This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© Avery Song & Quinn Ashwood, 2020

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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Cover Design by Melody Simmons

Editing by

Rainlyt Editing

Format: Avery S.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for purchasing FAE ROSE ACADEMY.

Thank you for giving Avery Song and Quinn Ashwood duo a chance! This was a challenge, especially with the new idea of paranormal romance. Hope you enjoy our little creation!

Special thanks to our amazing Mom for blessing us with the gift to write and supporting us in all aspects. We pray to continue making you proud as we strive towards success.

Finally, we thank God for giving us the strength to achieve our goals. Without Him, we would be nothing.

AVERY SONG

&

QUINN ASHWOOD

CONTENTS

BLURB

Prologue: The Rose Of Destiny

1.  Just Another Day As Scum

2.  Wise Advice From A Drunken Fool

3.  Not My Destined One

4.  Destined To Kick Ass

5.  Infirmary Of Lost Pride

6.  Fae Rose Academy?

7.  A Ruler Needs No Respect For The Weak And A Speck Of Light

8.  A New Beginning And Making Friends

9.  Entrance Challenge For A Weakling

10.  Failure Before The Journey Began

11.  Unexpected Vistor And Questionable Future

12.  Facing Weaknesses And Darkness Within

13.  Screw Up And Threatened Rose

14.  A New Day And First Sight Of Fae Snow

15.  Time To Face Destiny

16.  Watching A Wilting Rose

17.  Raging Jealousy Between Light And Dark

18.  Tense Partnership And Immune To Death

19.  Sensitive To The Universe And Carrying Sleeping Beauty

20.  Deserve The World And Blessed Weapons

21.  Let The Petals Begin To Fall

22.  Lose It All To Fate

COMING SOON - FAE ROSE ACADEMY 2

SNEAK PEEK - DAGGERS AND SMOKE

DAGGERS AND SMOKE BLURB

PROLOGUE: DAGGERS AND SMOKE

ABOUT AVERY SONG

ABOUT QUINN ASHWOOD

Also By Avery Song

BLURB

Perfection…The single word that best describes the legendary fae. They are beings with no flaws, divine creatures with power sparking at their fingertips. A race so exceptional that it feels almost forbidden to think about them, especially for someone like me.

I’m Rosadette Campbell, a seventeen-year-old girl who has nothing in common with those divine, worshipped beings. No, I’m a human — at least, that’s how we refer to ourselves. We pretend not to hear the litany of degrading slurs other races use to describe our kind. We were the dominant species once, but now we’re considered little more than rats. Especially someone like me, an orphan raised out of pity by the village.

I’m at peace with my low status, but everything goes to hell when I accidentally punch and knock out Prince Xavier, the heir to the highest Fae Court — the strongest, most lethal court in all the lands and universes. If that weren’t bad enough, Prince Xavier also happens to be the son of the headmaster of Fae Rose Academy.

Legends say trouble comes in threes, and that holds true for me when I learn I’m supposedly one of the fae. It must be a practical joke designed by Prince Xavier to ruffle my feathers, but the joke’s on him. I’m determined to face whatever challenges he decides to toss my way.

I’ll prove myself worthy of walking the halls of Fae Rose Academy. I’ll tackle their world, and in the process, just maybe, I’ll find something extraordinary.

PROLOGUE: THE ROSE OF DESTINY

“Prince. Your father has summoned you to the sanctuary.”

It took time before those words drifted into my mind. The story revolving around justice still shimmered in the depths of my subconscious, but the urgency in the request of being summoned began to outgrow my desire to continue where I was.

Raising my head and moving my gaze to the large golden doors of my private library, I looked to the armed guard who stood at attention - waiting for my inevitable answer.

“I understand. Tell him I’ll be there shortly,” I calmly responded.

“Yes, my prince,” the guard replied and with a bow was out the door, leaving me in silence. Reaching for my bookmark that laid next to the empty mug of chamomile tea, I saved my spot between the fine cream sheets and closed the book.

The soft sound seemed to echo in the depths of the library, signaling my eminent departure. Rising up from the comfort of my seat, I looked at the stained-glass window that was to my left. The multiple colors looked extra radiant with the full moon out and shining down upon our kingdom.

The moon’s energy was welcomed. It was necessary to absorb it and re-energize our crystals and spiritual essences because I knew we’d be embarking down to the lower lands.

That was exactly why I was being summoned. I could feel it in my gut. My body rushed with tingling and anticipation for what was to come.

I’d finally meet my future queen.

Lowering the book of legends to the side table, I stretched before reaching for my golden cape. Draping it along my shoulders, I stood tall and prepared myself mentally to see my Father.

My dad wasn’t a scary man to talk to. He was kind-hearted and loving to those he trusted, but his role was to rule our kingdom, and that meant there would be times of seriousness and lack of emotion.

I was no different.

For me to express my emotions, my trust and utmost respect was required. If one did not earn either of those, I was but a guarded wall that looked far too grumpy to be the future ruler.

It worked well for our kind, especially with our circumstances. Those who judged us merely by our looks or knowledge of our type of race would never see the side of kindness we carried.

Even more so in other worlds and universes. Those who judged based on looks would not get the opportunity to see our true forms. Many referred to it as glamour, a disguise they thought we used to hide ourselves.

Alas, they knew nothing of our traditions.

Appearances to some meant everything, which only proved that their intentions and desires were based on one’s outer shell.

Something our kind disliked entirely.

We cared about one’s true intentions. The emotions kept at bay in the depths of one’s heart. With some of our gifted abilities, it was easy to read one’s mind, especially with those that were lower beings, like humans.

Humans had no barrier around their minds that stopped us from reading their thoughts and feeling their emotional struggles. It was an inconvenience at times, but we could easily shut off the gift if necessary.

It was exactly what I did when I ventured into the lower realms. Humans worried about the littlest things, leaving a flood of overwhelming emotions and thoughts that hit me, and others of my kind, like tidal waves.

Bothersome.

Again, they had their benefits, especially when we dived into politics, but I had to admit that humans were growing in wisdom. As they acknowledged our kind, they began to invest money on devices to block our gifts.

They underestimated our magic, but we let them be. If working on their scientific contraptions made them feel one step closer to our kind, so be it. Maybe they would spend more time on that and not on starting wars amongst themselves.

A light sigh left my lips, and with it, my left foot took the first step towards the door. I’d attempt to finish my story before bed, but knowing my father, he’d want preparations to begin immediately.

My peaceful prince days were coming to an end. Pity.

Leaving my sacred sanctuary, I made my way down the long stone walls of our castle. The structure always threw outsiders off by how bright it was.

Common assumptions played a huge role in their reaction, but considering my cold-hearted father’s outlook, I didn’t blame them.

The entire castle was made of golden stone, but its essence was of magic. The color of our home changed depending on a lot of factors. When it was gold, it meant my mother was home.

She was the sunshine of our kingdom. Always happy and singing.

Not to forget her obsession with baking.

I can imagine her now, wearing a gorgeous ensemble of fabric to brighten her day before donning her favorite purple apron and turning the kitchen upside down.

As a queen, you’d never picture her setting a foot in the kitchen to cook for herself, let alone the maids, guards, and her family. However, my mom was the opposite of Father and I.

It still baffled me how the two of them fell in love, but needless to say, my father adored her and would destroy any world or race if they even looked at her the wrong way.

Love. Makes men do the most ridiculous things. Something I doubt I’ll deal with.

Yes. My purpose of going down to the lower realms was to claim my queen. The princess that I will marry and who will one day be alongside me as we ruled this kingdom together.

However, that would only happen if she proved herself worthy of our glorious throne-ship. I was unsure what type of fae she would be, but that was of little importance.

All I wanted was a smart, beautiful, talented leader who would listen to me when I stated what needed to be done. My mother deemed my expectations to be fitting of a slave, but she didn’t understand my point of view.

I needed a woman who would obey me. One who would do what needed to be done for the good of all.

Father lacked in that department. Though harsh with his actions, his kindness was getting the best of him. It took me having to fix certain situations for people to realize our family wasn’t one to push around.

We were nowhere near naive to what they were plotting within the shadows of darkness. It always gave me satisfaction to catch them mid-act in their so-called “diabolical” plan.

Foolishness only led to fun trickery on my end. Our kind loved to play tricks, and the darker they were, the more amusing it could be. I wouldn’t let anyone make my father into a fool in love, but that meant I’d have to find a woman who would strengthen my backbone.

A partnership where we’d work in unison to prove to our people that we are more than powerful enough to hold the reins of our throne.

That’s if all goes well. Thankfully, I’m not the bringer of bad luck.

My feet came to a stop in front of the large onyx doors of my father’s chambers. This was his personal space, designed for when he was deep in thought.

Or after an argument with my mother.

My arm lifted of its own accord, my hand clenched and ready to knock against the fine, magical stone. My knuckles didn’t reach the surface before the door unlocked and opened on its own, inviting me in like I’d already announced my presence.

How magical this castle really was always brought a tiny smirk to my lips. It also annoyed the hell out of me when I was but a kid because hide and seek never played out in my favor.

Waltzing in, my eyes went to the one place I knew my dad would be - sitting at his desk with his head between the pages of yet another spell book.

Father was a magic genius. I’m sure I took most of his genes in that department, but I wasn’t as fascinated by learning every spell in the universe.

Storytelling was my thing. I would become a sadistic author if the whole “prince of a powerful race” thing didn’t work out.

My father, on the other hand, would devour books from different universes. He even had a secret lair of priceless magical books. Some would call them magic artifacts because of how old they were and how much knowledge they contained.

Wisdom was a source of power in our world. Knowledge aided one in growing in many areas, and when you had the art of magic in the palm of your hands, there was nothing you couldn’t learn to grow even stronger.

One day I could see myself being at that level of satisfaction, but for now, at twenty, I’d continue my hobby of reading stories created by intellectual, creative beings.

Standing in place, I waited for my dad to finish whatever passage he was on. As a fellow reader, I understood that it always took a little bit of time to pull yourself out of that level of concentration.

My eyes wandered, something I did out of boredom. It was a habit I really had to stop, but habits always die hard.

My eyes were a common mix of blues and greens. Some people referred to it as teal, while others labeled it as turquoise. Either way, it was a common color trait for our kind.

The lower races believed my eyes were the most beautiful shade an individual could have. With my long blonde locks, perfectly smooth, pale skin, and a dimple on my left cheek that was only visible on those extremely rare occasions that I smiled, I was immediately ranked as attractive.

My mother said my sour attitude ticked off some points, but I was unbothered by this matter. When you were born to one day rule, you just had to accept being an asshole most of the time.

Being born to rule was a peculiar predicament, and my case was extra special with the coming circumstances. I’d been blessed to be raised in a kingdom that delivered an abundance of love, and my purpose was to wait for the right moment to fulfill my destiny.

It was difficult at times to be patient, and those were the times where my rebellious attitude and frustration kicked in, especially during my teen years. It was one of the reasons why I returned to reading. It occupied my attention and allowed me to hide my anger while cultivating the nest of knowledge in my mind.

It was a good way of channeling energy when you had no control over the circumstances around you. Once I grew older and was able to understand what my prolonged patience could lead me to, I decided to grow in strength and wisdom so when the time came for me to retrieve my rose maiden, I’d be ready.

I have to be ready.

The soft sigh and closure of a book drew my attention, and my eyes returned to the center of the room.

Father was smiling at me, looking pleased to see me before him. Though he’d been alive for many years, he remained looking like he was in his mid-thirties.

It was one of the glorious things about our kind. We aged well, and our souls would remain everlasting.

Father was 6′3″ when he was in his common form, but when he was infused with magic or wearing his royal armor, he’d reach 6′6″.

I’d yet to figure out how he did that, but it was something to keep in mind for the day I’d get to increase my 6′0″ height.

Why did I stop growing at seventeen? I swear I should have taken my mom’s advice and worked out instead of reading all day long. Silly regrets.

My father’s hair was as blonde as mine, a mixture of gold and almost silver locks that had a hint of glow to them, like tinsel. His eyes were a lot more teal than mine, almost like peering into the clear waters of Bora Bora.

He’d begun to grow a slight beard, the small hairs of his stubble groomed to perfection and as blonde as his hair. He was in his comfortable clothes: black pants and a simple black t-shirt.

The only reason you’d know he was the king was the large golden crown sitting on his head, complete with various jewels that sparkled, even in the dim light of Father’s sanctuary.

He lowered his book to the fine desk and rose to his feet. He gave a slight nod of his head in greeting. I replicated his movement in acknowledgment.

If he wasn’t immediately talking and explaining why I was here, it usually meant we wouldn’t be talking here.

Whatever needs to be discussed is of great importance.

I waited for him to leave first, and he proceeded to his left towards one of his large bookcases. The one he currently faced was made of black oak that was blessed by elves to keep the books that rested on their shelves in pristine condition for all eternity.

The bookcase was fireproof, waterproof, basically life-proof. The material could be only acquired by elves and pixies, and went for a high price in the magic realms.

Father had received it when he’d first taken the throne, cherishing it and preserving it for the day it would be passed down to me as a family heirloom.

This was just one of the many qualities I loved about my father. He wasn’t greedy, and he raised me to respect all that was given along with this responsibility of ruling a powerful kingdom.

My focus returned to the man in question, watching as Father reached out to pull a red book halfway out of its spot. It moved out in a slanting motion and began to glow vividly as though its very presence was summoned.

A click echoed through the room, and the shelf began to move to one side, revealing a hidden path. My brows knit together, the change in development baffling my mind.

I’d snuck into my father’s sanctuary plenty of times and pulled every book out of that shelf to inspect, but had never revealed a hidden entrance.

My star-struck expression remained on my face far too long, because my father’s lips curled up into a rare smile of pure delight.

“You discover something new every day.” His commentary irked my boyish pride.

He directed me to follow him, and the two of us ventured deeper into the hollow pathway. The stale scent in the air told me this wasn’t a passage he used often, but it remained in perfect condition.

When we reached the end of the path, we entered a circular room with a platform. My puzzled expression was impossible to hide as I noticed two altars.

Both held a dome-like cover, and inside each of them was a single rose.

What led me to take a step forward was beyond me, but I gravitated to the one on the left, my eyes fixated on the glittering purple rose with bits of silver glitter.

It spoke to my soul, resonating with my magic and spirit, and as I got closer, my heartbeat quickened in appreciation. The beauty of this rose spoke to me on various levels of magnitude, leaving me in a state of bewilderment.

This rose was dear to me, a symbol of what was meant to be mine, and yet, this was the first time I’d ever seen its radiant delicacy.

I would have stared at its fine petals, a lovely shade of lavender with hints of silver glitter, for years if it wasn’t for the hand that landed on my shoulder, firmly squeezing me out of my trance.

“Easy, Xavier,” Father’s voice drifted to my clouded mind, and I finally snapped out of whatever I’d been neck-deep in.

“What…” I trailed off, something I, again, never did unless I was truly left in a baffled state of mind.

“That is how powerful your soulmate’s connection will be when you meet her. Though you’ll have to start training yourself now before you venture to the lower lands, or you’ll look like a fool in love.”

I immediately frowned at his words, and when I looked over my shoulder to peer at him, he laughed. “There’s my son.”

“This rose. It’s a symbol of my connection with my destined soulmate?”

“Yes. With the princess and future queen of our kingdom. I’m sure you already knew why I’d summoned you this evening?”

“Yes,” I replied. “How long till I meet her?”

“Are you referring to our time or Earth time?”

“She’s on the human realm?” I asked for confirmation. I already had a hunch that she would have been on the lower lands in disguise, but it would be nice to know that my suspicions were accurate.

“Yes,” he replied. “I won’t reveal her location just yet. However, it’s best you begin your training as soon as possible. It looks like another is after your rose.”

“What?” My voice went up an octave out of anger.

Father must be on a smiling streak today, because he was beaming at my odd emotional reactions.

“Other individuals of higher power know of your rose, Xavier. You two are destined to meet by the winter months at the end of this year. However, it looks like we’re going to have to speed things up or you will find her either taken by someone else or dead.”

I gawked in horror.

“Do not worry. The universe says she is strong in her element and she can handle herself until your arrival. However, we must prepare, and we must begin tonight.” He moved his gaze to the right, peering at the bright red rose that glittered under the moonlight that glimmered down from the stained-glass window above.

I’d been so transfixed with my rose that I hadn’t even noticed the windows, all of them designed in variations of roses and bouquets.

“Father…what if I’m not ready?” I hated admitting my flaws, but this was something that lingered in the back of my mind.

“You are more than ready for this, my son. Do not let the enemy win before you’ve even ventured off to claim what is destined to be yours. She is powerful, but I will forewarn you, she is not what you will expect. Your judgment of her maybe your very downfall.”

My hand clenched involuntarily and my mother’s constant comments about my sour attitude and viewpoint on life were brought into play.

“I’m not sure I understand,” I answered.

“You will when you two cross paths. We will have that discussion when the time comes, but before that, I need you to test someone down on the lower lands. You won’t go in this form, and what I ask of you will seem rather peculiar, but trust in your father and you will get the answers you seek.”

I bowed my head in understanding before stepping back and going down to one knee with my arm to my chest.

“Yes, my king. I will follow your advice and any orders you give me. In the name of the Fae Rose Kingdom.”

“Excellent,” Father replied. I lifted my head to watch him walk down the three steps to the bottom of the platform. I rose up and followed his lead, but the door closed without either of us requesting it to do so.

My eyebrow arched, and my father headed to the door. I expected him to open it or figure out why it had suddenly closed, but instead, he turned around and reached for his sword that always remained on the side of his waist.

I caught on faster than he must have expected because our swords magically clashed a second later; my iced blade summoned in a split of a second to defend its loyal owner.

“But first, why don’t we have some fun in combat?” Father questioned with a chuckle.

“I always wondered who is the more cynical between you and Mom, and I’ve yet to determine a winner,” I grumbled.

Father laughed. The joyful sound made me smile.

“Your mother will always win, even when I get the upper hand at times. Let us train, my son. Your purely divine rose awaits you.”

“Yes, King Rose. Let us train.”

I will protect my destined rose.

JUST ANOTHER DAY AS SCUM

“Feel pity for me, Chamomile!” My plea was full of sarcasm, my eyes looking straight into a pair of half-open silver ones.

“If you’re using my actual name, that proves you aren’t getting drunk any time soon. What number are you on? Thirty-six? Thirty-eight?”

“Forty-two!” I whined. “You can barely keep your eyes open!”

“That is clearly because I’m wasted, trying to keep up with your inability to get drunk,” she practically slurred.

She lowered her plastic cup to the worn-out wood surface of the rundown bar before sliding it to the side. Using her left arm as a resting platform, she laid down her head and closed her eyes.

“Give me like ten minutes and I’ll continue to listen to your sorrowful stories of how life sucks and you really need a boyfriend.”

I frowned in disappointment as I stared at my best friend, Chamomile Goldstone. I normally called her Camille for short, but with my current frustration, it was far too hard to stress the importance of this matter.

Not like any of this was new.

Rosadette Campbell: seventeen-year-old orphan raised from the pity of the low-life village on the outskirts of Himalayan.

Himalayan was actually a filthy rich country in these lands. However, that was ninety-nine percent of the country. Our village was in the one percent, and was going to remain there due to our very existence.

See, Himalayan held some of the richest and most powerful mystical races in the universe. I wasn’t sure what the different races were, but we all knew that the majority of the population were fae.

What were these fae individuals? They were currently the top race. Perfection couldn’t even define just how beautiful, radiant, and mesmerizing their looks were.

They were extremely intelligent, having the ability to obtain and maintain information for centuries. This led to them living for hundreds if not thousands of years, and the longer they live, the stronger they become.

What made them so powerful? The surging magic that ran through their very veins. Many of us knew of witches and wizards that were graced with a bit of magic from the universe, but fae were given the rest.

They were born into a world full of magic and could do things we couldn’t fathom with our human imaginations. I only knew all of this from the stories of the village and the very few books we had in our crappy, dump-of-a-truck library that allowed me to get a visual of how divine they were. But I have encountered a few of them in my young adulthood.

There was only one occurrence where I met a fae woman in my childhood. It was one of those cherished memories because it was the only positive meeting I had with their kind.

A tall woman, one with pale skin, beautiful blue eyes, and gorgeous blonde hair that curled down in bundles. She wore a stunning dress that shimmered like it was made out of gold and a dazzling crown.

She was truly the definition of a queen.

Why she was here in the dumps of Himalayan would forever be a mystery, but her jeweled eyes took interest in me, the orphan little girl covered in mud and dirt after a long day of trying to find something to eat before my once-a-day pity dinner.

Since I had no parents, left in a dumpster during a rainy night and found by a good Samaritan, the village made the decision to raise me. It was completely out of pity since there weren’t many children born or even raised in these parts.

There was no other place to give me to. None of those adoptive centers or services. No one would want to adopt a random child found in the scum parts.

Don’t forget the most important factor: I was nothing but human.

With all that in mind, plus my low self-esteem, it truly was a miracle that this woman peered in my direction.

When she approached, I froze like a block of ice, unable to move and barely breathing.

Not only had I been acknowledged, but this woman also deemed me worthy enough to be approached. No one else was around to prove whether my interaction was true or a tale, but I knew deep within my soul that I’d met her.

She knelt down and smiled at me, the gesture bringing tears to my eyes. I knew nothing about royalty or how to properly greet someone of such status, but my heart told me to fall to my knees, and that was exactly what I did.

My soul submitted to her shining presence, and in return, the woman said words that are still engraved into the depths of my mind.

“You are smart. You are beautiful. You are talented. The universe is behind you. No matter the challenges that come your way, be strong like the woman who birthed you. One day, you will find your path. Remember that, always, and you will find your way home.”

I never quite understood how I was able to decipher or understand those words at the age of six, but they stayed with me.

They motivated me whenever challenges did come my way.

It was my only encounter with her and was the only reason why I didn’t completely hate the fae race.

There was one significant problem with the fae.

The majority of them were heartless, conceded assholes to humans. We were considered the bottom of the food chain. Animals were treated with utmost respect, better than our kind.

Sure, we humans didn’t have the best reputation.

We’d reached a time and age where the middle and higher classes were more focused on heightened technology, could care less about how the planet was dying, and would wage wars on one another over two-sentence tweets on what was known as the internet. But the way the fae treated us was worse than trash itself.

Even trash was considered more valuable than us at this point.

I’d heard many stories about the fae kidnapping humans and using them as slaves if they dared disrespect them. That’s why humans generally bowed down and hushed their mouths when they saw a person who looked like they could be a fae.

It was difficult to tell with some of the fae because they used their special magic to blend in. Sure, they still looked gorgeous, just minus the immaculate glow of their skin and perfect radiant eyes. But there were some really beautiful humans out there who could have magic or were just blessed by the universe.

I wasn’t a very religious person. There were many religions among our kind, some referring to a higher power, such as the Almighty, God, or Jehovah. I definitely believed in a higher power, a force strong enough to create all of us and plant us in this universe for whatever purpose we had to serve and fulfill.

I personally liked to refer to that power as Mother Universe. I’m sure she was a mother because she created all of us and gave us a chance at life.

Even with my life being a sad story of forsaken abandonment, it helped just a tiny bit to know someone was watching over me in the sky above.

It was harder when I was younger and wished I could pray to this Mother Universe and life would change. Being a scum in these parts was hard as a child.

One meal a day, maybe two if I was good. There wasn’t anything to really do besides manual labor and the pay was so atrocious, you’d rather sit down and beg for your daily coin.

If it wasn’t for my chance meeting with Camilla, I would have probably died at some point.

We’d met when I was ten in the most peculiar timing.

I always had bad luck, and that didn’t change when I got my lovely “time of the month” early. There was always something weird that happened during my monthly period.

Many girls would say they dealt with pain like cramps or aching parts of their body. Like bleeding for no reason wasn’t enough of a struggle.

For me, I felt like the world was ending in my body. Exhaustion, sensitive hearing and scent, hearing tiny whispers, and there was always something odd with the weather.

Thankfully, I’d been taught about the whole period thing by the village nurse before it happened, but when the other symptoms came along, it freaked me out.

It wasn’t like I could afford to be seen by a doctor or even the same nurse. I only got to see her twice a year for free due to my “pity” agreement with the village.

Instead of seeking help, I hid in the forest, waiting for all of it to go away. That was when I met Camilla, who was strolling through the forest.

The first time we met, I thought I’d died and she was the angel here to take me up to what people called Heaven. Her long, brunette locks hugged her slightly tanned skin, her silver eyes popped out, even in the low-lit forest, and her lips were dark red, almost like she’d been wearing lipstick or something.

She wore a white dress, one that flowed and didn’t have a hint of dirt on it, and when she walked up to me, it was as if I could finally breathe properly for the first time.

I knew she was older than me, but what caught my attention and still lingers in my head, even today, was the long, glowing sword she carried in her right hand.

Like a maiden warrior coming to fight a battle, she’d entered my life unexpectedly when I needed her the most. Her entrance was far too much for my senses, and I’d passed right out.

I’d woken up in the medical room and was told all the bills would be paid whenever I experienced such events during my monthly periods.

Overly generous?

That led me to be suspicious and wonder where on earth Camilla even came from, but when I finally got the opportunity to meet her, she explained she was the daughter of an officer on the border between my poor village and the small section of middle to higher class humans.

I never knew there were humans in those parts that were so close to fae, but again, if they fit the part, no fae would bother them.

That was how we met, though she never admitted to carrying a sword. I was hallucinating, or so they say, but that was one thing I’d never forget.

Since then, I grew up with Camilla. She didn’t live in these parts but would make the journey every day to come see me.

And now, as we drank in this rusty old bar, she wore black leather jeans, a silver-white blouse, and dark red boots. The bar reserved a special black, polished stool just for her, like her presence was a blessing to the rundown shack.

Everyone in the village knew she was only here on my behalf, but they would spoil her with the fanciest things they owned. Whether it was their best wine or a meal, she would be treated like the queen of the village.

I couldn’t complain, seeing as I benefited from it. Her beauty was on another level when compared to me, and that wasn’t considering her 6′0″ height.

Maybe it was due to my lack of milk growing up, but I was 5”4” with a small waist, slightly wide hips, and small breasts. I really wished there was a spell to increase the size of my girls, but alas, Camilla said the last girl who tried to increase them with magic made alligator heads.

Not pleasant at all.

I had long blonde hair that was extremely curly. It was a pain in the booty to manage, which was the reason it remained in a high ponytail every single day. I had plump rosy red lips, which only needed some gloss to make them look less dry and hideous.

I was paler than Camilla, but for my sixteenth birthday, she got me this tiny makeup kit and showed me the art of contouring. It helped to make me look a little more decent before my manual labor job.

What deemed me a bit of grace was my striking purple eyes. They were a mix of lavender with hints of striking silver. The color was such a rare commodity, that it may have been the very reason the village took me in. No one else in the village had purple eyes.

The fae commonly had blue, silver, green, and even red, but purple? No one had ever seen a shade like that, and I for one had never read about the color in any of the books that described fae or human characteristics.

I wasn’t sure if there was some type of test someone could take to confirm whether they were fae or not, but from the few other encounters with fae, I’d proven to be human, like the majority of people here.

Whatever the case may be, to Camilla I was worth being around, and she’d become my sole best friend.

If Camilla was somewhere, I usually wasn’t far behind, unless it was a special event or a place where the poor weren’t allowed to enter.

Camilla said that would all change when I reached eighteen, but I wasn’t sure how it would.

My life wasn’t going to be like Cinderella’s where she wishes to go to the ball and her fairy godmother enters the picture and grants her wish. I wasn’t going to stumble upon my parents or my origin, let alone get the chance to enjoy a ball or festival.

I’d always wanted to simply walk in a field of roses or any type of flower and simply relax.

It was a weird goal to have, but in my dreams, I always ended up in a wondrous field of roses. Some days they were red, other days they were silver. However, a few nights the roses would be a glittering purple, like the striking lavender of my eyes.

Their very petals would be lathered in silver glitter and the bright sunshine’s rays would lay its golden warmth on their delicate features, making them look extraordinary.

If only such a field could exist. That’s why I could only acknowledge those sights as dreams: because that was all they were. We didn’t have much access to the internet, but the few times I’d gotten the chance, I’d tried to research it.

I’d yet to find out if that field was truly a dream or a reality somewhere far away.

Camilla always stated that dreams had power. It’s the part of the unconscious that carried far more knowledge than our human brains could accept.

The problem with the human mind was that we automatically assumed there were limitations in life. The common example that Camilla loved to use in her explanations was how a baby in our village fell off the balcony of one of the high-rise buildings in her area.

The baby somehow survived with no injuries at all. However, another adult a few weeks earlier had fallen and almost died with broken bones and a concussion.

Her point was that babies were not only innocent, they didn’t acknowledge fear. They didn’t know the rules of the world, nor would they accept them at such an age. In their world, they were bound to only a few common necessities, such as water, food, and the love of their mom and those around them.

They didn’t fear death or falling from high places. There were no limits in what they could achieve. That was the exact problem us humans faced versus the fae.

From Camilla’s explanation, the fae knew that there were no limits to magic and what anyone can achieve with it. Sure, some people could say they can do fire magic and no water magic, but that was a limitation they created.

It truly didn’t define what they could and couldn’t do. If they concentrated and trained hard enough, that limitation would evaporate completely - opening up an array of new opportunities and horizons.

The world I continued to venture into could be somewhere out there, but due to my inability to acknowledge its truth, I was left forever in wonder.

I wished I could believe it, but one of my greatest fears was disappointment.

Acknowledging that I was an orphan abandoned by my parents who should have taken the responsibility of raising me gave a sense of disappointment in humanity. What changed it was the village that raised me.

None of them were perfect, and my upbringing was nowhere close to those blessed with loving homes with warm meals and glittering clothes.

However, it was still a place I could call home. Still my own sanctuary after a long day. It was somewhere I could get a bowl of food, a glass of water, a place to lay my head and sleep, and most importantly, feel safe from the dark shadows of the night.

It wouldn’t be my forever home, but it was home.

Would I find my origin one day? I truly wondered if I would, but as of now, I highly doubted it, especially with my eighteenth birthday a few days away.

Camilla said we’d have to celebrate big now that I’d be officially eighteen. It was exactly what I was complaining about while attempting to get drunk.

You’d think one’s everyday problems would be acne, periods, or struggling with finding a boyfriend. I’d dealt with all of those, but not being able to get drunk was extremely frustrating.

In these parts, you were allowed to start drinking at sixteen.

Let’s be real, life sucked here and having a little alcohol to help chase away the problems life brought was totally encouraged - not regularly, but a little could go a long way in rejuvenating one’s striving to get out of this hellhole.

Getting drunk to the point of being a hindrance was frowned upon, though. We may be poor and struggling, but no one had time to deal with other people’s drunken problems.

I’d been excited to at least feel what it was like to be tipsy, but here I was on drink number forty and I could still spell words backward.

Camilla, on the other hand, was on drink number three and was probably calling it a night.

Glancing back at my friend, I noticed I’d been lost in my thoughts for a good fifteen minutes and she was still napping.

Guess I should take her home.

This always happened before I reached the part of my sorrows about still not having a boyfriend. Even with our circumstances and status, there were a few cute guys around who had made a decent living in these parts. But due to the small populations of such boys, all it led to was every single female doing their best to win at the game of seduction.

I wasn’t the type to chase after a man. I may secretly be a “little” desperate to have a companion and experience the joys of being in a relationship, but if it meant me chasing the man and fighting a bunch of girls to even stand a chance, it was a no.

Camilla said I was being stubborn, but it was one of those morals that stuck with me. I’d never had the privilege to be able to be raised by the morals of others, so I made my own. I was open-minded to many things and willing to try new things, but I wasn’t good in the love department.

Would the chance of love locate me? Maybe. I hoped so. Until then, I just had to take a day at a time, and with my approaching birthday, maybe the universe would deliver me a hot, sexy man as a reward.

A girl could surely dream.

A tiny smile formed on my lips and I returned my gaze to my best friend. Life with little money or insight of the future was indeed difficult, but I was blessed with an amazing friend whose looks alone got us endless drinks.

Which totally reminds me, I need to pee…

Shaking my head, I rose off the wooden bar stool and patted Camilla’s back.

“C’mon my drunk bestie. Let’s take you home,” I encouraged.

“Didn’t you…want to complain…about bunnies,” Camilla mumbled sleepily, making me laugh in return.

“Oh yes. How bunnies will one day rule all of us. Including the fae. How frightful,” I teased and helped her off her stool.

She muttered something incoherent, and I placed her arm over my shoulder. She was so wasted, but the fact that she did this every single time I needed someone to talk to made her even more special to me.

My one loyal friend, who would go down to the depths of hell for me if that was my path in life. Man, I truly am blessed.

As we made our way towards the door, a large man blocked our path. My smile turned upside down as the strong odor of alcohol hit me like a plague.

Here we go again.

“Hey, Rosy Pie. Are you and your friend finally going to entertain me tonight?”

“Sorry, Boran, but as you can see, Miss Goldstone is exhausted and needs help getting back home safely. I doubt you’d want to delay her from getting enough beauty sleep. It wouldn’t be a good idea, if you ask me,” I sweetly declared.

Even in his drunken state, Boran knew that when it came to Camilla, or the Goldstone family in general, you didn’t mess with them.

Get in their way and you might as well call Death yourself to take your soul early before their wrath came upon you.

Camilla was the nicest one in her family. Her parents…not so much. They had always been kind to me because I was close to Camilla, but they were the definition of high class, in the ‘do not mess with us’ category.

Were they genuinely nice? When they wanted to be. But again, the big difference between the rich and the unworthy was obvious when they gathered enough strength to venture into these parts.

Boran frowned and quivered. He knew I was never joking when it came to the Goldstones.

“Haha. Y-You’re right, Rosy Pie. Here, let me hold the door for you,” he said while chuckling nervously before stumbling to open the door.

“Thanks,” I replied and looked over to the bartender to give him a smile. “See you next time, Andrew!”

“See you, Rosadette. Please tell Miss Goldstone that if she needs anything at all, she can call me,” Andrew practically begged.

“I will,” I replied and looked away.

Poor guy had had a major crush on Camilla for as long as I could remember, and he wasn’t taking any of her million hints that she was not interested.

Securing my hold around Camilla’s waist, I smiled kindly at Boran and began to make my way towards Camilla’s house. It wasn’t too much of a distance from here, nothing I couldn’t handle while practically carrying my drunk best friend.

Glancing up at the sky, I looked at the glittering stars, many of them looking like silver glitter against the navy-blue sheet of the night sky.

How many times I’d wished upon these stars, hoping for some type of miracle out of this life. Today was slightly different, though.

“I wish one day…I’ll find out who I’m truly meant to be in this world.” The words were merely a whisper, but a soft breeze went by, lifting up my blonde strands and tickling my warm flesh.

The action made me smile, and I secretly hoped it was the universe answering me.

Thank you, Universe.

Glancing back at Camilla, I listened to her soft snoring sounds and giggled.

“Ah, bestie. You seriously can’t handle alcohol.”

With a wide smile, I made my way towards her house.

Just another day as human scum.

WISE ADVICE FROM A DRUNKEN FOOL

~ROSADETTE~

“THANK YOU, Rose, for bringing Chamomile back in one piece.”

My softened expression and small smile reflected my happiness at Camilla’s father’s kind words. He didn’t need to thank me, especially when he knew I was the culprit behind her drinking in the first place.

I took a step back and bowed my head in respect.

“No, thank you for raising such a kind daughter. I really needed someone to talk to tonight and she was there for me as always.”

“That’s my daughter for you. Always trying to solve the world’s problems. I think her mother named her Chamomile on purpose.”

He shook his head dismissively, but I remained smiling as I stood up straight.

“Best be going, Rose. It is late. Be sure to not get yourself in trouble. Chamomile isn’t there to back you up,” he warned.

“Yes, sir. Have a restful night.” I bowed my head slightly in farewell. He nodded in return and closed the door to their large, three-story mansion.

My eyes couldn’t help but stare at the uniqueness of the high structure. For us, a two-story building was a rare occurrence, let alone a three-story. It wasn’t common to see condos or sky scrapper buildings unless you entered the rich side, and even then it was only in the busy area which they referred to as “downtown central”.

This was one of those moments where I acknowledged how different my world was compared to Camilla’s. She was blessed into this world of fortune and would never have to worry about her future.

It didn’t matter what job she ended up taking when she was ready to, her parents had connections everywhere and she’d get anything she wanted. I never liked thinking about the near future, because it meant we’d soon be separated.

We couldn’t always be together, and now that I was approaching my eighteenth birthday, it was only a matter of time before I’d have to get a job of my own and work seven days a week. The best job I could probably get was either in manual labor in the fields or if I was super lucky, as a waitress at the bar we’d just been at.

I’d looked into other employment options, but I was confident I wouldn’t last a day before punching someone out. To be honest, I wasn’t necessarily a violent person, but I wasn’t a pushover either.

It was a double-ended sword when you thought about it, and those types of weapons never had a rightful place in the room of useful weaponry.

I could envision the lifestyle I craved, the beautiful white paint that was accented by the rich reds and golds of my dream mansion. The glass windows, the field of flowers that invited the lovely floral scent that carried on the passing wind, and the row of parked cars that were in various colors and models.

This was a life I wished to live. To enjoy a moment of blissful comfort and not worry about what I’d eat the following day.

The thought made my stomach grumble in protest, leaving me to shake my head and turn around.

Best I go home. I still need to pee. Ugh. All that alcohol does is just make me pee all the time. It can’t even deliver the satisfaction of being utterly wasted. I must be cursed.

Making my way down the long path towards the security gate entrance, my urge to pee began to nag me to the point of regret.

I’m such a dummy. Why didn’t I use the washroom before? Hmm. Is there a big enough bush to hide my booty from the world? Would urine destroy the plants? That would be bad…but I really need to pee. I could try to hold it.

Another silly idea because I was doing the potty dance before I knew it. My survival instincts kicked in, and I began to scout my surroundings until my eyes landed on a set of bushes.

Looking around to make sure no one was around, I quietly groaned and rushed over to the bushes. If only we had more portable washrooms around here, not like they were any better.

When it took them weeks to come and empty them, you really had to determine which way of dying seemed more appealing: in the portable potty filled with weeks’ worth of feces, or by embarrassment.

Pulling down my dark blue jeans, I did my best squat and began to pray that no one saw me. The relief of letting it go made me sigh again, and when I finished, I waved my hand in hopes under there would air dry in three seconds.

Why is being a female so hard? All guys have to do is shake their wiener and call it a day. What do we have to do? Squat like we’re about to do shotput in the Fae Olympics. And we need tissues to wipe and not get urine on our beautiful clothes. Can’t simply pee anywhere, or it’s against the law.

Deciding that this was as “dry” as I’d get, I pulled my jeans back up and shivered at the slight wind that passed.

Jeez, wind. Can’t you feel sympathy for a girl with no underwear? I really have to give up on my pride and ask Camilla to buy me some. Having one pair for special occasions was the topping on the cake of my miserable life.

“I swear it’s illegal to be peeing all over these lands, miss booty.”

“Miss booty?” I huffed and turned to look in the direction of the voice, only to see a tall older man.

Another passing of the cool breeze carried his strong alcoholic scent, not like his lazy blue eyes and ruffed up hair and stubble didn’t give me the strong vibes that this man had drank far too much. If only it was easier to pinpoint an alcoholic when you see one.

Why universe, why?

Turning to face this individual’s direction, I took a long up and down glance at him. He must have been in his fifties, but his unkempt appearance made him look in his sixties. Even Boran from the bar looked better than this guy.

The only good-looking thing about him was his bright blue eyes, reminding me of that one chance I’d gotten to see what the ocean looked like when Camilla went with her parents and begged for me to come along.

I’m sure he could be very handsome-looking underneath the gruff of uneven hairs, the slight bruises on his face which could have been from a drunken brawl, and the tears in his oversized shirt and tight black pants.

This man was the definition of drunk central. I knew being wasted was frowned upon here, yet I couldn’t gather the courage to be the one to tell him that.

Even if he most likely saw me squatting to relieve myself.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to lecture me about peeing in the bushes,” I voiced and stood my ground as he approached with a stagger.

“No, sweet lady. Just observing, minding my own business trying to get home. Didn’t think I’d be blessed with the sight of someone’s peachy booty.”

My cheeks burned crimson, and I tried to fight the desire to snap back at him and stomp off. There was something weird about this person.

No…different about him.

I couldn’t figure it out, but he made me feel weird, in an uncomfortable way, and all that did was leave me hesitant. Whatever actions I took felt like they would bring consequences with this individual, even in his drunk state.

With a sigh, I bowed my head in apology, and was rewarded with a ‘hmm’ noise in question.

“Sorry, sir. I drank far too much at the bar and thought I’d make it home on time to use the ladies’ room. Sorry for flashing my tooshie at you. I thought the bushes would give more coverage…and didn’t see anyone in my frantic observation. It won’t happen again.”

Raising my head, I noticed his puzzled expression. For a split second, it almost looked as though he wasn’t drunk at all, but with a few more blinks, that slight imagery vanished.

“Your parents seemed to raise you well,” he muttered, sounding a bit annoyed.

My frown caught his attention, and I simply shook my head. “Too bad I don’t have any.”

Turning around, I looked around until I figured out what path I was supposed to take to get to my tiny little one-bedroom house. It was more of a cement hut, but calling it a house made me feel a little better.

“If you’ll excuse me.” I didn’t wait for his reply as I began to walk away.

“Wait,” he voiced.

Pausing in my strides, I looked over my shoulder to see him rush to me, those blue eyes analyzing me carefully.

“You’re an orphan?”

“Yup. The village’s pity party with legs. If you’ve been in these parts for a while, you’d know that. I’m usually the talk of the town. People love to remind new folks of how good they are for taking a peasant like me.” I tried to smile but I was sure it wasn’t convincing at all.

“How old are you?”

“Is that a question a stranger like yourself should be asking?” I countered.

He couldn’t hide his irritation, so I gave in. “Seventeen.”

“One more year until you’re of adult age.”

“No,” I countered. “In a few days I’ll be eighteen. Nothing special about it.”

“Eighteen is the prime age of adulthood. It’s when the universe allows the seeds planted in your youth to blossom and let those petals spread and determine your future path in life.”

“Wise words for a drunk man,” I mumbled more to myself than to him.

“I’m not drunk,” he hiccupped.

“As I am completely sober after drinking forty cups of strong alcohol,” I complained. He raised an eyebrow at me in pure judgment.

“Forty?”

“Four. Zero. I can’t get drunk to save my life. Sucks, really. Not like I don’t have enough woes and sorrows in my life. Either way, I’m still alive and breathing so I should be grateful.”

Shaking my head, I turned around once more.

“Sorry, but I have to get going. It’s late and I have to help with hard labor work in the early hours of dawn. Please make sure you get home safely and don’t let any of the older folks catch you staggering around. You’ll get in trouble,” I declared.

“Wait.”

“What?” I looked over my shoulder.

“On your eighteenth birthday, if you want those seeds that are planted to blossom, you should go to the shrine on the top hillside of Himalayan. It’s on the border of where the rich and the poor split. Ask the universe for what you want, and she’ll answer.”

“There’s nothing on the hillside,” I mumbled, trying to recall the very place he spoke of.

“There is,” he contradicted. “I was shown there today during my tour of this place by your elders.”

My eyes narrowed at him, but it could have been a new addition to the place. The village was trying to up their game for the off chance a group of fae travelers or rich folk came into our lands like tourists.

“Sure.” All I wanted to do was go home at this point.

“Let me ask you one more question,” he drawled.

“What?” My response was laced with warning; my patience was wearing thin.

“Do you hate this life enough to end it?” he questioned.

His question was enough to make me turn around to face him, the seriousness in my expression reflecting his own as we stared at one another.

His question felt like a judgement call - a test of whether I truly wanted to walk these lands and continue breathing each breath of oxygen we were graced with.

“If I hated life, we wouldn’t be here speaking,” I answered.

“You live in these lands of the poor. You walk miles to get the privacy of peeing in a standing box that isn’t changed for weeks, if not months. You work from day to night, your very hands brushed with scars and rough patches, and you eat once a day unless someone feels pity for you. If you are truly an orphan that your village took upon to raise, why do you not hate this lifestyle? Your parents, whoever they may be, abandoned you in the heart of a ghetto, a place where you’ll be stuck forever. There’s no way of going up, no escape from the judgment. All you can do is work until your body stops functioning. Is that what you call life? Is that worth living?”

His words resonated with me in many ways. These were the questions that flooded my mind from when the sun set and the moon rose in the night sky.

I’d be lying if I said that thought never crossed my mind, for it had many times, especially in my younger teen years.

The times when the rich kids would skip classes to come and mock me in the fields, their slander and harsh insults bringing tears to my eyes and making me wish I could run away and hide from it all.

My upbringing wasn’t something I’d asked for. Or maybe I had in whatever life I’d lived before, if I’d had one. I’m sure if I could remember why I chose to be born in these circumstances, it would have given me some validation of sorts.

Yet, we weren’t given such a privilege. We weren’t like the fae, who once they reached a certain age or met their destined mate recalled their purpose in coming down to these mortal lands, or to them, their universe.

Camilla’s parents had told us that through one of their tales. It was one of the many legends that surrounded their kind, and no matter how many times it was told through my remaining childhood and teenage youth, I’d held onto that grain of knowledge like it was forbidden fruit.

He made a valid point, and even in his drunken state, he held wisdom far greater than his age. I respected him, in an odd way, but I knew he wouldn’t let me walk away without an answer.

I’d give him one.

“Though we are poor, we breathe life, just as the rich. Though we use our bare hands to plant seeds in the dirt fields, they grow into grain and food that feeds men, women, and children. Regardless of one’s status, we are brought down to this world for a purpose. We may be human and unable to remember why we chose to be born on these very lands, unlike the fae, but our beating hearts are not our own and our destiny is not only ours to discover.”

Staring right into his eyes, I carried on with my words, their intensity and power holding true to my heart’s intentions.

“The universe laid down a path for all of us to walk on. Everyone was destined to be rich, who would do the labor is poor conduct on a daily basis. If we were all poor, who would build the skyscraper buildings and instill hopes and dreams of what can be achieved with our human capacity? Our race thrives on hope. We pray for salvation and that our dreams will come true before we take our last breaths. Not everyone gets to accomplish just that, and many times, it’s due to those very hands that can change their lifestyle in a minute.”

I raised my hands and looked at them, a softened smile forming on my delicate lips.

“I will not lie to you. I’ve thought of ending my life plenty of times. Of entering the forest and hoping I never return to these very grounds where hope seems lost in the valleys of labor and mockery. However, you know what motivated me to not do what you asked?”

When he didn’t reply, I raised my head to meet his concentrated eyes.

“Justice,” I declared.

“Jus…tice?” he questioned the single word, my smile widening as I slowly nodded.

“I’m mocked because I’m an orphan. A baby abandoned in the dirty ground by my unknown parents. I’ll never have the privilege of figuring out my background or purpose in this world, and that led to me being mocked by all the rich folk and even my own people, who took me in to feel good about themselves. What satisfaction would I get by ending my life? Where is the justice in doing a foolish act like that? In the end, won’t they still laugh? Won’t they continue their ridicule? Or will their fake words of pity bring me back to life?”

His jaw opened slightly and I awaited his words, but nothing came out. A soft chuckle escaped my lips and I finally looked away.

“Justice is the action of fairness. To be able to grasp what you wholeheartedly deserve. I may not have a penny to my name, I may always be the laughing stock of this village, but I will never be a victim of circumstance, and that is exactly why I never went with the idea of ending my life.”

Looking over my shoulder, I whispered, “I will find my path. I can count on the very universe to peer into my heart and guide me to who I’m destined to be with. I’m merely seventeen. I’m only starting life, and who knows when my roses will finally blossom and reveal their glittering beauty? All I know is that when that time comes, the scent of those roses will bring good fortune to my very doorstep. When that happens, that will be the universe’s way of telling me my time has come to find the truth of who I am.”

With that, I turned my head around to face my path, and I slipped my hands in my pockets.

“Thanks for the wise words, sir. Sorry for the tooshie showing. Promise I’ll save that for my future husband. As for that shrine on the hill, I may just check it out. Make sure you avoid the elders and get some rest.”

Pulling my left hand out to give a quick wave, I headed towards the path that would take me home, my mind and body feeling proud of the person I’d learned to become.

At least I gained some wise advice from a drunken fool…but I wonder, who is more foolish?

Me for taking him seriously, or him for thinking that a poor lifestyle isn’t worth living for? Who knows.

NOT MY DESTINED ONE

~XAVIER~

“SHE’S PERFECT!”

If it was anyone else who spoke those words, the growl that vibrated against my throat would have escaped my dry lips. I was seething with anger, my feet pacing back and forth while I crossed my arms like a little boy about to throw a tantrum.

I had every right to be downright mad!

“Sweetheart.”

I paused in my pacing to look at the other side of the room. My father was beaming from ear to ear as his eyes set on the love of his life: my mother.

Mother just had to do her motherly duty of spying on me, and she was delighted with the disappointing results. I, on the other hand, would not settle for this.

The universe is wrong. No way in hell is it THAT girl.

Mother clapped her hands happily, her stunning red eyes glimmering like rubies. Unlike myself or Father, my mother’s eyes always changed color. Whether it was a female thing or her heightened magic ability, her true eye color was similar to ours, a mixture of turquoise and aqua green.

You’d think red was a symbol of anger, but for my mother, she was absolutely thrilled with the “good” news and it showed in her twinkling eyes.

Mother was the same height as me at 6′0″, but with her wardrobe of high heels from across the universes, you never knew what height you’d get with her stunning ensemble for the day.

Her hair was blonde with hints of tinsel gold and silver and was always curled unless she was ready to enter into the line of battle. She always had her dazzling crown on, the jewels always matching whatever gown donned her tall, curvy figure.

Today she wore a glimmering red dress that shifted from bright red to a bloody dark shade of red. Even the glitter shifted from bright silver to black rhinestones. It was something you’d wear to the finest gala in the lands, yet with my mother’s fashion, this wasn’t even at that rank of importance.

Casual wear. Only to my mom.

I personally didn’t blame her. She was the queen, after all. It amused me when the human leaders met her. They always assumed my mother was a gold digger who merely sat on her throne and ordered the finest pieces in the lands with Father’s credit card.

They underestimated her by far, not knowing just how lethal she was. Mother knew all the arts of battle and only the presidents of various universes knew exactly how dangerous my mother was.

She may be the queen and sit next to my father on the throne, but that was merely her choice. If she wanted to rule our entire kingdom, or even our universe, she’d be able to take my father out and rule it entirely on her own.

Even Father knew that.

However, my mother’s morals always surrounded the laws of partnership and communication. It could have been why she and father got along so well. They always worked on their relationship, making it like it was a fresh beginning rather than the centuries they’ve been together.

I admired Mother dearly, even if she annoyed me half the time. I guess that was parenthood in a nutshell. At least I could say I took her stubbornness.

“Good evening, my dear. You have to hear all about what just occurred, ah,” Mother happily sang, the roses and other plants in the room shimmering with magic and moving like a wind had just passed.

Yup. Mother is far too thrilled. This is just going to get harder.

“What happened? Did the girl pass the test?” Father questioned as he gestured for the two guards that stood at his side to be dismissed.

They bowed in accordance with the standard protocol, and closed the large metal doors of the now purple castle. Father made his way towards where we stood in the living room, walking up to Mother and giving her a long kiss in greeting.

Even now, I still couldn’t handle how romantic the two of them were. I couldn’t imagine myself being like that.

Kissing and hugging and all the compassion. Why was it required? It wasn’t as though it made one feel better.

It reminded me of my young years when I’d believed a kiss to an injured area would make the pain go away.

Mental foolery.

“Good evening, son,” Father greeted.

“Good evening, Father. I hope all was well on your end,” I replied.

“Ah yes. It was. The kingdom is well and any issues that needed to be attended to have been solved. Now, I’d love to hear about what went on down on the lower lands.” He sounded excited, and it was all because of my mother’s obvious happiness.

“Oh dear!” Mother pulled away from Father to twirl and clap her hands. “That sweet child has not changed a bit from when I saw her when she was but six years old. So hardworking and smart. Her heart still carries hope in the very universe. Even with her grave circumstances and the labor she has gone through in that wretched village. I remember observing her through the years and how they mocked and insulted her. She’d stand there and take it all, even when it brought tears to her eyes and made her feel like she had nowhere to belong.”

“Mother. I have no idea what level of vision you have to see all of that from a few encounters. That can’t possibly justify that she’s my destined mate,” I groaned.

Mother completely ignored me, continuing on like I hadn’t said a single word, “Her best friend is rich and can afford to give her the world, and yet she doesn’t think to ask for such from her. She could be jealous, envious of her lifestyle and a clear difference in status, yet she loves her friend like a sister, without a hint of bad intentions. She’d lay her life down for her friend without a second guess. Who still does that in that world? Humans are growing more selfish by the day and yet there are still a few diamonds hidden in the depths of coal and dirt.”

“She sounds wonderful. I’m excited to meet her,” Father immediately approved.

Oh no.

“Father. Mother is exaggerating, again.” I stressed the ‘again’ part because she clearly was painting an image in my father’s mind that this woman was truly princess-worthy.

“I am not,” Mother brushed my comment off and moved to wrap her arms around Father’s neck. “She’d be a wonderful queen for our lands one day! I can see why her beautiful rose is so radiant with power. Her magic is dangerous. She simply has to learn how to tap into it. Something we can teach her!”

“We?” Father arched an eyebrow at her. “You’re not saying…”

“Mother.” My voice was as cold as ice. “No.”

Mother’s grin only widened. “It’s been a while since I’ve felt like teaching. If all goes well, I want to be her trainer. May cause a bit of a ruckus and jealousy in the halls of the academy, but that will make it livelier.” She laughed, and I shivered.

It gave off a cynical sound, and I worried this wasn’t going to be a good idea at all. Father smirked, and I knew he was going to go through with her idea.

Mother hadn’t chosen a student to train in years. Everyone knew that if the queen herself chose a student, it meant that an individual had the potential to rule. If this girl knew what she’d get into by accepting my father’s invitation to the school, she’d run to the furthest universe and never come back.

