Bloomknights and Grimroses

Su awakens from her dreams, tears streaming from her eyes; another nightmare of losing her father once more has left her feeling overwhelmed with grief and sadness. She clutches her pillow tightly, seeking comfort in its familiar softness, as she tries to shake off the lingering emotions from the haunting dream. The bright morning light shining through her moss-made curtains told her it was time to get up, but the weight of despair she felt kept her sinking in her bed. This wasn’t her first nightmare, and it wouldn’t be her last. Even though she thought she was getting somewhere with accepting the fact that her father was no longer with her, she somehow finds herself in this state of hopefulness. She knows that healing takes time and that setbacks are a natural part of the process. With a deep breath, she reminds herself that each day is a new opportunity to work through her grief and continue moving forward. 

After a while she got up, her legs heavy, her eyes blurry from tears, her head now throbbing with pain. She walks downstairs to the wide, empty living area, yet another reminder that she’s alone. She pushed through that thought and went to her kitchen to get some leftover stew. She makes herself a bowl and sits down, lazily eating her stew. Despite the rest, she finds herself having a difficult time eating; she feels her energy being drained every second she’s awake. She knew she was going to be late for training and she was going to be punished for it, but she couldn’t find the motivation to rush. Su was a knight in training because of her father. Her father was a knight of the roses, and when a knight had a child, they were expected to follow in their footsteps.

The day before her father died, he gave her a short sword with a rose engraved on the hilt. It was the only thing left that reminded her of her father, and she trained with that blade endlessly. But she wasn’t only a knight; she was gifted with druidic magic thanks to her mother, who unexpectedly died after childbirth. She couldn’t do much with her magic, just create thorns and brambles. But despite that, it gave her the advantage in battle, allowing her to entangle and disarm her opponents with ease. As she finished her stew, she glanced at the clock and realized she only had ten minutes left to get to her destination. She quickly, not so quickly, grabbed her things and rushed out the door, hoping she wouldn’t be too late.

Meanwhile, Mason woke up and instantly threw his pillow over the open window. Waking up in a bad mood was always like clockwork. He hated waking up because it was a reminder that he was still in prison called the Rosedale Castle. And the worst part was he was fucking Prince. He grunted because in ten seconds a maid would come to wake him up and tell him to get dressed for breakfast, and the last thing he wanted right now was to see his father. Like clockwork once more, the maid knocked on his door and informed him that breakfast was ready. Mason begrudgingly got dressed and made his way to the dining hall, dreading the inevitable confrontation with his father, the king. Walking out, he was cursed to look at the same fucking light pink stone walls, the ivory floor tiles, and the ornate gold trim that adorned every inch of the palace. It was a constant reminder of the life he was trapped in, one that he never asked for.

The reason why Mason hated being a prince so much was because when he was a child, about six years old, he was poisoned by a chef. This incident left him with some damages. First, his hair was a mix of black and white. Second, his immune system was weakened. It took him years to get mostly back to normal, and it also made it nearly impossible for him to learn magic. After such an attempt on his life, he couldn’t go anywhere with someone being around him. He had just convinced his father to dismiss the guard that was assigned to watch him sleep. He knew his father meant well and only wished to protect him, but in truth it made him feel weak, like he had no real control of his life. He longed for independence and the ability to prove himself capable of taking care of himself. Despite his physical limitations, he was learning magic. Sure, he hurt like hell when he first started, but thanks to his secret training, he was getting stronger every day.

The knights guarding the dining hall opened the door, revealing the king and the food. The food was nothing to scoff at. I mean, the best chefs came here just to make food for the king. Mason saw blueberry muffins, ham, eggs, sweet bread, cake, waffles , and all sorts of delicious treats laid out before him. Mason’s mouth watered at the sight, but he kept his composure because the food was a reminder that he was poisoned at a young age and that the food was most likely taste-tested about five times before being served. Once again, a reminder that he doesn’t have much control in his life.

“Son.”

“Father”

“How was your sleep? Was it decent enough for you not to hit someone over the head with a pillow this time?” the king said, taking a bite out of the ham. The king was a tall, dark-skinned man with pink dreadlocks. His piercing purple eyes bore into his son’s soul, a stark contrast to his jovial demeanor.

“I slept well, thank you,” Mason replied, forcing a smile. Taking a seat and partaking in the food , he couldn’t help but feel the weight of his father’s glare pressing down on him.

“That’s good. Can you tell me why one of the maids found a book on magic in your room?” The king asked , his tone shifting from casual to stern. Mason’s heart skipped a beat as he tried to come up with a plausible explanation for the unexpected discovery. Somehow he manages to not choke on his food.

