The Black Rose

  The Black Rose

  By: Diana Sweeney

  Copyright @2012 Diana Sweeney

  All rights reserved.

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  Prologue

  In the past there were no rulers of the land. People were kind and loving to one another. However, over time, a dark and powerful magic entered the land. Those that could do magic soon began to fight for power. Peace was destroyed.

  The world entered into a period of chaos, but the chaos did not last for long for the Heavens decided to interfere. Those that were marked with the sign of the sun were crowned as king or queen. The men and women chosen by the Heavens were wise and kind. They agreed to split the land equally and from that day forward, there had never been another war. However, this peace would once again be threatened.

  The kingdom of Aridale was ruled by a beloved king and queen. For many years the kingdom flourished under their rule, but as years passed and no heir had yet been born, a gloom fell upon the kingdom. Queen Henrietta was heartbroken for not being able to conceive and King Wilhelm worried about his kingdom’s future. If there was to be no heir, then peace would be destroyed for the sons and daughters of other kingdoms would fight to take over Aridale in order to rule their own kingdom.

  News traveled across the land quickly. The kingdoms disagreed on what was to be done. Many had extra sons and daughters, and wanted to take over Aridale. Others felt that this would upset the balance. There was only one thing they all agreed on and that was that only an heir of one of the original kings or queens could rule, but who was to take over Aridale if there were to be no heir was the looming issue.

  King Wilhelm and Queen Henrietta were not only saddened by the inability to have a child, but were under immense pressure by the other kingdoms, so when an unknown enchantress arrived with a solution, they were quick to accept her help. The enchantress handed them a black seed and told them if the queen were to eat it, she would give birth to a child. As mysteriously as she came, she vanished and the kingdom continued to hope for a miracle.

  Their miracle was answered when nine months later a beautiful baby girl was born. She had her father’s eyes and hair as black as night. The king and queen named her Wilhelmina Diamante of Aridale. The kingdom rejoiced and peace was once again restored to the land, but only for a short period of time. A year later, on Wilhelmina’s birthday, a black rose appeared on her back. King Wilhelm called upon the great enchantress of the land, Yolande, to explain the strange marking on his daughter.

  Yolande took a look at the black rose that had appeared on the child. She then asked the king and queen to tell them how Wilhelmina was conceived. Upon hearing their story of the other enchantress, Yolande shook her head and told them that the enchantress that had given them the seed was most likely an evil sorcerer. Her news created mixed feelings of worry and anger in the king and queen’s hearts.

  “What’s wrong with her?” King Wilhelm demanded.

  “She’s not…” Queen Henrietta was near tears.

  “She’s cursed,” Yolande said, “If anyone ever professes their love to her in front of the world, your kingdom will fall into chaos, just as Celewyn’s.”

  Queen Henrietta burst into tears as she held her only child. The king became torn between love for his daughter and protecting his kingdom.

  “What should we do?” King Wilhelm’s attention was directed to the enchantress.

  “You have two options,” Yolande started, “One, to keep her hidden so no man could ever fall for her or the one, which you probably will not like to hear, kill her.”

  “No!” Queen Henrietta said defiantly holding Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina was her only child and she loved her dearly. She would not allow her to be killed.

  “There has to be another way,” said King Wilhelm. He did not wish to take a life nor cause his wife such sorrow. Wilhelmina was also their only child and only hope for the future of Aridale.

  “There isn’t, I’m sorry,” Yolande said before taking her leave.

  The king and queen looked at each other and then their daughter. Death was not an option, and so for now, they were stuck with the first option. Wilhelmina will be kept locked away in the palace, away from any possible suitors. This was the only way they could protect her and their kingdom.

  The kingdom once again fell under a gloomy spell, but this looming doom would soon turn into cries of joy as the kingdom welcomed a new heir. Edolie Marcelle of Aridale was born a year later on the first day of spring. With curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she was the spitting image of her mother. On the day of her birth, it was determined by the council that she would be the new heir of Aridale. Wilhelmina was soon forgotten, but in time she would be remembered for curses are not that easily dispelled.

