Sapphic Fairy Tales 03: Briar Rose 02

There are some who say that a child's fate is written in the history of their lives from the moment they are born. They say that the position of the stars and the planets at the moment of their birth determines their whole life. Their joys and fears, their passions and abilities, how they will live and even, how they will die. The weird and twisted nature of fate is a dangerous and powerful magic to dabble in.

But there is some truth that the circumstances of our births predetermine the paths that our lives will follow. If we are born in a hovel or a palace, to a ruler or the ruled, into a loving family or into degradation, all these things and more weave their way into our fortunes as we take our first breaths. The actions of our forebears have far more to do with how the tapestry of our lives will be woven than any celestial bodies ever will.

For better or worse, the generation that came before us always lays the path that we must tread, and whether that path leads through a garden of flowers, or a thicket of thorns, we must walk it, and bear the consequences of their actions.

- - -

It was late summer in the Kingdom between the mountains and the forest and the sun beat down onto the pale stones of the royal castle, bleaching the straw on its roofs white and baking the guards in their armour. Anyone with any sense at this time of day was indoors attempting to hide from the heat or else languishing in a body of water and hoping that the night would bring some relief. The old men and women of the town below grumbled that their knees were acting up and that meant for sure that a storm was on the way. But the elderly folk were always complaining about their knees, so that wasn't necessarily a reliable forecast.

Even this peaceful idyllic scene was not without turmoil, for up in a high tower on the western part of the keep a blazing row could be heard echoing between the stone walls. Anyone listening from down below would not have been able to make out the full context for the argument, but the occasional word or snippet of a sentence would have made its way down to them. Things like 'It's not fair!', or 'ungrateful!' and 'never asked for this!'

Anyone who had lived in the castle for more than a few years would certainly have recognised the echoing voices by now as those belonging to Her Majesty Queen Leah and Her Royal Highness Princess Briar Rose. The sound of the mother and daughter arguing over something was a fairly common occurrence in the castle, but this row sounded like it was on another level from their usual spats. The argument concluded with the sound of a door closing with a slam, and anyone who had been listening knew to keep their head down and stay out of the way of both of them for a good few hours.

Not long after this dramatic conclusion to this 'discussion' with her mother, Princess Briar Rose poked her head out of the window of the high tower that was her bedroom. As she saw nobody else around on the battlements, she quickly stepped out of the window onto the tiled roof below and began to clamber expertly along the battlements as she had done a thousand times before. Her pretty face was still streaked with passionate tears and she wiped them away angrily with the back of her hand as she made her way down the outside of the tower wall by clambering over the various loose stones and balustrades which dotted its surface.

She was nimble enough that she was able to scale the high battlements of the castle towers with ease. She had been doing exactly that since she was a small girl and she knew her way around the outer walls of the palace almost as well as she knew her way round inside. In just a few short moments she had managed to shuffle her way along the meagre balustrade around the outside of her tower until she was on the roof of the kitchens. From there it was merely a short run and a jump to get onto the battlements of the upper keep and down a pillar into the gardens below.

As she landed, Briar Rose, or Rose as most called her, brushed a couple of loose strands of her wavy blond hair out of her still teary eyes and ducked down behind a bush. A wandering duo of guards stamped along the gravel path beside the castle wall where she hid, but as soon as they were past she was able to scurry out and head along the path back towards the lower keep.

For the rest of the residents of the castle the sight of Princess Rose dashing from one place to another was a fairly common one. Many said that she was the spitting image of her mother at the same age, but personally Rose couldn't see the resemblance. For one thing she was taller than her mother and skinnier, with long arms and limbs which helped with her climbing escapades along the castle walls. At nearly twenty years old she had had all of the growth spurts she was probably ever going to have, something which the seamstresses were very happy about.

