ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 21-30
EPISODE 22
There was a firm knock on the door, and the king composed his face, smiling at me, then he cracked the door open. “Yes?” He asked through the crack in the door.
I could hear Master Pedro’s concerned voice in the hall. “I heard shouting, I’m just making sure everything is alright.”
Gordo nodded his head. “Yes, everything is fine.” He said shutting the door in Pedro’s face. He turned back to me, holding his hands up in surrender. “Ok, fine, I see you don’t want to share yourself, that’s fine.” He said. “Should this whole competition turn bad for you though, I may be looking for a companion, just remember that.” He smiled.
“Anyway, the competition will continue, the people love it too much, and I think it is fun. It gives us all a reason to celebrate and I sure love to throw parties.”
He reached a hand out to me. “Don’t.” I said firmly, and he dropped it.
“I see what it is now.” He said aloof. “You’re just like her, other than you’re looks of course.” He ran his hand through his salt and pepper hair and I leaned against the wall beside the door, staying back as far as I can. “She had an attitude like you, hated this place too.
Truthfully, I think I’ll advise my son not to choose you, and I hope you don’t take offense to that, but there will never be any pleasing you. She was the same way.”
“I’m going to go now.” I said reaching for the door, but his expression made me stop.
“We’re almost done here.” He promised. “Anyway, the reason I came, the man who approached you, what did he look like?”
My head spun at the change of subject. The king put his hands into his pockets and waited for my response. “He was short, not much taller than me, so maybe like 5’9? He had dark short hair and his eyes were dark too,
I’m not sure exactly what color because it was kind of dark. His voice was kind of high, and he was wearing all black like the guards but not as formal.”
“Hmm.” He mused. “We will do everything we can to find out who this man was, and bring him to justice, and again, I’m sorry about your friend.
There isn’t a ceremony tonight, but there will be tomorrow night, and there will be the first elimination.
Although, I don’t guess you’re concerned about that.” He said condescendingly. “Until next time.” He said bowing his head to me, then he opened the door and walked out.
No sooner than the door had closed, it opened back up and Pedro rushed to my side, catching me before my legs gave out from under me. “Oh, dear, I heard him!” He said in disgust.
“I can’t believe he’d try to poach one of the girls from his son.” He said as he hugged me tightly, patting my head. “Are you ok?”
“I don’t know.” I mumbled into his arm. “I just need a minute.” I told him, pulling away and walking out of the room.
“Do you need me to take you someplace?” One of the many guards asked me as I walked by.
“No.” I snapped. “Thank you though.” I added a little more nicely.
I decided I was on a mission to find the greenhouse. I needed to feel like I was outside, even if it wasn’t true.
I still felt grimy and disgusting from having the king’s hands on me. His words making me sick. He is such a jerk.
I took the elevator to level 5, assuming it must be on this level somewhere since it would need to be on a high level in order to be able to access the outdoors from there.
I hit the corridors, stomping up and down them, checking every door I came to until I finally saw big doors that looked familiar.
The ornate gold doors were definitely the ones I’d seen on TV before when I saw the clip from Regina’s date here.
I reached out for the door with a sigh, a little surprised with myself that I had been able to track it down.
“Hello, Rachel.” A voice called to me. I turned around to see a man standing right in front of me. The same man I’d encountered in the crypts.
He smiled, and I noticed his top row of teeth were slightly crooked. “I hoped we wouldn’t meet again, but here we are.” He said with his high pitched scraggly voice.
“This time you’ll follow my directions, or I will be forced to kill more people you love…Greer, perhaps?”
“You better not touch her.” I demanded, my voice shaking a little.
He stepped closer to me and brushed his hand against my cheek.
His warm hand.
“Do as I say, and I won’t have a reason to harm her.”
ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 21-30
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