Chrisom Roses

Chapter 8

Thank you to the reviewers for your kind words, again! I was worried that I was doing something wrong and you weren't enjoying it! Anyways, through a helpful suggestion, I switched the prologue back to the same format I used for the Wooden Heart prologue. I saw their point that it almost hurt the entire, so please go back and give your thoughts.

Thank you for waking me up, guys. Writing is fun again.

Disclaimer:

I do not claim the original fairy tale, but CR's plot and characters belong to me. Any famous songs, TV show/movie names, and brands that are mentioned in this work belong to their rightful owners.

Willa Field

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Six:

The mirror

-.-.-.-.-.-.

Calla massaged the stabbing pain at her head, staring at the mirror with a scowl fit for the Devil himself. Damn it to all!

That damn slut found a way to remember and now there's a good chance they will break the curse and they will have the power over Da Fae! The ginger had won another round in this endless battle between them by fighting to get her memories back, but this wasn't over! She lost this round to that stupid princess, but the war is not over. Not even close:

Not in the least, she thought as she threw a pen against the mirror, shattering it as the older ginger was growling deeply in her throat. But, as her blue eyes stared the splintered glass, an idea began to form. Hmm, she thought, I wonder…

After a few moments of thinking of the new idea and how it could work, she stood straight as she waved her strangely wrinkle-free hand across the broken glass, making the sleeping beautiful ginger disappeared. Calla knew that this new plan and the plan will surely lead her to what she desired most: power.

She grinned evilly before yelling for one of the strongest witches on her side, Zack Siesta:

He ran in her office; his red hair was in a tight braid and his form was hugged by a simple all black robe and a grin placed onto his full lips.

Zack bowed to his queen, his deep, honey-like voice filled the room:

"Yes, Calla?" Zack asked as he bowed to his beloved queen like a good scolder, eager to please her in any way possible:

"Is there something you would like me to do?" He asked, finally looking up at the beautiful but twisted queen.

"Yes, actually there is. I need you to cast a spell on the winter fairy princess's new father, the curse my beloved sister cast failed, so it's up to you now. When you cast it, make sure it only makes him sick and it only lasts one week, please?"

Zack stared at his queen with confusion, a minute passed before he put his eyes back to the floor to keep the order between them together.

"Yes, madam. But my queen, why one week? Would you want him dead—?"

"I have no ill will against the man, warrior. I just need him to lure that little wench away from the beast for a week so he will die. She will have no one to help her save the world from me and we can take over. But I need Willa out of the way for this to work. Don't question me, Zack, you know I hate that. Just do what I ask of you, do you understand me?" Calla ordered her warrior, harshly forcing his eyes up to meet her own blue swirls of eyes.

"Yes, Queen Calla, whatever you want is yours, my beloved queen." He told him firmly, through the burning pain of Calla's claws of fingernails digging into his lower cheeks. He must not show his queen any weakness if he wanted to please her, Zack reminded himself:

"Good, now go. You have so little time to get this done. Remember, you don't want to betray me, you will get hurt." She told the man firmly, burying her sharp claws into Zack's flesh harder to get the message across, earning a loud cry from the strong werewolf and warlock.

"Y-yes, your grace."

"Good, now go. I will get you everything you need soon."

He nodded slowly, bowing deeply to the ginger queen before running out of the room. Calla grinned wide as she turned to the broken mirror, watching her image going everywhere as the plan was going through her mind, and it was making him giddy just thinking about it.

All of southern Da Fae will be hers finally, and no one won't be able to stop me now. My baby will be queen. Calla thought with an evil laugh.

-.-.-.-

After what seemed like hours of swirling thoughts in her mind, a knock freed her from the memories, making Willa drop the rose as she jumped. A moment later, Anna's head popped in, smiling as always. And when she saw the duster, the urge to hug her and everyone else came back to her once more and a grin made its way across her lips as she tried to move off the bed on her own. But she fell back against the board, causing Annalisa to race over as the clothing bag followed the movement:

"Oh my, you are eager today! Are you alright, sweet girl?" The duster asked, checking her head after laying the dress on the bed. Willa giggled suddenly, hugging her friend tightly, startling the duster.

