"I kept my head down as I approached the servant, meeting him halfway.
'I'm here to show you to your room.'
I recognized the voice and tried to hold back a groan. It was the servant from earlier, Caelum was what Rosetta had called him. 'Thank you.' I decided the option of simply ignoring how rude he had been earlier.
I suppose he recognized how I averted eye contact with him. 'I'm sorry about earlier. I just...' Caelum sighed as he turned on his heels, crossing his arms across his chest. 'Rosetta and I have grown up together. It'll be hard to see her go.' His eyes avoided mine as well.
The frustration I had felt when I first saw him began to evaporate. I walked alongside him with my hands still stuffed in my pockets. 'My apologies.'
'What is your home like?' He asked without turning his gaze towards me. 'What are the people like?'
His sudden interest in me brought on confusion. Nonetheless, I answered his questions. At the very least it would make the journey quicker. 'It's nice. I've spent my entire life there. I'd say it's very similar to Invea. The people, however, are different.' I hadn't planned on explaining, not wanting him to report to Henry of my true intentions, but as he shot me a concerned glance I began to explain. 'The behavior of your king, Henry, is quite different. He wouldn't even let Rosetta stay in the study with us when we discussed the marriage.' I wondered if he would catch my hint.
'Yes. It is forbidden for a woman to be part of meetings.' Caelum's eyes refocused back on the stairs as we started to walk down them.
'In Transylvania, if anyone refused a woman her right to attend a meeting they would be killed on sight by the women themselves.' I smiled at the thought, recalling it nearly happening on several occasions for traveling generals. A world where women were valued less than men didn't make sense to me. I felt thankful that I had never been exposed to that world until now.
'Oh?' Once again, I earned a glance from him. 'Your women are treated with respect?'
'Yes.'
'They are kept safe?'
'They keep themselves safe most of the time, but yes.'
'They are cared for?' Caelum turned left once we were off the stairs, leading me through a hallway that was larger than the last one. The doors were nearly double the ones upstairs and each was decorated with gems of many colors.
I wasn't sure what he was getting at, but I kept answering him. For whatever reason he needed to know, I would make sure the truth was present. 'Absolutely, as is everyone back home.'
'So, Rosetta will be okay?' He stopped in front of the second door in the hallway, turning sharp to face me. For the first time since earlier, our gazes were locked. His eyes were glossy, tears brimming on the edges.
All at once, I understood. He had mentioned earlier that he had grown up with Rosetta, and all the defenses he had put up around me now made sense. He loved her. He loved the woman I had just met, the woman I was going to take away forever; the woman I was going to marry. I didn't know their story nor if his feelings were returned by her. I couldn't take pride in stealing her from him, but I could take pride in giving him some relief. 'Our women are their own people in Transylvania. They are protected, loved, and looked after. Any hand laid against them, or any man or child, is reasonable cause for a lifetime in prison.' It felt strange talking against my soon to be father-in-law, but I wanted Caelum to truly know. 'No matter their status, not even the status of king.' I had lowered my voice, allowing a smile to come upon my face.
'You know?' His eyes widened as his head drew back in surprise. Caelum quickly glanced around, ensuring there was no one else nearby. 'You must protect her, I beg of you. I have spent our entire lives doing what I could to keep her from his arm but it's never enough. Take her as far away from here as you can once you two are wed.'
'I promise.' I opened up the door, glancing inside to see Franklin and my guards waiting. I watched as Caelum stiffened, hesitating to move. 'You can come in if you'd like. We can continue this conversation.'
Caelum only nodded and entered the room.
It was there he spoke out against Henry, confessing to me the horrors Henry had done.
'Henry is a ruthless man.' Caelum had started, eyes continuing to glance around the room as if he was afraid of being caught speaking poorly of his king. "Invea never used to be this way. When his father came to power, that's when it changed. My father told me about the abuse Henry would give to his wife. The poor woman ended up going crazy from all the beatings and outlashes she received from him. She barely made it through childbirth, from what I'm told. Once they had Rosetta, it only worsened. Anytime she cried, the mother was hit. It was unfair. She could do very little to protect Rosetta. The Queen was beaten too hard one day and succumbed to her injuries. Rosetta has been getting the brunt of it since then, though Rosetta has learned how to please her father to lessen the abuse.'