  Chapter 1

  16 Years Later

  Edolie’s birthday marked the beginning of spring as well as the beginning of the spring festival. The kingdom celebrated spring for a whole week and on the last day a Spring Ball was held at the palace where everyone in the kingdom could attend.

  However, things were different this year and the Spring Ball was invitation only. Edolie was finally old enough to marry. King Wilhelm and Queen Henrietta had already had her engaged to Prince Jerome Alexander of Vanica.

  Jerome had an older brother who was already next in line for the throne. The only opportunity for him to rule a kingdom was to marry a princess of another kingdom. Thus, his parents arranged for him to marry Edolie Marcelle of Aridale. The Spring Ball would be the first time Jerome and Edolie meet.

  The palace was filled with excitement as maids ran from room to room getting ready for the ball tonight. The only part of the palace that seemed to be at peace was a room in the north tower.

  In the north tower, Wilhelmina Diamante, now eighteen, was brushing her long black hair as she stared out her tower window. The prince of Vanica would be arriving soon and Wilhelmina was curious to see what the prince looked like. She hummed a made up tune as she waited eagerly for the prince’s carriage to arrive.

  Just as the carriage came into Wilhelmina’s view, a girl with a face full of freckles and fiery red hair burst into the room.

  “Mina! The…”

  Wilhelmina put her fingers to her lips to indicate to be quiet and waved for the girl to come over to the window. Both girls leaned their heads out of the tower’s window to get a good view of what was happening down below. Wilhelmina and the red head watched as a tall, young man exited his carriage. He was escorted by the palace guards to the palace’s entrance. The man was no doubt Prince Jerome Alexander of Vanica. His auburn colored hair was neatly combed back and he had a very handsome figure, but his most striking feature was his bright blue eyes. The prince was definitely handsome and Wilhelmina was sure he would suit her younger sister’s tastes. Once the prince was out of site, both of the girls instantly began to discuss the prince.

  “What were you going to tell me Milly?” Wilhelmina asked moving away from the window. Milly was Wilhelmina’s best friend and only friend. She was orphaned at the young age of nine and was taken in by the king and queen. Wilhelmina was two at the time. Milly had no memory of where she came from or who she was. Just a first name, a locket, and a dress were all she had.

  Milly was assigned to be Wilhelmina’s playmate until she was old enough to work around the castle. Her current duty is to help out in the kitchen, but she still manages to find time to spend with Wilhel
mina.

  “That the prince had arrived, but I was too late,” Milly giggled, “So what do you think of Prince Jerome?”

  “He’s alright,” Wilhelmina said as she grabbed a brush.

  “Alright? You didn’t think he was handsome?” Milly asked as she sat down on Wilhelmina’s bed, “Honestly girl, not a single man attracts you.”

  Wilhelmina’s bed was covered in red, satin sheets. There was a golden floral pattern on the comforter and a couple small gold accent pillows stuck between two very large red ones. Wilhelmina’s room had a very royal, yet earthy feel to it.

  “At least my hair isn’t always a mess,” Wilhelmina responded as she began to brush Milly’s short, straight hair. “Besides, it’s a good thing I’m not attracted to anyone since I’m not allowed to marry anyone before Edolie.”

  “I still think it’s unfair,” Milly said crossing her arms, “I mean you’re older, you should be next in line for the throne. Why would they pick her anyway? She’s so spoiled. She doesn’t have what it takes to rule a kingdom.”

  “Honestly, I don’t really want to rule,” Wilhelmina confided as she put the brush down and sat down on the bed next to Milly, “So it doesn’t really bother me. But I guess I sometimes do wonder why, but whenever I ask, they switch the conversation to something else. I feel like there is something wrong with me and they aren’t telling me.”