"I'm great! Where is Adnet? I need to tell him something." The ginger gushed, the giddiness of knowing who she really is still fluttering in her chest. Anna blinked at the young woman like she was forming a third head, not sure what was going on in that head of hers.

"He is in the throne room, preparing breakfast, sweetie. Let's get you dressed and you can go talk to him."

"Ok, thank you, Anna."

The duster smiled, nodding before she removed the dress from the bag. At the sight of the new dress, the ginger gasped loudly at its beauty:

The red dress designed like an eighteenth style ball gown: the lighter shade of red covered a shining floral pattern, blood red and snow white dancing with each other into flowers across the underskirt, and pearls lined the skirt and the collar. It was beautiful, so beautiful that she wondered if she will be undemanding its beauty by simply wearing it. She reached out to stroke the silky skirt behind her fingers.

"What's the occasion?" Willa asked, nodding to the gown with question-filled eyes. The duster giggled as she hung the dress before stripping the nightie from her body to clean her and readied her for the day.

"The master wanted you to feel more like a princess, since you are one in the walls of this castle. He wanted to make sure you feel as special as we see you. Beautiful, is it?" Anna stated as she fixed the bottoms on the back before she moved her in front of the vanity to brush her hair and did the little makeup she needed.

"Oh, yes, it is very beautiful, madam. I feel as if I don't deserve to wear such a dress."

"My sweet girl, are you still feeling the aftermath of the abuse?" She frowned at her as she placed a peal-lined headband onto her crown of red hair.

The ginger sighed deeply, turning the chair to the giant duster before placing her hands in her lap, her eyes lowered to them. She didn't want to revisit those feelings after being so happy, but something in her heart needed to voice them for the last time to truly move on with her life.

"It's just I'm used to being treated like a slave and I'm having a hard time realizing that I'm meant for something more than they said. Am I really deserving for this? Am I really deserving of the title of a princess?"

The duster shook her straight head, saddened by the hurt in those beautiful green eyes, and landed her hand on a shoulder:

"Baby girl, of course, you are deserving of it. You need to put that out of your mind. You have a great life ahead here, you need to stop thinking of the past because as I keep telling you, the past can't hurt you now. Only your thoughts of it can."

She sighed as she nodded, squeezing the duster's wooden hand, before she smiled small and gestured to the door. She was ready to see her beast, to talk to him and tell him that she knows.

The duster smiled back before she moved to the back to push the ginger to the throne room in a comfortable silence. Then, a few minutes later, Willa saw her kind beast crouching in front of one of the stained-glass window, looking as if he was lost in thought, and she smiled softly at the gentle expression on his facial features as she moved to his side. Anna smiled before leaving the couple to talk:

"Hello, my prince, what are you thinking about so fiercely?" Willa whispered softly, landing a hand on one of his broad shoulders, waking him from his deep thoughts and his ambers slowly turned to her, and the intense look in his eyes nearly left her breathless. But it was his hoarse whisper that made her breath catch in her chest.

"You. I'm only and always thinking about you, my rose."

-;-.-.-;-

He stood there in front of the window, still thinking crazily about Willa, how beautiful she was as he watched her chest rise and fall in a peaceful pattern in sleep, falling even deeper in love with her as she wiggled in her sleep.

The smile that danced across those kissable lips almost melted his heart into a puddle. It was like she was in the middle of a good dream and he wanted just to touch her, to feel how soft her skin was now. He just could reach up and brush his hand against her skin but could he control himself? Would he force himself stop? Knowing that he wouldn't be able to without waking her from her wonderful dreams?

Realizing that, he sighed deeply as he kept his eyes on her. Yes, he wouldn't and he couldn't be able to stop with one touch, it was impossible. It was always impossible to behave around his little rose, knowing that she might be starting to remember him and her friends.

The signs weren't obvious, but when she returned from her lessons last night, she was a bit more comfortable with the blonde Elf. She even was the first to flirt with him, whereas he was normally. And when he had to ask her these two questions, she almost said yes before she stopped herself and simply smiled as she whispered:

"Ask me again tomorrow and I will give you an answer, my prince."

Was it really happening? He thought with another sigh, he walked out of the room after laying the rose next Willa's head, to keep him from touching her and waking her up.

And he hated to do that, but Adnet knew he needed to because she needed to find her way back to him soon. He just had to wait for her to realize who she really on her own.

