Chapter 1 | The beginning |
Autumn of 1952
The windows inside the glamorous royal bedrooms were slammed open letting in the freezing air. "Its time to wake up princess!" Martha's loud but warm voice filled the room." She ran up to side of the bed pulling the covers off of my petite frame. "Ugh!" I moan, struggling to pull them over myself.
My long brown hair fell over my pale face, as I lazily sat up. "Wow, you sure gave up easily today, you usually like to brawl before getting out of bed." Martha grins at me. "You're right, but I'm feeling really refreshed today." I jump out of bed, "I actually went to sleep pretty early last night." "Oh, did you?" Martha walks over to me, as I sit down on the cold stool in front of the big gold mirror right in front of the window.
The warm sunlight immediately hits my skin warming me up to the core. "Yes, I finished studying early yesterday, miss Baker closed the study before I could finish my thesis though." Martha's warm hands begin brushing my tangled hair. "All you do is study, you should go outside more! There's so much more to life than learning."
This is not the first time she's scolded me about this. She has been my personal maid ever since I was born, she has become like a mother to me.
"I know.." I mumble the cool air blowing in my face sending a subtle chill up my spine. "
Loud foot steps interrupt our conversation, a short woman with red unkempt hair runs in to my bedroom.
"Suzy! How many times do I have to tell you about running in the halls! You startled the princess!" Martha scoffs.
Through huffs and puffs the woman apologizes. "S-sorry!" Martha sighs and continues styling my hair."I have urgent news!" The loud red haired woman proclaims. She walks up to us and hands me a white envelope.
My eyes land on the seal. "Oh my goodness!" I gasp. I can't believe my eyes.
"It's a letter from professor Ross!" I can't help but squeal as I almost rip open the letter. My eyes skim through all the usual formalities and land on an exciting sentence. I jump off the stool and on to the bed. After clearing my throat as if I was about to give a speech, I begin reading aloud. "I professor Peterson Ross would like to personally invite your majesty to The Winstone University to further discus your medical essay and the scholarship for the department of medicine!"
My eyes almost can't believe what I'm seeing. "Oh come here sweet heart!" Martha embraces me in a tight hug. My excitement can't contain itself as I squeeze her in my embrace. "Do you know what that means?! I can finally go to University, and not just any university it's the Winstone University, the best in the whole country!"
"I'm so proud of you" Martha whispers. Before I could get dressed properly I run out of the room.
My head storming with thoughts. Will I finally have a chance of getting a degree in medicine? It's something I've wanted all my life, I've studied day and night writing that entrance essay!
The first person I need to tell right now is father. My thin legs carry me all the way to my fathers quarters.
I burst through the heavy wooden doors, but to my dismay my father isn't in the room. The only person I see is Eliza. My excitement fades.
The tall, blonde, middle aged woman turns around and scoffs. "Rosanna, why are you dressed in your night gown so late in the morning?" I avoid her question.
"Where's father?" I ask slowly closing the door behind me. "He has a meeting to attend to." She sits down on the big luxurious bed facing away from me. "What is that letter you are holding?" Her stern voice almost slaps me on the ears. "It's my invitation to Winstone University, Professor Ross wrote to me personally inviting me to meet him and discus the scholarsh-" before I could finish she cuts me off.
"Rosanna, you have so much more useful things you should be worrying about at the moment." Her words stab me straight through the heart. I always tried to get along with her since she's my step mother but suddenly I couldn't hold my anger back anymore.
"THIS is what I've always wanted, I've worked so hard to get this far, and this is all you have to say?!" My voice cracks from anger. "Don't raise your voice at me Rosanna!" She snaps at me.
She was always a strict woman, ever since she married my father, she has always been like this.
Now turning to face me she proceeds to lecture me. "YOU are a princess, your first duty should be to serve the country, NOT run around trying to get a medical degree that you will never need! Look at how you are dressed, not acceptable for a princess!" All I can do is stand and listen to her insulting words.
"Tomorrow is your fathers birthday, don't forget to get him an acceptable gift, there will also definitely be a ball in the evening so don't even think of missing that." Her intense stare almost burning through me, the only response my brain can muster is "y- yes.."
"Now go get dressed." She says that immediately walking away from me. With the letter in hand I have to swallow my dreams as I swallow my tears.
The long walk to my quarters felt like the entire world was weighing me down. The servants rushing around preparing the castle for the ball.
The big paintings on the tall walls following me with their gaze, I can't help but look up them and observe. But one painting in particular catches my eyes. It's a painting of my family, before my mother passed away.
The happy faces in the painting were almost taunting me. That was when life felt so simple, nothing really mattered back then. As my eyes land on my mother my heart sinks just a little more. She looked so beautiful, I still can't help but wonder, what happened?
No one talks about it, but I saw it with my own eyes, her lifeless body, her pale face frozen in an internal scream, her beautiful white dress and expensive gold jewellery drenched in blood. I was the first who found her, it was almost 7 years ago but it still haunts me.
Her death was surreal I couldn't wrap my brain around what my 14 year old eyes were seeing. I remember reaching for her hand and feeling her pulse, she was still alive then, I was just starting medicine so I knew what to do, I told myself in my head exactly what to do, in my head repeating again and again "APPLY PRESSURE TO STOP THE BLEEDING! " but to no avail. My hands just froze, the voice inside was screaming at me but I couldn't do anything.
I just sat there in the pool of her blood as medics and doctors rushed through the door.
But she lost too much blood, they couldn't save her.
I could have at least tried. To this day it's the only thing I regret.
She is the only reason I want to pursue medicine, I want to save someone's life.
