Feeling lost, Rose wandered around the castle as she had no duty waiting for her to carry out.
For the first ti, she pushed open the castle’s gigantic doors and stepped out alone. No one was there to monitor what she was doing or where she went.
She felt a little bit of freedom, but she didn’t dwell on it because she knew it was just temporary.
She stepped down the stairs and looked around the whole large yard; it stretched forever, and she wondered what lay in those unexplored places.
By the corners of the gate, she saw gardeners trimming the flowers and pruning the trees, that was the first ti she saw them do that. Maybe she’d never been out whenever they worked.
None of the n looked her way, almost as if they couldn’t see her.
Her eyes went to the gates... a thought forming in her head, but she shook her head and dismissed it. A devil you know is better than a devil you don’t. She could never risk going out there alone, not after encountering that demon man at the nighthouse; she wasn’t stupid enough to run away and into this dangerous land.
She would wait until she had her powers, then she could go anywhere she wanted to go, and nobody would stop her because they’d fear her.
Sighing, she decided to wander further away from the castle. She passed the gardeners, going in the opposite direction to the hall where Cassius had held his eting and ceremony.
After successfully passing the gardeners, she found herself walking through a thin path that was lined by weird but beautiful purple flowers; the flowers had petals so big they looked like they were reaching out to touch her legs.
"Oh!" She was startled when sothing wrapped around her ankle.
She looked down and found the thin root of the flower slowly wrapping around her ankle; she squatted and gently unwrapped the root from her leg, throwing it back to the flower, "Now, keep your hands to yourself, Mr. Flower," She shook her head at herself and stood.
"I’m going crazy," She chuckled quietly.
She suddenly stopped, staring at a very small green gate, surprised at it. She looked behind and realized that she had wandered quite away from the castle, but she didn’t panic because knew she was still within the castle.
She took a quiet breath and approached the gate, cautiously raising her hands to push it.
It didn’t budge.
Rose peered at the sides to make sure it wasn’t locked and when she saw that it wasn’t, she placed her hand flat on it and pushed harder.
This ti, it opened noiselessly.
She quickly glanced behind to make sure no one was coming for her before she pushed it wider to her size and slipped through it.
As she pushed the gate close behind her, her eyes took in the greenest place she’d ever seen in the Darkonis kingdom.
"Wow..." She marveled at the scene in front of her.
Beautiful trees, flowers, shrubs, a stream, and a few silver benches beneath the trees; the only thing missing from the beautiful scene is the sunlight that would pour down through the leaves and make the whole place look ethereal.
Even though the moon did highlight the beauty of the place, Rose believed it would look perfect with the gentle kiss of the sunlight.
"I never knew sowhere so magical existed here," She muttered to herself as she walked toward the softly gurgling water of the stream.
"It does exist, Rose,"
Rose was startled when she heard the gentle voice speaking to her from the tree beside her.
She slowly turned to see who it was and was surprised to see a young, beautiful woman in a white flowing gown, sitting elegantly on the silver bench under the tree.
Her skin was so fair that Rose could swear that it competed with the radiance of the moon.
Her hair was silky and long, flowing behind the bench to the ground with so of it falling over her shoulders.
’A vampire...’ Rose concluded.
She could only see the woman’s side profile but she knew she was beautiful; her bone structure was perfectly delicate and fine; she had an alluring charm to her.
"Quit staring and co sit, Rose," The young woman gently tapped her slender fingers on the space beside her.
Rose blinked, "Um, okay," She murmured and walked toward the woman.
She never expected to have company on here, but, okay, that was fine too.
She approached the bench and stood beside the woman, "Hi," She said.
The woman finally looked up at Rose, a gentle smile on her beautiful face, her eyes were so grey that they looked like silver. "Hi, Rose. Sit with ?" She asked calmly.
Rose slowly nodded and lowered herself on the smooth silver bench.
"Um... how did you know my na?" Rose asked, staring at the woman’s face with interest and a little apprehension.
The young woman looked into Rose’s eyes, "I know everyone’s na. When you’ve lived here for centuries, you’re bound to know the smallest detail of the kingdom; who cos and who goes... and who stays," She reached out and placed her hand over Rose’s as she said the last part.
Rose frowned slightly; she could feel that the woman was referring to her in the last part of her words.
"What’s your na?" Rose questioned.
She subtly removed her hand from the woman’s reach and shifted to the edge of the bench.
She felt sothing strange about her and should have asked who the woman was before agreeing to sit with her.
The young woman chuckled quietly, "My na is Isolde, aning Ice." She turned and stared at Rose.
"You don’t have to fear ; I’m just a loner like you; I often co here to be at peace with nature. The place is really beautiful. You should swim in that water when the sun is out, it’s heavenly," She spoke quietly.
Rose furrowed her brows, she was noticing strange things about Isolde.
"Swim under the sun? Aren’t you a vampire? I haven’t ever seen this face in the castle, there’s no way I’d miss it if I did," Rose straightened up, not yet letting her guard down.