My mother may look nice on the outside, but her training was far worse than anything I could imagine. She’d probably have some level of pity for this new girl who has no magical talent. Or at least, nothing I’d witnessed with my own eyes.

“Mother.” My voice was stern, getting both my parents’ attention. It was time to end this wishful thinking and lay down the facts of the matter.

“There is no way that girl is my destined queen. She may have some good looks, but she is nowhere near worthy to stand next to our kind. I didn’t sense a hint of fae magic inside her, and she fully peed in the bush like a commoner!”

Mother rolled her eyes. “Says the boy who couldn’t look away and was checking out her plump tooshie.”

My jaw dropped and the heat that rushed to my cheeks made Father chuckle.

“That means he’s interested,” he concluded.

I quickly shook out of my state of shock and actually growled in pure frustration. “No! I am not interested in that barbaric woman! She would not be deemed worthy to stand by my rightful side, let alone give our kind the peace of mind they deserve. She is human and of poor status. She has no assets to put on the table and even attempt to deem herself worthy of trying out for the throne. The universe is clearly wrong in this decision because she has no magic whatsoever. The glistening purple rose that sits in the hidden sanctuary is not hers.”

I crossed my arms once more and shook my head, unable to get her commentary out of my head.

“She may have some common sense and knows how to use her words, but she didn’t pass the test in my eyes. Hmph. Justice? Why does she want justice over being picked on? If she was strong-willed, she could simply brush it off and never look back. A true Queen would put her emotions to the side and accept her fate.”

I’d closed my eyes for a split second and froze when I noticed that Mother was right in front of me, her judgmental gold eyes directly staring into mine. I immediately gulped, realizing I said something to piss her off because the room grew cold and the magic that once freely flowed through the plants seemed to vanish. The same plants began to quiver as though they were live beings.

First response. Apologize.

“Sorry, Mother,” I sincerely apologized. She didn’t move, her lips in a stern line as she carefully looked at me. I wanted to move my gaze to Father and try to get him to save me from Mother’s wrath, but I felt if I dared turn my attention to anywhere else, I’d take my last breath.

“I do not care what you think of her. The universe, our mother who gives us the very air we breathe and has blessed us with such a blessed lifestyle, is never wrong with her decisions. She is the reason why you were born and given this fateful opportunity to one day rule. She makes no mistakes and if you cannot acknowledge that, you will struggle with this quest, son.”

I remained silent, but I bowed my head slightly in acknowledgment.

“You should know very well that my magic runs on pure emotion. A queen does not need to place her emotions to the side to rule. That is a stupid, belittling mentality that you continue to go by. How many times do I need to tell you to fix that attitude of yours?”

I pouted my lips and lowered my head, feeling slightly ashamed to be reminded, again, about my attitude issues.

“This is your chance to claim someone who has no knowledge of our world. She may have heard the rumors or read the legends, but she is new to our kind. When she saw you in that drunken state of misery, she did not discard you. She could have dismissed you like the low scum of those around her had. She could have mocked you with her words or insulted you for being incoherent and intoxicated. She warned you to watch for the elders, not knowing you’d already encountered them and dealt with their ridicule. If you are going to be a fool and not acknowledge why she clearly passed the test, then do not shed tears when you lose the opportunity to find another like her.”

Mother moved away then, walking to Father’s side. I finally could take a breath, and I looked at Father, who had a guarded expression on his face. He wasn’t going to give me a bit of sympathy in my mother’s presence.

“We will wait until the clock strikes twelve on her eighteenth birthday. If she follows the calls to the shrine and asks Mother Universe for her purpose, she will receive the invitation to attend Fae Rose. Xavier will go down there himself to pick her up.”

“What about her friend?” Father inquired. “You did mention she has a friend she cherishes. Do you think she’d leave her behind?”

Mother laughed, the room growing warmer again and the plants desperately reaching out for the wave of warmth and magic that followed.

“Her friend may attend. It’s obvious that she is not human, same as the girl. She won’t dare leave the future princess’s side for her own reasons. You’ll understand when you see them.”

Mother clapped her hands once and sighed. “I’m tired. Getting angry so suddenly is so much work. I’m going to take a rejuvenating bath.” She looked to my father. “Talk to your son.”

She didn’t even acknowledge me as she strolled towards the doors that immediately opened at her approach. Three fae women in white gowns holding vine-woven baskets bowed in acknowledgment as Mother approached.

“Perfect timing. To the royal bathing corridors,” she encouraged.

“Yes, our queen,” they responded in unison and rose up to escort Mother. The doors closed once more, and we stood in absolute silence.

Father finally cleared his throat and sighed.

“Xavier. What have I told you about angering your mother?” He looked relieved that nothing was destroyed in the process. “At least remember to do that in the courtyard. There are valuable items in this living room that cannot be recreated.”

“Sorry, Father,” I replied, feeling slightly annoyed that he was more worried about the pieces of art and not my broken pride.

Father sighed and walked up to me. Placing his hand on my shoulder, he looked into my eyes.

“I’m not discarding your feelings, son. However, your mother is right. Why is it that a queen should discard her emotions for the throne, but it’s okay for you to exhibit those very emotions?”

His wise words settled into my mind, and they made obvious sense.

“I…” My words struggled to come out. “Sorry.”

“You are too quick to judge, Xavier. As your mother acknowledged, this woman did not place judgment on you. She reminded you to watch out for the elders who would cause trouble for you, and apologized for a common human need when you were the one spying on her.”

I had to fight not to blush this time, but he had a grave point.

“You let your anger and sense of entitlement get in the way of common sense. You are ready for big things, son, but you must work on your immediate judgment and down-casting of the lower ones. They are human, we all understand that, but they were born that way and serve a different purpose than we do. Your destined one is not of their kind. You may not sense her magic now, but there could be many reasons to that.”

“Like?” I questioned.

“If her fae magic was obvious, do you really think you’d be the one having the chance at her heart?” Father questioned.

I swallowed the lump in my throat; the worry of the common enemy that I’d pushed to the side returned with force.

“No,” I replied.

“Now you are using your brain.” Father removed his hand from my shoulder and turned around. “When your mother is finished with her relaxing bath, go apologize properly and explain what you’ve learned from the discussion. I do not want the roses in the bedroom to suffocate from her lingering anger. They’re from the lands of the pixies and were hard to get.”

He began to walk away but stopped.

“The other kingdom knows of her, Xavier. It’s been confirmed. I’m unsure what their plans are, but time is of dear importance. Keep an eye on the girl. I have spies in the area to make sure she is safe until we can retrieve her. Be on guard and continue to train your combat skills.”

“Yes, Father.” I stood taller and nodded my head, even though I’m sure he couldn’t see me.

“Good.” He carried on walking until the doors opened and the guards bowed in greeting. “Keep your eyes on the prize and not her tooshie.”

I stopped myself from seething in anger, but I knew Father could feel my embarrassment because he burst into laughter.

“Goodnight, son. Pleasant dreams, and apologize to your mother,” he reminded with a wave as the doors came to a close.

I let out a breath and waved my right hand in a full circle, a black portal forming in seconds before it morphed into a floating mirror. I glanced at the forming image, the rippling tides of black water showing the reflection of the room of the very woman we were speaking of.

She was sleeping on the floor; a thin blanket graced her naked body. I tried not to get turned on by her beauty, teeth sinking into my bottom lip to stop me from licking my bottom lip in admiration.

I despised that she made me feel this way and I’d only just met her, but what caught my attention was the slight glow in her blonde hair. It reminded me of mother’s, which I knew was impossible unless you had magic of a high caliber.

Many called it “tinsel hair,” a trait that was either passed down from family genetics or due to high levels of magic.

When I met her in person, she didn’t exhibit a single bit of magic. Yet…why is her hair glowing like that as she sleeps?

I secretly wanted to watch her as she quietly breathed in and out, her plump, light red lips in the perfect pout position, but I knew it would make me lose my guard and I couldn’t have any of that.

“She’s not my destined one,” I muttered to myself and flicked my hand at the image, the entire scene disappearing as the ripples of magic returned. Dropping my hand to my side, the portal mirror vanished, and I took a deep breath and let it out.

“I better go await Mother and apologize, or I’m so getting beaten,” I whined.

It didn’t matter how old I got. My parents would not hesitate to throw whatever they could at me if I acted up and didn’t apologize to them before the end of the day.

Far worse than those humans that throw shoes at their children. Their legends say it doesn’t matter how far they run. The shoe somehow always finds and hits the target.

Sorcery, I tell you.

With a shake of my head, I headed towards the doors, the image of the woman with purple eyes haunting my imagination - that and her plump booty.

She’s NOT my destined one!

DESTINED TO KICK ASS

~ROSADETTE~

ROSES.

The scent filled my nostrils and brought a tingle of happiness with my mental recognition of where I was.

The field…my field of roses. My birthplace…home.

My eyes opened slowly, and there I was, in the middle of a vast sea of purple roses. They sparkled with sliver glitter, making them even more mesmerizing to peer at. My heart beat quickly in frenzy, my body warm with something foreign to me.

To be in this very place made me feel like a whole different person. One with power and gifts I could not mentally grasp. I struggled with determining if this was reality or an illusion, unable to accept that I was blessed with this land of harmony and power.

Why wasn’t it in my possession? What is holding me back from proclaiming what is mine?

The questions flooded my senses, yet I had no answers. Lifting my left hand up, I stared at it long and hard. Glowing lines began to materialize against my pale skin, shades of red and purple intertwining and moving up my arm.

I lowered my gaze to the glistening purple dress I wore that clung to every curve of me. My hair glowed and floated with energy, and the field responded by emitting even more warmth.

It all made no sense but at the same time, it all seemed right.

Rosadette. Wake up.

My brows came together in confusion, my consciousness beginning to fade. It took me some time to realize it was my subconscious, because my real eyes fluttered open just enough to see a blurry image of Camilla.

The image faded away as my eyes closed once more. My body felt like it had been floating, but that was short-lived as I felt like I was suddenly falling off a bed.

Which makes no sense because I didn’t have a bed.

The realization made me a little frightened, but the falling sensation lasted two seconds before I was caught by something - or someone?

My mind was woven in an intense fog, and I struggled to get out of it. I must have worked myself a little too hard yesterday, having stayed until midnight in the fields because one of the elders grew ill and hadn’t finished her portion.

I volunteered to take her place, but that required three more hours of weeding, planting, and carrying the produce back to the barns for sorting.

The thought of all the labor made me drift off almost immediately, my dreams a haze of darkness. The only peculiar thing was a pair of striking blue eyes staring at me from the distance.

It should have been scary with the darkness surrounding the person, but it was as though they were observing me. Analyzing me from afar.

“Rose?”

This time around, the voice that was calling me was loud and close to my ear. I almost flinched at the sound, but my body was far slower in responding than my mind.

Camilla?

With a few attempts, my heavy eyelids just barely opened thanks to the thick sand dust that crusted the corners of my lashes.

“Hmm?” It was all that I could sound out, my mind trying to figure out what time it was. It felt like I’d just fallen asleep and from the absence of sunlight in my dark hut of a home, it clearly was still nightfall.

“Jeez, Rose. Don’t tell me you forgot about the whole ‘wake me up an hour before my birthday, so I can go on my hill conquest and find this mysterious shrine that the old drunk geezer told me to find’ statement you made yesterday?”

Oh?

Three days had passed since the night where I met that drunken wise man. I had no clue what was up with him and why the thought of whether he got home safely still dawdled in my head.

I’d silently kept a lookout for him, wondering if we’d meet when he was sober, but it looked like he was officially gone from this area. The village was small enough for everyone to know one another, so if there wasn’t any talk of the newcomer, it meant he must have come in and gone out before anyone else could catch an eye of him.

It was odd to feel a sense of frustration about the whole interaction. The man may have been drunk and a bit judgemental of me, but I felt like he had key answers that I needed in regard to my origin.

Again, an odd thought to have, but it was one of those “gut instincts”. Too bad I’d never figure out if I was correct or not.

The mention of an hour before my birthday reminded me of the very conversation I had with Camilla the previous night.

“CHAMOMILE!”

“What are you whining about now? I swear you said you were exhausted, and that was why I volunteered to walk you home.” Poor Camilla must have been on her period or something because she was truly fed up with me.

“Camilla! You’ve said since we were kids that I can whine whenever I want, and you’d comfort me.” I blinked my tired eyes innocently at her.

She looked sympathetic for all of five seconds before her scowl returned. “It’s that time of the month. What do you need from me?”

“Ah.” I shook my head. “You’re always a b.i.t.c-”

“I’m ditching you,” she huffed and turned right around. I hooked my arm around hers before she could stomp off. Camilla was a fast walker and if I didn’t hang onto her for dear life she’d be gone in a flash.

“I love you.”

“What do you want to complain about?” she questioned again.

“So remember the drunk guy I told you about?”

“The one that you can’t get out of your head?”

“Did I tell you that?” I pondered.

“Probably.” She shrugged. “What about him? Don’t tell me you’re falling in love with an old man because of his blue eyes.”

“No!” I tugged my arm away and immediately waved my arms in denial. “I’m not into older men like that! He was attractive in an odd way but that is not my cup of tea to drink. Nope!”

Camilla smirked. “If only you knew.”

“Knew what?” I inquired.

“Nothing,” she brushed off my question. “So about the old man you secretly have a crush on.”

I gave her a narrowed look but I carried on before Camilla made a sudden run for it. “He was talking about a shrine on the top of some hill. I know there isn’t a shrine there, but I want to go and check. He said the elders showed him during his tour, but if no one is talking about his arrival, I’m not sure if he told the truth.”

Camilla frowned, but her attention was focused on me which said she was considering my explanation.

“This man just shows up, ridicules you for doing your business, questions your age, and then tells you about this shrine, correct?”

“Yes.” I bobbed my head.

“Anything else?” The way she arched an eyebrow told me she was expecting me to spill about the last part of our discussion. I’d purposely left that part out because I knew it would piss Camilla off.

The “end your life” talk was a hard no-no with Camilla. It happened far too often within these parts, and back when we were young teens, a guy she actually liked as a friend ended his life. It was hard on her, to the point that her parents almost banned her from hanging out in these parts anymore, but she eventually got through it.

Camilla just didn’t handle death easily. Not like it was something that should be handled with a grain of salt.

Life was a cherished aspect to Camilla’s family. I knew from the tales and legends they read that it was one of those symbolic things and wasn’t something to casually toss around - or end.

I agreed with such values and beliefs, and that was exactly why I avoided ever mentioning it in those times where I questioned my own self-worth. I didn’t judge those who committed such acts. It was due to the harsh environment and the people that revolved around us that pushed them to think they weren’t worthy enough to breathe the same air as everyone else.

I didn’t think they were “weak” for giving up, but what I always wondered about was whether they regretted it at the last second of life. That was exactly what held me back each time I was near that edge.

That and the desire for justice.

“Rosadette?”

The slight impatience in Camilla’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I gave her a nervous smile.

“You’re not going to like what the last part of our discussion was,” I admitted.

“If it’s about death, of course, I’m not going to like it,” she huffed.

I gawked at her for a few seconds and reminded myself to close my mouth again. The one thing that I’d learned through the years - and still freaked me out just a bit - was her ability to guess what I was hiding. It was like she had mind powers or could see the past or something. Totally freaky, but didn’t surprise me as much as when we were kids.

I’d exaggerated her sixth sense and for a good year, I told everyone she had super magic powers and was a princess from another world.

It was “cute,” or at least that’s what most of the adults would say whenever I went on and on about it.

“Uh…” I began to bite my bottom lip nervously as my eyes looked everywhere but her.

“Spill it, Rose,” she groaned. “Might as well tell me the rest.”

“He…well, he asked me why I hadn’t killed myself,” I bluntly replied.

Camilla went from slightly annoyed to damn right angry. I flinched at the expression, and for a split second, I swore her silver eyes turned to a piercing blue. I immediately lifted my hands to rub at my eyes, and when I looked back, they were silver again.

“And… you’re mad,” I commented instead of pointing out the weird eye change.

I’m seriously tired if I’m seeing things.

“How dare he ask you that?!” she snapped.

“He was drunk,” I defended. “I guess cause this area is known for its poor people and high suicide rates and all that jazz. It’s just the reputation of this place.”

Why am I defending this guy anyway?

“Invalid.” Camilla was not having it. “He better not have told you to go kill yourself or I swear upon the universe, I will scout every bit of land until my knife slices his-”

“No!” I raised my hands up in a stopping motion.

I knew Camilla. If she set her mind on something, she’d do it - and with her high status and powerful parents, she’d get away with it.

“He didn’t. He asked why I hadn’t done so and I told him because I wanted justice for all those who mocked and belittled me. I wished him well and went home.”

The silence that followed had me on the edge, but eventually, Camilla let out the breath she was clearly holding.

“Good,” was all she said.

“So…do you think you can wake me up an hour before my birthday?”

“Why?”

“I want to check out that shrine.”

“You don’t think it’s even real.”

“Not necessarily. The chances of it being real are very slim with this random man showing up and no one talking about his arrival or departure, but I’m curious if this shrine is real and why I haven’t seen it.”

“Why don’t we just check now?”

“I…I’m not sure.” I frowned at her words of logic. “I guess it feels better to go before my birthday?”

Camilla gave me one of her puzzled, judgmental looks but sighed. “Fine. I’ll wake you up an hour before your birthday. Can we go now? I swear I’ll die of bleeding if we take any longer.”

I rolled my eyes. “At least you have pads for that, and you won’t die.”

“Dying from blood loss is a real thing.”

“Blood loss as in getting stabbed. Not because of the legends of the forbidden apple,” I suggested.

“That’s not what happened,” she countered.

Here we go again.

“If you’re going to tell me about the story of how Queen Eve didn’t remove the forbidden fruit and that the truth was she got into an argument with King Adam, who tried to control her, I remember it clearly. You don’t need to-”

“She left the garden to create her own kingdom because she was pissed off at Adam for trying to tell her what to do. The snake that deceived them turned into a woman, replicating Eve’s appearance and seducing him into eating the apple. It caused an uproar, and instead of Adam admitting the truth of being deceived by the snake, he blamed it on Eve. The punishment was placed down as a curse that women would bleed from there lalalas, but men were also cursed without realizing it. If they did not respect the woman that was by their side, they would be cursed and eventually fall from whatever throne or level of success they had reached in life.”

“Thank you for the recap.” I began to walk. “Can we go now?”

“Sure.” She shrugged and walked past me towards the direction of my hut. “I’ll wake you up, but don’t go whining that I woke you or I’m kicking your booty.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I smirked. “Thank you.”

“You’re walking too slow.”

“Says the girl who has cramps!” I argued.

“Shut up,” she huffed.

“You’re always so grumpy when it’s that time of the month. Show more lov-HEY! Don’t leave me! You love me, dammit!”

“ROSE. Don’t fall asleep on me,” Camilla urged.

“Mhm,” I replied. “Maybe the shrine thing was a bad idea. I feel really tired.”

“That’s what happens when you’re floating through the air,” Camilla muttered.

“Huh?” I asked, followed with a yawn.

“Nothing,” she dismissed.

“You said floating.”

“You were mumbling in your sleep that you’re floating, followed by weeeee,” Camilla said with a dull voice.

“Is your time of the month done yet?” I changed the subject. “You seriously have bipolar tendencies when you’re ‘bleeding to death’.”

“It stops at midnight, now get up,” she huffed and was already out of my house in seconds.

“Meanie,” I quietly muttered.

“I’ll leave you to go there by yourself,” she called back.

“No!” I rushed to get up and sought out one of the five outfits I owned, two of them being my labor clothes and the other three being pairs of jeans with a coordinated top.

I never needed anything fancy unless there was a specific event I had to attend with Camilla. On those rare occasions, she’d spot me an outfit from her massive closet. Her home alone was a work of art, but that closet was every girl’s dream.

I’m sure the other girls in the village were envious of Camilla’s good fortune, but material things didn’t matter to me. As long as I didn’t need to walk outside naked, I was happy with what I had.

I was outside and by Camilla’s side in less than a minute, my fingers buttoning up my black jeans before smoothing out my white t-shirt.

“There!”

“You forgot to wear a bra,” Camilla noted.

“No one is going to see my nips, Camilla,” I noted. “It’s pitch dark out. All the men are at the bars, drinking their sorrow away on this Friday night.”

Camilla didn’t reply, but before I could give her more valid points, she walked away, heading to where the trail towards the peak of the hill and this apparent shrine would be.

C’mon, midnight. Come faster so I can have my sweet bestie back.

I scurried to catch up with Camilla’s long and fast strides, and we were approaching the hillside before we knew it. My eyes widened in shock at the site of a large shrine.

The entrance of the structure was bright red, polished so finely that it reflected a shine I’d never gotten the privilege of seeing before. It was like someone had polished their shoes, but with the most expensive wax in the world to give off the perfect final touch.

Little white talismans hung across the top part of the entrance, and the tiny building itself was a mixture of gold, purple, and red. I wasn’t sure of the materials they used to create the structure. It wasn’t cement, nor was it wooden planks.

Whatever material was used to make the polished poles of the entrance, it was magnificent to look at as the poles held the shrine’s main structure. It had to be some rich person’s latest invention because it was far too unique to be created by our people in these parts. I wasn’t judging, but I knew this village well enough that if anyone accomplished this magnitude of creativity and craftsmanship, the world as we know it would hear their name and offer them a fortune to create more of it.

As shocking and magnificent it looked, I forced myself to keep approaching it instead of stopping in my tracks and gawking at its fine beauty. It reminded me of the fine china tea sets in Camilla’s mother’s glass wardrobes and how we’d stare and imagine carrying it in our very hands when we were younger.

Those were off limits, though.

I was stunned that this place wasn’t heavily guarded so none of us scum could even taint its grounds.

We reached the top step of the place, and I literally froze. It wasn’t out of shock. It was the sight of the glittering purple roses that struck a chord in the depths of my mind.

Purple. Roses. Silver glitter…

“Rose?” Camilla called out to me, but it was far away.

“Rosadette?” Again, her attempts were useless, even with the upscale of urgency. I was far too focused on the sight before me, and without thinking, I strode forward towards the center of the shrine.

There was a mini platform, the three tiny steps easily skippable. How I reached the middle of this sacred place was beyond me, but my eyes now stared into the stone bowl that sat there.

Though it was made of stone, it had a purple tinge to its color, and the water inside it was crystal clear. The rays of the full moon shone down on us, the illumination and power they held tinkling into the very surface of the water.

I saw my reflection like this bowl was now a mirror, but the image was stunningly different.

My usual purple eyes were now a striking red, the glimpse of silver still radiant as my pupils dilated with my shock. My skin was pale but flawless, with no blemishes or imperfections in sight, while whatever contour and blush I wore made me look like a model from the rich lands.

My slightly red lips reflected a glossy finish, and my platinum blonde curls were tightly bound and carried strands that glowed mystically.

From the hint of my chest, I wasn’t wearing my basic poor clothes. My shoulders were on display, revealing sets of markings in various swirls and lines that glowed a light purple against my pale white skin.

I had to be wearing a strapless dress, one of purple with silver glitter, but I didn’t focus on it for long because my eyes centered on the single rose design that sat in the middle of my chest, just above my cleavage.

It glowed like a tattoo, the rose design a well-blended mixture of purple, red, and gold. How those colors seemed to go together was beyond me, but as they blazed brightly against my skin, it was enough to take my breath away.

Turning my head to the side, I noticed how much pointier my ears were, almost like I’d turned into an elf or other mystical being. I ended up taking yet another look at my chest, noticing that even my breasts had grown in size.

I knew it was time to look away. To return to whatever reality I’d come from and not get lost in this new fantasy. This illusion was too good to be true, but my body remained in place and my eyes glued onto this new image of me.

Why couldn’t I be this woman in the mirror?

My hand lifted on its own accord, reaching towards the water’s surface. My index finger paused an inch away from it, fear spiking through me.

If I touch it, the image will disappear, and I’ll return to who I was. I haven’t changed though…not physically. It’s just a picture. This can’t truly be who I am. I…have to accept that.

“What if it is true?”

A voice spoke into my head. It reminded me of Camilla’s, but it was different. Stronger. Rich with a level of power and authority.

My eyes continued to stare into my reflection, but the question remained.

“What if this is who you’ve always been destined to be, and the humans hid it from you this entire time?”

My eyes pulled away from the image, noticing the woman who stood opposite from me. She looked so similar to Camilla that it freaked me out, but her characteristics were different.

Camilla was surely beautiful without a doubt, but this person had set those levels of attraction to another level. Her long brunette hair had red and silver highlights and was left down in beautiful waves, her silver eyes were glowing, and her flawless, slightly tanned skin couldn’t be more outstanding to stare at. She wore what looked to be battle attire, or at least a combat outfit like you’d see in old fae picture books.

Her arms were now crossed as she looked directly into my eyes.

“What if the village raised you to hide who you were? To hide that you were truly destined to rule and were of fae origin.”

“W…what?” I tried to fathom her words, and I quickly shook my head. “That’s impossible. I’m not fae.”

“Your family’s blood runs through your veins, Rosadette Campbell, only daughter of the king and queen of Rosadette Kingdom. The kingdom has withered and perished by the hands of those who seek nothing but evil for you and your family. It was all thanks to the humans and as punishment, they laid you upon these lands to die. Doesn’t that make you want to take revenge?”

I absorbed her words slowly, unsure of what was truth and what was a lie. To be dumped with this information was far too much for me to handle, my head pounding in defiance.

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and let it out.

Do not be influenced by fear. Do not jump to conclusions without all the facts. Breathe and think, Rose.

Self-talks were the best way to make sure I didn’t make stupid decisions.

“Regardless of whether that’s true or not, I don’t want to take revenge,” I answered.

“They placed you in this dump of land, made you work in the fields for hours on end. They mock you for the very circumstances they created, and you don’t want revenge? You’d rather they get off scot-free? Where is the justice in that?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, the word justice striking yet another chord within my heart. This woman had a point. Whether she was Camilla or not was still a mystery, but if what she said was true, these people had ruined my entire life.

They set me up to live in this land when I could have been a fae. I could have lived a life with pretty clothes, loving friends, and maybe find my true family. Did these people really deceive me to such an extent? Was I born to be an outcast and shoved into a lifestyle I was not destined to live?

I wanted to be angry. I should have been furious with the revelation of this information, but I continued to stand there with a calm expression on my face.

“Why aren’t you reacting?” The woman sounded upset by my lack of emotions. She was right, I should have been fuming in rage, but the thought of me being of fae blood still hadn’t sunk in.

Even if this is all truth, do I blame the people in the village?

If it was a plot to make me an outcast…to isolate me from my birthright, why did they raise me? Why did they teach me the ways to survive the harsh colds, or offer clothes and blankets when I had no means of acquiring them on my own?

If they hated me, why didn’t they let me fend for myself? Though I was poor, Camilla herself didn’t push me aside or abandon me. She may not have been a part of this village, but I’m sure her family would have known about this, right?

They would have said something…I think.

Glancing back into the water, I stared at my reflection, and the previous image of radiant elegance was gone. The real me was back. The imperfect woman with purple eyes, blonde hair, a few blemishes and scratches from the last few days of labor, and the normal wretched clothes that clung to my skin.

I gulped as waves of disappointment hit me, and I tried to fight the urge to cry.

“Can’t you feel it?” the woman whispered, her footsteps approaching my right side. “The disappointment. The anger. The desire to get back at those who robbed you of this magnificent future. You should be wearing a crown, and instead, you work like a slave in the dirt fields, as they laugh and shake their heads in dismay. You have but one friend who cherishes you, but it’s only a matter of time until you two drift apart. You are from two different worlds. One is from a world of power, beauty, and everlasting abundance, while the other is of low status, ugliness, and everlasting turmoil. These people want you to be stuck in this life forever. Is that what you want? To never find where you are destined to be? Will you let them get the last laugh?”

My eyes seemed dull now as it all sank in, my mind flooded with memories of my childhood and the daily taunts and ridicule. Their laughter haunted me, the giggles and glee over my suffering made my hands clench in anger.

They bullied me. Hated me for the color of my hair and rareness of my eyes. Their belittling stares and the tiny whispers among the adults of how sorry they felt that I was abandoned by the very parents that conceived me.

A laughing stock wasn’t enough to describe my childhood, and yet, even with everything that had occurred, I kept my head up high. I continued to walk the unknown path that was destined for me because I wanted justice.

I wanted a day to come when karma would do its part and change my life around. A day when the people who made me feel inadequate would hear of my success and livelihood.

It was impossible to predict if that would ever come to pass, but it was worth hoping for, and it was why I continued to live on.

“Revenge isn’t the answer,” I finally spoke what was running through my mind. “They may mock me now. Laugh and rejoice in my suffering and obvious isolation. However, they won’t get the last laugh, for we haven’t reached the finished line. My life is just beginning, and when the clock strikes twelve, I’ll be eighteen. Will this suddenly change my life? No one knows. However, I’ll be an adult and will be able to change my circumstances if I truly want to. We’re not bound to these lands. We aren’t forced to remain in these circumstances. If I want to venture out into a new world beyond these walls, I most certainly can, and when I have enough courage to do so, I’ll prove to these people that life can change with the snap of one’s fingers.”

Raising my gaze until it locked with hers, I smiled.

“Let them laugh. Let them mock and belittle my very existence, for this is only my beginning. No matter what I am, whether it be a human or a fae, I’ve learned things I surely wouldn’t have if I’d been raised in a rich home, and maybe that change will aid me as I embark on this new journey.”

Looking back in the reflective water, I then closed my eyes.

“If there is power in this very shrine, I ask to find where my heart lies. To discover my family’s past, follow the present laid out for me, and discover my future. Look past my wretched appearance and imperfections. Ignore my upbringing and the physical traits that bring judgment from those of higher status and power. Review the depths of my heart and allow my pure intentions to be judged. And if I am worthy of discovering the truth of who I am, give me the chance to find who I am destined to become. If that brings me to my destined partner, so be it, for I am ready to journey towards my rightful future!”

A shrill scream shot through the air, snapping me out of my peaceful state to look behind me.

My eyes landed on Camilla, who was on the ground. She was glaring daggers at a tall man with short, tousled blond hair. His clothes were clearly not from this world. He wore a golden cape, and his high golden boots looked to meld with the very stone itself. Twenty guards in full armor stood around the shrine, surrounding us like we’d walked right into a trap.

I peered back at Camilla, noticing how her silver eyes began to glow as she gritted her teeth menacingly. It was the hint of blood that rolled down the left side of her face that caught my attention.

And sent me straight into combat mode.

How I got from where I stood in the middle of the shrine platform to the spot between Camilla and this tall giant of a man was the least of my concern.

My daring purple eyes locked onto his blue ones - familiar blue eyes that I could guarantee I’d looked into before.

“You…” I trailed off as my eyes narrowed and I took a better look at this individual. There was no way he was the same drunk wise man I’d encountered a few days prior.

“Rosadette! Get out of here,” Camilla ordered, but I stood my ground.

“Are you the one who hurt my best friend?!” I snarled at the man. He rolled his eyes and let out a huff.

“If she hadn’t waltzed in my way when I came here to retrieve you, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt,” he snapped back like I was a nuisance.

I was taken aback by his response, but he couldn’t care less as he reached for my arm and squeezed it firmly.

“I can’t believe you passed the stupid test again. Unbelievable. A human scum is my destined one. What did I do to deserve this? It has to be my attitude problem. I bet my mother is laughing right now.”

He was speaking utter nonsense, but I wasn’t paying any mind to that. My focus was on his hand that was wrapped around my left bicep. With a deep frown, I slowly peered up until our eyes met again and then growled at him.

“Take your hand off my arm.” My voice was low and threatening, enough for the armed officers to raise their staff weapons in preparation for what might well be an approaching battle.

The man smirked with another eye roll. “You have some nerve trying to tell me, a prince, what to do. I’ll forgive you for your lack of knowledge of who I am, seeing as you’re nothing but a pathetic human. I will not let go. You’re coming with me.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you!” Camilla shouted. “Not on my watch.”

“Sit down, fae witch. You will not stand a chance against my army, and I’m not here for you. For a guardian, you sure fail at protecting who you serve. Or is it the other way around?” the man mocked.

Fae witch? Chamomile is a…witch? No, fae? What? Is there even such a combo? What does he mean by a guardian?

“Shut up!” Camilla snapped. “Ugh!”

I looked over my shoulder to see Camilla as she attempted to rise up, but her body slammed back down like gravity had taken its toll and upped its resistance by ten.

“Sit and accept your defeat. A guardian who’d rather play dress up and befriend the person you’re supposed to protect. Nonsense. Go and tell your people that you’ve failed, and this piece of scum is now in King Rose’s possession.”

“Never! She’s not yours!”

“Sadly enough, she is. Her rose is in our family chambers, and I’m going to claim what is mine, even if she isn’t the fittest to rule. That’s not a problem, though. A silent queen is good enough for me.”

Silent queen?

Camilla laughed. “If you think for a second you can silence my best friend, you’ve got another thing coming to you. Now let go of her before I summon my parents here to teach you what our kind can do.”

Camilla’s eyes began to burn a bright red as her brown strands floated upward. I gawked in shock and looked to the new man who held me captive.

He raised his hand up, a smug smile gracing his lips.

“Your kind never learns when you’re outmatched. Maybe if I knock you out for a few days you will learn. A peaceful coma for a week? A month? Maybe a year? That will give me enough time to teach this scum what her role is and fulfill her destiny.”

Scum. All this guy can say is negative things about me, and he’s such a controlling ass! Now he’s going to put Camilla in a coma for a year?! Not on my watch. Hell no!

I tugged my arm, trying to get out of this guy’s grasp, but he tightened his hold and pulled me right against him.

“Stay still and obey me, peasant. The next time you act foolishly, I’ll knock you right out like I’m about to do to your pathetic friend.”

The deep inhale I took surged a force inside me, my glare so intense, it was enough to leave this man in confusion.

He let go of me, a foolish move on his part because I pulled my left arm back. My hand clenched into a tight fist that grew hot in nanoseconds, and before I knew what I’d just done, my fist made an impact with his jaw and sent him soaring back and into the air.

The world was silent, everyone watching in suspense as the man flew back and crashed into the ground on his back. He slid for a few seconds until his body was completely still.

No one dared say a word, and I lowered my gaze to my fist to see it glowing brightly. The quick shuffle of footsteps caught my attention, and I looked back to see one of the guards kneel down next to the man who was out cold.

“Prince Xavier? Prince Xavier, can you hear me? T-The human knocked out the fae prince!”

Prince? Did…I just punch and knock out a PRINCE? A…FAE PRINCE!

My jaw dropped, and I slowly looked back at Camilla, who was on her feet and brushing the dirt off her clothes.

“Hmph. Serves him right. My Rosadette was always destined to kick some ass!” She pointed around the circle of guards before she punched her fist together. Bright red flames ignited out of thin air and wrapped around her hands.

“You want to take my bestie from me? Let’s see you try!”

Was I destined to kick ass? If so, it better kick in right now because I’d just knocked out a prince, and I wasn’t sure if I’d live long enough to find out about my past, present, or future.

INFIRMARY OF LOST PRIDE

~XAVIER~

“IF YOU KEEP SCOWLING like that, Prince Xavier, it’ll be permanent.”

“Let him!” Mother was on a laughing tangent; her chorus of gleeful amusement was lathering the whole room in flowers and vines.

“My dear. You’re going to make the whole castle turn into the kingdom of roses,” Father noted, but he seemed pleased that my mother was having the time of her long-lived life.

“I’ve never been so amused in my entire existence! Did you see that?! It’ll be on replay forever now. No one saw it coming. Her fist punched right into his jaw and he went flying! You have to see it in slow motion. It’s priceless! Just like that, the human scum that isn’t my destined princess knocked my son right out!” Mother burst into hysterical laughter, her arms clenching her stomach before she fell right to the floor.

The very vines that grew wrapped around her and picked her right up as she giggled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“It was so good! The shock on your face when the guards called to say a human girl knocked out your son! HAH!”

“He’s never going to live this down,” Nurse Esme commented and looked at me with sympathetic eyes. “You just have to put the pieces of your lost pride back together again, Prince Xavier.”

My scowl deepened, and she immediately stood straighter and let out a nervous giggle. “The prince seems to be in high spirits. My work here is done. Do you need anything else from me, my king and queen?”

“No, Esme. You may return to your sleeping corridors. Thank you for responding to my urgent call.”

“Always, Your Majesty,” Esme responded and bowed to Father before bowing to Mother. “Please, my queen. Continue this lovely laughter. It brings happiness to my heart.”

My mother responded by laughing even harder, the vines that held her up blossoming into various flowers.

“We can make plenty of bouquets for the opening ceremony for the academy. I’ll make sure to tend to them in the morning.” Esme grinned happily before she bowed once more and skipped towards the doors. “Goodnight.”

I crossed my arms and began to angrily sulk, my head replaying what had occurred apparently three hours ago.

I, Xavier Del Rose, got punched and knocked out by a poor excuse of a human! A woman who supposedly has no magic was able to knock me out for three full hours and mark me a laughing stock to my top guards, nurse, and parents.

Unforgivable.

“Now, now, son.” Mother was trying to calm down as she said that, using fresh white rose petals to wipe the tears that streamed down her face. “You cannot exact revenge on my student.”

“Mother!” I had to keep my voice low, but it was hard when I was so enraged. “That woman completely humiliated me in front of my people! How can you support such a thing?!”

“Oh please.” She flicked her hand to the side. The petals that she used to wipe her tears multiplied until they were a part of the new roses that were now floating in the air.

“It wasn’t that bad. Stop exaggerating. It’s your fault for underestimating your destined one. You had your guard up for the fae witch, though. I’ll give you props for catching on. It’s hard to sense her witch traits. I must say, her parents trained her well to conceal like that.” Mother nodded in approval while Father tapped his chin with his index finger.

“I’m impressed with how much magic that girl packed into that punch. In three seconds, she had enough to dispel your mental shields. Very impressive. Rosadette was her name, right? Poor thing must be panicking.”

“Ah, right. We should tell her Xavier’s perfectly fine.” Mother clapped her hands and tried to compose herself. “Just give me a few more minutes of laughter.”

“Mom,” I respectfully declared. “I am not fine. Look at my black eye! Why can’t this be covered up?”

“The universe is proclaiming Rosadette’s justice,” Mother sang, followed by a wave of laughter.

Father sighed. “It should heal within a few hours. It’s exactly what your mother stated. Rosadette’s spontaneous burst of magic must have cast a spell to make the healing process far slower and laid the inability to hide the bruise with glamor. I must say, this girl has huge potential for becoming a fighting force at Fae Rose. If we can train her properly without much stress, she’d learn to harness her powers very quickly.”

“Why must we not stress her? She’s stressing my entire life in a matter of days.” I was annoyed by this woman. Whatever charm she was pulling on my parents was clearly working. She had to be stopped.

“Your destined mate is as fragile as a rose, Xavier,” Mother said with seriousness, drawing mine and Father’s attention.

“I won’t deny that this transition is going to put a lot of stress on Rosadette, even if she doesn’t initially show it, but to win her heart, you have to acknowledge her struggles and support her in a way no other man has. You’re lucky that her circumstances made it almost impossible to meet a man of interest and age, or you’d have competition. For a rose to grow, it needs sunshine, water, attention, and love to blossom into its final form. The rose you see in its cylinder barricade is only at its starting beauty. It will grow and become more and more powerful as you help Rosadette harness her powers. You have to think of this as a friendship, Xavier. You’re going to have to pry her open and let her warm up to you.”

“Which you aren’t doing a good job at currently,” Father commented under his breath. I gave him a look, but he shrugged.

“It’s the truth. That is not how I won your mother’s heart,” he said proudly.

Mother laughed. “Certainly not. He thought climbing a tree to get me frozen apples in a blizzard was romantic. He slipped right out and almost broke his back. It was priceless.”

Father blushed and glanced away. “It was on purpose. See, it still makes you laugh after one hundred years of marriage.”

“Yes, yes.” Mother grinned. “It warmed my heart and was the very reason why I gave you a try.”

I stared between the two of them, wondering if I could even achieve what they were asking of me. I wasn’t good at projecting my emotions.

Yes, I could portray my anger, annoyance, all the negative emotions that came with my “attitude” issues, but could I really show this woman love? Compassion? Affection? She’d already pissed me off and was on my hate list, but that was a strong judgment when I didn’t know anything about her.

I have to give her a chance. If she is my destined one and her very soul is what makes that rose sparkle with intensity, maybe I’m doing this wrong.

Father cleared his throat, and my gaze lifted to see that they both were staring at me. I arched an eyebrow questioningly, and Mother smirked.

“See, sweetheart. Our son does have moments of clarity.”

I frowned, and Father smiled. “Your mother is teasing you like she always does.”

“Do you truly believe this woman has potential?” I questioned. “Our people will test her over and over again. Honestly, I don’t see her even passing the preliminaries.”

“The preliminary is a test of where a fae is at in their journey. It is not an entrance exam which deems one inadequate to attend,” Father reminded, the headmaster side of him kicking in. “We must give her some slack. She’s been treated like a human for her entire life on the lower lands, and we truly don’t know how much she knows about our kind. She may have been told many legends and rumors, but she is unable to determine what is true and what is a fairy tale. It’s our job at Fae Rose Academy to train all fae, regardless of what level they are. It’s not an academy for the gifted. It’s an academy for the purely divine, and as fae, we are of that very definition. She will grow through the years here, but her first year will center on adapting to the rules and laws, and grasping the knowledge that lies in the roots of our world.”

“That will be a part of your responsibility, Xavier,” Mother encouraged.

“I won’t be a mentor when I’m attending, Mother,” I noted.

I’d mentored students for the last two years because I was waiting for my destined mate to show up. Now that this Rosadette girl was present, it only made sense for me to attend this year and go through the four years.

The true test happened once we graduated, and that would determine if Rosadette would be the rightful fit to the throne.

“No, but you will be partnered with Rosadette.”

The room was completely silent.

“Maybe you should have told him the day of, my dear,” Father suggested.

“What difference would it make?” Mother shrugged. “Let him throw a tantrum now. At least he won’t scare the new kids. Now that the news is out, I’m going to go and comfort Rosadette before she passes out in fear. She’s sensitive to the vibrations of the universe, especially when she’s stressed.”

“Really?” Father sounded intrigued.

“It appears that way, or at least that’s what I gathered from the witch. We had a bit of a chat while Rosadette was freaking out and explaining herself to Esme about her accidentally knocking out the prince.” Mother giggled and looked my way. “We’ll talk later, son. I’m expecting you to come and formally introduce yourself to Rosadette and her friend, Chamomile, I believe. Be nice.”

The last part was emphasized on purpose, which was one of those ‘do as I say, or I will make your life a living hell’ comments.

“Yes, Mother,” I replied and bowed my head slightly. She beamed in delight and after giving Father a quick kiss, she headed out of the room; rose petals and vines followed her path as she made her exit.

“Why does Mother love watching me suffer?” I pondered quietly.

“She thinks it’s amusing,” Father replied. “I knew you should have been a girl. Would have had a better chance of being pampered.”

“And whose fault is that?” I glanced over to Father, who sheepishly grinned. “I never thought my intentions of having a son would manifest the way they did, son. You can happily ask the universe that question instead.”

“Dad,” I whispered and slouched back so my back pressed against the wall of the infirmary bench I was sitting on. “I can’t do this.”

Father was quiet, but he walked over to pull the chair that was at the end of the bench table. He sat down and crossed his arms while he leaned back to stare at me.

“This task or destined quest is far too much for me and it’s only just begun. I’m sure we haven’t reached the peak of it all and I’m already questioning all my training. I must change myself to make this woman comfortable. Why is that? I already feel like I’m having to go above and beyond. As much as it upset me, I won’t deny that she carries some hidden talent. With the fae witch in the mix, it can only mean that we’re not the only ones who know of her true origin and purpose. I understand that I must do this, and it should lead to an abundance of happiness, but why do I already feel like I’m suffocating? Mother…well, she’s Mother, but she already has so much hope in this girl and she barely knows her. Why can’t I have that same level of aspiration?”

“Why do you not have faith in yourself, son?” Father questioned. “Your mother has a unique sight. She doesn’t see the same things we see, Xavier. She can surpass the common laws of the universe and can predict one’s future by the mere sight of their aura. You already know that your mother has always been right with her instincts and advice. She views the world from a different plane of magic, and it rewards her with the awareness of the near future. She’s able to do all of this because she has faith in the universe and what it has to offer. Her connection with the spiritual levels of magic surpass the average fae. You have those very instincts in you. All you have to do is have more faith in yourself.”

Father took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“It feels overwhelming, doesn’t it?”

My head bobbed in agreement, knowing well that Father would feel my response.

“That’s exactly how I felt when I met your mother. The universe tests us at times, and the finest things in life are the hardest to obtain. I won’t sit here and lie, saying that this isn’t going to be a struggle for you, my son. You’re going to feel uncomfortable. You’ll have to go above and beyond to do things you never thought you would do. Yes, you are a prince and of higher status, but when it comes to friendship and love, all that is laid upon the table. They’re not important because they are not what makes you a person. Titles, clothing, ranks, and status do not let the world know that you are a good or bad person. It’s not what a partner sees in you.”

He opened his eyes and peered into my eyes.

“Rosadette has lived a struggling life. Yet, she did not judge you when she was clearly tested. To us, she is a child starting life, but she has wisdom that is far greater than the average fae. She didn’t need to exhibit her potential today for many to see that.”

His kind expression faded, and he looked away into the space before him. “I suggest you be nicer to her. To you, it may be a great difficulty, and I can’t see you becoming the kindest saint in our kingdom, but you understand what will happen when she starts attending Fae Rose, correct?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, slowly nodding in response.

“The fae are beautiful creatures on the outside, but not all of them are as pure and kind on the inside. Fae Rose Academy was made for the purely divine, but it does not require one to have pure intentions to enter the school walls. They will pick on her. She will be ridiculed for growing up on the lower grounds. She’ll need your support as well as her friend and our guidance, or her rose will wilt.”

His eyes returned to mine, and they burned with determination.

“If her rose dies, Xavier, you lose your shot at this. Don’t let that happen. I will do my best as your father to help you, but I wasn’t graced with the same knowledge and advice when I had to win your mother’s heart. Your unity with Rosadette will bring change to our people. Look past our type of magic and what we’re painted as. We all deserve to be loved, cherished, and flourish as a community to higher avenues. Rosadette can help us with that, but if you push her away before she can bloom into who she’s destined to be…well, we all lose.”

He rose up and began to walk to the door.

“When that happens, you’re giving the enemy exactly what they want. As for what happens after that…it’s in Mother Universe’s hands.”

He opened the door and looked back at me.

“Rest and think about what you want out of this, Xavier. As your father, I will be there for you, but as king of this kingdom, you must embrace this task with open-mindedness, or you will surely fail. Our kingdom will not serve a failure. Keep that in mind.”

With those words, he left me alone in the infirmary with my lost pride.

FAE ROSE ACADEMY?

~ROSADETTE~

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROSADETTE!” Camilla cheered. My tear-filled eyes glared at her like she’d just insulted me.

“Oh, don’t cry! It’s not that serious,” Camilla brushed off. “It was just a tiny punch.”

“Tiny punch?! He went soaring into the air like he was a paperweight and not a tall, grown man! Plus, he’s a fae prince, Camilla! He’s probably going to order for my head to be sliced off. No, he’ll request for me to be hung in front of his people for being human scum!”

Pacing the luxurious room we’d been situated in for the last three hours was going to drive me to the brink of insanity if we didn’t get answers soon.

The moment it was confirmed that Prince Xavier was knocked out, all bets were off. The army he’d brought with him immediately charged towards us in all directions, seconds before they were all lifted into the air and scatted through the night sky by my “innocent” best friend, who was apparently a fae witch!

That led to more fighting, kicking booty, and hoping I didn’t end up in fae jail for all eternity, but the fight only lasted another minute before the most beautiful woman emerged from the very ground.

Literally from the soil itself.

It was like watching a grand scene in a movie, her body emerging from the depths of the soil that glided off her body like she was water and it was oil. Not a speck of dirt clung to her glittering red dress, and her long blonde strands remained in their tightly coiled glory.

From the golden rhinestone crown that rested on her head to her glorious skin, I knew this woman was of royal nature, but it was her blue eyes that triggered my memory. My knees buckled as I fell to my knees in utter shock.

The woman who I adored when I was but a kid was now standing a few steps before me. Her arrival made any individual who was still able to stand fall to their knees. Even Camilla, who I could see from the corner of my left eye, gawked in amazement and stopped whatever spell she was about to cast to fall to her knees.

That woman just so happened to be a queen and the mother of the prince I’d just so happened to knock out.

I expected to be killed on the spot, but it went down a totally different route.

“QUEEN ROSE!” The guards quivered and bowed their heads right to the ground.

I looked back at the woman as her gleaming red lips morphed into a dazzling smile. She then laughed, the sound similar to angels singing in those Christmas religious movies we all watched in the square on a tiny cracked television screen.

The sound made you want to laugh with her, to rejoice with her.

“That was delightful. The best entertainment in centuries.” She giggled and flicked her long blonde locks.

Roses and other flowers I didn’t know the names for blossomed at her feet, each step she took rewarding the ground with new roots of life in seconds.

My head moved up until my eyes widened, and it dawned me that the queen was in front of me and looking down at my stupefied expression.

Her smile remained on her lips, but her eyes softened as she peered down at me, reminding me of all those years ago when she had graced me with her presence.

“We meet again, child. You’ve grown wonderfully.”

Her praise had me bowing my head and immediately apologizing. “I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t know he was the prince…er…your son! He was going to take me away and put my best friend in a coma for a year! I didn’t think my punch would knock him out or do anything! Please do whatever you want with me, but let Camilla go! She didn’t do anything.”

“Jeez, Rosadette. You’re far too selfless. It hurts my pride,” Camilla declared with a sigh.

I looked to my left to see she’d recovered from her shock and was now at my side. She wore a sympathetic look on her face, but she didn’t seem angry anymore.

Guess her period really did end at midnight…wait. It’s past midnight?

I hadn’t heard the sound of the single large bell clock we had in the middle of the town square. It’s the only one that helped us keep track of time, seeing as many of us didn’t have clocks or wristwatches.

I could have been so zoned into what was happening around me that I never heard its hollow rings.

It’s officially my eighteenth birthday. Was this why everything was happening?

“Your son threatened to kidnap my best friend and put me in a coma. My senses already tell me who you are and what type of fae you potentially can be. I’ll keep my observations to myself, but if your son needed Rosadette for something, he could have simply asked. Maybe to your kind, you believe humans are garbage or anyone who stands upon these lands are pitiful excuses, but we have morals, rights. We aren’t savage beasts.”

I looked back at the queen, waiting for her response - or wrath - but her smile was still beaming, and she slowly nodded.

“You are absolutely right,” she agreed, leading a wave of gasps from the very army that served her.

“Your Majesty! T-They should have obeyed on the spot!” a guard noted.

“That witch hurt our troops! We could have died!”

“Silence!” The single word seemed to shut them all up, fear instilled in their eyes as they bowed to the floor once more with respect.

“Xavier should have asked nicely first. We are not a barbaric race who can’t even introduce ourselves before attempting kidnapping. This was handled wrong.”

It was Camilla’s turn to gawk in confusion and a hint of awe. I wasn’t too far off with my hanging jaw and my wide eyes, absorbing everything that was happening.

“You…agree? You’re protecting us?” I couldn’t understand what her motive was. How could her son want to whisk me away, yet she was protecting us?

Why? What is her motive? There has to be something we’re missing here.

The woman looked my way, and she reached out to brush my cheek with her index finger. A pinch of pain came from her touch, making me realize I’d been hurt at some point in this crazy mix up, but a growing warmth followed, and the pain vanished.

She beamed in approval and clapped her hands.

“I’m sure there is a lot to explain, but I should ensure my son’s health first. It’ll take awhile before his wounded pride heals, but any physical wounds can be dealt with. What are your names?”

“Uh…” I trailed off and looked at Camilla, her eyes analyzing the queen for a long moment. She let her guard down and sighed.

“Chamomile Goldstone. I’m sure you’ve heard of my family’s name and legacy,” she introduced and bowed her head slightly.

“Ah, yes. Goldstone. Powerful, rare fae witches. Your mother is on the council and your father is the head of the crime department devoted to stopping fae who go against the rules of the universe. Good to see you’ve kept up with your training. You hide your aura well,” the queen praised.

She looked back to me and I scrambled up and tried to dust off my already mud-filled clothes.

So much for first impressions.

“Rosadette Campbell. Um…I’m just your average girl…Uh…I just turned eighteen. Nothing really amazing to see here,” I nervously introduced myself, unsure what else to say. I wasn’t a special magical being of any kind, so there really wasn’t anything fancy with my introduction.

“Your birthday is today. Marvelous! We should celebrate once my son is awake and we can explain everything in better detail.” The queen clapped her hands, a large red portal appearing a few steps behind her. “We shall head to our castle infirmary to make sure Prince Xavier will recover well. Rosadette and Chamomile are now our guests. I do not want anyone giving them trouble, or they will have to deal with me, understood?”

The way she said the final part was so threatening I shivered, thinking it was directed to me.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” the guards responded in unison, some of them helping pick up the unconscious ones.

“Make your way into the portal. There are nurses and doctors ready to attend to the wounded and give everyone a detailed checkup,” she ordered.

The way she spoke and even how she stood gave me the impression she wasn’t like the normal queens in fairy tales that sat on the throne and were pampered with gifts and fine jewels from the neighboring castles and people.

“Yes, our queen!” With that, they were making their way into the portal without a hint of hesitation. This woman sure knew how to command an army, and she must have had a bowl of kindness, treating them with dignity after an apparently “lost” battle.

She glanced our way and offered her hand. “Do not worry. I, Alicia Rose, Queen of the Rose Kingdom, give you my word that I will accompany you to our kingdom and deliver you back here in one piece if you choose to return.”

I felt the trickle of magic in her words, the sensation a mix of tingling and whispers in the air. It was how I knew when the rich kids would use magic to trip me in the mud or ruin my set of clothes for the day.

Camilla was at my side, and I caught her quick nod of approval. As long as she was coming, I wasn’t as worried about my fate. With a slow nod, I placed my hand in hers and whispered, “All right. Lead the way to your kingdom.”

