ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 1-10
By Painter
EPISODE 2
I could still hear the crowd cheering, some even continuing to call out my number, as I was dragged away roughly. We walked a little ways before I was hit with a gust of warmer air and the gravel beneath my feet turned into something smooth and even. I jumped a little when I heard the door close behind me, but we kept moving forward and I could hear the sniffles of other girls near me. We stopped and I could hear a dinging coming from in front of me before a whooshing sound and then I was being pushed forward again a couple of steps and then stopped and another whooshing sound.
As soon as the sound stopped, it felt like the ground was moving beneath me. I recognized the sensation as being on an elevator. I was always terrified of them as a child, so my momma would let me use an escalator or just take stairs. Even now the thought of being on one made my skin crawl. After a couple of minutes though, I begin to wonder if it is an elevator at all. If it was it must be the tallest building in the entire universe because it had been moving for what felt like forever now. The elevator started to ding and slow down and I realized we weren’t going up at all, but down.
The sound of the doors opening again broke the tense silence and a man cleared his throat. “We’re home, girls.” He said happily.
“Where are we?” I asked nervously, my voice wavering slightly.
“What’s going on?”
I heard a small gasp to my left. “Rachel?” I heard Greer’s familiar voice.
”
Oh my god, Greer? Are you ok?” I tried to pull toward the direction of her voice, but whoever was behind me pulled me the opposite direction.
“Rachel!” She screamed and I heard her feet kicking against the ground. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know, Greer.” I shouted back as I was continuously shoved away.
Big hands landed on my shoulder, directing me for another minute while before we got onto another elevator. I groaned quietly at the thought. At least Drighten didn’t have elevators. I almost wanted to laugh despite everything else when I realized that I was actually missing Drighten right now.
This elevator ride was much shorter, and it actually went up what felt like at least one floor. When the doors opened I was led a little more gently around a few turns before we stopped and I heard a key in a lock, and then a door open. The man behind me gently pushed my back so that I’d step inside and I heard the door click shut behind me ominously. My hands shook as the man undid the restraints on my hands.
“Are you ready for a new life?” He asked and I felt a hand on the top of my head. “I’m going to pull the bag off now.” He informed me and I felt the bag lift off of my face and the light hit my eyes, but I kept them squeezed shut. I was terrified to open my eyes and find myself in some kind of cage or creepy chambers. I imagined bugs crawling around me and an evil master of some sort waiting for me. “Open your eyes, Rachel.” The man demanded and I popped them open on reflex from hearing my name come out of a stranger’s mouth.
Once they were open though, I didn’t even dare to blink. It was…beautiful. There were no words in my vocabulary to describe the specter in front of me.
The ceilings were high and painted a glittering gold, with a huge chandelier that looks like it’s made out of billions of diamonds hanging from the center. The walls were all draped with dark pink silk that cascaded down from the ceiling. Beneath my feet was plush tan carpeting, and underneath the large four-poster bed to the left of the room was a large dark pink rug that matched the walls. I turned to the right and saw a large gold vanity with a pink bench perched in front of it, and all sorts of brushes and pretty little things displayed across the top. In the back of the room there were three long empty racks, and a door that was opened and seems to go into a washroom.
I couldn’t stop looking at everything, turning in slow half circles to try to take it all in. “W-Wher-Where am I?” I stuttered.
The tall Hispanic man from earlier was standing beside me, also looking around the room with approval. “You’re in Castrum De Petra.” He says calmly in a kind and even voice. “You’re very lucky.” He smiled over at me, his tan face crinkling around his eyes.
I raised my eyebrows at him and pursed my lips. “So I’ve been told.” I said softly as my gaze got pulled back over to the gorgeous bed and all of its thick blankets and fluffy pillows.
“What is it exactly that makes me so lucky?”
He turned his body so that he was standing in front of me and keeping my attention. “You’re lucky because you’ve been chosen to be a part of a great opportunity.”
I looked at him expectantly but he just grinned, his brown eyes obviously amused at my confusion. “That being?” I asked, becoming a little annoyed.
“To become royalty.” He smiled widely. “You and five other girls have been chosen to stay here, in our capitol city, home of the royal family, to compete for a chance at becoming our princess.”
I snorted a laugh and took a step back from him. “A princess?” I repeated. “You threw a bag over my head and pushed me around to bring me here to be a princess? Is this a joke?”