As he continued, he unraveled the number of war crimes Henry had committed alongside murder. He also told how Rosetta had become a pawn in his twisted game over the years, becoming a relief to let his anger out upon.
There was enough to talk about Henry as hours passed. At the end of the conversation, I offered him a position back home, but he politely refused.
'No offense to you, Vladimir, as I'm finding you truly are a man of honor but it would be too hard to see her with you. My job will be easier when you two leave. I won't need to worry about what he'll do to her when I turn my back. I trust in you to keep her safe. Don't let me down. I'm sure our paths will cross again. You better get ready. You'll be a married man very soon.' With that, he left, the tears returning to his eyes.
When he was gone, I found my clothing upon a mannequin. I was relieved to see that it matched what we wore back home. I hadn't been ready to follow another land's fashion statements. Franklin helped me into all the pieces, smoothing out the wrinkles on the sleeves once we were finished.
'What do you think?' Franklin motioned towards the mirror nearby. 'Quite honestly, sire, I do think you look just like your father right now.' He commented from behind me, a smile across his face.
He was quite right. Father always dressed up. The only times I had seen him without his formal clothing were the moments early in the morning when I was a child and I had crawled into the bed with him to find him in pajamas.
It was rare for me to dress up like this. Even if I did, I hardly wore an overcoat like I did then. The only complaint I had about it was how bright it was. While the base colors were traditional black, it was all lined with shimmery gold colors.
'I'll be grateful to be out of it soon enough.' I replied, laughing. If it wasn't for the gold it would have been perfect in my eyes. I wasn't sure if it was the next room over or several rooms down, but I could hear glass begin to shatter as if it had fallen off a shelf. Concern came to my features, the noise reminding me of all that we had talked about with Caelum. 'I can't understand how a man could do such cruel things to his own family.'
He, too, glanced towards the door. 'Some people have no morals. It's good you came along. She will be free from him after this.' No noises followed it, causing him to shrug it off and return to our previous conversation. 'Enjoy it while it lasts. You won't get another moment like this.' Franklin smiled, picking up a comb from the nightstand as he approached me. 'Now if we could just fix your hair, you would be all ready to go!' Before I could stop him, he had dragged the comb through my hair to neatly push it back.
I could hardly react due to the already present laughter. 'I don't think so. I need to have some of my dignity left!" I was quick to shake my head forward to make all my hair come forward again. I messed it up more with my hands before looking up into the mirror with a grin. 'It's perfect now.' Even marrying a princess couldn't change how I was. 'Franklin?' The earlier conversation subdued my head. It was all I could think about. There were still so many unanswered questions. 'Have you noticed how odd their ways are here?'
'I haven't witnessed it, but going off of what you and that servant Caelum discussed I can agree with the statement. Not everyone is as accepting as we are, I suppose.'
'I've never truly understood just how different we are from the rest of the world.' I had never left Romania before this trip to Invea. A man began to yell from the same direction I had heard the glass being shattered. In between the man's yelling was a woman's sobs. 'What do you think that is?' The man's voice was familiar but too muffled to name someone.
'I'm not entirely sure.' Franklin's concern seemed to be at the same level as mine. 'Perhaps just a disagreement between servants?'
Our eyes watched the entrance as a nearby door slammed. Heavy boots pounded down the hallway and past our room, sounding all the way to the end. 'Some disagreement.' I muttered as the woman's sobs increased. 'Maybe we should check on her. She sounds upset.'
'I wouldn't, Vladimir. With how people are treated here, you might upset the king by breaking customs here.' Franklin warned, crossing his arms across his broad chest.
