ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 11-20
Episode 18
I turned my back to my room, facing the black stone wall in front of me, and cried. Why would someone want to kill Fern? She was only ever kind and welcoming to me. She had no reason to be nice to me, I know Greer told me her handmaiden was snooty and rude, Fern was just a good person.
I don’t know how much time passed while I stood there with my shoulders shaking from my sobs. Behind me I could hear Master Pedro’s tears matching my own. I had never noticed anything between them, but they must have been closer than I knew. Guards shuffled around, but I stood my ground. Feet planted, eyes on the wall. I didn’t want to see her body again.
I jumped slightly when a pair of cool arms wrapped around me.
“Rachel…” He whispered into my hair.
I turned around to burry my face in his chest. He had obviously showered and changed. He smelled like fresh pine and his bloody white shirt had been replaced with a crisp and clean blue button down. “Oh, Calvin, it’s Fern.” I cried. “Someone killed Fern.” He hugged my head to his chest with one hand and his other pressed against my lower back and I felt him rest his head on top of mine.
“I know.” He said. “I came as soon as I heard. I’m so sorry, Rachel. I’m sure she was a nice person.”
I tilted my head back to look at him. “You didn’t know her?”
“No.” He said with a shake of his head. “If I’ve ever had any interaction with her, I don’t remember her. Not her name, anyway.”
The thought that she had worked for this castle and been here for god knows how long, yet he didn’t know who she was, was hard to swallow. I tried not to be too judgey, but I felt like I would know the people who devoted their lives to me if I were a ruler. “Oh.” I said lying my head back on his chest and closing my eyes.
I could tell there were a lot of other people crowding around the area, but I tried to tune them all out. It was easy to do until I heard familiar voices. I opened my eyes to see guards up the hallway holding back the other girls, as well as hordes of onlookers. All five of the girls were staring at me, then I remembered that Calvin still had me wrapped up in his embrace, plus I must look like some kind of crazy person with a destroyed dress, crazy hair and swollen eyes.
Calvin must have noticed them too, because he sighed and turned us both so that his back was facing the crowd and I was blocked from their views. “Are you ok?” He whispered, tightening his embrace.
I nodded my head against him.
“Rachel!” I heard my name shouted. I leaned my head around Calvin’s shoulder and saw Greer trying to fight passed a guard three times her size. “Rachel, please!” She called to me.
I nodded my head to Calvin. “Let her through.” Cal demanded the guard.
Greer gave the guard a look as she stomped passed him and over to us. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, and the way her hair was tied back made her look like the girl I used to know. Her full cheeks were flushed and in her eyes I could see her concern. Calvin let go of me and stepped back, then seconds later Greer had her arms around my neck. “I’m so sorry, Rachel.” She cried into my neck. “I’m a ho..rrible friend.” I was stunned, but I slowly lifted my arms to hold her. Her crying made me start crying all over again. “They told us you were missing, and then the next thing we heard was that they’d found a body in your room. I was so scared that it was you. I’m sorry, Rachel. I’m so glad you’re alright.”
I rubbed the back of her plush pink robe, trying to comfort her. “It’s ok.” I told her. “I understand.” I lied. I don’t understand how she could have thrown our friendship away the way that she did, but I’ve also come to learn that if you expect every person to react to things in the manor which you know you would, you’re going to be disappointed by people a lot. “I forgive you.”
She leaned away from me to look into my eyes. “Thank you, Rachel.” She smiled with snot running out of her nose. “You’ve always been too good to me, you’re a true friend.”
I smiled back at her, wiping the tears from her face. Calvin cleared his throat awkwardly and then put a hand on Greer’s shoulder. “You should get back to your room.” He told her, then turned to the guards holding back the crowd. “Get everyone back to their rooms please.” He demanded. “Extra guards outside of the girl’s rooms tonight also.”
Greer gave me one more quick hug before heading back up the hall to everyone else. I caught the glares from Frankie and Regina before they turned to leave, but I didn’t have the energy to deal with them.
“Your Highness,” Master Pedro called from inside my room.
“You need to see this.”
Calvin reached out and squeezed my hand once before leaving me in the hall. I had zero intention of going back inside that room until I heard Calvin begin cursing under his breath. I was thankful as I turned to walk into the bedroom that the body had already been cleaned up, what was disturbing was the angry look on Calvin’s face. “What is it?” I asked him nervously.
“Nothing.” He snapped, sticking some kind of card into his pocket.
I sighed and stomped over to him. “Tell me.”
“Nothing you need to worry about, it’s fine.” He said avoiding my eyes.
“Calvin.” I said sternly.
“Rachel.” He repeated with more force.
Master Pedro came over to me, putting a tan hand on my shoulder. “Now, Rachel, you shouldn’t speak to the Prince in that manner.” He said giving me a sideways look.
I rolled my eyes, stepping out from under his hand and went to Calvin, my face inches from his. “Tell me the truth, Calvin.” I demanded. “I need to know what you found.”
“Why must you be so deliberately hard headed?” He asked frustrated.
I ignored the shocked looks on the faces of Pedro, Calvin, and the guard in the corner of my room, as I shoved my hand down into Calvin’s pocket and pulled out the card I’d seen him with. I flipped over the thick manila paper and read the elegant script out loud. “You should have followed my directions, maybe next time you will…or else.” I handed the card back to Calvin. “What is that supposed to mean?” I asked. “Someone klled Fern because they were angry that I didn’t die?” I speculated. “Fern was murdered because of me.” I said dropping my eyes to the ground, then over to the burnt spot in the carpet.