He tilted his head at me and narrowed his eyes while keeping his smile in place. “I assure you, this is not a joke.” He told me. “You’d do good to try and take this all in with an open mind, especially since this could change your whole life.” He paused to stare deeply into my eyes and stepped closer to me. “All of this you see around you, it could be yours. You could stay here, forever. If you’re the one chosen you’ll live like royalty for the rest of your existence.” He said seriously. “Please try to imagine this, see yourself here.” He told me as he pointed around the room and I followed his gaze.
“I don’t even know where here is.” I pointed out when I looked back at him. “Much less if I want to stay here or not. I thought I was going to the mixed school. I don’t understand.”
He sighed loudly. “Everything will be explained.” He told me.
“You may call me Master Pedro. In a moment a girl will come in and help you pick out some clothing and other things you may want.” He said disinterested in this conversation now. “Whatever you wish to have, it will be yours. Today you will remain here to become acclimated with your new surroundings, but tomorrow night will be the grand ball.” I could tell by the way he said it and the way his expression lit back up that he was excited about that part. “You and the other girls will be the guests of honor, and you’ll meet the prince.” He grinned and headed for the door behind me.
“Wait, prince?” I asked but he just chuckled as the door shut back behind him.
Once I was alone in the room I walked over to the vanity and ran my hand across all of the things laid out on it. I was pretty sure it was makeup, but we hadn’t been allowed to wear it at Drighten and this looked a lot different from the things I remembered my mother using. I glanced up and caught sight of myself in the mirror but I gasped a little when it didn’t even look that much like me. There weren’t any mirrors at Drighten so the closest I’d come to seeing myself in years was in reflections of glass or on the surface of the water in the small pond out behind Drighten. My cheeks were flushing a scarlet red and my skin that usually had a slight golden tent looked paper white in the harshness of the bright lights, while my eyes looked incredibly wild. They were huge and looked between amazed and terrified, which was pretty accurate of how I was feeling.
I pinched my arm to make sure I wasn’t dreaming this all up, but it stung like h’ll, and I’m still here. Wherever here is. I was always a great student and spent extra time in my studies because at Drighten there weren’t many other options, but in all of my lessons I never learned of a place called Castrum De Petra.
I wandered over to the room that I assumed was a washroom, and found that I had been correct. However, it was much more than just a simple old washroom. The walls and floors were covered in little purple and gold tiles and the tub wasn’t above ground, but built into the ground like a pool, and one whole wall was a mirror. I caught my reflection again, the weirdness of being able to look at myself whenever I wanted striking me again. I sighed at myself, then decided to pull my strawberry blonde waves free from my hairband. I watched it fall just beneath my shoulders and I smoothed it out with my hands trying to look like maybe I belonged in such a gorgeous room, but my ratty outfit and tangles beyond repair made that difficult.
The sound of the door closing made me jump and my face flash red again.
I stuck my head out of the washroom and saw a young woman laying things out on the bed. She looked up and smiled at me when she saw me, bowing her head slightly. “Hello.” She said, her voice high and musical. As I came closer to her I noticed how perfectly white her skin was. I’ve always liked the slight tan to my own skin, and the thick freckles that cover the tops of my shoulders, but seeing her beautiful skin made me jealous and wish I hadn’t spent so much time out in the sun. Her features were small, but her green eyes were large, making them striking on her face.
I had to clear my throat to get my voice out. “Hi.” I respond politely.
“My name is Fern.” She smiled again and curtsied.
“I’m Rachel.” I shrugged.
“I know, Miss.” She giggled. “I’m to be your hand maiden.” She explained. “Anything you need, I’m your girl.”
Her long black curls bounced when she talked. “How old are you?” I asked her. She seemed so young, but the way she carried herself had a maturity to it.
“Just turned twenty last week, Miss.”
“Well, happy belated birthday, I guess.” I told her and she giggled.
“You’re so kind, Miss, thank you.” She said while she finished fishing things out of her bags and putting them up on the bed.
“You don’t have to call me that, you know? You can just call me Rachel.” I said uncomfortably.
“I’m not allowed, Miss.” She said gently.
“Oh.” I nodded, then turned my gaze to the things she has laid across the bed. “What’s all this?”
She picked up a few things and turned back to me. “I’m going to take your measurements.” She told me and I came around the bed to her. “There’s a few things here already for you, but the sizing will be a wee bit off, but by tomorrow night you’ll have all kinds of things.” She beamed excitedly. “I’ll bet you’re excited for the grand ball.”
I raised up my arms for her so that she could bring the measuring tape up, moving it around my body in different locations then jotting down the numbers onto a small electronic device. “I’m not really.” I told her. “I have no idea what’s going on here.”
