Age: 8
It was now a new year passed, and Rose was invigorated. She has recently received a teacher in martial arts, a famous prodigy by the name of Valor Hendricks. While Valor was still young at the age of 21, he had many medals of honor decorating his military uniform as the Second in Command to her father nonetheless. Duke Vermillion was a renowned General that protected the Kingdom from small invasions from unknown intruders and bandits. At the age of 19 was when he had met her mother, saving her from a kidnapping that occurred near the borders of Frare. Love at first sight occurred when he saw his wife courageously protecting herself and allowing her servants to escape while she fended off the rouges. The Duke swept away the competition before returning her home, bringing honor to Frare and earning the trust of her home Kingdom for his valiance. With reluctance from her home, she was allowed to marry the Duke in addition to a peace a treaty, making her family's fame rise before her birth. Her kind parents were sophisticated and loving towards not only Nobles but the common people as well, their popularity rivaling Royalty. It was why the engagement between the Crown Prince and Rose was so important to the King and Queen. They viewed Rose as an invaluable assent, especially due to her Fairy Ricin, who held incredible magic ability.
Rose was currently running laps around the training grounds that was usually in use by her father's knights. The plain brown shorts and white dress shirt was drenched in sweat while her hair hung limp behind her, nearly dragging on the ground as she pathetically pushed her legs forward, one at a time. Valor was not a kind teacher, slightly arrogant towards Rose who was not in shape nor focused on exercise for most of her life. Rose personally preferred her laboratory which was comfortable, and her terrible diet of only vegetables and sweets. Valor changed her diet to a healthier lifestyle, while indeed aided in her training with the increase in protein and carbs. More meat, no dairy, more grain, and moderate vegetables. Sweets were entirely separated from Rose much to her dismay. She thankfully was still allowed tea with a little sugar as a refresher, this was only thanks to her perfected puppy-dog eyes she had learned from the true master, Vincent.
"Teacher... I can't go on.... please.... tell my family.... I love them" Rose gasped, out of breath before collapsing. Valor only sighed at his student's dramatics, as she had only ran around the track ten times before acting as if she was dying. He was slightly disappointed in her lack of stamina, barely able to throw a punch let alone run for longer than an hour. She was a daughter of a famous General, this should be nothing for her. Yet the lazy child, currently buried in the dirt as if struck through the heart by a arrow, was panting as if she had ran for the entire day.
"You've taken a long enough break! Keep running" Valor yelled heartlessly at the poor maiden. She grumbled, feeling horribly wronged by this terribly handsome man. She was a pathetic athlete, even in her past life. Yet, with the increasing nightmares that kept her awake most nights before the training began, she was grateful to fall into a dreamless sleep by the end of each training session.
Begrudgingly she placed each hand on either side of her, pushing up her exhausted body from the dirty ground. Her hand and face now covered in dirt as she stood on shaky legs, before slowly beginning to run again. She had two more laps left, and even if she had to crawl chocking up blood as she dragged her lifeless body on the ground, she would finish them. The bastard and the current target of her hatred, continuously yelled unhelpful comments about her being an ungrateful students who lacks in all areas. Pissed off, she pushed her body to finish the laps left before collapsing again.
"I'm shocked you actually finished this time, maybe tomorrow you won't throw a tantrum in the middle of your training" Valor snickered, grabbing her by one arm off the floor as she hatefully glared at the man holding her. Her large pink eyes, tilted upward, looked like a kitten who had its milk stolen. Valor only laughed at her pathetic attempt to seem intimidating, taking her back to the mansion to throw towards the sharks... maids. Throw towards the maids.
"One day I will kick your sorry ass" Rose mumbled under her breath. It unfortunately didn't go unnoticed by the black haired soldier, who lifted her up by the back of her shirt with one hand to eye level.
