to move the dishes; her ears were still open to hear about different news in the middle of all that is exchanged.
While the discussion about the future state of trading and Kanfe, her heart still searches for her home. She moved as slowly as she can try to listen in without causing any suspicion. She wanted to ask many questions but she could not ask any direct question. Her stress was relieved a bit when a new member joined the house from the door. It was Babak he greeted everyone standing on the doorway his huge figure almost covering the whole doorway hardly having any space left, “Is that the famous vegetable stew I smell.” Eugene and Justin got up o greet him in a hug. Rosa quickly passed an extra bowl and plate to Olivia to serve. “You arrived just in time boy. If it was one day I would be missing you.” Eugene smiled at his words. “Are you still going for the front lines? I thought you will be declining that for a peaceful life.” Babak laughed loudly at his comments. “I am old kid but not retired yet from any fun. These old bones have more life to see.” He took a spoon full of the stew and grinned with delight.
“Speaking of old bones what is this I hear that emperor is upset with the new heir.” Edan jumped to get involved in the conversation. “The Old High and mighty is scared that someone is going to snatch his throne.” Olivia gave a smack on Edan’s head. “Be polite he is still the emperor.” Babak shook his head “Aye that old crack pot is getting in his head it is the tradition created by the old fathers if he did not like it he should have made a good point to keep his people happy. He is power corrupted that is the main reason this event was created so that no family would think of absolute power. Too much power will make anyone corrupted and that is what is going on here. There will be unrest between the states.”
Justin nodded “Well the whole scenery is making the emperor agitated. He does take things well if he is agitated. I remember Rante.” Olivia shook her head in pity, “That place is a sad place right now. A great tragedy befallen in the castle they still did not declare the princess dead. It must be because they cannot accept it themselves. The state is closed to outsiders till now until emergency. It is hardly on the map now.” Eugene shifted a bit from his spot. “Rante did not deserve what it suffered it was a good country. Only fault it had was not being active in military deployment.” “It is still a closed country there is no news leaking from it. They say it might be a dead country soon losing one of its biggest supporting families even the King is on his deathbed.” Olivia moved the empty bowls and glasses passing it to Rosa. “Rante is unfortunate indeed since the death of the previous Queen it saw only decline in luck. The little prince was so young when he left for the camp.” Babak pointed his fork in the middle of the table. “Now that was a good captain in the camp I wish he took part in the event. Do you remember Eugene he was like an ice cold and unbreakable.” Eugene nodded his head agreeing to the statement, “Last I heard the Captain denied participation and now he does not meet anyone. There is a rumor that he might have sustained an incurable injury in the revolt which is slowly taking his life. He stays in solitude and only appears for general processions and throne meetings. He will be announcing an heir from one of the prestige family soon.” “This is sad he is still too young.” Olivia stood beside Edan and looked at Eugene. “You need to get a wife soon. Young man you are not getting any younger.” Eugene blushed in this. “Mother can we not talk about this right now?” The topic for the discussion changed quickly. On the other hand no one noticed that a figure quietly left the room when everyone was distracted.
Rosa left the house in a trance. For a long time she tried to find any small details from where ever she could find in the word exchange while travelers would visit the town. There was hardly enough news. Today on the other hand was more than she can handle. She did not notice where she was walking to her eyes forward her steps slow moving forward in tiny steps but she did not look where she was going. Her head jammed with words from the dining room. ‘What horrible things happened to her family? She is known as dead. They did not search for her is she abandoned? What happened to Maria? Maria said she will find her but she never came for her.’ She feared what has befallen Maria after she left the place. ‘Where is she?’ She was holding a hand close to her heart it felt twisted and in pain. Her father is deathbed images flashed in front of her how he smiled towards her. To think this man who looked so strong to her was broken and weak laying on a bed her eye filled up with uninvited tears, she quickly blinked then away so that not a tear drop could be seen by anyone. ‘No Maria said she would come for me. I should not reveal my identity.’
She did not notice how far she walked she kept on walking in a trance her head bowed down on the road all that she can see is the green grass and sometimes brown ground that might be the road in the middle but she did not care she went on walking in a straight path without destination. It was as if she was looking for something while walking. There were some voices calling out to her, but it sounded blur. She shook the voices away it was hardly something she could notice in this moment. She wished there was something any news of her mother. Part of her wished to run back to Rante this moment but another one said to listen to the last words Maria mention. ‘Her mother where is she how is she?’ She felt another hit of pain in her heart. There was no news of her mother. The news of Nicholas made her more sad ‘A deadly situation he could die any moment how did this happen? Was it those armored soldiers? But he was not there with them he was out of the castle how did he get hurt?’ She was really excited when she first learned she has an elder brother. She looked at the painted picture of him. The first time she heard he was coming back home she wanted to meet him. She remembered the time she spent peaking into his room searching for him. To think they are all so far away. The thought of not being able to see them at all made her feel cold. She shook a bit. ‘If only I could see them once, just once.’
Her feet stopped she did not notice where she was. It was brown with little grasses in the middle. Tears were building up again in her eyes again more than that a small panic was building up. ‘Even if she went back to Rante who will she get back to?’ A strong smell hit her nose. It gave her a tiny tremor some blurry scene came flashing into her head. She shook her head to remove it a small ache was building up on the corner of her head. She bit her bottom lip, closed her eyes and hugged herself trying to get her small tremors straight. It is a smell she could not stand anymore. ‘To think this was her favorite smell in the past.’
A hand grabbed her shoulder “Rosa I have been calling you from back there.” Emma broke her trance. The appearance of her made her feel a bit relaxed. She tried to calm down a bit. She felt a bit breathless the smell is not gone yet. She wanted to answer back something. Her head felt fuzzy and the trance is not fully gone yet. She wanted to reply something but nothing came out from her mouth. A small child walked behind Emma. It was Emma’s brother Felix the child had a curious look in his eyes. He carried a flower bouquet in his hand. It was filled with red roses. ‘Ah that’s where the smell was coming from.’ She tried to move back but Emma grabbed her arm. “Hey are you feeling okay you don’t look good.” Emma was looking at her worried. Felix approached her with the flowers and held it out to her. Rosa felt as if her head was bursting out in pain. The smell was getting to her. There were roses in the bouquet those red roses. Now the flashes came clear. She reached out towards the boy and took the flower bouquet and threw it away a few feet far away. “I hate roses.”
Emma was angry with her attitude. She watched her brother run after the bouquet of flowers to get it back. She grabbed Rosa’s arm and shook her. “What is the meaning of this? Rosa how can you be so mean?” She let go with by pushing her away and ran after Felix. Rosa fell with the light push she did not even try to stop the fall she felt dizzy and laid on the grass her eyes almost close. ‘I do not like this please make it stop.’
-- 收到的禮物 
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票