The Monster's Rose

18

Roseanna POV

I kept my gaze down while Briella walked around in her chamber with confusion written all over her face. I don't want to utter a word or ask her anything.

It is waste of time asking her about anything, she would never answer my questions. The whole palace is silent without any maids or guards. Everyone left, the only people who are present is me, Briella, lord Hames and Madame Darya. Lord Hames is talking with Madame Darya in private.

The reason of their meeting is unknown, because of their meeting Briella is nervous.

I took my time observing Briella's chambers to keep my mind busy, Briella's chambers are exactly like the chambers they gave me but her chambers are a bit bigger than my chambers.

I didn't utter a word before anyone after what has happened on that night. I'm scared to sleep in my chambers, there was a great change in Briella after that night. She told me to sleep in her chambers with her.

There were times where I felt her caress my head when she thought I'm in deep slumber. She would murmur in their language which I don't understand.

I believe Briella isn't cruel or harsh. I think she was made or told to be cruel and harsh, there is this motherly touch in her hands when no one is watching her.

Her behaviour drastically changes when she is before Madame Darya. And Madame Darya is not what she shows, there is another face behind the closed doors.

There was a knock on the doors breaking the thoughts of mine. I shared a look with Briella before standing up, Briella opened the door to see a guard.

I waited as they communicated in their language. "Lord Hames is calling us," Briella spoke.

I nodded my head and started following Briella and the guard. My heart is racing, I'm nervous as I took every step towards where lord Hames is.

Briella greeted lord Hames and Madame Darya while I stood there. I don't want to greet anyone after what has happened. I can feel Madame Darya's eyes on me. I looked up blankly at Madame Darya whose eyes flared in anger.

"Briella, if there are any belongings of her then pack them. She will be leaving this place," lord Hames said.

"Where am I going?" I asked straight to the point. I need to know where they are taking me this time.

I need to find the man who saved me that night. He is the only hope left for me in this lands. I need to find him and beg him to help me reach my parents.

Lord Hames peered at me for a minute, "you will be staying in Svarg palace for time being."

I heard Briella gasp in shock while Madame Darya looked away with her glaring eyes fixed on the wall.

My brows frowned in confusion, I heard from the maids that the palace is forbidden. If I go there, I won't be having a chance to search for the man.

"May I know the reason?" I further ask.

His eyes fired in irritation "enough, you hold no position to question me. You are said to do whatever we order you to do."

"I want Briella to be there with me," I speak with confidence.

"No, she won't be leaving this place," Madame Darya spoke shifting her glaring eyes from the wall to me.

"After what has happened to me, I don't trust anyone and any place. I want Briella to be with me," I say looking straight at lord Hames.

Lord Hames took his time, "okay."

Briella's eyes widen before she looked down at the floor when Madame Darya looked at Briella.

"What?! I don't agree to this. She is my slave, I will not allow my slave to leave my palace and work for someone," Madame Darya yelled in anger.

"Madame Darya... Remember who you are and under whose control you are," lord Hames spoke with an underneath message which shut Madame Darya. For some reasons, Briella's blue mandala hands are shaking.

*

I look around the surroundings as the bullock cart moves with the soldiers riding on their horses. Briella is sitting opposite me with her cloth bag in her lap.

The path to the Svarg palace is rocky and hazardous as the palace is situated on the mountain. It is vibrant with thick trees and greenery.

"Why are you so scared of Svarg palace?" I whisper ask Briella. She hasn't spoken a word.

Her head snaps up as she looks at me. She is unsure of telling me something. "I-I have never set my foot on Svarg palace nor on this mountain. W-we are not allowed to enter here."

"Why? What is so special about this place?"

She doesn't answer my question and stays quiet. My thoughts drift back to my home, at normal times no one is allowed to enter the palace because of security reasons and dad is very cautious of who enters the palace as it is our home.

If dad and mom are the King and Queen of the werewolf world then they must have a King and Queen. Maybe Svarg palace is the place where the King and Queen residents.

"The king and Queen of your lands stay in Svarg palace?" I ask Briella. I'm nervous and scared but for some reasons, I don't want to show this to them anymore.

Something in me has changed after the night. Maybe because of the man who became my hope. I know he will be rescuing me if they attack me.

"No...No, Svarg palace belongs to Pa-Paarth," Briella whispers.

I gulp down the lump and close my eyes as the lady's words in my dream start playing in my mind.

"The one who protects the lands of Sharbsval will be the Paarth... Which means he is the one who is the head of these lands. The one who killed my people and told his soldiers to capture me," I tell myself in the mind.