  “Hmmm…” Milly tilted her head in thought, “I’ve known you for almost my whole life and I never noticed anything wrong with you. I just think they love Edolie more because she looks like Queen Henrietta.”

  “What are you saying?” Wilhelmina asked not sure if she liked where this conversation is going.

  “Well,” Milly leaned in and whispered in Wilhelmina’s ears, “I have heard rumors that you might not be Queen Henrietta’s daughter.”

  “What?”

  “Well think about it, you have green eyes like your father, but your black hair doesn’t match up.”

  “I would think if that were true, my mother wouldn’t be as much in love with my father as he is….” Wilhelmina countered.

  Milly shrugged, “It was just a theory. I didn’t come up with it. Anyway, I should get back down to the kitchen.”

  “See you later?”

  “Maybe at the ball, I don’t think I will get a break since everything has to be perfect for Princess Edolie,” Milly said before exiting Wilhelmina’s room.

  Wilhelmina sighed as she fell back on her bed. She had spent most of this week alone since Milly was working nonstop for Edolie’s ball. The Spring Ball usually only took Milly away for a couple of days, but because it was Princess Edolie’s ball, all the palace workers had to work extra hard to make it perfect.

  Wilhelmina spent most of her time in her room to avoid listening to her younger sister complain if something was not quite right. It was times like these when she began to agree with Milly that Edolie probably wasn’t ready to rule a kingdom. Edolie was too spoiled and too young, but over time Wilhelmina believed she would mature. Once Edolie is married, then she will have to undergo training to become queen. Wilhelmina was sure that by the time her mother was done with her, her sister would be a fine queen.

  She stared at her ceiling and her mind drifted to what Milly had said earlier. She had thought about it before. Her mother was blonde and her father was a brunette. How did she end up with black hair? Her parents had told her that someone in the family must have had black hair at some point. However, Wilhelmina checked out the portrait hall herself.

  The portrait hall was a hallway in the palace where on the walls hung a painting of each ruler of Aridale. None of the rulers in the paintings had black hair. At the time she thought that maybe someone might have been missed and didn’t worry about it too much, but now she was beginning to think Milly might be on to something. The only thing that didn’t make sense is why her mother and father appeared to be so much in love? If he had cheated, wouldn’t their relationship have suffered somewhat?

  “What’s wrong with me?” Wilhelmina asked aloud in frustration as she turned onto her stomach and slammed her face into one of her big red pillows. It wouldn’t be so frustrating if someone would just tell her why she was not allowed to be next in line for the throne. However, this also added to her frustration because she didn’t really want to rule a kingdom. Thus, it should not even bother her that she wasn’t going to be a queen, but it did. It had bothered her for eighteen years. What was so special about Edolie? Was it really because she looked like Queen Henrietta? Wilhelmina sighed. In her heart, she knew that couldn’t be it. Her parents loved each other too much.

  So Wilhelmina went on thinking about other things that made her sister more special than her. Maybe she was just not fit to be queen, she wasn’t as elegant and graceful as Edolie, nor was she as pretty. Wilhelmina was quite plain compared to her sister, then again she wondered if that was just because of how she dressed. Her parents did tend to put Edolie in more elegant, beautiful ball gowns while she was often dressed in plain, boring dresses.

  Sometimes Wilhelmina wondered if she was cursed, but quickly realized that was silly since she had never had a run in with a sorcerer. Also, if she was cursed, she was sure her parents would know. However, there was that black rose marking she had on her back. Her parents had told her it was a birthmark and it just happened to look like a rose. She had believed them then, but now she wasn’t so sure. Wilhelmina sighed. She was being ridiculous. There was no way she was cursed.

  Her mind continued to wonder as she stared at a picture on her nightstand. It was a picture of her as an infant in her mother’s arms. Her father was standing behind them. Everyone was smiling and seemed so happy.