NOW WE WERE HERE, awaiting our fates in the early morning of my eighteenth birthday.

“Cheer up, Rosadette!” Camilla caught my attention as she clapped her hands. My eyes widened when her hands were wrapped in glowing red silk, and within seconds, two plates sat in the palm of her hands; a large slice of what looked to be red velvet cake sat perfectly in place, a single lit candle on one of them while the other laid down in its spot.

I was still having my moment of shock as Camilla skipped over to me and offered the cake with the single candle.

“I’d make more candles, but too much magic would cue the guards, and I personally don’t want them thinking we’re trying to escape or start a war.”

“Camilla…” My eyes watered as I stared at the single candle. I’d always wanted to try red velvet cake because it was the latest trend in desserts, but I’d never had the money to buy even one slice, and they only sold it at the rich bakeries.

One look at my outfit and I wouldn’t be allowed in. All I could do was stare at the posters that advertised the new dessert delight and hope one day I’d try some.

Here it was before me, in celebration of my eighteenth birthday by my one dear friend who’d fight an army to protect me.

“You do realize just how much of an amazing best friend you are.” I choked on my tears as my eyes lifted to stare into hers.

I was expecting a snarky response, but she smiled in return, her eyes filling with tears.

“You just found out your best friend is a fae witch, a race that is frowned upon for our hybrid nature, and you still think of me as an amazing best friend. You don’t get how truly amazing you are, Rosadette, but I’m happy that you’ve reached your eighteenth birthday and are finally learning the truth of everything.”

The look we shared was one that I knew would be cherished in my mind. I had no clue what was going on or what I was about to get into, but I knew without a doubt that my best friend would be by my side to help me figure this all out.

A cocky smirk formed on Camilla’s lips and she let out a sarcastic huff.

“That starts with blowing out the candle and not staring into my wondrous eyes. I know my beauty leaves you speechless at times, so I forgive you.”

“Shut up!” I laughed and blew out the single candle, accepting the plate of dessert goodness. “This looks so beautiful.”

“It’s meant to be eaten and not cherished in that drawer of valuables you have,” Camilla reminded. I sent another annoyed look her way, but she shrugged it off and snapped her fingers; two forks appeared out of thin air and floated over to land on the side of our mini plates.

“Eat. I’m unsure how much alone time we’re going to have, and I’d personally want you to enjoy this before we get into the nitty and gritty of this world.”

“Yes!” I replied and gave her a sweet smile. “Thank you, Chamomile.”

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Rosadette. Long life and may you find both your destined path and soulmate as you enter the fruit of adulthood.”

“CAN’T you magically make more of it?” I blinked innocently at my best friend.

“And make you fat? Nope.” Camilla shook her head. “I will not be blamed for you gaining in those hips of yours. I already have to deal with you complaining about not getting drunk. I’m not adding another to the list of woes and sorrows.”

“But it’s my birthday.” I drew out with the biggest set of puppy eyes I could make.

Camilla groaned. “When we figure out what’s going on, I’ll make you another one for giving a good KO punch.”

“Don’t remind me.” My shoulders sank before I rose up and began to pace again. “I wonder if we’re going to be in jail forever.”

“My parents won’t allow that,” Camilla noted. “I’ve got a school to attend.”

“School?”

“Now that you’re about to find out what you are, I get to start attending school. It’s an academy for the fae. There are different types, but there are two that are of the highest rank and are literally intertwined with one another.”

“Intertwined?” I inquired. “What do you mean?”

“Two huge schools.” Camilla raised her hands up and spread them out. “You’ve heard of light and dark fae, correct?”

“Yes,” I noted. “They’re two of the main and most powerful types of fae. That’s what the legends say.”

“They aren’t legends,” Camilla revealed. “They are true tales, and these two academies helped determine what type you are by guiding you through a process.”

“What are they called?” I pondered.

“Fae Rose Academy and Shadow Fae Academy.”

We both flinched and turned to the door, only to see that no one was standing there. Camilla looked to her far left, and she was at my side in a blink.

A giggle echoed around the room, and like a dark curtain opening up, the queen herself waltzed out of the shadows and right into the center of the room.

“Good morning,” she greeted. “I’m sorry it took so long to check in. My son was being a tad melodramatic.”

“Is…he okay?” I immediately questioned, my stomach flipping in worry as to what our fate would be if he wasn’t.

“Sure,” the queen said with a giggle. “As I said before, wounded pride can be mended. He’ll make an appearance later. Don’t worry about him. Are you two both well after a bit of rest?”

We both nodded in response and she clapped her hands in approval.

“Excellent! Then we can go right into the reveal of which school you’ll be attending.”

“What?!” I shrieked. “School? Who?” I looked around as if it wasn’t just Camilla, the queen, and myself in the room. “I hope you’re not referring to me.”

“That I am, Rosadette,” the queen happily replied. “Chamomile already knows what school she’s been assigned to, am I right?” She looked at Camilla, who frowned but nodded in agreement.

“What’s the difference, and are we going to the same school?” I question before the panic settles in. “Wait. I can’t afford school. Let alone fae school. Actually, I can’t even attend. I’m not of fae blood. I’m your average female human with a bit of extra stamina when it comes to manual labor.”

“You’re far more special than that, Rosadette.” The queen looked pleased. “You will discover all of that and more, but we should introduce you to the headmaster.”

“Headmaster?” I questioned.

She nodded and clapped her hands twice. I immediately grabbed onto Camilla as the world began to spin like we’d just hopped into a spiraling balloon. She didn’t seem to mind, her focus on how the black walls of the waiting room shifted into golden ones.

When the room cleared, I gazed around in utter amazement. Fine paintings and artwork covered the walls, their pieces framed with gold and rhinestones. The walls had a beautifully prosperous wallpaper of roses, vines, golden lines, and swirls.

The room appeared to be an office covered in deep red carpet, judging from the dark brown shelves that carried books on various subjects. My eyes landed on a desk, and they widened further at the man sitting in the red velvet seat.

He looked like the older version of the prince, a large crown resting on top of his head. The thick, royal piece was gold with black and red rhinestones, their shiny appearance hard to ignore. He looked to be in his thirties, but I’m sure he had to be much older than that. He wore a black shirt beneath the red and black fur cape that rested on his shoulders.

He pulled back his seat and rose up, standing at his full height of 6′6″, and you didn’t need to be magically gifted to feel the sudden change in the room. It was stuffy in the room, which told me his magic was playing its part. The stronger it was, the harder it became to breathe normally.

Camilla reached for my hand, wrapping her fingers around mine.

“Excuse my rudeness, but I suggest you lower your caliber if you’d like Rosadette to stay standing long enough for you to explain the details.” Camilla’s voice was respectful but stern. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a hidden threat in her words.

Camilla had never been the type to back down from people who tried to make her feel less than anything. She was born rich and she acknowledged that, but if anyone tried to make it seem like didn’t deserve to wear certain clothes or accessories, she’d make sure they knew their place. It was a rare occurrence for me to get the privilege to see it, but I had witnessed it a few times and it was indeed dangerous.

Whatever this caliber was must have been associated with magic and how much was outputted into the atmosphere. That’s what my mind was trying to consider.

“My apologies.” The man’s voice was deep but had a hint of kindness. He didn’t seem as friendly as the queen, but I wouldn’t discount the fact that he could have a kind heart.

Unlike his son…

I only assumed this was the king because of his crown, attire, commanding presence, and how closely he resembled Prince Xavier.

It suddenly got easier to breathe, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you.” Camilla bowed her head slightly with the response, but kept my hand in hers. “You must be the king?”

“Yes,” he replied and moved away from his desk to approach us. “King Rose. You’ve already met the queen. Has she informed you that I am the headmaster of Fae Rose Academy?”

“Headmaster…of Fae Rose Academy…” I repeated to myself.

“I hadn’t reached the details,” the queen declared, walking over to stand next to the king. “Yes. My husband, the King of Rose Kingdom, is also the headmaster of Fae Rose Academy. He’ll make the professors know of your arrival and enrollment, Rosadette.”

“Enrollment…wait.” I lifted my head up to look between the two of them. “What about the whole incident of me punching your son? Aren’t I going to be punished for what I did?”

“Nonsense.” The queen laughed. “In fact, my son should apologize for his inappropriate handling of a lady. Xavier? Isn’t that why you’re standing outside the door?”

There was a long silence before the door opened, and there he was - Prince Xavier with a swollen black eye. I cringed at the sight and was hiding behind Camilla before I registered it. She shook her head, but I already saw the gleaming smile on her lips which told me she was probably doing somersaults in her mind at this new development.

Xavier strolled into the room, the doors closing behind him. He was in casual clothes, which were still of the highest designer brands, the kind you’d see all the rich kids use for activewear instead of fancy formal clothing.

His hair was tousled to one side, and he wore a long-sleeved black shirt and black pants. The only thing that was out of the ordinary for him was his slippers. I stared at them far too long, because he cleared his throat to draw my attention.

“What?”

“Ducky slippers?” I couldn’t hold my tongue with this one, dying to ask the question of the day. It was totally off-topic, but again, I truly couldn’t help it.

“This is my house,” he noted.

“Right…” I replied with a small nod. “Are those the only ones you have?”

Camilla snickered and squeezed my hand. “Sorry. Rosadette is fascinated by cute fuzzy things.”

I blushed and looked away. “My apologies, Prince Xavier.”

He didn’t say anything until his mother coughed. I looked back at Xavier to see the scowl on his face. Even though he was angry, he still was good-looking, which was a tad irritating to admit.

His skin was smooth without a pimple in sight, and his jawline and clean-shaven face would make the girls squeal and want to lick him up.

No fighting off the imaginary girls, Rosadette. He ain’t worth it, nor is that a part of your morals.

He looked right at me before he muttered, “I apologize for my behavior earlier. I could have handled things a lot better than resorting to kidnapping.”

“And…” Camilla stressed, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

“And threatening to put your friend in a year-long coma.”

“Best friend,” I couldn’t help but add the not-so-minor detail.

“Best friend,” he dryly replied. “That’s not the way of our people and it was an act of misjudgment. I apologize.” He bowed his head slightly in what must have been the best version of repentance he could muster.

Camilla looked over at me, and I gave a slight nod of my head.

“We accept your apology,” I replied. “As long as we get ducky slippers.”

Everyone looked my way before the queen burst into laughter, red rose petals raining down on us out of nowhere.

“Ask and you shall receive. I will make sure the maids get ducky slippers.” She grinned and looked to the king. “Shall we carry on with the explanation, or is Xavier revealing the details?”

“The details?” I questioned and looked at Xavier as he lifted his head and looked to his parents. “So I’m the bearer of bad news.”

“It’s not bad,” the queen said with a giggle.

“Sounds bad,” Camilla noted. “Especially when he says it.”

“Hey,” Xavier seethed.

“Prince Xavier would happily tell you of the fine details of what needs to be done. I shall go and get things prepared and let the others on the administrative council know of your enrollment, Rosadette,” the king declared.

“But…you don’t know if I’m going to agree,” I noted.

“You will.” He smiled. “I’m sure you’d like to know the answers to the piles of questions you’ve had about your birth and family origin, correct?”

My mouth opened, but I had no other words to say.

“Exactly.” The king smirked and headed towards the doors. “I’ll see you again, Rosadette. Nice to meet you, Chamomile Goldstone.”

We waited until he left before Camilla whispered to me, “I…didn’t tell him that.”

“I know,” I replied.

“Our castle walls love to listen and deliver the king information. Important facts and such. I’m sure it’s important to know the names of our guests in our own castle,” the queen answered. “Which reminds me. Rosadette, feel free to call me Alicia. I’ll be mentoring you.”

“What?!” I shrieked. “M-Mentoring? As in teaching? Wait. Mentoring what?”

Prince Xavier sighed. “Mother. Maybe I should explain the whole school thing first?”

“Right, right.” His mother giggled. “Explain away. I shall sit and listen.” She took a seat at the desk. Vines that carried various types of red flowers crowded around her.

We turned our attention to Prince Xavier, and he crossed his arms.

“My name is Prince Xavier. I’m sure you’ve already connected the dots with who my parents are and my status in this world. You are here in the Rose Kingdom, and the reason for your summoning is to inform you that you, Rosadette Campbell, are a fae.”

“So another Campbell,” I suggested.

His deep frown told me I wasn’t getting out of this one. He carried on like I hadn’t interrupted him.

“You are of fae blood. The type of fae is yet to be determined, but seeing as your chosen school was automatically Fae Rose, I can assume you are of the light.”

“Light fae. So, does that mean anyone who goes to Fae Rose is of the light?” I inquired.

“Not necessarily.” He avoided my gaze then, more intrigued with the red carpet beneath us then giving me a bored glare. “Both schools have a mixture of both, but the majority of Fae Rose are light fae while Shadow Fae Academy harbors most of the dark fae. The mix is due to certain abilities and traits one carries that makes them a potential to switch over to the opposite, and thus why they are taught at the opposing school. If they reach graduation, they then choose what side they want to be if they are still demonstrating both traits, but the majority of students will choose one or the other.”

“Okay…” I trailed off and looked to Camilla. “Then is Camilla attending with me?”

“No,” he replied. “She’s attending Shadow Fae Academy,”

“I could have answered that on my own.” Camilla looked unimpressed with the release of information, but my heart dropped, and I gave her a worried look.

Camilla patted my shoulder. “Relax. The schools are connected. It’s not like I’m going to be worlds away from you. Plus, I heard the dorms are shared with both schools. We can try and get the same room.”

“The chances of that happening are slim, seeing as Goldstone has already had her dorm assign-”

“If Rosadette wants to share a dorm with Chamomile for her first year, she most certainly can,” Alicia interrupted, looking up from her nails. Her eyes were now a vivid gold compared to their once blue appearance. “If that is what you want, Rosadette, say it now so those arrangements can be made.”

“I want to dorm with Chamomile Goldstone, please,” I immediately responded. I must have sounded desperate as I squeezed Camilla’s hand tightly, but I wasn’t going to attend some new fae school and be stuck with a bunch of girls I knew nothing about.

My gut was telling me this wasn’t going to be the average rich versus poor type of environment. The people I’d encounter here knew their heritage and the magic they carried unlike me, the human novice of a light fae.

Camilla was the only one I currently trusted with my life and sharing a dorm would at least ensure I got back from classes safely.

I hope so…

“Excellent. I’ll get that worked on.” Alicia snapped her fingers. It must have cued something in because the doors opened, and a maid came out, nodded in understanding, and walked right out the room - the doors closing behind her.

“Um…can I ask a question?”

Everyone’s attention turned to me and I gulped, feeling a little fearful of what I had to ask.

“Are you sure what you’re saying is true? I don’t have magic. Nor do I look like any of you. I mean…I’m nowhere near as pretty as Camilla, let alone Your Majesty. I don’t have flawless skin and I wasn’t born into richness or even middle class. I’m an orphan. I have no knowledge of my parents or anything. I’m a commoner compared to all of you. Why would it suddenly change when I’ve done nothing to prove myself?”

Alicia smiled, her head now resting on her hands as her elbows rested against the wooden desk.

“Rosadette. You will soon come to realize how different you are from your fellow fae. We can guarantee that you are fae. Your punch alone carried the same amount of magic as a third-year light fae student, all in three seconds.”

“My punch carried magic?”

“It was why you were able to knock the prince out,” Camilla answered.

Xavier gave her the death stare but didn’t comment.

“Once we get you both situated, you can take a look at the school and dorms, and get a feel of what will be expected of you, Rosadette. Chamomile can come as well, seeing as the two schools are on the same property. That all comes down to whether you want to attend or not. Chamomile was already scheduled to attend Shadow Fae Academy this year. She’s two years late in terms of attendance, but it’s not a problem.”

“Two years?” I looked to Camilla and noticed her cheeks begin to burn red. “I…received my invitation two years ago when you were sixteen. I knew if I left during that time, it would have been devastating, so I requested to hold off a year. Last year wasn’t great either, so I asked for one more year, but I couldn’t get any more extensions after that.”

“You…did that me for me.” I was moved by how much she cared for me.

“I’d destroy the world if I had to if it meant you’d be safe,” Camilla whispered.

“Isn’t this a lovely romance,” Xavier muttered sarcastically.

We both glared at him in return, taking him off guard. He flinched and immediately composed himself. “Anyways. We need to know your answer, so we can make plans. I’m assuming you don’t have any valuables in the lower world.”

“Lower world?” I inquired.

“The human lands,” he elaborated.

“Right,” I mumbled. “Yes, I do want to go down and grab a few things. I don’t have china teacups or fancy jewelry, but I have items of value that I want to bring here.”

It’s not like anyone else is going to miss me. Camilla’s parents will know where she is and no one else in the village really cares if I just poof.

“Very well. We’ll get that done now. School starts on Monday, which is two days from now. Once we gather your valuables, I’ll escort you both to the dorms and you can get situated. Sunday is always considered a rest day for all the fae. I suggest you take advantage and rest, for Monday will start right at dawn.”

A part of me wanted to snap back at his emphasis on valuables, but Camilla squeezed my hand - a sign for me to hush up for now.

“Fine,” Camilla agreed.

Alicia clapped her hands to get our attention and rose up in one smooth movement.

“Delightful. The prime question then is: Rosadette Campbell, will you accept your invitation to attend Fae Rose Academy?”

My eyes locked onto hers, searching them to see if there was a hint of deception in her now-red eyes. She appeared as loving and kind as she did all those years ago. My instincts told me she wanted the best for me, and with whatever mentorship she’d offer me, it could potentially change my life forever.

She’ll help me find my destiny.

“I, Rosadette Campbell, accept your invitation to attend Fae Rose Academy, Your Majesty.”

A RULER NEEDS NO RESPECT FOR THE WEAK AND A SPECK OF LIGHT

~XAVIER~

“HOW LONG?!”

I forced an eye open, my tolerance reaching its limit with this woman. Was I speaking another language? Surely, she had to know the basics of our world.

I could already hear Mother lecturing me on how my apparent destined mate had no clue about this world and what was true.

It was now my duty to aid in her transition from the human world to the world of the fae, and I was already dreading it.

To believe my dear, powerful parents were putting hope in this weak woman was leaving me in a state of worry about whether they had lost their minds in their ever-flowing love for one another. They surely couldn’t wait for me to take over the throne, so they could vacation to the various universes and leave the leadership and rest of the kingdom’s problems to me.

“You’re literally joking right now. No, you’re pulling my leg,” she carried on and shook what she was currently holding: a pair of white undies.

“You have no pride, do you?” I asked, my eyes still on the cotton piece. She followed my gaze, her cheeks burning red in seconds before those flushed cheeks ballooned out and she exhibited a pout that had my heart skipping a beat.

“Hush! I…didn’t know I was holding it.” She quickly hid the piece in the single carrier bag she was currently packing her valuables in. No way would I confess that she was actually cute for two seconds.

Silly females and their emotions, I thought while rolling my eyes.

My eyes lowered to the carrying piece, the poor thing so old and used that I was positive that the various lines and stitches were replaced more than once. It looked to be something handed down a few generations or used far too often. The cloth material looked like it would give out at any moment.

I wouldn’t admit it, but a part of me felt sympathy for her. How could she be satisfied with this lifestyle? I’d acknowledge that she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, but was there no way out of these circumstances?

From the moment when we arrived at the little hut she called home, I’d been impressed that it didn’t reek like the common stench in the town. It was difficult to remain in my disguise because most of the individuals smelled of manure, dirt, or days of alcohol.

It was hard to call upon the bits of nature within the land because of all the filth. They were doing a decent job with the crops and fields, but I’d discovered all those were owned by the rich, who paid pennies for these individuals to work all day and into the late hours of the night to weed and ensure the crops and plants grew.

My observations of this place were only adding to the primary question regarding this Rosadette girl. How did she survive living in these lands when she was fae?

Fae relied on nature to thrive. Human basics like breathing was an obvious priority, but she should have been sick all the time in these poor conditions.

We needed exposure to the sun for long periods of time within the year or we’d become unwell and feel extreme fatigue. Men weren’t as reliant on the sun as women were, but we all gained our strength by grounding our feet in a few inches of soil.

Inhaling deeply and retrieving energy from nature itself helped us gain the strength and stability to tackle the day. We also trained daily to ensure that our bodies were at their peak for any type of endurance.

From the outer appearance, Rosadette looked fit enough to withstand an average sprint. She was a bit on the curvy side with her hips, but her slim waist balanced it out. If she was bathed and dressed in proper clothing, she’d clean up rather nicely.

I once again couldn’t fathom the kind of work she did to keep her fit, or how she kept her figure with the lack of food and general nutrients this place had. From the word I gathered in my disguise, most people ate once a day, unless they worked in restaurants and there were leftovers throughout the day.

It didn’t look like she worked in a restaurant, but how would she sustain her figure on one little meal? The universe surely had her back if she’d survived to this point without getting gravely ill.

From the looks of her physical appearance, she may last this year’s preliminaries.

But her lack of knowledge is going to embarrass her before she starts class.

“You didn’t know that?” I finally answered her.

“That one day in your fairy tale world is a WEEK here?! I swear we left for what, four hours, and a whole day has passed! I didn’t even celebrate my birthday.”

The mention of her birthday and the flicker of disappointment in her purple eyes nudged at my guilt. I may not like her as a candidate for the position of queen, but there were certain things fae treasured the most – and celebrating one’s day of birth was one of them.

“We’ll be back before your birthday ends,” I concluded.

She looked back at me with defiance but held her tongue. Instead, she closed the top drawer of the ancient-looking dresser to open the bottom one. She knelt down and placed her sack bag to her right side.

From where I stood, I was positive the drawer was practically empty. There wasn’t enough for her to settle herself on her knees like she’d be packing for another ten minutes.

She pulled out a picture frame containing the image of two kids with beaming smiles. I could tell one of them was Rosadette due to her uniquely colored eyes, the striking purple being just as prominent in the picture from this distance. The other girl had silver eyes, which made me think of the fae witch.

My eyes caught the smile that formed on Rosadette’s lips before she took one of the two t-shirts she’d packed and wrapped the frame of the picture before placing it into her bag.

She then pulled out a red book, and I immediately shivered at the sight of it.

“What’s that?” I asked. It sounded like more of a demand, the tone of my voice enough to have Rosadette gaze over her shoulder to answer me.

“An empty book,” she casually replied, not caring about the urgency in my voice.

“Empty?” I huffed. “That book is not empty.”

“Look for yourself.” She seemed unbothered. “Though, I don’t think you’ll be able to touch it.”

“Why not?” I was up for the challenge as I took the three steps forward to be standing at her right side. My fingers couldn’t even reach an inch from the bound red book before my whole body jumped like I’d just been shocked by electricity. “What the-”

“Told you,” she replied calmly and opened the book to reveal the empty white pages. “Empty, and only I can touch it. Camilla has already tried.”

“Where’d you get that?”

“An old lady I used to take care of as a kid gave it to me before she passed away. Said I’d have good use for it once I was older. I’ve kept it because the woman was one of the very few to never judge me and when she could, she always would make me extra food for the winter days when I got hungrier. It kind of made me feel special when I was younger, and seeing as it had sentimental value, I figured I’d keep it.”

She placed it within the bag. “Plus, it’s water and fireproof.”

“How do you know it’s fireproof?” I rolled my eyes at her. Waterproof I understood, but fireproof books were extremely difficult to create because they demanded a surplus of magic from the holder of the bound pages. If this old woman had given her the book, it could only be kept in the utmost condition by the new owner.

It was clear this book contained magic from the jolt I’d felt, but with Rosadette’s lack of magic, unless she was trying to kill me, the book should have decomposed or something along those lines.

“This is the…fifteenth time I’ve had to rebuild this home,” she announced. My grumpy expression faded as I lowered my gaze to look at her.

“What?”

“The rich kids think it’s fun to go around this village and burn stuff. Sometimes if we’re lucky they just dump water or garbage on people’s homes, but I’m usually the center of attention. They pour gasoline and light it up. I’ve come back even during the winter to the place in a pile of ashes. The only two valuable things are that book and the frame of me and Chamomile. The picture frame only survived because Camilla’s parents bought it from one of those ancient fae stores, and it protects whatever picture it hosts from all catastrophes. I knew the book was fireproof when they kept burning down my home and it survived.”

I should have answered, but there was nothing I could say. The common person would show sympathy or at least apologize for bringing it up, but all I could think of was coming home to a place during the cold winter, only to find that your home of refuge was burned to the ground.

She smiled, leaving me baffled as she carried on, “It’s not a big deal. During the winters, I’d walk around or stay near the bars and try to find a warm corner. It really depended on the day since weekends were a little dangerous with all the drunk adults at the bar, so I’d sleep in the forest. They did it a couple of times and got bored. It’s the only reason why I only have two sets of clothes now. What’s the point of being given nice things from Camilla, only for them to be burned to ashes?”

“The clothes in your bag are all you own?”

My voice was low and emotionless. I was angry that she’d dealt with that. The fae were beautiful creatures on the outside, but you never knew what they were like as people.

I knew that I was a jerk half the time and that I carried a level of intelligence and knowledge others of my age didn’t reach, but I could admit it, even with the type of fae I was. Others, whether of light or darkness, either lived to the element of good or evil or deceived the world by playing one part but being the other.

“Yup.” She worked on the malfunctioning zipper of the bag until the metal part came off. The two of us were silent before she gave me a sheepish smile and nervously giggled. “This thing is a tad old.”

She closed the drawer and rose up, hanging the bag on her shoulder and looking around the room.

“Hopefully you’ll be standing when I come back.” She spoke out loud, like the building was alive. “Thank you for protecting me.”

Her respect for this building made me speak out of ignorance, “Are you not afraid of appearing like a weakling?”

She slowly turned to face me, her expression calm like I hadn’t technically insulted her.

“What makes me weak?” she questioned back. “Aside from the fact that I’m human, have no magic, and lived as scum in the lower lands.”

I held back at repeating exactly what she’d stated.

“Why do you have no respect for the weak?” she asked.

“Why should I?” I countered. “The weak can do nothing for a ruler. They can’t fight in battles or advise me in leadership. Weaklings are merely burdens and slow us, the strong individuals, down.”

I looked to the door and slipped my hands in my pockets.

“One who rules does not need a weak queen by his side. Nor does he need a weak advisor or army. Being weak is nothing but a curse, and my only worry at this point is that you’ll fall right into the trap set for you by the very people you’ve been excluded from.”

“What do you mean by trap?”

With a heavy sigh, I looked back at her, deciding to give her some advice.

“You’re weak, Rosadette. I won’t bother wasting my time boring you with all the flaws you carry. Your outlook, your upbringing, but most importantly, the lack or absence of magic is what will make you fall so fast at Fae Rose Academy, you’ll wish you never left this hut of a home.”

“You don’t think I can last?”

“Last? The fae do not babysit, Rosadette. You may have been blessed with a fae witch best friend who put up with your human tendencies, but true fae in an academy environment do not have the time for that. The moment you walk onto the grounds, they will work together to isolate you. Maybe in your mind, you believe that this will be the break you’re looking for and you’ll enter a world where they all want good for you. Be warned, that’s not the case. These individuals will despise you. They’ll believe that you skipped a few steps to be able to enter Fae Rose Academy, versus the long, hard years they spent to even get an invitation. They will strike you down at your lowest, and trust me, they will laugh. They will rejoice in your failures, and you will be left alone to mourn your lost pride. When that happens, there’s no rising up from it, so I might as well warn you before you leave the safety of your home.”

I made my way to the door. “Fae Rose Academy isn’t a few minutes away. It’s universes away. We make it seem easy by opening a portal that takes you there in seconds. Once you start class, there is no snapping your fingers and coming back to this lifestyle. This is your chance to accept a new path or remain in what you are comfortable with.”

Pulling my hands out of my pockets, I ruffled my hair and took a long breath.

“I can at least give you that much. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“As a future ruler, you should change your mindset.”

Her stern response caught my interest, and I looked back to see her fixed expression. She didn’t seem mad, but I wasn’t sure how to read her expression.

“The reason why some people become strong is that they were so weak at some point in their lives and they vowed to gain strength. They worked towards getting better at what they lacked, and in return, those efforts awarded them the strength they needed to become strong. Humans may be on the bottom of the race train for many of you fae, but if we were so useless, I’m sure the universe would have gotten rid of us by now. We coexist because we all have a purpose, including me, the weakling who has two sets of outfits to her name.”

She walked closer until we were facing one another, and I looked into her stunning purple eyes, noticing the slight glow of silver in them as she whispered, “I heed your warning and I’ll tackle it when the time comes. However, one thing you’ll learn rather quickly about me is that I’m stubborn and I hate giving up. Push me to the ground. Spit on me and mock my efforts. Steal or burn everything I own or shatter my pride and motivation. I’ve dealt with a lot in my short, boring life, but one thing I’ll never be is a quitter. I’ll fall. I’ll struggle to get on my feet, and I will shed tears of frustration, but I will always rise back up, and no matter my struggles, the universe has always had my back. To you I am weak, but I know within myself that I will prove to you and anyone else that I am strong. It may be a different type of strength than your common analysis of magic and status, but I’ll make sure the world sees me rise and acknowledges the newfound strength they do their best to overlook and belittle.”

There was a knock on the door, and we both moved our heads in that direction to see Camilla with a silver and red suitcase.

“Ready to go?”

“Yup!” Rosadette was back to her cheerful self and skipped over to Camilla, who gave me a long look. She then returned her silver eyes to Rosadette and grinned in approval.

“Got all your sentimental objects?”

“Frame. Check. Zapping book. Check!”

“Ugh. Get that book away from me. Last time it made my hair remain frizzy for hours.”

“You still looked hot though.” Rosadette winked.

“Thankfully,” Camilla sighed. “Let’s go outside.”

The two of them left me where I was, and I viewed the tiny home one more time as Mother’s words came to my head.

“A queen does not need to place her emotions to the side to rule. This is your chance to claim someone who has no knowledge of our world. She may have heard the rumors or read the legends, but she is new to our kind. When she saw you in that drunken state of misery, she did not discard you. She could have dismissed you like the low scum of those around her had. She could have mocked you with her words or insulted you for being incoherent and intoxicated. She warned you to watch for the elders, not knowing you’d already encountered them and dealt with their ridicule. If you are going to be a fool and not acknowledge why she clearly passed the test, then do not shed tears when you lose the opportunity to find another like her.”

I walked further into the room until I stood next to the folded blanket that was on the floor.

“She sleeps on the floor, barely has clothes to wear, is treated poorly by those who she thought were her own kind, and she still carries strength with her words…”

It angered me, just how strong this woman was. It upset me because, for a brief moment, I had to admit that she had potential in some way and she didn’t need to use a single spell to prove herself.

Closing my eyes, I pushed away from the memories that tried to resurface - the laughter of my fellow peers and the loneliness I felt in the walls of the castle.

“A ruler. Respect for the weak…hmph.”

Will she be the light our kingdom needs?

~ROSADETTE~

“CHAMOMILE GOLDSTONE. This is NOT a dorm. This is a damn mansion!” I shrieked and didn’t dare touch a single thing in sight.

Camilla, on the other hand, was making herself right at home - already unpacking her bags on her side of the massive room.

“Dorm. Mansion. Same thing. At least we get to share a room.”

“This is an entire floor,” I emphasized.

“That’s a room for rich people.” She winked. I gawked at her before I looked around once more to the place I was going to be staying in for the next four fae years. I wasn’t going to calculate how many years that would be in human years.

Thinking about it made me realize that whenever I went back to the human world, most of the adults I knew in our village would have passed on. The thought made me a little emotional, even though those same people treated me horribly most of the time.

At least they sheltered and fed me when they could.

I always had to make things positive, and this wasn’t any different.

The dorm room we’d been escorted to upon our arrival was massive. It was a four-story house with a garden, swimming pool, theatre house, and a bunch of other things I’d never known existed.

One of the rooms that stood out was a training room that led to a variety of rooms, depending on your magic needs. It was used to help fae work on their weaknesses first versus what they were already good at.

I’m sure it was something I’d have to use, seeing as I knew nothing about the depth of this world until yesterday - or a week ago in human time.

We were stationed on the fourth floor, which included a large balcony with tea tables, seats, and our own fine china sets. It was amazing to see all that was being given to students.

We each had envelopes that were proof of our official invitations, and we’d be provided school bags that could be proofed to any element.

That only made me wonder why they needed to be proofed. I’d never really experienced what a typical school was like, but I’m sure there were bits of bullying and competition. It could have been that very reason, but until I experienced it myself, I wouldn’t know.

What I truly worried about was not reaching their standards. I wasn’t the prettiest, nor did I have the magic usually needed for a school like this, but I wanted to prove myself so bad.

To show Xavier and all those who doubted my perseverance that maybe deep down there was something powerful inside of me.

A raw source of specialness that could ignite with the proper training and consistency.

“If you’re blown away by this, my friend, you’re going to be stunned when you venture deeper into this world.” Camilla smiled. “I’m gonna go check out if we have a sauna. A bonus would be a nice hot spring. Outdoor and indoor. The options.”

I watched her waltz right out, clearly in her own world of happiness. She was blending in so well, and her excitement had me wondering if I should be just as thrilled to be here.

Currently, I was trying to grasp everything that was going on, not to mention how I got here, to begin with.

At least Xavier isn’t necessarily angry with me.

Or maybe he was and was hiding it with his usual scowling expression.

Peering at the special blank book, I reached for it and stared at the beautifully designed cover.

“Should keep this in my bag. No one can touch it, but that theory has so far only applied to two people. Who knows if someone else can hold it like I can,” I mumbled to myself.

After carefully placing it into the bag, I unpacked the few belongings I had and stared at their wretched appearance against the magnificent, rich fabric of my new bed.

This isn’t going to do…

The thought of going in these rags to start this new life was giving me anxiety. I should have embraced my background and the hardships that came with it, but these clothes would make me a laughing stock for the entire four years of school.

I wasn’t yet sure if we’d be given uniforms of some kind, and I couldn’t hope for that easy outcome.

I can’t keep borrowing from Camilla, either. I don’t have money to buy anything here. I’m sure they don’t go by the standard dollar bills or even gold currency. What am I going to do?

A heavy sigh left my lips as I picked up the pile of my clothes and headed to the closet.

Walk-in closet.

Opening it easily, I searched for the lights.

“There has to be a switch like the one Camilla’s mother has. Or maybe it’s voice command like Camilla’s,” I voiced before whispering, “Lights on?”

The lights gradually turned on, going from a warm dim glow to a fluorescent white. My eyes widened as I took in the massive room.

It wasn’t its gorgeous interior design of cabinets, crystal clear hangers, or the beautiful chandelier that hung down in the middle of the hallway that took my breath away.

What left me speechless was how full it was.

Various clothes including pajamas, athletic wear, and various uniforms hung along the walls, all of it in color coordination. There was even a drawer of lingerie, sectioned by material and style.

I hadn’t realized my six pieces of folded clothes had dropped to the floor, and I’d walked halfway into the masterpiece so I could take in the fine details of everything.

A single card laid on the mini island below the chandelier, the single word, Rosadette, written in the finest handwriting in black ink.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I reached for it with trembling hands and pulled out the birthday card hidden within the red, shiny, paper envelope.

Opening it up, I read the handwritten words.

“Rosadette. Welcome to Fae Rose Academy. Though we’ve clearly started off on the wrong foot, and I truly hate your lack of magic and class…” I trailed off, feeling a little annoyed with the beginning of this apparent letter.

Shaking it off, I carried on, “I also must apologize for my actions. If my parents see potential in you, I’ll have to go along with their wishes. However…the day of one’s birth is taken very seriously in these lands, and you should always celebrate the day you were given life. I know nothing of your circumstances, but I would be a foolish man to not give you something of value after you’ve quietly come to our world to find the truth of what you are - if you are more than just a human. Clothes are essential in this world and seeing as you were given no opportunity to purchase some of your own, I have taken the liberty to get a few items that will hopefully fit your taste. Rest and best wishes as you start school. Don’t annoy me. Xavier Rose.”

A droplet of water hit the paper, right below Xavier’s name. Another fell, followed by another, until I was quietly sobbing and hugging the envelope like it meant the world to me.

We may have started off on the wrong foot, and I’m sure he still hated my guts like he clearly stated in the letter, but the action of gifting me with a filled walk-in closet of clothing that could last me the entire four years here was too much.

I was in awe of the effort he took to pen a letter when he was still recovering from my knockout punch. He didn’t need to do any of this.

Yet I was so thankful that he did.

“Thank you, Xavier,” I whispered, hoping that in some way, my gratefulness would drift through the air and reach his ears. “Thank you so much.”

Entering this land was a scary experience, and I wasn’t sure where I’d end up. However, this proved that there was a bit of light shining through my dark world.

A speck of light that may grow if I take this year seriously and do my best to prove my worth.

A NEW BEGINNING AND MAKING FRIENDS

“I‘ve never slept so well in my entire life.” I put on the new pair of underwear, shocked by how comfy the fine silk was. Not to forget how it was exactly my size.

Whatever magic Xavier possessed to get my exact measurements had me a tad worried, but I’d go with the whole ‘it’s the thought that counts’ excuse and brush it out of my mind.

I was so used to sleeping in the nude that I did just that last night. What a difference a queen-size bed, comfy sheets, and a fluffy blanket could do to your entire body.

I’d never felt this rejuvenated since…well, who knows. I couldn’t even recall. That’s how good my twelve hours of sleep was. To even sleep so long was a blessing, and I was thankful that no one had woken me up.

It wasn’t until I was showering after a good stretch that Camilla entered my room all dressed and ready to go.

“The bedding is definitely nice. I wish it was a king-size bed, though,” Camilla admitted, comparing the bed to her bedroom-size mattress in her room at home. I merely smiled back at her, remembering that this must have not been a big difference from her regular lifestyle.

I probably sound like a noob.

Camilla walked over to me as I fixed my bra and reached for my t-shirt.

“Hey. It’s good to be excited and embrace all of this. I know you’ve never experienced this luxury so don’t let me rain on the grand parade. I’m happy we get to go through this together,” Camilla reasoned with a small smile.

“Ya.” I nodded in agreement. “Too bad we’re technically at different schools.”

“Right,” Camilla sighed. “That’s the annoying part.”

“Could they have made an error?” I suggested as I reached for my black tights.

“Nah.” Camilla shook her head. “Fae rarely make mistakes, especially when it comes to admission. When you do your initiation, it may possibly change, but that’s only if they believe the other school is now a better option for training you.”

I nodded and walked over to the grandstanding mirror to look at my overall appearance.

My purple eyes were shining brightly. It was like I’d recharged the piercing lavender color, and even the silver popped out when it normally looked rather dull.

I’d taken a shower with some exquisite soap that was in the bathroom, and it was already showing the difference in my skin. I didn’t see the need to do any makeup, not like I had much experience with it unless Camilla and I had a night out that was makeup worthy.

I did put on a bit of lip-gloss, so my lips wouldn’t look so dry.

My blonde hair was down in its curly beauty, and the yellow t-shirt hugged my curves and small waist. Black tights helped so my hips didn’t pop out too much, and I was basically ready to go.

My overall appearance was like I’d walked into an actual clothing store and gotten an upgrade. It was the first time I was truly seeing a casual yet stunning image of myself. It was odd to have those two clashing, but the new image of the well-rested me was giving me a ray of hope.

“Your body is at least adjusting well here,” Camilla commented.

I looked back to see that she was sitting on one of the fur patterned stools that were in between two floor-to-ceiling shelves.

“What do you mean? Was I supposed to get sick?”

“Kinda.” She paused to eye me carefully. “Normally, humans have a strong negative reaction when they come to this world. They feel nauseous, weak. It’s like being drained out of all your energy while on the brink of starvation, or something like that. I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, but Father and Mother have explained their encounters a few times.”

“Oh.” I bobbed my head in understanding, which made me realize this would be the best time to confront Camilla about this fae thing.

“So…” I began. “You’re a shadow fae?”

Camilla stared at me for a long second before she leaned back and nodded. “Yup.”

“So you’re not an extravagant, well-off human.” It was hard to acknowledge that I’d been lied to, but maybe she was doing it for my protection? Goodwill? I hoped there was a good reason, even if she may not think I deserved to know the truth.

“I was sworn to not say what I was.” Camilla crossed her arms over her chest. “If I tried to tell you without you finding out through someone else, I’d deal with painful shocks or get a bad stomach ache.”

She shivered at the mention of it. “It’s happened a few times. Not something I’d like to deal with.”

“What makes it stop?”

“When you move your intention to something else completely. Think of it as a warning. When your mind lingers on revealing what you’ve sworn to protect, your body reacts negatively until you’re forced to push it to the back of your mind once more. The best thing to do is not think of it at all. However, there’d been a few times in our childhood and teen years when I’d wanted to share the truth, and thus, the reason why I’d be sick for a week or be a bitch.”

“Unless you’re on your period,” I reminded.

“Right.” She gave me a smirk that held a bit of irritation to it. “Fuck periods.”

I grinned, but the thought of being lied to for so long was weighing down my mood.

“Rosadette.”

Raising my head to meet her frowning gaze, she whispered, “If I could have told you, I would have. This has nothing to do with trust. You earned that years ago, and I do value you as a dear friend. If I said the truth, I could potentially die from the negative effect of revealing what I swore not to say, or be punished by the council I’m under. It was honestly for your own good, because if I told you too soon, you may have been brought to this world far too early for it to benefit you. I wasn’t sure what would happen when you reached eighteen, but I hoped if you were a fae, you’d find your roots and heritage along with adulthood.”

She rose up and bowed her head slightly, almost like she was a knight serving royalty.

“I apologize for lying to you. I’ll make sure that if I can share something, I’ll let you know.”

Her genuine apology had me walking over to her and patting her shoulders with a nervous expression.

“Okay, you’re forgiven. Don’t need to make it seem like you confessed to murdering someone. I wasn’t that hurt by it, but thank you for apologizing. I really appreciate it, especially because you’re my best friend.”

Camilla’s eyes looked into mine.

“I know.” She reached out to flick my forehead.

“Ow.”

“Loving moment is over. We gotta start preparing you.” She rose right up and clapped her hands. “You’ve gotta start studying.”

“Studying?” I questioned while rubbing my forehead. “For what exactly?”

“Entrance exam. Think of it like an initiation.” Camilla walked out of my closet, and I had to quickly follow her as she made her way towards the stairs.

“Thankfully, we have a large library, but yours and my curriculums are different. Light fae have to study things that center on nature, goodwill, and magic that complements you. Studying the basic knowledge of the fae is vital if you want to survive here. Sure, power, magic, all that fancy stuff is important when it comes to defense and proving yourself worthy, but with academies like these, those are all second class. They are not as vital as knowledge.”

She twirled around to face me; her red dress that clung to the top half of her body twirled with elegance as the fluffy bottom part lowered upon her pause.

“I’ll do what I can to study with you, but it’s going to be a good idea to make some friends here. I met the girls downstairs who live on the 3rd floor. Not bad. If you can handle my bitchy time of the month days, you’ll survive.”

“I love how confident you sound.” I felt like I’d need to walk around with a notepad if I was going to remember half of what would be fed to me through this preparation period.

Camilla was beautiful, and a lot of people assumed that due to her genetics, she didn’t need to study, let alone hold a book. She was extremely smart and it didn’t take her long to read an entire book and have it all memorized.

I wasn’t bad at studying but hands-on tactics worked far better. If I was going to learn something, saying it out loud repetitively was my best shot at doing well. This school thing was going to test my limits, but I was feeling motivated to prove that I deserved to be here.

Even with my slight lack of confidence.

Camilla was waiting for me to give her a better response than my blunt comment.

“I’ll do my best. Fighting!” I raised my clenched fists up in a cheer. I remembered it from one of those foreign drama shows Camilla once let me watch with her and how they cheered themselves and one another on.

“Good.” She nodded. “Also, whoever you’re partnered with for the exam will have the same mark as you, so if you screw up, so do they.”

“No pressure at all,” I sarcastically stated, my stomach flipping in nervousness at the new information. “Please don’t let me be partnered with Xavier.”

“You’re probably partnered with Xavier,” she said like she already saw the results.

“Say it ain’t so.”

“The queen mentioned it. Maybe you were in the middle of eye-gazing the property.”

“Right…” I trailed off and sighed. “It’s all good! I’ll show him how smart I am.”

“That’s the spirit,” Camilla encouraged. “But first, breakfast.”

“Okay.” I beamed and hooked my arm around hers when she turned around. “We’ll still remain best friends, right? Even if we’re going to different schools?”

My vulnerable, soft voice had Camilla glancing over at me, our faces inches apart.

“You’re stuck with me, Rosadette. I’ll be your female knight in shining armor. Anyone bothers you, tell me. I’ll kick their ass gracefully and prove they shouldn’t mess with a future queen.”

I laughed at the last part, shaking my head before hugging her arm.

“Future queen my butt. Do you see me and Xavier being anywhere close on the compatibility scale? We’re probably on the opposite ends with magnets holding us back.”

“True, but you never know. Opposites attract.”

“No, they don’t.”

“You’re a light fae and I’m a dark fae, yet we’re the best of friends,” she reasoned.

“That’s because Mother Fate felt pity for my sorry, lonely booty and brought you along to end my misery,” I joked.

“Maybe, but it worked out nicely. Plus, didn’t a certain prince buy you a whole new wardrobe?”

My cheeks flushed while I immediately thought of an excuse, “H-He said it was fae culture to celebrate birthdays or something like that,”

“True, but he could have bought you one pair of lace underwear and not thirty in every shade of the damn rainbow. Plus, he bought the rest of the clothes in your name, and he got the exact sizing, too.” She unhooked my arm to look me up and down.

“Gotta admit. He did good,” she hummed before skipping out of the room.

She’s so damn happy! Ugh.

When Camilla was pleased with all the things in her life, she would skip around and be the happiest person ever. She also loved to tease me.

“I still hate him!” I called out.

“Make sure you thank him when you see him! Breakfast is ready.” She was already down the first flight of stairs and probably down the hall of the third floor.

“She’s lucky she’s a keeper,” I mumbled with a smile on my face.

“ROSADETTE,” Camilla snarled at me, trying to keep her voice as low as possible. “I swear to the fae gods, if you eat one more plate of pancakes, I’ll pump your stomach out!”

“B-But!” I hissed back, blinking my eyes like an innocent puppy. “They’re so good.”

“When those new clothes can’t fit, you’re going to be crying real tears. Don’t go asking me to get you new ones because I’m on a fae budget over here,” she barked back.

I pouted my lips and glanced at the empty plate.

She did have a point. I’d practically inhaled five plates of freshly made pancakes, each plate having five fluffy puffs of sweetness layered in blueberry syrup, fresh strawberries, powdered sugar, and chocolate drizzled on top. The last one had marshmallows and strawberry syrup, which only made me want another round.

I’d been ignoring the others’ wide gazes. Everyone else consumed one plate, while Camilla was working on her third.

It wasn’t my fault I had the biggest appetite in the world right now. This type of lavish food was what the rich humans ate when they could go to those special restaurants, the ones that were booked out for months in advance.

So far, there were five light fae living in our “dorm”, leaving Camilla as the only shadow fae. They were all super nice, accepting us with wide smiles and all. It looked like they knew one another.

The leader was a blonde, blue-eyed light fae named Ella. From her attire, she looked super-rich, from her tightly bundled curls that seemed absolutely perfect, to the ironed out, wrinkle-free, white dress she wore.

She had one of those vibes that truly shouted out QUEEN up into the mountains, and from how elegantly she was using the proper utensils to eat a simple batch of pancakes, I could tell she must be working to achieve that very rank.

The others were dressed less extravagantly. From Camilla’s earlier comment when we’d gone for seconds, they were all apparently from rich families across the fae world.

The whole fae thing was going to be hard to grasp because there were various courts, and that was even before the different kingdoms.

Light and dark were special in themselves, surrounded by the four courts that were based on the seasons. From their legends, only a few individuals could harbor the elements of all four courts and produce both light and dark.

To be able to use light and dark spells at a great caliber was deemed worthy enough for the middle class and under to bow to your feet. If you trained hard enough, you could excel right into the higher class just based on power.

It intrigued me how in some areas, knowledge, or what Camilla would emphasize as wisdom, was far more important, while in other cases, the magic you were able to manifest could make kingdoms lower to your feet.

Their talk was interesting to listen to while I carried on my eating spree, but I was making sure I was full and ready to face whatever came my way here. I wasn’t necessarily on my tiptoes, waiting for the action to burst from the shadows, but I was hyping myself up to learn and grow in preparation for school.

I had to be super giddy and excited to excel at things like studying, and that was what my plan was.

“Fine. I’ll leave some room for lunch,” I concluded.

She looked over to my sad expression and groaned.

“Fine. One more plate.” Her permission had me up and literally skipping over to the kitchen island where a tall maid name Amanda was waiting with a fresh batch of pancakes.

“How did you know?” I questioned when I reached her, seeing the marshmallows and strawberry syrup combo.

“It’s a part of my quality.” She smiled brightly. “It’s why I’m the head cooking and cleaning maid here. If you need anything, Rosadette, feel free to ask me. I’m always around if you need a snack or are super hungry. You need to make sure you’re well-fed to excel in school.”

Her encouragement almost had me teary-eyed. So far, everyone had been so nice to me, even though I was “human scum” to their kind.

“Thank you so much.” I smiled and accepted the plate while she took my empty one.

“No worries. Once you’re finished, feel free to leave the plate in the sink. Our dish maid will come and take them for detailed cleaning. Have a good rest of the day.” She bowed her head at me and walked to the sink.

With all the smiling I was doing this morning, I was surely going to have sore cheeks. Walking back to the table, I noticed the stares from the opposite half where the other girls sat.

Camilla, on the other hand, was finishing the last bits of her pancakes.

“That was delightful,” she announced as I sat down. “Got the same marshmallow one?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I took a bite.”

“Fae food is always the best,” Camilla said with a sigh. “Sometimes my mom would get delivery if the rich side of town didn’t have a lot of good choices. The richness in flavor is out of this world.”

“I can tell,” I replied, before digging right into the steaming hot plate.

“Do you eat a lot simply because?” one of the four girls questioned. The bitterness in her voice had me pause to look up and then down to where she sat.

She was a ginger with freckles. Some would think of freckles as faults, but I thought they were beautiful against her slightly tanned skin. They seemed rather accurate though, leaving me to wonder if she’d drawn them on somehow.

I’m sure with magic, she could just snap her fingers and get the appearance she wanted. Her hair was shoulder-length, the ends curled while the top part was straight bangs that covered her forehead.

I think her name was Monica, and she was Ella’s best friend.

“Where I come from, we don’t get pancakes,” I replied casually. “Not even on special holidays like Christmas.” I went back to eating, wanting to finish before they got cold.

“How unfortunate,” she replied.

“Monica. What’s with that tone?” Ella inquired while eyeing her best friend. “Just because you can’t eat as many pancakes without gaining ten pounds doesn’t mean you should be so bitter about it.”

The other two friends giggled, while Monica blushed.

“Whatever. I’m not bitter or anything. Just curious as to why she’s eating like a pig.”

“Hey.” Camilla was the one to speak up, tilting her head to one side questioningly.

That was never a good sign and I quickly laughed, which caught their attention.

“I’m not offended at all. I was honestly famished from the journey here. I better work out hard tomorrow or it’ll all go to my hips and thighs.”

There was no need for disagreements. I was trying to be on everyone’s good side, especially with these entrance exams coming up.

“Yes,” Ella happily agreed. “You deserve to make sure you’re fed, like everyone else. Don’t worry about Monica. I woke her up on the wrong side of the bed.”

Monica didn’t say anything, going back to fiddling with her half-eaten pancake with a silver fork. Camilla’s narrowed eyes were still on Monica, but I slipped my hand onto her right leg and patted it gently.

She looked my way, her eyes questioning me, but I gave her a wide smile, hoping she’d drop the insult. With a huff, she picked her plate up.

“I’m going to go see what I need to study for my exam seeing as I’m the only shadow fae here. Rosadette? You’ll be good, right?”

“Yup! I’ll be fine. I’ll try to start studying,” I assured her.

“Good.” She smiled and looked at the others. “If you guys know any tips to help Rosadette out, I’d greatly appreciate your kind service. She’s good at group study.”

“I love group study.” Ella clapped her hands. “I’m sure we can help out!”

“Cool.” Camilla seemed unbothered by Ella’s friendliness. So far, she was being rather cold around them versus me, but maybe that was the persona she always projected, and I didn’t notice it much.

“Bye, Camilla.” I gave her a slight wave before finishing off my glass of water.

“See ya, Rosadette,” she replied with a back wave as she headed out.

She normally didn’t use my full name like she had today, but it could be one of those days. Or due to the new environment.

Giving the girls a sweet smile, I finished off my plate and sighed in relief.

“So, Rosadette. We didn’t really formally introduce ourselves,” Ella piped up as she gestured to her friends.

“Ah, yes.” I used the napkin to wipe my mouth and sat a little taller.

“Rosadette. Nice to meet all of you.”

“I’m Ella. Monica is on my right, Emily to my left, and Bella on my far left. We’re all from different courts but are the best of friends.” She talked like one of those preppy school girls you’d hear in dramas.

Imagine the most annoying chick on campus.

I had to keep my remarks to myself since she was being super nice to me when we’d just met.

“Hey,” the three of them greeted, their tones rather monotone in comparison to Ella’s joyous one. Ella grinned happily before clapping her hands.

“Now that we’re done with breakfast, we should get right into studying. I heard the test is in front of all the first years.”

“In front of all the first years?” I questioned. “Meaning we’re on some type of stage or something?” I inquired.

“Yup.” Emily, who had green hair and black eyes nodded. “You’re in a massive auditorium, almost like a battle stadium with tall platforms. You’re questioned in front of the king and queen with your partner, and the crowd judges you based on your performance. Sometimes you get just a knowledge test. Other times it’s a physical test. Very few entry-level tests have both.”

“Wow.” I cringed at the idea and sat a little taller. “I’m going to have to study hard.”

“Do you know your partner?” Ella asked.

“Um…no. Not yet,” I replied.

“It should be in the invitation you got.” Bella rose from her seat, flicking her brown locks and blinking her orange eyes. “I’m going to go get my study stuff from upstairs.”

