Before The Last Petal Falls

Chapter 5

As I awoke, I felt a searing pain in the back of my head. I looked around and realized I was in a dark tent. What had happened? Then the memories came flooding back. Leaving home, the woods, being hit on the back of the head. Who had done it? Then horror set in. The rose. Where was my rose? I looked all through the tent, it was nowhere to be found. As panic began to set in, I quickly ran out of the tent only to be grabbed by strong arms and yanked around to face a tall man with dark hair, and wearing what appeared to be armor. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked. I couldn't speak, I was paralyzed by my fear. "Fine, if you won't talk to me, maybe you will talk to the King." The King? What on earth was he talking about? Immediately, the man began to drag me into a much larger tent, with guards standing all around it. Where was she? Then, the man who was dragging me brought me inside the tent, then shoved me hard onto my knees. "Your Majesty." Said the man, then bowed. "We found her in the woods. I can only assume she is part of the Grimrose Clan." What were these people talking about? "Leave us," she heard a voice say, but she dared not look up to see who it was. Then the other man was gone, leaving her alone with whoever was inside this tent. "Who are you?" Asked the man. I didn't answer. I was too terrified to speak. I heard footsteps. I only assumed he was walking on the side that I had no vision, because I didn't catch a glimpse of him from the other side. Then someone grabbed my chin and tilted my face upwards. "I said," "Who are you?" As he tilted my head up, I found myself staring into the face of the most beautiful man I had ever seen. With raven black hair, with gorgeous hazel eyes that shone like gold. This man, however, did not appear friendly. "I, um," I stuttered, still terrified. His features appeared to soften a bit, and then he asked, "What is your name?" "Andromeda Blackwood," I said, then dropping my eyes back to the floor. "Blackwood?" He asked. "Are you from Azurethra?" I looked up, slightly, when he said this. "Yes," I said. He appeared to be furious, and I was afraid I had angered him somehow, I was always angering someone. "Chamberlain!" He yelled at the entrance of the tent, still quite obviously angry. "When the man who had dragged me in the tent walked in, I quickly dropped my eyes to the floor. "Where did you find her?" He asked. "I told you, Your Majesty, she was running through the woods." "Edwards!" He once again yelled at the entrance of the tent. Another man appeared, again in what appeared to be armor. He looked kinder than the other man, but I still feared him. The handsome man that she had been brought to see lowered his voice, and said to the man, "Please escort her back to her tent, I will speak with her in a minute." The man appeared on the side on which I had no vision, so when he grasped my arm, I jumped. He and the man in the tent exchanged glances, then I was escorted back to the tent, still confused about what was going on.