She was quick and athletic, usually able to outrun the guards who would try to chivvy her back inside. She usually wore her long blond hair in a single braided plait behind her head to keep it out of the way and she preferred to wear simple linen smocks and dresses rather than the regal finery that she knew her mother enjoyed. She had definitely inherited her mother's rounded face and high forehead, along with her full lips and pleasant almost cheeky smile. But her eyes were quite different from the pale blue of her mother, they were the starkest shade of deep leaf green, which gave her an almost cat-like appearance, especially when she was startled.

Right now Rose was headed towards the orchards which occupied the lower plateau at the edge of the castle. A place where she knew she could be alone with her thoughts and avoid the ever present nagging and demands of her life inside. The orchard was ringed by a high stone wall to keep out those scrumping for the queen's fruit, but such a barrier was no impediment to Rose's nimble arms and legs. She was easily able to climb up the side of some ivy and was up and over before the next guard patrol came around the corner.

Once inside the orchard, the air was somehow cooler and cleaner, less stifling than the hot air which seemed to pervade the stone castle above and Rose felt herself instantly relax from the high tension that the argument with her mother had held her in. The wide green shade cast by the leaves of the trees spread over the grass and the numerous sheep which grazed here looked stupidly up at the princess as she dropped down amongst them. She scratched them fondly behind the ears and they continued to ignore her as they munched on the grass and a few of the apples which had dropped from the trees early.

These apple trees in particular were favoured by Rose, partially for the juicy sweet fruit that they bore at this time of year but also because their thick canopies and wide branches offered the perfect shade from the sun. Her very favourite tree sat at the centre of the orchard, next to a wide clear pool. Beside the pool sat a low stone bench which she would often while away the hours on, especially when she was avoiding her mother.

It was just as she was settling onto her favourite bench with a freshly picked apple that she heard a twig snap behind her. She snapped her neck around quickly, wondering if her mother had sent the guards to retrieve her already. But when she turned to face whoever it was that was approaching, there was nobody standing there, she appeared to be completely alone in the orchard. But her sharp eyes did detect a slight disturbance in the grass by the stone wall around the edge of the orchard and several of the sheep were curiously looking that way as they munched on their grassy lunch. Rose pretended not to notice this and laid back down on the cold stone while keeping her eyes half open, she knew who it was that was sneaking up on her.

Sure enough, as quick as a flash she saw some movement out of the corner of her eye as the person who had been hiding behind the tree dashed out and moved towards her, hopping from the cover of tree to tree as they approached. She had to give them credit, they really could move silently when they wanted to, there was barely a whisper of their feet across the grass. Rose took a big bite of her apple and held it lazily in her hand as she chewed, knowing that the person was desperately trying to remain silent and hidden. She could see through the lashes of her mostly closed eyes that they were tiptoeing forwards up to her position. She attempted to suppress a small grin as she gently manoeuvred her hand until the apple in it was posted in a lazy tossing position beside her.

And then, when she judged the moment to the right she whipped out her wrist and sent the half-bitten fruit soaring through the air to collide with her stalker as they leapt out of cover. She heard a surprised 'ouch' followed by a scrambling noise and a 'thunk' as the person who had been sneaking towards her fell backwards onto the ground. Rose giggled happily that her trap had worked perfectly and sat up to look over at the person now sitting on the grass before her.

She beheld the scruffy, dark haired kitchen girl called Nadya. The two of them had been friends since before either of them could remember through thick and thin, and she grinned back up at Rose as she rubbed her head. Nayda was shorter than Rose, and a little stockier, her arms and legs more used to lifting heavy things and working in the kitchens. Her dark brown hair was cut much shorter to well above the neckline and her bright mischievous smile was perfected by the small gap between her two front teeth and the prominent freckles on her lightly tanned face.

'Quite a spat with Her Majesty this morning, princess', she said to Rose as she stood up and took a bite out of the same apple that had dropped on her head.

'Ah yeah, you heard that huh?' Rose replied grumpily,

'The whole damn castle heard that, princess. What was it this time? Another grand gala held in your honour that your cruel mother is monstrously making you attend?'