“Me too!” Emily cheered. “Ella. I’ll get your study bag.”

“You’re a darling,” Ella praised. “Thank you.”

“No prob.” The two of them smiled at both of us before heading to the stairs.

“Hmph. You don’t stand a chance,” Monica muttered, her eyes directly on me. “Unless you’re partnered with the prince himself.”

“Ah, he’s attending this year, right?!” Ella squealed dreamingly. “My mother is trying to schedule a meeting with him. Obviously, I’ll still have to work hard on impressing the queen. She may be accepting a student this year.”

“The queen is actually going to accept someone?” Monica seemed impressed. “I’d give that a shot. That would be bonus points if you got chosen.”

“Monica.” Ella gave her a side-eye. “Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

She let out a breath and rolled her eyes. “Broke up. We’re not compatible and good guys are boring. Everyone needs a Xavier to spice their life up. Not Mr. Goody Two Shoes. You were interested in him, right? You can be the one to mend his heart.”

Ella laughed casually, but I felt like there was a hidden meaning to the sound. Like mockery?

“You know my standards have gone up over the last year. My mother has connections and I was privileged enough to be trained by the best in etiquette, magic, and presentation.” She pulled back from her chair and rose up. “I’ve been studying for this very day. Eight months of physical training and a full year with my head in thousands of books. I know everything about the entire curriculum for this year, and I’m already preparing for next year. I’m like a walking Fae Rose encyclopedia.”

“An entire year,” I whispered nervously, trying my best not to feel completely defeated. There was no way I’d have enough time to learn enough about this coming entrance test.

“Rosadette? Why the long face?” Ella questioned me with a small pout on her perfectly pink lips.

“Ah…” I gave her a shy grin. “I just feel kinda defeated. I just arrived here or, well…learned what I am. There’s no way I’m going to be able to gain enough knowledge in time for this exam.”

She clapped her hands and proudly placed her hand on her chest.

“Do not worry about such little things. As fae, we should help one another so we can rise up and achieve greatness together. I’d happily help you study and teach you everything you need to know.”

“R-Really?” I was lost for word at her kindness. “Are you sure?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “It’s not your fault you’re only finding out about your fae roots now. Do not concern yourself. I’ll gladly help you. We can start today once the girls come down with my study materials. I suggest you get something to write in for notes. There are lots of things to go over.”

“Ella. Thank you so much!” I rose up and bowed my head to her.

“It’s nothing. I’m merely doing my job as a friend. That’s what we are now.” Her wide grin displayed her perfect, white teeth. “Let me be one of the many to welcome you here to this kingdom. You’ll fit right in.”

“Thank you so much,” I replied and looked at Monica, who had a deep frown. My attention only made her roll her eyes yet again in exaggeration before she got up.

“I’m going to study on my own terms,” she declared. “See ya, Ella.”

She didn’t even look my way, let alone bid me farewell as she headed to the stairs.

“Does she hate me?” I questioned Ella.

“Ah. Monica is still dealing with her break up.” She leaned in as if she had some juicy gossip to spill, and I ended up leaning closer by default. “She used to date another prince.”

“Wait, really? Like a prince like Xavier?”

Ella nodded before she crossed her arms and shook her head. “A pity, really. He’s hot, well established, and powerful. Think of him as Xavier 2.0, but totally kind and respectful. You can tell with her personality that she’s the polar opposite of someone at that level of nice, so they didn’t work out. Sucks, but maybe he’ll finally get the queen he deserves.”

“Isn’t Monica your best friend?” I inquired.

“She is.” Ella lifted her shoulders up and down. “She’s rather hopeless but good to keep around. She’s become a loner recently. She only hangs around us when she feels like it. Poor thing. She’ll hopefully get over her heartbreak. Until then, we just support her when we can.”

Walking around the table, she reached my side and offered her hand. “It’s going to be amazing to have you as a part of our dorm, and I know we’ll be the best of friends. I have connections to most of the students in year one, so if you have any issues, please tell me. I’ll have them handled immediately.”

“Thank you, Ella, for your kindness.” I appreciated her act of generosity. I placed my hand in hers and received a reassuring squeeze.

“Anytime, Rosadette. Go upstairs and get your materials,” she encouraged.

“Yes,” I replied and rushed to the stairs.

Reaching the fourth floor, I was back in my room and getting a fresh new notebook Camilla had left for me and a pen.

Noticing my invitation, I quickly reached for it and pulled out the expensive parchment paper in gold to scan the introduction and important dates.

“A week before the test…” I trailed off when I noticed my partner’s name in big bold letters.

Prince Xavier Rose.

“Great…” I mumbled.

There was no way I was going to let him down. I was desperate to prove to him I was here to stay.

Today’s the start of a new beginning, and with my new friends, I’m going to ace this entrance exam.

ENTRANCE CHALLENGE FOR A WEAKLING

~XAVIER~

“DID YOU NOT SLEEP?”

I’m sure if my mother was around, she’d scold me for the bitterness in my almost emotionless voice. It could have very well sounded like I was annoyed, but I was losing my patience with how sluggish this woman was being on the day of our entrance exam.

Out of all the people in the land, I was partnered with Rosadette. I heard from the maids that Rosadette had been studying immensely all this week.

I wasn’t one to talk, but I was curious to see how serious she was taking this academy admission thing and to hear that she was studying diligently actually impressed me.

However, it didn’t dawn on me that she’d stay up the entire night the day before the exam just to study. The entrance exam would be of basic fae knowledge, something you could get out of a local introductions book from the library.

She could have been a slower learner, but her lack of sleep wouldn’t benefit anyone if she passed right out.

“I…wanted to finish reviewing,” she mumbled. Her eyelids must have felt like weights because she could barely keep them open. “I just need a minute or two.”

“Or five.”

I looked back at the door to see Camilla with a cup of what smelt like caramel coffee. She walked into the room, in her full uniform compared to Rosadette, who must have been in her clothes from yesterday.

She reached where I stood as Rosadette rubbed at her eyes.

“Camilla. I’m dying.”

“You’re not on your period so relax,” Camilla huffed. “I got you special fae coffee, dosed up with some energy to spark you awake. You’ll probably crash hard later, but at least the test will be over with.”

“I love you.” Rosadette looked miserable as she accepted the cup of light brown liquid with a bit of foam on the top.

How women easily threw around the whole period comment always blew me away. The word alone made me shiver half the time, which I’m sure was immature for a male my age.

I couldn’t grasp bleeding down there for no reason. Well, I’m sure there was a reason and the whole arrival of it was to prove the woman would not bear a child, but I’m sure there could have been other means.

The day the fae figured out a way to stop it would probably never come because they respected Mother Nature and the way their bodies were created.

Just a reminder of why I was thankful for being a male and not a female.

Watching Rosadette sip on her coffee, I took in how her clothes fit her perfectly, which meant my observation was accurate enough.

I was worried when I’d requested her clothes that they would run a tad big, but the benefit of magic was it could solve tiny issues like these which on the lower realms would be catastrophic for a single seamstress.

Or team, with the number of clothes I’d ordered.

I must have been possessed with kindness to go so far as to order her lingerie in every color on the color chart, but her predicament moved me. I hoped she’d prove worth the time and money spent, which was a tad cold when I’d felt like doing good for her.

One of the many things I struggled with when it came to acting kind. One minute, I felt good with the deed committed, and the next, I was screwing it up with my judgment and thinking process.

At least I’d kept my thoughts to myself this time around.

I looked to the bed, noticing the sheets of paper with tons of notes in neat handwriting. Walking over to retrieve one of them, I scanned how much information filled the lined page and the details.

I arched an eyebrow, unsure what she’d be studying.

Is her thought process off?

With a shrug, I put the paper back in its spot, deciding to not care about the bits of information I’d scanned.

“How’s studying been?” Camilla asked.

Returning my gaze to Rosadette, I noticed she was halfway through her cup of coffee but looked better than before. At least she could keep her eyes open this time around.

“Dreadful, but I worked really hard. I studied all the books Ella gave me and made notes and everything. I wanted to go to the main library and see if I was missing anything, but I didn’t want to offend Ella either. She worked really hard to teach me everything she knows. She’s been studying for a solid year for this day.”

“A year.” Camilla had an odd expression on her face. “Silly when she’s a born fae. The test shouldn’t be extremely hard. In your case, I understand, but you really went overboard, Rose,”

“I know,” she admitted and gave a tired grin. “I just don’t want to fail, you know? This is a big deal. It’s not like those poor classes I took and got made fun of by those mean kids for lacking knowledge of the content and all that.”

Camilla sighed and gave a kind smile to her best friend.

“As long as you’re giving it your all, that’s what matters.”

“Yes,” Rosadette said quietly. “Still…fighting.”

It would be inhuman for me to not feel an ounce of pity for her. She looked dreadfully exhausted and deep down, I wanted to do something to help her.

My pride wouldn’t let me do that with Camilla around, but at least the test wouldn’t be very long. Our session was in the fifth corridor of Fae Rose, and I wondered what her reaction would be with the vast audience.

Many were attending because of my official entry, but the word of a human entering Fae Rose Academy had spread like a mass of fireflies and I’m sure her peers were dying to know what she would be like.

The pressure would be on, and I didn’t believe she’d be able to handle the heat.

“Let me gather your uniform. We have to go soon,” Camilla offered.

“Thank you,” Rosadette responded and drank more coffee. Camilla glanced over to me, studying me for a few seconds before she headed for the closet.

Whether or not that woman despised me was beyond me. I didn’t blame her, seeing as it looked like she was a protective friend, but I’d been deemed worthy of calling her Camilla instead of Chamomile, apparently.

That was progress.

I respected her for a number of reasons, the most important being the power she hid so effortlessly. She had a cold, calm demeanor around herself when she wasn’t around Rosadette, but her power had shown a few times this week when she was “fitting in” with the shadow fae and was the quiet talk of the campus.

She was apparently a worthy candidate for the dark prince, from what the hushed gossip had been revealing amongst the professors and students.

I slightly wished I’d been partnered up with her, but in my very special case, beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Deep down, we needed Rosadette, or at least, I did. If she was truly destined to be who my parents hoped for, unity between us would spark amazing change.

“Ella taught you the entire time?”

“Yes.” She looked up at me, her purple eyes finally getting their blazing flare back. “Thank you.”

Her soft whisper had me blinking back at her.

“For the birthday gift.” She held the mug closer to her, the steam rising as she closed her eyes. “I’ve never received anything of that extent ever. The clothes were really needed to make feel less alien here.”

Her eyes opened and pure happiness swarmed those purple orbs while those hints of silver gleamed like hidden jewels.

“I tried really hard to hopefully not bring you down. Ella gave me all the resources, which was really nice of her. I’m going to have to figure out how to repay her, but I’m really happy people are so nice here.”

Is she naive?

“Not everyone is nice here,” I bluntly declared. She lifted her head to look at me, noticing my cold expression. “People love to pretend when they think you’d be a good asset to have around. Don’t trust so easily.”

“But…they’re your people.”

“And I don’t trust them,” I boldly replied. “Fae have two sides, and you’d be surprised how many cruel ones hide behind smiles.”

“Well-” She looked conflicted, but I cut her off. “You’re not going to last if you don’t smarten up.”

“I…studied,” she noted.

“I don’t mean on content, Rosadette.” She’d be run down if she believed everyone so easily. “Your human ignorance is showing, and it’ll get you mocked if you believe everyone is your friend because they smile to your face.”

Turning around, I put my hands in my pockets.

“You may be considered a human for some time until you can prove yourself otherwise, but it doesn’t mean you’re not competition. Do you know how many people want to be the designated partner with me, the prince?”

“I’m not sure.” Her tiny voice made me sigh.

“It’s good you studied and don’t want to bring me down, because I won’t tolerate any of that. I’m here to ace these next four years, and that starts with this entrance exam. It may not mean much, but it’s the foundation that proves where you stand. If I’m stuck with you, I better not be brought down for any reason that isn’t due to my slacking.”

“We’re only partners for the test,” she mumbled.

“We’re partners until the king and queen say otherwise. Until then, which I hope is soon, don’t bring me down.”

I was being a harsh asshole again, but I wanted her to realize where we stood. We needed someone strong to one day rule, and if she was going to be my apparent soulmate, she’d better learn fast where my expectations lay on the scale of seriousness.

“Understood,” was all she said.

“Are you done making my best friend feel like shit, or should I kick you in the balls to prove my disapproval of your rude warnings?”

“I’ll be waiting outside,” I declared and was out the door.

Today wasn’t the day to play with the feisty knight.

The door was closing before I heard her quiet whisper, “So much for thanking him.”

I was now feeling bad in seconds, and I quietly cursed for once again letting my bitterness get the better of me. My goal was to treat her like a delicate rose, but all I’d done was stress her out.

Not to forget that I made her feel like a foolish human.

Shaking my head, I leaned against the wall to wait, deciding it was best to zone out and ready my magic for whatever was about to transpire.

All I could hope for was that our exam would be either a test or physical challenge. If it was either, it meant I could step in and volunteer to go first. That way, she could just sit and watch. How thankful I was that this was all a test that didn’t truly impact our final ranks.

I had a feeling this woman would screw this up somehow, but I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

It’s only a matter of time before she has no choice in accepting that she’s merely a weakling.

FAILURE BEFORE THE JOURNEY BEGAN

~ROSADETTE~

“DON’T BE NERVOUS. You studied hard. I’ll cheer you on once I finish mine,” Camilla assured me. I swallowed down my nerves, hoping she was right. I should have felt confident after studying so hard this week. It was honestly the most effort I’d put into anything, and my nervousness was triggered by my desire to prove myself.

Our test was being conducted in this massive arena, one that wasn’t close to size of their apparent auditorium we’d gotten to see on our way here. That was already huge, so I couldn’t imagine this arena we were headed to.

Students and the general public were allowed to be here, and they didn’t hesitate to fill every seat in the gigantic room.

Their cheers and vocal excitement only contributed to my worry. I was partnered up with Xavier, the prince they all already loved and adored. I couldn’t possibly bring him down.

We’d been told the general rules and the breakdown of our exam, that it would go either one way or the other.

The decision would be based on the professors: the king and queen. In this scenario, the king was designated headmaster, and would be addressed as so, but the queen seemed to be the very talk of the arena.

From the talk we overheard on our way here, the queen rarely attended the initiation exams. If she attended, it was a hint that she was intrigued by training a sole student. That training could last from one to all four years of Fae Rose Academy, and the last one to be trained by her was a hundred years ago.

A hundred years!

To be chosen by her meant you were blessed with potential, grace, and could be deemed the chance of queenship. I could only assume the last one that had been chosen must have not been of interest to the prince, or he was far younger and not interested.

From the buzzing gossip, whoever was chosen could even be arranged to marry Xavier.

I wasn’t sure how he felt about it; the mentions of it always made his frown deepen, even when it was a tiny whisper. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to court or be arranged to marry someone you may not be interested in.

Not like I could say much about love since I’d always hit a sour patch when it came to that subject.

For now, my main focus was to try and do my finest to prove my worth. With the arena’s immense beauty, I couldn’t imagine how magnificent the school would be on the first day, and it was just one of the many things pushing me forward.

“Can you stall later? We need to get into our sectored spots,” Xavier grumbled.

And Xavier’s bossy butt.

“Good luck, Camilla. You’ll do amazing,” I encouraged, knowing she really didn’t need help. From the jet-black pants and blazer to the red tie that popped out from the creamy white dress shirt, Camilla looked like she was already ready to go.

Her brunette hair kept its slightly curled look, and with the dark red lipstick that cloaked her lips and her slightly tanned skin, she exuded professional kickassery, if that was even a word. Her silver eyes shone brightly. The added white and black stripes on her tie made me envy their uniform.

Since I didn’t have all the qualifications a fae would, I wasn’t given a blazer like everyone else. I wore a similar white dress shirt with dark blue pants, and a bright red tie with black and white stripes. The shade of red was far brighter than Camilla’s dark blood-like shade.

I could have been looking too into things, but when I noticed my other peers had blazing gold blazers, I felt out of the loop.

Xavier, on the other hand, wore dark blue pants, a white dress shirt, and a gold vest with a matching tie like mine. He looked extra special with the vest, since no one else had it.

Pushing appearances aside, I gave Camilla the best smile I could muster as we said our quick goodbyes and I saw her off. She was up first, but since she was a shadow fae, her test was in another arena.

I’m sure she’d finish and come back in time to watch mine, but part of me wished I could get all of this over with and be by my best friend. How I’d enjoyed my alone moments back home when I’d worked deep in the fields.

To be in this environment that buzzed with people that put themselves on a pedestal of extravagance only proved just how out of place I was. Their perfect figures, flawless skin, prominent body language, and fae confidence shone brightly even though we all wore almost the same uniform.

I felt like a whale in a sea of impeccable dolphins.

“Can we go?” Xavier gave me an impatient look, those icy eyes glaring into mine. His cold nature wasn’t helping me, and it must have shown because he groaned and reached for my hand.

“It’s just a test, Rosadette. It’s not a life and death fight. Relax and breathe.” His harsh comment made me put my head down and give a submissive nod. I wasn’t in the mood to fight right now.

I could vomit that cup of coffee and anything else that hadn’t digested from last night’s dinner if I wasn’t afraid of making a fool of myself. He tugged at my hand, ignoring my quietness as we made our way to our sectioned area.

When we arrived, my nervousness went down a bit when I saw Ella, Monica, and a third woman. She had long, dark green hair that reminded me of emeralds, and her onyx eyes seemed to stand out from her pale skin.

She wore the Shadow Fae Academy uniform, and she was in deep conversation with Ella before our arrival.

“Hey Ella,” I greeted, though my voice sounded like a squeaking mouse. She grinned marvellously, but her eyes were set on Xavier.

“Hey, Rosadette,” she greeted, her eyes lowering to our joined hands. Her questioning eyebrow arched up, and I noticed the slight drop of her joyous aura, but Xavier let go and huffed.

“Next time you slow me down, I’m ditching you to get lost for the rest of the year,” he snarled at me.

“Sorry,” I apologized, which only made me feel shittier.

Why the hell am I being so…submissive? I’m not like this.

Was I so afraid of my new surroundings? Did I truly not fit into this world so much that I had to cower among my peers? I’m a fae like them. C’mon, Rosadette. Get a grip.

My self-talk should have helped me, but a look at Monica’s dark glare made me want to hiccup and hide behind Xavier in fear.

Screw Xavier. I’d run and hide behind a damn pillar to get away from that look. It was one of those intense gazes you gave to your worst enemy. Scratch worst enemy.

It’s what you gave to someone you wanted dead.

“Who’s this?” the girl with emerald-like hair questioned the girls as she eyed me with a tiny grin. “You don’t look fae,”

“Ah.” Ella giggled and gestured to me. “This is Rosadette. She’s apparently a fae from the lower worlds. She’s human but has fae qualities.” Her introduction had me frowning.

A human with fae qualities? That’s not it at all. I am fae, right?

I glanced at Xavier, but his eyes were elsewhere, viewing the massive crowd in the circular arena. Glancing back to the three girls, I cleared my throat and tried to stand a little taller.

“I am a fae. That’s what I was told. I’m trying to find that out and thus, the reason why I was offered to attend Fae Rose Academy. I was raised as a human back down in Himalayan,” I explained, hoping my slightly trembling voice didn’t completely give away my hint of fear.

Monica sighed dramatically. “What a sad predicament. They must have been lying to you, since I don’t sense any magic coming from your dull body. Not even an aura.” She rolled her eyes. “Not a big deal. You won’t even last the first couple of classes. Should feel lucky this is an entrance test that doesn’t count.”

Ella was silent while the new girl among them gave a shy grin. “Don’t mind Monica. She’s just amped up for the test. My name is Esmeralda. Funny, seeing as my hair is naturally emerald. Nice to meet you, uh…Rosadart?”

“Rosadette,” I corrected.

“Right.” She nodded. “Funny how you’re named after the lost royal family.”

“Lost royal family?” I pouted my lips, unsure what she was talking about, but Xavier cleared his throat. “Esmeralda? Don’t you have somewhere to be? Your exams aren’t here.”

“You’re right, Prince Rose. Thank you for so kindly reminding me.” She blinked her eyes seductively at him before she walked past us. “Pleasure to meet you, Rosadart.”

“Rosadette,” I corrected a second time.

“Right,” she replied. “Ella, Monica, I’ll see you guys after. Lunch on me.”

“Alright,” Ella sweetly replied. “See you, Esme!”

“Bye, Esme,” Monica kindly bid farewell. Her tone was far nicer than how she’d spoken to me. She must have a vendetta against me.

Ella grinned and looked at Xavier.

“We’ll be off to our sector. Best of luck, prince.”

“Thanks,” Xavier replied.

Monica and Ella bowed their heads in respect to him, leaving without a glance my way. The way my heart clenched in pain with their suddenly cold nature had me worried about how school life would be here.

I was clearly an outcast already, and school hadn’t even started yet. Deep within, I knew if I just remained calm and confident in all I’d learned, there shouldn’t be a problem. This all could have been a test, and they wanted to see how I reacted.

Just be yourself, Rosadette. You are powerful and got through the hardest days to reach this point. They may mock me now, but I’m sure none of them could handle the brute cold of our harsh winters, or the boiling heat that fought to roast us during the peak of summer. I have potential. If the king and queen believe in me, and I was able to knock Xavier out, it has to mean something. It…just has to!

I tightened my hands into fists, shaking out any bits of nervousness left.

These were my future peers, and if I didn’t display a better presentation of myself, I’d be walked on. I’d dealt with the same back in my childhood and early teens when the rich mocked me for being an orphan.

I wasn’t the smartest or the most talented in the few activities I’d gotten to participate in, but over time, I strengthened the shell around me and let their remarks and bullying taunts slide off of me like water.

This was no different. I studied, worked hard, and it was time to prove myself.

“You ready?” Xavier asked. “We’re about to find out what our tests are.”

“Yes,” I answered, but didn’t look his way.

His ignorance during those girls’ mean remarks and obviously dismissive demeanor made me a little upset. A prince should defend everyone, regardless of status or rank, but he stood there, more entertained by the crowd than protective of me.

His behavior reminded me of the words of the old woman who’d given me the magical book.

Be careful who you trust, Rosadette, for sugar and salt both look the same. Let those around you prove themselves worthy of your kindness before you accept and open your heart.

How could I forget some of her wise words? But at least I remembered them now. I’d trust just Camilla. Ella hadn’t been as hostile as Monica, but that didn’t prove her innocence either.

Shaking my head, I focused on what was in front of me. I was ready to face this exam head-on.

“Team A5 will be facing Team B5,” a female announcer declared, drawing all our attention to the middle of the circular arena. A platform began to rise. A woman in a glamorous dress that sparkled various colors held the mic.

“Welcome, all, to Sector Z’s entry level exams for Fae Rose Academy. As your host, I will keep you all informed of the headmaster’s decisions to pass or fail each team.” She looked around as her shining smile seemed to shine. “We have been extra blessed with the queen’s presence. I now introduce to you: Queen Rose!”

Everyone cheered, many if not most individuals rising from their seats to clap and praise the queen.

I followed their gaze to the woman herself. The queen was wearing another eye-catching gown. Today’s color was a marvelous gold that sparkled with hints of red and white. Her long hair was in loose curls, and her crown sat on her head, emphasizing her royalty.

She sat in a throne, right next to the headmaster, who was obviously the king. It was interesting how his presence seemed less like a headmaster because everyone knew he was the king. It had to be their culture or the way the school was run.

From the legends and the vibes I got from Xavier, it felt like the man was always in control, dominating and ensuring the women knew their place. Only on rare occasions were the roles equal, if not reversed.

Sometimes I wondered why they never emphasized the element of their kingdom or family, but again, some fae liked to keep those fine details to themselves. With how kind and generous the queen had been so far, I’m sure she was of the light.

Even the king had been rather kind to me, compared to their grumpy son that could gift me a full wardrobe one day, and treat me like a pesky mosquito the next.

We were Team A5. Our pillar began to move. I had to hold onto the sidebar to not lose my balance, while Xavier stood there with his head held up and arms crossed.

Like a future king next to a peasant.

I corrected my posture as our platform reached the peak height and the spotlight shone down on us. I had no choice but to squint my eyes.

“Team A5!”

The raging screams and squeals could pierce one’s ears. It was enough to make my ears ring. I’m sure the hysterics were all for Xavier, many females begging for him to look their way, even with the distance between where we stood and the many below.

The host waited until the cheering dimmed, which took a solid two minutes before she gestured to her left.

“Now for Team B5!”

The light moved from us, landing on the opposite platform and showing Ella and an extremely handsome man. The screams that pierced my ears could pop them as they went on another level of pitch.

“PRINCE RAINER!”

The crowd went wild as the man in question stood there with dominance. He even had me gawking in shock. His appearance alone was like looking at a model, one that had that immaculate smile that could steal hearts and the looks of an ascending angel.

His long platinum blond hair was up in a ponytail, and his tanned skin made his flaming red eyes pop out like blooming roses. A red ribbon was what held his hair together, matching the Fae Rose uniform that cloaked his slim but built body.

He had to be Xavier’s height of 6′0″, but I bet it didn’t matter because his mere presence demanded the world’s attention. There was no question in my heart that he was a prince.

“Tsk. Why the hell is he here?”

It was hard to peel my eyes from the man in question. I turned to Xavier to see his obvious distaste of the competition.

Two princes?

“Who is he?” I asked, and those angered orbs darted to me.

“No one.” He dismissed me like I was an annoying child.

“Or Prince Rainer, from what everyone else is saying,” I muttered back, not liking his tone. “And watch your tone.”

“What?”

I met his questioning stare with a blank one.

“I may be trash to you, but at least have a bit of respect for me when we’re out in the open. If you cared about appearances, you’d work harder to observe what happens around you instead of ignoring what you believe doesn’t affect you.”

My words were referring to the confrontation we’d just had and his obvious ignorance to it, but as much as I wanted to lay it all out so he’d see why I was being defensive, we had an exam to complete.

The crowd calmed, and the host snapped her fingers. A golden paper appeared out of nowhere, and I waited anxiously as she cleared her throat.

“The females of both teams, step forward!”

I stepped forward as did Ella, the two of us locking eyes from across the arena. She looked as confident as ever, but there was something in her eyes that I couldn’t quite decipher. It was like she knew something that I didn’t, leaving me a bit uneasy.

“You will be tested on your knowledge of fae and our culture. Please be ready to answer the questions. Whoever gets the most correct answers will win.”

Yes! Something I can do!

My biggest silent worry was being put right into some type of battle, but I guess the gods were on my side for this one.

“Let us begin. First question. As fae, we rise above any challenge especially when turmoil and hardships come our way. What element should we use first to conqueror our enemies?”

“Darkness,” I quickly answered, remembering that part in Ella’s notes

“Light magic, followed by any other elemental magic that complements your aura,” Ella replied.

“One point to Team B5!”

Wait a minute…

Xavier sighed behind me, and I looked over my shoulder to see his disappointment and utmost worry. It was like he’d already given up on me.

“Ella said it was darkness.”

“What did I tell you about trust?” he whispered.

“Next question!” the woman rushed on. “As fae, we are closer to the realms of gods than any other mythological race! Which golden weapon can command the seas and ignite thunder from the depths of the skies?”

“A golden scepter,” I answered hesitantly.

“A golden trident, one that is usually portrayed in the stories of Zeus and other descending gods and demigods,” Ella responded, crossing her arms in pride. “Common knowledge taught in grade school.”

Many began to snicker, while others cheered Ella’s name.

Prince Rainer was staring back and forth between us, his eyes eventually landing on mine. With an arch eyebrow, he mouthed, “Did you not study?”

I shook my head in defiance, hoping my pleading eyes could prove some sort of innocence. He slowly nodded, keeping in his spot, but his eyes moved to the king and queen, who were quietly observing.

The host went right on, asking question after question, and I answered how I was taught, only to find out it was completely wrong, one after another.

“This is pathetic,” I heard someone yell.

“She’s clearly a human. No way can someone be this foolish.”

“Can we just give the winning points to Team B5 and move on?”

“Poor Prince Xavier. Being brought down by some imbecile like this.”

I bit my lip hard, fighting the angry tears that threatened to shed any second as I tried to stay calm. I searched the crowd, and a pair of silver eyes locked onto mine.

Camilla looked angry, and I knew it wasn’t directed at me in the slightest. She was angry at my predicament.

The queen raised her hand up, the once-roaring room of down-casting comments and laughter hushed.

She looked my way. “Team A5. Did you not prepare for this task?”

It was finally my chance to reveal the truth.

“I did, Your Majesty!” I spoke up and tried to stand tall. “In fact, Ella was the one who tutored me. She gave me all the notes to study because I’m new to this world and don’t have prior knowledge.”

Ella chuckled and shook her head.

“Your Majesty. I will not lie to you. I indeed taught her from my notes from five years ago. You know, before the curriculum changed and we gained new knowledge regarding our kind.”

My eyes widened as I stared at her in disbelief while she continued, “To attend Fae Rose, you can’t be completely gullible. You must trust little until one proves themselves. Isn’t that one of our common morals?”

Many cheered her on like she was preaching the scriptures of their kind.

“I…didn’t know of such,” I argued. “And you never once told me.”

“I didn’t, but I’m sure someone did.” She looked over to Xavier, and I looked back at him, begging him to defend me in some way.

Again, there he stood like a tree rooted to the ground, his arms crossed and his eyes looking forward and ignoring me completely.

“It is common knowledge, really. Your Majesty, I didn’t do anything wrong here. It’s not my fault this human is here, trying to act like one of us. It’s also not my fault that she didn’t get a second opinion in regard to my notes. One should smarten up and head to the library to compare notes, don’t you think?”

The queen was silent, her face blank of emotion.

“She is right, Your Majesty,” Xavier finally spoke, and we all looked at him as he sighed. “Everyone should take this enrollment very seriously, and I only assumed my partner had gotten a second opinion and thus, the reason why I did not interfere.”

This fake asshole!

So badly did I want to talk back and tell him how betrayed I currently felt, but I held my tongue.

The crowd began to speak once more.

Mocking laughter. Disparaging comments. Angry glares.

It was as if I’d truly committed a sin in front of all of them for not knowing their culture to the T. I was given a mere week, and suddenly all my hard work, long nights, and extra effort was for nothing.

“Boo!”

“Get out of here.”

“You don’t belong.”

“No one wants to listen to your excuses.”

“You think you low scum are better than the rest of us.”

“Leave!”

This was my new reality, and if there were a few hopeless individuals that craved to be on my side, there was nothing to change the predicament I was in.

Camilla stood there, unable to do anything to stop what was happening. Her hopelessness tore at my heart, and I knew once I truly took in what was happening, I’d shatter like a wall of glass getting hit by bullets.

These scornful souls were my people. My tribe…my apparent home. I’d left the life I’d known to come here with the hope of finding who I was, what my true destiny entailed, and if I’d be able to find the path I most rightful deserved to walk on.

Their new home…a place that left me an outcast in a sea of perfectly divine individuals who were far superior to me and more successful than I could ever hope to be.

Yet I was the low scum who thought she was better than the rest. I was the new laughing stock on the block and their harsh words and ridicule would haunt me for who knows how long.

On the outside, I remained as still and unaffected as a wise tree in the depths of the forest, watching it all unfold as I waited for the guards to escort me away. I’m sure that was my inevitable fate, seeing as I could never fix this now.

On the inside, though…my heart raced, my head throbbed, and I longed to cower and cry. I had been warned that this would happen, but in my arrogance and determination, I walked headlong into my fate like a drunk man who mistook fool’s gold for the real thing.

It was stupid to think I could be one of them. I was nothing more than a weak human who’d sealed her fate in what she hoped would be a place of sanctuary and refuge.

I had failed…and of all my mistakes, that was by far the hardest one to acknowledge. That I was an outcast, with truly nowhere to go.

How could I return home to the place I left? Would I return just to be mocked by my own kind? All that would do was drive me further to the brink of extinction.

Could that be my end? For the pages of my life to run out and for me to end my own fate before it began? How heartbreaking it sounded, and yet, it was currently the most inviting action to take.

At least I’d fade away from this moment and never need to relive it in my mind again.

“Your Majesty.”

The single voice that seemed to cut through all the hate summoned everyone’s attention - including mine.

I looked to see Prince Rainer step forward, passing Ella with her proud glimmering smile.

“Will you sit here and continue to let our people condemn this woman because she couldn’t learn our entire culture in less than a week?”

I’m sure if he was any other person, people would be spitting the same comments at him as they did to me, but the room remained silent as he carried on.

“From what I recall, this woman’s name is Rosadette. Funny how her name reminds me of the royal family from long ago.” He looked my way, meeting my eyes with kindness. “When I was but a little boy, my parents always talked about how close the Rosadette family and Rose family were, and how one time, a group of older fae was making fun of the princess of the Rose family.”

I looked at the Queen, noticing the slight lift in the corner of her lips.

“She was being brought down, those people ignoring her rank, status, and the fact that she would one day rule her kingdom and inspire many. However, the princess of the Rosadette family came along and saved the day, using her wise words to tell those who mocked her that negative experiences like taunts and bullying cling harder than all those positive memories.”

He paused on purpose, letting the words he spoke sink in.

“If the Princess of Rose ended up ruling, she’d remember how those particular fae treated her, and what could have happened. She could have moved passed it. Become stronger as an individual and not let their ridicule inflict her personality and wellbeing. But…my question to many of you is, what if she’d never moved on?”

The queen closed her eyes, her smile growing to a full one.

“What if she harbored those memories and let it motivate her to become an ice queen within her heart? When she rose to power, do you believe those same people, if not their children, enjoy a brighter fate?” He looked around the room, his eyes meeting mine once more. “For her to not seek some type of revenge would be the human way of looking at things, but as fae, it’s really a fifty-fifty debate. She could rise from the ashes and move forward, combating the demons that haunt her mind at night from her experience, or she could move forward on the outside but plot a menacing future for any individual who mocked her. At the end of the day, she is queen, and what she says, goes in her kingdom.”

He crossed his arms and looked to the king and queen.

“Headmaster and Queen Rose.” He bowed his head in official acknowledgment. “I’m not a good guy, but this woman would have only been granted a chance to be invited to Fae Rose Academy if the king and queen acknowledged her potential power and fae heritage.”

The room was pin-drop silent, everyone clearly realizing that what he said was the truth.

“My fellow men, women, children, and the students of Fae Rose and Shadow Fae Academy. Your mockery would be granted if this wasn’t a true fact. However, every laugh, mocking comment, and degrading stare does not phase the one you’re directing it to.” He looked at me with a bit of sadness. “Yes, your words definitely hurt her, especially since she is one who could very well be fae and could rise to be someone great. However, your behavior means you are mocking the king and queen’s decision. Their approval is the very reason why this woman is here today. It’s a damn shame that we as fae are expecting her to study decades worth of information which has just been changed as of late in seven days. Not to forget the hardship it must be for her to leave her home, regardless of it being deemed nothing or trash to many of us. It was still home to her, and she summoned up the courage to stand up here, did her best to study the information given to her by a fellow fae, and is now being thrown under the bus.”

A few people began to lower their heads in shame, while others looked away as if they didn’t want to acknowledge his words.

Prince Rainer shrugged, letting his arms fall to the sides.

“To me, Prince Rainer, it appears rather evil to treat someone so cruelly. Is that what our race has come down to? Using trickery against an innocent individual who just entered our world, and using old knowledge taught to us as babes against her?”

“Why are you even defending her? She’s just a stupid human,” Ella barked.

“To you, she’s a stupid human, but this woman studied every page you gave her.” He snapped his fingers, and floating papers appeared out of thin air.

The familiarity of them had my eyes grow wide, and Ella shrieked and tried to get them, but Prince Rainer lifted his other hand, the action freezing her mid-movement.

“To prove a point, why don’t I entertain Your Majesty and the headmaster?”

He quickly scanned the papers and looked at me.

“Answer these questions as quickly as you can, Rosadette,” he declared. All I could do was nod and ready my mind that felt fogged with sadness.

“What is a fae’s favorite color?”

“Orange.”

He nodded and immediately correct, “Gold, because it symbolizes richness, and by surrounding yourself with such you can manifest great fortune and prosperity to come.”

He smiled and kept asking me questions, all of them being wrong and corrected by him. I had no idea what he was trying to accomplish, but as he reached the last page, he looked back to the thrones.

“As you can see, Rosadette has answered everything correctly in terms of what she has been taught. I’m sure you can sense the truth in every spoken answer, which means she studied the content given to her and would have been deemed victorious if given a fair chance.” He paused. “I won’t compare kingdoms because it’s not my place and our families are close allies, but shouldn’t the one feeding wrongful information be punished for their fraudulent behavior?”

A few people gasped, and whatever spell that was on Ella seemed to vanish at his declaration.

“Excuse me?! How dare yo-”

“Silence, Ella Meldrove!” The queen’s voice boomed around us, leaving Ella shaking in fear.

The queen rose from her seat, and everyone began to kneel to the floor. Even Xavier went on one knee, leaving only myself, Prince Rainer, and a shaking Ella standing.

“This may be an entrance competition, but let me remind you all of your place in respect to royalty.” She was clearly directing her warning to Ella, who dropped to her knees and placed her head to the floor.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty!” she apologized.

The queen looked unimpressed as she glanced around below.

“I’ve decided to take witness of this year’s entrance exams to see who would be worthy of being taught by me. You all know I am picky of who I waste my time on, and I’m rather disappointed in the foul play that has commenced.”

It felt like everyone was trembling, and I didn’t blame them because whatever heaviness that was in the air was making me shake uncontrollably.

“Rosadette Campbell.”

I went on my knees and bowed my head. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Keeping my head low, I waited for my sentence, the atmosphere feeling like I was in a courtroom, awaiting my results from the jury.

“Rise,” she encouraged, and I scrambled to my feet once again. She smiled slightly, looking pleased with my effort to show respect to her.

“I, the queen of this kingdom, apologize for one of my people’s actions against you.”

That set off a wave of shocked gasps. Even the king looked baffled.

“It seems my husband and I have overlooked some common faults with the changes implemented a few years ago. This has resulted in you being a victim of circumstance, and I will not hide behind my crown and ignore such. I’m ashamed that my people have shown a hateful welcoming without seeing both sides of the story. We are not the kind to verbally crucify fellow individuals without enough facts, but alas, this was done publicly, and I will not ignore such shameful tactics.”

Anger laced the last sentence, and it felt like the entire arena was trembling.

“My husband may be the headmaster who has to watch without judgment until everything is completed, but if he was in his role of king, he would not put up with this.”

The king rose up, nodding his head in agreement.

“That is true,” he declared, affirming the queen’s words.

“I will not sit and let this continue. Thank you, Prince Rainer, for addressing this issue like a true man and future king should,” the queen emphasized, and Prince Rainer bowed in acknowledgment.

I side-glanced at Xavier, seeing his seething anger that he was struggling to cover up. I’m sure that was a strike in his pride, especially coming from his mother in public.

“Team B5, you have failed due to foul play. Be lucky this isn’t a true exam, or there would have been consequences to follow.”

Prince Rainer sighed dramatically. “Darn. My parents are going to be furious with me,” he jokingly declared. “Oh well. I’m sure once I explain the circumstances, they’ll be happy I did what I did.”

“Every entrance exam will come with a report full of the details of what has occurred. Feel free to present that to the king and queen,” the king spoke up in reassurance.

“Delightful.” Prince Rainer had the biggest grin on his face as he looked back at my way. “Congrats, Rosadette of Team A5.”

With him singling me out in the congrats, I could conclude that he wasn’t on good terms with Xavier in the slightest.

The queen cleared her throat, catching our attention once more.

“I’ve lost my interest in these exams. The remainder of tests will be done without my presence. Let this all be a valuable lesson of what we expect of our people. We do not take advantage or do undermining attacks to our own kind within the walls of this kingdom. If you cannot respect that, you are more than welcome to find another kingdom best fitted for you all. And I can assure you, Prince Rainer’s kingdom is not welcoming of such behavior either.”

“That is true,” Prince Rainer voiced with pride.

“W-What about the chosen apprentice?!” a bold soul questioned in shock. The queen moved from her seat, rose petals appearing out of thin air and creating a path towards our platform.

The queen walked down the pathway. The angry energy around her was enough to keep the place silent until she was standing right in front of me. She looked me up and down for a long moment, then spoke loud and clear.

“Rosadette Campbell of the human lands. You’ve unexpectedly taken a harsh blow from your fellow fae, and regardless of the pain you must be feeling, you stood tall, defended yourself, and proved your seriousness in attending Fae Rose Academy. I can sense your desire to find out more about this world and to learn the best you can. Therefore, I’ve made the executive decision to train you. As of today, you are officially my apprentice.”

No one said a word as she offered me her hand.

“If you accept my utmost apology and vow to ensure that all content in every library in our lands are updated with the latest information, I’ll happily train you, so you’ll avoid being in this situation ever again.”

I was speechless, but I knew this was the one shot I’d have to redeem myself. I wanted to make a comeback, a strong enough one that would leave people gasping and wishing they had remained neutral instead of treating me like a piece of dirt.

No one deserved to go through what I’d just experienced, but I knew without a doubt that it could happen again.

To another innocent human who merely wants to learn about themselves.

I stood tall and held my head high as I looked up to the queen’s eyes. Staring into those beautiful jewels told me that with her help, I could become something I’ve always wanted to achieve.

With her guidance, wisdom, and kindness, I’d rise from my past of ashes and dirt, and become someone people respected.

I’d prove my worthiness and make those who mocked me feel sorry.

It was bittersweet revenge I looked for, and I’d do it by improving myself and finding a level of happiness no one could ever shatter.

Raising my hand up, I placed it in her offered one.

“I accept, Your Majesty.” I turned her hand around, bowing my head and kissing the back of it. Where the idea came from was a mystery to me, but it ignited a single clap, which multiplied with magnitude until the entire room was booming.

The same people who fought to push me away now applauded like I’d won a championship.

Xavier’s words were right. From now on, I’d have to watch who was my friend and who was my foe…including him.

UNEXPECTED VISTOR AND QUESTIONABLE FUTURE

“Hey. I’m going out for some air, you wanna come?”

“No thanks.” My clipped response was the same one I’d been using all week long, my eyes scanning the new device I’d been given to store my notes as I studied a thick, ancient book from the queen’s private library.

“Rose.” Camilla sounded desperate to try and reach me from the depths of my study-driven state. “You need a break.”

“No thanks,” I responded yet again.

“This isn’t healthy!” Camilla stressed. “I know what they did was bad, uncalled for, and very un-fae like, but pushing yourself day and night and secluding yourself in your room isn’t how you’re supposed to prepare for school. You’re going to have to face everyone when you get a grasp of everything and you don’t want to look like a zombie.”

Why does it matter? I’m not beautiful, not even close to these graceful beings. It shouldn’t matter if I have bags under my eyes or even look like I lost ten pounds in five days.

I’m sure that was what happened, seeing as all the lavish clothes didn’t fit perfectly anymore.

Not like I was wearing them either.

I’d packed all the clothes into boxes provided by Camilla and sent them back to where they came from - to Xavier’s front step.

I wasn’t going to accept fake kindness. I knew I’d have to confront him when I started attending classes. I could only imagine what kind of lecture he got from the queen, if he got one at all.

He was a prince, after all. Surely he could do whatever he wanted.

After accepting the queen’s invite to be her chosen apprentice, I was told I’d be given four solid months to prepare for school life. Obviously, I was at a disadvantage with my inability to conduct magic with the snap of my fingers, but the queen assured me that I’d be ready within three.

I figured it was impossible, but I wasn’t going to question the queen’s assumptions of me. She must see something special in me, to take me under her wing when there were far better potentials out there.

So far, I’d secluded myself in my room, requesting all my meals to be left outside the door. I’m sure others would talk about how I’m acting like a spoiled princess, but I didn’t have the energy to mingle with the very people that smiled and tried to deem themselves as friends.

They didn’t deserve my presence, and I wasn’t going to entertain them when I had a new goal in mind.

I’d get vengeance in the best way possible, and it started with me dedicating my body, mind, and soul to learning about my kind. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses would help me so that when I started school in the new year, I’d be ready.

I felt that was the very reason why the queen wasn’t throwing me right into the school curriculum like she should have. If she did, with my vulnerable, human way of thinking, I’d be eaten alive in the most extravagant way to make it look less dreadful than it should have been.

Eaten alive with fae etiquette.

I was confident that the moment I started classes, my “break” would be used against me. I wasn’t going to fall for their fake smiles when behind the shadows they were talking poorly about me.

My lingering silence had Camilla sighing. “I’m going for a walk and pulling you out of those sheets to shower! You smell!”

Do I? Hmm. It could be my willingness to join the trash pit where I apparently belong.

“No thanks,” I repeated, which only made her growl at my ignorance. “That’s it, I’m going to go beat someone up!”

As a best friend, I should have told her that I did not to condone violence to let out her anger, but if it meant Ella, Monica, or some other bully fae was going to get hurt, I couldn’t care less about the results.

The door slammed shut, triggering my gaze to move from the tablet to the white door frame.

With a frown, I lowered the tablet and looked at the dreadful outfit I’d been wearing; one of my two outfits.

Taking a slight sniff of the wretched cloth, I cringed and pulled my head right back at the foul smell.

“Okay. Shower on the to-do list,” I quietly declared. Bookmarking the spot I’d been on, I rose up from the little study fort I made in the corner of our dorm room. It looked as though I’d walked from a dump and entered a massive room of elegance.

My fort consisted of water bottles, empty trays of food, books, and a large blanket that was hovering over it all. A makeshift tent to seclude me from the world.

Walking into the empty closet, I missed the colorful scene of clothing I knew I’d never be able to afford. The softness of the silky underwear that was bought on my behalf compared to the rags I’d brought from my human lifestyle.

My charitable mindset was tainted by a dream I’d wished to enjoy. It hurt to realize my fake reality and know I couldn’t shift my mind back to the old one.

Is this me?

That was the question haunting me every day this week, and I was far too afraid to surrender myself to the new reality I would have to face whether I liked it or not.

There was a slight knock at the door, and I walked out of my closet to open it. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Camilla’s effort to get me walking and avoid whatever an embolism was.

Human medical terminology wasn’t very useful in a world with magic and healing fairies.

“Camilla. I’m going to shower, so leave me…” I trailed off as the door opened and there stood Prince Rainer. I blinked, taking in his tall nature and casual clothes.

A red t-shirt with ROYAL in big letters and white sweat pants was the highlight of my entire stay here so far. Never could I have thought fae wore normal clothes like us humans.

His hair was down, accenting the soft features of his slightly tanned complexion, and I’m sure if you didn’t pay attention to his flat chest, you would think he was a girl.

“Prince Rainer.” I bowed my head in respect, and he chuckled. “Please. In these clothes, do not worry about formalities. Just call me Rain.”

“Rain? Is that your real name?” I inquired before I blushed. “I-I mean, it’s probably the shortened version of your last name, right?”

“Hahaha, no. My first name is actually Rainer. Our kingdom doesn’t like revealing our family names unless necessary. That resulted in me being called Prince Rainer, and many people think our kingdom is Rainer. It’s rather amusing when you know the secret to it.”

I grinned and nodded in agreement. “I can only imagine laughing silently.”

Lowering my gaze to the bag in his right hand, I looked back up with an innocent expression. “Did you need to bring something for Camilla? She’s not here, but I can put it in her room if you like?”

Rain smiled. “No, I’m actually here on your behalf.”

“Me?” I questioned in shock. “Why?”

“I’ve been asked to bring you out to somewhere,” he proudly stated.

“Um…” I trailed off, looking down at my attire. “I’m sorry, Prin-”

“Rain,” he smiled as he corrected me.

“Rain.” I grinned slightly and continued, “I have nothing to wear. Sorry for the cheesy Cinderella moment.”

“Didn’t Prince Xavier get you a bunch of clothes?” he inquired. “The only reason why I know is because my sister is the one that helped create them.”

“Your sister?” I inquired. “I thought you were the only child?”

I felt bad for being nosey and bowed my head slightly. “Sorry for the disrespect. My curiosity often outweighs my common sense. I’m still learning how to converse with the fae.”

Rain smirked and walked past me. I closed and locked the door, figuring he must want some privacy since the walls apparently had ears if you had conversations in the hallways versus our rooms.

Camilla had done some spell to ensure nothing would leave the barricade of our room, which was another good protocol to have if the prince himself was visiting me.

“The fae communicate just as humans do. The only difference is I am of royal heritage. However, that doesn’t apply between us, Rosadette. Please be at ease.”

“Thank you.” I could rest easy, but I still felt a little embarrassed at my outfit and the little corner I’d been practically living in. “I do have to apologize for my outlook and, well…study nest, if I can even call it that.”

“The queen was worried you’d get lost in studies and forget about self-care,” he noted and offered the bag to me. “I figured it would be nice to dress up a little and walk about. You have to see the queen a little later, but that gives a few hours’ time to do whatever.”

I looked at the bag, slowly taking it from his grasp and peering into it to see folded clothes. From the mere material that had bits of sparkles of glitter, it looked expensive.

“Rain…I can’t-”

“As much as I’d be fine with you coming naked, Rosadette, I think wearing a simple dress would be good to meet the queen.”

My face burned red and I pressed the bag to my chest. “Thank you, Rain,”

“You’re very welcome, Rosadette.” He beamed happily. Casually putting his hands in his pockets, he looked at my fort. “You’ve been studying really hard.”

I nodded and shuffled over to my fort, picking up the tablet and ancient book sitting on the floor before kicking the single wardrobe pole that I’d been using to keep the blanket afloat with the help of some heavy dictionaries.

This was my way of hiding the evidence, even though I’d have to do a major clean of it later.

“I…wanted to study in solitude. Can’t do it anywhere else but here. I don’t necessarily like studying in my room where I sleep. It makes it hard to differentiate sleeping and studying,” I explained.

“That’s a good way of looking at it.” He bobbed his head in approval. “Though, I can help make a better fort.”

“Can you?” I asked excitedly, but I frowned and quickly shut my happy feelings down. “I should do it on my own. I can think of something.”

He frowned and walked up to me.

“Rosadette.” His eyes looked questionably at mine, trying to find what I was trying to hide. “When you’re around me, can you just act like your usual self?”

“I am my usual self,” I noted.

“I mean the girl who first entered our world with bright eyes and joyous wonder that hugged around you. Your aura glowed like a blooming flower, and you were ready to explore every part of this world.”

“I’m still that person,” I argued.

“No.” He shook his head. “Part of that died on that platform.”

We were both silent, the memory reminding me of the dark, embarrassing moment. I’d tried desperately not to think of it, but in the depths of the night, it would draw its big head - forcing me to relive the moment and hear the cruel words that made a wound in my fragile heart.

“Back then I didn’t have to question my future,” I muttered, glancing at the flat blanket that covered the mess I’d received safe haven from. “Now I’m on a path towards a questioning future, one I’m not sure I truly want.”

“Is it because you’ve only gotten to see the faulty beauty of our kind?” His question had me look back at him. His gaze was serious, and the red in his eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“You trusted people you thought wouldn’t lead you astray, including Prince Xavier, right?”

When I nodded, he closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m rather disappointed in Xavier, but he’s one of those odd individuals that you can’t predict where he’s going or what he’s aiming to achieve. In his mind, he most likely thought the ridicule and commentary would make you stronger. He never takes into account that in order to become strong, one has to come crashing down and face what made them crumble first.”

Pulling his hands from his pockets, he moved a few strands of my hair, which was probably horrifying to look at, and yet his eyes so graciously gave me their full attention.

“Does that excuse what had happened? No. It does not. It doesn’t push away the fact that they hurt you. That their commentary sliced at you like a sword against your flesh. You’re feeling the aftermath of that resonating pain, and as your wounds are fighting to heal, you’d rather use that destructive energy that you wished you carried to use against those people to enhance your wisdom.”

He eyed me again, his eyes lowering down to my feet and right back up.

“However, you’re not doing it right, Rose.”

It was weird how my shortened name sounded so perfect when it came out from his lips.

“I’m not?”

“You’ve lost a lot of weight, have you not? I actually liked your curves.”

I blushed at his obvious admiration, looking away and trying not to focus on my racing heart. “Just a little.”

“Twelve and a half pounds,” he noted.

“How…no. It was only ten.”

“When was the last time you checked?” he inquired.

“Two days ago.”

“Go check,” he dared, but my gut told me he’d somehow be completely right. I went to check anyway, Rain following me up to the doorway of the washroom. I quickly stepped on the scale, not caring about the clothes I wore seeing as the simple gown probably weighed nothing with how thin and worn down it was.

How did he get the exact number?

“Y-You’re right! What voodoo did you do?!”

“Magic, Rose.” He seemed pleased with my reaction. “And that’s the Rose I like to see.”

I turned around to look at him.

“You never met me prior to the exam,” I noted.

“No. I observed from afar. Whenever a potential person like yourself gets the attention of our sister kingdom, we have to observe and see if they’re a potential threat. Silly, old rules, but you can’t fully trust partnerships, can you?”

“No,” I mumbled, remembering how Xavier was supposed to be my partner but never once stood up for me when we were on the same team.

“Xavier’s actions really hurt you.” He hit my insecurities right on.

“I come from a beautiful, rich country,” I whispered, a bitter smile forming on my lips. “A place only those born of luxury can enjoy. I was the unfortunate one. The orphan dumped by my parents and left to be the pitiful child of my village. It was only luck that I met Camilla, who became my sole best friend. I knew nothing of her fae heritage, but she was rich, with the best clothes and a beautiful home with walk-in closets and a lovely bed. I should have envied her, like the many people around me, but I didn’t. I stayed true to who I was and accepted that everyone isn’t cut from the same cloth. I won’t deny my craving to live a different life, to not believe that my parents could abandon me with only my name and nothing more, but sometimes life gives you lemons, and you just have to make that lemonade.”

I struggled not to lower my head as I continued, “I was told by a drunk man to go to some shrine on the night before my birthday. Right at twelve, something crazy happened, and that was when Xavier arrived with a bunch of soldiers and basically wanted to whisk me away to his world. He threatened to put Camilla in a coma, which was the reason I punched him in the face. That landed me into this world where I found out I was fae and given the chance to attend Fae Rose. He saw where I came from. He entered the place I called home, even though it was basically a mud house of the sorts. He knew my insecurities and fears, and right before the exam, he saw how exhausted I was after a solid week of studying as hard as I could.”

