"Why are you awake?" asked Ana, who had come up from behind.
She blinked. "Couldn't sleep.”
"Don't you have your friend?"
"She left today and I don't think she's coming back, since she went with her mother."
"Come here," Ana said as if in a dream like state, “if her mom cut legal ties, why is she home?”
“That was the trade they had.”
“So she's really not coming back?” she asked with urgency.
“No.”
“That wasn’t what I planned. Her mom was not supposed to take her from this house. Come. Follow me, child.”
Ana sighed deeply as she lead Rose to her room; it was weird to see it in its natural state, such a mess. "And your friend agreed to this. Like, are you sure?"
“One percent positive, I know since I was there."
“Does she at least plan to visit?”
Rose nodded, but Ana still grew angrier.Why is this affecting her so much?In a hurry she pieced together that Ana might have wanted to remain a guardian. Lena’s dad was Orion, who Rose had only known as the head guard and a good person, Ana knew him as a friend.
“I liked her for you, I liked how close you were, I never had that before."
Rose did not expect to hear that. She nodded again.
“This is bad that you're by yourself”
“Bad?”
“Because of the people in this house.”
Rose said nothing. It was what she thought of earlier and now it was confirmed. She had one protector when Ana wasn't around; now that protector was gone. "Come here," Ana said, gesturing to the chair in front of her mirror; Rose sat down.
Ana took a comb and sectioned her hair into two parts and then began combing out and braiding one side. "Can I tell you something?"
"Yes."
Ana didn't talk for a while. When Rose thought she would, she instead, heaved a heavy sigh and started shaking slightly. Along with the sigh Rose sensed something wet going down her face. Rose tried to see if she was crying, but Ana made her keep her head forward. She waited till she braided the braid all the way and then said, "When I was around your age, fifteen to be exact, I was pregnant." Rose listened. "And the baby was Vister's. We decided to keep it, but the day he betrayed me I had a panic attack; the stress was so strong it died. Don't talk yet," she said. Rose wondered if she could read minds, for she had been about to say something.
"I love that baby with all my heart. Still to this day I love it, because it was mine, as it was a part of me. Your mother and father had your brother, but he was taken away. It's been rumored that Daniel had a child. As you can see we just aren't good with keeping kids. They're gone now and I love them so much I'd die for them. What I'm trying to say, in a way, is that I want you to be safe. It's what I've always wanted, but also, even if my baby would have lived, I would still want that, Rose. Do you understand?"
Rose didn't look at her aunt; she knew she wouldn't want her to. "Yes, I do."
"Do you want to stay in my room tonight?"
Rose was taken aback by the random question. "No, I'll be okay."
“Are you sure? I'm leaving soon."
"To where?”
Ana turned her around and gave her a face that said plainly, "you can't know that." "I have business."
"When will you be back?"
"The day after tomorrow, hopefully."
"You're always gone.” Rose did not plan to say it, but she felt the shift in the air after she did.
"I know.”
“I guess you need to be.”
“Yes, and you need to be safe while I'm gone.”
“I guess I do.”
“You know there's a nice view in here that I think you’ll love."
Her voice was insisting, so she really wanted her to stay here. "Ana, I have a question?"
“Yes?"
"Did you love Daniel?"
Her aunt put the brush down. "You always love family, Rose. Always. Unless they are truly horrible people, which my brother is not. Nowhere close. I'm sure you know the story as to why we're not on the best terms by now.”
Rose took out his watch. “I don't know all of it.”
“I suppose I should tell you a brief overview - this was a long time ago, back during the war. The night Maxennium was killed, a group of warriors all snuck into his tent and managed to detain him. My mom was made to be the lookout, for she was the strongest and exceptionally smart. Daniel heard of what was going on and fled to get to the scene he tried to contact me but I was busy for other reasons. When he made it there, he saw that my mother was fighting seventeen soldiers at once and even more soldiers were on their way to go save Max. He made a choice. He told me that his plan had been to go get my mom after, but she was gone before he could even wipe the blood off his knife. He was not, in fact, heartless. He made sure her body was treated properly, buried her in a mound of a thousand flowers, but it was still hard to accept it when I visited her the next day. If I had of kept talking to him, it would have led me to develop a hatred. I love my mom. I love Daniel. One is gone forever while the other is not, and now I find It hard to look at him the same."
It made sense. Rose had not forgiven her parents for what happened to Sage. It didn't mean she loved him more, no, it meant she knew she couldn't ever have him back again and it was partially their fault. She looked around the room at the perfumes and beautiful clothes, for one day, this could be hers, only there was hesitation holding her back. It would be a lot to take on; still she wanted to help in any way she could, since people shouldn't have the right to be able to break up families. Maybe she would not say no.
"I'll stay here."
"Okay," Ana smiled.
