23 Rhoswen Solone

_Rhoswen Solone_

When their hands had met, her body went stiff and her eyes rolled back into her head. She did not even have enough time to realize she was falling before she was bombarded with the visions. The first thing she saw was the black hair, the sounds of swords, and grunts from the exertion.

She caught glimpses of the girls face for the first time but then a new scene came to her. A crown. But who's crown? Blood slowly dripped onto the crown, seemingly in slow motion. It was a message of sorts. Next she saw her sister, Rosaline, walking down an unfamiliar castle hallway. This hallway was far more extravagant than their home, but she could not make out where it was. Her questions were soon answered as her sister walked into the Denheim throne room, bowing to the king. "Your majesty," she said softly and the vision came to a close.

The next she saw, the black haired girl was being dragged down into a dungeon crying. Rhoswen saw glimpses of her cursing the king's name as she was being thrown into a cell. Next she saw Ryus and Kehan being escorted by guards, their hands bound as if they were prisoners- but she never saw where to.

Rhoswen was finally able to catch her breath and push her self from the floor, seeing both of the foreign boy's eyes on her. She opened her mouth to reassure the two that she was fine, but she was plunged into more visions, her eyes rolling back again and her body seizing.

 Most times she merely froze, her muscles locking up, but when her body was under too much stress she seized, shaking violently. No doubt Ser Dane was trying to wake her, but she could not hear a thing save for what the vision was going to show her.

Bright yellow honey eyes stared into hers menacingly, before they blinked and the scene unfolded to show a crowd of fair haired people, their ears long and pointed. They crowded around to watch as the yellow eyed man was led up to a block. They stood there repeating things in a language she had never before heard.

They said the same thing a few times to the scary yellow eyed man whose hair was an array of wild red and black. His ears were not pointed like the rest of them, and nor was he as cleanly and well kept as anyone else there. He defied whatever it was that was being commanded of him and laughed at them all. Guards forced him to his knees and one man came forward, carrying with him a great axe. She saw a flash of snow white hair before the vision cut off.

She heard the many haunting cries of soldiers in the dark before a sword clanged to the ground, it's glowing blue hue fading away into nothing. And with that fading glow, the visions faded away.

When she woke, she was breathing heavily, blinking away the stars that clouded her vision. Her head pounded as what she had seen dawned on her. She tried to speak but it came out jumbled. A tickle at her lip had her wiping her nose, only to find that it was bleeding again.

"Take a breath, Lady Rhoswen." Ser Dane said as he held her upright on the floor. She blinked a couple of times before his face was clear to her.

"What was that? What happened?" Ryus asked with concern.

"A vision," She answered with a shaky breath. Ser Dane said nothing of this. Rhoswen knew he did not believe these visions. His only job here was to watch over her with the prisoners. The knight merely served her father.

"That is what happens when you see things?" Ryus asked her, baffled.

"When I am awake, yes,"

"That is horrible-"

"Ryus!" Kehan spoke now, scolding the boy for being rude in their naitive language.

"My sister is going to the capital," She said now. "One of the seven there is going to be put in the dungeons- and I saw the seventh person." She summarized briefly. 

"I saw many more things, but they were all confusing, I did not know what to make of them."

"What else had you seen?" Kehan asked her.

"A bloody crown- one I have seen before. I do not know what it means. I had also heard soldiers yelling and a sword- it glowed blue."

"A glowing sword?" Ryus asked skeptically.

"Aye, but it could be a metaphor- not all appears clear to me"

"What might a bloody crown and a glowing sword mean?" Kehan asked thoughtfully now, his hand coming to rest on his chin.

"Firstly, are you alright?" Ryus asked Rhoswen.

"Yes,"

"But your nose- you bleed," he pointed out.

She wiped at the blood again. "It happens sometimes. I will not last long." She assured him, even though her head hurt so bad it felt as though it might fall off her neck at any moment. Her muscles hurt quite a bit as well, but she was not done talking to these two just yet. "Ser Dane, please help me stand."

The knight did as she asked, and helped her to her feet, keeping a steady hand on her to help with her balance. "Perhaps you should rest for now, my lady"

"No, we should keep talking- it is important," She said, stepping away from the knight and swaying a bit. He held out a hand to balance her once more but she pushed it away and steadied herself by holding onto the bars of the cell in front of her.

Before anyone could object, she continued on talking. "The red crown could mean the death of a noble," She pointed out to them. "I am not so sure about the sword.

"Ser Dane is right, my lady," Kehan pointed out. "You should rest."

"What. Do. You. Think. The. Sword. Means?" She asked through clenched teeth.

Ryus and Kehan looked between themselves, unsure about continuing on, but eventually Kehan spoke up again. "You said you heard soldiers, the sword could point to war- though I do not know why it would be blue." He reasoned.

"It was glowing but then it went out," She explained. "Perhaps someone important dies?" 

Kehan nodded and thought to himself. "That does point back to the direction of nobility... Ryus?"