"Say that one more time for me, brat" Valor clicked his tongue at his student's feistiness. She was far too young to be anything but a pebble on the roadside to him. His deep brown eyes stared into her unwavering pink. She had guts, Valor thought calmly, as she refused to look away despite being unable to stand as he gripped her in the air like a naughty child. She technically was. Yet even Valor noted that she acted like a grown woman, and her whining was similar to a middle aged lady with back problems. It was amusing to him nonetheless, as she didn't speak back again, only glowering.
Most young ladies who trained, which were few and far between, would be too star struck to properly train with him. The reason he had accepted her as a student was because she showed little to no interest in him as a man despite being the heir to a Marquis family, and a heavily decorated soldier. He also was the master to her little brother, Vincent, but the child was far more excited to train than his lazy sister who prefers her experiments over dying in battle.
Valor noted that the child was indeed beautiful, if not a little too small for her age. He figured the diet change which occurred a few months ago would increase her size but she seemed even smaller now that she was beginning to build her stamina. She would need a few more years of training before she could be called proficient.
"You should take after your brother if you hope to some day hold even a candle to his talent" Valor commented lowly, shaking her slightly while she dangled in the air. He was met with only a little growl which nearly made him burst out in laughter at her childishness which was rarely seen. "You should take after a gentleman and not hold a lady like a sack of potatoes" Rose retorted cooly. Valor only cocked and eyebrow and smirked at the tiny child, not caring about her comment in the slightest.
"Besides, this is for self defense in case of an emergency. I see no purpose in struggling towards things which I don't have passion for. Why waste your short pathetic life chasing a path that someone says fate carved for you. Why not get stronger so you can carve your own. Physical strength can only take you so far- even in battle. What would an army do without a strategy? Mindlessly kill? That defeats the purpose. Why not execute a plan to defeat the enemies head, limit the casualties to both sides, and take victory through honor." Rose said absentmindedly, shocking Valor who set her down to numbly walk beside him. She had a point, recklessly charging into battle would only result in meaningless deaths.
"I'm not saying women shouldn't be strong, and fighting in this world means living. So even if I have to struggle each day to get even a little bit stronger, I will. Yet brute strength is not the only path towards greatness, women are smart, quick, and witty. Why not capitalize on such wisdom? Why not support the growth of a woman through all means? Instead, women are forced to be the sole care takers of children, the home, and expected to sit complacently like obedient dolls. That isn't the life I want for me or my children, so you useless Teacher, watch me struggle until I succeed" Rose looked into his dark eyes, seeing the shock and hint of admiration hidden in his dark depths. Slowly, a smirk made its way to his face.
"Alright my pathetic student, struggle, I look forward to day you become a strong woman" he said, more impressed by her determination than ever before. He simply assumed she was doing this to impress her future husband, as most women want to show strength to gain favor from future marriage candidates. He looked forward to her growth now.
***
I sighed dejectedly as I sat in the large bathtub full of bubbles and rose petals, my entire body aching from that annoying man's training. I swore I would take my revenge someday, he was much more gentle towards Vincent which gained my envy towards my cute little brother who was now taller than me, if only a little. He never allowed me to forget this fact either, as I was no longer able to tease him for being a cute midget.
Shakily standing out of the bath, I wobbled towards a fluffy towel before wrapping it around myself. I knew tomorrow I would be visiting the Castle where I would be having an audience with his Majesty, the King. I would be introducing Ricin, which was common practice in Frare when contracting a fairy. Usually only two or three contracted a fairy even few decades, so far only me and Ceil having done so.
The heroine would contract her light fairy when she turned 12, after saving it from a pack of wild animals. The fairy was a low level fairy, only able to take on an animal form, but cute due to being a bunny which added to the heroine's charm. The heroine, a commoner, was still extremely adorable. She had fluffy gold hair which reached just above her shoulders in the game, and bright shining blue eyes that attracted so many with her innocence. I didn't particularly care who was in her little harem, just as long as she stayed the hell away from me. I would happily kick her ass if need be as well, I was not a complacent woman. If she wanted to sick her posey of lovers on me, I would not hesitant to beat each and every one of them. The nightmares which still feel incredibly real, only gaining to further my determination to not allow a single one of them to win over me.
