Fate to Reign

A Single Rose Can be My Garden

"Breakfast will be served in the garden today, miss." Elizabeth said as she laced up Wren's corset. She was pinning up her hair when something at the windowsill caught Wren's eye. A small vase with a rose inside it was sitting on the windowsill. The petals were a pretty golden pink color, and the leaves on the stem had a golden tint to them. It seemed to grab her attention and hold it. After Elizabeth had put the last pin in her hair, she went over to the windowsill. "What a pretty flower, miss." Elizabeth said. Wren lifted the flower to her nose and smelled it. It was sharply sweet, almost too sweet.

"Did you put this here, Elizabeth?" Wren asked, her eyes still locked on the rose.

"No, miss." Elizabeth smiled. "Looks like you have an admirer." The servant girl winked. Wren smiled nervously back. Elizabeth took Wren's hand and led her to the door. "Come along, miss. The others will be waiting."

The garden was at the side of castle. A table had been set and everyone was already seated, except for Castilla of course. Wren took a seat next to Avery. Flowers of every color bloomed around her and the trickling of a fountain could be heard. Mark poured her a cup of tea and she grabbed a croissant off a platter. Elizabeth was setting plates of food on the table, and Wren watched as Peter's eyes followed Elizabeth's every move. As she loaded her plate with eggs and fresh fruit, she noticed a conversation was happening around her.

"Don't forget, tutoring begins at ten o' clock sharp." Imogen said.

"What will we be learning about?" Rowan asked.

"Mostly history and politics." Gabriel spoke up.

"Then there will be riding lessons, and training for the gentlemen and manners for the ladies." Imogen informed us.

"Good. I think a few of us need some lessons in manners. Wren, do your remember the time when Aunt Cynthia invited a suitor for you over to the house and you put worms in his sandwich?" Annabelle remarked. "He was gone faster than a turkey in November. Never in my life had I seen such a ridiculous display. Wren, are you even listening to me?" Wren didn't look up from her plate.

"Well, I hear you talking." Wren said. Cal laughed like he had been holding it in for quite some time.

"You put worms in his sandwich?" He asked, still laughing.

"Yes. He deserved it, arrogant pig." Rose was laughing now too.

"I remember that!" She said in-between laughs. Wren's attention had fallen on the rose bushes nearby. Her mind drifted back to the rose in her room this morning, and she wondered who had put it there.

Mark was leading Wren down a hallway to the schoolroom. Wren's hand fell on her dress pocket and realized it was empty.

"Oh, I forgot my glasses in my room!" She exclaimed. "I shall have to go back and retrieve them." She started to turn away when Mark protested.

"No need, miss. I shall get them for you." She remembered that she was in a house where servants catered to you. 

"Alright. They should be on the nightstand." With a slight bow, he strode away and disappeared down the hall. The schoolroom was like an ordinary room, just with a few desks. The walls were painted green, and patterns of flowers and curling vines decorated them. The large floor to ceiling windows were open, letting in the summer breeze. Imogen was sitting at a desk slightly larger than the rest of them. Strands of brown hair escaped from her braid and hung in front of her face. Small round spectacles rested at the very edge of her nose and a worn book was in her hand. "Ah, Wren !" She said happily. "Je suis tellement content que vous nous rejoindrez." She said. Wren smiled. It was nice to have someone to speak with.

"Je suis content que je participerai." Wren replied.

"Will you please stop talking all this French nonsense!" Cal said, annoyed. He was sitting at one of the desks, twirling his pen with his fingers. Peter was sitting at the desk next to him, looking equally as bored. Noah was sitting in the back, starring at his notebook as if waiting for it to reveal something to him. Rowan and Rose were having a conversation, and Avery was twisting her colorless hair around her finger. Annabelle was hunched over her notebook, moving her pencil over the page rapidly. Wren walked over to her, and looked at the paper from over her shoulder. It was a drawing of a hand closing around the stem of a flower. Wren knew that Annabelle's talent was in drawing and painting. Annabelle was a skilled artist too. "That's very nice, Anna." Wren said. Annabelle's head whipped toward her, as if she was just now realizing that Wren was there.

"Oh, you like it?" She asked, blushing. Once you got past Annabelle's rough exterior, she was like a puppy dog in the inside. Always eager to be praised.

"Oh yes. I especially love the shading here." Wren pointed to the spot were the petals were fluttering to the ground. Wren was always fond of Anna's drawings. It let you see a part of her that she rarely showed. The door opened and Gabriel and Samuel came in. They took their seats in desks right next to each other. Wren took the only other empty seat, which was inconveniently next to Cal. Imogen started to talk about some significant war that happened some centuries ago. She was about to say when the war ended, when Mark burst through the doors. He had Wren's glasses in his white gloved hand. He handed them to her with a bow. "Ah, thank you Mark." She took them and slipped them on. They rested in the familiar place on her nose. The words on her notes instantly became sharper. She noticed Cal looking at her. She stared back, waiting for an insult like "four eyes" or something like that, but none came. Rose raised her hand and asked a question. Samuel's eyes lingered on her far after her question was answered and her focus was back on her work. Rowan was staring at the stables outside one of the windows, probably wishing the lesson would be over so she could learn to ride one of them. Gabriel was watching her, his eyes slitted like he was thinking hard. Finally, Imogen concluded the lesson and the boys showed the girls outside for riding lessons. Wren was excited to learn to ride a horse. Almost all the heroines in her books knew how to ride. As they approached the stables, the smell hit Wren. About twelve horses were in the stable. Avery was nearly buzzing with eagerness, she loved animals. Gabriel walked over to black horse with white speckles. He unlatched the door and led the horse out by the reins. "Noah, you take Avery." Noah stepped forward and took the reins. Avery followed him out onto the clearing. Gabriel assigned Samuel to Rose, and Cal to Wren. Wren mentally growled. Cal took the reins of a chestnut brown horse and lead it outside. He first taught her how to sit upon the horse, and how to hold the reins and steer the horse. Rowan was the first to actually get on her horse. Wren was petting her horse's mane, her name was Charity. Wren always thought horses were beautiful creatures. They had such power and strength, but yet the kindest eyes. The loud whinny rattled Wren's bones. She whipped her head around. Rowan's horse was raised up on its hind legs, and Rowan was clinging onto it's back. The horse let out another whinny and started running full speed away from the stables. Rowan was bouncing on it's back, her white dress flapping in the wind. She was clinging on for dear life. The horse was going so fast if it knocked her off she would surely be injured beyond repair. Wren screaming Rowan's name rang in her ears before she realized she had opened her mouth. Before anyone could take a breath, Gabriel had jumped onto Annabelle's horse and was racing after Rowan. Wren dashed forward, but Cal held her back. "She'll be fine. Gabriel will get her." His voice was reassuring, but his eyes were full of fear. Wren looked at the horse quickly speeding out of view and prayed he was right.

BOOM. CLIFFHANGER. Hahaha what did you guys think of the chapter? Huh? Huh? Vote and comment please!!!