She went to go grab a blanket from the cabinet. Before Ana left, she gave her a mark that turned into a memory mark. Rose tried to ask why, but Ana just said, "go to sleep" which was inevitable. Almost peacefully she laid down more tired than she'd ever been, which was, of course, the mark's doing. She thought of happy things first; then right after she fell asleep, Rose dreamt, and it was not the average dream. She was fighting thousands of soldiers, destroying them one after one. Daniel wasn't there, but she'd do good without him, for she didn't need him the way people said she did. And suddenly Rose was an outsider and the person she saw was Anastasia. Her men were losing terribly and it was becoming too painful to watch, so she finished off the fifty that had surrounded her and then went to kill as many more as she could. With lightning, with fire, but most of all, with her blade. The blood on her face made her look scarier than she was. There was so much of it that she had to wipe it off every so often, as it blocked her vision. She was calculating a plan in her head that would provide a way to take control of the left, where Maxilennium's army stretched out the biggest. They had planned to destroy the ground, and make a few of them fall inside but the pour of fighters was never ending and she couldn't do that herself like Sahara. So maybe she could start an earthquake. When there was a pause in the fight she began getting a feel for the ground, but then a fresh new group of fighters came in and, after wiping off blood, she ran towards them, ready to do as much damage as she could. For a while she was succeeding, but something changed. A few fell back, and before she knew it she heard yelling. The yelling turned into victory cries that couldn't possibly be from her army. She sank to her knees. So soon. They had lost so soon. She tried not to think about it as she pulled her blade from a man's heart and threw it into another. She'd fight till the end. She'd ignore anyone who told her to stop. People called out to her, and she realized that this time, they weren't on the losing side.
"Queen. Queen," Orion yelled out to her. His blonde hair going down his back and black shirt that sat over his perfectly toned muscles. She smiled, happy he hadn't died, for his child, Lena's little sister, was on the way.
"Who saved us?” she asked, her voice soft and seductive. “There was no way."
"We don't know, but he waits for us on the throne inside the
village."
“You have no name?”
“No."
“We must check the wounded."
Orion put out a hand to stop her. “He's there now and he wants to talk to you. We'll come back. I promise.”
She hesitated a little, not wanting to leave the scene, but then she got up happily. Her heart filled with wanting to thank their savior. She'd give him thousands of gifts, anything he wanted, she'd shower him in diamonds, get him a golden ring for each finger. With Orion's help, they caught light magic, and in a flash they were there, in the square. She gave her greatest smile, ready to fall on his feet, but instead she looked up, her whole entire face fell and she shrieked with pure hatred, "You."
Rose saw him sitting like a god. Even younger and more handsome, she recognized Vister's face.
He sat forward and said, "Me?" in an offended, condescending tone.
"Half my men have died." Her rage was on her. "you're here too late." "I told you I'd come to your aid."
"At the end, at the end of the damn war." the nerve of him, how totally and completely selfish.
"I didn't know it would happen so fast."
"So you wait till two weeks ago to declare your hatred for Max. After three years of him reigning terror over our country?”
Vister heard many people murmur and silenced them with a death stare. They obviously didn't know that part and it was making him look bad. "Are you alright?" he said, changing his voice to one of concern; trying to use her love in his favor.
"Alright? Alright? I'm ... No. NO. Deal's off.”
A new bravery overtook her, as she was queen. After so long of fighting it, she finally wanted to be queen; she deserved it.
"You said-"
"I don't care what I said. What I said is over."
She held back her tears, for this could not resemble a tantrum. A while ago when their love was fresh, it was he who told her what winning the war would make her have to do. She fought against the idea, and told Vister that she didn't even think there should be a crown when the time came. When his prediction had begun to come true, she said they'd rule together and he said he'd help her win. They lost the baby and she promised that he could still help rule no matter what status their relationship was in, but he'd already changed. Turned cold and distant.
So that was not now, that was not what it would be.
"Ana, be reasonable."
A low blow, her trigger phrase, she was being exceptionally calm and he knew it.
"No, why are you here, Vister? So you can kill me?”
"I-"
"Take what I have and make it your own."
"It's ours, not mine."
"You'll take it for yourself."
His army, everyone in his big stupid army, looked at her. "I came to do what I'm promised. If you aren't grateful-"
"Grateful? GRATEFUL? Half the people I love have died and the whole entire world I knew was destroyed.”
She had enough. Her anger went up to ten thousand and she wanted to fight. She could not challenge him since, unfortunately, it was not allowed to divorced or broken up couples. The number of challenges would be too many if they allowed that, so she did what she knew best. Turned to the prisoners Vister had captured and stabbed the first man in the chest. Many went silent and looked at Vister, including her, but he made no move. She went to the next man too, then the next, then the next. Everyone's eyes went to Vister's, waiting for him to make it stop. Rose almost thought she saw a tear fall from his eye. "Fight me," Ana screamed. “I said, fight me.”
She threw her sword down and began crying. Despite her obvious display of craziness hearts went out for her. "Fight me," she yelled again as blood splattered across her shoulder.
They loved her, Rose realized at the same time Vister did. They truly loved her, they were her people and only her people. She had gained their love, gained their trust, won the war. In the end, even with ten men slain at her feet, they would easily take her side. He only had his army. In that moment he began to respect her again.
"I'm not here to hurt you. I swear it."
"You're here to break me."
"An-"
Insults rose in her throat, but she held them.
"You want to rule, fine, but not just me and you."
