.•° ✿ °•.

There was nowhere I could go. The King was making his way down the hall and would turn the bend any moment, and I was trapped. I couldn't let him see me, not after that night. I frantically looked around, finding the hall vacant of any rooms. It stretched on too far for me to try to run down without being spotted. My only option was the window. I raced over to it, finding that I was only on the second floor, a safe distance from the ground to jump without breaking anything. Perhaps I was taking this to the extremes, but I could not - Absolutely could not - let the King see me.

I cracked open the window, and slipped out, only falling down a short distance before connecting with the ground. It hurt, but I didn't regret my decision. I couldn't bring myself to face the King after what had happened last week.

"Rosalie? What in God's name are you doing?" Alice called.

"Oh... Nothing." I turned to find Alice, Fran, and Trinity, cleaning the windows along the castle wall.

"Didn't look like nothing. Unless you go throwing yourself out windows for fun." Fran chuckled, as I approached them.

"This has something to do with the King, I'll bet." Trinity said, a small smile tugging at her mouth.

"It does not, I just, simply... Fell..?" I responded, unsure of myself.

"It does too, you're blushing." Fran pointed, to which I instinctively raised a hand to my face.

"What has the King done that's gotten you throwing yourself out windows?" Alice asked.

"Nothing! He's done nothing, I swear!" I said a touch too loud.

"Well whatever it is, I'm glad for it. You seem much more cheerful as of late." Trinity remarked.

"As of late? I'm always cheerful!" I argued.

"Ha! You? Always cheerful?" Fran laughed.

"Fran don't be mean!" Alice elbowed her.

"Oh! Speaking of being cheerful, I've just received a letter from Samuel, he's due back early, in one week time." Trinity beamed.

"You'll have to fill him in on your intimate encounters with the King, Rose." Fran joked.

"Intimate encounters!? We've had no such thing!" I said, my eyes widened as a blush crept up into my face.

"Sure." she responded flatly.

"You know, it's of no use arguing with you, you'll never listen." I reasoned, heading for the castle doors, "I'm going to see the twins."

"The King should be in his study, Rose. You know, just in case you wanted to know." Fran called after me, as the others girls tried to suppress their laughter.

I rolled my eyes as I made my way through the castle to the bakery, where I hoped Anne would be working. Once there, I found her washing up dishes, while the twins ran rampant about the kitchen. She looked at me as I entered, smiling.

"Hey Rosalie." she greeted me.

"Good afternoon. Did you want me to watch the twins today?" I asked her.

"Would you? I'd love to take a break." she sighed heavily, placing the last dish on the rack to dry.

"Of course." I smiled, turning to the twins, "What do you two want to do today?"

"Ride a pony!" they both shouted, and I turned to Anne, a quizzical expression crossing my face.

"They've just discovered the stables, and now this is all they've been talking about." she laughed, "Thanks so much for watching them again, you're a lifesaver."

"I want to ride ponies like the soldiers!" Darwin jumped for joy.

"Me too!" Dot joined him.

"Silly, you can't, you're a girl." he said nonchalantly.

"Now that's just absurd Darwin. Have I ever told you about what I used to do?" I said, taking a seat on one of the stools and beckoning the twins to join me, "I was a French soldier, and I'll have you two know, one of, if not the best soldier in my regimen."

"Really?" Dot's eyes lit up.

"Yes really. The guys made fun of me a lot, but when it came down to it, they all knew who the better soldier was." I laughed.

"Oh. I'm sorry Dot, you can be a soldier too." Darwin turned to his sister apologetically.

"That's okay. I'm going to be just like Rosie when I grow up! The best soldier ever, and all the boy soldiers will bow down to me! And you can be my assistant soldier Darwin." she said, as though 'assistant soldier' was an honour of the highest sort.

"Well I'll tell you what, I'll teach you how to ride a horse, and, if you can convince your mother, maybe even to use a sword." I said, smiling, as I looked at Anne.

"So long as they start with wood ones." she returned my smile, before leaving the room.

"Yay! I'm going to impale people!" Dot shouted, racing around the kitchen.

A few moments later, we stood in a clearing on the castle grounds, each holding a similar wooden sword.

"First of all, you mustn't hold the sword as though it were a bat." I laughed, showing them the correct way to wield their swords.

"What next?" Darwin asked hurriedly, eager to get to the fighting.

"Now, keep your feet apart, and knees bent. If you stand like a statue, you're likely to be struck." I stated, displaying the proper stance, "What you must always bear in mind is to-"

"To never turn your back on the enemy, and never let your guard down." my eyes widened and my heart rate quickened as the King's voice sounded from behind me, and I turned to find him pointing another wooden sword at my neck, "Watch closely, children, Miss Alcott is displaying exactly what you mustn't do while duelling."

"And this is exactly when hand to hand combat can aid you in battle." I responded, eluding the King's sword and elbowing his stomach as I stepped around him, before turning my own sword on him.

"Impressive, though can your simple military training match my own extensive professional training, dear?" he smirked, connecting his wooden blade to mine as Dot and Darwin stared in awe.