She widened her eyes and dropped her jaw. “Oh, Miss,” She gushed. “You’re getting a chance to marry the prince.” She giggled. “You and the others will be here for a few months while he decides which of you he wants to marry. It’s so exciting. There’s going to be balls and feasts, and I bet he’ll take you on grand dates. I wish I was lucky enough to do all of that.” She said lowly.
“I will trade places with you.” I tell her honestly. “Seriously, go for it.”
She quickly replaced her frown with a smile. “Don’t be silly.” She laughed shaking her head. “I’d never be fit for the prince.”
I furrowed my brows at her. “And I am?” I scoffed.
“Well, of course you are.” She nodded.
“I don’t know how that would be possible.” I told her, thinking how someone who has lived the lay I have for the past eight years couldn’t possibly be what a prince would be looking for. “Who is the prince, anyway?” I asked, curiosity finally winning out over me. “What’s he like?”
Her face changed just a bit. “Well, Prince Calvin is dreadfully handsome.” She said simply.
“What else?” I asked and she pursed her lips.
“Um, I…I haven’t had the pleasure of being around him but only a few times.”
“And?” I prompt her.
“I would never speak ill of my prince.” She says timidly and I nodded in understanding.
Great. Apparently the prince is a jerk.
Fern finished up my measurements and then handed me a tablet. “Just scroll through the different sections and put a check by the ones you like, that way our royal clothing designer can get an idea of what things you like.”
I clicked on the box marked casual first and hundreds of pictures of girls wearing various types of clothing popped up on the screen. Certain things caught my eye most, like the sheer blouses with lacey looking shorts, and cute little dresses that reminded me of summer time.
Next I moved to sleepwear, then active, and finally evening wear. I was very tempted to put a check next to every single one of the gowns that I saw. Each and every one was stunning. Ball gowns, form fitting gowns, gowns that are short in the front and longer in the back, backless gowns, all of it made my heart flutter.
When I’d finished I handed the tablet back over to Fern. “You’ve got such great tastes.” She commented as she peeked at my selections. “Already thinking like a royal.” She winked at me. “I just have one last thing to do and then you can get some sleep. I’m sure you’ll get used to the hours soon.”
Before I can ask what she means she pulls out a little empty blood bag, some medical tubes, and a scary looking needle. “Um, what is all of that for?” I asked as I backed away from the bed, getting nervous all over again.
“You’ll hardly feel a thing.” She grinned. “After the first few times you’ll be a pro, won’t even notice I’m doing it anymore.”
My mouth went slack. “Um, I’m sorry, what?”
“Well, I’ll have to get more from you every night.” She said crinkling her brows.
I backed away from her some more. “Why do you need my bI.ood?” I asked. “Especially that much of it?”
She looked confused for a moment. “How else is the prince going to know if he likes the way you taste or not?”
I could feel the shock inside me creeping into my expression.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“He’s got to taste your bI.ood before he can decide whether or not you have a pleasing taste to him.” She said as if that explained it. “Sometimes you come across one that just really isn’t to your liking, and you wouldn’t want to marry someone whose bI.ood you didn’t enjoy.”
“He’s got to taste my bI.ood?!” I yelped.
The door to my room swung open and an older woman dressed in a pantsuit walked in with a smile. “I guess the vampires out of the bag so to speak.” The woman giggles.
I felt my heart racing in my chest. “What is going on?” I screamed, backing away from the two of them. Fern looked concerned by my reaction, but the woman seemed to be enjoying it.
“Honey, the prince is a vampire.” She said with a thick American accent. “We are all vampires here.”
I cut my eyes to the door that was still opened and I made a mad dash out of it, but as soon as I was out of the confines of my room, I froze.
It was like I was inside of an ant hill, all of the passages twisting and winding around. It was dark, the only light coming from small round orb lights near the tops of the passages. I’ve only seen pictures of caves before, but this must be one. Everything around me was rock and stone. A few yards down the passage from my room is a door, then another and another. I felt the seriousness of my situation sink in and I knew there was nothing else to do but walk back into my room and face the two vampires. “What is this place?” I demanded.
The woman rolled her eyes and patted the bed, motioning for me to sit there. Once I did, sitting as far from her as I could, she nodded to Fern and she readied the needle. I turned my face away from it as she stuck it into my arm and the woman smiled at my slight wince. “Trust me, you’d rather us do it this way than the alternative.” She winked.
“Where am I? What is this place?” I asked again.
ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 1-10
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