Black Rose

by Bone, K. L.

  She did not respond, instead focusing all her strength on forcing herself to step past the two men and into the room beyond. The chamber was made of the same dark stone that formed the rest of the castle, the chamber lit by a large fire on either side along with several torches that lined the walls. Three bodies lay upon the stone floor. The one closest was the three-hundred year old Erik, whose sword still lay clutched in his hand where he had fallen. Mara became grateful for the seeping cold protecting her as she forced herself to move forward, searching for the courage to face the last two bodies.

  They lay beside each other on the right side of the bed. Davith was in front of the Princess, as though protecting her even in death. With over seven-hundred years of experience, Davith could have easily been the Captain of Liza’s guard, but had assented to Edward’s request that Mara receive the coveted position. It was argued that given the extreme youth of the Princess that Mara, as both young and a woman of royal blood, made a more suitable match. Davith’s presence had always been a welcome addition to Mara’s inner circle and had proven to be a guiding light upon which she had come to rely upon heavily, especially during the years that Edward had been away.

  Now he laid upon the floor, his short blond hair stained red. His neck had been slashed open, spilling his arterial blood across his pale skin and covering the floor surrounding him. His golden blade lay beside him, never to rise again. Mara stood there for a long time, and the others allowed it, averting their eyes. It was only as her body began to shake that Garreth stepped forward. He did not attempt to pull her back, but instead clasped his hand around her arm and gently led her forward. They paused a mere step outside of the crimson pool at their feet and Mara finally forced herself to face the fallen Princess. A gasp escaped Mara’s lips as she realized that Liza had not simply been killed – she had been mutilated.

  Liza’s light blue gown appeared a dark brown, saturated with blood. Her arms had been skewered, a blade run along the inside of both arms, creating deep, horizontal incisions in both wrists. Her face appeared as though clawed, covered with deep, long gashes that opened her face to a point that she was barely recognizable. The bones of her right cheek protruded through what was left of her skin. Her lower jaw was broken, hanging from its hinges at a most unnatural angle. The sockets of both eyes had been punctured, leaving gaping masses of blood where her violet eyes should have been.

  It was at this moment, staring into the remains of Liza’s ruined eyes, when Mara finally reached her limit. She turned her head quickly to her left and bent at the waist, lowering her head just in time to avoid vomiting all over herself. Garreth leaned forward and held back her long hair. When she finished spilling the contents of her stomach, Garreth wrapped his arms around her, pulling her unsteadily to her feet. She felt lightheaded, suddenly unable to stand on her own. She again stared at the ruins of the Princess’ eyes. It was an image which even now existed as clearly in her mind as it had the first moment she had looked upon it that night long ago.

  Mara did not scream, but merely collapsed into Garreth’s arms. He carried her from the room down a series of long hallways into her own chambers. She clung numbly to her cousin until he laid her down on her large bed. She would never remember reaching the room or the details of the next few hours. However, it was still night when her sanity finally decided to return. She was lying on the edge of the large bed with Garreth speaking softly beside her. It seemed as though he had been speaking for a long time.

  She drew a deep breath and moved herself to a seated position and Garreth’s voice fell to silence with her movements. She pushed a gulp of air down her sore throat. Her eyes burned with tears which refused to fall. She finally managed to force herself to face her cousin. “Garreth.” A thousand questions raced through her mind, but only one passed her lips. “Does Edward know?”

  “Mara, you don’t need to worry about that.”

  “Garreth,” she stated again as something deadly seeped into her voice. “Has Edward been told?”

  He stared at her for several moments, then said, “No.”

  Mara gave a slow nod. “I shall inform him.”

  “That is not your job.”

  “Yes,” she said flatly, “it is.”

  “Mara, please.”

  “I was the Sub-Captain in command of her guard. I was the one, charged by Captain Edward, to protect the Princess of the Ciar Court.”