He sighed deeply as he rubbed his face, frustrated with himself and the situation but Adnet couldn't do anything about it. Adnet was worried that he wasn't the man for this. It was harder than anything he ever has been through, and although he was happy that his flower was growing into the person she was meant to be and he was helping her, it was so hard for him to be near her without touching or kissing her. He missed just being able to hold Willa close to him, to tell her he loves her, but he couldn't. Because, hauntingly, he can't force her into something she wasn't ready for. After what she had been through in her life, he didn't want to be just another to abuse her trust.

It was harder than when his parents wanted him to reverse the spell and marry his own mate's sister. They even threatened him that they would kill everyone else he cared about. And that caused them everything they ever wanted, and it was their own son.

For years, he had to fake a smile for his friends, not cluing them into how sad he really was, waiting for his rose to come home to him. Adnet was the kind of man that he would do anything to make the people in his life happy even if he was hurting.

Adnet smiled at the bright sun, thinking this was truly a story for the books, a story filled with romance and magic when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see his rose and his heart started to beat faster. God, she was so beautiful in that dress, she looked a true princess in it. And Adnet couldn't help himself when she flashed her beautiful smile at him and she asked him what he was thinking about.

He could have lied and just said he was staring at the beautiful day, but the smile melted him and all his wits went out of the window. All his rational thoughts disappeared, all he wanted to pour his heart to this beautiful flower. So, the beast-like man decided. Adnet slowly reached up to caress Willa's smooth cheek with his paw and whispered softly, so soft that it barely was audible:

"You. I'm only and always thinking about you, my rose."

-.-.-.-.-

Willa blinked fast at him, a blush danced across her cheeks like a fierce fire as her mouth opened a bit ajar:

"Me, my prince? Adnet, why are you thinking about me? I'm not…that special." She said softly, her fingers toyed with the pearls on the skirt, too shy to meet his burning ambers.

She knew that she was more than she thinks of herself but when she heard the low growl and the heated stare in his eyes, all her shyness and low self-esteem rushed back to her full-force. A few moments later, she felt a smooth claw tucked underneath her chin to nudge her to meet his eyes, his wolfish smile warmed her.

"You are, even if you don't see it right now. I see everything you can be, my beautiful rose."

"What do you see, Adnet?" She whispered, her heart beating so loud against her ribcage, she was afraid that he could hear it dance as his arms slowly enclosed around her frame. Her breath caught as he lowered his stout to her nose, his stare growing more and more intense by the minute:

The stare reminded the ginger of the first day she came to the castle, he looked at her like she was a missing piece and he found it in her. At first, it scared her a bit, but now the look made her feel safe and loved, and she didn't want him to stop looking at her like that. Willa felt beautiful when she sees the look in his eyes. Willa peeked at him, thanking Rosabella for bringing her to where she needed to be as she stared back into the glowing ambers of Adnet's.

After a moment of complete silence, his expression changed into a mixture of hope, sadness, and something else that Willa couldn't put her finger on, but it made him look like a lover that just got reunited with the love of his life, and slowly her heart melted and her face soften.

"I see a beautiful rose just waiting to bloom, Willa. And I'm going to help you to see everything you are, rose. I'm here to help you, to protect you. I'm never leaving you." He whispered calmly, almost smoothly as he slowly and carefully moved his hand to her cheek lovingly, his eyes lowering to her lips and his eyes darken for a minute before turning normal again.

"Adnet…?" She questioned, trying to keep her voice calm but failed, he just smiled a familiar smile.

He just hugged her to his chest, humming low and soft, soothing all her doubts and worries away, replacing them with a feeling of safety and she wanted to tell this kind man that she knew everything, and even if she isn't quite sure yet, she might be falling in love with him:

"My prince, I need to—"

"Adnet! We have a problem!" Alec screamed, rushing into the room, causing the couple to fly apart and to sport matching blushes. Alec looked between them before he cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but something is wrong, sir." Alec stated slowly, looking down and folded his wooden arms behind his back. Adnet frowned as he walked forward to the clock.

"What is wrong, Alec?"

"Willa's father…"

Willa gasped loudly, moving to Adnet's side when she heard the mention of her father. What was going on with her father? She asked feverishly in her mind as her heart started beating for a whole other reason completely.

