ROSES FOR RACHEL
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?#Episode_18
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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 pas-sed 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 b©dy again.
I jumped slightly when a pair of cool arms wra-pped around me.
“Rachel…” He whispered into my hair.
I turned around to burry my face in his che-st. He had obviously showered and changed. He smelled like fresh pine and his bloody white shi-t had been replaced with a crisp and clean blue bu-tton down. “Oh, Calvin, it’s Fern.” I cried. “Someone killed Fern.” He hvgged my head to his che-st with one hand and his other pressed against my lower back and I felt him rest his head on t©p of mine.
“I know.” He said. “I c@m£ 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 ha-rd 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 che-st 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 wra-pped up in his embr@ce, 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, ti-ght£ñing his embr@ce.
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 pas-sed a guard three times her size. “Rachel, plea-se!” She called to me.
I nodded my head to Calvin. “Let her throu-gh.” Cal demanded the guard.
Greer gave the guard a look as she stomped pas-sed 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 flu-shed 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 n£¢k. “I’m so sorry, Rachel.” She cried into my n£¢k. “I’m a horrible 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 b©dy in your room. I was so scared that it was you. I’m sorry, Rachel. I’m so glad you’re alright.”
I ru-bbe-d the back of her plush pink robe, trying to comfort her. “It’s ok.” I told her. “I un-derstand.” I lied. I don’t un-derstand how she could have thrown our friendsh!paway 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 plea-se.” He demanded. “Extra guards outside of the girl’s rooms tonight also.”
Greer gave me one more quic-k hvg 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 nee-d to see this.”
Calvin reached out and squee-zed 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 un-der his breath. I was thankful as I turned to walk into the be-droom that the b©dy had alre-ady 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 nee-d to worry about, it’s fine.” He said avoiding my eyes.
“Calvin.” I said sternly.
“Rachel.” He repeated with more f0rç£.
Master Pedro c@m£ 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 un-der his hand and went to Calvin, my face inches from his. “Tell me the truth, Calvin.” I demanded. “I nee-d to know what you found.”
“Why must you be so deliberately ha-rd 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 pu-ll-ed out the card I’d seen him with. I fli-pped over the thick manila paper and re-ad 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 killed 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 sp©t in the carpet.
Cal stomped up to me, gr-abbing my face in both hands, forcing me to look up at him. “See? This is why I didn’t want you to re-ad 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 k!ssme ha-rd on the head. “I’m tired.” I said, feeling the exhaustion all over my b©dy.
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 protec-tion.”
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 pres£nce as we pas-sed by them and entered Calvin’s be-droom.
Just like I had the first time I was here, I lingered awkwardly by the door, but Calvin noticed and c@m£ back to me, k!ss!ngmy cheek, then taking my hand and leading me over to the be-d. He sat down and patted the sp©t beside him. I chewed my l!pand he smiled at me. “I feel…dirty.” I admitted, glancing down at my outfit.
“Of course.” He said, hopping up from the be-d. “You’re welcome to use my bathroom, shower, and do whatever you nee-d.” 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, ma-king me blus-h.
My blus-h only grew dee-per as he started un-bu-ttoning his own blue shi-t, then peeled it off of his perfectly sculpted b©dy, pas-sing 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 ma-king 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 h0t water beat against my skin. I scru-bbe-d my face, getting all of the smeared makeup and dried up tears off, then washed my b©dy 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 pu-ll-ed a thick black towel out of the cabinet beside the shower, then padded across the shiny floors to the counter. I dried my b©dy first, then toweled off my hair of excess water. Before I put on his shi-t I sneakily brou-ght it up to my face, breathing in his woodsy scent hungrily. When I did slide it onto my b©dy I was relieved it was pretty long on me, almost tou-ching my knees, not that I hadn’t been more expo-sed in my dress, but something about wearing his shi-t over my n-ked b©dy 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 f!ngersthrou-gh 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 we-t, 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 ba-refoot out into the be-droom.
Calvin was sitting on t©p of the be-d, leaning back on the pillows with a pair of checkered p@n-ts on and no shi-t. He lifted his hand with the remote in it and fli-pped off the TV before turning his face to me. “Wow.” He said with raised eyebrows and I st©pped in my tracks. He chuckled, sitting up and patting the be-d beside him. “Come on.” He said with a smile.
I su-cked my bo-ttoml!pinto my mouth nervously. “I’m slee-ping in the be-d?” 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 be-d. “Now get in.” He laughed hopping onto the be-d beside me.
I pu-ll-ed 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 be-d 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 be-d and pu-ll-ed the covers up to my chin while I la-id my head on the thick feather pillows, and Calvin la-id down next to me, his face only a couple inches from mine.
“You’re slee-ping on t©p of the covers?” I asked.
He raised his eyebrows at me and win-ked. “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 k!ssme quic-kly on thel-ips 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 alre-ady falling asleep.
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Story_Continues