I fought not to tear up, but the more I thought about it, the easier it was for my tears to pool in my purple eyes.

“When someone sees you at your most vulnerable…aren’t they supposed to show even a pinch of pity? I’d say empathy, but that word is on another scale, it seems, for someone like Xavier. He could barely say a compliment in my direction, but he had no problem with degrading comments and pointing out my flaws. Yet, I didn’t want to bring him down. I wanted to prove I was worthy of his time and to walk by his side. For what? At the end of the day, he stood there and watched his people, individuals who look to him for guidance on their behavior, mock me. He approved of their trickery, knowing it would lead to both of us failing. I should hate him.”

“You don’t, do you?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I pity someone like that.”

“Why?”

“Because they are those individuals that will never realize something valuable until its gone.” I grinned, letting my tears fall as I looked up at Rain. “I feel like a piece of coal, hidden in the depths of a dark cave, in a land I know nothing of, but what if there’s a small, tiny chance, within those black surroundings, there’s a small jewel that’s worth millions? A spark that people would treasure if it was in their possession. I wish to be that very coal. One that hides the true gem that will shine amongst the darkness and shine brightly. It’s a big dream to have, but it’s one I envision when the nightmares leave me in shambles at night.”

“You can be more than just a shining star, Rosadette.” The pain in Rain’s voice made more tears fall.

“You just met me, and yet you can talk as if you’ve known me for centuries.”

“I’ve just met you, but I’m fond of your bravery.” He picked up my hand, lifting it until his lips pressed against the back of it. Those lips, so warm and tender, had me shivering as my eyes closed slightly at the connection.

“You could have stayed down when your people yelled for you to crumble. You could have chilled here, sulking underneath your blanket fort and staying here until you were sent back home. You could have let their words push you to a dark place, somewhere you may not have come out from. Yet, you didn’t. Or should I say your spirit wouldn’t let you.”

“My spirit?”

“The driving force inside of each individual. Regardless of being fae or human, we all have spirit. It’s like our soul, but it’s the energy within us that projects our true desires in life. When you dream or see yourself as a person with no boundaries, that’s usually your spirit which portrays the highest you that sometimes you yourself haven’t acknowledged or proclaimed.”

“The spirit,” I repeated. “One you haven’t acknowledged or proclaimed.”

“There’s a lot to the fae world that you’ll discover, Rosadette. Hiding here won’t aid you in discovery.”

“Okay,” I whispered, and looked at the bag of clothes I’d put next to the scale. “We still have time, right?”

“If we don’t, I’d simply make more.” He winked and let go of my hand. “Take all the time you need. I’ll work on the fort.”

He closed the door before I could argue, leaving that department closed for discussion. Seeing as he didn’t mind my atrocious smell, I’m sure a few uncleaned plates and stacks of coffee mugs wouldn’t bother him.

Glancing to the mirror, I almost cringed at my reflection.

“Dammit, Camilla. You didn’t tell me I already looked like a zombie from the classic apocalypse movies! Gah.” I rushed to the shower. I’d need at least thirty minutes to tame the stench and hopefully look more human than ever.

Please let this go well.

FACING WEAKNESSES AND DARKNESS WITHIN

“Alright…I think I look decent,” I mumbled to myself as I applied the lip gloss Camilla had left on my counter for when I felt like being among the rest of the world.

The bag contained a wonderful red dress with rhinestones. The top was snug against my breast and waist, and the bottom half poofed out with a bit of flare.

The neck part hooked around my throat, having a heart-shaped cutout that showed a bit of my shoulder blades and cleavage.

There was a simple heart jewel necklace in the bag, and the length of the golden chain was perfect for it to rest right above my cleavage.

I’d left my hair down as the style always complimented me, and added just a hint of the makeup that I could find in the bag Camilla left on one of the counters.

The red flats I wore had a similar sparkling appearance to my dress, having bits of gold that twinkled when I shifted the shoe at a certain angle.

With the red lip gloss, I looked far better than before. I’d have to thank Camilla when I came back for the mini concealer that helped hide the dark circles that made my eyes look sunken in.

“You ready, Rosadette?” Rain called out from behind the door.

“Y-Yes!” I nervously squeaked.

Why am I so nervous? It’s not like this is a date or anything.

With another unsteady breath, I walked to the door and opened it to see Rain in completely different attire. My mouth dropped while my eyes scanned his new appearance.

He wore a tailored suit, like one I’d only see rich people wear on holidays like Christmas. It was a ruby red, the vest made of the same sparkling material as my skirt. His shoes were golden with red sparkles. His hair was tied up in the perfect ponytail.

With golden cuffs and a gold tie, he looked like he was about to present an award to someone and not simply escort me around to waste a bit of time before I saw the queen.

He must have dressed up for the queen.

Those blazing red eyes of his were taking me all in, a gleaming smile forming on his smooth pink lips as he nodded in approval.

“You’re a true gem, Rosadette.”

My cheeks felt hot and I shyly looked away.

“I’m just your average human.”

“Fae,” he corrected and offered his hand. “Want to see your new fort?”

His playful tone and wink suddenly had me excited. I placed my hand in his offered one and he spun me around with ease, until I was facing where I’d once been studying.

“A door?” I looked to my right, seeing his boyish grin as he nodded.

“You have to open it.”

“I don’t have a key,” I reminded.

“You don’t need one.” His wink had me questioning him, but he tugged me forward until we were facing the mini door he’d created against the wall. It looked like a wallpaper design that Camilla used to have in her room when she was young.

She’d changed it later, and eventually always had a new design every year, but I’d never seen a door design as richly crafted as this one.

Reaching to brush my hand along the engraved design of a large rose, I gasped with how real the petals felt.

“Is this real?”

“If you wish it to be,” he teased. “I can make it wood if you don’t prefer fresh nature.”

“No,” I quickly stopped him when he tried to reach out with his other hand. “I love it. From afar it looks just like wallpaper, but when you’re right in front, it’s like a 3D projection.”

“You’ve seen a 3D film before?” he inquired.

“No.” I smiled. “I wish. I know about it since Camilla went once with her family during some celebration and couldn’t stop talking about it. One day I’ll get the opportunity, I think.”

“You will,” he said with reassurance. “But first, fort time.”

“It’s behind this door.”

“Correct,” he agreed. “Open it.”

With a giddy smile, I reached out to turn the soft knob made of glittering gold. The door unlocked with my touch, the sound like a soft ring of a clock. Opening it slowly, I saw that the other side was nothing but darkness, but I took a step forward and returned my right hand to Rain’s left hand.

We walked in a few steps, the light from behind us the only illumination until the door closed. We were only in the dark for a few seconds, lights beginning to turn on and revealing the masterpiece Rain had made in seconds.

“How?” I gasped in shock, my eyes scanning upward at the grand room he’d somehow made out of nothingness.

The room was an oak-carved paradise. On my left was a full bookshelf, many of the titles reminding me of similar books I’d studied all this week. In front of us was a lounging area with space where one could sit or lay down and read. On our right was a desk space, the table part connected to the wall with levers on the side. The cushioned chair was underneath and had wheels.

There were large vases of red roses in the corners, and a clock hung on the oak walls that displayed the time with rose stems.

My tablet and books were all neatly piled in the corner of the lounge area, and a dessert-like cheesecake was resting on the table with a clear cover on it.

I walked over to take a closer look, noticing how the inside temperature was cold enough within the crystal doom to keep the cheesecake intact.

Rising up and taking in the room one more time, I returned my eyes to Prince Rainer, trying not to cry and ruin my makeup.

“Prince Rainer.”

“Rain,” he corrected with a wide smile. He walked over to me and took my hands in his. “Like it? I’m more than willing to chan-”

“I absolutely love it!” I cut him off before he could dare try and say this wasn’t as perfect as it could be. “Why? I don’t deserve any of this.”

“It hurts to see a blossoming rose begin to wilt,” he whispered. His comment didn’t make any sense to me, but he tenderly moved bits of my hair behind my ear and lowered his hand to the side of my neck.

“Depression does not suit you, Rosadette.” His soft tone had my heart racing, our eyes getting lost in something deeper. “I want you to fight through the darkness that may haunt you in your dreams and prepare yourself for what’s to come. Your potential is far greater than anyone realizes. Well, I should say, the queen and I know better.”

“You really believe in my potential enough to make me the most beautiful fort in the land?” I inquired.

“Yup.” He squeezed my hands. “You deserve an environment where you can relax and get lost in your studies. Fae learn quicker by being surrounded by nature. Roses especially bring comfort; the aroma opens your mind to new things. And being surrounded by the oak wood will aid you in retaining information. You’ll be able to work a lot quicker and still get enough sleep.”

“What if someone tries to come here?” I questioned. “Or if we move dorms next year?”

“Then you’ll take it with you. Once we see where you’re at magically, I’ll teach you how to do it. As for people, when you’re inside, the door disappears and will only appear to those you grant entry to.”

“That means if I, say, grant entry to Prince Rainer, it’ll show for you?”

“Yup.” His beaming smile was leaving me in a giddy mood. It was hard to not giggle and I had to fight not to flirt. He really was something, and his heart was filled with kindness.

“Are you nice to all girls?” I wondered. “I mean, do you build forts for all the new girls?”

He laughed. “Sadly, no. Girls don’t like good guys.”

“Why not?”

“We’re soft around the edges and are far too kind to be with, apparently. Girls love a mysterious man, and bonus points if they ignore you.” He sighed dramatically. “It’s hard for a guy like me, but maybe…” He paused and looked back at me. “Maybe I can find a woman who cares not about being good or bad, but studies their personality.”

We turned around, heading to the door that opened on its own, directing us back to the living space. We looked back to see the door close, and like sprinkling dust, it vanished.

“Whenever you’re ready to study, it will know and appear. If someone else is around, only you will see it unless they’ve been approved by you. Any questions?”

“Will the cheesecake stay cold?” I wanted to make sure or I’d go back and eat it. I’d had cheesecake three times in my life, but the cheesecake that sat there was rather different than anything I’d seen.

“Yup. It’ll remain frosted until you lift the lid. It’s birthday cheesecake.”

“Birthday cheesecake?” I licked my lips at the name. He chuckled. “I heard your birthday just passed. If I’d known, I would have gotten you something grand, but I thought birthday cheesecake would be a nice treat to have after a hard day of studying.”

“Thank you, Rain.” I truly meant it. Although this was a tiny action to him, it meant the world to me and was the highlight of my sad week.

“Don’t thank me so much, Rosadette.” His grin was radiant with a hint of mischief. “We have a few hours to enjoy a real adventure.”

“ROSADETTE, if you keep your mouth like that for too long, you’ll surely experience jaw pains later.”

“I-I can’t help it! This entire courtyard is magnificent. No, spectacular! No…ah! I can’t think of any word that can define how marvelous this place is.”

Rain had explained that the Rose kingdom and his were sisters, sitting pretty close to one another. It was convenient for royals because between the two kingdoms was a place only royalty was allowed to enter. I surely wasn’t of royal background, but since I was accompanying Prince Rainer, I was offered entry.

From our attire, it actually looked as though we were on a date of some kind, and a few brave souls had tried to ask when we made our way. Rain would smile and say we must hurry along and can’t chitchat, but he didn’t deny their claims.

I should have been worried about being labeled as Rain’s girlfriend, but being by his side was vastly different from being by Xavier’s. When I was at Xavier’s side, it felt like I was more of a shadow, a hindrance he couldn’t wait to get rid of. But Rain walked next to me with pride, slowing his strides so we’d be of equal footing.

He gave off the vibes of a true king.

I could see why it was easy for people to praise him and bow their heads even without much knowledge of who he was. Only a few arriving fae from another land didn’t know who he was, but they still bowed immediately when he passed, before asking the other fae nearby who he was.

It could have been that invisible aura around him that made you want to obey.

During our walk, Rain explained that all of us had auras, but you’d have to awaken your magic to see it. We’d gone to a little cafe, to get a bite to eat.

I wasn’t hungry per se, but I hadn’t been eating very well to begin with, and Rain insisted I eat something, saying I’d need it for when I saw the queen.

He explained some of the basics of fae magic and how we’re the best when the sun is out. It was why the days seemed longer here versus in the lower world where things would change between daylight savings.

He also said that as your magic grows, the vibrations of the universe strengthen it and it becomes easier to connect with nature. It was how he was able to change the wall and expand the space within it to create the fort.

If you weren’t open-minded to the idea, it would be impossible to understand it. Magic wasn’t something you could fully grasp with science and numbers. He said that was the reason why it was difficult for humans to understand our race.

Another reason why they were desperately trying to find a way with technology to gain some power back in the hierarchy of the food chain.

Being outside of the school walls was already uplifting my spirits. The heightened anxiety I felt before had dulled, and my body that seemed to ache from tension was finally letting itself enjoy this rare moment.

In the royal courtyard was a field of roses and other unique flowers I’d never seen or heard of. Some danced when you walked passed, while others could sing hymns and melodies. It wasn’t in English, but in a sort of language that still made goosebumps appear along your arms and have you wishing there was a recording of the angelic harmonies.

We’d had biscuits and tea, and I explained a bit more of my background to Rain. I’d told him I was a bit hesitant in sharing everything because of what had occurred, but he assured me he wouldn’t take without giving bits of himself, and with those words, he graced me with more about himself.

He was the only son of the kingdom and was going to one day be king when his parents deemed him ready. He hadn’t been planning to attend Fae Rose because his family had their own academy for both light and dark fae, but his parents felt like it would be more beneficial for him to attend somewhere completely different.

As a prince, especially when you’re attending your family-created academy, favoritism was a huge thing. Even if they tried to make it seem less obvious. The perfect example was how Xavier had behaved during the entrance exam.

All the people were fine with their actions because Xavier approved of it. He may not have told them to insult and belittle me, but his side comments and quick defense on Ella’s behalf was enough to prove otherwise.

That was what Prince Rainer’s family wanted to avoid. He may still get some of the favoritism from his peers and those who wanted to butter him up, but the professors and other administrators wouldn’t be as lenient.

His thought process amazed me. He didn’t want any short cuts to success, and that was something I respected.

As we walked through a floral maze to waste a bit more time, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the exquisiteness this world had to offer. We hadn’t interacted with many others now that we were on the royal grounds, but it was enough to help alter my negative views.

It could have been deemed childish to hate this world so prematurely, but Rain kept emphasizing how unacceptable this whole thing was and that the queen was not taking it lightly.

“Does that mean people are being punished?” I asked.

“Ella was close to being expelled before she started.” Rain seemed extremely amused while I stared at him in shock.

“Seriously?”

“Yup.” Rain nodded, tightening his hooked arm around mine. “If it wasn’t because of her mother begging the queen, I’m sure Ella would be looking for another academy to attend.”

“Isn’t she attending so she can have a chance with Xavier?” I mumbled.

I’d heard the bits of gossip our dorm mates would have during lunch and dinner, and how they wished Xavier would date them.

I’m sure personality didn’t matter to them. He could be as cold-hearted as ever, but why would that matter when they could be the future queen of the kingdom?

“That’s the number one reason why the number of students entering tripled this year in both the male and female departments.”

“Why the male?” I asked.

“Some want him too.” He winked when my cheeks flushed. “Others want to challenge him.”

“Challenge him?” I thought about it. “Do they want to test him to see if he’s worthy of one day claiming the throne?”

“Accurate answer,” he replied. “That, or they would love to have the pleasure of killing him.”

“W-What?” I was horrified, but Rain shrugged. “Xavier doesn’t know that kindness builds bridges, while rudeness burns them to ashes. He has little respect unless one proves themselves worthy of his time and attention. It’s a pity in my eyes. So many strong fae are among us, hidden behind their weak or nerdy appearances.”

He turned his head my way as we came to a stop. “Not like I’m saying you’re weak. You merely don’t know your roots.”

“Will I discover them?” I whispered, searching his eyes as I continued. “Will I find who I am? Is it even possible? I’m an orphan.”

“Everyone with a soul has roots embedded in the very soil we stand on. The roots reach deep into the core of Mother Nature and spread into an interconnected web of mystical wonder. Just like DNA, any fae can discover their past and the path towards their future. You just have to fight to claim what is already yours.”

I smiled back at him, his words vibrating within me. His presence and comforting words were giving me hope that I had a shot at this.

I just have to strive forward and prove to everyone that I deserve to be purely divine like them.

“Rosadette? Prince Rainer?” The slightly disgusted tone had us both look forward to see Xavier and Esmeralda. My eyes lowered to their hooked arms, just like how Xavier was eyeing our hooked arms.

“Look at this shocking occurrence.” Esmeralda smiled eerily, her eyes looking my way. “Rosadart. I’m surprised to see you out of your cave. Finally getting some sunshine?”

I couldn’t answer as Rain unhooked his arm from mine, only to place it along my shoulder and pull me closer.

“Her name is Rosadette, Esmeralda. I suggest you show some more respect the next time you encounter the queen’s apprentice.” The way he emphasized my new role was like venom sinking into a fresh wound.

Esmeralda scrunched her face in annoyance, and I could already see the spike of jealousy in Xavier’s eyes, but I couldn’t help but press right into Rain’s hold.

“Pleasure to see you again, Prince Xavier and Esmeralda.” My voice lacked emotion, my greeting more out of respect for Xavier’s royal title than anything.

The intense staring match that seemed to be going on between me and Xavier only intensified the longer we kept it up. I had a feeling Esmeralda was doing the same to Rain, as if they had a salty history.

“Rosadette. Rainer. There you are.”

We couldn’t carry on, the automatic instinct to turn our heads to the powerful but delightful voice to our left caught our attention. The queen was standing there with the king.

She was wearing yet another amazing gown, one of various shades of gold and brown, and her hair was braided in a crown style. Her crown sat perfectly in the middle and her lips were cloaked with brown metallic lipstick.

The king was dressed in fine clothing that reminded me of ancient times you’d read about in fairy tales. It had similar gold and brown shades like the queen’s dress, and his crown was perfectly perched on his head. They were holding hands, and as the queen looked our way, the king was staring at Xavier and Esmeralda.

He didn’t seem pleased with Xavier’s company.

“Good evening, Your Majesties.”

Somehow Rain and I said our greetings in unison, bowing our heads in respect.

“It’s good to see you outside and enjoying the fresh air, Rosadette. Prince Rainer. I’m proud of you for checking in on Rosadette.” The king’s praise was uncalled for.

“A duty of a prince is to ensure those you care about are taken care of.” Prince Rainer bowed his head again. “It’s an honor to be in Rosadette’s company.”

I had to ignore Xavier’s questioning look as I gave an appreciative smile. “Prince Rainer decided I needed some air. I’ve been studying really hard and needed a little boost.”

“Certainly.” The queen looked pleased. “Thank you, Prince Rainer. I’d asked Xavier earlier today to come by and see you, Rosadette,”

I blinked cluelessly.

“You did?” I looked over to Xavier, watching him look away like a kid caught stealing. It made me a bit mad at his childish behavior, but I decided to go along with it. “My only visitor was Prince Rainer. Maybe Xavier was busy.”

That’s the only excuse I could give.

“I had some things to attend to and it got rather late,” Xavier defended.

“What makes you think my request was of less importance?” the queen inquired, the tension around us spiking up dramatically.

Something told me that the queen was mad, but she clearly wasn’t displaying it as she smiled innocently while looking at Xavier, who was surely trembling inside while keeping his calm front.

“My apologies,” Xavier stated with a slight bow of his head. “Next time I’ll make sure I attend to any requests first.”

“It’s not his fault,” Esmeralda voiced. “I needed a hand with some things and it took far longer than expected.”

“Esmeralda,” the king said coldly. “I thought we made it clear that you were not welcome in the in-between royal gardens.”

I involuntarily shivered at the harsh bite in his disapproving words. It wasn’t even directed at me, but it was enough to make it feel like the warm atmosphere had dropped a few degrees.

There has to be some royal drama I’m missing out on. Do I really want to be involved in this?

Prince Rainer held me a bit tighter, and I looked up to see his radiant smile.

“Before this becomes a longer discussion, we must sadly excuse ourselves,” he announced. “We have a meeting with Your Majesty herself, and we’d love to be on time.”

The queen laughed, the sound making the flowers around us dance and glow.

“Thank you for respecting our agreed appointment. We can go together. I will be home late, my love. I’m sure Xavier would kindly see to your return to the castle.” The queen looked to Esmeralda, her smile turning upside down. “After he ensures Esmeralda’s swift exit.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Xavier answered and tugged Esmeralda like she was now a hindrance. She looked shocked and peeved at the same time, her eyes darting between Prince Rainer and me.

No words left her, but her eyes told me that whatever was brewing in the air wasn’t over. I’d been dragged into something I knew nothing about, but there was no point in worrying about it.

For now.

“Let us be on our way, shall we?” the queen encouraged.

“Yes,” we replied and turned our attention to the king.

“Have a blessed evening, King Rose,” Rain declared.

“Thank you. Have a wonderful evening yourselves,” he replied with a warm smile.

The queen took the lead as we followed shortly behind. The tension that was pulsing around us from before began to dissipate the further we got away from the encounter spot.

Are they arguing or something? Imagine living under one roof with such tension brewing.

“I’m terribly sorry that Xavier dismissed my request.” The queen’s sudden words shocked me. She was the queen. She didn’t need to apologize to a peasant like me.

“It’s not a big deal, Your Majest-”

“Alicia, Rosadette. Among my presence, you may use my real name,” she reminded.

“Yes, Alicia,” I corrected myself with a shy smile.

“Why don’t we head to the very place I wanted you to see?” she offered as we walked in a different direction.

We followed until we entered a house wrapped around many vines. It looked ancient but seemed to be taken care of. Walking in, the wood floors creaked, and cobwebs were all over the corners and hanging chandelier that seemed dead.

The interior looked just as ancient as the outdoors, making me wonder if anyone even came here on a regular basis. Seeing as the outside looked unkempt, I wasn’t sure if they were given entry to the inside.

“This is Holly Valley,” Alicia declared and turned to look at us. She gestured to the far end of the room, where a standing mirror was engraved in the wall. “That is Holly, the Mirror of Truth.”

“The Mirror of Truth?” I whispered, feeling drawn to it already.

It had a power to it, an energy that spun around you and reeled you in. The perfect bait to reveal all your deep secrets.

“Yes.” Alicia’s voice echoed around us.

I tugged my hand out of Rain’s, taking cautious steps forward as I approached the mirror that was full of dust and spider webs.

“Why are we here?” I couldn’t help but ask as I stopped in front of the centerpiece of this home. There were no other pieces of furniture, leaving me to wonder why such an item existed if there was nothing else.

“To test you, Rosadette.” Alicia now stood next to me.

“Test me.” The words stung, reminding me of the pain I’d endured not long ago. I reached for the mirror, placing my hand against the cool, reflective glass. “I’ve already failed.”

“Have you?” another voice questioned in judgment, the room growing pitch black and leaving me in the center.

“Why does it matter?” I was bringing up the past like a broken record, the constant reminders only making me feel childish. “How can I prove myself? I did just that and where did it get me? A laughing stock. A disgrace.” I almost laughed as tears formed in my eyes.

“Look at the pathetic human. So desperate to belong that she comes to our world. She’s probably a narcissist. No, a bipolar individual who thinks she can claim innocence one day, and be guilty of her fakeness the next. Does she think she can be like one of us? She’ll never listen to the truth. When will she learn…when will she disappear?”

I spoke the words that carried their way to my room every day this week. I heard the harsh rumors and words from the maids and other staff as I hid in my makeshift fort.

“I’m a disgrace…and I’ll never be able to fix what has already been written.”

“Says who?” the voice questioned.

“Says…everyone.” I couldn’t find a better response than that. I’m sure I’d be doing everyone a favor by leaving. Returning to my low-scum world and back to the life I’d known. This experience could remain a fairy tale, one that didn’t get a happy ending.

It could all be for the better…

“The human part of you believes you’re unworthy. The haunting words and the deep wounds of their actions are fighting to engrave within your heart. However, that’s only one part, is it not?”

I lifted my hands, staring at them and feeling as though this was the only place I can let my words out.

That my real thoughts could be said without judgment or negativity.

“I want to believe.” My voice trembled as tears rolled down my cheeks. “I want to believe in that part of me that knows I’m different. That I’m special. There are times, especially when I don’t let those dark thoughts consume me, that I feel something deep within. A burning power, a flame of wonder, and it feels ten times stronger here. I’ve ignored the quiet calls. Tried to hide how this place makes me feel right at home. How can a place that has already brought me so much sorrow bring a sense of comfort and bits of joy? The view from the window, the smell of nature, and when I’m graced with a bittersweet dream, I see myself running through the fields of roses, wearing a crown of golden metal with many rubies and diamonds. A child, innocent and pure, with curly blonde hair and lavender eyes with bits of silver, just like mine. It’s in those dreams I can get lost in the hope, believing it was real. Yet, once I wake up, I’m back to this reality, and the realization brings on a heart-aching pain one like myself doesn’t deserve to endure any longer.”

“Yet you know it is not a dream, but something you can claim if you allow yourself to believe,” the voice declared. “You can make this your home, the place you’ve been destined to be all along.”

“Destined to be all along.” I looked up to the dark ceiling, wondering if it was even possible.

“Let go of your human ways. Allow your imagination to flounder and be free. To be fae is not only about embracing the pure divineness within you. To be of light, you must let the sunshine within you and without for all to see. You can be what you’ve always been destined to become, Rosadette Campbell. Let go of what holds you back. Allow yourself to overcome their negative torment. Conquer the darkness they tried to embed in you and shine brighter than before.”

I bit my lip, my tears gracing my flushed cheeks, and paused as I let myself do what was asked of me.

Forget their harmful words.

Release the images of their glares and cheerfulness over my downcast pride.

Be gone from the negative shackles that fight to take over me, and allow me to break free.

Please…let me be free.

A single circular light flashed down on me, growing in magnitude until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. The warmth that embraced my body reminded me of a hug from a guardian that wanted nothing but the best for you.

It melted my heart, the bitterness, painful memories, and sadness beginning to fade away from me, replaced by nothing but joy and confidence, the emotions I’d craved to experience once again.

Opening my eyes, I lowered my head to see the room was back but was decorated in the finest furniture. The tall golden lamps reached for the ceiling, and hanging crystal spheres with golden flames helped light the room.

The scent of red roses came from the dark wood walls, golden vines decorating the walls from the floor to the ceiling. The chandelier that was once full of cobwebs was clear of any faults and shone brightly in the center above me. The dazzling mirror surrounded by various floral arrangements with gold brass hugged the reflective glass.

My reflection was what took my breath away.

There I was, my purple-silver eyes with silver rims glowed with justice, their fearless reflection only aiding in the growth of confidence. My skin was perfection, without a single flaw and contoured in a way that reminded me of the many fae models I’d admire in those magazines and large posters.

My hair was platinum blonde, its curly nature as bountiful as ever, and the extension of my black lashes only made my eyes stand out even more. My lips were a dark nude color, the glossy appearance one of natural grace.

My weight loss was now corrected, my small waist and curvy hips back in place as I wore the same dress given to me, but now truly fitted to my figure in all areas.

What caught my attention now was the dazzling symbols on my arms, the iridescent symbols leaving me in awe as I looked at my fingernails that were now painted with bright red nail polish.

I realized there was a weight in my right hand, and I saw the book that had been gifted to me. I raised it up, peering down at it with immense appreciation for the old woman that had made sure I was safe during those darkest times of my childhood and treasured me enough to gift me this blank book before she passed.

I opened it up, the once-blank pages now full of written scriptures and spells.

Without a thought, the pages flipped to the very first page, and I let out my left hand and whispered the words of the single sentence written in ancient incantations.

“Revu la flame leveosa.” My voice was tiny, but the sizzling magic ignited within the palm of my left hand, those iridescent markings growing brighter as the flame in my hand rose with strength.

My eyes filled with tears, amazement filling me as I’d been able to do my first ever magic spell. The words that I, as a human, would have never been able to read, were now the reason why a flame hovered in my hand, and proved that I was what I’d always wished to be.

I’m fae. I belong here. I’m special.

“Yes, you are, Rosadette,” Alicia’s proud recognition reached my ears. Slowly, I turned around, the flame still burning in my left hand while the book closed shut on its own in my right.

There Alicia stood, her dress now a red combat suit with golden jewels embedded in the chest piece and belt. She had a gold sword that hung on her hip, and her lavish hair was up in a ponytail.

Rain was also in combat attire, two swords on his waist as his arms were crossed over his chest, revealing the white gloves he wore. His hair was also up in a ponytail, his gold and white attire making him look like a charming prince ready to sweep me off my feet.

His pride-filled eyes and dazzling smile made my own lips curl up, realizing it was thanks to him that I finally knew my calling.

My destiny.

“The Mirror of Truth tests you the best way possible. It surrounds you in darkness and forces you to reflect on the deep wounds you’ve experienced over your life. It wasn’t your upbringing or circumstances that were bringing you down, Rosadette. It was the fear of what your peers think of you that was holding you back. You so desperately wanted their acceptance, to be recognized as something special, when you were born to be someone great. You were destined to discover your fae roots. No one’s opinion can change one’s destiny, but it can delay if not ruin it if you let it. Letting go of their harsh words and not allowing them to define who you truly are is what removed those negative shackles and set your magic free.”

“Wow,” I whispered.

The realization that something as simple as letting others dictate who I was meant to be was what was holding me back seemed almost laughable. I could have continued on this destructive path, fallen into a life of studying and trying to prove myself to the very people who’d never accept me. It felt like nothing but a waste of time.

It would not matter if I studied, changed, or projected a new me for their behalf. They would cling to the image of that fateful day. They would envision the woman standing on that platform, trying to defend herself after being set up by her very people, and no matter what happened after, they would continue to use the past against me.

What a waste of energy and time, trying to please people who may never change. Why not put that effort into reaching my goals? Why not aim to achieve the dream I see for myself and accept what I deserve not from my fellow fae, but from the universe itself.

The universe and those almighty powerful beings within the sky that want nothing but the best for me.

The magic that runs through my veins and the destiny I deserve to proclaim.

It was time to invest my energy in claiming what was mine all along, and now that I’d released all the pain from the past, I could finally enjoy the first few steps towards my future.

That path will bring me those who want to stand by my side. Those who will rise up in my defense when the room is hot with naysayers and discriminating individuals. Those loyal individuals who will stand by my side through thick and thin.

Prince Rainer was one of them. Chamomile another. The queen stood behind me, accepting me as someone worth being a student and striving for the future she believed in.

I was finally facing my weakness and the darkness harboring it.

“I’m finally free.” I smiled at both of them, fighting the tears that threatened to escape.

“You are ready, Rosadette,” Prince Rainer affirmed. “I will help you reach your goals.”

“I will teach you what you need to know. I cannot deny the hardships that will come your way, but as a woman dear to me told me once upon a time, ‘To be a purely divine fae, one must journey from the depths of the darkness to reach an everlasting future of light.’ Once you’ve done so, and experienced what Fae Rose has to offer, you’ll begin to untangle the truth to your past and heritage.”

The flame in my hand extinguished as I lowered my other hand that held my book. Going to one knee, I bowed my head and whispered, “Train me well, Your Majesty.”

It was time for me to prepare for my first days at Fae Rose Academy.

SCREW UP AND THREATENED ROSE

~XAVIER~

FOUR MONTHS LATER…

I PACED LIKE NO OTHER. Back and forth, impatiently waiting for my mother to arrive, if I’d be graced with an opportunity to see her.

Father watched me helplessly, his look of pity only adding to my palpating anxiety.

“Son. Your pacing isn’t going to quicken your mother’s arrival.” He pointed out the obvious, the comment irritating my every nerve.

“This isn’t fair!” I declared, stomping my foot like a child throwing a tantrum. I couldn’t help but display some sort of frustration with my circumstances - and fears. “Did you not see?! The rose is wilting! If the petals begin to fall, we lose!”

“You lose,” he corrected me, his seriousness overtaking his expression as his eyes pierced mine. “Xavier. We warned you over and over again.”

“Prince Rainer is the enemy!” I snapped. “Why is my mother befriending him?! Does she wish to see me fail so harshly that she’ll work with our enemy?”

“Their kingdom is not our enemy. Without darkness, there is no light. Without light, there can’t be just darkness. The two elements are polar opposites but need one another to survive. It’s exactly why there is time for the sun, as there is time for the moon. Light and dark are no different. Like Ying and Yang, their coexistence is mandatory for the world to go round. It does not change because we live in another world that takes pride in our divine beauty.”

I didn’t want any lectures. My fists were shaking in rage.

“None of us have seen Rosadette since the entrance exam. Aside from us seeing her walking with Prince Rainer! As if they’re a couple or something.”

“They looked rather nice together, if I might compliment.”

“You can’t, Father!” I groaned and paced faster. “Rosadette is supposed to be mine!”

“And yet you decided to be with Esmeralda and that helping her with errands was of far more importance than checking on the woman you so heartedly want to claim as yours?”

He reminded me of my mistake, and I gritted my teeth in anger.

“It was an error of judgment.”

“Something a man would say when they’re caught cheating in bed,” Father emphasized, crossing his arms as he leaned back into his throne. “Did you believe your presence with Esmeralda would spark some jealousy within Prince Rainer?” he inquired.

“They were once together! No, they’re destined to be together. Do not act as though you do not know her rose is in the same sort of chamber we have in their kingdom. I bet it’s already wilted and died.”

“As it should.” He shrugged. “They were not the least bit compatible and everyone knew it. Even you.”

“Why would he be blessed with it then?! Just like I’m blessed with Rosadette’s? If the universe knows we aren’t compatible, why bother?!”

“Mother Universe gives us trials to determine what we can handle.”

Father and I darted our heads to the door. Mother was standing there in full fae armor. Even in the dim light of the throne room, its gleaming appearance of red and gold craved one’s attention, and her loose locks laid gracefully along her face while she leaned against the door frame.

Her eyes looked just as unamused as her straight-lined lips.

“Something I’ve taught you plenty of times, Xavier. Esmeralda knows exactly why her destined partnership fell to shambles and she’s not reaping those consequences. Yet you’re still hanging around her like a puppy dog.”

“I…” My words got stuck in my throat, my mother’s disapproving eyes only narrowing when I tried to defend myself.

“I’m not playing with the enemy, Xavier. There are no sides when war plagues us all. I’m tired of trying to bring sense to you, and if you won’t respect the chances I’ve given you to fix this, maybe you too must learn what loss is.”

“That’s…not fair, mother!”

“The world is not fair, Xavier, but you of all people, born in riches and raised to respect your own people, do not deserve to say such.” She moved off from the doorway, her eyes moving to Father.

“I’m tired and retiring early. We’ll talk in the morning.”

Father nodded, but before Mother could leave he piped up, “How has the training been with Rosadette?”

Whether he was asking out of curiosity or trying to make me feel worse, my mother graced her husband with the answer he sought.

“She’s improved marvelously. It’ll be intriguing to see how she starts the new semester. I think many will be shocked.” Mother actually smirked, her taunting eyes landing on me once more. “Before you ask, she is still your partner for the year as designated. If deemed inadequate by the end of the school year, you’ll be switched automatically.”

She turned around and took a deep breath, allowing it to come out in a slow movement.

“This may be your last chance at fixing what you’ve created, Xavier. Do not blame a single soul for screwing this up.”

“Shouldn’t you at least support me?” My words were bitter. “You’re my parents. You should support my decisions.”

Mother laughed and shook her head, looking away from me once more.

“Do you believe I will act like a foolish parent and deny my child’s wrongful decisions? How can I possibly rule in fairness with such mentality? You are of my blood, Xavier, and I still take pride in helping raise a son with so much potential.”

She looked back at me, her eyes so dark and tainted like blood, the sight leaving me trembling.

“You know exactly where our roots lay, and if we allow it to consume us, no good will come from it. Don’t fall into this foolish view of power and absolute submission. You’ll never rise to the throne with that mentality, nor will you win Rosadette’s heart. No matter light or dark, we all crave compassion, love, support, and a joined future of companionship. If you can’t envision a life with Rosadette, you will have to watch the rose wilt, petal after petal, until any chance of hope is no more.”

I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my cold composure as my heart dropped.

Mother walked away, the door closing behind her. The sound of her heels against the tiled floors faded away, and my father sighed.

“Son. I have no words to say to aid you in this one.” He rose up and made his way to the door. “As your mother has stated, the new year is the beginning of the second semester, or in Rosadette’s case, her chance to attend our academy. That rose is magic, her essence within its sacred petals. You can still fix this, but time is not on your side.”

Another heavy sigh left his lips.

“If you believe it was butterflies and rainbows when I fought to claim your mother’s heart, think again. As you can see, her stubbornness and silent anger are scary in many ways, but under the tough exterior, is a soft, loving woman, and that is the side that raised you with tender care when you were born. She loves you, just as I do, but sometimes tough love is the best way to get through one’s stubbornness.”

He took a step forward but stopped.

“We can’t stop you from doing what you want, but remember this warning. If you follow whatever wishy-washy nonsense Esmeralda feeds you, be ready to fulfill it to the end. Prince Rainer was lucky. Don’t allow yourself to be a victim of avoidable circumstances. That’s all I can say.” He paused then whispered, “Goodnight, my son.”

He walked away, leaving me to stare at the door that began to close on its own. Blinking back my tears, I made my way to the office, heading down the secret path and arriving in the sacred room.

Walking up the stairs, I reached the platform that held the single rose, my heart dropping in fear as I saw the weakly glowing figure. The stem was leaning over to one side, the petals looking frail, threatening to part ways at any second.

“I can fix it…” I muttered. “Esme said she’ll help me. I’ll…get Rosadette back. I can still…have both. Yes. One woman to love, the other for power. That’s the best I can do. No…it’s the only thing I can do.”

With a smile, I prepared myself for what was to come. My parents may be right in their ways, but those laws of life were old and outdated.

“Love Rosadette. Keep her by my side. Wait for the rightful moment to rise and proclaim what I know is destined to be mine.”

The plan was perfect. Now it was time to execute it.

A NEW DAY AND FIRST SIGHT OF FAE SNOW

~ROSADETTE~

“TOO SLOW!”

My smirk widened to a smile, my body twirling at the final second and my hand blazing with fire that wrapped around me, hardening like an anaconda wrapping around its prey. The clashing of Rain’s sword couldn’t make a dent in my flaming barrier. The sizzling sound of his sword had me on the verge of giggling.

“Rosadette,” he groaned in defeat. “My parents are going to kill me,”

I snapped my fingers, the heat-infused coal that plagued my skin shattered into tiny bits of ash, raining down to the ground while I grinned in triumph.

“What’s going to be today’s excuse? Oh, Mama and Papa! Rosadette has vanquished me in battle once again, leaving my last sword in melting turmoil. Oh woe is me!

Rain gave me a look, igniting a wave of laughter from my part. “Don’t go pouting at me. You look far too cute. I may actually fall for you,” I teased.

“Good,” he huffed. “Then maybe my parents will have more leniency on me when I admit my butt got kicked by Rosadette Campbell, again!”

He let go of what was left of his sword, the metal clinking against the cement floor of the training room. “Tough luck.” I winked and closed my book.

“You’re gonna have to memorize some spells so you don’t always need your book,” he noted, reaching my side.

“My wonderful book that no one can tou-”

He grabbed it out of my hand, opening it to a page and mumbling, “Ralu ro rosa la re.”

My shock didn’t register until his other hand blazed with rose petals that spun around before gracing him with a bouquet of flaming roses.

He bowed down and offered me the flaming bouquet, and once I accepted it, he smiled his usual boyish grin of triumph.

“I may fail at beating you, but I’m a pro at stealing your heart…and book.”

“T-That’s cheating, you playboy!”

“I’m not a playboy when I’ve got my eyes on only one fae in the land.” He moved in closer, my cheeks growing hot at his words.

“I-I’ll ward you off!”

“With what? Your beauty takes me in like a four-leaf clover.”

I burst out in laughter. “That was so cheesy!”

“You love it.” He continued his playful flirting, walking around me until he pressed a kiss to my cheek. “If only someone would fall for my advances.”

“Hmm.” I thought about it while looking at the scorching flowers that began to extinguish, leaving black roses in its wake. “I’m tempted.”

“Not until you blow out those roses.”

“I can blow something else?”

His cheeks blushed before he tried to compose himself. “You call me a flirt when you think the dirtiest things.”

“I have an amazing best friend with level A+ sex education,” I declared.

“You say that so confidently!”

“If you say it with confidence, no one questions whether it’s true or not,” I teased.

He groaned and moved behind me. Hooking his arms around my waist, he pulled me into a back embrace and rested his chin on my head.

“It’s the new year. Just blow on them like you would a candle.”

“Will I get a prize?” I reasoned.

“You’ll never know if you don’t do what I ask.”

“Tempting,” I noted. “I’m not one to take a man’s orders.”

“I know,” he whispered. “As much as I respect that, this is the one exception I ask. At least until we become partners.”

“You’re playing with fate, huh?” I was clearly stalling, my heart pounding in happiness at the roses that looked so divinely enchanting with their dark beauty.

“Please, Sweet Rose.”

All heavenly power, when he whispered with that seductive voice, it made my body tingle and ears crave for more. I had no choice but to obey.

“Fine,” I whispered and took a deep inhale, letting it out in a slow stream of air. My eyes widened, watching the black shade of the roses be blown away like pesky embers, revealing golden roses with hints of illuminating white. They shone vibrantly, like a lamp in the depths of a dark room, sparks of white rising up as the wondrous scent of fresh roses hit my nostrils.

I was left in awe, turning my head until Rain’s lips were inches from mine.

“Happy New Year, Rosadette,” he whispered.

“There has to be a better occasion than the new year to receive these beauties,” I quietly declared.

“There is.” He grinned playfully, while his eyes softened lovingly. “Court me.”

My heart fluttered at his delicate request, reminding me how our relationship had grown throughout these last four months.

The daily training, the nights of reading and learning. The prince of a kingdom I’d yet to figure out took me under his wing. Not out of greed or selfish desires, but to empower me every step of the way on this newfound journey to find myself.

None of it was easy, but the challenge only excited me. Tomorrow was my official first day at school, and I knew that many were waiting to see my downfall.

If only they knew the transformation I’d gone through to reach this very moment.

I craved to leave them in shock, to now show them the threat they easily dismissed, but I knew this moment would come.

At least, I anticipated this chance at love.

I wouldn’t deny it. I’d hardened my heart from love in the beginning, wishing to not be a fool in love. I thought maybe there would be a chance with Xavier, letting my vulnerability get the best of me as I strived to prove to him I was worthy of his attention.

My flourishing beginning started with the Mirror of Truth, and I silently vowed that I wouldn’t let myself chase love. I’d allow the universe to stir me in the right direction, and ease into something that would flourish into a magical relationship between two souls.

The stronger I became with training and perseverance, the harder it was to ignore our growing closeness. There were times I still feared to be open to another, especially a male, but Prince Rainer was becoming closer and closer in unlocking that gate to my heart.

He’d shown me a level of respect I’d never received from any man.

Yet I still hesitate.

“I know.” His tiny whisper answered my unspoken thoughts, followed with, “You do not need to answer now, but I couldn’t enjoy this new day without letting you know my intentions first.”

He turned me in his arms, the two of us staring into one another’s eyes, the glow of the bouquet complementing his ruby orbs, just how it must have complemented my lavender ones.

“Whatever you decide, to wait, move forward, or push me away, I’ll still remain by your side and support you the best I can. I know…you may still be interested in Xavier. Who knows? You may be destined for him. But with school starting tomorrow, I figured I’d let you know how I felt.”

“What if I change my mind?” I whispered. “Would I lose you entirely?”

“No,” he assured me.

“Why should I trust you?” My defensiveness felt rather childish after four solid months of bonding, but I was afraid to agree like a happy child being promised a pain-free year.

This is a man that skipped a semester of school on my behalf, training me with the queen’s guidance and ensuring I’d never struggled unnecessarily. He taught me without harsh words, glares, or provocative actions.

I was a respected comrade, and if I accepted to court him, we’d be more than that.

We’d be lovers. Something I’d craved for many years.

“If I listed all the reasons, I find none would be worthy of an answer,” he admitted. “So you shouldn’t, for I could be a bad guy in disguise, ready to claim you as my queen and rule the fae world.”

I arched an eyebrow at him, feeling the depth of his lie.

“Alright, I’m lying, but you knew that.” He winked.

With an eye roll, I lowered the bouquet with my right hand, using my left one to hook around his neck and bring him closer. He looked intrigued, his eyes searching mine as our lips were centimeters apart.

“You’ve never gone against my trust, and I won’t lie to you. I did once wish to be the woman at Xavier’s side. An unconscious thought, hoping to be acknowledged by him. To eventually earn some sort of favor and hoping it would lead to love. I know tomorrow will be the start of a partnership I’m dreading to confront, but alas, here we are, and if fate is true, this is something I must confront. Destiny or not, I’ll let my heart decide if he’s worthy of me…but for now…or at least until then…” I closed my eyes and inched forward, my lips lightly pressing again his.

My first kiss with a man who actually respected me.

“I’d keep you next to me. Not just as a comrade, but someone I’m willing to open my heart to.”

The happiness that bloomed on his complexion made my heart swell, and he returned the kiss with his own, one filled with love and that left a giddy flutter in my stomach.

“Then that’s a yes?”

I giggled. “Your voice literally changed an octave!”

“It did not!” He blushed and cleared his throat. “Does that mean you’ll court me?”

“Yes.” I was still giggling as I hugged him. “I’ll court you, which is what we call dating.”

“Right! Humans call it that, though courting sounds cooler.”

“Sure,” I exaggerated and nudged his nose with mine. “You’re the first person I’ll ever court.”

“Then I must not disappoint,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against mine. “I’ll aim to please.”

“Don’t do that, silly,” I replied. “Just be you.”

“As you wish,” he declared.

“Are you afraid though? Of what’s to come?”

“Fear is motivation to strive harder,” he revealed. “I use it to grow and make fear something I conqueror. Is starting school nerve-wracking? Definitely. Even for someone like me who has a general outlook of what’s to come from my own family’s academy. However, I won’t let that hold me back. Neither should it stop you, Sweet Rose.”

“You’re right.” I had to push the negative thoughts behind me. “Camilla said to come early.”

“For?”

“Pictures.”

“Intriguing.” He chuckled. “My mother always does that. I better get up extra early. She takes at least an hour to take photos of me. It’s as if she’s painting it from scratch.”

“She loves you,” I said with a laugh.

“That she does.” He beamed at my remark. “Once the year ends, maybe I can introduce you.”

“Really?” I blushed.

“It’s a big deal when we do as fae.”

“Then it’ll be a delightful opportunity when the time comes,” I vowed.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Camilla? Are you done recording? I feel I’ve come down with a love flu that would need my husband’s divine attention.”

The two of us looked to the entrance of the training hall, Alicia and Camilla standing there with wide smiles - Camilla, in particular, holding her phone up in landscape mode.

“I got it all and took plenty of pictures. This is perfect. I’m going to decorate her entire washroom with these. Imagine picture tiles in the washroom. It’ll remind Rosadette of how bold she was to kiss the man of her dreams,” Camilla practically sang.

“Aww, look. Their faces are as red as ripe tomatoes. Please take a photo of that for safekeeping.”

“On it!” Camilla proudly announced. “I’ll take twenty.”

We pushed right out of our embrace, the two of us looking opposite directions.

“W-What are you doing here, Camilla?!” I huffed.

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Rain greeted.

“Alicia,” she corrected with a playful grin. “Are you two done confessing your profound love for one another?”

We groaned in unison, forgetting how friendly the queen had become as of late. This was a side of her that we were grateful to experience.

“Yes, we’re done,” Rain confirmed. “Is there anything you need of us?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “It’s outside though.”

“Oh?” I looked to Rain and we both shrugged. “Sure. Let’s be on our way,” I encouraged.

“You guys need boots though,” Camilla instructed and snapped her fingers.

The very items she requested of us to wear now donned our feet; Rain’s being black while mine were dark red.

“Oh. Shadow boots! How lovely,” Rain teased.

Camilla arched an eyebrow, pointing her hand to his feet. “I can let you walk barefo-”

“I apologize,” Rain interrupted.

We laughed, and Camilla huffed, “Good. You have to be on my good side or I’ll make your relationship a living hell.”

“Good to note.” Rain shuffled over to hide behind me. “Remind me not to anger her.”

“Gotcha,” I agreed. “Let’s go see what needs our attention.”

We made our way out, taking the lead as Alicia and Camilla fell behind. We opened the massive doors to the outdoors, only for my eyes to grow wide and my magic to spark in utmost joy.

“SNOW!” Rain and I cheered.

“Figured you two would be too into your training to realize it snowed rather heavily in the last three hours,” Alicia explained. “The first snow of our land is always the most magical. Thought you’d love to enjoy it with good company.”

“Thank you, Alicia!” I beamed and ran to hug her. She seemed surprised by my sudden affection but patted my back lovingly. “I did not do much.”

“This is a lot,” I whispered, and pulled back to look at her. “Back home, I never enjoyed the snow. All it did was remind me of the cold nights I’d endure and the lack of work and warm meals. Camilla did her best to help when she could, but it wasn’t a season I ever really enjoyed. This is definitely a gift.”

Alicia looked lost in her thoughts for a moment but gave me a loving smile while nodding in understanding.

“Then go create some loving memories.”

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I looked to see Rain offering his hand. “We better enjoy today to the fullest. It’s our last full day of doing whatever.”

“True.” I stepped back and gave Alicia a bow, and then placed my hand in Rain’s. “I can make a stunning snowman.”

“I can make the Mona Lisa,” he offered, leaving me to gawk at him.

“What?”

“This is the fae world, Sweet Rose. We don’t need to waste time on simple things like snowmen.”

“A snowman is hard work!” I argued.

“By hand, yes,” he agreed and then snapped his fingers.

The snow began to twirl around us, gathering in harsh gusts and almost blowing us back as it gathered around us. In seconds, we stood in the middle of a massive snow castle, the details carved into the structure appearing so realistic, it surely could have been mistaken for the real thing if it wasn’t icy white.

Alicia giggled while Camilla reached out and knocked on the wall next to her.

“Oh. Sturdy,” she complimented. “Build me a sleigh!”

“Sure,” he agreed.

“I wanna learn how you did that!” I was baffled at how effortlessly he’d made the ten-foot-tall structure.

“Anything for you,” he agreed and squeezed my hand. “Let’s enjoy the first sight of fae snow.”

The final day of fun with people I actually love. For once, I’m thankful to be here.

TIME TO FACE DESTINY

“Ready?”

“As much as I can ever be.” My voice didn’t tremble like many times before.

I was calm and determined to enjoy my official first day at Fae Rose Academy.

My schedule started off with Fae Introductions, followed by Floral Manipulation, Lunch, Sword Play 101, and Fae Etiquette for the Purely Divine.

It was clear from all my research that fae loved to refer to themselves as Purely Divine or Deadly Divine. Purely referred to the light within ourselves, aiding in our ascendance to the great up high and bringing us close to the very angels themselves.

Deadly meant the darkest of the dark. Fae that could cause death at a single touch and invoke a path of chaos if they so wished it. They could reach the depths of hell’s gate if they wanted to see the underworld, but very few had ever achieved such status and come back to tell the tale.

I wore my winter uniform, today being mandatory skirt day. Whenever it was the first day or exam day, we’d have to abide by the proper dress code that gave us a respectable look.

For Fae Rose, that meant white knitted tights, the gold-and-red plaid skirt, a white long-sleeve dress shirt during the winter, and a golden blazer with white trimming and red embroidery of a rose on the pocket that had FAE ROSE above it and ACADEMY below.

My hair was up, braided in a crown, and Camilla had added tiny little rose hair ornaments that glimmered when the light twinkled on it. My striking purple eyes shone as brightly as ever after having the most perfect ten hours of sleep I’d ever had.

It could have also been whatever Rain had sprinkled onto me when I voiced my sleeping struggles. Within seconds, I was yawning and being tucked in by Rain, and I drifted off after he gave me a soft kiss on my lips.

Yesterday was a blast, experiencing the first fae snow and enjoying an evening of fun and warmth. It reminded me of how far I’d come with the people who stuck by me when life felt like it would end.

Four months of training, reading, and working on myself. Hours dedicated to becoming a person people could look at and not belittle simply because I came from a human background.

With the reassurance and proper training from the queen herself, I knew where I stood and who I wanted to be, and today would prove to all those who doubted and mocked me that I’m here to stay.

Surpassing the nerves would be the hardest challenge, but to seek the vengeance I wholeheartedly deserved seemed even more delightful.

With Rainer being by my side when he can, I couldn’t wait to see what Fae Rose had to offer me. The universe must have something waiting for me. I just needed to figure out exactly what it was and how to claim my destiny.

I only had one main concern.

“What are you thinking about?” Rainer inquired, walking over to stand in front of me. His soft hands brushed away a few curly strands that hung on the side of my face as he held my cheeks tenderly.

Those eyes of his filled with tenderness and love as he searched mine deeply. I’m sure he knew what I was thinking about, and the circumstances we’d be thrown into as we both started what was basically our “second” semester.

I guess I should have been grateful to be able to get a chance like this, a golden opportunity that was blessed to me, and I was, but in the pit of my stomach, I worried about being partnered with Xavier.

“Nothing,” I mumbled, trying to dismiss my premature anxieties.

I almost felt ashamed of even thinking about it - yet again. The thoughts were enough to make me tear my eyes away from Rain’s.

“We may have different partners, but it doesn’t mean I’ll be so far away that you can’t rely on me,” he whispered, drawing my attention once more as my eyes returned to gazing into his.

How those orbs could comfort me with just a gaze.

I didn’t know whether it was his magic that made his emotions blossom like an open book or his genuine ability to express his emotions so openly, but it was a very rare trait, especially in a world where men had to be of one stereotypical standard.

It was just another thing I’d learned about the fae culture, especially in the way women would be attractive to fae men.

Xavier and Rain were at the top of the popularity scale, and yet people gravitated to Xavier more because of his cold attitude, lack of emotion, and overbearing confidence. Looks weren’t even playing a strong role in their perception of the two princes.