If need be, I'd have my father disown me, and I would become an adventurer through the guilds that exist, and go and explore the world. I could settle down as a commoner in another Kingdom, maybe even the Fairy Kingdom due to Ricin's connections. I already had plans to join a guild when I am twelve to ensure some experience before going to the Academy which would test not only my knowledge, but battle capabilities. They did not allow for discrimination based on gender which made me happy despite this Kingdom's eagerness to marry of girls at such a young age to form connections. Like women were property. Technically... in this world they were. If I got sick of it I could easily go and join the Mermaid Kingdom which existed deep in the seas, where men were not allowed to venture in fear of being ripped apart by the beautiful man haters. The Mermaid Queen only allowed strong women to join her Kingdom, most mermaids were originally another species before joining her clan of warriors. Usually the women were betrayed by past lovers before putting themselves through the rigorous training to become a mermaid, they could then enact their revenge after forming a contract with the Mermaid Queen to forever serve as loyal subjects. I secretly wanted to meet these Mermaids which held so much honor, maybe I could even set up trade with them for my mother to increase her connections. The Mermaids also possessed enormous amounts of magical abilities, which made me curious about the origins. Humans did not posses magic, making them the weakest but most versatile amongst all the races. They had more technology than other Kingdoms, but still had terrible attitudes towards other races, such as within my mother's home Kingdom.
The Fairy's were elusive unlike the Mermaids who were not afraid to murder any that opposes them and the sea. Fairy's also were fine living in seclusion and solitude away from all other races which aimed to harness their power for war and might. To me, war was futile and wasteful of true talent. Despite my family being largely connected to the military, it did not change my view of the terrible existence of killing for money and territory. This may be due to my past life, which was more focused on creating and innovation instead of militia.
The moon was high in the sky by now as I changed into a nightdress and robe, pulling my hair in a loose messy bun at the base of my neck, I put slippers on and left the mansion. Ricin curled up at the top of my pillows on my bed, fast asleep.
Since meeting my favorite leopard a few months ago in the forest, I still continued to visit late at night. Oddly, I slept better after petting his silky fur, and talking to him. Despite him not being able to speak back, he was still able to understand and nod when he wanted.
Walking through the woods to our usual spot, I quickly found him laying absentmindedly on the moss covered ground. As I neared, he lifted one eyelid to use one vibrant blue eye to glance at me, before closing it to lay sleepily. These past few months, the once fairly small leopard had grown enormously! His body was twice my size now, which still slightly shocked me. How was he able to get so big, so quickly? Was it all the snacks I brought out to him.
In my hand I carried a small basket with onigiri, (おにぎり) rice balls with salted seaweed wrapped on the outside and salmon in the middle.
As I sat down beside Xavier, which I had so casually named him, I took out the food which gained the leopards attention. "Hungry?" I asked softly, patting his fluffy head. A soft nod followed before the basket was instantly empty. He could've savored it a little...
I huffed in exasperation, before noticing a slight patch of his fur missing in several paces on his back. I let out a gasp as I realized whip marks were deeply in-bedded in his skin. Blood still oozed from the sharp slashes, which I hadn't even noticed till now let out a strong odor of iron.
"What happened?! Who did this to you" I said angrily, tears pricking the edges of my eyes as my body began to boil in rage. Who would hurt such a calm, sweet creature? Why in the stars would Xavier deserve this?!
I only received a low growl, before the leopard shook its head left and right. "You can't tell me? Why the hell not? I promise to give them a slow and painful death for you" I said in all seriousness, making the leopard snort as his tail moved happily. His earns flicking as I gentle pet his head.
"I'm very serious you know, you are my friend, and no one gets to bully you" I said with confidence. He gave me a look which said 'what are you gonna do about it', sadness and humor mixing in his eyes. My heart ached, and I wanted them instantly take his pain away.