Now my heart is racing because of the fear and rage. If I enter this place then it will be difficult for me to step out.

I know a different phase of my life is going to start the moment I step into the palace. I just pray everything that happens leads me back to my world to where my family is.

The cart stopped making me open my eyes. "We are here," Briella spoke.

"Put your scarf on and cover your hair," Briella said.

"Why?" I ask in confusion.

"Noone is allowed to show their hair here." I look at the soldiers to see them wearing the black long scarf cloth. I used the black scarf which Briella gave me. It is hard to hide my long hair.

I twisted and pulled my long hair into a bun before covering it with the scarf. Briella got down followed by me. Standing beside Briella makes me feel like a kid.

I blinked my eyes looking at the scary-looking palace before me. It looked like a haunted palace covered with trees.

We both followed lord Hames. I observed everything carefully, after walking for the past ten minutes we stood before the huge doors of the palace.

The doors were opened by guards. The hair on my skin stood up causing a cold chile to run throughout my body.

Lord Hames and Briella entered the palace, they are watching me waiting for me to enter. I took a deep breath placing my right foot inside.

My eyes widen as a sharp burn kind of pain shoot through me. I groaned in pain slouching down placing my hand on my left chest where a burning sensation is building up making me cry in pain.

"Wh-whats happening to her?!" I heard Briella say. I closed my eyes in pain as it shook my whole body.

Their voices became deaf to my ears. All I saw was black mist coming to me. I can't breathe properly watching those dark fog coming to me. I'm scared of it and scared of what's happening to me. My eyes widen in horror as the mist covered the whole floor attacking me.

I blanked out for a minute when the fog touched me. Everything around me became blank, all I can see is darkness around me.

I opened my eyes breathing heavily, the pain which I felt went away. Briella is sitting beside me with my hands in her lap. I blinked my eyes looking at the way where the fog came from.

But there is no fog, all I can see a huge hall with a black grand staircase going to the first floor from two sides. I looked up at the ceiling to see how different the whole place is.

"You okay?" Briella asked. I nodded my head. My gaze shifted to lord Hames who is looking at me with an intense gaze.

"Vanya..." Lord Hames called out. I turned my head to my left to see a lady wearing marron clothes with a marron scarf standing with her eyes on me. My eyes widen when I realised she doesn't have the pupil and her eyes are white against blue skin.

"Take them to their chambers, take care of the other things," lord Hames spoke to the lady.

"Yes, my lord." She bowed before turning to us but her gaze is somewhere. Briella pulled me up on my feet. I brushed the crumbled skirt of mine.

There were three women standing behind Vanya a few feet away wearing the same clothes as Vanya and even they don't the pupils.

"They are blind, the maids and workers in this palace are blind," lord Hames answered my doubts.

I wonder why they are blind...

The lady Vanya walked ahead of us and we followed her leaving lord Hames. She walked like she knows every corner and nook of this palace.

After taking turns and walking down halls we reached our chambers. Vanya stopped before the door.

"This will be old lady's, and this will be the young lady's," Vanya pointed. They gave me the right-side chambers and the opposite of mine is Briella's.

"You two will be working in the kitchen. You are not allowed to wander to the rooms and halls which are restricted. You will keep your gaze down and not make eye contact with anyone. Your hair must be covered with the scarf. Your skin must be covered with clothes placed in your chambers. Your work will be starting before the dawn."

I zoomed out when I felt something that I can't put a pin on. I looked around to see what is it.

"Young lady, you are not allowed to gaze around when someone is talking to you."

"I'm sorry," I say.

"You may enter your chambers and take a rest. I will visit before the dawn and wake you up."

I push open my doors and enter my chambers. My mouth hung open to see the room dark with candles on every corner. The walls, the ceiling, the doors everything is black.

I close the doors and walk further. The room is big with less furniture, there is a small bed pushed to the right side. There is a wooden almirah, I opened it to see five sets of clothes. I pull one out, it is a two-piece cloth.

The inside cloth seemed like a long plain frock with a full-sleeve coat that will be reaching the heel of my feet. The clothes are exactly the same of what Vanya is wearing.

I put it back and go to the other side where I saw a set of doors. I push them open to see a huge water storage thing where there is a continuous flow of water from the bamboo pipeline.

"This must be the bathroom."

I walk back and open the windows to see what it is. My eyes widen seeing the open balcony leading to the lake, I held on the reeling and stood on the balcony floor watching the maids near the lake.

From here I can see the main castle which I didn't see yet as the maids chambers are in the end.