I did understand it in a way, falling for the same trap of his coldness and dismissive nature as being something I deserved. I believed that I had to fight to redeem myself among the masses of females far stronger, more attractive, and more talented than I.

Yet, getting the opportunity to learn more about Rain and his way of expressing his feelings on different levels proved that there were many ways of rulership, and that the perception of a king could go one way or the other.

There were two paths: a path towards being a kind king, and a path towards being a merciless one.

It still amazed me how the kingdoms were able to preserve their elemental identities, making it impossible to know what exact element defined each kingdom. To my perception, Xavier was of light or so he hinted, but his attitude was a little too cold for that. It made me intrigued as to whether Rainer was also of light.

He didn’t appear to be of darkness, but I couldn’t confidently say that either.

For now, he was of course light fae and attending Fae Rose Academy and not Shadow Fae Academy, but did it truly matter? Camilla was my best friend and a dark fae, but she still treated me better than a good chunk of the people who had come and gone from my life.

Maybe I was simply overanalyzing everything.

“I know,” I finally answered him, closing my eyes for a moment as I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I repeat in my head over and over again that I’m not alone in this. I have you and Camilla, and even the queen’s support. This is my time to shine and prove them all wrong. To redeem myself and walk down whatever path I’m destined today.”

I paused and opened my eyes, letting my walls fall as my emotions swarmed to my eyes. “Then why am I still afraid? Why do I tremble at the idea of walking out of this room and facing this new reality? I’m about to redeem myself. To re-enter the community that I thought I’d never feel the burning desire to belong to after the fiasco that happened four months ago, and yet…I’m afraid. Frightened of the backlash. The hateful words that still cling to me in the depths of my nightmares. I’m afraid to hear the echoing of voices that called me demeaning slurs and made me feel like an outcast in a sea of my own people. This is a place where I should have felt safe and supported, but it still makes me shiver in my spot…and yet I now have to gather enough courage to return and prove to them that I’m here to stay. That I’m here to claim the destiny I’ve been praying to obtain for many years.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked my eyes as a tear rolled down each cheek. “I’m ready for this, Rainer. Prepared to face the music and fulfill my calling. I finally have a purpose, a reminder that every breath I take will bring me closer to what I’ve always dreamed of. I should be rejoicing, or be filled with so much confidence it bursts through the walls of doubt and fear. Yet, here I am, shedding tears at the idea of walking out that door and not having you right next to me the entire way.”

Rainer smiled and pulled me into a hug.

“Sweet Rose. You’re confusing fear and weakness, my dear.”

“I am?”

“You’re afraid because you want this so bad that the idea of not fulfilling the path you’re destined to walk on leads you astray. You fear returning to an environment that cast you away not because you’re weak, but due to the potential hate that will follow.” He pulled back to look into my eyes, pride and determination flickering in his eyes.

“You are not simply the naive woman who accidentally punched her way into this reality,” he began, the comment making me smile just a smidge. “Those who spat those negative words could see the potential in you. We’re all fae. Experienced ones can see auras as easily as they can see the bright sun’s rays. You believed you were a mere human standing in an arena full of supernatural creatures that you felt you had no similarity to. You couldn’t see what they saw, the bright, magnificent aura that burned with passion until they began to throw negative words to belittle you.”

He pressed his forehead to mine, taking a deep breath and letting it out.

“They know your worth and the strength hidden inside you, and they know that that power can overcome many of them, and you know what that does? It makes them insecure about their own magical power, their own magic. And that makes you a threat to their confidence.”

His lips brushed mine for just a fraction of a second before he stepped back and took a long look at me.

“The woman back then was lost. You had so much power swirling around you, but didn’t know how to use it, nor did you see your self-worth. Maybe to you, these last four months of training, reading, and learning to love the true person you see in your reflection were mere steps, but I can see the significant difference within you. When you walk out that door, you will prove to them that you are worthy of every bit of success you obtain from this day forward. You put all those who doubted and spread rumors about you to shame while you lift your head high while that dazzling aura dances in victory. You conquered something many would have never been able to, and it proves that you are not a quitter. You are a force to be reckoned with and are now happier, stronger, wiser, and more determined to enjoy your rightful place as a student at Fae Rose Academy.”

With a nod of confidence, his eyes softened, and he whispered, “No matter the distance, near or far, I will always walk by your side. Remember that, Rosadette.”

“No matter what?” I shyly inquired. “Even if things don’t go the way I want them to?”

“Regardless. Rain or shine, darkness or light. Whatever path you decide to take, you simply say the word and I will follow.”

“I don’t deserve your utmost devotion,” I whispered.

“You’re right.” He bobbed his head, but took a step closer and reached for my left hand. “You deserve even more.”

His lips pressed against the back of my hand while his eyes remained locked on mine. “Only royalty can tell a royal from one look, and I know that one day, you’ll be confident enough to achieve anything you put your mind on. You may struggle now, because this is only the beginning of the journey, but I promise you, have faith in yourself, Rosadette, because your confidence is exactly what’s going to help you fulfill your true purpose in this universe.”

“So knowledgeable,” I mumbled but closed my eyes as my lips curled up in a smile. “Thank you, Prince Rainer. I think I’m ready.”

Opening my eyes, I saw his wide smile as he nodded back at me. “You have everything you need?”

“Think so.” I looked to my book bag that sat on my neatly made bed. “Time to walk through that door.”

Rainer walked over to the bed, grabbing my bag and swinging it over his shoulder. He offered me his hand, and I arched an eyebrow at him.

“Just because we’re not partners, doesn’t mean I can’t walk you to our first class.” He winked playfully.

“If you do that, all the girls and guys who adore you will go crazy with jealousy and hate,” I reminded, but put my hand in his.

Rain’s smile only widened, and I saw more mischief twinkle in his eye while he tilted his head slightly to one side.

“Let them, for I’m courting a woman who may one day be queen.”

“Cocky.”

“You love it.”

“Hmph. I will not acknowledge that.”

“Ah, but you already have.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “We’re courting, remember?”

“You’re fine with that being public?” I questioned. “Once we walk through that door holding hands, I’m sure the whole school will be buzzing.”

“I’m prepared and so are my parents, if it reaches fae media level. I’m not worried, though. I’m as confident as ever, and I don’t see it as a burden to walk beside you.”

“I wish I’d met you first,” I mumbled.

“Then you wouldn’t have seen the darker sides of our race.” He gave me a sad smile. “At least what you’ve learned in the past will help you pave a better future.”

He squeezed my hand and looked to the door. “Ready to begin this journey?”

I squeezed his hand right back, looking at the door to my room and giving a firm nod at the idea of not going back.

It’s now or never, Rosadette.

“Yes,” I said with conviction. “I’m ready.”

“Then let’s show Fae Rose Academy we’re a couple to look out for,” he cheered us on, swinging our joined hands dramatically, which made me laugh.

“You’re being too happy!”

“And yet you’re laughing hysterically.” He looked back and winked at me. “A laugh a day keeps the bad guys away.”

“That’s not how it goes, but sure,” I said, giggling, and swung my arm with him as we walked our way to the door.

“Rain?” I whispered as he reached for the knob of the door.

“Yes, Rosadette?”

“Thank you.” I looked right into his eyes that moved their attention to peer into mine. “For being the first to stand by my side when I felt lost and alone in this new world. Thank you for having faith in me.”

“You’re welcome, Rosadette.” His smile reached his eyes, and if I thought he couldn’t be any more handsome, he proved me wrong right here and now.

He twisted the doorknob, and with a final look at my room, I took the first step into my new life.

Time to face my destiny.

WATCHING A WILTING ROSE

~XAVIER~

“XAVIER!”

My goal for this morning was to reach my classes like I had always aimed to do for the last four months, but alas, the high-pitched, obnoxious calls of my name fought to draw my attention and distracted me.

The specific voice that called to me made me stop and look to my left. Esmeralda was walking towards me with a wide grin on her face.

“Are you ready for another semester?”

“You speak as if there will be much of a change from the previous semester,” I mumbled coldly. I personally didn’t want to think or talk about it.

Or focus on the fact I’d have a different partner this semester.

Due to Rosadette being excused for one semester, I’d been somehow partnered with Esmeralda. Funny seeing as my parents hated her, but I felt the decision was random and not made with their formal approval.

Mother had forgiven me for bringing Esmeralda into the royal gardens, but I could tell she and Father hated any discussion that brought Esmeralda up. Sometimes it was a discussion that was unavoidable, especially when she was my partner and they requested to know how my day or week had gone.

As of late, I hadn’t seen Mother, which Father explained was due to her commitment to training Rosadette.

All that told me was that it surely had to be a hassle to train someone who was so weak and knew nothing of our culture. Whatever she did know were from fable books of fairy tales and lies, and whatever was true, I’m sure she’d struggled to keep in her ditzy head.

Realistically, I didn’t see why I despised her so much, especially after the disgraceful event she’d experienced. With what occurred, I assumed she’d be taught what she wanted to know and then return back to that makeshift hut of hers.

She wouldn’t survive a day at this school, and I was pretty confident we wouldn’t see her blonde locks and striking purple eyes.

How my mother expected this woman to be queen, let alone stand by my side and fight against those much stronger and more frightening than what fae children believe go bump in the dark, left me mentally shaking my head again and again, but today would prove her misjudgment.

Maybe then she’d acknowledge a better suitor for me.

I wasn’t attracted to Esmeralda in the slightest, but she had the looks and was well trained in all areas of magic and knowledge. With her past relations with the royal family, she seemed to be a good candidate for me, but alas, her rose wasn’t sitting in the deep chambers of our kingdom.

I’m sure it’s sitting in Prince Rainer’s…

That man was filled with secrets, and it was only a matter of time before Rosadette saw his true colors. At least I wore mine on my sleeve, not caring to look upon the weak and surrounding myself with those that would lift me up.

“Well, the queen may be teaching a class or two! I’m sure for you that isn’t as big of a deal since she is your mother, but for many of us, we’re excited to receive the divine knowledge and witness bits of her power. It’s like being taught by a legend.”

“If you see it that way.” I shrugged and began to walk once again. We headed to the main courtyard, one that was surrounded by flowers and contained a massive fountain that allowed rainbow water to flow from the peak of its unique, peacock structure. The sun’s rays bathed us in warmth.

It was winter, but the snow that graced us yesterday was now gone, an intriguing sign from my father’s perspective.

“SNOW?” I questioned and reached out of the window of the library to feel the crisp snowflake that landed in the palm of my hand and melted in seconds.

“A blessing.” My father drew my attention as he walked to the other side of the window sill, reaching out to catch one of the flakes.

“Snow is a normal occurrence,” I noted, glancing at my father but frowning at his expression. He seemed troubled by the fluffy white flakes that slowly fell from the dark, cloudy sky.

“Father?”

“Snow on the brink of the New Year has a meaning,” he voiced, his wide eyes continuing to stare up while his grimace only deepened. “Change is coming.”

“A good change?”

“I’m not sure, nor is it my right to say.” He finally turned his attention to me, and his conflicted gaze left me a little nervous.

Does this have to do with me and Rosadette?

“Father, if this has to do with Rosa-”

“Who knows what it’s in regard to,” Father interrupted. “But Xavier, this is the last warning I’ll give you. Stop acting out in fear of changing yourself, and give Rosadette a chance. If not, do not ask for my assistance if that rose begins to fade away.”

He didn’t allow me to argue as he turned around and began to head to the door. “Your mother will be teaching this semester. Be on your best behavior, especially with Prince Rainer being around.”

“Why did you allow him to attend?” I finally had the guts to question, which prompted my father to stop in his tracks and look over his shoulder at me.

I carried on, “His family has their own academy. Why accept him? He wasn’t even there for the first semester. Half the year is done and he’s returning as if he deserves to be within our lands.”

“We do not own these lands,” Father corrected. “The universe is the creator and ruler of the very ground we walk upon. We’re privileged to live here in luxury thanks to her abundance and forgiveness. The mistakes we make do not alter our destined paths, even though they should, but there’s only a matter of time before those mistakes stack up and block us from our final destination.”

He looked away. “To you, Prince Rainer is competition. To us, we are allies. There are far greater things out there that despise our existence. Remember to create bridges, Xavier. Don’t burn them down.”

I tried to speak, but he was already walking out the door, the guard bowing and closing the door behind him.

DUE TO HIS WORDS, I struggled to sleep, worries flooding me as I fought the doubt in my head. I knew what I needed to do to gain Rosadette’s trust, but to belittle myself for a woman was appalling to me. Unless she proved to be worth my time, I wasn’t going to waste anymore thinking time on her.

Yet I still couldn’t get her out of my mind.

“Do you think Rosadart is going to show up?” Esmeralda inquired tauntingly. “Everyone’s speculating that she went running back to the lower world and the queen is training another student. Good riddance.”

“Just admit you don’t like her being close to Prince Rainer,” I mumbled.

“I’m over him,” she spat out like I’d insulted her. “He’s nothing to me. I’m in better hands.”

“And whose hands are those?” I inquired.

“Yours, of course.” She grinned and wrapped her arms around my left arm. I rolled my eyes, noticing the few looks we were receiving, but I was far too exhausted and a bit irritated to care at this point.

I just wanted to reach the classroom, sit down, and get lost in my other studies and books of knowledge instead of listening to the boring lectures of amateur teachers who deemed themselves worthy of being called “professor.”

“Hmm?” Esmeralda suddenly stopped, tugging me to pause in my stride. I was going to give her a glare, but her eyes were glowing before they darted around.

“What?” I questioned her.

“Attack,” she muttered, her body growing stiff. Her quiet whisper made my senses spike up, and I caught onto what she was anticipating.

In seconds, the two of us were back to back, our stronger elements coming to our calling - mine being ice while Esmeralda called to nature, vines popping out from the nearby bushes to aid her.

Other students around us were finally picking up on the random shadows that formed from the ground, seeping up and shifting into dark knights with glowing red armor.

“We’re under attack!” a student screamed. You’d expect panic to burst through the courtyard, but many of them drew out their elements, creating weapons to aid us in the approaching battle.

It actually made me grin slightly, taking note of those who didn’t quiver in fear at the chance of a fight. Always observe who is willing to lay their life down in a battle. You never know when you’d need to join forces.

The shadowed, armored beings didn’t frighten me. Their magic was average, and a few simple attacks would vanquish them with ease.

Child’s play.

“Destroy them swiftly!” I ordered, taking the leadership role in this fight. No one fought against my command, diving straight towards the enemy forces with my simple command.

It always boosted my confidence and gave me a power boost to see how easily my people listened to me. Just proved that I deserved the right to the throne, regardless of what fate had destined for me. A mere mortal wouldn’t hold me down.

I called for the ice magic that trickled to my fingertips, creating a sword of ice that replicated glass but was as sharp and sturdy as a blade itself.

Pushing forward, I charged into the group of dark beings, lifting my sword up as vines shot out by my sides to give me backup. I had no doubt that Esmeralda was assisting me. That was one of the reasons she was a reasonable candidate to have as queen.

At least she knew how to fight.

I let my magic surge into my sword, just as I slid to a stop and sliced my sword through the first being of darkness. It screamed in pain, just like many around the courtyard that felt the wrath of our attacks.

I moved onto the next target, needing no second to waste on the dying creature. This wasn’t the first time we’d experienced an ambush from an unidentified source, but I figured it was a simple trick that Father instilled to test what we’ve gained from the previous year.

Easy prey to destroy.

I continued slicing one by one until I was back next to Esmeralda and the other students. We gathered in the middle of the courtyard, huddled close in defensive positions as the enemy knelt on their knees, clinging to their wounds.

Their blood was pure black, and some fell to the ground, the headless bodies remaining still. All we had to do was wait for them to fade away and we’d be back to our scheduled program.

Why aren’t they fading away?

We waited patiently, figuring they would return into nothingness or that whatever spell that cloaked their bodies would have been broken by our attacks, but as the clock continued to tick, nothing happened.

They remained as still as statues, leaving us to wonder if we’d done something wrong.

“Why aren’t they fading?” a student questioned. I could sense the hint of nervousness in his tone, and it pissed me off.

“Don’t fear what hasn’t been revealed,” I muttered in annoyance. Setting panic when there was no need for it was a premature act of cowardice. We didn’t have time for doubt right now.

The silence thickened, everyone frozen in place as we waited for any indication that we’d won the battle, but when that sign finally came, our eyes widened, and a few people gasped when the creatures rose back up, their wounds healing in seconds.

I looked over to the headless group of shadow warriors, and their heads faded away, only to reappear on their once headless bodies.

“Attack again! Regroup after. Make sure you cut right through them!” I ordered, and screams of agreement echoed through the courtyard as they charged towards the enemy. They remained in place, not fearing our approaching assault as swords, beams of elements, and other attacks went through their bodies, slicing body parts and limbs until all of them were on the ground like lifeless dolls.

We quickly regrouped, and I could tell some of us were winded. Fae were strong warriors in terms of weaponry, but only a select group could call on immense magic and other capabilities and not feel drained.

Patiently, we caught our breaths as we aimed to take this precious moment to recharge our magic, but in seconds, the same beings we’d spent tons of energy bringing down were back in their full form and instead of standing there, they were racing towards us.

I immediately went into defense, just in time for a sword to clash against mine. I grit my teeth, not expecting the force that pushed against me as their glowing red eyes looked into mine.

My own eyes narrowed, staring into the depths of the creature, but what threw me off was the familiarity of the magic.

I know this magic…but who is it from again?

My dark opponent pushed me back, and I sent a wave of icicles their way while I pushed off the ground to make more distance for myself. Before I could land, a vine platform formed beneath my feet, and I quickly scanned below to see Esmeralda working on creating a protective wall of vines and attacking any dark creatures that got too close.

From the sweat dripping down her face, she was already struggling, the light around her dimming tremendously as she fought to finish the protective vine circle she was forging while defending those who were struggling to keep up.

I frowned when I noticed the incoming shadow from behind Esmeralda, the opening clear as no one else tried to protect her while she was fighting to protect everyone else.

“Tch.” Part of me wanted to push off the platform and aid her like she was me, but that would be utterly pathetic of me.

If she can’t protect herself, she doesn’t deserve to wear the crown to our throne.

“ALA FLAMEANDO!”

The loud cast of magic came from afar, but I didn’t tug my eyes away fast enough before a shot of fire came from the ground, protecting Esmeralda from the shadow that ran right into it.

The scream that followed made us all look at the creature, watching the darkness burn up in flames until black ashes remained in its very spot.

Esmeralda looked at the spot where the ashes remained, before glancing over to me. She frowned, looking almost disappointed that I’d remained where I was versus putting myself in harm’s way to protect her.

She looked away, a scowl on her face as she sent a wave of vines at the running dark figure racing towards her. It went flying back upon impact, but the attack didn’t get rid of the dark figure like the flames had.

I gazed around to find out who was the one to cast that spell, but the platform beneath me disappeared in a flash, and I quickly had to compose myself as I did a quick spell to create an ice platform that stopped me from hitting the ground completely.

Before I could look back at Esmeralda and glare at her, I realized five dark men were running towards me from all angles. I frowned, quickly trying to figure out what spell could vanquish them like the flames, but I bit my lip to hold back my curse, realizing I’d have to avoid the ambush attack if I didn’t want to get hurt.

Or embarrass myself in front of my people.

“Esta la vermara!”

The male voice boomed around the courtyard, and as if a storm was summoned to bring destruction in its wake, five lightning strikes came from the sky and struck the dark creatures.

The strike was both calculated and filled with enough power to leave the creatures screaming in pain before they were nothing but ashes that sizzled on the ground where the burnt marks of the thunder strike remained.

The courtyard grew silent, and the creatures that remained all turned their attention to the source of the new threat.

I followed their gaze, only to be left in a confusing state of disbelief.

This can’t be real.

Rosadette ran into the courtyard, directing a bunch of students to head down one of the two paths that led to the auditorium.

The dark warriors screamed in unison, startling many of us and grabbing Rosadette’s attention as she ushered the last group of individuals, some of them being children that attended the daycare programs.

They charged towards her, and I shook my head, knowing her good deed would only repay her with death, but then her voice reached my ears.

Not asking for assistance but conducting a spell.

“Thou shall burn by the flames that tremble in my presence! LERA FLAME NORDANDO!”

My head shot up, my eyes landing on her body as it became surrounded by blazing magic. Her platinum blonde hair levitated with a red glow as her striking purple eyes began to glow. Her skirt fluttered as the magic rushed around her, flames igniting like an enhancing dance as rose petals formed out of nowhere, only to ignite into flames the next second.

The flames wrapped around her, growing stronger and stronger and picking up the wind from all around us. I sank my hands deeper into the ground beneath me, watching as others squealed and fought to grab anything they could to keep them from being sucked into the ground and the masterpiece of dancing flames.

It grew in strength, to the point that Esmeralda created a wall of vines to aid students from being swept away. The shadow people, on the other hand, raced towards the growing flaming tornado, confident in whatever powers they possessed, but soon came to their doom as shots of flaming petals dashed straight into their chests.

One attack was all it took to leave them screaming in agony and bursting into ash, like vampires being struck by a stake and meeting their end.

It became obvious that they were losing the battle, and those that fought to run away were easily sucked in by the force.

Throughout all of this, I could see Rosadette’s silhouette in the spinning madness and feel the oozing magic and power that radiated off her body in waves. Every last dark creature in the courtyard was sucked into death, and when it was all clear, she clapped her hands once. The booming sound that followed was like a loud crackle of thunder as the spinning flames dispersed.

Embers rained down on all of us, the winds slowing down until they eased off completely. Those floating from the strength of the winds fell to the ground like gravity had finally found its purpose, and I looked at her with my jaw hanging open, watching as she opened her eyes and her energy retreated inside of her.

I then noticed the book hovering over her left hand, the pages turning in an endless cycle until the glow it emitted began to dull and those pieces of paper came to a stop. The book closed, dropping into her hand, and she let out a long breath before our eyes locked.

What was obvious was the dramatic difference in that gaze. As if she’d experienced a lifetime of struggles and pain and had grown wiser and stronger in all the areas she’d lacked.

The naive look she once carried was no longer present, determination and confidence thick in those purple orbs that twinkled with hints of silver. The woman who lost all bit of motivation to be among us now stood there, surrounded by the very people who had once looked down upon her. She had practically saved us from the unforeseen enemy, with far more perseverance than any of us expected.

I didn’t need to look around. I could feel within the depths of me the shame that followed. As much as I fought to submerge it from the surface, I was experiencing what humans would call regret.

The first set of footsteps drew my attention, and from Rosadette’s left came Prince Rainer. He had a proud smile on his face and when he reached Rosadette’s side, they exchanged a look.

A smile graced those smooth red lips of Rosadette’s as her eyes brightened immensely with his attention. Those same eyes that had once looked at me with hope and longing, wishing to receive my acceptance and only being struck with disappointment and inner confliction.

Yet, from afar, next to another man of the same royal status as I, she blossomed like the rose she was meant to be. She beamed in pride that she’d done what no one expected of her, and it was like watching the winner of a competition receiving the news that they were the victor.

What made my eyes widen and heart flicker in anger was watching Prince Rainer reach for her hand and squeeze it gently. Who did he think he was to try and claim what was already mine?

This was perfect.

The woman I thought would do nothing but drag me down was now exactly what I needed. It would take some warming up and a few words of praise, but she was actually a good match to be my queen. There would still be many areas to fix, like her attitude and need to talk back, but those were little things. I wouldn’t let those stop me from now claiming her, especially with her rose in the depths of our family’s chambers.

My frown deepened when she squeezed his hand back, and they began to exchange words before she giggled and hugged him.

The affection they were displaying had me up, but I couldn’t do what I was ready to do when Ella came out of nowhere, stomping towards the couple.

Everyone’s attention moved to her and her other three groupies that followed, the four of them looking like a complete mess from the wind that messed up their once-perfect hairstyles.

“R-Rosedart! What are you doing here?!” Ella stuttered, pointing her finger accusingly at Rosadette, who simply stared back at her. “L-Look what you did to our hair! Blowing all of us away with your little fancy tricks! Did Prince Rainer help you out back there just to make a grand entrance?”

The other girls nervously giggled, but they shuffled back a bit, clearly afraid. Ella stood her ground, putting her hands on her hips and attempting to hide how shook up she was.

“If you’re trying to act like a threat, don’t bother. We all know Prince Rainer did all of that. You’re just a pathetic human. To think you actually had the guts to come here in our second semester. We were handling everything just fine.”

I expected Prince Rainer to jump in and speak on her behalf, but Rosadette took two confident steps forward until she was right in Ella’s face.

No one dared to move as Rosadette looked from one side to the other, waiting for someone to interfere before she looked straight into Ella’s eyes.

“I’m here because I’m an official student of Fae Rose Academy. As for your hair, I think being alive and breathing is far more important than attempting to look attractive.”

Ella gawked at her as her face grew red in anger.

“Y-You can’t talk-”

“The next time you question why I’m here, I’ll burn every strand on that little head of yours.” Rosadette narrowed her eyes in defiance, and as if her magic reacted to her words, sparks of flames burst around her, getting caught on Ella’s frizzy strands.

“AH!” Ella screamed, beginning to step back before falling on her ass. She then began to pat her hair to put out the flames, which did nothing but get caught on her clothes.

Start the screaming theatrics.

“I’m on FIRE!” she shrieked, trying to put the flames out. We all just watched, and I noticed Esmeralda smirking in clear amusement as Ella’s friends crowded around her.

“Put it out!” Ella screamed.

“Um…what was the spell for water again?” Bella asked.

“I don’t know! I forgot to review,” Emily tried to reason.

“Just roll!” Monica encouraged.

Esmeralda began to walk forward, drawing Rosadette’s attention over to her. With a snap of her fingers, a flood of water dumped on the four girls.

They spluttered and coughed as Esmeralda walked up to Rosadette, stopping in front of her.

I could see the tension oozing off of Prince Rainer, leaving me in a happier mood. I hoped Esmeralda would have a better way of dismissing what had occurred.

“I can tell Prince Rainer wasn’t the one who used those flames,” she noted. “I did date him, after all.”

Rosadette frowned, arching an eyebrow intriguingly back at her but not commenting about it. I might as well rejoice in my head, feeling as though Prince Rainer decided to keep that a secret from her.

Perfect. I still have a chance!

“I know.” Rosadette casually shrugged. Her response made my previous happiness sink into oblivion.

What? He told her?!

Esmeralda didn’t say anything, but she crossed her arms. When she didn’t say anything, I began to make my way to her side, ready to interfere if I needed to.

When I reached her, I wasn’t expecting to see Esmeralda’s grin.

“Don’t let what I’m about to say inflate that human head of yours,” she began, her smile growing as she increased the volume of her voice for everyone else to hear. “You didn’t have to save me back there. Neither did you have to save any of us in this courtyard. As fae, we’ve learned to defend ourselves, but as students, we get too caught up in our pride to admit we need assistance.”

She side-eyed me, her eyes narrowing at me as she made sure I saw the anger burning in those irises of hers.

“However. Regardless of how many of us rejected you at the beginning of the school year, you came out of nowhere and didn’t second guess the desire to protect us. I’m not foolish or petty enough to ignore bravery when it hits me in the face.” She returned her eyes to Rosadette and nodded once.

“Rosadette Campbell, was it?”

Rosadette nodded, raising her head slightly in pure confidence.

“Esmeralda Liveria. Thanks for having my back when those I was willing to protect didn’t have mine.” She said her words loud in clear, side-glancing at me once again before she turned and began to walk away.

I looked back at Rosadette, our eyes locking once more. I masked my expression, not wanting to reveal how upset I was with Esmeralda’s behavior. How dare she mock me like that, especially in public like this?

Prince Rainer reached for Rosadette’s hand, pulling her attention from my gaze.

“I’ve got a feeling we’ll find out what just happened at the assembly. Let’s get going,” he encouraged, smiling sweetly at her.

She beamed at his expression, a smile resonating on her face and lighting up the aura that danced around her.

It was mind blowing how different she was.

She didn’t even look my way as they moved away and began to head towards where Esmeralda had gone. They were stopped by a group of students.

I felt they would come to my aid, at least praise me for trying to aid them in leadership, but they all began to bow down, one by one, until the remaining field was filled with bowing fae.

Esmeralda had paused just at the border of the courtyard, watching in shock at the sight, but as my eyes looked out for her, she grinned in satisfaction at my clear disbelief.

The feeling of betrayal hit me hard, especially at the sight of my people kneeling down for a woman who didn’t deserve their obedience.

“Thank you,” a male firmly announced, triggering the wave of gratefulness from the other students as they voiced their thanks and praise.

When the courtyard grew silent once more, a soft applause caught our attention, everyone moving their gaze to the source.

“Your Majesty?” a few students gasped, as many bowed their heads to the floor as my mother revealed herself from the shadows, wearing another sparkly red dress from her mass collection. Her hair was up and two female guards were at her side as she approached us.

The other students seemed to move and position themselves so a path led straight to Prince Rainer and Rosadette, and she took advantage of it, walking until she stopped before them.

She looked extremely pleased, glancing around the courtyard and bobbing her head as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“What just occurred was obviously a simple test. You never know when an enemy will rise from the shadows and attack our kingdom or other lands. You can have your differences. You may even hate one another for whatever reason. However, when something as precious as life is at risk, you let go of your differences in power, rank, and status, and strive for the ultimate goal of survival. Not for merely yourself, but your fellow allies who are willing to sacrifice themselves in your stead.”

Her gaze turned over to me, and I knew I’d surely be getting a lecture when we had dinner tonight.

“Rosadette and Prince Rainer proved exactly that in this entrance challenge. The courtyard was the last place where I initiated the shadows you fought. Not only did they clear those out with grace and control, but they were also one of the few who went throughout the school to aid those who were helpless to the attack. Obviously our campus is big, and yet they didn’t hesitate to work together with a few other random partners and set out to accompany those whose safety was at risk.”

She returned her gaze to the two individuals in question, a smile gracing her lips.

“Congrats, Prince Rainer and Rosadette. You each will receive a special lesson from me and will be gifted a weapon that will aid you through your years at Fae Rose Academy. Thank you for protecting your own and reminding us that regardless of light and darkness, we should all strive to protect our own fae for the greater good of our race.”

Many began to cheer, and Prince Rainer gestured to Rosadette, emphasizing her contribution with his hand gestures.

I couldn’t stand there and participate in the praise, so I turned around and headed out of the courtyard before I used a spell to teleport back to the castle. I was fuming, feeling my blood boil in anger at falling into another one of Mother’s silly traps.

It was like she wasn’t on my side at all, and it was as frustrating as the feeling of betrayal that continued to settle into my veins. Heading to the secret room, I waited for the bookshelf to close before heading down the path.

Regardless of what had happened, I wouldn’t be deemed a loser just yet. I still had a chance at winning whatever game my parents were playing around with me, and I wasn’t going to lose Rosadette to that fake, two-faced prince.

Reaching the steps of the platform, my eyes widened as the first petal fell from the rose I’d been ready to admire. The petal lowered to the solid surface of the platform that held it, and even the glow of the rose seemed weaker.

I’m…losing?

My heart picked up, and I moved closer to peer into the glass.

“I can’t lose,” I whispered to myself, feeling determined to get what I wanted. “If she’s destined to be my queen, then I’ll just have to play the hard way of getting her heart. A little acting will be enough. She’s still my partner. Prince Rainer won’t have her, and when she finds out the rest of the truth, she’ll ditch him and return to my side.”

Where she belongs.

This was merely a test, and I wasn’t going to cower in fear over a woman. She may have proven herself today with a measly test, but we still had another semester to get through.

Four months would be all I needed to wrap her around my finger like I had the first time and prove my interest in her. Surely the rose would then heal itself, and I’d be blessed with a powerful ally. Power is key, and I’d make sure to obtain what was truly mine.

I won’t sit and watch this wilting rose. Rosadette will be mine.

RAGING JEALOUSY BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK

~ROSADETTE~

“TODAY WAS AWESOME!” I squealed, skipping around my room in delight.

“You’re extremely happy,” Rain declared, sitting on my bed in his set of gold pajamas.

After the major test that happened this morning, the rest of the school day went by like a breeze. The word of what happened, and the praise students were sharing with everyone, swarmed so fast, the whole school knew about it by sundown.

Someone even had the courage to take a picture while holding onto Esmeralda’s vines, and now it was circulating through the fae blogs. I still didn’t really know how their whole online communication worked since it wasn’t something I myself used on earth, but Camilla gave me a quick glance of it on her phone and it was again nothing but praise and admiration.

I’d proven myself and now I could walk with my head up high and not down in shame for being born in a different world.

Or dumped. Who really knows.

I continued to dance around the room in my pajamas, unable to stop myself after an enlightening school day.

Aside from the hype of my arrival and confrontation with the queen’s test, the classes were unique and fascinating to me. In terms of most enjoyable, I really liked Floral Manipulation. It was one of the classes the queen herself was teaching, and it did not disappoint.

In the coming weeks, we’d be given a specific flower to study and be taught how to enhance its power through magic.

To a few students, the class seemed more nature magic focused, but the queen emphasized that the techniques she taught could be used to amplify any type of magic, whether elemental or one that uses Mother Nature’s essence itself.

I didn’t have many expectations or set standards for what would come from each class, and I think it was a good thing because it kept it exciting, like a surprise waiting to happen with each class I attended.

After school, we’d gone to privately talk to the queen, scheduling our weapon-choosing session for the middle of the semester because she wanted us to solely focus on the classes and material being provided.

The second half of the semester would prepare us for our written exams and wouldn’t require us to have weapons if we were tested magic-wise.

Regardless, I was embracing this moment to its fullest, like watching the rainbow bless the skies after a thunderous rainstorm.

Who knew the events that left me defeated would prepare me for a comeback like this? Maybe that was why heroes in fairy tales had many backlashes. They may have been kicked down, but they always ended up victorious at the end.

“Sweet Rose.” Rain caught my attention as I was midway through shaking my hips. I paused and looked at him innocently.

“Yes?”

He patted the spot next to him on the bed. “Come sit for a second.”

“Hmm.” I narrowed my eyes at him while pouting my lip. “If this means we have to talk, let’s do it tomorrow.”

He chuckled, his knowledgeable eyes dancing with amusement. “Nothing serious, I think.” His wink and playful grin were enough to encourage me to skip over to the bed and sit down.

“What do you wanna talk about?” I inquired.

My gut had a feeling where this was going, but I didn’t want to really talk about it.

“I have a feeling you don’t want to talk about it,” he hummed quietly, turning his head to the side to meet my gaze.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” I inquired, getting right to the point.

When Esmeralda brought up the fact that she’d previously dated Rain, I’d boldly replied that I already knew, which deep down, I had, due to the whispers of gossip that always seemed to seep into my ears when I’d go and grab a snack of sorts. It didn’t help that the four troublesome girls in our dorm purposely talked louder upon my arrival.

Again and again, for a good two months prior to this day, their emphasis on Esmeralda and Rain’s previous relationship was the thorn that kept pricking at my mind, but I’d ignored it altogether because I had bigger worries to focus on.

I never expected for Rain to actually want to court me, and I’d honestly forgotten about Esmeralda until our confrontation today.

Her acknowledgment of my growth was well received, which was maybe why everyone else went along with it and were now giving me the respect I deserved. But it didn’t erase the fact Rain hadn’t told me himself.

“Yes,” he solemnly replied.

We were silent once again, but the emotions swarming around us were intense. He knew I wasn’t angry, and deep down, I honestly wasn’t. His past relationships weren’t really my business, and it wasn’t like he showed any interest in her now, but I guess with Esmeralda being in the same year as us, the buzz around the school was a tad annoying.

They didn’t even know we were courting yet.

“Were you waiting on timing?” I asked.

“Not necessarily,” he voiced and looked away to stare at the ceiling. “At first, I wanted to tell you yesterday, but I didn’t want to sour the day. We had a blast and you were already stressed about today. Bringing up Esmeralda would be a little disrespectful. I was going to tell you…well, tonight, seeing as we’re going to have to be around our partners starting tomorrow.”

“You’re with Esmeralda?”

“Sadly.” His frown was deep as he looked back at me. “When I asked Alicia for a change, she laughed at me for two minutes straight.”

“Not surprised in the slightest,” I said with a sigh.

Alicia’s humor in our challenges and discomfort was so common to us now after four months of being trained by her, it didn’t seem worth asking for her assistance in anything that bothered us.

Her wisdom was beyond us, and we knew she’d set challenges up so we’d learn from them, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t any less of a pain in the ass.

At least her laughter is somewhat contagious.

“Are you mad?”

I shrugged. “I feel like I should be, but I’m not.”

“Sorry.” He reached out for my hand, lifting it up so he could press it against his soft lips. “You know I had no intention of hurting you. I just knew the timing wasn’t right.”

“You’re forgiven.” I gave him small smile. “She’s not a threat to me. Guess I proved myself by stopping that shadow thingy from attacking her when she was trying to protect others.”

“That was actually unexpected,” Rain noted.

“What do you mean? Me saving her?”

“No.” Rain shook his head. “Esmeralda isn’t the type to help others. I could see her helping Xavier, but making walls of vines as a grip for students to hang onto when the wind picked up? She’s normally not generous like that.”

“New leaf?”

“No.” Rain was deep in thought. “I felt she did it on purpose.”

“She was good on purpose?” I frowned at his statement, trying to see why she wouldn’t help out. “What reason would she have to help others if it wasn’t out of goodness?”

“She was testing Xavier.”

“Huh?” Now I was confused.

“Esmeralda is a tricky character, and I only learned that by dating her.” He lifted my hand into his lap, using his other hand to begin massaging my palm while he peered down at the back of my hand. “She doesn’t trust easily, so she bounces off different personalities and behavioral patterns to see if you’ll notice. I don’t blame her for her lack of trust. I kinda screwed that up maybe, but what she did today was to see if Xavier considered her worthy.”

“Worthy,” I mumbled before recapping what he’d said. “How did you screw up her trust?”

“I lost interest in her.” He lifted his head to look at me. “It wasn’t necessarily intentional. In the beginning, anyways. It’s just…” He took a deep breath and sighed, his eyes closing while he bit his bottom lip. “Think about fate. If fate decided that both of you were compatible, you wouldn’t really question it, right?”

“Well, if I haven’t met the person yet and was told, sure,” I voiced.

“Exactly.” He opened his eyes again, meeting my curious gaze. “When fate came knocking on my door, I thought Esmeralda and I would hit it off really well. I’d craved a companion and, well, I couldn’t be happier to be chosen to finally experience love. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but when we started dating, it didn’t take long for me to realize how polar opposite we were. I was younger then, and I think because of my struggle to obtain her love, it was so easy to let go of it.”

“Do you regret it?” I inquired. “Do you look back or see her now and think you could have made it work?”

“If I was wiser and took in that no one is perfectly compatible with one another, I would have made things work. However, do I regret it? No.”

“Why?”

“I couldn’t trust her.” He shrugged and let go of my hand, laying back so he could stare up at the ceiling. I followed, and out of habit moved closer to him until I was snuggled right next to him.

His arm made its way around my shoulders, bringing me even closer as we stared up in silence.

“Relationships require trust, and that was the one thing I couldn’t do. Fae hold so many secrets in this world, and this academy is simply one aspect of our huge world. I couldn’t introduce her to my family without feeling a sense of fear swarm over me. Like a body of water, desperate to suffocate me in its depths. It felt stupid to feel that way. To date a woman that you know fate set you up with, and fear to give her what she deserves to know as your girlfriend.”

“Were you afraid of being vulnerable?”

“Maybe?” He sounded unsure. “A part of me is fine with vulnerability. To many male fae, it’s a sign of weakness, and that’s why they only show such sides to those who they can wholeheartedly trust. It’s like the headmaster. He was clearly displeased with the treatment you received, but if he harbored favoritism towards you in any way, he’d be deemed as weak by his own people.”

“I don’t think that’s right,” I mumbled. “But I wasn’t raised in such ways either.”

“It’s good you weren’t,” he noted. “I think that’s why the queen adores you. You’re a unique individual with a completely different perspective. We need that. Not just at school. We need our people to start thinking outside of the box of rules and stereotypes they place on both fae and those outside of our race. It’s not something that can be easily changed with a snap of one’s fingers, but a long-term change.”

“So that was why you broke up with her?”

“That’s not necessarily how it works,” he mumbled. “When fate decides to give you a chance at love, there’s a time limit. Think of it as an hourglass that is filled with sand. When the last drops of sand hit the bottom chamber, time is up.”

“What happens when you run out of time?”

“Hmm.” He grew silent. I was going to tell him not to say if he’d get in trouble, but he whispered, “The rose of that woman’s heart wilts away, and it’s then her choice to decide on who will be worthy of the opportunity to prove their love to her again.”

“The rose wilts? You make it sound as though an actual rose shows up and wilts away when the love dies,” I remarked.

“Well, in the world of magic, anything is possible,” he stated before chuckling.

“So you’re saying if Esmeralda’s rose wilted away, and she wanted Xavier to have a chance with her, it would happen?”

“Not necessarily,” he answered. “If Xavier already has a love interest, it’s not possible. That love interest has to wilt away or she wouldn’t get the opportunity for her rose to be presented.”

“This sounds like a fairy tale…like Cinderella.”

“Cinderella was a light fae,” he noted.

“What?” I turned over to my side, still snuggled against him as I lifted my head to give him an intrigued look. “You’re lying!”

“Nope.” He grinned as he looked down at me with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “She was a light fae while her sisters and stepmother were shadow fae. The prince who was a shadow fae had prayed to meet someone that would light up his world, and his parents decided a ball would be in order for him to get the opportunity to find love. They all wore masks, so he’d only be drawn to the magical auras instead of beauty. He didn’t care about power, but rather of the purity of the magic. Regardless of light or darkness, pure intentions are something that will always burn brightly in someone’s aura. He met Cinderella and knew she would be the one that would love him and his kingdom unconditionally just by how wondrous and pure her aura was. She ran when the clock struck twelve, needing to be home before her glamour faded away. She didn’t leave behind a shoe. Her rose appeared in the depths of his castle and he made it his mission to search the lands to find her. He arrived at the step mother’s home, and to test the match, she asked them to create a rose in a color that represents love.”

“A color that represents love?” I whispered, completely intrigued by the new story.

“When a male is blessed with a rose, it will sparkle and glow in a certain way. Some can be red, others can be gold or purple. The color is unique to the individual, and no one but those that are connected can figure it out. The prince was disappointed when the stepdaughters made red roses and was about to leave when Cinderella raced out of the home to meet him. With one look he knew it was her, even though she’d worn a mask, but he asked her to present him with a rose of love. Without hesitation, she called to her magic and there bloomed a sparkling blue rose with silver glitter. It was the exact same one that the prince had been secretly carrying the whole time. He pulled it out and they matched. That was how he found her. Then they got married.”

“Wow.” I was moved by the unique storytelling. “That’s completely different from the human tale.”

“For good reason,” Rain noted. “These roses are special and are kept in protective cases or glass containers to maintain their beauty and glow. Think of it as their heart. If you don’t take care of it, the rose will wilt and die. You don’t want that getting into the wrong hands. Roses hold extreme power, and not in just the land of the fae. The heart of a woman’s love can either build a kingdom up or burn it to the ground. If humans got a hold of that, who knows what they would do with it?”

“So…does the king have a rose for the queen?” I quietly asked.

“Yup, and he protects it like it’s gold. If the queen is happy and content, the kingdom grows and rejoices. You can see when she laughs, how the flowers blossom and dance with her. When she’s angry, the world grows hotter than usual, or if she’s sad, it rains nonstop. We basically know when the queen’s emotions are all over the place because it impacts this kingdom. That’s why it’s the king’s responsibility to ensure that the queen is happy. It’s also the reason why the queen has to be able to protect herself. She’s basically the main unit of the kingdom. If she falls, the kingdom will fall, unless the king marries another.”

“Wow. That wasn’t in any books.”

“I’m technically not supposed to tell you.” He grinned and kissed my nose when I gave him a shocked look.

“Oops?”

“I trust you,” he whispered, and turned to his side as our eyes locked onto one another. “You’re the first in a while that I’ve been willing to trust, but…I can’t share everything. Not now.”

“You don’t have to,” I reasoned. “I don’t want you feeling pressured to do so.”

“I’m not,” he assured me. “But I want to eventually tell you. I just have to see how this year goes, that’s all.”

“Okay.” I grinned. “I’ll work hard!”

“It’s not about your strength, silly.” He pecked a kiss to my lips. “You’re brilliantly smart, talented, and going to do just fine this year.”

“Then, why do you have to see how the rest of the school year goes?”

We’d already completed half, what was the difference with four more months?

“My biggest concern is your partner.”

“Xavier?” I gave him a confused look. “What does he have to do with us?”

“He may think you’re worthy now.”

“Why?” I actually laughed. “Just because of a few magic spells that defended everyone, I’m suddenly worthy to him?”

“You got his attention and got a bunch of students to bow down to you.”

“Still doesn’t seem enough to suddenly make him interested.”

“Are you interested in him?”

“No.” My voice went cold. “I was a piece of garbage to him. Now I’m worthy? He never checked up on me after that incident. Even when he was supposed to, he felt showing Esmeralda around was far more important. I don’t want to love someone like that. He doesn’t deserve me.”

“What if he’s of light?”

“What do light and darkness have to do with it?” I questioned back. “I’m of light and Camilla is of darkness. We’re best friends because we respect one another and are there for each other when we need to be. Even if Camilla was sent to protect me or whatever, she didn’t need to be friends with me. The same applies to this. Regardless of whether Xavier is good or evil, he thought of me as nothing. He had no hope in my growth, and even if he did in some hidden way, he made no effort of showing it. That’s more than enough to prove his intentions in regard to my worth.”

The whole idea was making me angry, and I knew tomorrow would be a pain in the butt when we’d have to start working together.

“So no matter of light or darkness, he can’t have me.”

“What if he gets jealous?”

“About?”

“Us.”

“Are you going to tell everyone we’re dating?”

“I think it’s a little obvious.” He smirked when I blushed, remembering how friendly I’d been with him after the attack was over.

“I was being friendly.”

“While we held hands.” He winked and kissed my forehead. “It’s up to you if you want us to be open about us courting.”

“Dating.”

“Same thing.” He rolled his eyes, which made me giggle and eased the anger rumbling inside of me.

“He can be jealous all he wants. He had a chance with me and blew it,” I reasoned. “Plus, he hated me at my lowest. No point in trying to redeem himself when I reach my highest. Doesn’t matter if he’s a prince or whatever.”

“You have a point,” Rain whispered, and wrapped an arm around my waist. He pulled me against his chest. The action made me blush a little harder as his hand moved down to my butt.

“Rain?”

“He can’t have you,” he quietly whispered, the words sounding like a quiet vow to the universe. “Not now, and not when he sees just how purely divine you are.”

“Purely divine,” I whispered.

That same term. What does that truly mean? Is there a hidden meaning to it?

“Can I stay here a little longer?” he whispered into my ear.

“Sure,” I replied, feeling rather comfortable against his chest. The fact that he always asked each time when it came to spending the night or moment in the same bed made my heart swell with love for him.

He respected me, which in this world seemed to be a blessing in disguise.

“Rain?”

“Hmm?”

“Am I missing out on something?” I inquired. It was just a feeling, but I felt as though I was only seeing one part of the hidden masterpiece of this world.

“In time, Rosadette,” he whispered back, sounding as if he was dozing off. “In due to time…it’ll make sense.”

My mind buzzed around his response, but I decided not to ask more about it as his breathing slowed.

Closing my eyes, I pondered about a lot of things, but Xavier’s hateful eyes that day on the platform was something I could never forget.

Xavier will never have me.

TENSE PARTNERSHIP AND IMMUNE TO DEATH

“Is this training really necessary?” I huffed, feeling exhausted after trying to do this silly spell for a good hour. Today had already been draining, as we had studied bits of dark magic used to protect us from lethal situations.

Which included a death chant that marks your body and kills you from the inside out. A delightful way to die…not.

“Yes, because you can’t do the spell.”

“You want me to be an Esmeralda and command rosebud vines from the ground as if this is going to be on an exam,” I complained.

“You never know!”

I lowered my heavy arms while I glared at Xavier, who was staring back at me with his usual impatient stare.

The last month of school had been both a blessing and a curse. A blessing with how much knowledge I was gaining about our kind and even myself as each class taught me something uniquely new and left me craving even more knowledge.

A curse because of these afterschool training sessions with Xavier, which had been nothing but a pain in the ass.

I was struggling to maintain best friend time with Camilla and boyfriend time with Rain because of these rather unnecessary sessions that had become a five-days-a-week type of thing.

I knew that Xavier would be a pain as a partner, especially after I clearly proved him wrong, but all this pointless spell work after class was beginning to take a toll on me.

From what we’ve been learning in Fae Introduction, it wasn’t advised for fae to use magic constantly. Daily at small doses would help with endurance, growth, and familiarity, but using constant flows of magic without purpose was frowned upon.

Training was a purpose, and our magic was like an entity of its own, having the ability to sense if its usage was worth value. If it wasn’t for personal growth, training, or protection, all it did was poop you right out.

We were less than three months away from our exam, and apparently, it would be taking place in some forest where we’d have to experience what it’s like to be a fae apart from our divine society.

What that meant was beyond me, and Camilla was unsure about it as well. She explained that she was struggling a little bit with the curriculum due to not being raised in the fae realms for her teen years.

She’d missed out on a lot of things she should have already known about, and thus, she was just as clueless as I was. I knew her sharing the truth was not intended to make me feel bad, but realistically, I felt horrible.

It was due to her coming down to protect me and remaining friends with me that she now struggled to fit into whatever equation the shadow fae wanted her to be in, and that was solely my fault.

She kept brushing it off, and I was glad it didn’t put a fence between our friendship, but now she was playing catch-up with her partner, who was also a douche.

At least we have another thing in common. We can both complain about what a living hell our partners are and how to get away with murder.

There was just so much to discover in this world, and I felt as though we’d merely grazed the surface. Because of all the studying I’d done prior to this semester, I wasn’t behind on what we were being taught.

If all this training was for my personal benefit, maybe it wouldn’t feel like such a burden. Xavier was just testing me with all these spells that weren’t even going to be taught this semester, which was really getting annoying.

“This is pointless,” I declared. “You of all people know that using magic unnecessarily is a waste of time. Nor is it good for me!” I pointed at him. “The last month has been constant ‘do this, do that’ while you stand there and scream at me. You make it seem like we’re training to go to war, when we’re just students. The main point is that I’m doing everything. You want me to be all strong and ready for whenever your mother, the queen, tests us again, but who in the fae heavens said it would be her?! Also, why is it that I’m doing spell work when I was able to take down those shadow people just fine?”

“You shouldn’t have been able to do that, to begin with,” he huffed. “My mom just made it easier for you.”

“Oh please,” I brushed off his insecure response. “You know we weren’t the only people who took out those shadow spell individuals, and from the gossip, you were simply commanding people around.”

“You shouldn’t even be speaking back to me,” he growled. “Shut up already and get back to working on the spell.”

“I’m not your maid,” I snarled and crossed my arms over my chest. “We’re partners. You’re not my superior and I will speak back to you whenever I desire.”

“You little-”

“I’m going home.” I was done with this nonsense.

“We’re not done.”

“I do not care. I’m utterly exhausted. We’ve stayed an extra hour, meaning I wasted two hours after class for you to scream and shout at me for not being an Esmeralda, and this magic is not at the level of which I should be using it.”

“You don’t even know that,” he argued.

“It’s for year twos and threes,” I barked back at him, noticing the hint of surprise in his eyes before they coldly narrowed at me.

“If you know it, why can’t you do it?!”

“I’m tired!” I raised my voice. “What the hell is your problem today?!”

“What’s with all the yelling?”

We both looked at the door to see Prince Rainer. I swear if I wasn’t so upset, I would have sighed in relief at his arrival. He frowned at my expression, his eyes moving to the culprit of my obvious anger.

“Xavier.” That’s all he needed to say for Xavier to roll his eyes and state, “We’re training. Don’t need you interfering.”

“We’re done,” I grumbled, walking over to the side of the training room to grab my bag.

“We’re not done, Rosadette.”

“We. Are. Done,” I articulated, not even bothering to put my bag over my shoulder as I dragged it to the door. I wasn’t even in the mood to hug Rainer right now, my body aching and my head pounding due to my boiling rage.

“Rosade-”

I opened the door and walked forward, only for someone to crash right into me.

“Oof!” I hit the ground hard. A steaming hot hand that held my wrist had my eyes snapping open just as I kicked the person right off of me.

“Ah!” The high-pitched scream was followed by an oomph, and I sat up to see Ella was on the ground groaning while Bella, Monica, and Emily were staring down at her with nervous expressions.

I’d about had it with today, but the burning stinging on my wrist was irritating me. I glanced down at it, noticing the woven black spell that was trying to burn my flesh.

The familiarity of it reminded me of the spell we’d learned today for defense against evil golems or enemies that intended to get rid of us.

It was basically a death spell. “Great.” I rolled my eyes. As if my mood couldn’t even get worse.

The normal response should have been panicking my head off because I now had minutes to get to the queen or medic center to try and get rid of this stupid thing, but I was still debating whether I was going to murder Ella first and then test my chance.

“What’s going on?” Rainer rushed out, followed by Xavier; the two of them looked over to the group of girls before they looked my way. It only took two seconds for Rainer to be down on his knees and pulling my wrist to his eye level to inspect it.

“Who marked you with a death spell?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I sarcastically muttered. “My arch-nemesis, Ella whatever-her-last-name-is.” Dry humor was clearly going to be the death of me.

“Why are you guys using such spells in the halls?!” Xavier demanded. He actually sounded peeved, which was surprising when he must have wished for my death.

“U-Uh,” the girls all struggled to respond, and Monica bravely stepped forward. “Well, we were practicing! She shouldn’t have gotten in my way.”

Here it goes: blaming the innocent fae.

I tugged my arm out of Rain’s and fought to stand up.

“Rose.” Rain reached to hold my arm again, but I moved away. “I’ll get the queen to look at it.”

“You need to get there much faster than walking, Rosadette. You can literally die.”

“Good.” I shrugged. “That way I can avoid stupid training sessions and a group of jealous bitches!”