"What do you mean, Willa's father, Alec?" Adnet replied worriedly as he rubbed Willa's back soothingly while she shook in worry.

"I considered the mirror and checked on him as you ordered, and I'm sorry to say this, but he is deadly ill, sir and dear princess." The clock reported in a depressed tone. She shook her head faster, tears rolling down her cheeks:

"Please let me see him, my prince. I need to see him, please.…" She pled barely over a whisper, shaking with dread. The young man bit his lip, unsure what to do, but then he sighed deeply while he nodded slowly.

"Only for you, my lovely rose, I will do anything."

With that, he moved to the handlebars and pushed her to his study, where a beautifully crafted mirror was glowing brightly with a bluish light. The ginger bit her lip hard, looking at the beast who was stroking her arm soothingly as tears danced down her cheeks:

"Just say what you want to see, my rose." Adnet whispered softly, gaining a nod.

"May I see my father, please?"

After that request, the mirror shined even brighter before melting into Grant laying in his large bed, coughing loudly. Willa gasped so loud, it echoed off the walls. Grant's skin was now sickeningly green, his eyes popped out against his face because he was so skinny. She looked for her sisters but when she requested to see them, she saw that they selfishly were out shopping, laughing.

"My god….how selfish can they be? Our father is sick and they are out laughing it up! Why?!" Willa growled deeply, slamming her fist on one of the armrests. Adnet grabbed her into his arms, trying to calm h down but her cries were so powerful, they both were shaking and his walls of strength broke down in a swirling mess. He knew what he had to, but it was the hardest thing he was going to do. He sighed as he knelt to her level, holding her hand:

"Honey, you need to go to him. Grant needs you…"

"But Adnet, I—" Adnet shook his head softly, placing a claw to her lips, cutting her off.

"No, my rose, your father needs you." Adnet paused to put a ring on her palm, closing her fingers around it, stroking them soothing. "You are needed there right now, my rose. You can take this ring with you, it can teleport you home after he is better." As he stated this, Alec and Willa gasped in shock, not wanting to believe that he was going to let her go.

Willa didn't want to leave him after just finding him again, but the ginger knew the young man wouldn't let her say no while knowing how she felt about her father.

"Adnet, I don't want to leave. Please don't make me leave, I just found happiness here. I don't know how long I could be gone…." She whispered as if she sounded she was pleading, even though it was no use, her heart was screaming to go to her father and to take care of him. And Adnet saw that in her eyes:

"You won't be going unprotected, my flower. I'll have an old friend go with you. Now, you will leave tomorrow." He kissed her forehead tenderly before leaving to prepare for her to leave, leaving her to stare at the ring as she wondered why it felt like her heart was crushing into pieces…..

-.-.-.-.-.-

After Adnet stepped out of the room and he shut the door behind him, he crashed against the wall as he rubbed his face, sighing deeply. He always knew he had to let her go to say goodbye to that part of her life, to move pass from her sisters' abuse, but he didn't think it would be this hard.

His love for the beautiful ginger has grew even stronger in these past weeks and this idea scared him more than anything, and only one person knows that will the way to get him alone. Adnet gritted his teeth as he slammed a fist against the wall, growling deep in his throat. Once that Willa was safely on her way home, he was going to pay a visit to Calla. Adnet and she needed to have a nice, long talk.

He closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself before a hand landed on his shoulder, making the young man return to reality and then he turned to see Alec with a worried expression laced to his face:

"Old friend, are you sure you want to do this? We are so close to having her back with us. You know we will stand next to you whatever you decide, but we hate to see you like this." Alec soothed him, still frowning deeply, worrying about his friend.

Adnet sighed sadly, moving to the window to lean on the pan, trying not to scream all his frustrations out.

He wasn't sure at all, the young man just wanted to lock his flower away and throw away the key but he couldn't do that because he wanted her to be happy.

And if he must sacrifice his own happiness and freedom to make her happy, then he would do it. He breathed through his nose, swallowing the tears which were burning behind his eyes, before turning back to the clock.

"I have to do this for her, Alec. I can't keep her here when her father is sick. I love her too much." Adnet replied solemnly, gaining a sigh and a nod from his friend:

"Then she's going….."