"Now, keep your attention on the King's sloppy technique, as it is not one you should aspire to master." I instructed the children, as the King and I continued to exchange blows.

"You'd sooner find yourself dead then victorious, children, should you replicate Miss Alcott's clumsy footwork." he retorted, as I just narrowly thwarted another blow, "And you must remember to refrain from being distracted, even if your partner is as devilishly handsome as myself."

"Devilishly handsome? Peut-être comparé à un crapaud." I scoffed, swiping at the King's head, a motion he easily parried.

"Fiesty." he whispered, causing my heart to skip a beat.

I gasped as I lost my footing, tripping backwards. I grasped at the air, my hand clasping around the fabric of the King's collar, pulling him down with me. I winced as we connected with the ground, before opening my eyes, only to find the King on top of me, smirking, his sword pressed against my neck. I sighed in defeat, refusing to make eye contact as my face heated up.

"Something you wish to say? Or perhaps admit to? Something along the lines of defeat?" he said slyly.

"Fine, alright, you've won, I surrender." I answered quietly.

"Does your pride prevent you from making eye contact with your defeater?"

"I surrender." I repeated flatly, meeting his gaze for a brief second, before turning away again.

My breath hitched as he forcefully turned my head to face him. I was shocked to find his mischievous expression gone, replaced with one that I could not read.

"Ehem? Rosie? Does this always happen in sword fights?" Dot asked, pulling the King and I out of our trance.

"When one is so easily flustered as Rosalie, emerging victorious from a fight becomes much easier." the King said, standing, before offering me his hand.

"Or perhaps when one is deprived of a sword for such an extent of time, they become out of practice." I retorted, refusing his hand and standing, "I think that's quite enough for today children. Let us return you to your mother, come along."

"Rosalie, wait." I stopped to face the King, "About that day-"

"Not now." I cut him off, turning away, "Perhaps not ever. I do not wish to speak of it."

I followed the twins back into the castle without giving the King a chance to reply. I hated to leave things as they were, but we'd be better off going back to how it had been, forgetting about that day entirely. After returning the twins to Anne, I retreated to my room, picking up a novel and reading late into the evening. Before I knew it, the castle had gone quiet, the moon high in the night sky. Suppressing a yawn, I put down the book and laid down, falling unconscious in a matter of moments.

The door to the bakery loomed before me, the streets of my hometown blanketed by a heavy cloud. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, something bad had happened, Marie was in trouble. I approached the door, and it slowly creaked open, as though it had been waiting for me. Inside, I was met with a pitch blackness, as the door slammed shut behind me. Suddenly, a candle flame flickered into existence in the far corner as the first drops of rain began to fall, pattering on the roof. I made my way over to the light, a sense of dread washing over me. Then, just as suddenly as it had arrived, the light disappeared, plunging me back into the darkness.

Then, there was a silence so deafening, stretching on until I thought I could no longer bear it. A loud slam emanated, as the windows' shutters burst open, letting in a gray light. I gasped, as I saw a lifeless body sprawled across the ground, Marie's.

"M-Marie?" I called.

"You've killed me, child." I jumped as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I turned to face the hand's owner, shocked to see Marie, though she seemed somewhat pale, her skin almost glowing, resembling a spirit. My head whipped around to the body, finding it gone.

"After everything I did for you, I gave you a home, a family, love! How could you do this you selfish and uncaring child!" she said, her tone growing louder and louder until it was a scream.

"It wasn't my fault, I didn't mean to!" I cried.

"Then whose was it? You're at fault, you witch, you killed me! I shall never forgive you for such a horrible act!" she spat, throwing me against the wall with an inhuman strength, "After this, I swear by it, you shall never again have the ability to love another soul."

I gasped, sitting up from bed, to find my face wet with tears. I'd never had a dream like that before, the last time I'd seen Marie had been that day, that day that my foolish actions led to her untimely death. She was right, it was my fault, and for that, I never deserved to love again. I sucked in a shaky breath, standing up. I couldn't get Marie's face out of my mind, it was cold, filled with a hatred I'd never seen reflected on it before. Moments later, I found myself sitting outside in the garden, surrounded by the tranquil sounds of the night. But even they did little to solace me.

"It's late." I jumped at the sound of the King's voice behind me.

"So it is." I said, as he took a seat on the bench beside me.

"I can tell something is bothering you, and I'll only urge you once to tell me." he looked at me, a serious expression on his face.

"And I'll only refuse once, then."

"If you wish." he nodded solemnly, standing back up, "I'll leave you be."

"Wait. Please don't go, I don't want to be alone." I startled both of us with the sudden request, but the King quickly recomposed himself, before turning back to sit by me, "Thank you."

The King did not answer, but failed to suppress a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. As fatigue overcame me, I leaned my head on his shoulder without thinking, causing him to tense up momentarily. In a matter of minutes, my eyes began to fall shut, the King's presence offering me a feeling of security.

"Thank you." I said one last time, before falling asleep.

°•. ✿ .•°