Ryus's brows raised. "I do not know, this all sounds far fetched to me."

Rhoswen looked at him, determination etched across her pretty features. "Watch. My sister will go to Denheim-"

"Yes but what if that is something you already know now?" He shot back at her.

Rhoswen opened her mouth to respond but fell short, closing it and looking down in thought for a moment. After that moment past, she looked to Ser Dane. "You are close to my father, aren't you Ser Dane?" Wouldn't you know if Rosaline was going to Denheim or not?"

A conflicted expression crossed the knights face as he looked between Rhoswen and the two prisoners. "I am normally not allowed to speak of private matters such as this, but I will tell you just this once as it seems safe enough to utter aloud," He agreed. "As far as I have been informed, Rosaline is not going anywhere."

"If she does go to the capital, you must promise me something, Ser Dane." Rhoswen said in all seriousness.

Ser Dane gave her a quizzical look. "I can not promise you anything, my lady. My first duties are sworn to your father,"

"Then I will make him agree," She said simply.

"You will be asking much from your father, I'm afraid the man will only agree to so much."

She sighed. "Then you ask him. Ask him once it is known that Rosaline goes to the capital."

"And what is it that I am to ask?"

"Ask him if you can accompany her- to keep her safe. The royal court is a dangerous place, she will need someone she can trust there with her. And bring my maid servant, Katrina. She has been good to me, and will thus be good to Rosaline."

"But then you will have no one," The knight reasoned.

Rhoswen shook her head. "I will have father, and my brother Briar, and these two- until they leave."

"We are leaving?" Ryus asked now.

Rhoswen turned to the two foreign men now. "I forgot to mention in my haste, that I saw you two being escorted by guards. I do not know to where but I assume it is merely to my father here, so I would not worry... though it did look like you were leaving so I do not know. We can only wait and see..." she said now, thinking aloud. 

"I have something to ask of both of you now," She said to the two.

Ryus gave her a weary look. "What is it?"

"In order to get you out of here sooner, I would ask that you swear an oath to me, as knights.

"The west does not have knights," Kehan spoke up.

"It is important," Rhoswen pressed.

"He has a point, my lady." Ser Dane said. "They could swear up and down but at the end of the day, they had deserted their side. Your father will not believe them if they were to swear to you as they had their military. Not to mention, they do not understand the entirety of what a knight code entails."

"Then you will teach them what it entails," She said simply.

"Once more, my lady, it is not that simple-"

"Ser Dane, when I ask something of you, it is not because I think it is easy. But I trust you to be a capable man. And I will see you carry out my orders unless my father interrupts, because it is as you said. You are sworn to him. But in swearing to him, you are thus sworn to me and my entire house."

"Pardon me, my lady, but that is not how it works..."

She blushed at being wrong. Had she misread? Rhoswen needed to catch up on her studying. "I- I apologize then," She said, embarrassed now. "I still ask you to do these things for me. It is important." She pressed, biting her lip and looking to the floor. She had been so rude, thinking she had full authority over him... The girl had nearly felt like an adult talking about her vision and making plans with the foreigners. It had been easy to forget she was merely a girl of twelve years, only mature for her age. 

Ser Dane was quiet for an uncomfortable amount of time before he nodded. "I make no promises. But I will see what I can do."

Rhoswen smiled, and looked to him gratefully. "Thank you, Ser Dane. I... I apologize for my behavior-"

"There is no need. It is all alright."

"If it is as you say," She gave him a single gracious nod. Now she turned back to Ryus and Kehan. "If it comes to be that it is allowed, will you two become knights?"

"Only will I answer, once I know what being a knight means," Ryus answered her.

"I second that." Kehan said now.

"So be it," Rhoswen said with a nod. "And what of your faith in me? Do you believe me yet?"

Ryus looked at her in a conflicted manner. He seemed to hesitate before he spoke. "I know what I have heard, and what I have seen. I still have six months to decide, don't I?"

Rhoswen was a bit saddened to hear that he still was undecided, but he was still open to the thought, so she was open to waiting for his faith. "Aye. Six months time. It seems as though you may have to believe me sooner than that." She told him with confidence.

"Does your Knight believe you?" He asked her now, curious.

Rhoswen's eyes widened and she turned to face her knight. Her mouth tasted bitter as she waited for his answer.

Ser Dane looked from Rhoswen to the two foreigners before he spoke with hesitation. "I... want to believe our lady." He said now.

"That was not my question," Ryus pointed out with sharp eyes staring down the knight.

"I suppose it all seems a little far fetched. I am with you on this. I do not quite believe it. I have known my lady since she was born, and she has been right about the things she has said... I await the time I come to believe her, as you do." He spoke now, and Ryus nodded, satisfied with this answer. 

Rhoswen slipped from the bars, and Ser Dane caught her. She gave a faint smile. "I think it is about time I head to my chambers..." She said now. "I will see about getting you both more food and none of that prison slop." He said with the wrinkle of her nose. "And I will do my best to get you out of here." She promised them.