The Blooming Rose By Jonniedee Izzo (me)

I started writing this story over a year ago and am going to be adding the alternate intro soon... please leave a comment below after reading to let me know what you think. 

Upon waking:

 "Where am I?" Isabella thought out loud  as she turned onto her side. White walls and a long line of beds greeted her as she saw that the windows were spread open wide to let in the sun and that fresh air. At the end of the room there was a woman bending over another bed where a small child laid. The woman was older and had reddish yellow hair that was tied back into a strict bun. As she stood tall and erect such as royalty.

 "That must be the kings mother" thought Isabella as the woman walked towards her.

"Your awake, O' goody, now dear, tell me what caused you to pass out???" The kings mother asked in a kind sweet voice.

"I don't know" replied Isabella "I was watching the festival and when the royal family appeared there was someone new and everyone started pushing and shoving. I got very scared and felt like I was going to die, so I started pushing back and everyone was just so close!!!" Isabella said "I was so scared and they wouldn't stop pushing me and crowding in." There were now tears flowing down her face and she started to sob.

 "It's okay dear, you are fine now, have a tissue" "My name is Floras and I am the Kings mother. You, my dear, are going to stay with us for a little while and then you can go home if you would like. How does that sound?"

Isabella smiled slightly and nodded her head as more tears streamed down her face.

Floras stood and straightened her dress. Isabella looked at her with wonder, she was so pretty and her dress, even though it was a simple linen gown looked amazing as it fit to every curve of the old woman's body. "Wow!" Isabella said in a low whisper "you are so pretty!"

"Thank you dear, now lets go get you dressed and down to eat some food"

Isabella stood and shakily walked behind Floras all the way down the hallway out side of the ward. She felt silly in her linen dress that was a bit to small and showed her legs as she walked. But it was not like she could buy more material to add to the dress. And plus she didn't know how to sew. Her mother had tried to teach her before she passed away, but Isabella had been young and didn't want to learn. Plus she had liked her books and studies more, so her mother never pushed her to learn. But walking behind this tall straight standing woman who commanded such attention, Isabella found herself trying to not focus on her ankles and calves showing and just walk tall and confidently.

After a walk of about five minutes they came to a great hall that had about five soldiers standing outside of it. "Mother Floras" the Captain said inclining his head as he bowed and motioned for her to pass.

"Guardsman, how are my sons today?"

"Very well, Ma'am" The second guard said as he to bowed his head.

"Then tell them that we have a guest."

The Captain walked into the room and whispered quietly to the King, who inclined his head and smiled saying in a joyful and robust voice "ah, our sleeping beauty!!! Come in Dear, Come in!!!"

Very slowly Isabella walked into the room with her hands folded in front of her like a child about to be scolded. Coming to stand in front of the King, she curtsied and bowed her head to the king and then wobbled as she rose. 

"Hello, would you like to join us for some lunch? Its only my mother and I today, as the Queen and my girls are on an outing to visit the market for hair ribbons and such." The King asked in a delighted way.

"yes, Sire" Isabella said meekly

"Please do not call me Sire, My surname is Francis, I do not like formality inside my own Castle. Yes, I do still expect you to bow your head but no more curtsying either." Francis said in a much quieter voice.  "Mother, also take her to the seamstress. We cannot have her walking about in such and attire."

"Of course, my son. I was planning on feeding her some, then taking her." Floras said with a little smile.  Then turning to Isabella she stated much more quietly "The way he talks you would think that I didn’t run this castle for years, before he was born."

"I heard that, Woman!" The king said good-naturedly as he walked up to the now set table and began to dig in. " Help your self, Isabella, we do not stand on formalities here. I like to just have guards and cooks about. You will find that there are a few woman to help my children and my wife, but that most of the work in this castle is done by our very hands. We are here to rule the kingdom as a family and therefore everyone can give their opinions and I like to make sure that everyone does their share to help out. I will come to expect you to help out in the way that best suits you also. As long as you are here that is, you may return home when ever you wish. Please do not think that you are to be kept here. You may roam the castle as you like and please feel free to ask if you have any questions."

"um, Yes Sire, I mean Francis" replied Isabella quietly

Just then the doors flew open to reveal a sweaty man with raven black hair and eyes that glistened. He was dressed head to toe in a black Gi and looked like he just came from a long and tiring battle. "James" Mother Floras said quietly, her voice seemed to fill the room even though it was hardly more than a whisper.  "ah, Brother, how was your workout?, all of my men are still in one piece right?"

He seemed to glide into his chair moving with the grace of a cat, but his eyes were like that of a wolf, Hungrily looking over the food and the company at the table sitting there. "Your men are fine." James said with a dark husky voice that seemed to run over Isabella like chocolate over a strawberry.  "your men are fine." James stated again "but the Queens are not! I ran them though the paces over 100 times and could still find flaws."

"James, I handpicked those men myself, with you testing everyone until there were only the ones that could almost match you, and now you are saying that after 5 years of training non-stop with the best warriors in the lands, the Queens Guard still has flaws??? How can this be??? Also where is the Queen? If you were beating up the guard then she must be home, why has she not come to show me her purchases?

"Because SHE was helping the two daughters that you created to get washed up before supper." The voice was smooth as silk and seemed to cascade upon the king as though he was a dog and she was bacon. The queen walked out from another hall and stood there with a child no older than three in her arms and she was wearing a long green gown with a golden tassel and carried upon her head a gold circlet. It was a rumor among the town that the circlet had in fact belonged to the Queens mother and that many years ago the Queens mother was a lady in waiting who found great favor with the queen of that time. No one ever dared to ask though.