I was walking away before anyone even registered what I’d just said. Why was I so angry? Hmm. I was tired as hell, had a two-hour screaming session, was too tired to hug my boyfriend, got attacked by a girl that hates me for no reason, and now I’m about to die.

Yup. Valid reason to be angry.

“Rosadette.”

I groaned at the annoyance in Xavier’s voice that came from right behind me. He grabbed my arm, tugging me to a stop, but all I did was look back at him with raging anger.

“Let. Go.” I was seething, and his touch was leaving me in a whole new level of rage.

“Let me take you to my dad. The medical center can’t do anything about that.”

I didn’t want to see his dad or be around him any longer, either. I was just done with today, and even the bit of worry that was flooding his eyes wasn’t going to make me accept his help.

“Nope.”

“Death spells can only be undone with darkness!” he huffed as if I hadn’t been listening in class.

“I know.” I tugged my arm out of his grasp. “Your father won’t be able to help me, and honestly, your mother probably wouldn’t be able to either. So where does that leave me? Oh right, my best friend who actually gives two shits about me. Not with my anger management partner!”

I spun right around and walked away. It was almost amusing to not hear his footsteps coming after me. Did I truly expect him to follow after all he’d shown thus far? He clearly hates me, and yet I still think deep down that he’d come to his senses and at least want to work together as partners.

It took me a while to realize I was taking the trail back to my dorms, the anger haze beginning to lower as common sense took advantage and hit me in the face.

“Oh…” I actually stopped in my tracks. “I’m dying. Wait. Shouldn’t I be dead by now? Death spells are supposed to be instant, aren’t they? I should have checked the-”

“Rosadette!”

I frowned and looked over my shoulder to see Rain and Camilla racing towards me. How Camilla got to this end of the campus would need an explanation because I knew her shadow training today was outside of both schools.

I couldn’t even say hello when she grabbed my wrist and examined it. “Huh?”

Her response wasn’t really expected, so I followed her gaze, noticing how the originally pitch-black marking was already fading.

“How is it fading?” Rain questioned.

“Did Xavier cast something on you?” Camilla asked me.

“No,” I huffed at the mention of that guy’s name. “He was going to take me to his dad because darkness can only be removed by darkness, or whatever, and I said I know because I’m not a dumb idiot who doesn’t pay attention in class, so I basically told him I’d go to my best friend who actually gives two cents about me, since you have shadow magic, and he doesn’t and hates me, so here I am, trying to get to the dorms and…wait. Why are you here again?”

“To heal you!”

“Right.” I bobbed my head in understanding, looking down at my wrist and seeing the mark was gone. “Well, anyways. It’s gone so I guess you healed me,” I concluded.

“I didn’t do anything,” Camilla emphasized. She actually looked more frightened than before. I looked over to Rainer, who sighed and walked over to my left side.

He noticed my pout. He reached for my arm, but when our eyes locked, he paused. “Can I see?”

“Thanks for asking, sure.” I felt like my mind was being flooded with more clarity, but now that it was recapping what just occurred, I was acting…well, weird. “So…why am I not dead?”

“I did something to stall the movement of the spell,” Rain mumbled, his eyes still glued on my wrist. “I’m getting that girl expelled.”

“As if Prince Xavier would possibly allow that to come to pass,” I huffed. “I want a new partner.”

“You and me both,” Camilla sighed, looking relieved that I was actually okay. “Are you feeling alright? Your aura…was weird.”

“My aura. Sucks that I can’t see it,” I replied.

Why could we see other’s auras and not our own? What a silly predicament to be in as a fae.

“Camilla?” Rain looked her way. “Can you go let the queen and king know what happened? I’ll apologize to your partner for taking you from practice later.”

“Don’t even apologize to him. He’s a bark of a tree that needs to be chopped,” Camilla complained angrily. “I’ll go now. Make sure Rosadette’s okay,”

“Right here,” I noted. “Breathing perfectly fine.”

“Are you on your period?” she randomly asked me.

“Hmph.” I didn’t say anything more.

“Jeez. First time I’ve ever heard that you’ve lost your shit while playing games with death.”

“I wasn’t going to die.” I rolled my eyes.

“Your impatience tell me otherwise,” she replied, but let me off the hook as she turned around and began running away to do what Rain asked of her.

That left us in awkward silence, and I gently tugged my hand from Rain’s.

“Sorry for worrying you,” I mumbled. He didn’t say anything at first, studying me carefully as I peered at the ground. He then reached for my hand, gently wrapping his fingers around mine.

“You up for a quiet walk?” he inquired.

“Sure.” I’d apparently just avoided death so I might as well tag along for a lovely stroll. “I forgot my bag.” It just dawned on me, which left me sighing.

“I got it. Let’s just take a walk, okay?”

“Kay.”

We walked in silence for five minutes, and I had no clue where we were going, but it didn’t really matter. I was trying to figure out how things went from one to one thousand in a matter of seconds.

There I was, arguing with Xavier like usual, then I got frustrated with his demands and decided to bounce. Rain came on the scene, only for me to basically ignore him, and boom. Knocked to the ground by Ella, who I countered by kicking her off me out of reflex. Then I was plagued with the mark of death we’d just learned in class. I acted like it isn’t a big deal, walked away, snapped at Xavier for the hint of concern he actually showed for once, and somehow got to the trail without meeting a single student.

That’s weird…

The last part of me getting to the trail was unsettling, because the path to the trail was at least ten minutes from the building we’d been training at. Even if it was late, I should have seen a few students waltzing buy.

Could it actually be because I started my period that I got the symptom of burning rage Camilla sometimes has? No, right? I mean, periods suck but can’t cause tantrum madness…unless you’re Camilla…or maybe it’s a fae thing?

We reached a small stone path, and once we got through it, my eyes widened because it went from night to bright day in three steps.

“What?” I blinked, again and again, to see if what I was seeing was real, but from the sudden warmth, sweet aroma of flowers, buzzing bees, and fluttering butterflies, I knew without a doubt that this was legit.

“The wonderful thing about the fae world is the many little pockets of hidden mystery in our lands.” Rainer gave me a playful smile, squeezing my hand gently as he led the way through the new environment.

A short distance away was a little floral park, one with two swings, a flower-encrusted slide, and a sea-saw made of vines.

We each took a swing, beginning to move back forth while viewing the vast view of flowers and wildlife.

“Is this place huge?” I inquired.

“Nah. It’s a hidden floral park. They take the kids who come for daycare here. It changes spots when it feels like. Today it’s in my favorite spot.”

“Your favorite spot?”

“Mhm. The other spots are a little too open for my liking. This one isn’t as easy to detect so when you need a moment of quiet time, it’s the best place to be.” He swung higher, and I focused on getting higher as well.

The two of us soon got lost in the wonderful sights on the horizon, the multiple colors of flowers of various types and the different trees. The buzzing bees and butterflies were really aiding in lifting my mood, and I was far more relaxed than earlier.

I could now think clearly when earlier, everything seemed like a blur.

“Feel like talking about what happened before I arrived?” Rain finally brought it up as we began to slow down.

“Xavier was stressing me out to do some spell with rosebud vines. I tried over and over again and couldn’t do it,” I explained.

“That’s a year two to three spell. Why would he ask you to do that?” Rain stopped his swing to look over to me, and I came to a stop as my shoulder sank in defeat.

“I don’t know. The last month has been really frustrating, Rain.” I really didn’t want to whine, but I was reaching my limit here. “He’s been asking me to do the most ridiculous spells and even when I do them, there’s no praise. He screams at me all the time, for a whole hour, sometimes an hour and a half. I can never reach the standards he lays out for me for that session, and I’m left feeling drained by the time I get home.”

My head hung low as I let out another heavy sigh. “I pay attention in class. I know as fae, we shouldn’t expel magic for no reason because it isn’t good for us. It’s wintertime and we get less light as well, which weakens us. I’m trying to conserve as much energy as I can so that if anything happens, I can defend myself, but how can I do that if I don’t feel rejuvenated with a few hours of sleep?”

I lifted my head up to give him a hopeless look. “Awake by six to meditate and study the material for the day, quick HIIT workout and shower before I grab breakfast to go. I’ve barely had time to even talk to Camilla, and it’s not like I’m rich or have money to get a phone here. We barely get to see each other and even if we’re in the same class, we have to sit next to our partners. Xavier won’t even let me go five inches closer to you before we’re heading to the next class, and school is done at six in the evening. Then we waste time doing these one-to-two-hour training sessions where he screams and basically sets me up for failure.”

I blinked away my tears, fighting not to let Xavier be the bringer of my tears. He didn’t deserve them.

“I knew this week I’d get my period, and I get really sensitive. Not just emotionally, like how we’re always portrayed when it comes to the time of the month, but just everything feels so much stronger. The way the sun shines on my skin. My hearing picks up a few notches. Even when touched, if it’s by someone negative, it burns like crazy, and when it’s someone who actually cares about me, it’s cool and calming. I usually dealt with it easily, because I’ve always been alone. Sure, Camilla’s my best friend, but even she gives me space so I can just sleep or be by myself. Going to school and being surrounded by all these people makes me claustrophobic, and Xavier’s controlling attitude and hateful words, as well as all the pent-up frustration, reached its peak today and I couldn’t take it anymore. I hate being treated like some type of tool. I’m his partner, and yet he can’t even give me that much respect? Then what good am I? Why bother?”

My head sunk down like it had no more energy left to give.

“Then I get hit with some death spell that we just learned today in class. Do you really believe those four are just waltzing in the halls and practicing death magic that should only be used while under supervision? What if I actually died? What if you weren’t there? I bet Xavier only showed a bit of concern simply because he doesn’t want to be partner-less. Better yet, he didn’t want to be portrayed as a complete ass.”

I took a deep breath and let it out.

“I’m just tired, Prince Rainer. I’m exhausted from trying to meet standards that aren’t meant for me to surpass. How embarrassing that I have to tell my boyfriend I’m on my period like that’s a valuable excuse for anger tantrums. I don’t want to complain to Alicia. She has better things to do, and I’d tell Camilla, but by the time we get home, we’re both drained. She’s dealing with a harsh partner and has to train even harder because of all the years she sacrificed to be with me. Her struggles are now due to me. Who am I to add my burdens to her? I…don’t know what to do anymore, and it’s only a month into the semester. Will it even get better?”

I felt Rainer’s hands lightly lay upon my knees, the touch like a cool breeze that fluttered through my body. Opening my heavy eyes just slightly, I saw his concerned look as he looked up at me.

My words moved him, and I could see it in the heart of his eyes that twinkled with empathy. I knew if he could take me out of all of this, he certainly would have, and that bit of hope made me feel a lot better than I had all week.

“You are a valuable partner to have. Whether in battle or in a loving relationship. You are allowed to feel frustrated, Rosadette, and I can’t excuse Xavier for his behavior, but I think I know why he’s training you so much.” He paused and looked around as if what he was about to share was forbidden. “I’m not allowed to share so much with you. Not due to status or rank, or any of those common excuses. I know it feels like you’re in the dark, so I’ll be honest, you are, like many individuals attending Fae Rose Academy and Shadow Fae Academy.”

“In the dark…” I trailed off when he nodded.

“You’re seeing tunnel vision right now. Again, not your fault, but its why Alicia wants to train you. For you to see the true view of this world and not what you currently see. These academies aren’t solely created to teach fae. It’s to awaken your true fae gifts and sight. That’s all I can say, and you can’t tell anyone, not even Camilla. Understood?”

“Understood.” I nodded in agreement.

“I have a hunch of why you’re feeling exhausted, and Xavier is just making it worse. Let’s get back to your dorm and maybe you can have the rest of the week off.”

“We have a test tomorrow though,” I reminded.

“I’m sure Alicia won’t mind you missing a silly test on everything you already know,” he exaggerated with an eye roll. “The last test was far too easy.”

I giggled and gave him a small smile. “Sorry for acting ungrateful.”

He shook his head. “You weren’t acting ungrateful. You’ve just been pushed to your limits before being death marked,” he reasoned.

I lifted my wrist where the mark once was. “Why did it go away?”

He was quiet, which reminded me of what Xavier had been stressing earlier.

“Death spells can only be undone with darkness.”

“You did more than just stall it, didn’t you?”

“Maybe.” He shrugged, but his eyes were more focused on my wrist then meeting my intrigued gaze. I knew he was avoiding the topic, and to be honest, I didn’t think I should know what was being hidden.

This probably has to do with his family and how they can’t say what element they are. If he’s of darkness…doesn’t that also mean Xavier’s family is of darkness too if he was going to let his father heal me? Does it matter, though?

“Thanks for helping,” I whispered, catching his attention as he lifted his head up to look at me.

“Why do you thank me when you…well…I’m hiding information from you.”

“You don’t mean to.” I grinned slightly. “I think you don’t mean to. So who am I to be angry with you or question you? You gave me enough information to know that I’m not crazy, and I feel far better than earlier. That’s enough information for me, and I know when the timing is right, you’ll tell me the rest, right?”

“I’ll do more than just tell you,” he guaranteed. “I’ll show you the true mystery of this world and why we’re going to school for all this training.”

“You’re far too nice for a fae,” I mumbled.

“I get that a lot.” He smirked. “But when your vision is unlocked, and I can tell you all that’s hidden, you’ll understand why and your importance in all of this.”

“I’m important.” I grinned at the idea. He rose up from his kneeling position, looking down at me before his hands rested on my cheeks and he looked deeply into my eyes.

“Extremely important, Rosadette.” That’s all he said as his lips sealed mine. My eyes came to a close, my body humming at his soft touch and the way his lips moved so smoothly against mine.

The exchange of energies and the way my heart fluttered in happiness with his acknowledgment was overwhelming to accept. This is what I craved. The companionship and encouragement from someone who truly believed in me.

Even if I was the only one not seeing my true worth, he was helping prepare me in his own way. This world held a road of mysteries, and I wanted to discover all of them in the next three and a half years at Fae Rose Academy.

Today I was immune to death. The answers I need to work on discovering are why and which side am I supposed to be on?

SENSITIVE TO THE UNIVERSE AND CARRYING SLEEPING BEAUTY

“Oh, no, no, no. You’re not going anywhere!” Camilla declared.

I sniffed for what could have been the one-thousandth time in an effort to stop the ongoing flow of snot that came from my running nose. I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone stand, but here I was, attempting to go to school.

After returning back to the dorms after the death spell madness, Alicia, along with two professors and two guards, were in the living room with a crying Ella and a trembling group of friends.

Instead of Ella taking the blame like she should have, it totally went in the complete opposite direction.

“MONICA DID IT!”

The other three gals gasped, looking at Ella, who was pointing to Monica. “She told me that she hated Rosadette for acting like some type of savior and trying to steal Prince Xavier and Prince Rainer and said she wished the death spell could be placed on her so she’d disappear.”

Prince Rainer was standing next to me, but the ramble of a confession had him move to stand in front of me protectively, while Camilla looked like she was going to punch the life out of Monica now.

“I-I-” Monica fought to speak. “I wasn’t saying it literally. I was complaining that Rosadette is taking all the fame and glory and hogging the princes for herself! I was merely joking about the death spell thing. I didn’t tell Ella to do it!”

“Enough!” One of the guards slammed their spear weapon to the floor to silence the girls from even muttering another word.

Alicia sighed.

“The four of you shouldn’t be in the training hall if you were not registered for one of the training rooms. Ella, even with some truth to your explanation, you still had the intention of hurting Rosadette, didn’t you?”

“I…” She bit her lip nervously, and it was obvious she couldn’t continue because she could only speak the truth to the queen.

“The four of you are on leave for two weeks. Ella and Monica, you’ll both receive penalties that will remain on your records. The only reason why I’m not expelling both of you is due to Rosadette’s kindness. She has forgiven you all for your misbehaviors, but I will say this.”

She paused, and the room grew colder and the lights began to flicker on and off.

“I will not tolerate such behaviors any longer. This immature foul play ends today. If I must waste another breath of air on this again, I will not hesitate to expel all four of you. Remember what a privilege it is to attend Fae Rose Academy, let alone be in the presence of royalty on a daily basis with both princes attending. Do not test my patience again. Understood?”

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!” They quickly went on their knees, bowing their heads to the floor as they shook uncontrollably.

“Out of my sight,” Alicia commanded. “Rosadette and Prince Rainer. A word.”

We both exchanged looks before glancing at Camilla, who nodded in encouragement for us to go ahead.

We followed the queen to the library, the guards awaiting outside and the professors dismissing themselves to ensure the girls went straight to their rooms.

Once the doors closed, Alicia sighed and turned to look at us.

“Are you okay, Rosadette?”

“I’m fine.” I bowed slightly in acknowledgment as did Prince Rainer, the two of us relieved that we wouldn’t have further problems with my bully roommates. “Um. I think I need to apologize to Xavier.”

“For?” It was Rain who interrupted. “He’s been treating you horribly the last month. He should be apologizing to you.”

“What has my son done now?” Alicia sounded exhausted by the mere mention of Xavier.

“He’s treating Rose like a slave. We’re being taught to reserve our energies, and he’s been constantly training Rose after class and setting her up for failure with spells that are designated for second- and third-year students. I have a hunch as to why he may be acting the way he is, but if Rose continues pushing herself, she’s going to get sick,” he stressed. “You can tell her fae vibrations are far higher at this moment for Mother Nature reasons.”

I gave him a side look but I guess it didn’t matter what he called our periods at this point.

At least he even knows about the cycle of all things annoying.

Alicia looked my way, taking a good look at me before she sighed.

“Can you last being Xavier’s partner till the end of the semester?” she inquired. “As much as I’d love to switch you, it would be a little complicated as everyone is properly matched this semester. Partners will switch next year depending on how many students pass and move onwards.”

“You mean…I’m not stuck with him for all four years?” I gawked at the possibility of being switched.

“If two individuals partner well, we tend to let them stay together if they both agree to it. Regardless of Xavier’s desire to keep you as a partner, if you’re not fond of the idea or his treatment of you, you can request a change. I already noticed he’d booked off the next four months in the training room for afterschool training, but it didn’t occur to me that this wasn’t a mutual agreement.”

“It’s not like the training itself is bad.” I wanted to be honest with what needed to be said. “I love to learn, and training is a part of learning. However, Xavier just makes it seem impossible for me. Like the spell he wanted me to do today was to pull vines from the ground with rosebuds. I guess the purpose is to try and make a rose vine wall of some sort for protection, but he simply kept on screaming over and over again when I couldn’t do it immediately. It’s the shouting, exaggerated sighs, and side comments that make me want to just give up entirely.”

Alicia nodded, crossing her arms under her breasts and tilting her head to one side in observant behavior. “Can you do the spell he asked of you?”

Rain looked at me, and I thought about it.

“Maybe?”

Alicia smirked. “Let’s see you try. Concentrate. Your senses are higher than normal, which means you don’t need to use a lot of magic to cast the spell. Envision what you want to create. Let go of whatever doesn’t serve you.”

I swallowed down my nerves before taking a deep inhale and letting it out slowly. Closing my eyes, I pushed away from the past failures dwelling in my mind, allowing nothing but the vision of beautiful, strong vines pushing out from the floor and rosebuds blooming to their full capacity with an array of yellow, blue, pink, and purple in each rose.

The image grew, blossomed, and was so vibrant within my mind, I could even smell the rich aroma of fresh roses wrapping around me in greeting. I felt the joy of accomplishment beat through me, proving to myself that I could indeed complete a spell that was far more advanced than my level of experience.

“Rosadette.”

I hesitated in opening my eyes, staring at the masterpiece I’d built with my imagination a little longer - to admire its profound beauty and grace. When I finally opened my eyes, my smile that had already cloaked my lips widened as my eyes lit up with joy at the sight between Alicia and me.

There were the very vines I’d envisioned with their brilliant roses of yellow, pink, purple, and blue petals. The vines were tall enough to reach my neck, and the aroma only grew to tease my nostrils when I acknowledged their presence.

“I did it.” My voice was but a whisper, proving my disbelief at what I previously thought was impossible for me to complete.

“Magic isn’t about what limits us. Magic is about defying the impossible. Negative reassurance is not going to bring what is desired to fruition, and that’s exactly why I’ll change your partner at the end of the school year.”

She met my happy gaze, a small smile forming on her red lips.

“Take the rest of the week off, Rosadette. I do know we have a test in my class tomorrow. If you’re up for it, you may attend and be excused for the rest of the day. See to it that you get lots of rest this week since I can only stall my son’s afterschool havoc for so long.”

“Thank you, Alicia.” I bowed my head in gratefulness. The relief and satisfaction of completing today’s spell were making it hard not to burst into tears.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Rain greeted, purposely using formalities. It was something he did to emphasize his gratefulness about a situation, which only made me happier to have him by my side.

He’s always on my side.

IT FELT amazing to enjoy a peaceful dinner without the four bullies gossiping or attempting to spread false information, and after a quiet moment with Rain, he went home as I showered and went to bed.

I didn’t think I’d wake up feeling like I got slapped, punched, and hit right in the nose with this bloody cold.

“I’m fine…Cam- ACHOO!” I couldn’t finish as I sneezed and reached for the box of tissues that was now empty.

My lips frowned at the sight, while Camilla groaned. “I’ll get you another tissue box. Don’t even bother trying to go down the stairs! You already fell out of bed and that’s why you have that bump on the left side of your forehead,” she reminded.

“Can’t I just blame Xavier for that too?”

All of this was his fault. I wouldn’t have gotten sick if he didn’t push me every damn training session. It felt even more worthless now that I realized I could do the spells with positive reinforcement.

“Sure, why not? At this point, you’re a sick puppy thanks to him.”

“Aren’t you going to be late?” I reasoned, suddenly remembering that she had a test during first period.

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Camilla.” I gave her a sad look, unable to hide my worry. “Please. Don’t make me feel like more of a burden than I already am.”

“You’re not a burden,” she huffed. “You’re my best friend. Now go change into your pajamas, use those new pads I got you, and put on that fae Vicks stuff to stop your nose from running. I’ll get you another pack of tissues and let the queen know you’re not attending at all.”

“What about Rain?” I pouted at my best friend, wishing my boyfriend could skip school and be here.

“I’ll text him,” she assured me. “Seriously, we need to get you a phone.”

“I’ll work for it,” I cheered, which sounded like an animal cry to the gods.

“Ugh. You sound horrible. Go change and head back to bed.” She shooed me away before closing the door. I pouted my lips, looking at the floor and debating what to do first.

My mind felt fuzzy, and even what Camilla said was beginning to drift away.

“Hmm. Magical pads.”

Apparently fae had magical pads - not tampons - but I wasn’t complaining! No need to changing it unless you had to shower and such.

The whole explanation that Camilla gave was a little TMI, but the gist of it was that once the pad was deemed “full,” poof! It’s brand new again. Where the junk went was beyond me, but I confirmed that no vampires or whatever else that needed blood to survive would get it.

Weird worry? Maybe, but no bloodsucker was feeding on my monthly lalala.

After changing and putting on pajamas, I looked at my bed and frowned at the many wrinkles in it.

“Have to fix the bed,” I mumbled, my eyes growing heavy at the thought. “Or sleep on the floor.”

I looked around, wondering what else I could do while I waited for Camilla. I wasn’t even sure if she’d come back, and again, I didn’t want her being late for her test.

Glancing at the wall, I smirked at the idea of going into the study hideout Rain created for me. I walked towards it, pressing my hand against it to reveal the wooden door.

Once inside, I giggled for no reason. It almost felt like I was on this hidden adventure and was now impossible to find.

“Let’s go on an adventure! To find the mysteries of this world,” I sang, not caring that it was out of tune or whatever. I looked around the little study room, remembering how Rain had created it to fit all my needs.

“I miss Rain…” I voiced before frowning. “I want my boyfriend. Where do I go to get to him?”

It was getting uncomfortably warm in here - or it could have been me - but my desire to be around Rain was enough to motivate me to leave my safe haven and find him.

I twirled on my left foot and reached for the knob. “To Prince Rainer, I go!”

The door opened, and I skipped right, closing the door with a hint of wind. I blinked and looked around before tapping my finger against my lip in bewilderment.

“How did I get into the forest?” I inquired in confusion. Glancing back over my shoulder, I noticed the door was gone.

Should I panic?

“Nah!” I put my hands on my hips, standing proudly in the forest. “I will find Rain and he’ll help me home! He always helps me.”

Walking forward, I started my adventure. The forest was vast with thick trees and plants. The different shades of green seemed extra fascinating to peer at as I slowly made my way through the forest.

I was walking barefoot, but the soft soil on the ground didn’t phase me in the slightest.

It felt good to be outdoors.

The sun was shining brightly, peaking through the thick branches and leaves. The scent was interesting, a mix of pine, moss, and fresh rain. There wasn’t a droplet of water in sight, but the slight hint of mist in the distance was rather magical when it was so sunny.

It wasn’t long before I came to a stop, feeling even more tired than before.

Why am I here again?

I questioned my original purpose, but I really wished to go to sleep now that I’d enjoyed the little bit of scenery of this mysterious place.

Searching around, I noticed a slight twinkle, and it was enough to draw me closer to it. Squinting my eyes, I ended up lifting my hand up to give myself some shade from how intense the sun’s rays were - the intensity beginning to bother my eyes.

I wished for the loud sounds that seemed to grow in volume to pause in their new mission to torture me.

It was like I was sensitive to the universe or something. Maybe allergic, for all I knew, for my body ached, it felt super hot, and I was feeling even more sluggish.

The tiny body of water that I approached with every step I took was what encouraged me to move forward.

When I reached it, I looked down at the glistening body of fluid, only to blink at the image reflecting back at me.

What the fae?

Instead of seeing my usual curly platinum blonde hair, purple eyes, and rosy lips, there I was with straight, long, blonde hair that shifted into a shocking red that reminded me of roses.

My striking purple eyes seemed more intense, the silver in them glowing vibrantly, like I’d summoned the color itself. From my pale complexion, blushed red cheeks, and glossy cherry lips, the difference was extremely obvious.

Even in my ditzy state.

I turned my head to one side, noticing my ears were pointier, and I wasn’t wearing pajamas anymore, but a lavish lavender nightgown that hugged every curve of my body.

The image of myself was far too stunning for me to believe. A little saddening when I thought about it, but it was the truth. To see myself at such a level of perfection and grace made me wonder if this was truly a dream or reality.

With a frown, I looked away and down at myself.

I was in my pajamas. My skin looked the same with its slightly tanned complexion, and after reaching for bits of my hair, I could feel their curly texture against my fingers.

“I think I’m hallucinating,” I mumbled and swiftly turned away. “Must. Go. Home.”

Repeating those words over and over again, I headed away from the mystical pool that made me crave to look just like that.

I never asked to see it, but now that I had, would I be able to forget it?

Would Rain like me as I am?

The thought reminded me of the main objective I’d forgotten, but I hesitated.

“Should I find him?”

Looking around, the wind suddenly blew to the west.

The high-pitch whistle that graced my ears motivated me to move in that direction. With a few steps, I was in a completely different world yet again.

I had to be inside a castle, one of onyx with sparkling purple engraved into the stone’s properties. A wave of illumination shone as I shifted my gaze upward, taking in the fine details of the castle hall and the decor that was placed on the walls with perfect intention.

As much as I wanted to admire this new scenery, I knew if I didn’t find Rain, I’d forget once again.

Or end up in a completely different world yet again.

Walking forward, I followed my instincts, trying to be as quiet as I could. Wherever I was, it felt like a royal palace, or somewhere Xavier and his family would live. This could have been the castle for all I knew, but it didn’t give me those vibes, nor did it have the various golds and purples and other colors that radiated from Xavier’s home.

I hadn’t gone there often, so what would I know about that massive palace? But just the atmosphere alone gave off a completely different vibe, one that was far more foreign to me than my few times at Xavier’s.

Passing by a door, my body halted - a tugging like a magnetic force made me walk backward until that purple door was in front of me.

I could hear quiet mumbling and I took caution as I slowly opened the door enough for me to slip through. My eyes locked onto a tall, buff figure.

Long platinum hair that shifted to a plum purple. Gold and silver tinsel flickered with magic in those lovely, perfect strands. His hair that was catching a good chunk of my attention didn’t hide his accented biceps and broad shoulders.

The man wore dark purple boxers with a black waistband, and I was tempted to summon a bit of wind to see what I knew was a perfectly shaped ass.

Do girls even check out guy’s butts? Who cares. I’m going to be one of those girls.

I’d never seen someone as handsome - or seductive - as this, and I’d only seen his back.

Imagine the front. His face. His abs. Down under! Oh, he probably has a lovely arrow to emphasize just how divine his thunder rod is. He’s probably a model. No, surpass model status. Porn star? Do they have those in fae lands? Well, he’s hotter than many of the fae men I’ve seen. He’s hotter than even Xavier and Rainer. I hope Rain doesn’t break up with me for having a crush on a random stranger.

The man turned around then, and I must have either looked like a creep or deer in headlights. I don’t think it really mattered because my imagination had failed me.

This man has to be a fae god.

My jaw went slack as I took in his perfect complexion, harsh jawline, chiseled chest, and eight fucking pack! V-lines that do not lie. His plum boxers were unable to truly hide the outline of his length and those muscled thighs.

I had to fight everything in me to look back up, even though I didn’t want to. I had every intention of doing another up and down observation, needing a second look to determine if this was truly real, but as my eyes locked on his, there was a familiarity in those eyes that flickered from orange to blue, purple to black.

The color didn’t matter because I knew who those orbs belonged to.

“Rain?” I whispered.

He didn’t move, but the slight twinkle in his eyes told me it was true.

He’s my Rain? My Prince Rainer.

Why I was claiming ownership of him was just as weird as how strongly I was drawn to him. I was moving and in front of him in a few seconds, and I reached out to place my hand on his cheek.

He closed his eyes at my touch, and it amazed me how cold his skin was compared to my steaming hot hand. It was like we were the complete opposite, and yet, I felt complete before him.

We were meant to be…and yet we were complete opposites.

My hand trailed down to his chest, stopping on the tattooed mark on the left pec of his chest. It was a circle with an open book sitting in the middle and within the book different magical symbols were written in black ink.

My finger trailed along it, and my touch seemed to ignite the symbol to life. He quietly hissed, and I looked up to see if he was in pain.

His eyes were open again, meeting mine once more, but they were filled with lustful desire as they observed me carefully.

My body was dancing in desire, and I wondered if they reflected how much I wished to be his right here and now. I’d never felt so drawn to anyone. Even Rain from before didn’t ignite this amount of emotion in a sheer look.

Why are we igniting so much passion?

I was ready to go on my tiptoes and kiss him before a pinch of doubt clouded my judgment, but something smashed right into my face.

“Prince Rainer is mine!” The high-pitch squeal was completely random, but I couldn’t even open my eyes as whatever hit me kept hitting me.

“Ow.” I tried to shoo it away, but it must have evaded every hand swipe. “Stop hitting me.”

“Go away!” the high-pitched voice demanded.

“Sio, hold on.” The deep voice had my whole body tingling, and I ended up turning right around.

Oh no. I’m not staying here any longer. Not with that sexy voice. I’d be doomed.

I rushed forward, ready to run right out of this place and try to find my way home.

“Rosade-”

My body slammed right into something cold and hard, and all that did was make the world go completely black.

~RAINER~

“ROSADE-” MY WORDS DIDN’T FINISH before she crashed right into the wall. She fell right back, but I was there in a split second.

I caught her with ease, my other hand reaching out to catch the little fairy that ended up being the culprit of this mess. She fell right into my grasp, her eyes spinning around and around, remind me of those cartoons where the person gets knocked right out.

Looking at the two unconscious individuals in my grasp, I sighed.

“Should I even bother questioning this?” It was a rhetorical question as I shook my head and looked back at Sio.

Return to slumber.

The thoughtful command triggered the boiling magic within my being, and Sio’s body began to disappear until she was gone. She’d return to her little bed on my nightstand, a safe place for her to be as I took care of other matters.

Important matters.

Glancing back down to Rosadette, I admired her sleeping figure, my heart racing just as my cock pressed against my boxers. It was getting rather uncomfortable, and the culprit was this beautiful masterpiece that somehow managed to locate me.

I had to question if her arrival here meant her vision had opened, but from how hot her body temperature was, I was putting that assumption to the back of the possibility shelf.

With ease, I hooked my arm under her knees and lifted her up.

That action only made my cock harden as I licked my bottom lip. She was turning me on in so many ways. It was easier to ignore the pull between us in our other forms.

Easier to ignore how she leaves me with lustful dreams with her attractiveness and innocence.

This was the form I had to fight not to see when I held her in my arms during those rare nights I got to spend in her bed.

There she’d be, with her flawless skin and long, platinum gold locks that shifted to glorious reds. She couldn’t see the gold and lavender tinsel in her hair, or how dazzling those lavender gems of hers sparkled with lightning silver.

How her curves were accented by her small waist, and her perky breasts teased me thanks to the silky luxurious nightgown that cloaked her body. Silk material that only made her more enticing, and I couldn’t fight the urge to lick my bottom lip with my growing lust for her.

I knew I couldn’t do anything while she was unconscious, especially with how high her temperature was. My best hunch of how this occurred in the first place had to do with the fever assaulting her senses, but it all came down to the constant push and shove of Xavier’s training tendencies.

The mere thought of that pathetic excuse of a fae made me want to taste his blood. He didn’t deserve to be close to Rosadette, and it was only a matter of time until he lost the privilege of her mere presence.

I began my walk out of the room, the world shifting entirely with just a few steps until I was settled in the middle of Rosadette’s room.

“Well thank fuck.”

I slowly looked over my shoulder to see Camilla with her hands on her hips and giving me one of those deadly glares.

It always intrigued me when I saw her in this form. Her tall, slim but curvy appearance, long brunette hair shifting to red with silver tinsel, and her red eyes as striking as her red lips.

She was wearing her uniform, but she looked like an older woman attempting to be a schoolgirl for the human holiday Halloween. She knew about this side of the world, and from her questioning glare that sought my death, I had to explain myself quick before I got an arrow shoved up my ass.

Yes. I’ve seen her do that. Not fun.

“She waltzed right into my room back home. How she got there is beyond me.” I shrugged with added emphasis, not bothering to sugarcoat reality.

“And why is she unconscious?” Camilla snarled at me.

You’d think my explanation would get me a ‘Do Not Kill’ card, but I felt it only made my sentence to death quicker.

“Sio got jealous and began attacking Rosadette until she turned around and ran straight into a wall.”

My dull tone seemed to be believable enough because Camilla rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“You need to get rid of that fairy if you plan on dating Rosadette.”

“She can’t see her.”

“Not yet,” Camilla reminded. “Seeing as she was able to waltz through the fae universe and get right to your room proves we’re running out of time.”

“We,” I began, walking over to Rosadette’s bed and lowering onto the perfectly ironed sheets, “aren’t the ones running out of time. Did you fix her bed?”

I randomly added the last part because I couldn’t fathom Rosadette doing it. Seeing as she was in a nightgown in this form and pajamas in another, I could only assume she got out of bed and started walking around aimlessly.

“I did,” Camilla replied. “Rosadette hates wrinkled sheets when she’s unwell. Now can I go kill off Xavier yet, or are we still playing this ridiculous waiting game?”

“You’re impatient,” I mumbled, pressing my hand to Rosadette’s forehead. “And she definitely has a fever.”

“Good work, Sherlock. If that wasn’t obvious,” Camilla barked.

“Why do I have a sense you’re angry at me?” I looked over at her. “I’m innocent.”

“What took you so long to bring her back?”

“I just brought her now. I was having a conversation with Sio only three minutes ago.”

“Hmph,” she grumbled and crossed her arms. “Maybe if I ask Alicia nicely, she’ll let me kill Xavier in his sleep. Add a few pleases and thank you.”

“Has anyone told you that your temper is dangerous?”

“Rosadette,” she replied with an eye roll. “Plus, when you’re tight with your best friend, you get your periods at the same time.”

“Isn’t that a nice way of bonding,” I sarcastically commented.

The whole woman’s life cycle didn’t bother me, but I’m sure a few men even in this fae world would cringe at the idea.

“I hate you,” she concluded.

“Something you’ve said from day one, but you tolerate me more than Xavier, so that’s a plus,” I noted and walked to the washroom. Getting a washcloth, I soaked it with cold water before sprinkling a spell to keep it cool.

Heading back to the bed, I laid it on Rosadette’s forehead. “Did you inform Alicia?”

“She’s on her way here. She’s concerned with Rosadette being under the weather.”

“You mean with everything happening outside the academy already?” I elaborated.

“They know of Rosadette.”

“I’m sure they would with how school started.”

“No.” Camilla’s denial got me looking her way and she shook her head to emphasize the single word. “They didn’t think she could be the princess from the Rosadette family. However, with her comeback, and the talk of her growing strength, they’re getting anxious.”

“Anxious that a woman named Rosadette Campbell is absorbing the knowledge of our fae world far faster than anyone predicted and learning magic just as fast,” I summarized with a solemn grin. “Funny.”

“You don’t even sound amused,” Camilla noted. “So different from your fae human form.”

“I’m the good guy everyone loves but won’t take seriously. I’m too good to be true, versus Xavier, who’s a cold-hearted asshole. It feels good to be myself once in a while, especially when you can see this side of our world.”

She merely stared at me, and I was sure she was calculating a way to get rid of me too.

“If you’re going to kill me, at least give my parents a heads up. My mom actually likes you.”

Camilla huffed and walked over to where I was to sit on the side of the bed and look back at Rosadette. She didn’t seem any worse. Her breathing had at least slowed to a reasonable pace, and I could tell that her temperature was a bit lower than before.

“I’m not sure if she’s going to freak out when she sees our true selves or totally adapt to it like we told her the sky is actually red.”

“Technically,” I began, and she gave me a look to shut me right up.

Women are indeed scary.

“Will she even want to be associated with us after we’ve kept this a secret?” Camilla muttered, the guilt in her words tugging at my own worries.

“We’re protecting her. Her body hasn’t fully adapted to this world and with what’s happening outside of the academy, it’s only a matter of time before she has no choice but to adapt. She’ll understand why we kept it a secret. It’s not like she can see these appearances. If she could, we would have told her everything. She knows you were sent to protect her. She must know there’s a deeper reason to that.”

“Do you think the rose is going to stay in Xavier’s possession?” she inquired, brushing off the last topic.

“Not for long.” I looked at Rosadette, my heart yearning to be the one chosen by her. “I’m sure with how Xavier’s been treating her, it’s already beginning to wilt.”

“What if she wants to remain on the light side?”

I chuckled, which was odd for me, but I found it funny. “Xavier’s own mother has given up on Xavier. His father only has a pinch of sympathy because he’s of darkness and wants Xavier to see past his stubborn tunnel vision. I’m only being patient out of respect for his approaching failure. However, if he pushes Rosadette to the brink again, I won’t stop myself from interfering.”

“Hmph.” Camilla looked my way. “Be lucky you’re tolerable.”

“You adore me.” I gave her a smug grin. “I’m far more tolerable and less cocky than Xavier. Maybe you’ll warm up to me in a thousand years.”

“Make it five,” she muttered and rose up. “Stay with Rosadette. I’m sure Alicia is on her way, but I have a stupid test.”

“I love how you’re actually taking school seriously.” My amusement was obvious, and she glared at me in response.

“Or,” I carried on, “you’re avoiding getting spanked by that partner of yours.”

“Shut up,” she huffed, stomping towards the door.

“He told me you like it!” I called out, unable to stop teasing the dark fae.

“I’ll shove a fork up your ass next time!” she snapped.

“Please don’t.” I shivered at the thought. “Chamomile.”

She stopped at the door. My sudden shift from joking to seriousness was enough to stall her rampage. “What?”

“From now to exam day, keep a close eye on Rosadette. Also, keep watch of those girls. I don’t trust them.”

“As you shouldn’t.” She spoke as though I was speaking the obvious. “It’s obvious Ella is going to be trouble. We’re lucky Esmeralda is on our side for now.”

“It’s not Ella I’m worried about,” I muttered, but didn’t elaborate on it.

I could feel Camilla’s eyes on me, but I was focused on Rosadette once more, my obvious worry beginning to make me annoyed.

“I’ll keep a close eye,” was all she said before she was out the door.

Once the door closed, I let out a sigh.

“If only you were mine first, my Sweet Rose.” I looked at her peaceful expression, leaning down to brush my lips against hers. “You’d be treated like the true queen you were always meant to be.”

My thumb trailed along her lower lip as I watched her stir just slightly.

“R…ain,” she mumbled in her sleep, her lips making one of those cute pouts of hers before she seemed to drift deeper into slumber.

Her lips returned to their slightly open state and I couldn’t help but brush my thumb along her bottom lip once again.

“That’s right, my princess. Keep dreaming of only me. Soon you’ll be by my side, and then the world will bow down to your golden potential.”

A smile formed on my lips as I idolized the woman I’d ensure was mine.

It was only a matter of time. You’ll regret losing this sleeping beauty, Prince Xavier.

DESERVE THE WORLD AND BLESSED WEAPONS

~ROSADETTE~

“I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!” I said with triumph, standing on my mattress to feel even more empowered after a week in bed. That cold that hit me ended up being a nasty one of fevers, hallucinations, and sleep talk.

I couldn’t recall half of it and was shocked that a week had gone by, but I was now alive and fully energized. I began bouncing on the bed, and I noticed a smirking Rain, who was leaning against the door frame of my room.

I paused and stared at him, my face growing red as I absorbed the fact he’d just caught my old ass jumping on the bed like a toddler.

“You can keep going.” He winked and walked into the room, closing the door with a flick of his finger that ignited a soft gust of wind. “I’ll join if it makes you feel better.”

“Aren’t you…uh…” I tried to find the words, wishing to hide my face that must have looked like a cherry tomato. “Embarrassed by your girlfriend jumping on the bed?”

He lowered the gold bag he was carrying, and slipping off his indoor slippers, he was on the bed with me. “Well, you did kind of conqueror the cold you had that left you stuck in this bed for a week. I think you’re allowed to jump up and down in glee for conquering that annoying sickness.”

“You’re always accepting of my weirdness.”

“It’s not weird.” He winked and reached for my hands. “Now let’s jump for five minutes and then get on with the day.”

“Deal!” I giggled and began to jump up and down with Rain.

He’d truly been a blessing this week because he totally skipped classes to take care of me. This week was rough on Camilla’s schedule from what Rain had explained and she couldn’t skip due to their intense training week. Fae Rose’s training week would be next week, followed by the spring festival, and then we’d begin the final prep weeks before our exams came along.

The fact that Rain had remained with me the entire time had really made my heart swell up in love for him. It was the first time a man truly dedicated himself to love me as I was, which was a blessing.

I’d always expected I’d have to change myself for the sake of others, especially when it came to a man. Their viewpoints were different, and with how independent I tried to be back home, I always assumed when I did find someone of interest, I’d have to change my behavior in many ways.

Love shouldn’t result in someone changing who they were to fit the person they desired, but it was a mental game that was hard to win.

Until it didn’t matter anymore.

I was trying to ignore it, but it was only a matter of time before I’d have no choice but to come to terms that I was falling hard for Prince Rainer. There was a mysterious part of him that tugged at my being, and his kind heart and motivational character made me feel as though I could accomplish anything I put my mind to.

He was the lover I’ve always craved, and a partner I’d love to have on the battlefield, especially in comparison to Xavier.

I’d been pushing that man to the back of my mind all week. He was the reason I was ill and he didn’t come to visit me even once. I was sure my absence wasn’t something he, of all people, could simply ignore, but once again, he proved me wrong.

It just goes to show that I’d be making the right decision of switching partners by the end of the semester. It would be amazing to start year two with Rain by my side and finally getting to enjoy going to school rather then dreading it due to one person.

“What’s in the shiny bag?” I asked when we stopped jumping to catch our breaths. Wouldn’t think jumping up and down the bed could be a workout, but here we were huffing and puffing like we’d done other things.

“Oh.” Rain jumped off the bed, landing softly on the floor and reaching for the bag. “It’s your get well gift.”

My face brightened at his response, and I lowered to the soft bed and shuffled to the edge as Rain sat back down next to me.

“You weren’t really coherent when I got it for you, so I figured it would be better to wait till you were actually better.”

“Aww.” I gave him a loving smile. “Thank you for waiting for when I could actually tell the difference between blue and red.”

“How did that even come up when you were sick?” Rain inquired.

“Ugh. I don’t even know.” I accepted the gift as I thought about it. “I barely remember what I did when I was awake last week. Camilla said I was arguing with her about how the sky is red instead of blue?”

Thinking about it brought up a quick image I remembered from my dreams. “Also, that you were some sexy, muscled god with really long hair, and something about a silly fairy. I think I was dreaming a lot about you.”

Rain smirked, lifting an eyebrow at me in question. He didn’t even need to say a word for me to groan. “I was sick and hallucinating. Don’t give me that questioning look. It could have been real!”

“Uh-huh,” he responded but leaned in closer. “I was a sexy, muscled god, huh?”

I blushed at his closeness. “Y-Yes. Stop judging me!”

He chuckled. “I’m not.” He then kissed me.

“Hey. You can get sick,” I tried to reason when he released my lips.

“You’re better.”

“Lingering germs!”

“I’ll be fine.” He smirked and kissed my cheek before leaning back. “Open your gift.”

My lips curled upward as I returned my eyes to the bag of hidden goodies. Moving the gift paper that hid the contents, my eyes went wide as I pulled out the box.

“Wait.” My eyes darted at him in shock before looking back at the box. “Is…is this for me?”

“Of course.” He pointed to the card that said my name that was lightly taped to the box. “See. Rosadette Campbell, aka my girlfriend.”

“I saw that, silly,” I huffed, already trying to blink back tears. “This. It’s too expensive.”

“A phone is not expensive,” he announced like it was a fact. “You should already have one. It’s a necessity, especially when you’re in the fae world. It’s the only way you can be tracked from a far distance versus magic that’s hard to trace. Plus, you need to be able to contact me, Camilla, or even Alicia if you’re in danger or Xavier’s being a dick.”

“Xavier’s always a dick so that would be a daily call for saving.”

“Go ahead,” he encouraged. “I’ll come down and make his scowl grow.”

“Tease,” I said with a giggle, my tears falling as I looked at the brand new pink phone. “Do all phones have trackers?”

“In the fae world, yes. It’s not like our government has time to track us, but it’s a safety feature because some areas in this world cut off all magical energy. I’m not sure how the exams for this year will go, but it would be a good idea to keep your phone with you just in case. It’s the latest one so I think it has a few new features and connects with the watch that comes with this package.”

“There’s a watch, too!” I squealed, turning the box over to read the contents that came with it. “Rain! This must cost an arm and a leg! No. A whole damn body!”

“It’s not that expensive.” He reached out to rub my back. “The price doesn’t matter. Your safety is important to me. I want you to feel safe here, and it’ll just help us keep in contact if you feel lonely or isolated by Xavier.”

“Rain.” I looked to him, more tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Hey. Don’t cry, Sweet Rose,” he whispered and kissed me again. “My princess deserves to be pampered.”

“I…don’t deserve your kindness,” I quietly cried.

“You deserve everything this world has to offer, Rosadette. Don’t you dare say you don’t. Kindness, compassion, love, abundance. You’re a queen and deserve everything that glitters.”

He kissed me again, making it impossible to argue with him as we carried on with the deep, affectionate connection. His gift was so touching, and the fact he got something with a tracking function out of my safety versus using it to keep me bound to this school only proved how amazing he was in comparison to Xavier.

I don’t know why I subconsciously kept comparing the two. It wasn’t like Xavier was dating me or anything, but my mind must still crave his approval - something I’d never obtain at this point.

“Thank you,” I whispered breathlessly when we finally parted from the intense kiss. “This means a lot to me.”

“Anything for you, Rosadette,” he replied and kissed my forehead. “Now, let’s set it up and get to the castle. We gotta see Alicia today.”

“Oh, we do?”

“We’re picking weapons today.”

“You mean the special lesson and weapon we’re going to be gifted by Alicia after what we did on the first day of school?” I recalled.

“Yup! That’s today.” He grinned. “But first, set up the phone.”

“Is it okay for me to have your number though?” I inquired. “I mean, you’re the prince.”

“My title has nothing to do with whether my girlfriend receives my phone number or not. Remember, Rosadette. You are worthy.” He graced my cheek with his hand, and I closed my eyes while a smile took over my lips.

“Sorry for being so negative at times.”

“It’s a mindset that everyone has to face time and again. It’s only so drilled into you because of a certain negative partner.”

“Only a few more weeks,” I assured him.

“Can’t wait.” He grinned. “We should wear sweaters. It’s cold today.”

“You left some of your clothes here last time, right?” I recalled when it had snowed really hard two weeks ago, so Rainer ended up staying here until it calmed down. He came here so often, it only seemed right for him to have some of his clothes here just in case he had to stay over.

“Yup!” He walked over to my dresser, opening the third drawer.

“Right…uh…not here.” He quickly closed the drawer which only made me laugh. “Fifth drawer, Rain. I don’t think you want to see my thin collection of undies and bras.”

“Aren’t those supposed to be on the top dresser?”

“Yes, but everyone knows that. Putting it in the third drawer is more daring.”

“I love how amused you are by this.”

“Very amused,” I stated, giggling, and got off the bed. Placing the phone box carefully down, I skipped over to where he was and hugged him from the back.

“Thank you, Rain. You made my day.”

“I’m glad, Sweet Rose,” he replied. “Now, let’s get ready.”

“Yes!” I declared.

I’ve got to change my mindset. I deserve all the good in the world.

“WHY DID you steal my sweater again?”

“Because it’s comfy.”

“Your sweater is just as comfy.”

“Not as comfy as yours,” I argued with a pleased grin as I stuck my hands in the front pocket of his obvious, oversized sweater.

We were waiting for Alicia to retrieve the weapons she thought would best complement us, and it was a good thing we did dress up for cold weather because we were training in the basement where it was freezing.

Spring may be fast approaching, but winter was trying to make sure we suffered until then. I wasn’t feeling it too much thanks to Rain’s sweater, but he didn’t understand the difference.

“It’s the same material.”

“No it’s not.” I shook my head. “Male sweaters have far more material than female ones. I swear they use less fabric on purpose. Plus, yours smells nice.”

“Just admit you want my sweater.”

“Never.”

The soft giggle that trailed down to us caught our attention, alerting us that Alicia was back. The shadows had hidden her quiet entrance as she emerged from the dark corner behind us.

“Couples are so cute,” she commented as she walked passed us towards the table in the middle of the room.

We both blushed but didn’t say another word as we stood taller and waited for her to begin our training session. She was carrying two items: one was a sword in a sheath, and the other was what looked to be a pendulum.

Noticing our serious expressions, she nodded in approval before getting right to the point.

“Thank you two for coming on short notice. I’d originally wanted to give you these two weeks from now, but due to your training sessions that will begin next week, I concluded this would be the perfect timing for this.”

She gestured to the sword and pendulum on the table, her gaze moving to Rain first. “Rain. I’ve decided to appoint you with the Blessed Sword of Rovalandra. This sword was once used in a battle against good and evil. Light and Darkness. It actually holds qualities of both elements, almost like a tie-breaker when you think about it, because a weapon like this can void out both sides in battle or allow them to come to an agreement without loss of life.”

The sword lifted from the table, hovering towards Rain until it was before him at waist height. The grip was of black metal, hints of silver braided into the metal while the sword itself went from black to a dazzling silver with hints of gold.

Rain was staring at it, observing its qualities like I had, but I noticed the flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

Without thinking, I reached for his hand and gently squeezed it. He looked over to me, our eyes locking in intensity as I whispered, “You told me earlier that I deserve all the good things this world has to offer me. Kindness, compassion, love, abundance. If I am worthy of fine things, so are you.”

I looked back at the sword, and though I may not know how much power it held, I felt as though it would be used properly in Rain’s hands.

“If Alicia, the queen of this kingdom, is offering you this, it means you are worthy to hold onto it. Regardless of its past or abilities of light and dark magic.”

“But what if I’m one and not the other?” It was the first time I’d seen Rain so conflicted by a simple decision, but I didn’t let it change what I was feeling was right.

“It doesn’t matter what element you hold. Light or Darkness. A weapon is only dangerous when the master decides its purpose within their possession. I feel you’ll do justice with this, and Alicia believes that as well.”

I returned my gaze to him, and as he searched my eyes, relief swarmed his now golden-orange orbs.

“Then there’s no reason for me to refuse,” he confirmed.

“Exactly.” I grinned and let go of his hand after another squeeze. He stared at the sword one last time, lifting his gaze to Alicia, who nodded in encouragement.

Lifting his hand to the grip, he wrapped his fingers around it, the sword beginning to illuminate a dark glow before it shifted to gold.

“Looks like the sword has accepted you,” Alicia declared. “Excellent.”

Rain looked extremely pleased as he examined the sword in close detail.

“Thank you, Alicia,” Rain declared and looked my way with a wide smile. “Thank you, Sweet Rose.”

I couldn’t be any happier for him, my radiant smile and quick nod the best I could do while in Alicia’s presence. I would have tossed my arms up and hugged him, but we were still in lesson mode.

We shared one final look before returning our attention to Alicia as she turned her gaze my way. “Rosadette. This weapon actually brought itself forward when I stated your name.”

“It came forward?” I inquired, a little shocked by the news. Yes, weapons had their own magical energy and traits, but I didn’t think they could actually bring themselves forward to a potential owner without me being present.

“Indeed.” Alicia’s grin widened. “In order for me to pick the right weapon that will be most beneficial to you, I call your name and use a hint of your magic to see which weapons react to it. Many indeed reacted, but this particular weapon floated right into my hand.”

“Wow,” Rain commented. “That’s rare, isn’t it?”

“Very.” Alicia bobbed her head and the pendulum began to rise from the table. “This is the Pendulum of ElaRasoda. Many underestimate the power of this weapon because of its obvious appearance. Pendulums are used to seek answers to questions many may have, and have guided various leaders and royals in making grave decisions in desperate times.”

The prism crystal began to float my way, the golden chain glowing lightly.

“However, with growth in magic, this item can be used to conduct various spells and chants that can have some serious destructive power. I have a few ancient books that will aid you with this, and the book you carry to aid you with your magical spells can also be used in conjunction with this weapon.”