"Okay... when you feel ready to watch the life leave their body, just tell me, I'll be ready at a moments notice" I said, not breaking eye contact as the leopard once again snorted at my comment. "Since you're this injured, you owe it to me to at least come home with me so I can treat your wounds" I said, as never before has Xavier shown up with such injuries before. He was not a weak creature, meaning someone did this to him with his knowledge. It didn't look like he fought back either, confusing me. How annoying... I would certainly make whoever hurt him pay dearly. I already considered Xavier part of my family. If someone hurt Vincent in such a way, I would show no mercy. I felt a nudge to my side, as I realized I had spaced out again. Xavier signaled me to lead the way, as we began to head back to my mansion. I could easily slip inside but I would have to take Xavier to the greenhouse so to not cause a disturbance within the security. Since my greenhouse had Ricin's barrier, only me and select few could go through, and as long as Xavier was with me, he could too. I would implement the ability for him to pass without me, so to avoid any further harm if he needed somewhere to escape to.
"Okay, lay on the couch and I will get some medicine" I said, and he looked surprised. "What? You don't want the couch? We have to go into the mansion if you want to lay on a bed" I stated, making him shake his before he went to lay on the spacious couch I kept in here for my breaks. I grabbed two small healing potions I had made to heal small wounds and clot blood to avoid someone bleeding to death. Then I grabbed a numbing potion which had light anesthetic properties. I included disinfectant to make sure the wounds heal properly when I give him the potions.
Sitting on my knees beside Xavier, I saw out of my peripheral him watching me curiously. I gave a small smile before feeding him the anesthetic and blood clotting potion. "These were made by me, so no need to worry if they work or not. I tested them on myself after all" I chuckled proudly, ignoring his stare of confusion. Wordlessly I began to treat each wound with disinfectant, using a small towel soaked in it to wash away the blood from the still open but no longer bleeding wounds. I then gave him the healing potion, and watched as his wounds glowed a soft purple before closing, revealing only tiny silver scars as evidence of what was once there.
Softly touching the scars, I only realized after receiving a worried nuzzle on my cheek from Xavier that I was crying. It was new to me to have so many people I cared about, so many I wanted to protect. Seeing my friend who kept me company on my sleepless nights injured caused the dam within my heart to flood, I didn't want anyone I loved to get hurt, even a leopard. It didn't matter to me if he was human or not, I still considered us friends.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you.... I'm sorry you got hurt.... I'm so sorry Xavier" my voice only came out as a whisper, as I softly hugged the large animal, my tears still flowing.
A purr came from Xavier as I pet him while holding his head against my chest. I wanted this animal to know it was loved, that I cared about it.
"I love you, I promise I'll get stronger, so this won't occur again. I promise" I murmured, ignoring the way Xavier tensed under me at my words. I loved my family, my parents and little brother, and I loved Xavier, my only true friend. I loved Ricin, and tolerated Ceil. I continued to whisper comforting words towards the leopard in my arms as I gently patted him. Hoping to take away even a little of his pain. Praying his master or whomever hurt him met a grave end sometime soon.
Before I realized it, the sun had begun to rise, illuminating the clear glass of the green house in a red and gold hue. The green herbs and plants all around us coming to life under the gentle and warm rays of the sun.
Xavier had fallen asleep on my lap, my hand still petting his head comfortingly. I softly voiced a prayer to whatever god may be listening, to protect this beast.
***
After Xavier had awoken, I made snacks within the greenhouse for him to eat before once again he disappeared into the forest.
I had told him that he was allowed in the greenhouse if he ever needed a place to hide, and that I was covered by a strong magical barrier that only people I gave permission to were allowed to pass. He seemed happy, and I hoped he took me up on the offer.
After cleaning up the greenhouse, I went back home to take a bath and go to breakfast with my family. Today would be the day that I would introduce Ricin to the King and hopefully break my engagement with Ceil.
Finishing up my bath, I was readied and dressed properly to visit to Castle by Angie and two other maids, who styled my fluffy hair in two Chinese buns with my bands still framing my face. I was put into a light yellow and gold dress decorated in lace and ribbons, with multiple skirts underneath. Flats that matched the shoes were adorned, thankfully my closet possessed few heels.