  “We were all charged with…”

  “It was my job!” Mara stood from the bed and walked across the room to the small closet which stood on the right side. Not bothering to close the door, she chose a simple black gown and quickly changed into the selected garment. It was a full-length dress that reached her ankles with long, loose sleeves. It hung slightly off the shoulders, with a scooped neckline. She had just positioned the gown into place when Garreth appeared behind her. He reached for the corset laces of the gown and began to cinch the dress around her slender frame. When he was finished, Mara turned towards the large mirror leaning against the vanity and took a seat in a small chair. Picking up a silver comb, Mara brushed through the long strands of her hair until it laid in soft, straight layers along her back. Then she finally put down the comb and addressed the man standing beside her. “Tell Phillip I am ready to receive him.”

  Garreth did not break the room’s silence, but instead turned and walked to the entrance of her chambers. As expected, Phillip was standing on the opposite side of the door, awaiting Mara’s invitation to enter. He entered the room slowly, acknowledging Mara with a slight bow of the head. When he finally stood only a few paces from her seated position, Phillip knelt down. “My Lady.”

  “What happened?” she asked tersely.

  Phillip cleared his throat. “A group entered the grounds. How they did so has yet to be determined.”

  “Are they dead?”

  “No, my Lady. No sign has been found of the killers.”

  Mara closed her eyes attempting to sift through the turmoil in her mind. Concentrate, she thought silently before forcing herself to open her eyes. “The Queen?”

  “She has ordered a search of the grounds and has contacted the Muir Court.”

  Mara nodded then turned from both men and walked slowly to the far side of the room and stepped inside of a small closet. She moved to one of the shelves and gently pulled back a series of black cloths wrapped around a silver blade. Rubies were embedded in both sides of the black hilt while a string of silver roses were etched into the metal on either side of the blade. She rarely carried her father’s Arius sword. She withdrew the blade with great reverence and turned back towards the men standing behind her.

  It was Garreth who spoke first in recognition of one of the few blades in existence which held the power to kill an immortal. “No, Mara. This was not your fault.”

  “It was my job, Garreth,” she said, repeating her earlier statement.

  “Yes. To see her protected, which she was. The ground is littered with the bodies of those who died protecting her.”

  “I made a vow to protect her, Garreth. I failed.”

  “Yes,” Phillip said, entering the conversation. “But it was my job to keep intruders from entering the grounds. Here, within this palace, she should have been safe. Therefore, we all failed.”

  “You cannot do this,” Garreth added. “We all…”

  “It is not your judgment to cast, Garreth. It belongs to the Captain alone.”

  “Then I am going with you.”

  Mara did not argue but simply gave a reluctant nod and began to walk towards the door. As she entered the outer chambers, her pace began to increase, terrified that even a moment’s pause would cause her to lose the last shred of courage which she was fighting to protect. It was not until she reached the stone doors of the Captain’s chambers that she stopped, allowing Garreth and Phillip to reach her side before knocking on the large door.

  At the sound of Edward’s voice, Garreth and Phillip reached for the doors, parting them as Mara
stepped inside the dark chambers. A roaring fire provided the only light, casting the room in dark shadows as the three Sub-Captains stepped forward.

  “Mara, Phillip, thank goodness! You had been gone so long I was starting to worry.”

  Mara stared at his relieved expression and all but collapsed to her knees. Garreth raced towards her, but froze with a warning glance from Phillip. Garreth stopped, torn between the anguish of Mara’s kneeling form and the silent command of his superior. He eventually drew a breath and dropped to his knees a few feet from where Mara knelt.

  “Mara?” Edward asked, struggling to a seated position upon the bed. “Mara, what is it?” Her breathing became a tight wheeze, and she lacked the oxygen required to speak. “Mara?” Edward asked again. “Oh Gods, what has happened? The Queen, did she hurt you? What did…” He switched his gaze to the man still standing. “Phillip?”

  Phillip took a step forward, placing himself directly across from Mara. He also took a knee. “Captain,” he said to Edward formally.

  “What is going on?”