'Haven't I upset him already?' Perhaps not, but the earlier conversation was still repeating in my mind. He hadn't been too pleased by what I had been telling him. I was at the door before any more protests from Franklin came, out of it by the time the man had begun speaking. While I truly was concerned for the woman nearby, I also wanted more information on the situations here. I wanted to know precisely what I was taking Rosetta from. Caelum had already told me the majority of it, I simply wanted to see the rest for myself.
Each wooden door I passed on either side of the hallway, I carefully pressed an ear to it as I tried to find the weeping woman. Only two doors down on the side our room was on, I heard her. Gingerly, I knocked upon the door. 'Hello? Ma'am?'
The crying halted, followed by light whimpers. Someone shuffled around inside, it growing closer until the door broke open in the slightest. Familiar green eyes stared up at mine.
The curiosity faded as my horrified gaze locked with hers. 'Rosetta?' Guilt weighed onto my shoulders. I had listened to the argument and had stood by. Without needing to know the context or any other information about it from her, I knew the man's voice I had recognized earlier had belonged to Henry. Without waiting for her to allow me inside, I placed my palm against the door and pushed it open.
Rosetta stumbled away from the door, allowing me to step inside. She closed the door quickly after. She kept her gaze away from me, holding back her earlier sobs.
As I took her completely in, all of my breath disappeared and my thoughts were left empty. For the moment, I had completely forgotten why I had come into her room to begin with.
She was dressed in a white wedding gown that lingered behind her. The bottom was completely torn, shards of glass resting in some folded parts of the skirts. Her sleeves and neckline were torn and dirtied. Her fiery hair was completely pinned up upon her head with several chunks hanging down in a way that appeared off and messy. The makeup she wore was smeared, black beneath her eyes from where she had been crying.
Even distraught as she was, she was still beautiful.
When I was able to focus again, I placed my hands gingerly on the sides of her arms. 'Rosetta? What happened? Why are you crying?'
She stepped away from my hold, avoiding my eyes. Helplessly, I watched as another tear began running down her cheek. 'I... I can't tell you. You must go.'
'You don't have to lie. I know your father was here. What did he do?' I kept my voice soft, not wanting to make her fearful or worse than she already felt. I removed my hands from her. 'I heard his yells and glass shatter. What happened? You can tell me.'
Her desperate gaze met mine. 'Father doesn't want me to marry you, Vladimir.' Rosetta spoke in a whisper. She carefully stepped back until she was able to sit down on a chair that was placed in the middle of the room. 'I am not allowed to leave this room.' Her eyes tried to slip away from mine again as the tears continued streaming down her face.
I knelt before her, placing one of my hands over hers. 'Why? I thought he agreed with my father on the matter.' If my inability to speak when I had first seen her wasn't enough to convince me I already cared for her, then the heartbreak I experienced watching her tears fall would be.
'He doesn't believe you're right for me.' Rosetta whispered, keeping her eyes locked upon the nearby window.
'That's fine. He can think that. He can't stop me from marrying you.' The words slipped before I had a chance to catch them. 'Rosetta, Caelum told me everything. He told me about how your father treats you and how miserable you are. You deserve something better than this.' Gingerly, I squeezed her hand. While I had danced on the edge of love with her when I had first met her, I knew it was possible she wouldn't feel the same. I wouldn't force her to be unhappy. 'Marry me here, Rosetta. I can give you your freedom. Become my wife and when we get to Transylvania, my father and I can grant you your citizenship and have the marriage annulled. You can go wherever you please and meet whomever you'd like.' I hesitated. 'And if it's Caelum you long to be with, then I'll free him from here too and grant your wish.'
Rosetta quickly looked away from the window and locked her wide eyes on mine. 'You would do that?'
'Of course I would.' I offered a smile. 'Rosetta, you have certainly caught my interest and I would be lying if I said I didn't want you to be my wife for the rest of time, but if you don't feel the same then the least I can do is get you away from here.' My thumb carefully brushed over her knuckles. I could feel my heart start to flutter as a shaky smile rose to her face followed by a light blush across her cheeks. 'No matter what you say, our destinies will be forever intertwined whether as husband and wife or as friends. You get to choose.'
