SIX YEARS EARLIER

"Oh come along Marcel!" A little twelve-year-old Elizabeth runs from a thirteen-year-old prince Marcel.
"I'm coming!" He called, picking a flower out of his mothers garden, chasing her. Their nurses chatted on the bench, watching the two royals play among the garden. Marcel lightly pushed Elirose's shoulder, both of them stopping. He held out the flower.
"Oh, It's delightful Marcel! Thank you!" her bright smile crept on her cheeks.
"Elizabeth!" her nurse called. "Time to go home, say goodbye to your friend."
"Goodbye Marcel. " She faced him again. the flower held in her fingers.
"Goodbye Princess Elizabeth." He bowed low, his slightly curly hair brushing the grass. He straightened, his dimpled smile imprinted. They both smiled again before she walked away. The flower still in her small delicate hands. She looked down at it as she followed her governess. Her fingers deftly moved along the stem, feeling the smoothness. her ring finger brushed along a thorn as she looked away.
"Ouch." she hissed. A dot of blood dripped down her pale skin as she looked at the cut. "Governess?" Her voice matched her appearance. "Why must we leave Marcel?"
"Because Mummy and Daddy need to get back home."
"Oh." Elirose remarked quietly, gazing at the blood still on her hand, more of it now that before. "Governess? Why does skin sting when it is hurt?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.
"Because the things inside our skin don't like the air." The woman seemed irritated with her questions.
"Why does red water come out of our skin when it stings?" She trotted along behind the woman.
"Because the things inside try to seal the hole and stop the air from coming inside."
"Oh." She dropped the hand back to her side, bringing the rose to her nose. "Why do flowers smell good?"
"They have to smell good."
"Yes, but why?"
"Because that's the only way the flowers will be picked."
"Why must they be picked?"
"So they can be inside."
"Why do they want to be inside?"
"Because then they won't get cold."
"Oh." Elirose looked at her hand again. "What if made them a big blanket?"
"Elizabeth Rose Marie Lana Duringham! What is that on your hand!"
"It's red liquid."
"We must get inside!" the woman picked the girl up and ran as fast as she could on her short pudgy legs. She ran inside and began to find a nurse. She scurried around, the little girl in her arms. "Princess has gotten herself in a cut!" A little lady washed Elirose's hand, placing a strip of wool around the cut and tying the ends of it together. "You'll get better now Princess."
"I was fine in the first place. I hadn't died yet."

---

Later that evening, as the sun was setting, the Princess, King, and Queen had set out on the journey home. The carriage they sat in was surrounded by guards and soldiers. Halfway home they were ambushed by robbers. the carriage tipped over, the fight outside echoed in the wooden box. The king drew his sword and jumped out the door, immediately joining the soldiers. The queen cradled her daughter, silent tears rolled down her cheeks. The princess cried into her mothers cloak.
"Mummy, are they going to kill us?" she whispered.
"No. Of course not. Daddy will tell them to leave, and we will go home." he mother stroked her hair. "We will be fine."
Of course all was not fine. Her father was stabbed in the thigh rendering him incapacitated . The thugs moved to the carriage. Her mother was ripped away from her, Elirose sat in the bottom of the box, watching the men look at her. They decided to take pity on her and leave her to die in the cart. Her mother however, didn't get such mercy. Elirose listened to her mother scream and yell before being silenced mid-screech with a sickening noise. The thugs ran after that, leaving the bodies of over fifty men, a Queen, and half-dead King, and a scared crying Princess.
Elirose dug into her purse, searching for her flower. She pulled it out, sobbing with it held to her chest. She screamed and hoisted herself out of the carriage, sitting on top of it and screaming for help. Eventually people came along and took the king, Princess, and Queens body back to Merh. It was a dark year for the people of Merh. The princess had seen what the horrors of the wood held and didn't want to leave her castle. It was the last happy year for the people. It was also the last anual trip to Dobit, Marcels Kingdom.

Notes