  “Captain,” Phillip said again. “I…” He found himself unable to continue. Then, much to his chagrin, Mara found her voice.

  “Captain,” she stated, trying desperately to form the words, but what came out instead was, “I’m sorry. Edward, I...” Her voice trembled. “I am so sorry. I couldn’t… It’s…it’s my fault. I am so sorry.”

  Edward sat still for several long moments. “What are you talking about, Mara? You sacrificed yourself to protect Liza from the Queen. You saved my life. I never would have survived without. I don’t understand. You saved me. You saved Liza.”

  At his words, a harsh sound bordered between a gasp and a sob escaped Mara’s lips. “Don’t, Edward. Please, I didn’t. I didn’t…”

  “What?” He gazed at the three kneeling figures.

  “Captain,” Phillip tried again, this time managing to raise his gaze from the floor to meet Edward’s. “I am so sorry, My Lord.”

  “What are you talking about?” Edward demanded, frustration entering his tone.

  “My Lord,” Phillip continued, “a group of unidentified men entered the palace grounds tonight.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “We don’t know how many,” Garreth added. “But they were highly trained. I’ve never seen an attack so expertly executed.”

  “The Queen, is she…”

  “The Queen is fine, my Lord. But…”

  “And Liza?” An edge of fear entered his voice. “Phillip, where is Liza? Is she okay?”

  “My Captain,” Phillip answered. “Twelve members of the Royal Guard were killed tonight. Lord Davith was among them.”

  “Davith?” Edward asked, fear transforming to panic. He tried to stand, but was still too weak to do so without his hand upon the bed for support. “Davith is dead?”

  “Yes,” Phillip replied.

  “Where is Liza? Where is the Princess?”

  It was Mara who finally broke the silence by taking her father’s deadly blade and holding it out, offering it to the man seated upon the bed. “I swore a vow to protect the Princess, unto my death.” She finally forced herself to gaze up from the floor. “I failed, Captain. I failed. And I offer you my life in payment for this gravest of crimes.”

  She met his gaze head on, her pained expression leaving Edward no room to doubt her words. “I am so sorry, Edward.”

  He took a step forward, forgetting his injuries, and collapsed to the floor, his legs still not strong enough to support his weight. He fell face-down, leaving the three kneeling Sub-Captains unsure of how to respond. The silence stretched on and Mara finally turned towards Phillip. The two Sub-Captains exchanged a helpless glance. She turned back to Edward as the hush continued to fill the room. Then, Edward’s body began to shake against the cold, stone floor. All three Sub-Captains remained kneeling, afraid to break the silence of the room. Then, Edward’s breathing became loud and unsteady.

  Mara again turned, this time towards Garreth, whose eyes were glued to Edward’s broken form. Tears rose in the corner of Mara’s eyes, at long last threatening to fall when suddenly, Edward gave a single, heart-wrenching scream before uttering a single word: “Mara.”

  She rushed forward, Phillip’s blade clattering to the floor. She touched his shoulder and he rose from the ground. He threw himself into her arms, clutching her close as he buried his face against her chest and great, heaving sobs wracked his body. Mara wrapped her arms around him tightly, rocking him gently in the circle of her arms. “Mara.”

  “I am here,” she replied, finally losing the battle with her own tears. “I am here, Edward. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

  “Please, Mara.”

  “I am not going anywhere, mi amor. ignosce mihi, mi amor.”

  Chapter XXXIV

  It had taken both men to move Edward back onto the side of the large bed. He clung to Mara as they moved him, and she whispered in the language of their childhood, attempting to soothe him as best she could. Afterwards, she laid beside him, his head tucked against her chest, his arms clinging to her until long after his tears were spent. She did not tell him it would be okay or offer any assurances of the days to come. Instead she simply held him, occasionally quieting him from troubled dreams. Garreth stood outside the door, barring all from entering while Phillip had reported to the Queen, citing the extent of Edward’s physical injuries as his reason to assume temporary command over the Royal Guard.