And with that it flashed forward. The five houses were built and dedicated to the five people who would live in them. The first three people chosen were ones they all loved too, already chosen in her mind. When the time came for them to take their spot originally, it was delayed, as Daniel denied the spot right there in his clock house when they sent for him. A tiny three-year-old Rose lay on his bed peacefully. Daniel told them about a man named Elesto that would fit the part and kissed Rose on her forehead after they were gone.
Rose could not take it anymore, and she woke up shocked. After all this time, she realized that Daniel refused to call Ana queen out of respect. She had wanted it but lost it, and now the term was a painful reminder, another low blow.
Rose got out of bed almost wishing the dream had never happened, but the overbearing tiredness hit her again.
She fell back asleep knowing who she wanted to tell.
Lena was not in school, and it made sense, though Rose couldn't help but wonder if everything at home was fine. Things likeif her mom was treating her rightconsumed her mind. Lena had not tried to talk to her at all since she left, which was only a day ago, but still, usually she would get to her as soon as possible. Throughout Mr. Clark's class, Rose found herself drawing pictures of beautiful green eyes.
Kana spent all of Mr. Clark's class talking about the show they'd gone to, and asking people if they had a date for the upcoming spring dance. Rose herself had forgotten about the dance; now she wondered who she should take. As nearly an hour and thirty minutes passed, they waited for the bell, but it never came. Mr. Clark always said he'd hold them in class till it did and that rang true today. At first it was funny and few laughed, but then they began to worry as it never took so long. The speaker came on. “All teachers hold you classes. I repeat. Hold your classes." Noah opened his book bag and pulled out a big knife. It reminded Rose of Lena.
The silence broke when the natural disaster alarm went off, and many thought it was a tornado warning so they crouched down. After a minute they stood up. The sun was still shining over the sky, so it couldn't be that, besides, there was no wind. They heard a few voices rising and wondered if the alarm had been a mistake. Every other type of natural disaster was very uncommon.Maybe the principal is going to come in and tell us everything is fine.The whole entire class believed that was happening when the door started to open, but instead, a giant creature jumped through, and picked up the girl named Chase.
Many screamed, not just in their class, to their astonishment. The school seemed to all be being attacked by the same thing. Tyrants. Huge creatures with a head that resembled an octopus and eight legs that were skinny like spider legs, only bigger. They could go on land and water, shoot ink and webs. You got used to creatures here, but Tyrants moved so fast that almost everyone was terrified of them. The tyrant shot ink in the girls face so she couldn't see and then started to try to wrap her up. "Students," a voice said on a loudspeaker, "fight," and everyone was up at once.
It was seen as obvious, that the students of Trearce would be completely capable of defending themselves, should something happen, and yet Rose still knew something was wrong.They were sending no guard at all?She raised the temperature because she knew tyrants hated that, and Mr. Clark tackled the monster with a bunch of vines. Next thing she knew there were bunches of them.
Evan, who many had once laughed at, seemed to be holding his own the best as tyrant after tyrant fell into heaps of sand before him. Rose was burning as many as she could, and Mr. Clark was using some magic she never seen before to make them scatter around like a crazy man, until they finally went still.
All around people were throwing attacks and protecting each other. In the air were flyin
g shards of glass and flying water (luckily the students had been smart enough not to start a fire). It wasn't until the screaming went down, that it appeared to be, that things would get better.
She remembered the animals and she tried to run out the room, but five tyrants blocked her.
"Mr. Clark, the animals," she screamed, and upon meeting her eyes, he understood. They do not have magic.That meant Ms. Cassandra’s class was getting hit the worst and all the cute little things in there could possibly be eaten. She made a wind that blew the Tyrants away, and he took off into the hall. Beside her Kana had become somewhat of a defense leader.
The fighting went on so long that no one even asked when it would be over. A cold breeze made its way up and touched Rose; somehow she knew it was someone trying to communicate. After finishing two tyrants off with ice, she ran to the window. She looked out the window, critically, until she saw her. Sahara, the third counselor, looking her dead in her face. Rose recognized her, only from the dream last night since, after all this time, she still looked the same.What is she doing? Sahara looked down and then at the tyrants and down again.She wants them to go down there?Rose gave her a questioning look, and she nodded but offered no other help until she looked up and caused a ripple in the earth.So she's going to destroy them with ground if they go down there?Rose thought and thought about what tyrants liked. The only things she could come up with were attacking everything in sight, water, and eating. They liked challenges the most of anything, specifically big animals that are hard to take down. An animal roared in the other room so strongly it made the tyrants go crazy, and she knew what to do. She began to make the heat around the school go up as much as possible; while the tyrants were distracted, she thought of Noah's animal - the one that resembled a lion but five times bigger - there was no way to know if this was being done right but she closed her eyes and imagined it standing next to Sahara. A vast and big blue light appeared, like the color of the sky but prettier, she could see it so clearly and perfectly in her head. The sound of a huge roar coming from outside broke her trance. The cat was there, right in the spot Sahara had wanted it. Already tyrants were jumping down from the walls and climbing through the little window. Even more went when they noticed how the lion was putting up a fight. She waited till many had jumped and then screamed, “Now.”
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