Using her sleeve, Rosetta began to wipe away her tears. Makeup smudged against the fabric. The few tears that fell after came down with a laugh from her. One of her hands touched my cheek and moved to my neck. She wrapped her arm around my neck, sliding out of the chair and right into my lap in one of the tightest hugs I have ever been a part of.
I used one arm to keep us balanced as she pushed me back, my other arm wrapping around her as I returned it. Having her in my arms felt completely right. It felt like it was meant to be.
Rosetta slowly pulled away, her smile widening with each passing second. 'Choosing to just be friends with you when I have the chance to become your wife would be like reaching for a pebble while it rests beside a diamond. I want, more than anything, to become your wife. You are so unlike anyone else I've ever met.'
Relief filled me. Despite having offered her the choice of only being friends, it was the option I didn't want. I wanted her to become my bride, the person I would spend the rest of my days with. 'As are you.' I grinned, beginning to stand up while helping her to her feet as well.
'My father thinks the wedding will be canceled, though. He told me to tell the servants that I'm not feeling well.' Rosetta then motioned to herself. 'He destroyed my dress and ruined all the work that my handmaidens did in case I decided to not follow through. He said I couldn't get married while looking like this.' She sighed as she touched the dirtied fabrics she wore.
'He's right. You can't get married like that.' I smiled, spotting a closet across the room. 'Is this room yours?' An idea came to mind, one I hoped she wouldn't mind.
'It's my dressing chamber, yes.'
'Perfect.' I crossed the room and threw open the closet doors, met with dresses of all colors. 'Won't one of these do?' They all seemed perfect to me, each handcrafted just for her.
'None of those are wedding dresses, Vladimir. Those are all my everyday gowns.' The shuffle of skirts told me Rosetta was coming towards me.
'Who says?' I refused to let my grin falter as I pulled out the first white gown I saw. 'This looks like a wedding gown to me.' It was far more simpler than the one she currently wore, but it wasn't damaged.
'It's simple.' Rosetta frowned. 'I can't get married in that.'
'Why not?' I placed the dress gingerly over her divider. 'It's not extravagant, but it's a gown.'
'No one in the history of Invea has ever gotten married in such a simple gown before!' Her smile was beginning to return. 'I can't be the first.'
'You would go down in history as the first.' I countered, motioning towards the divider. 'Rosetta, if I'm being completely honest, you could wear torn rags and I wouldn't mind if it meant I still got to walk away with you as my wife.' I extended my hand towards her, eager to help her journey to recovery from the damage Henry had done, both mentally and physically.
'You don't mind?' Her eyes started to widen. There was a lot she still had to learn about me. She carefully placed her hand into mine and allowed me to pull her closer to the divider. 'What about my hair? Shouldn't that be done nicely? What of the makeup and the flowers? Those are all things that the bride needs to have done.'
I shrugged. 'Your beauty is unmatched. We have time for all those things, if that's what you want. This is our wedding, however. You should be doing what you want. If you want your hair to be nice, that's fine. If you want your hair to be natural and all done, I think that's fine too.' I leaned against the wall, enjoying watching her react to all that I was saying.
'Really?'
I nodded.
Rosetta's smile completely returned. She lifted up her skirts and walked behind the divider. 'My father won't like this.'
'All the more reason to do it.' I walked back across the room as she disappeared behind the divider, taking a seat in the chair that still remained in the middle of the room. 'Your father won't ever be able to lay his hands upon you again. So long as you are with me, I will keep you from him. We're going to enjoy tonight, just as we should on our wedding day. On my mother's grave, I promise to protect you for the rest of my days.'
Even in the silence that fell between us, I could feel her smile.
I've learned to not make promises I can't keep. I wish I knew then. Perhaps things could have been different. I was young and foolish. I thought I was indestructible. Nothing could touch me.
How wrong I was."