  Mara remained in the chamber for days, refusing to leave Edward’s side. On the third morning, he rose to attend the funeral. A funeral which, dictated by the long-standing tradition that ruling members of royalty could in no way be associated with death, the Queen was unable to attend. Mara and Garreth stood in her stead, along with several Aunts and Uncles. Her body had been shrouded in layers of black silk and veiled to hide her disfiguration from those gathered. Garreth and Mara stood on either side of Edward, guiding him to the funeral pyre where he eventually fell to his knees, collapsing under the weight of his grief. By tradition, each member of the funeral party was permitted to lay a single rose upon the fallen Princess. This began with the lowest ranked, yet still noble, members and proceeded up to those highest in rank.

  Mara watched for a long time, awaiting her turn. Lower ranked members of the party would place black roses upon the side of the large funeral pyre. However, those closest to the throne would carry the far more rare violet rose—a symbol of the royal rank which Liza bore in life, and would now relinquish in death. When it was finally their turn, Mara and Garreth each offered Edward an arm and walked toward the shrouded form. Leaning between them, Edward forced himself to step forward enough to place his rose beside the clasped hands of his beloved. When the black rose touched the Princess’ hands, it turned red. A gasp arose between those close enough to witness the enchantment. The red rose, a sign of eternal love.

  Edward’s body again began to tremble, and Mara stepped in front of him, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Not here, Edward,” she stated in a low, commanding tone. “Just hold on, okay? Hold on.” A sharp tremor raced through him, but he managed to nod in spite of this. Mara turned and offered a low bow before the fallen Princess and placed her own rose beside Edward’s. “Forgive me, my Lady,” was all she could manage before being forced to once again focus her attention back upon the broken form that had replaced the once powerful Captain of the Guard.

  They managed to escort Edward back to his chambers before he again collapsed in inconsolable grief.

  Chapter XXXV

  From that moment, Edward would spend the next century as Captain only in name. The three Sub-Captains gathered around him, forming a protective shield, preventing prying eyes from learning the truth; that the Edward they had known, trusted and loved no longer existed. It would be nearly two-hundred years before even the slightest glimpse of him would be seen again, and it would take an act of betrayal to force him to return.

  Others would
spend the next thousand years going to their graves still swearing that Mara’s abandonment was not betrayal. They stated it was for the good of both the men she vowed to protect and for the good of the Captain who would never again lead as long as he stood within her protective shadow. But Mara knew the truth. She had betrayed him as assuredly as he had once chosen Liza over her. She had chosen to protect the men who followed her to the Rose over the man whose side she had sworn never to leave.

  Yet here he was a half-century later, still struggling to find a place between the lines of love and hate, loyalty and betrayal. It seemed to be their eternal fate to contend with such issues, which is why Mara now found herself in the uppermost tower of her ancient castle, prepared to open the chest she had once vowed to never open again. The rose-shaped diamond was still held gently within her grasp, her fingers tracing the lines she knew so well. She cast her gaze to the window where the sunlight had begun to shimmer along the top of the snow-covered mountains visible upon the horizon. The room was absolutely silent, as though even the birds living in the nearby trees knew to avoid this ancient tower.

  Drawing a deep breath, Mara ran her left ring-finger along the diamond stem of the white rose. The end of the stem curled slightly, leaving just enough space to slide a single finger between the end and center of the stem. Placing her left ring finger into this hollow, Mara pressed her skin against the sharp, pointed end, pricking her finger. Blood bubbled to the surface almost instantly and Mara turned the rose upside-down, pressing it more deeply into her skin. The blood seeped from her hand into the hollowed veins of the pendant, transforming the white diamond to ruby. Once the transformation was complete, Mara removed her finger from the tainted rose and gazed at the golden chest lying before her. “Put aside the anger,” the plea of the young enchantress who had sealed it so long ago echoed clearly within Mara’s mind. “Inside, lies a darkness that, if ever unleashed, shall destroy all it touches.”