Cal stomped up to me, grabbing my face in both hands, forcing me to look up at him. “See? This is why I didn’t want you to read that.” He said. “I knew you’d feel this way, even though you had nothing to do with this. None of this is your fault.”
I tried to look away from his eyes that were piercing mine, but he wouldn’t let me. “If you say so.” I whispered and Calvin leaned down to kiss me hard on the head. “I’m tired.” I said, feeling the exhaustion all over my body.
Calvin finally let me go. “Well, you can’t sleep in here.” He commented.
“She can have my room, your highness, and I will stay with her.” Master Pedro volunteered.
Calvin shook his head. “Thank you, Pedro, but I’d feel better if I
kept her with me. She’ll be safest on my level with the extra protection.”
Pedro peered over to me, almost like he was asking me silently if this was ok with me, so I nodded once and he smiled. “Very good, then.” Pedro smiled lightly, his eyes still a little swollen from crying.
Calvin and I said our goodbyes and then I followed him in a blur all the way up to his level. I noticed security had definitely been beefed up. There were 6 guards this time, whereas last time there were only 4, and these new guards were bulky and fierce looking. No one turned their heads or acknowledged our presence as we passed by them and entered Calvin’s bedroom.
Just like I had the first time I was here, I lingered awkwardly by the door, but Calvin noticed and came back to me, kissing my cheek, then taking my hand and leading me over to the bed. He sat down and patted the spot beside him. I chewed my lip and he smiled at me. “I feel…dirty.” I admitted, glancing down at my outfit.
“Of course.” He said, hopping up from the bed. “You’re welcome to use my bathroom, shower, and do whatever you need.” He smiled pointing to the door on the opposite side of the room.
“I don’t have anything to wear.” I admitted sheepishly and he chuckled, making me blush.
My blush only grew deeper as he started unbuttoning his own blue shirt, then peeled it off of his perfectly sculpted body, passing it over to me. “You can wear this tonight, and I’ll work it out for someone to bring you some more things tomorrow night.” He told me. I felt like such an idiot when he caught me shamelessly checking out his curved abs. “You’re making me feel like the dirty one, staring at me like that.” He joked and I wanted to die.
“Oh my god, you’re so annoying.” I said stomping off for the shower, hiding my smile. I closed and locked the door behind me as I got out of my dress and stepped into his dark grey tiled shower and let the hot water beat against my skin. I scrubbed my face, getting all of the smeared makeup and dried up tears off, then washed my body free of all of the dirt and grime I’d collected down in the crypts. Once my hair was washed too, I got out, in a hurry to go to sleep and get this day over with.
I pulled a thick black towel out of the cabinet beside the shower, then padded across the shiny floors to the counter. I dried my body first, then toweled off my hair of excess water. Before I put on his shirt I sneakily brought it up to my face, breathing in his woodsy scent hungrily. When I did slide it onto my body I was relieved it was pretty long on me, almost touching my knees, not that I hadn’t been more exposed in my dress, but something about wearing his shirt over my naked body made me feel vulnerable.
I stared at my reflection. It was the first time in the almost month since I’d been here that I’ve actually seen myself without all the makeup and fancy hair. I looked like me again as I shook out my hair and ran my fingers through it. My big blue eyes were the most striking feature on my face, and my little freckles were showing again. My strawberry blonde hair looked darker since it was still wet, but other than that, I was just plain normal Rachel again. I like myself better this way, but I still had nerves as I opened up the door and walked barefoot out into the bedroom.
Calvin was sitting on top of the bed, leaning back on the pillows with a pair of checkered pants on and no shirt. He lifted his hand with the remote in it and flipped off the TV before turning his face to me. “Wow.” He said with raised eyebrows and I stopped in my tracks. He chuckled, sitting up and patting the bed beside him. “Come on.” He said with a smile.
I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth nervously. “I’m sleeping in the bed?” I asked.
He laughed at me again. “Where else would you sleep? The floor?”
“What about you?” I asked slowly walking that way.
“I’m going to sleep right beside you were I can make sure you’re safe.” He said narrowing his eyes at me. I must not have been walking fast enough because I squealed as he suddenly was in front of me, scooping me up into his arms and tossing me on the bed. “Now get in.” He laughed hopping onto the bed beside me.
I pulled up the covers over my legs and glared at him. “I was coming.” I said trying to sound serious but my smile giving me away.
“It would’ve taken you until next week to make it to this bed at the rate you were going.” He joked, then reached over to brush his hand across my cheek. “Relax, love.” He smiled. “I promise to be on my best behavior, and I’m exhausted too.” He admitted with a yawn.
I inched down into the cool bed and pulled the covers up to my chin while I laid my head on the thick feather pillows, and Calvin laid down next to me, his face only a couple inches from mine.
“You’re sleeping on top of the covers?” I asked.
He raised his eyebrows at me and winked. “Well, I know you wish I wouldn’t, but you’d probably get too cold if I didn’t.”
“I was only asking.” I said rolling my eyes.
“And I was only teasing.” Cal laughed, then inched closer to kiss me quickly on the lips before laying back down on his own pillow.
“Goodnight, Rachel.”
I grinned in the darkness. “It’s morning time, but goodnight anyway.”
Cal sighed. “I think I could get used to this.” He whispered and before I could ask what he meant, I was already falling asleep.
ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 11-20
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