Did you hear about the Rose that grew from the Concrete? Proving nature's Law is wrong, it learned to Walk without having Feet.

Annabel Northcott

“Father.” I rush into his large room where he is shining his sword, although he has been told by the King that they have people for that.

He stops immediately and smiles at me. “Yes, sweetheart?”

“I-” My mother is dead, and my father has always refused to even look into other women. He just loved my mother so much. But he is the only person I can talk to about this. “When you were my age, did you have romantic feelings for anyone?”

“Well of course, I had many girlfriends by the time I was seven-teen.” He smiles. The only thing I remember about my mother is her smile, she had the sweetest smile. And my father nearly makes it.

“Did you ever have a crush on a-” I stop myself and he looks at me. His dull mint eyes wide.

“Annabel? Darling?” He looks into my eyes but I look away, what I want to say is- well it’s illegal in this kingdom. Punishable by death.

“Nevermind.” I say but my father grabs my chin, his grasp soft and warm. His mint eyes look into mine, I try to hide my feelings but I know I am a terrible liar, at least compared to Grace. With her two eye colours you never know what to focus on. It’s terrifying.

“Annabel, you know you can ask me anything.” He already knows what I want to ask, but he just wants me to admit it.

“Did you ever like a man- romantically, I mean?” My father’s eyes go wide and he removes his hand from my chin.

“No--But--Why?” He seems to think, he just sits there. His eyes were huge and scared.

I look down and start messing with my silk skirt. “I think--I think I may be in love with a woman.”

“Annabel,” He just looks sad, nothing other than sad. “You can’t-”

“I know.” I stand up, the solid gold clips fling out of my hair and fall to the ground, the heavy metal crashes on the wooden floor. “I just- I love her.”

“Have you tried acting on these- feelings?”

“No!” I turn to face him, in the process my hair comes completely undone. The light blonde strands falling over my shoulder. “Never, I wouldn’t even imagine it.” Well that’s not true, I have imagined acting on it.

“Does she feel the same?”

“I don’t know, probably not.” I know she doesn’t. She only thinks of me as a friend.

“Annabel. I love you, no matter what, but I am a royal.” Not by blood, but my family has become a royal, “I have to set up a marriage.”

“I know, I know. And I never plan on acting on these- feelings.” Well even if I wanted to I can’t, not without taking an axe to the neck.

“Annabel, who is this woman?”

I only have one friend, I don’t go to school. Grace and I have a governess, when my mother was alive she taught us both, that’s how we became close to the Windsors. My mother became their governess then grew closer and closer to Hera. Then my father became besties with King Ardon.

And now I am in love with the only person I care about, aside from my father of course.

“No one important.” I lie as I look away.

“You do take after me, you are a terrible liar.” He smiles.

I turn to leave but before I do I speak. “Grace.”

Grace Windsor

I need to find Grace, my mother is--she is just nasty.

As I walk down the large hallway I look up to see dozens of beautiful chandeliers each with at least a dozen candles. I can feel my perfect silk dress treading on the wooden floor as I walk to Lee’s room.

I wish Lee had found another life, Annabel needed a mother, and my own isn’t much of one. Elenore was amazing, kind, beautiful and a perfect mother. Annabel is nearly a carbon copy of her, beautiful, kind, the only person I love.

My father isn’t around, almost always with Lee or some slut. My mother has been low and in hiding. The only reason she is out is because of this arranged marriage with Durahm.

I hear a large bang inside Lee’s room and I go to knock but then I hear Annabel’s sweet voice, “I just- I love her.”

“Have you tried acting on these- feelings?” Lee seems stressed, I can almost imagine his mint eyes worried.

“No!” Annabel yells and I can hear her shoes clicking on the floor as if she was pacing. “Never, I wouldn’t even imagine it.”

“Does she feel the same?” Whom? Who are they talking about?

“I don’t know. Probably not.” She slowly stops pacing.

“Annabel. I love you, no matter what, but I am a royal. I have to set up a marriage.”

“I know, I know. And I never plan on acting on these- feelings.” If she tried to and she got caught, she would be executed almost immediately.

“Annabel, who is this woman?”

“No one important.” Even without seeing her beautiful eyes I can tell she is lying.

“You do take after me, you are a terrible liar.” Isn’t that the truth.

I hear Annabel’s footsteps come closer so I turn to leave until she speaks once more. “Grace.” Then the door opens, her light eyes wide.