Rose scowled at her friend's mocking words as she took a seat on the bench beside her, chewing the apple cockily. She could always trust Nadya to cut through the crap and calm her temper whenever she had an argument with her mother. As a poor kitchen girl, Nadya definitely had a way of putting Rose's problems into perspective. But this time, her mother the Queen really had gone too far.

'No... Well yes, it's another party. The one for my birthday tomorrow. She says that she's invited all of the nobles and their children from across the mountains and the forests to be guests and she 'hopes that by the end of the evening you will have found a suitable partner so that a wedding can be arranged'.'

Rose accented her voice in an exaggerated facsimile of her mother's voice for this last part, a comparison which usually triggered an appreciative chuckle from Nadya. This time however, her friend scowled at the news and paused in her bite of the apple she had been chewing, apparently at loss for words.

'She's marrying you off?' She managed at last as she gulped down her mouthful.

'Yeah, and it's so stupid. She's been trying to get me to meet 'the one' for years, ever since I turned sixteen pretty much. I've lost count of the number of stupid galas, balls, parties and soirees she's made me go to so that I can meet 'the one'. I just don't get why she's so obsessed with me being paired off! She never did!'

There was a brief pause as Rose finished her rant, which was unusual, Nadya usually seemed to also take delight in decrying the queen's actions along with her daughter, albeit in a way which also gently mocked her for her privilege. But this time the girl stayed silent, her mouth a thin line of worry as she looked up at her taller friend on the bench beside her.

'So tomorrow night you'll be hitched, is that the plan?' She asked at last in a quiet voice.

'Yeah, I guess.' Rose replied, her friend's quiet and seemingly sad reaction confusing her a little.

'What's wrong?' she asked.

Even as the anger with her mother and the whole situation boiled in her stomach, Rose still cared about her friend deeply and seeing her in this demure mood was unusual. Nadya was usually the bright and boisterous one, the one who was always breaking the rules and getting Rose into trouble. But no matter what scrapes they got into or the scolding she received from her masters in the kitchens, she always had a weird cheeky grin hidden on her face, as if she held a secret that nobody could force out of her. Only now that grin was completely gone and she appeared almost defeated.

'It's nothing.' She mumbled eventually, unable to meet Rose's eyes. 'It's just that... I thought that you could... that you and I....'

'That we could what?'

'I thought it was just going to be you and me, you know, forever.'

Nadya blurted out eventually and she looked up so that her dark brown eyes met with Rose's leafy green ones. There was silence in the orchard for a moment or two as Nadya blushed violently at what she had just said and Rose sat speechless, trying to comprehend what her friend had just told her.

Deep down, Rose knew that at some point in her life, she probably would have to marry, or maybe even want to do so. And she also knew that if and when she did marry that other person would also be from the ranks of the myriad nobles that dotted the landscaper from here to the distant ocean. Nadya had always been her very best friend and companion, but the thought of spending her life with her had never ever entered into her mind. A princess and a kitchen girl? Whoever had heard of such a thing? It was utterly ridiculous, unless...

'You want me?'

Rose asked finally in a quiet voice and involuntarily she felt her fingers reaching out to rest gently on Nadya's own hand which rested between them.

'No... I...'

Nadya stammered, as if suddenly afraid that she had gone too far. Rose held her gaze as she saw fear and confusion and not a little bit of excitement cross her friend's face.

'I... I'm sorry, I just thought that we would always be together.'

The silence settled in once more as Rose felt her heart rate increasing slowly as she felt Nadya's soft skin beneath her palm. She had known Nadya all her life, through thick and thin she had always been there, it had been just the two of them together, always. But despite all that she had never seen it, she had been such a fool. The way that Nadya looked at her with sideways glances, the way that she always smiled when she smiled, and the way that she took her hand as they had run through the corridors and pathways of the castle. It was all so obvious now.

Rose felt a deep well of sadness and regret that she had never noticed the way Nadya had felt about her up until this very moment. How lonely and sad it must have made her feel to be so attached to such a clueless idiot as herself. She didn't know how to feel in response, did she feel the same way? What would it mean if she did? Why did Nadya's lips look so soft and delicate, and why was she leaning towards her?

