Steel Roses

Once Upon A Time

His father looked up as Beldon entered and smiled, removing his glasses.

"You only just returned?" he asked gently as his son sat opposite, pouring him a glass of wine.

"I promised the farmer a full harvest," Beldon said simply, accepting the glass, "I was hired to work until it was complete so I thought it best to stay and finish the full day. We completed a few hours ago." He glanced towards the window. "They have started their harvest festival; I was invited but felt it better to return."

His father looked at his youngest for a time, then looked at Beldon's hands, gently taking one. He turned it over; looking at the scrapes and blisters that had formed from the day, at the start of calluses from the few short months they had been away from their true home and life. Some part of his mind noted that none of his other children bore any calluses or marring – not like this.

"As a man, you should have hardened hands, my son," he said, letting go and looking at Beldon.

Beldon looked at him, the candle light setting his eyes alight.

"But not like this," his father continued, "Not torn up from hard labour. You should be happily exhausted each day from your lessons, from time with friends, from the ladies."

His father chuckled and Beldon gave him a weak smile in reply.

"You should not be exhausted from hard labour, with back aches and headaches and no time to yourself to study and just be."

"I don't dislike this life," Beldon said, "Here I can make time for studies and thought at night. I can keep myself occupied by doing jobs that are worthwhile. I have made friends as well; the villagers and farmers accepted me, as much as they could. There are no whispers behind fans and whiskey glasses here." His brow creased and he looked his father right in the eye. "And here, we can just be a family."

"That is why I want to bring us back to our true status again," his father said, gripping both his hands, "so we can be a family once more."

Beldon sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "You haven't listened to a word I just said," he muttered. "Would it truly kill us to just be – here?" he asked, "are we truly only a family when we have fancy jewels and the finest horses?"

His father looked at him as Beldon stood up. "But I believed you liked the world we once lived in. That's the life you were born into."

Beldon smiled slightly. "I did, Papa, I still do, I miss parts of it... but it is not a world where I can talk to someone with honest words and just... be myself."

"You have Raoul," his father pointed out and Beldon turned away, his hand turned to a fist before he locked his arms behind his back.

"Yes," he muttered, "yes, I have Raoul... though he is to marry next year."

"And I know you would never want to miss that," his father said happily, "Why I am sure he would want you as his best man. And you can see your goddaughter again; I am sure little Cynthia misses you terribly." His father straightened up and picked up his quill, his tone instantly becoming business-like. "Now, tell me, what gift should you like? With all the cargo home again I can bring you gifts. Come, before the girls fill every sheet of paper in the house."

Beldon looked at him, then looked out of the window again.

He was silent for a time; long enough for his father to look up.

"A rose," he said simply.

His father looked at him in surprise, then laughed. "A lady has caught your eye?"

Beldon smiled and shook his head. "No, there is a young man in the village, Jean, you know him. He has been trying to court the village belle for some time now, unsuccessfully. I spoke to her during the harvest and she talked of roses. Perhaps if he gives her a perfect rose, she may cast her favour to him."

"You are too kind, Bel," his father said, "To care for the desires of others, but a romantic you have always been, like your mother, so I shall put it down. And for you, yourself? What would you wish for?"

Beldon thought about it for a moment, then looked at him. "Nothing," he said simply, "I am not in need of anything right now."

~~~~~

The next day their father set out for town, leaving his children with the assurance that all their hopes and desires would come true – while he himself prayed that all would be as well as they believed.

His children returned to their daily lives – the five elder contenting themselves with imagining life returning to normal, sorting through all their tales of the last few months. They would be the talk of The Season after all, everyone would want to know how simply awful it would have been for them, living on the other side.

They noted Beldon contented himself with even more chores then normal – to the point that he started taking on their chores before they even thought of them. He attended the garden, groomed the horses, and helped the villagers and the farmers.

In fact he kept himself so busy his brothers eventually intervened, telling him that they would be leaving soon and that there was no need to keep everything so immaculate.

That however only seemed to make him worse and he took to forest rides that lasted hours – riding being the only sport he had been able to keep up since their move from town.

Originally they had expected their father to be away for the week – when he didn't return as expected, they did not worry too greatly, assuming he had simply been held up in town with the paper work.

Two more days slid by however.

And then two more.

Beldon's rides turned from distractions to searches – he and his brothers riding out each day to hunt and ask after their father in the surrounding villages after their sisters received word that their father had left town some days before.

They continued to search until, on the fifth day, Beldon discovered a letter on their front step. He hadn't even noticed it at first, the moonlight failing to reveal it until he heard the rustle of paper under his foot.

Bringing it inside to the fireside, he found it addressed to all the merchant's children, so he collected the letter opener from the father's office, unfolded the parchment inside and read.

To the children of the merchant, Izzarro L.

Your father met with accident along his travels. Fear not, he shall be returned to you in good form in the coming days.

There is no need for alarm, he is safe.

The words lifted a weight of fear from Beldon's chest that night and he trusted in the words of the person who had rescued their father, though they had not even signed their name, instead finishing the letter with the sketch of a rose.

Like his siblings, after they had read the letter, Beldon returned to his normal night and then travelled out to the village to buy some basic necessities the next day.

And upon his travels that morning, he met Christian.

~~~~~

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(Please Note: These books link. It's not essential that you read them in order - they stand alone but also have linking subplots)

The Rose Quartet

Reading Order:

Beauty and The Beast

Sleeping Beauty

The Frog Prince

Little Red Riding Hood