  Though she knew it was wrong, Wilhelmina couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like if Edolie was never born. She would then be the future queen and that thought made her stomach cringe. Wilhelmina didn’t feel that she was fit to be queen, nor did she want such responsibility. However, she wasn’t sure if Edolie was either. Edolie was young and naïve and probably didn’t realize all the tasks a queen would have to take on. She was more interested in marrying prince charming and having her own fairy tale ending. Wilhelmina sighed. Edolie did however have a kind heart even though she was spoiled and probably would eventually make a good queen. Wilhelmina couldn’t deny that.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by a couple of maids bursting into her room. She had been so consumed by her thoughts that she lost track of the time and the Spring Ball was going to start soon. Wilhelmina normally wasn’t allowed to go to the ball in fear she would attract a man before Edolie was old enough to marry, but tonight she was required to go.

  Wilhelmina hadn’t really wanted to go to the ball since she had never danced before. She also wouldn’t know anyone. However, when her mother told her Milly was allowed to go, she didn’t bother to fight her way out it. If anything, she at least would have Milly to talk to.

  The maids forced her into a hot bath while they worked on getting her dress ready. Wilhelmina wasn’t even sure what kind of gown she was wearing since she had allowed Milly to pick it out. She had no experience with going to balls and had no idea what she should wear. Milly, on the other hand, often helped out at the ball, and so she knew what would be appropriate. It was then Wilhelmina remembered that Milly was always trying to get her to wear more elegant outfits. She hadn’t worried about it before, but as she finished up her bath, she realized that maybe allowing Milly to choose wasn’t the best idea and braced herself for the worst.

  Chapter 2

  Wilhelmina could hear names being called and knew it would soon be her turn to enter the ball room. She stared at her reflection in the full length mirror located on the wall outside the ball room entrance. Wilhelmina was wearing the ruby red ball gown that Milly had picked out for her. The red gown was covered in gold accents and Wilhelmina felt like she was a piece of furniture that had been taken from her bedroom. She sighed; she should not have allowed Milly to pick out th
e gown. It was definitely something more suited for Edolie. Wilhelmina’s straight, black hair had also been curled and done up for the first time in her life, making her look even less like herself.

  In the ballroom, Princess Edolie Marcelle of Aridale and Prince Jerome Alexander of Vanica had just made their entrance. The guests bowed as their future queen and king walked down the extravagant marble staircase. Edolie was wearing a beautiful sky blue ball gown with white lacing. On the top of her head sat a silver tiara and around her neck she wore a strand of pearls. Jerome was dressed in his dark blue and gold uniform, which were the colors of his kingdom. When they had reached the bottom of the stairs, both joined in with the other guests. Edolie motioned to Jerome to look at the top of the staircase to watch her sister enter. She was curious as to what Wilhelmina had chosen to wear and secretly hoped her older sister didn’t look better than her.

  Wilhelmina felt something tap her shoulder and turned to see one of the maids. The maid pointed at the entry to the ballroom staircase and Wilhelmina then realized that it was her turn to make her entrance. She took a deep breath and nervously entered the room. At the top of the stairs was a servant who was reading names off to the guests below. When she turned to face the ballroom below her, his voice rang, “Princess Wilhelmina Diamante of Aridale.” Everyone’s eyes were upon her and she noticed guests whispering to one another as she walked down the steps. She kept one hand on the gold railing, careful not to trip since she was not used to such a large gown. It also didn’t help that she was wearing gold high heeled shoes.

  Prince Jerome’s eyes widened in surprise as Wilhelmina entered the room. She was beautiful. Their eyes met for a moment and a strange feeling entered his heart. Jerome hadn’t realized how intensely he was watching Wilhelmina until Edolie began talking to him. He turned to face Edolie and did his best to listen to what she had to say, but was too distracted thinking about Wilhelmina. When he turned to see her again, she was gone. He sighed and turned his attention back to Edolie. She was his fiancée and he was to marry her. It was probably best that he forget about Princess Wilhelmina.