“Then it’s pretty epic,” I concluded, offering my hand out as the pendulum hovered above it and slowly lowered into the palm of my hand. “Innocent-looking but deadly. Perfect for me,” I determined with pride.

The touch of the pendulum had goosebumps crawling up my arms, and it only gave me more reassurance this was something I could work with.

“I figured you’d like its hidden power.” Alicia smirked and clapped her hands. “We’ll spend the next half an hour training, and then I have some matters to attend to.”

We both nodded, and I returned my gaze at the pendulum in my hand. There was something about it that was calling to me, and I hoped that with the training to come and as I grew stronger as a fae, I’d figure out the mysteries it held deep within.

I’ll train hard so I can use this during our exams!

LET THE PETALS BEGIN TO FALL

“Camilla! Do I look good? Does my ass look good? Please tell me I look good cause this took way too long to put together and I’m exhausted.”

Camilla giggled, her eyes gleaming with pride as she observed my final outfit.

“Looking as cute as ever.”

“I’m looking for sexy!” I whined, igniting her laughter.

“You can’t look sexy at the spring festival! It’s day time, not night club material,” she reasoned, but nodded in approval. “If you’re asking if you look sexy for your boyfriend, then yes, you’re going to make him want to pin you to a bed and f-”

“Oh, no, no. I’m changing.”

“Don’t change a damn thing!” She rushed over to stop me from reaching for my pendulum. “You look good, jeez. I’ll make sure Rain doesn’t pin you to a bed.”

I grinned and hugged her. “Finally! That was a lot harder than I expected.”

“Well, you were using magic to help you create the perfect outfit rather than being like a normal fae and going to a seamstress who would just make one for you with her magic.”

“After having a dream of the seamstress making the dress with a timer and having it disappear at midnight, I figured making my own was the most reasonable choice,” I declared.

“That’s your anxiety talking,” Camilla dismissed. “Just admit that you’re excited to be having your first official date with Rain!”

“It’s not official or anything,” I muttered, trying to not make it a big deal, even though it was to me.

“Not official, and yet you’ve been talking about it for a week and a half after Rain asked you. Okay,” Camilla teased. “At least he asked before Xavier’s failure of an attempt.”

“Ugh. Don’t even remind me.” I couldn’t fathom a big enough groan for that ridiculous afterschool moment in the training room.

“WE HAVE to up your training to at least three days,” Xavier huffed.

“You’re lucky the queen didn’t cancel all of them after I got sick!” I declared as I put away my book in my bag. “Two is all you’re getting, and during exam week we’re not training together.”

“I can’t believe this,” Xavier grumbled. “My mother didn’t need to know about this.”

“You’re right,” I began. “Until your little cheer squad decided to put a death spell on me, and she found out that I was training one to two hours a day unnecessarily after getting perfect grades so far in school and deemed it ‘a waste of time’ for me to continue. I only agreed to two days so you wouldn’t throw a bigger fit than you already were.”

“You make it seem like I’m some kind of baby.”

“If the shoe fits, wear it with pride,” I declared and yawned. “I’m going home.”

“Wait.”

“What?”

“You’re going to the spring festival with me.”

“Come again?” I had to pause in my movement and turn right around to give him a confused look. “Who said I’m going?”

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“Xavier. If this is your way of trying to ask me out to the spring festival, I’d like to enlighten you with two problems. One, I’ve already been asked. Two, that is not how you ask a woman to be your date for a festival.”

“Who asked you first?!” He looked baffled that anyone would ask before him.

“I did.”

We looked to the door to see Rain leaning against the door frame. He seemed annoyed today, which was rare. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his sword at his waist.

When our eyes met, he gave me a small smile before it fell as his eyes returned to Xavier’s. “That’s a really shitty way of asking a girl out, by the way.”

He pushed off the frame to walk over to me. I met him halfway, and without hesitation, he leaned down to kiss me firmly on the lips.

“Hey, Sweet Rose. Feeling all right?”

“A little sleepy,” I answered and ended up giving him a soft peck on his lips. “But I’m pretty good. Glad the weekend is here.”

“Let’s grab something to eat before I walk you back to the dorms.”

“Okay!” I was starving, and getting some extra time with Rain while eating would be delightful.

“You two are actually dating?!” Xavier yelled. I flinched at the loud noise, but Rain was calm and collected as he casually shrugged.

“We’ve been dating for a while. Are you just realizing this?” Rain seemed intrigued, but the smug smile on his lips looked like he was taunting Xavier.

Didn’t blame him one bit.

“You can’t date her,” he countered.

“We’re already dating,” Rain emphasized. He took my bag and swung it over his shoulder, while his free hand reached for mine.

Intertwining my fingers with his, he looked back at Xavier.

“She’s going to the spring festival with me. I asked her a few days ago.” We began to head to the door before this blew up into an argument. “Why don’t you go ask your new girlfriend? Wasn’t it Monica? That’s what the gossip columns say.”

“Huh?” I couldn’t stop myself from commenting, and I looked over my shoulder to see Xavier look away when I tried to see his expression.

We left without another word, and it wasn’t until we were outside and heading down a quiet trail that I questioned Rain’s comment.

“He’s actually dating Monica? What happened to Esmeralda or even Ella?”

“Who knows?” Rain sighed. “That’s the rumor going around. Seeing as he had nothing to say about it, guess it’s true.”

“Weird,” I mumbled and hugged his arm. “You okay?”

“I had a rough day.” He stopped, which made me stop, and leaned over to kiss me deeply. “So much better now that you’re here.”

“Aww.” I grinned and nudged my nose against his. “Glad you’re my date for the spring festival.”

“Me too,” he whispered, and claimed my lips once again.

“WELL, you don’t need to worry about dating Mr. Cold-Hearted. Monica can deal with him,” Camilla practically laughed.

“I still can’t believe out of all the people, he’s dating Monica.” I shivered at the idea. “Sorry, but Esmeralda was a better choice.”

“You’re one-thousand percent correct. That’s the latest gossip in the halls, and Esmeralda’s loving it.”

“Really?” I questioned. “Why would she like that?”

“Confidence boost.” Camilla shrugged as she finished curling her hair. “Plus, it only proves that Xavier lost out. If he wants to get her back, he’s probably going to have to work double-time. Once a girl lets a man go, don’t think she’s waltzing back to him for no reason.”

“Hmm.” I thought about it. “What purpose would Monica have with Xavier though?” I was trying to think this one through out loud because it didn’t seem logical. “Isn’t Ella from a well-off family or something? Like her parents have connections. Bella and Emily didn’t seem romantically interested in Xavier, and neither did Monica. She’s more of a follower than someone to step right up and volunteer to be Xavier’s.”

“Could be trying to get payback?” Camilla suggested.

“Against?” I wasn’t following.

“You, silly.” Camilla smirked as she walked over to grab the hanger that held her dazzling red dress with various black shards near the bottom half in sequence patterns.

“Me?” I gave her an innocent look. “What did I do?”

“Well, aside from the fact that you proved all the students of Fae Rose Academy wrong with your epic comeback, have been excelling in all classes with perfect scores, are catching the attention of all the fae men in the lands, and have been stirring the gossip columns with whether you’ll end up with Prince Xavier or Prince Rainer, I think you’ve become the center of everyone’s attention, future princess.” She winked when my face grew red at the last bit of her explanation.

“Princess? Who?” I looked around and pointed at myself. “Not me.”

“Oh stop it.” Camilla giggled. “You’re falling head over heels for Rain. Just admit it. Plus, he’s madly in love with you. He’s not as obvious as you, though.”

“I’m not obvious!”

“You mutter his name in your sleep every night.”

Oops.

“That’s out of my control.”

“You draw his name and your name together in hearts in class when you’re bored.”

“How do you even know that?!”

“He told me.” She winked.

“H-How does he know?!”

“Secrets, secrets,” she casually brushed off. “Anyways! Little Ms. Monica is jelly of a certain fae with platinum blonde hair and stunning purple eyes with bits of silver that goes by the name of Rosadette Campbell, and her only way to get payback is by seducing Prince Xavier, her partner.”

“That sounds pathetic.”

“It is.” Camilla walked over to the bathroom. “Thus, the reason why it’s not bothering you in the slightest, seeing as I had to break all of that down for you.”

“That’s because I’m sometimes slow when it comes to these things.”

“It’s good in cases like this.” Camilla smirked. “Rain’s gonna be here in two minutes, so you better polish that lipstick of yours after you not-so-secretly ate that donut.”

“Camilla!” I complained, but she shut the door and locked it, her laughter carrying out through the door to taunt me.

That’s my best friend for you.

I still loved her to bits, especially now that my school life felt as normal as it could be. Exams were approaching, and I knew after this festival, we’d be in full-on study mode.

When I thought about it, the semester wasn’t difficult at all. Sure, there was a test here and there, and bits of training and homework, but it was all manageable. Many of the students in our class were struggling though, so I guess I was speaking for myself when it came to the level of difficulty this year had been.

Rain kept saying it was my excitement to learn more that made it a lot easier for me to absorb information, and he could have been right. I enjoyed every bit of new information I gathered, absorbing it like a sponge sucks every bit of water it could grasp.

Some would question how I was absorbing the information as quickly as I was, but my mind seemed to have endless capacity when it came to learning.

When you lived a life with very little access to new material and content about what you really are, it felt only natural to crave every bit of information about what I could potentially become in this new world of magic and limitless opportunities.

I still had the drive to prove to those that once doubted me that I deserved to be here, learning and growing as a fae.

I also hadn’t forgotten my main goal after all of this was done: to find my roots.

My ultimate goal was to find my heritage. To find the reason I was left on the human world to suffer and feel completely useless.

A burden.

Shaking my head, I pushed away those negative thoughts as I walked to the standing mirror. With an encouraging nod to myself, I appreciated the short floral dress that cloaked my body.

It was strapless, the white to golden layered fabric holding my breasts perfectly as the red ribbon tightly holding my waist accented its small diameter. The rest of the dress extended outward, having multiple roses with golden sparkles sprinkled on top of them.

Fresh, red roses with golden sparkles sprinkled on every petal.

My legs were bare, but wrapped with red ribbon up to my knees, and my heeled wedges were white with golden glitter scattered all over their pearl white surface.

My hair was up and straightened, and my makeup was a simple, natural look with a pop of red lipstick. My pendulum was in a hidden pocket of my dress - yes, my dress had to come with pockets because why not - and I magically created a spell to keep my book of spells close by.

This may have been a spring festival, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down.

There was a knock at the door, and I tried not to squeal in excitement.

“Coming,” I declared, skipping to the door. When I opened it, my smile only widened as I took in my handsome prince boyfriend.

He wore a silky red dress shirt, white pants with golden sparkles, pearl white tie with golden rose designs, and a white vest that had a red rose pinned to his left pocket.

We match!

My eyes met his, watching them dance to different colors as he admired my outfit. His eyes glimmered with pride and affection as they looked me up and down. I couldn’t help but take in his appearance once again, loving how he braided his hair back and intertwined the braid with a red ribbon.

“We match,” I declared.

“We think alike.” He smirked and moved his hand from his back to reveal a bouquet of red and white flowers with gold sprinkles on the delicate petals. “Also brought flowers.”

“Rain,” I squealed and accepted the bouquet, taking a long whiff of their floral scent before moving them aside to one hand so I could hug him. “Thank you! They’re gorgeous.”

“Just like you,” he whispered into my ear. “You’re beyond beautiful, Rosadette.”

I leaned back to give him a gleaming grin as my cheeks blushed.

“Looking as handsome as usual,” I teased. We shared a look before I leaned up just slightly to meet his lips that lowered to mine.

The sweet kiss felt like a boost of energy, ridding me of those tiny pieces of self-hate and doubt. I was loved and would find my destiny when the time was right.

Just have to remember that, Rosadette.

“Ready to go?”

“Yes.” I nodded. After putting the roses in a vase and grabbing my purse with my phone, I poked my head in the washroom to see Camilla was almost done getting ready.

“We’re leaving first, bestie! Do you want us to wait?”

“Nah. The asshole is coming over to remind me of how much I hate his existence, so we’ll see you there,” she announced.

Asshole was her partner in crime. I couldn’t wait to meet him.

To kick his butt for bothering my bestie.

Until then, I just had to support Camilla the best way I could.

“Okay. Looking fierce,” I complimented. She looked my way and took a long look at me before her gaze softened.

“It’s nice to see you happy.”

The sincerity in her words made me smile right back as I slowly nodded.

“It’s nice to feel worthy for once,” I replied.

“We’re purely divine beings, Rosadette,” she reminded. “Including you. Remember that.”

I nodded in agreement, and with a blow of a kiss, I was back at Rain’s side. He intertwined our hands and with a kiss to my temple, he grinned.

“Off to the spring festival we go.”

“Yes,” I declared.

What a wonderful time to be alive.

“IS this the first time you’ve been tipsy?” Rain whispered against my lips. I smirked and kissed him yet again, my mind still on ‘let’s make out’ mode. I’d never had so much fun in one solid day until now, and even as the last bits of sun left the sky, I was still reeling over all we’d done today.

The spring festival was spectacular, from the magnificent decorations made of real flowers to the parades and theatrical performances that occurred on the streets at random times.

There was everything from flash mobs that made you want to dance along with the random students, professors, and children that joined in the fun, to the more emotional performances filled with ballerinas and other dancers that used various spells and elements to emphasize the story they were portraying.

The rows of food trucks were filled with foods I never knew existed, including a variety of treats that had me tempted to try every single one.

With rides for the young and the old and competitions of multiple levels of difficulty scattered throughout the event, there was something to fit everyone’s taste.

The weather was delightful, a perfect mix of warm temperatures with a soft, cool breeze to keep things mellow. It really was an event I’d attend again and again if allowed, because it was that sensational.

After all the fun and games, Rain offered to take me out to dinner. We had a five-course meal while enjoying a live band. I’d explained that I couldn’t get drunk to save my life, and that was when I was introduced to a glass of Fae Rose’s finest selection of red and white wines.

Whether it was the extravagant price or the way it bubbled with twinkles of magic, that liquid stuff was blessed with enough punch to make me struggle to think straight after a few sips.

Even when Rain told me to stop when I was halfway finished, I kept on sipping because this was one of those odd dreams that came true, and I was ready to live it up.

Where did that end up leaving me?

Outside in the middle of this dance floor with other students who were drunk or high on herbs. It didn’t bother me since Rain had followed my very tipsy booty to the dance floor, and now his arm was wrapped around my waist as we slow danced.

Earlier we’d been dancing to some sexy music, the kind you’d see in movies where people would bump and grind against one another. I’d always craved to experience what that was like, and Rain delivered with bonus points.

His hands claimed my hips while our bodies moved in synchronicity. His lower half pressed right against my butt, and I rested my head back against his chest as we moved side to side and grinded against one another. It was more than just a sensual experience.

I’d gotten lost in the music and being wrapped around Rain’s aura and possessiveness, and I was sure that many of the other students could feel our connection. I’m sure this would be the talk of the school and confirm the rumors that we were dating, but with the alcohol running through my veins, I was more than ready to ignore all the talk and enjoy this man who treated me like a queen.

“You know how many drinks I’ve had to try and get tipsy?” I sweetly asked, our lips just centimeters apart as we swayed side to side.

“A lot,” he concluded.

“Yes. A lot and a lot,” I emphasized and hugged him. “Can we take some home?”

“For you to get completely wasted?” he inquired.

“Yes,” I confirmed, leaning my head back to give him a hopeful smile. That’s all I needed to do to make him cave.

“Fine, but Camilla can’t beat me up if you wake up hungover.”

“Deal!” I squealed and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Now kiss me again.”

“You’re very demanding when you’re tipsy.” He chuckled but fulfilled my request with a steamy kiss.

“You like it,” I whispered breathlessly, opening my eyes slightly to stare into his that danced with color. I loved seeing how relaxed he was. It wasn’t like he had a stiffness to his demeanor, but for once I was witnessing him in a different aspect.

Almost like his guard was finally down and he was letting me see a newer side of his playful self.

“I do.” He didn’t hide it, and we got lost in another passionate kiss. A night like this could go on forever, and I wouldn’t stop it from repeating again and again. I felt alive and was so grateful for all the hardships I’d experienced to get here.

To be in Rain’s arms. Adored and loved for who I was.

“Wanna go for a walk before we come back and get that wine of yours?” he whispered into my ear when the song changed to an upbeat jam.

“Sure.” I could use some air, the humid surroundings filled with smoke and the aromas of flowers and sweat were getting to me.

Rain led the way, his hand in mine as we eased through the crowd. When we got outdoors, I inhaled deeply, allowing the clear oxygen to fill my lungs before letting it out.

We passed the crazy filled food stands and made our way to the quiet floral park that was lit with various lights and lanterns.

The air felt different here, but it might have been my tipsy senses acting up for no reason. When we reached a bench, we sat down, and I rested my head against Rain’s shoulder.

He held me close, an arm hooking around my shoulder as he began to stroke my head. The action of affection made me smile, my mind drifting in and out as I continued to listen to the soft music that played in the headlamp speakers and the faraway chatter that drifted through the trees.

“If only it could always be like this.” Rain’s whisper got my attention, but I was still enjoying the drifting of my mind. “If only you could be just mine.”

I wondered what he meant. I was his, and my heart wanted this. To be with him alone as we built on one another and embraced our unique differences and flaws.

Why is he saying I’m not his?

“What are you doing here?” The cold voice made me frown, even in my half-sleeping state.

Xavier?

“Enjoying the festival like everyone else,” Rain coldly replied. It was the first time I was hearing such a deep voice from him.

“Did you let her drink?”

“None of your business,” Rain countered.

“Are you stupid? Do you want her to see the world as it is? She’s nowhere near ready.”

“And how would you know?” Rain defended. “Do you ever take a minute to listen to yourself? Just a solid minute to absorb the negative words you say when it comes to Rosadette? Do you realize what an ass you are?”

Silence followed, and Rain sighed.

“You see your problem? Do you know what a privilege it is to have a woman like this in your grasp? To hold the rose of her heart in your hands and know that she could be yours permanently? I’ve never seen anyone in my entire life want their rose to wilt and die.”

“You know nothing!” Xavier snapped.

“You would not be causing a storm if I didn’t hit the mark on its head. Her rose is wilting. The more frustrated you get, the faster it will wilt and fade away,” Rain declared and tsked. “This woman was willing to make a home in her heart for you. All she wanted was your acknowledgment. Not material things, or even guidance. She wanted you to have hope in her and what have you done?”

“How dare you lecture me?” Xavier growled.

“Why? Am I not in any position to do so?” Rain countered. “I’m of royalty just like you, only raised to see the world as equals instead of as servants and slaves to rank and hierarchy. If I didn’t get to see how your parents raised you myself, I would only assume the worst about your upbringing. Instead, you shaped yourself into the complete opposite of what your parents wished for you, and now you’re playing around with fate?”

The low chuckled that followed sent chills through me, and I knew it was from Rain as he whispered, “If I was in your shoes, I’d be thanking the universe for granting me such a livelihood. For allowing me amazing parents that want the best for me and aligning you with a woman like Rosadette. Yet, here you are, fucking around with some slut that is only using you to hurt Rose, and you’re still falling into the trap of the enemy.”

“Shut up! You know nothing.”

“I know everything, and it’s only a matter of time before you run out of chances. Let the universe be my witness, for if I got the chance to be with Rosadette, I’d treasure her like the queen she was born to be.”

“She’s nowhere near queen material!” Xavier snapped. “S-Sure. She’s gotten stronger and proved us all wrong with her growth magically, but it’s only a matter of time before she fucks up. I need a woman of perfection.”

“No one is perfect in this world,” Rain announced, his words laced with anger.

He clung to me even tighter, and I kept my breathing steady as I fought not to reveal my awakened consciousness.

“We are born into this world cloaked with the sins and weaknesses of our parents, but with time, patience, and perseverance, we strive to become purely divine beings. The universe blesses us with our divinity through our actions and desire to grow as fae. No matter what we are, light or dark, we will only go up if we ask the universe for grace. You think because your parents have shielded you for so long that you’ll forever hold power over others? Give it time.”

“An orphan born out of darkness wouldn’t know shit,” Xavier snarled.

“You’re right,” Rain declared. “An orphan like me was born into the depths of a river full of dark magic. This orphan somehow was chosen by a woman that couldn’t bear children and decided I deserved a chance to live. Now here I am, a royal prince not due to my blood but rather to the love of my parents that only want me to reach my highest potential. They do not bring me down or speak ill about my actions. They encourage me to live, and I follow every word of advice they give me. I don’t know shit, but I’ve experienced enough in my short life to know stupid when I see it.”

“Rosadette will be mine in the end.”

“Keep telling yourself that while you continue your fling with Monica, just like you did with Esmeralda. Your actions will soon display your true colors to everyone, and let me tell you: your parents won’t be able to shield you,” Rain declared. “Now I suggest you go away before Chamomile decides to shove an arrow in that ass of yours. I’m sure you can sense her watching this silly debate, and I’d rather Rosadette remain asleep then be rudely awakened by your presence.”

“Hmph. I’m not afraid of you. Or that dark fae bitch. Keep playing students while the world fights to get rid of the weak. At least I’ll be ready with a powerful woman by my side. Whether it’s Rosadette or not will be up to the universe as you portray, but at least I’ll have a worthy woman next to me as my queen.”

There were stomping footsteps that began to fade, and Rain sighed.

“Asshole,” he muttered. “You’d think one of light would be less of a jackass.”

Silence soon followed, and I felt myself being lifted up. My head rested against a firm surface as my feet dangled. Rain must have been carrying me, but I was already beginning to drift once again.

“Only a few more weeks to go. Let those petals begin to fall until nothing is left. Then I’ll show you the true world, my Sweet Rose.” His soft whisper ended with a tender kiss to my lips.

I wished to open my eyes and see what I knew I’d see.

The man that made my heart flutter as our magic called to one another.

Before my consciousness faded once again, I made a vow to myself.

At the end of this semester, I must know the truth about this rose, this world, and the man I was falling madly in love with.

I must discover it all.

LOSE IT ALL TO FATE

“Ipassed…” My quiet whisper seemed to reach my ears in comparison to the loud noise of groans and squeals of joy as many students gathered in front of the massive board that displayed our final results.

Not only had I passed, I was in the top ten students, landing at number two with Prince Rainer as the top student and Xavier in third place.

I beat Xavier. I…Rosadette Campbell…got a higher mark than him?

My mind couldn’t grasp the reality written up on the board, but what excited me more was what was to come. I could already recall Alicia’s words from yesterday.

“ONCE WE KNOW how you do for your first year, we’ll determine how this summer and the following year’s training will go,” Alicia declared as Rain and I finished putting away the training mats.

“You mean, next year will be focused purely on combat and magic?” I inquired, already feeling a bubble of excitement.

“Yes,” Alicia answered. “The reason we downplay year one is to observe who takes this academy seriously.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” I questioned. “Learning is a privilege.”

“Not everyone thinks that way, Rosadette,” Rain reasoned, walking over to stand next to me as we faced Alicia, who leaned back against the wall of the training room. “Fae are an intriguing race. Some think being born a fae is all they need to cruise through life. Others realize what a privilege it is to learn wisdom from ancient books blessed by our ancestors and grow their magical abilities through knowledge. The ratio between the two is sadly outweighed by those who are positive that life should be easy.”

“As Rain explained, everyone doesn’t give much emphasis on learning, and thus the reason we dedicate a year to the important information. Being trained by me gives you a little more opportunity to develop your strengths in the realm of magic, but once we know how you both did this year, I’ll be able to think of the perfect training plan for summer and the coming second year.”

“We won’t be penalized for missing the first semester, correct?” I clarified.

“No.” Alicia shook her head. “The exams will be based on the entire year so it’ll test your knowledge, including what you missed. However, I’m confident the both of you have enough knowledge and understanding of our race to do well.”

“Um, I have a question. Or…maybe a request,” I hesitantly announced.

“Yes, Rosadette?” Alicia replied, smirking in amusement at my boldness. I understood that I was still a student and shouldn’t be requesting stuff, especially from the queen who was willing to take me in as an apprentice, but I wanted to voice my main concern.

Well, close to my main concern.

“When we get the results and I do superbly well, um…” I trailed off in worry, but Rain reached for my hand and squeezed it gently.

His action made me grin as I glanced his way. He smirked in return, nodding his head once in encouragement.

“Can I see the lands beyond the academy?” I asked. “I know we’re not bound to the academy, but I’m sure I’d get lost. Compared to other students, I don’t have family or relatives here, and it’s not like I can venture around on my own. I may have studied our culture and lands but seeing it would affirm what I’ve learned. I also want to see how beautiful our world is, even if it sometimes means not seeing all the good pictured in books and fae tales.”

Alicia was clearly thinking about it, and I nervously waited for her permission. Some would say I’m an adult and can do anything I wanted, especially with no parents to tell me how to live my life, but I respected Alicia and honestly, she felt like the mother I wished to have.

She didn’t need to choose me as her apprentice. Nor did she have to treat us with such respect. I craved her permission and it felt right within myself to request such freedom from the queen herself.

“I don’t see why not.” Her glimmering smile had me grinning from ear to ear.

“I’d be happy to take her around if given permission to join the summer adventure,” Rain volunteered with a pleased smile of his own.

“Certainly.” Alicia nodded. “Feel free to invite Chamomile as well.”

“Yes!” I cheered. “Summer trip! Wait…don’t I need a job or something to pay for the journey?”

Thinking about it made me frown, forgetting that I was obviously poor in this new world - not like I was any richer in my previous one.

It was thanks to the generosity of Camilla, Rain, and Alicia that I had an array of clothes, including lingerie. How was I going to afford to go out from the academy walls with no student card paying functions?

“Don’t torment yourself regarding expenses. It’s about time you got to venture out of the academy and see the vast kingdoms and what the fae world has to offer. You will also be privileged to return to the human world for a bit if you’d like.”

“Really?!” I was shocked by the sudden opportunity, but now that it was brought up, it seemed a little thrilling.

To see how much had changed within a year in the fae world.

“That would be amazing.”

“Then you have my approval. Let’s wait for the results of your final score for this year and we’ll sort out the plan for the summer. My original vacation plans have changed so maybe I’ll come along.”

“The queen is going to come with us,” I gasped to Rain, who laughed. “Maybe you’ll get to meet my mom, then.”

He winked at me as I blushed, and Alicia laughed. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen your mother, Rain. I’m sure she’d love Rosadette.”

“Sure would,” Rain said with pride and reached out to ruffle my hair.

“Hey. You’re ruining my hair.”

“You’re going to shower and drench it anyway,” Rain concluded with a smile.

“Meanie.”

“You still love me.”

“Thinking about that one,” I muttered.

“It’s settled then. Be off with your lover’s quarrel and get ready for tomorrow.”

“Yes, Alicia,” we said with confidence, even with her little comment.

NOW THAT SCHOOL was officially done, and I’d survived and proved my worth, I could work on growing my self-worth by discovering the lands where I’d been born.

That starts with telling Rain, Camilla, and Alicia the good news!

Pulling out my phone, I dialed Rain’s number first. It began to ring, but I noticed the familiar song from behind me.

Arms wrapped around me, and I lifted my head to see a smiling Prince Rainer.

“Hello, Sweet Rose. Were you calling me?”

“I was!” I squealed and turned right around in his hold. “Look! Look!”

He raised his eyes up to look at the board, and when they returned to mine they shifted from orange to blue and then pink.

“Did my girlfriend get second place?”

“Yes!” I happily replied. “And you’re first!”

“It seems so,” he commented before wrapping his arms around my waist and smothering my lips with his. I giggled and kissed him right back, not caring that we were literally in the middle of the crowd of students.

I could hear the gasps and ohs coming from our peers, but Rain held me tighter as our kiss deepened. Little actions like these only proved that I wasn’t someone to be hidden or ignored.

I deserve to be loved! I’m smart and talented. I can’t believe I passed.

How amazing it felt to finally see the fruit of my hard labor. To start from a land of self-hate and ridicule and end with a heart filled with jubilee and pride.

“Good job, Sweet Rose,” he praised when he broke the kiss. “This calls for a celebration.”

“A date!” I exclaimed.

“Sure,” he agreed with a laugh. “I gotta tell my parents real quick about the results and then we’ll head over to see Alicia.”

“That sounds perfect! I’ll go and change,” I offered.

“Good idea. Seeing as it’s early, why don’t we take a little trip to the town near the academy? It’s a bit of a distance, but most of the stores and restaurants will still be open,” he suggested.

“Delightful! I’ll see you in a bit.” He kissed me lightly on the lips before we went our separate ways to get ready and deliver the news. I texted Camilla the news, hoping she’d find out her results and join us on the trip to town.

Heading back to the dorms, I quickly changed into a simple red dress and red wedges and put my hair up in a ponytail. Using Rain’s red ribbon that I’d kidnapped a few nights ago and never given back, I tied it around the bundled strands of my hair, making a bow to finish the simple but elegant look.

Staring around the room of our dorm, I recalled all the good and bad memories. Just like that, I was done with the first year of Fae Rose Academy, but I knew there were many secrets I needed to discover about this new world and myself.

“No more doubting myself. No more thinking less of what I’m meant to be. I will become someone in this world. Someone respected and powerful.”

I’d been using positive affirmations to aid me in my growth. I knew that in order to grow my confidence and self-worth, I had to start with loving myself. That was going to be the hardest to achieve when I’ve been so used to putting myself down mentally before acknowledging my physical faults, but I was going to change all of that in year two.

I’m a purely divine like everyone else. I will be a force that no one would like to mess with.

There was a knock on the door, and I rushed to open it.

“That was-” I trailed off and frowned when I saw a frantic Monica at the door. “Monica? What are you doing here?”

“U-Um.” She looked worried, her whole body shaking like it was freezing in here. “Something’s wrong with Xavier. I tried to find Ella or the others…or even Esmeralda, but no one else is here.”

“What’s wrong with him?” I grumbled. “Mad he got third place?”

“No…he’s acting a little insane.”

“Define ‘a little insane’. If this is regarding his anger management problems, that’s a normal occurrence.” I really wasn’t going to let Xavier ruin my day.

“No. He’s saying weird stuff, like the sky being red and stuff.”

Wait, the sky being red?

“Where is he?”

“The training room. The one you guys always practice in. I figured you could help him calm down or something while I find the queen. I feel like he’s losing it.”

It’s that serious?

“Why should I trust you?” I inquired.

I was still practicing the whole truth versus lie gift we fae carried in our unique genetics. I could easily tell from those who were close to me like Rainer or Camilla, but with acquaintances like Monica, it was hard.

“You don’t have to trust me. Xavier’s your partner.”

“School is over.”

“He’s the prince of the kingdom and was the reason you even got to attend Fae Rose Academy, from what he told me. Who cares if you hate him or he hates you? Our prince is borderline crazy and needs someone who can make sure he remains safe while I get help!”

“Why don’t you stick with him?” I wasn’t feeling this whole scenario, but what if Xavier was experiencing what I had that one time when I was ill? Those memories were still a blur, but parts like the red sky and the dream of the sexy fae that reminded me of Rain had clung to my mind.

Xavier could know something about it.

“I would, but I’m a weakling. I can’t even keep him from pacing the room like a maniac. I used a spell to keep him in a cube for a short period of time so I can get the queen. Please, Rosadart! I’m being serious!”

“Rosadette,” I corrected with an annoyed groan. “Fine. Training room. On it.”

I turned around and quickly grabbed my phone and pendulum that was in a red velvet pouch. Slipping it into my hidden pocket, I quickly locked the door to our dorm and headed for the training room.

It didn’t take me long, and on the way, I quickly texted Rain and Camilla with an update about the whole Xavier thing. I swear if he tried to sour up my day, I’d wreak havoc on him and the entire training room.

All that specific room did was remind me of all my failures with Xavier’s screaming tactic of training, and I wasn’t going to deal with it anymore.

Opening the door, I immediately noticed the shift in temperature, going from warm to frigid. I noticed that it was actually snowing within the room and as I closed the door, my eyes caught onto the pacing Xavier that Monica had been worried about.

Oh shit.

She was indeed right. He was a mess.

His hair was all out of place as he paced frantically back and forth. The cement floor was full of snow, the winter flakes obviously of magic origin since we were well into spring - and indoors.

Xavier wore all black and had his royal cape on that fluttered behind him as he walked from one end of the training room to the other.

Crossing my arms, I waited for him to acknowledge me, but after a minute, I knew he would continue his frantic behavior until I made myself known.

“Xavier?” I called out to him. He stopped suddenly, his eyes darting in my direction. My heart skipped a beat at the intense hate, and I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “Um…are you okay?”

“This is all your fault,” he shouted at me.

“What’s my fault?”

“Make it stop!”

“Make what stop?”

“The wilting!” he snapped and rushed over to me. I couldn’t even move as he was in front of me in three blinks, his hands gripping my shoulders until I was pressed right against the wall.

“Reverse it!”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” I snapped, fear trickling through me at the way his expression giving me manic vibes.

“The rose is dying!”

“What rose?” He wasn’t making sense. “Xavier, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re supposed to love me!” he screamed in my face, his grip growing harder on my shoulders, enough to make me flinch in pain.

“Xavier, let go.”

“How dare you love that darkness jackass instead of me?! I’m the good guy in all of this. I’m of light and blessed with power from the universe itself,” he shouted. “I’m the reason you left that scum of a home like a helpless slut and arrived here. All you had to do was be the slave you’re meant to be and follow my every command, but no! Defiant bitch!”

I shoved him back with enough force that he fell over, and I quickly tried to exit the room, but the door froze entirely. I swiftly turned around, darting for the exit door, but all the walls began to be covered by sheets of ice, the temperature dropping dramatically.

Turning to the source, I glared back at him in anger as my blood boiled.

“Let me go!”

“If I can’t have you, no one will have you. The princess is here. She’s going to save us from the plague that consumes our lands! Haha! Foolish nonsense,” he yelled before his hands shot out and sent rows of icicles in my direction.

I wasn’t fast enough to avoid the first round of sharp shards, a hiss leaving my lips as the shards cut my arms, legs, and parts of my dress. Quickly, I took out the pouch and slipped the ring that was attached to the golden chain of the pendulum, my mind already trying to figure out a plan out of this place.

I need to go somewhere far. Not just school. Somewhere far and safe. A place where Rain, Camilla, or Alicia can find me. Where? Where can I go?

I tried to move back, but my legs wouldn’t budge, and I noticed how the ice began to crawl up my legs.

Fear spiked through me as I looked back at Xavier, who cynically laughed in glee. That’s when my vision began to change.

Xavier no longer was the student cloaked in black. He grew taller, his hair now jet-black with his blue eyes now a dark maroon. He wore black armor, and his cape was now black with weird symbols on it.

His face was slender, and he was even skinnier than usual, the appearance almost as though he was sick. His face was pale, and he looked as though he was going through withdrawal or something.

“W-What’s going on. Why…why do you look like that?”

“Oh, so now you’re seeing our world? Are you finally awakening your true fae vision, naive little princess?” he questioned with a sinister smile.

My body was shivering as the ice continued to crawl up my body.

“No wonder your mother hid you away. She didn’t want you to be in the same predicament as her. The heartbreak almost killed her, but she couldn’t move on after the light king killed the dark king. Her beloved was gone and she would have no choice but to marry the light king, but lo and behold, she was pregnant. A woman of light and a man of darkness, a forbidden love that led to his demise. She ran far away to escape her marriage, freezing herself and allowing centuries to pass until the universe awakened her from slumber. If only time could heal a broken heart.”

He laughed again, clapping his hands in praise. “Freezing her body did nothing but stall the pregnancy, and in the depths of the Fae Rose Forest, she gave birth to the future heir of the Rosadette kingdom. She knew if her child was found, they would both perish, so she went down to the scum lands and abandoned her child in a place no one would bother looking. Then she told the two families she trusted with all her heart of the child’s whereabouts, and hoped one day, her child would find her when the time was right. One family was of royalty, the other of rich glory. The royalty watched from afar, unsure of the child’s potential, while the other moved closer and even sent their own child to protect her.”

I stared at him in horror, the dots beginning to connect.

Alicia and the headmaster were the family of royalty. Camilla’s family is the rich one.

“Patiently, I waited…waiting and waiting for the day my sweet mother would bring us together and let us marry like past generations. Everything was perfect. I had the rose, I’d done my part of being a decent son of power. I’d finally get the queen I deserved and gain the power handed down to my father to give to me when I took the throne to be mine. All I needed was you to cooperate, but no. You fucked everything up!”

The ice was at my waist now, and I had to think of something fast to get out of here before I was a frozen block.

“Now the last petal is on that rose. My last chance to have you in my possession. I won’t let that two-faced prince get you. He didn’t work hard to claim your rose. He doesn’t deserve you in the slightest. You’re my ticket out of this peaceful living and into a world I can craft into my own! A world where only the strong prevail and the weak will cower to my ruling. All you have to do is be a quiet little puppet as I work my magic of pure perfection! We are purely divine beings, but only the perfect can walk around these lands, and all those that are imperfect shall either bow in total submission or perish!” he screamed.

“I won’t be by your side!” I shouted. My body was burning hot, my patience with his foolish rambles of selfishness triggering my rage.

“You’ve always treated me like a tool, and now I see why! Your true intentions are loud and clear, and though I may not know anything about my heritage or mom, I can confidently say that I won’t be your queen! Let the rose wilt! Let it die!”

“I’ll freeze you in eternal slumber before that rose can wilt! No one will have you. Prince Rainer will not claim you!”

Regardless of what I knew about this rose or its significance to my life, I remembered one thing we learned during Floral Manifestation.

“Roses and any plant of creation thrive on positive words. The same goes for acts of kindness. When a rose is but a seed, give it the nutrients, water, sun, and love it needs, and it’ll grow. Tell it how beautiful it will become, feeding it words of encouragement and compassion, and it will rise from the soil and blossom into a radiant beauty. However, feed it negative words, neglect it from its sources of growth, and it will remain a seed and never sprout roots. Your actions and words will determine whether something lives or dies. Even with the magic touch in the palm of your hand, if your intentions are not pure of life, nature will never respond to your calls. Keep this in mind.”

The pendulum began to glow as it started to move in a clockwise swing. Faster and faster, its power grew by the second as the ice quickly rushed up to my chest and arms.

“I hate you, Prince Xavier Rose!” I declared with all the rage within me. I let it ooze out of me as I yelled my truth. “We will never be together! Let the universe hear my anger. You are a horrible person who never tried to accept me as your equal. I deserve more! I deserve the world! I will not be frozen in time like my mother! I will rise from the deceit and hate you tried to swarm me in, and will be loved by those who want me in their lives. We will never be meant for one another! I hate you and I pray the universe ensures our paths never intertwine!”

“Shut up!” he screamed, the ice reaching my neck and beginning to swarm my head. I lifted my head up before it was impossible, accepting my fate, that I was about to be frozen.

“I, Rosadette Campbell, will see the fae world for what it truly is! Show me the truth and let my heart be with the person that adores me. The person that will cherish me. Water, feed, and make me blossom into who I’m meant to be! Let me walk on the path destined for me!”

Those were the last words I could say as the ice finally encapsulated me. I felt the chill of the ice creeping into my bones, and even with my senses beginning to fade, I could hear Xavier’s manic laughter.

My heart was slowing, but my magic was bursting through my body, begging for release. I let my conscious drift, focusing all the energy within me on the person that had always seemed to be there for me when the world abandoned me in darkness.

Prince Rainer. No matter what or who you are, please…save me from the darkness.

I prepared myself for death, but suddenly my body was falling. I crashed into a body of water. The shift from cold to hot had me fighting to get to the surface, and with a gasp, I was fighting for air while my body fought the shocking shift of temperatures.

“Intruder!” a high-pitch voice declared.

“Sio, wait!” The harsh, deep voice made my whole body tingle. Trying to get my bearings as I found my footing in whatever I’d fallen into, I quickly opened my eyes, and they only widened when they locked onto those familiar shifting jewels.

The man from my feverish dream. The sexy fae that pulled on every heartstring in my body and looked at me with intense passion.

There was no doubt in my mind about who he was, especially now that I’d seen the truth of Xavier’s appearance.

“Prince Rainer,” I whispered, tears pooling in my eyes.

“Rosadette,” he whispered, his eyes quickly scanning my body. In a flash, he was before me, and I tensed up at our closeness. He didn’t frighten me, but the movement reminded me of what I’d just experienced with Xavier, my fear obvious in my widened eyes.

Enough for Rain to notice.

“What happened? Why are you cut all over and how did you get here, Rosadette?”

“Her sight has awakened!” the high-pitch voice declared. I couldn’t move my gaze to what I recalled was the fairy that attacked me in my feverish dream.

In fact, I was afraid to move. If I looked away, would he disappear or would I awaken centuries later in an ice crystal, like my mother?

Is she alive? How does he know about my past and I don’t?

“Rosadette.” Rain’s voice was but a whisper, and he lifted his hands to be in my peripheral vision. “May I?”

He wanted to comfort me. To have some type of skin to skin contact.

To prove that this was truly real.

I could only manage a slight nod, the slight move enough to give him permission to lay his warm hands against my cheeks. More tears filled my eyes, and I let my walls fall as the piled emotions of fear, anger, shock, and sadness hit me at once.

“Xavier’s evil. He has my rose. He…said he was going to freeze me like my mom. The light king killed the dark king. My mother was pregnant with the dark king’s child. I’m that child. He…doesn’t want you having me. He wants to rule everyone and only those who are perfect can walk among the land of the fae,” I rambled in one breath. “I was frozen. So cold. I wished to be with you and I got here. I don’t get any of this…everything was scary…I’m scared, Rain.”

I could see how distraught he was in the lines of his expression, but the anger that flooded his eyes was stronger. Protective anger.

He pulled me into his arms, and it didn’t seem to matter that he was completely naked. Where we were didn’t matter to me, or that we were both drenched in warm water with steam surrounding us.

In his arms, I felt safe, and not suffocating with all that had occurred in mere minutes.

“I want to tell you everything, but I need to confirm one thing.”

He pulled back to look into my eyes. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life,” I said without a hint of hesitation.

His grin was like watching the sun rise from the horizon. He took my hand, leading me out of what seemed to be a fountain bath. With a few steps he was wearing simple clothes, and our surroundings changed until we were in a dark room.

Before we took a step forward, he turned around and scanned my body. Slowly, he reached out to press his right hand to my left cheek, and a sheet of magic fell upon me, healing my wounds and drying my wet body.

I looked down to see my outfit had completely changed, my body now donned in a long red dress and my hair now down. I felt a heaviness on my head, and I lifted my hand to up to feel the prick of what must have been a crown.

I gave Rain an odd look. He merely smiled in return as he turned away to look forward. His hand sliding into mine, he guided me towards a platform that was in the middle of the room, and as we climbed the three steps, I noticed the gorgeous glass dome that covered a glittering rose.

This rose was magnificently beautiful, a sparkling purple with silver, gold, and red glitter on its petals. It didn’t even seem real, like a work of art created for display purposes, but the fine details and burning magic of life that resonated off of its enclosed space was enough to prove it was real.

“Rain…what is this?”

He turned to look my way, his eyes filling with tears of pride and admiration.

“This is your rose, Rosadette. Your heart is symbolized by a rose.” He let go of my hand and walked down the stairs of the platform to look my way. He then went on one knee and looked up at me like a knight would to his queen.

“Princess Rosadette of the Rose Kingdom. I, Prince Rainer of Fae Rose Kingdom, can finally show you the truth of this world. Your heart was in the hands of a man that wanted to shield you from the truth. It’s now my turn to love you and help you discover the truth of your heritage and role in this world. Many lies have been told to hide your identity from those who seek your death. With you completing your first year and escaping the clutches of Xavier, I and those who are on your side can reveal your destiny.”

He rose up and walked up the stairs until he was before me once again.

“This is going to be confusing…and you may not love me for holding so much from you, but allow me the opportunity to explain in a safe place. Whatever your decision, whether to discard me or forgive me, I will protect you from the forces that wish your demise,” he vowed.

I took a long look at him, the man that had defended me on that platform against his own people, the man I’d begged to return to at the brink of death.

Yes, there was deceit and foul play here, and it would take time and explanations to determine why this came to be, but at the end of the day, this man still had the same heart.

The heart that was willing to love me at my lowest and highest peaks in life.

“Do you love me?” I whispered.

It was all I needed to know before I made my decision.

“With all my heart,” he truthfully declared in confidence.

There was not a pinch of deceit in his words, and it sprouted a smile on my lips as my tears fell down my cheeks.

“Then kiss me,” I whispered. “Then you’ll explain everything to me, for I won’t be entering year two unless I know all I need to in preparation for what’s to come.”

“As you wish, my love and majesty,” he whispered, and with those solemn words, he kissed me like my life depended on it.

Time to seek the truth behind the web of lies or lose it all to fate.

I will strive towards the purely divine path, but at what cost?

TO BE CONTINUED.

JULY 3RD, 2020

https://books2read.com/FAEROSEACADEMY2

TURN THE NEXT PAGE TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF DAGGERS AND SMOKE!

https://books2read.com/WILLASILVERS

DAGGERS AND SMOKE BLURB

Willa Silvers.

Academy Investigator.

Top agent at the Magic Elite Investigators Department.

If only my real biography were half as glorious as the one in my head.

Instead, I’m Willa Silvers, a clumsy, disaster-prone eighteen-year-old and daughter of two powerful M.E.I.D. agents. Naturally, expectations are high as I, the Infinite Level Mageri Mage, embark on my investigatory career, but I’m already running into complications.

With my unwieldy magic that has a mind of its own, and being paired with the powerful, sexy, rich jerk who couldn’t care less about “partnership”, I hope completing our assigned mission is no problem. Silly assumption.

Our mission? Locate four ancient daggers, hidden in the depths of four of the most elite academies in the world. It’s our job to dedicate one year to the search for each mystical dagger by attending the various schools and blending in as students.

The catch — because there’s always a catch — is that we’re not the only ones after these legendary weapons and if each one isn’t retrieved within the designated year, the entire world will be annihilated by eternal life-sucking smoke.

Daggers and smoke…a lethal potential future for all of us if I make a single mistake.

PROLOGUE: DAGGERS AND SMOKE

“Hurry! This way!”

“Run!”

“Fire! Fire! Evacuate all the students on the premises!”

“Willa…are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

How could I even answer when I was still in a state of shock?

I had spent a year within the walls of Smokeywood Academy, one of the four major institutes of magic and combat.

Smokeywood Academy, one of the four carriers of a collection of four sacred daggers. We needed these daggers before the biggest crime organization in the world used them to destroy all aspects of life.

I was watching its very core be engulfed by blazing flames and black smoke. Screams echoed around me as I stood at the golden gates, unsure whether to stand and watch the rest of the academy fall or dive into action and attempt to claim the first set of daggers that we’d been attempting to locate all year long.

“Willa. You have to get out of there. Help evacuate anyone in front and leave! That’s an order from the heads.”

“We can’t leave the dagger, Adam. I know exactly where it is. I feel it.”

“You must be feeling the smoke inhalation! Willa, I’m dead serious. Get off the property and return to headquart…this…”

The signal to my earpiece suddenly lost connection, only confirming my suspicions.

I’m not the only one here to claim the powerful twin blades.

Pulling the earpiece from my ear, I allowed it to drop to the ground like a piece of trash. Stepping on it and squishing it like the end of a cigarette butt, I let my beating heart calm as I zoned out the screams and cries for help.

Only one voice mattered now, and even though I still hated his guts, he’d somehow laid his mark within my heart.

“You do you, Willa. I’ll always be there to pave the way out.”

“If only he was here now,” I whispered under my breath as I took off the teal blue and gold blazer and tossed it behind me.

Where it landed, I would never know. My body jolted forward into a sprint as I raced right into the burning institute.

I knew the exact location of the item in question, and the closer I got to it, the stronger the buzzing in my ears grew in expectation.

The daggers of chilling power and prosperity. The weapons that ended wars and brought peace with the four leaders that placed them within the academies they built in honor of their victory.

Dying here would potentially leave them wide open, but I wasn’t going down that path unless I knew those daggers would be in the right hands.

Turning a sharp corner, I immediately skid to a stop - a second away from impaling myself on a pile of broken wooden beams.

“Shit,” I breathed heavily, looking for another way around the cluster of debris. There was no way I’d get through it, but who said I couldn’t just fly right over it?

With a playful smirk, my body tingled with delight and began to lift with ease, like a fairy godmother slowly ascending into the air to grant one’s wish.

This place always reminded me how “magic” was on the down-low. It was the only school that carried a one percent population of magic users, and we were called the gifted elite.

Except for me. I was Willa, the Academy Investigator, but only the admins knew that minor detail.

Landing on the cement floor that was filled with cracks, I pushed off the ground to run at full speed, the buzzing sound almost unbearable.

I was ready to rush past the chamber room, but my body seemed to forcibly stop, my legs giving out before I could process what happened.

“What the hell?” I stared at the ground, the buzzing now a piercing siren sound. It made me feel woozy, and I clenched my stomach in annoyance, but one look to my right and there they were.

My eyes widened, realizing that the chamber looked to be the only thing still intact. It made no sense because the rest of the building was burning. But then again, do magic artifacts that can potentially save the world really make any sense?

I think not.

Forcing my body to rise up, I urged my legs to work. One shaky step after another, I walked towards the daggers like I was walking down the aisle of a church to confess my sins.

The calm before the storm, as the silence wrapped around me and the serenity of those shining blades made the world grow silent in admiration.

They were placed admirably on a stand in the middle of a platform like an altar, the blades crisscrossed.

The resonating glow of engraved scribbles told me it was reacting to my presence, but I couldn’t think properly to know if that was a sign. The daggers we’ve desperately been searching for to complete this part of our case were almost in my grasp.

All I had to do now was claim them.

Taking the three steps up onto the mini platform, I walked right up to the stand, my eyes glued on the prize.

All the struggles. The hardships, broken friendships, bullying, and fighting to keep my rightful place as a Gifted Elite was finally worth it.

Reaching for them with shaky hands, the slight touch filled me a shock of energy. Ignoring it, I wrapped my hands around their base and lifted them off their stand to admire their metal beauty.

“I got you,” I spoke to the weapon as if it could hear me. “You’re going home with me.”

“Willa!”

I turned to the call of my name, surprised to see the very man I admired looking at me with fear in his eyes.

“Get out!”

My brows scrunched together as I registered the two words. Why was he so afraid when this was the one place that resonated peace?

A loud crack made me flinch, and like a light switch, the tranquil sight was no more. It was replaced by the eerie sight of the rest of the burning building.

Now I realized that I was surrounded by smoke and the flames were inching in on me. My eyes looked to the daggers and back down the pathway where my teacher/partner stood.

I could tell he wanted to run right in, but he couldn’t. The build-up of debris at the entrance made it almost impossible for him to do a flying spell like I had, and the burning flames were growing taller by the second.

Another loud crunch made me worry that the entire building was about to collapse, and my heart skipped a few beats with an important realization.

We’re out of time.

With one last glance at the blades, I looked at my teacher with courageous eyes.

“Now or never,” I whispered, and with a twirl of the blades in my hands, I lifted both of my arms up and behind me, throwing them forward with as much strength as possible.

Outstretching my hands, I proceeded to draw out my magic, adding a wave of wind to give the daggers enough momentum to reach their destination.

His wide golden eyes quickly blinked in understanding, and just like that, the daggers were in the hands of one of the few people I trusted in this business.

That was really saying something when we had only known each other for eight months.

“Wil-”

“Go! Hurry!” I screamed. Suddenly, there was an ear-deafening sound.

My head immediately looked up instinctively, but the thickness of the smoke covered the high ceiling.

I knew what was coming, and I braced myself - my body growing stiff as I clenched my fists. Either I’d die right here or I would somehow manage to survive this ordeal with a few broken bones and a concussion.

If only my chances were fifty-fifty.

I expected wood or cement to reveal itself from the thick smoke that I now realized was a glowing blue and not a rich grey.

However, to my bad luck, that wasn’t what appeared and headed straight for me. Nothing close to debris or wood.

A sheet of golden swords emerged from the thick smoke, and I now hoped I’d die instantly, with the thought of the daggers being in the hands of the man I’d come to love.

Maybe this was the end of my life as an academy investigator.

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Avery Song is a reverse harem author who specializes in paranormal, fantasy, and urban romance.

She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.

ABOUT QUINN ASHWOOD

Quinn Ashwood is the alter ego of a USA Today Bestselling Author.

Her works revolve around the Urban Fantasy world, mixed with bits of Epic Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

She cowrites with International Bestselling Author, Avery Song.

The duo is ready to take the Young Adult World by storm!

~Books by Avery Song~

THE SUPERNATURAL SPY ACADEMY SERIES:

S.S.S YEAR ONE

S.S.S YEAR TWO

S.S.S YEAR THREE

S.S.S YEAR FOUR

S.S.S FIVE (May.29.2020)

SPELL TRAVELER CHRONICLES

Witchling Academy- Semester One

Witchling Academy- Semester Two

Witchling Academy- Semester Three

Witchling Academy- Semester Four

Witchling Academy- Semester Five

Witchling Academy- Semester Six

Witchling Academy- Semester Seven (Jun.12.2020)

Witchling Academy- Semester Eight (Oct.23.2020)

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester One

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Two

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Three (Feb 28th 2020)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Four (June 5th 2020)

BLAZING ACADEMY

Semester One (Mar 7th, 2020)

COWRITTEN WORKS:

SUPERNATURAL CAPTIVITY SERIES

Supernatural Inmate

Supernatural Outlaw (May.2220)

Supernatural Villain (Oct.9.2020)

SUPERNATURAL MARKED MONARCHY

Psychic Prison - Book One (Mar.13.2020)

DESTINED IMRISONEN TRILOGY

Arrested By Magic (Apr.10.2020)

FOR THE FAEIRY ABSOLUTES

Celestial Prison (May.8.2020)

FOR THE PURELY DIVINE SERIES

Fae Rose Academy - Year One

Fae Rose Academy - Year Two (Jul.3.2020)

WILLA SILVER ACADEMY INVESTIGATOR

Daggers and Smoke - Year One (Mar.6.2020)

THE SUPERNATURAL VAMPIRE FAE CHRONICLES

Bloody Rosary Academy (May.1.2020)