A Broken Court

Chapter One

"No"

She hated that word.

No.

Today, the 'No' was regarding her request to alone to a nearby village to buy a new bow for her violin.

Last week, the 'No' was about how she wanted to go with her friend Jedda to visit her family in a village just east of the manor.

Sixty years ago, 'No' was the answer to her questions to her father about his life before she showed up on his doorstep.

Rosella loved her father. She had no doubts about that. He loved her as well, that much was obvious. Perhaps he loved her too much.

She looked like him. With her long golden hair, and green eyes. She was gifted with his shapeshifting abilities as well, though he refused to teach her how to shift to another form, she had taught herself that.

She was his daughter in all ways. He found her on his doorstep when she was a infant, just a babe swaddled in silks. When she asked her father who her mother was, he simply brushed off the question.

Rosella sat in the garden, composing a new piece for her violin, when her father sat on the ground next to her.

"My Rose?"

She sighed, glancing up at him. "Yes father?"

"I'm sorry." He sighed, looking at the ground, "I didn't mean to lash out."

"I know," she said, with a soft smile, "It's okay."

Her father shook his head, "It's not. You didn't do anything. It was my temper."

"Father," Rosella began, "Really, it's okay. I understand. I shouldn't have asked to go to the village alone.

"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you," He sighed, "I'll go with you."

"Thank you, father," Rosella smiled, touching her father's shoulder.

"I don't deserve you," He said, shaking his head.

"You're a good man," she assured him, resting her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her. "I'm cauldron blessed that you're my father."

He kissed her forehead, and hugged her. Rose smiled, moments like these with her father were rare. Weather he was gone elsewhere in the spring court, shut away in his study, or tending to business she hadn't bothered to ask him about, they rarely got time alone.

Another question popped into Rose's head as she studied the garden. "Father?"

"Yes?"

"The paintings," she started, "in the back of the library."

"Rose..." her father grimaced.

"Tell me about her," she pushed, "the women who painted them."

Her father sighed, "It's not important."

Rose pushed herself out of his arms and frowned. "Father, I deserve to know. I'm almost seventy years old. You can't hide me from your past."

Her father started at a nearby rose bush. A memory stirred in him. He was standing in the garden with her. He swallowed deeply as he remembered how she comforted him after he told her about his family.

"Father?" He was snapped out of his thoughts by his daughters sweet voice. She was right. She deserved to know about him.

"She loved to paint." He looked at the ground, "She didn't want me to see any of those paintings. Cauldron knows what she'd do if she knew I still had them."

"You loved her?"

"Yes."

"What happened to her?"

"I did everything wrong. I lost her."

Rose hugged her father once more, "I'm sorry father."

"I deserved it." He said, shaking his head. "Not a day goes by that I don't regret everything I did."

The High Lord of spring sighed and shook his head. "This isn't a conversation you should be having with your father. I'm sorry Rose."

"Don't apologize," she smiled softly, "I asked."

"I don't deserve you, Rose."

They sat quietly for a moment, when Rose spoke, "I don't know what kind of a man you were back then. I don't care what you did. Because I know you now, and-"

"My Lord?" A sentry cut Rose off, storming into the garden.

"What is it?" The High Lord said through gritted teeth.

"There's a situation," the sentry stated, glancing at Rose, "You're needed at the East boarder immediately."

The sentry rushed out, leaving the High Lord and his daughter alone once more.

"I'm sorry Rose." He furrowed his brows, "I'll assign a sentry to protect you while I'm gone."

Rose smiled softly, "Stay safe, Father."

With a kiss on the forehead, he was gone. It wasn't unusual, him leaving abruptly. He was usually gone for days at a time when called away. Sometimes weeks. He always assigned a sentry to her, never telling her why she needed to be so heavily protected.

Rosella should be used to the constant protection, having known it her whole life. However, she always wished for her father to allow her the freedom to take care of herself.

She sighed, knowing the day when he allowed her to be truly alone, was far away.

Rosella fell asleep in the garden that night. The night sky wisking her and her dreams to a faraway land, where she was truly free.