Chapter one
ROSE'S POV
“There is another murder in the kingdom”, my father said walking into the living area with his specially designed smoke pipe made of gold. As expected. I had a dream of this news, I saw someone dying in my dream and my dreams are always real, specially with these murders.
I shuddered visibly and straighten my back trying to push those images from my head. Focusing on my father, I internally rolled my eyes. Because one thing I don’t like about my dad is smoking and he tends to do it a lot, specially since the mysterious deaths started happening in the kingdom.
One or other day we find a dead body in a very bad condition as if it was hunted by a wild animal but for a reason commander of our army, Rhys thinks that it’s a sick work of a human. Honestly I don’t understand how can one be so heartless and cruel but guess there is someone who is wicked than the wild animals themselves and this sent shivers down to my spine.
“How about you stop worrying about it for a while and look at the painting I’m drawing of you?”, I asked my father trying to take his mind from the horrific incident.
“My little princess, I know you will draw me well”, my father said chuckling as he corrected the crown on my head. I painted my father in his favourite outfit, his three piece dark navy blue suit with a red knitted tie. Not to mention the golden crown with embedded jewels.
A appreciative smile washed over my father’s face but then he frowned looking at his grey hair I highlighted, which is a truth no artist dared to tell him – that he is getting old.
My father has been king of Rosepond kingdom which is situated in the middle of Europe. It all started when his great, great, greatest of greatest grandfather conquered these lands, they all had sons well that ended with my father, since I’m the only child he got.
“Why did you paint my hair grey? I bet they aren’t these grey as you showed them in your painting”, he complained as a child making me smirk.
“Well father, you are getting old, I think it’s safe to say, you are old now, considering the amount of your grey hair”, I played innocently.
Genuinely offended he huffed a breathe and gave me narrow eyes as he asked. “Alexander never painted me like this, do you think he didn’t observe these?”. I chuckled at his innocence.
“Dear father, he did, actually everyone did, but Alexander also saw the gold coins you would give him as the reward when he makes you happy”, I said cleaning paint off from the brush.
He kept touching his hair unconsciously and I observed deep frown on my father’s face. Which pained my heart. I wish I could do something about those deaths but I’m no good in detective things and fights.
Twenty years of my life was spent being the spoiled princess of the rosepond that even my name would make women of other kingdoms bite their nails due to jealousy. I always got the freedom which was just a illusion for them and I’m glad that my father wasn’t like the people of other kingdoms. And just like that after two days is my twenty first birthday. Placing my palm on his beating heart I signed hugging him and closed my eyes. After a couple of minutes my father’s warm hand was placed over my head, brushing my ginger hair which I inherited from my deceased mother.
“You are right my little rose, your father is getting old and weak to protect people of his kingdom and I’m afraid that I would not be able to protect you, specially from these mysterious killers on loose in rosepond”, his words made me frown but then his next words made me gulp in horror and I bit my tongue back to stop myself from saying something I might regret.
“That’s why, I will be arranging your wedding next month, you can select your spouse among the capable bachelors of the various kingdoms on your twenty first birthday ball”.
But little did he know that I planned my escape from the princess duties when I turn twenty one and never return back to the rosepond kingdom.
“Katherine, it’s hard to escape from the birthday ball”, I cried out throwing my crown on the bed and she flinched.
“Princess but there is no way you can escape from the palace, nor you can go out since king William stopped you from going anywhere out of the palace for your own safety”, my personal maid explained with her timid voice. Frustration crawled on my neck and my palms started sweating. It’s not a good sign. All I wanted to do was live a normal life, away from rosepond and in a farmhouse taking care of nature just as it would embrace me.
“I want commander Rhys in my chamber, bring him telling I have something important to tell him”, I ordered finally thinking of a plan.
As I was finishing giving final touches to my father’s painting I have been drawing since a month, I smiled sadly. This will be my last gift for him and I may or may not see him in this lifetime. I hope he forgives me but again it’s not that easy when the person you love deeply run away from you. But it’s not fair that I had to live the life I never asked for. In the silence of the corridor I heard loud footsteps of someone which I immediately recognised.
“Commander Rhys Volkov, I see you are on time just as I requested”, I smiled as I cleaned my hands with a wet towel and walked towards the waiting area. My chamber is of three parts. One is waiting area which is open balcony which has entry from the main corridor and this area is decorated in Mughal style with all the carpets and mirrors as if we are in a traditional Arab market. Antique pieces always intrigued me. Next is my sleeping chamber aka bed room and when we walk further there is a bathroom with open sky view.
“You called me princess, there is no way I would have been late”, he answered placing his palm on his chest as a gesture of respect.