In the silence of the cool shade beneath the apple tree by the pond, Princess Rose and Nadya the kitchen girl leaned in slowly towards one another, their eyes locked together for a moment before their lids closed in anticipation of the kiss. Rose could feel her heart beating fast in her chest, part of her knew that she should pull back, retreat before she did anything she would regret, but another more impulsive part of her pushed her forwards, compelled and uncontrollable.

And then, in an instant the moment was shattered by the sound of a ripe apple falling from the branches of the tree above and smashing into the water of the pool below. The sound and the splash of water made both Rose and Nadya jump out of their reverie and Rose felt Nadya retract her hand from where it had rested beneath her own. Rose looked over to the water where the apple had splashed in and for just a moment she swore that she saw a pair of deep green scowling eyes staring up at her from the dark depths of the pond. And then she blinked and the vision was gone in the ripples.

In the next moment, the sound of the orchard door opening in the distance also broke the peace and quiet of the leafy grove and Nadya sprang to her feet at the noise, looking like she was about to run and hide, afraid to be found with the Princess here alone. Rose also stood and quickly reached out to grab her friend's hand before she dashed off.

'Wait!' she whispered, 'We'll talk about this, I promise. I'll find you at the party tomorrow. It'll be okay.'

Nadya nodded with regret and frustration filling her eyes, before she turned and scurried off into the undergrowth. Rose watched her go with her own mixture of regret, confusion and annoyance that the weird but special moment between them had been broken. As she walked off to surrender herself to whichever clodhopping lout her mother had sent to find her, Rose contemplated what Nadya's confession had meant. Whatever else happened in the next day, she knew that the two of them would have a lot to talk about, whether it would all be a moot point ever tomorrow evening however, remained to be seen.

- - -

As Nadya jumped over the orchard wall to escape discovery by Rose's escort, her face burned with a mixture of anger, embarrassment and fear. She had known that this day was surely coming for years, it was no secret that Queen Leah wished to see her daughter Rose happy and wed to a well respected member of the nobility before she turned twenty. Even though the gulf of social stations that separated Rose from Nadya was vast, the two of them had always been inseparable and over the years Nadya had felt her own feelings about her best friend morph into something more than friendship.

At first she had tried to deny her feelings, to squash them down and hope that eventually they would go away. Then she had fantasised about how she and Rose would run away together and start their life somewhere new and undiscovered, where she wasn't a princess and she was more than an orphan kitchen girl. But of course that could never be. Eventually Nadya had settled on both hiding her feelings from her best friend and passively ignoring the future that she knew would eventually come.

A kitchen girl and a princess could not be together, that was just the way of things, but it hadn't stopped her heart from breaking just a little bit when Rose had told her that she was to be engaged by the end of the party the following night. A small fragile part of her had thought that she and Rose would be together always, no matter what. But of course they couldn't, which made Nadya hate herself all the more for ever dreaming that they could be.

So now she had to trudge back to the kitchens and help start preparing the meal for the ball which would see her very best friend and, if she was honest with herself, the woman she loved, engaged off to some noble toff. If there was anything that could have been done to save Rose from this fate then Nadya would surely have done it. She half wished for some freak accident or terrible mishap to befall the castle in order to delay the princess's birthday celebration. But deep down, Nadya knew that the tender almost-kiss that the two of them had nearly shared in the orchard was the closest she would ever get to a true romantic partnership with the woman she loved.

- - -

The day of Rose's twentieth birthday dawned bright and early. Rose had hoped to take it easy at least for the morning. She hadn't slept well, what with the revelations of yesterday and nervousness about the day ahead. But sadly the Queen apparently had other plans. Pretty much as soon as she was awake she was whisked off to bathe and dress for royal appearances and some last minute tutoring on the proper way to address certain dignitaries. And then it was off to the massive marble throne room to meet and greet.