Steel Roses

The Rose Room

"Where are you? Why are you hiding?"

The woman laughed again. "Now really, I'm not hiding. You're just not looking hard enough."

Beldon stared, then looked about the room again. His eyes slowly drew towards a huge ornate golden mirror at the back of the room and something moved within the reflection.

He backed up and walked straight into a pillar, staring and the reflection of the room faded to white and a woman slowly appeared, fading out of the light. Older then him, she was attractive, with her hair in intricate curls at the top of her head, dressed in a gown of black and white – finely cut and certainly made to be seen in public... but not something worn by the ladies of the court. No this was a servant's dress, just one with status.

The woman opened her eyes and looked at him, then smiled, folding her hands in front of her.

"Hello, my dear," she said softly.

And Beldon keeled over in shock.

~~~~~

"Oh my, oh my, oh my, this is not how it should have started, what will The Master say?"

"For heaven sake, Jasper, the poor dear has just gone through an ordeal. He's perfectly within his right to take a break from reality for a moment."

"Ah, good, I think he's coming around."

Beldon winced, slowly opening his eyes, just in time to see a small figure dart away from him and scramble into the shadows. He sat bolt upright, eyes wide, trying to see whatever had been hovering over him, then he blinked.

He was lying on the bed. How had he got to the bed?

"How do you feel, my dear?"

Beldon looked around, then closed his eyes and just lay back down on the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose. There was a mirror talking to him. Was this a form of insanity? Perhaps. Lord Roberts – who took a great interest in the mind – had told him on a number of occasions that the mind – when stretched in a situation beyond comprehension – made up all sorts of bizarre ventures and characters to survive. Was that what was happening now?

... Why a mirror?

He opened his eyes and sat up, crossing his legs.

That woman was looking at him, smiling – though the white light had gone now and she was just standing in the reflected room... and she was no longer in that golden mirror, she was in an silver oval mirror on a wall near the window, closer to the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I have lost my mind, should I be concerned?" Beldon asked.

The woman laughed. "No," she said and curtsied. "What is your name, young man?"

"Beldon," he said, then hesitated, "And... yours?"

"Vanessa," the woman said, "I was the personal maid to a princess who once lived within these walls... but that was a long time ago." She smiled at him. "We had expected a new lady to take these rooms and I would attend her... but... well that will happen another day I am sure, we can wait." She gestured to the room around her and beyond. "These rooms are yours now, thus you may do as you wish, change them to your liking."

Beldon looked at her for a moment, then looked around and reached for the silk that draped the bed, dragging it down. Folding it up, he tossed it aside, then pulled away the roses.

"Enough with all these flowers, I neither need them, nor want them. Roses, they were the start of all this." Gathering them all into his arms, he walked to the window and threw them up into the air, high winds rushing up and snatching them away, dragging them across the forests.

He looked around and stopped.

Another rose, just one, resting on one of the pillows of the bed. He snatched it up... then paused.

Looking at it for a long moment, he finally pursed his lips and set it aside on one of the tables.

"You will not throw that?" Vanessa asked, softly.

Beldon looked away. "No need to throw them all, the smell is not so overwhelming anymore." He reached up then and undid his cloak, throwing it aside and running his hands through his hair, walking back into the dressing room. He looked back to the oval mirror, only to find Vanessa gone from that one. Looking around, he found her in a square mirror beside him.

Beldon moved away, putting distance between them, then looked at the dresses.

"And what do we do with these?" he asked, "Must they stay here?"

"No, if you could just hand them to me, I shall put them away."

Beldon looked at her for a long moment, then his brow creased in confusion. "How?" he asked.

Vanessa smiled. "Just pass them through the glass, you shall see."

Beldon stared at her... then picked up a glove and slowly reached towards the mirror surface. Vanessa held out a hand and waited.

Pausing, he raised a finger and tapped the glass. His finger slid through it, making him snatch his hand back, wide eyed.

"It won't hurt, I promise," Vanessa said gently, then smiled. "So long as only your hands enter the mirror world you will not be in any danger."

Beldon narrowed his eyes, then reached forwards again and, taking a breath, pushed his hand through the mirror.

Vanessa's hand came up to meet his and take the glove away. He felt the glove move, he saw her hand touch his... but he didn't feel anything.

She took the glove and walked out of sight, coming back a moment later.

"Would you like to pack everything away now or later? I feel you should eat something."

"Eat?" Beldon muttered, confused, then blinked, looking back into the main room. "Oh yes, eat," he said. He walked back into the room and over to the dining area, lifting the lid off the platter.

He half expected whatever the food was to be cold by now but steam greeted him from under the lid and a magnificent smell wrapped around him.

It was a thick soup, with meat and vegetable in a creamy sauce and, Beldon realised, it was just what he wanted. Something easy, but heavy and warm.

He sat down and began to eat, finishing it in no time.

And suddenly an exhaustion struck him, making him sway as he stood up, resting a hand to his face, setting the other one on the table, keeping hold of it and the pillars as he walked back to the bed, climbing onto it.

He sat there for a moment, looking at the marble floor, then glanced at the rose that lay on the bedside table.

He pressed his hands to his face, lying down, pulling the pillows tight against him.

His situation had finally stuck him... and it hurt.

What had he got himself into?