My clumsiness has decreased as my training with Valor improved, the bastard had helped in one thing at least. Ricin snickered as I shook my head furiously as Angie attempted to put makeup on me, 'I'm only eight you dumb bunny'
I thought spitefully towards my adorable personal maid who looked so down hearted that I had rejected her.
I sighed, placing my fingers at the bridge of my nose to show my annoyance. "Okay... how about some lip coloring" I said plainly, not wanting my cute maid to look as if I had kicked her puppy. Her mood did a quick 180 as I was quickly tackled by the maids and forced to wear light cherry lipstick. I would never understand their obsession with dressing me up. Thankfully my mother was absent at a tea party today or else I would've faced much worse by her hands.
Walking to the dining room, which looked more like a ball room that could fit hundreds of people, I took my place beside my father who was reading documents besides eating on his left. He didn't even look up to acknowledge me or Vincent who was also on my left. Vincent didn't seem to mind however as he gave me a bright 'Goodmorning Sister' which I replied back with my own greeting.
"Goodmorning Papa" I said, trying to get the stubborn horse before me to eat. He grunted?! Like an old man?!
"Papa, if you grunt like that then I'll start calling you Old Man" I said pouting, Vincent nearly chocking on his food as father finally put his papers down to give me a horrified look. Of course, Father was still young and handsome, and mother would more than likely tease him if me and Vincent started calling him 'Old Man'.
"What do you need sweetie" he said, still not over my comment. I smiled happily now that I finally had his attention!
"Papa, it's not good to work at the table, you should eat or you won't have energy at work today when greeting his Majesty" I tried to reason, but he gave a childish sigh at my words.
"You're right, but I could care less about impressing that uptight pompous child sitting on a throne" My father said, as if it was normal to just outright insult a King. For him it was though, as they had been friends for years, an eternal rivalry forming between them after they had met and battled in the Academy.
I shook my head at the helpless duo, pitying the poor King who had to put up with my father who was only kind to Mother and me, and occasionally affectionate towards Vincent when he wasn't training the poor child like hell was soon to rain down from the heavens upon us.
I heard a light meow below me as I finally saw Ricin awake, my father and Vincent already used to the lazy fairy's tardy presence at breakfast. He preferred to show up when he wanted to, and I could care less about micro managing his life. He lightly jumped onto the table where his food rested.... smoked salmon and caviar. And a glass on milk in a crystal cup. He was more spoiled than me at this point, as I looked at my sad breakfast, a salad with grilled chicken and egg, with plain rice off to the side. I begrudgingly ate my food and as everyone else finished before me.
"Your Grace, the carriage is ready whenever you wish to leave towards the Palace" The butler informed father, appearing out of no where! What the hell kind of training did our servants go through? What did mother teach them? I shuttered imagining it as Vincent gave me a weird look. I went to pinch his cheek but he caught my wrist, smirking. I quickly used my other hand to pinch his nose which made him give a light cry of surprise, making me giggle. He pouted before I grabbed him and brought him in for a hug! He was too cute!! Those big brown eyes would be the death of many ladies some day.
"Sister you keep treating me like a child" Vincent whines as we boarded the carriage, Father still buried in his paperwork.
"That is because you are a child" I retorted casually, me and Vincent sitting side by side while father sat in front of us in the opposite seat. The luxurious carriage began to move, and I hated to admit that I missed automobiles which avoided bumpy rides even more as I grew older and had to travel more. I became somewhat of a shut in after I regained my past life memories, besides the times I went out to the fief to market new medicine or help my mother manage her trade and the company she created using my name 'Rosallian" and our family named combined. It was cheesy but I adored how cute and happy my mother was for coming up with the name. Due to how busy I was now with training, my experiments, helping with fief management, and my mother's and my company, I didn't go out into society often anymore. It would also be my first time at the Castle... I knew what it looked like from my experiences in the dreams I still frequently had.
I gave a light sigh, praying this day would end well.