Isolde smiled, "I can be anything you want to be. I’m a breed the dark creatures fear, Vampires, werewolves, lycans, witches, elves, fairest, and even humans. So, you pick what you want to be and I’ll be that for you," She said to Rose.
Rose was quiet, Isolde’s answer only left her more confused, "So, how did you get here? It’s obvious you don’t live in the castle," She pointed out.
"Ask your mate, he’ll tell you who I am," Isolde replied.
Rose suddenly felt a kind of feeling akin to jealousy consu her. If Cassius hid this kind of beautiful away from the eyes of everyone, then she must be precious to him; perhaps, she’s the one he truly loved.
"No, it’s not what you think. Trust ; he and I are not like that. I’m not interested in your mate, he’s nothing compared to mine... dead now. But, he was the best man alive." Isolde had a warmth in her voice as she talked about her mate.
"He’s not my mate," Rose denied.
Isolde’s soft laughter felt like the wind caressing Rose’s skin, "Don’t worry, he will be soon. I was once like you, in denial and fear; but once I accepted who I was and learned to open my heart, I felt the change." She moved closer to Rose, "You and I are the sa. Open your heart, look beyond all the darkness surrounding you, surrounding him; you will find the light you need, it’s just one acceptance away," She leaned in and tapped Rose’s chest, smiling.
Rose blinked as Isolde neared her face, she noticed how spotless and clean her skin was, and she couldn’t help thinking about who Isolde really was.
"Did you know there is a really yummy fruit here?" Isolde stood and offered Rose a hand.
Rose stared skeptically at Isolde’s hand before she took it.
Isolde helped Rose to her feet and looked up at her, "Oh, my, look at that height; I’m really short, am I not?" She chuckled.
Rose felt a smile on her face as she stared down at Isolde, "Just a head shorter," She replied.
Isolde smiled, "I feel better, thank you. Co on," She took Rose’s hand again and led her away from the stream and deeper into the garden.
"Slow down, Isolde; where are you taking ?" Rose started to run along with Isolde.
Isolde’s long hair bounced behind her as she ran, giggling mischievously, "Taking you to the yummy fruit," She replied.
"Oh, okay, can we slow down?" Rose asked, getting out of breath.
"Yes," Isolde abruptly stopped, causing Rose to almost bump into her.
Rose saw that she was going to collide with Isolde and imdiately searched for what to stop herself with.
She saw a branch of a tree in front of her and instantly grabbed onto it.
"Don’t pull -"
"Ouch!" Rose did stop, but at what cost?
She covered her head with her hands as she felt sothing hard falling on her.
"You pulled," Isolde sighed and touched Rose’s arm.
Rose looked up as she saw that nothing was falling on her again, "What was -"
"The yummy fruit," Isolde picked up the blue heart-shaped fruit from the ground and showed it to Rose.
Rose was amazed; she stared at the fruit in disbelief and slowly shook her head, "There’s no way that’s a fruit," She doubted.
Isolde grinned at her, brought the fruit to her mouth, and took a bite.
"See? It’s delicious. Try it," She showed Rose the part she had bitten off; the insides were green and it looked like it had no seeds in it.
Rose stared for a while and decided to give it a try. "Okay," She said and picked up a fruit from the ground, dusted the invisible dirt away, and took a small bite.
"No way!" She chewed with her eyes widened in shock.
"Yes, way," Isolde chuckled and lowered herself to the ground, resting her back on the bark of the tree.
Rose couldn’t stop eating; it was like the fruit was packed with the sweetest, juiciest flavor she’d ever tasted. She couldn’t put a na to it but she knew that it was heavenly.
The na Isolde called it was very befitting:Yummy fruit.
"Sit with ?" Isolde invited from the ground.
This ti, Rose wasted no ti and lowered herself beside her on the ground.
They easily picked the fruit around them and ate; strangely, Rose noticed that she was still ready to eat more. She didn’t feel full or fed up; she craved it more and more, and more.
"You’re at the magical number, Rose. The tenth fruit," Isolde picked a fruit and handed it to Rose.
"Magical number?" Rose questioned, her brow raised.
"Think nothing of it, eat up," Isolde smiled.
Rose shrugged and bit into the fruit; she wasn’t bothered about Isolde’s minced words; all she cared about was feeling the sweet, fleshy, and juicy fruit in her mouth.
The mont she swallowed her first bite, she suddenly felt sothing. A calming hum went through her body, her mind seed to be at peace, and objects doubled before her as she fought but failed to keep her eyes open.
She felt her body gently falling to the ground, and before she let the calming hum lure her to sleep, she heard Isolde’s faint voice beside her.
"Ten is always my magical number. Goodbye, Rose, it was pleasant eting you. Don’t forget to open your heart, find your light, and bring peace to everyone, "
Rose felt a faint caress on her cheek before she completely blacked out.
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