"What are you going on about now?" The King started with a smirk slowly growing on his face. "My dear son has returned home, and I don't even get a hello."
"Where is she!" I was tired with him messing around. If I did not find my Rose soon, I was going to lose it. I did not spend years training, fighting, and away from my Rose, just to return home to this crap. "You know who I am speaking of. Tell me where she before I have to beat it out of you."
"Xavier!" My mother rushed to my side and tried to pull me back as I took threatening steps towards the King. I quickly brushed off her hands. I know she is only worried about my safety, but I will fight anyone who gets between me and my princess. Even if it happens to be my father, who is a King. I have survived and won many wars, this King, is nothing.
"I thought your time a way would teach some respect. I am your King! You are just a little boy with an obsession with some girl. I did this for your own good. Now you can focus on training and get to know princess Katerina a little better. And anyway," his smile starts to grow. I know he is really going to enjoy what he is about to say. "Your beloved Roselyn asked to leave."
"Stop lying!" I knew my princess, she would never leave behind her home, Mr. Larson, and the other maids. No matter what her feeling are towards me now, she would not leave them.
"It's true. A family friend of mine stopped by about a month ago. Rose was the maid to their son's room and I guess they just hit it off. She asked if she could go stay with them, and who am I to stand in between young love." The humor in his eyes makes me want to beat his face in.
His words hurt, but I just used it to fuel my anger. There is no way that my Rose would do that. She could not have changed that much over the years, could she?
"Well, now that is settled, why don't we throw a ball in honor of your return?" Without waiting for my response, he turned to one of the servants. "Get started on the preparations. I want the grandest ball this castle has ever seen!"
The servant scurried out of the room, looking like he was about to pass out from freight. Having enough, I storm out of the room. I don't care about what he said. Even if Roselyn found someone new.
I will find her and make her mine again.
~~~
It has been a very busy two years.
I have taken control of our military, just as the King has always wanted. But he's stupid if he thinks I have given up on my Rose. I will play his little puppet, until I get what I want.
During the few hours I am not training with my men, I am out searching for her. Now that I have authority of the men, I also control search units. Not only that, but I've gained my men's trust and respect. No longer does the King control the guards in out Kingdom. While my father is busy training Xander and thinks I have finally started doing as he asks, I have slowing taken over. I have done almost everything that he has asked, playing the perfect son. I try to stay far away from the witch, know to most as Princess Katerina, but as the 'perfect son' I have found my self suffering through too many mind numbing dinners with her and her family. However, it will all be worth it in the end. The mighty King doesn't even notice that now all his little spies report back to me.
"Sir, we've got your reports." Mick, my second in command stats. His blond hair is styled in a classic military cut, that most my men have, and his blue eyes are as serious as ever.
"Let's hear them." My princess would be proud, I had made somewhat of a friend. Well, he's as close to a friend as I want. It's not like we sit around baring our souls to each other, but we occasionally get a drink together. He is the only man that I can fully trust with important information, which mainly has to do with my Rose.
"Well, Commander Smith's team has successfully made it to the base. Out of those who returned, only fifteen were injured, none killed." I nod and he continues. "Duke Easton is coming to visit. He will be arriving tomorrow, along with his son. Your father has set up a meeting to talk with them, which you will have to attend." I roll my eyes at this, but continue to listen knowing the important part is coming. " And finally we got a lead. The search team claims Mr. Larson has gained a letter from her mother. In it contains sketches of two people, a women and a little boy. I will make sure to drop them off to your office once you finish your dinner."
I nod again and release him to continue with his work. I almost forgot I had to attend dinner tonight and I wouldn't be surprised if the ugly witch Katerina is also attending. I need to finish this dinner as quickly as I can, so I can look at these sketches. Could this be Rose's drawings? If we can find out who the people in the sketches are, then they might be able to lead me to her. I will know if it's Rose's art, because I am the one who taught her to draw. I was ten and she was seven, but even then I knew she was the love of my life.
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"I am doing it all wrong! Why doesn't mine look like yours?" I had to hold in my laugh as my little princess threw a fit over a sketch.
"You are not doing it wrong, I just have more experience then you. Yours looks great. Everyone's art looks different." I explain to her, hoping to calm her down a little.
We are both drawing the rosebush in our garden. She has been begging me to teach her to draw, and I've been trying my hardest. She has a lot of talent, she just does not like when she messes up. Which usually, there is not even really a mistake, she just believes it is because it is not like mine.
"Well I want mine to be just like yours. I love everything you create. Your sketches are my favorite though. When you sketch, you make this really concentrated face and a line forms right here." She places her finger in between my eyebrows and starts to slowly rub at the supposed wrinkle.
All I can do is stare into her eyes and she focuses on smoothing out the line. I lift my hand to drag my finger along her heart shaped face. I want to memorize everything about her. It is important for the times that we are apart, I can always imagine her.
"I love you Xander. You are my very best friend." My Rose smiles up at me with her toothy smile, having just lost one of her front teeth.
"I love you too, my princess." She giggles and attacks me with a hug.
"Thanks for teaching me to draw."
"Anything for you Rose. And anyway, a princess should know how to draw." I laughed as a thoughtful look took over her face.
"I guess your right. You must know what I need to be a princess. Is there a lot that I am missing? Why didn't you tell me? You need to teach me everything! I am already way behind." Her rushed thoughts make be burst out laughing. " This is serious Xavier!"
"You are right, I'm sorry." I use my hand to cover my smile. "As a princess there is a few things that you will need to learn." She stares up at me and I can tell she is taking my jokes very seriously. "First, we must teach you to dance. We can do that by having you break out in dance whenever someone walks by. Then, we have to work on your baking. Your good at it, but it wouldn't hurt to practice a bit and then let me try everything you make. Just to make sure you are doing it right. I also think you should start doing my work from Madam Bloom for me."
"Why would I do your study work? Then you won't be able to do it." Her confused face is just too adorable. Her beautiful face scrunches up and she bites her bottom lip. She bites her lip whenever she is confused, nervous, or frustrated.
"That's a good point. Well I guess we should just focus on the dancing and baking. How about you go bake me some of my favorite cookies, just for the practice of course.
"Okay!" She excitedly ran up and raced towards the kitchens. Laughing as I tried to catch her.
~~~~~~~~~
She found out pretty quickly that I was just messing with her. I got the silent treatment for a whole day, but it was worth it. When ever a maid passed by in the hallways, she would start dancing and then look up at them expecting them to be impressed by her princess behavior. Then, the best part was when I got to eat a whole batch of my favorite cookies. However, I learned never to do anything like that to her again, when I saw how upset she was that she was not really learning to be a princess. I fixed things real quick and convinced her that she already had all the qualities to be a princess, so she did not need to practice.
Which she did, and still does.
Now all I need to do is find her.
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End of Chapter 10!!!!!!
Word Count: 1671
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