“I wanted to learn more about the history of magic. Since I can’t use magic, I thought I might as well learn what makes it so…special.” Mason sighed, hoping his father would believe his lie. The king’s expression softened slightly, but Mason could tell he wasn’t completely convinced.

“Very well, what are we going to do for your birthday?” This time he spit his food out in shock, not expecting his father to change the subject so abruptly.

“I-I don’t know, maybe just going to a bookstore?” Mason stammered, relieved to have dodged a potentially dangerous situation.

“I’ll have the servants get you a book so you don’t have to go outside.” Mason’s heart sank at the thought of being confined to the castle once again.

“Or I can just have a guard with me while I go to the bookstore?” Mason suggested tentatively, hoping for a compromise that would allow him some freedom on his special day.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea, son; it’s for your own safety.” He replied sternly. Mason felt a surge of frustration at his father’s overprotectiveness but knew he had to tread carefully to avoid escalating the situation.

“I understand, Father, but it would do me some good to go outside,” he said with a forced smile

“What do you know about what would do you good? You’re still a child who fails to understand the constant danger just because you were born a prince.” A flash of anger surges through Mason as he clenches his fist.

“I’m going to be twenty-three. I’ve been stuck here for twenty-two years. Do you think being trapped in a rosy prison is somewhat good for my mental health ?” He retorted, his voice dripping with frustration.

“NO!” The king created a shockwave, his voice booming through the room. “You will stay here, where it is safe. I will not allow you to risk your life foolishly,” he declared, his eyes filled with grit. “You may be of age, but you are still my son and must obey my orders.”

“Ugh! You always do this to me. I wish I was killed so I didn’t have to spend another day here. Fuck you, Dad. Fuck you and everything you care about.” Shooting straight up from the chair he had been sitting in, Mason stormed out of the room, leaving his father alone with his thoughts. The king sighed heavily, knowing that he could’ve handled that much as king and as a father better. He realized that his son was struggling and needed guidance, not forceful commands. As he sat there in silence, he made a mental note to approach Mason with more understanding and compassion in the future.

As Mason stormed out, he needed to be alone, so once he turned the corner, he used his magic to teleport to the rose garden in the castle, a place where not many people went, giving him the solitude he craved. The scent of the roses and the peaceful surroundings helped to calm his racing thoughts. It was a place he could finally just let go and think about his next steps without interruption. Well, that was until a dagger was thrown at his feet, breaking the tranquility of the moment. Startled, he looked up to see who had interrupted his solitude. A masked woman with piercing eyes stood before him, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. She held another dagger in her hand, clearly not afraid to use it. He realized he was not as alone as he had thought in the rose garden.

“Who are you to attack the Prince of Rosedale?” He scoffed as if his morning couldn’t get worse; he stood up and kicked the dagger to the woman.

“Someone who has been paid a bunch of money to have you be maimed,” the woman said as she pulled out another dagger and a handaxe. This should be scary; Mason should be afraid and want to run for his life, but instead he was thanking the twin fates. If he took out this assassin, he’d be able to convince his dad he was able to handle himself and maybe finally be allowed to be on his own.

The assassin threw another dagger, nearly missing Mason’s ear, as she swung her axe down on him. He stepped back as another swing came across his chest, narrowly missing him. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he prepared to fight back with all his might, determined to prove himself in this life-threatening situation. He threw a left jab that connected beautifully with the assassin’s jaw, causing her to stumble back. Mason seized the opportunity to strike, aiming a powerful blow at the face, but a kick to his stomach caught him off guard, knocking the wind out of him. He fell to the ground, stumbling to get up, but the assassin put her weight on his back, pinning him down with a menacing grin.

“For that I’ll have to take your ears off.” She chuckles, raising her axe. She swung down to the prince’s head, but before it could hit, he suddenly vanished and reappeared, delivering a knee across the assassin’s face, causing her to recoil in pain.

“You know magic?” The assassin spat out a tooth.

“I know a few tricks up my sleeve.” The prince smirked. The smirk quickly faded when he noticed a dagger in his side causing him to tremble and collapse to the ground in agony. The assassin stood over him, victorious, as he struggled to catch his breath.

“Looks like your tricks weren’t enough,” the assassin taunted, preparing to finish him off. But before she could land a blow, blood started coming out of her mouth as she felt a sharp pain in her neck. She tried to touch her neck, but something was in the way, something sharp, as she turned to see a certain knight in training plunging her short sword deeper in her neck. The assassin fell to the ground as Su quickly rushed to the prince.

“Oh my gods, oh my gods, Prince Mason, you’re hurt!” Su grabs a rose and presses it against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. “We need to get you to safety,” she urged, picking him up and taking him to the medical room. Mason sighed in defeat; his chance to prove himself was gone, and the worst part of all of this was the person that saved him was fucking stunning