Chapter 3: A Whole New Perspective

A knot formed in Rosabella's stomach at the thought of living in a new environment and grew when she realized how far from home she was. It made her regret eating the biscuits that Tobias gave her. She glanced at the two men in front of her. Tobias looked forward as if in thought, or maybe he was drifting off. Marcus stared out the window with a small smile, fiddling with one of his coat buttons.

Feeling the sense of being watched, he turned to look at the young girl pressed up against the cabin. "Are you nervous?" His reply was a short nod from her. He smiled softly at her, "I understand, especially from a young child like you. Would it make you feel better if you talk about your worries?"

Rosabella twirled a lock of brown hair around her finger as she debated with herself. Finally, she looked at him, "Are they nice?"

"Yes, they are, and very excited to meet you. There haven't been any children for the last couple of years." Marcus assured.

"That's what Jimmy said," the girl recalled, "Why are there no children? Don't you have a queen?"

The sparkle in the king's brown eyes faded, replaced by a glimmer of sorrow, "Yes, I did have a queen. She was the loveliest thing that I have ever seen. We were going to have a son, but..." he trailed off, gazing at the ground as if seeing something she couldn't.

Tobias cleared his throat, "We are approaching the castle,"

'Already!' Rosabella quickly leaned out the window and gasped in awe.

The castle stood boldly and majestically on the hilltop with the green landscape beyond. It stood as if conjured out of the storybooks that her mom would read to her. The castle walls were the strongest thing that seemed to go for miles. It was built of stones of varying sizes and shapes, each one unique. They were made to protect those within, to echo with laughter during a ball, and be a shelter for those who needed it. This was Silverwood Manor.

The horses' hooves clopped against the packed dirt road as they pulled up to the entrance. They snorted as Jimmy led them to a halt before the carriage bounced again as the driver leaped to the ground. Swiftly, he opened the door and held it open for them. Tobias was out first and walked up the stairwell into the wide-open double doors.

"Your turn, Rosabella," Marcus informed her.

She stood up and made her way toward the exit. Jimmy smiled encouragingly and held out his hand to assist her down. About to politely reject his offer, she looked down and realized that she would need his help. "Thank you," as her hand slid into the blonde male's, clutching it tightly when she misjudged the step.

"Easy now, I got you," Jimmy reassured the girl.

A triumphant smile graced her face when her two feet planted on solid ground. Forgetting her discomfort, she twirled around at Marcus, "Did you see me!"

The king let out a light chuckled, "I did. It's not an easy task for someone young like you."

She turned back toward the manor, and terror washed over her again. The towers and the large doorway seemed to loom over her head, threateningly, as the windows grew darker and shook in rage at her arrival.

She yelped in surprise when something touched her shoulder. Rosabella's wide green eyes stared at Marcus, who was looking at her with concern. "Is something the matter?" he asked her.

The girl whipped her head back toward the scene. The towers stood tall and attentive, and the windows were bright, curtains pushed to the side.

He followed her gaze, "I know it seems scary, but I promise you that the people inside are just as nice as me, maybe even more so. Speaking of which, there's someone I want you to meet,"

Tobias returned outside with a young woman following behind him. The woman was tall with round curves. Her long black hair blew in the direction of the wind as they approached.

"Rosabella, I want you to meet Alessia. She'll be your caretaker while you're here," Marcus introduced when they were in close distance.

"Hello," the girl greeted softly.

Alycia smiled, and her brown eyes shimmered with a gentle mother's love. "Hello, Rosabella. I hope we get along well. If you would like, I can bring you to your room."

The child's eyes lit up at the thought of her own room, "Can we?" she asked the king.

"Of course," he responded. "Lead the way, Alycia."

The caretaker nodded, "Right this way," she gestured her arm toward the double door entrance.

Rosabella followed between the two adults while she admired the interior of the manor. It was beautiful and well designed, not as daunting as the outer appearance had been. The flooring was marbled tile separated occasionally by black diamond ones. The walls were a bright cream with designs so light that it wasn't as visible from afar. The high ceiling above them proudly showed off the large chandelier it held. Two staircases led to the upper floor of the castle and met together in the middle. A doorway was on either side of them. From what Rosabella could see, the one on the right had a long table and many chairs. 'Must be the dining hall,' she thought. The other one was hard to decipher because the door to it was closed. It was strange because the dining hall didn't have a door, so why this one?

"Rosabella?" Marcus called out.

The girl turned to look at him, surprised to find that Alycia and he were halfway up the staircase. "I'm coming!" she responded, running up the stairs until she reached Marcus' side.

"I know that this is all exciting for you. Just wait until I give you a tour of the rest of the manor. You won't know what to think," Marcus smiled and continued up the stairs.

"What's in the left room, Marcus?" Rosabella asked, trying her best to keep up. These stairs seemed to go on forever.

"That's the drawing-room, where I can entertain my guests. There's a door because sometimes my visitors wish for privacy. It's connected to the hallway and the music room," Marcus explained. He noticed her lagging behind, "Do you want me to help you?"

"No, I can do it myself," Rosabella responded, resorting to going up the stairs four-legged, using her hands and feet, instead of walking. When she reached the top, she stood up and put her hands on her hips, "See!"

Alycia started to laugh when Marcus held a dumbfounded look. Rosabella joined in with the woman.

"Oh, your highness, when you described her to us, you made it sound like a toddler, but I can see that this child is a strong lady," the caretaker remarked once Marcus was with them.

Rosabella puffed out her chest, "Yes, I am!" she exclaimed proudly, only to sputter out when Alycia poked her side.

"Alright, Miss Independent, your room is going to be right down this hall," she commented. Her smile grew wider when the girl pouted at her. "Don't get all prickly at some fun. Come on. I have a surprise for you inside."

At the mention of a surprise, Rosabella rushed out in front of her caretaker, "What are we waiting for?" she called out, beckoning the two adults to follow.

"A surprise?" Marcus questioned the black-haired woman.

"Oh, you know, a royal touchup. We'll bathe her, trim up that long hair of hers, hmmm on that note, maybe a nail manicure as well," Alycia noted, listing on her fingers.

The king nodded, "Very well, but don't go overboard with her," he warned, "She's still a bit skittish about all this, especially me, it seems,"

Alycia could feel her higher-up's disappointment, "Well, you did trick her into believing your little story, and you are a male. Usually, that's a bad sign when a grown male approaches a young girl, especially when he takes her to his home,"

Marcus scoffed, "I've come to realize that. I never wanted to cause her any discomfort, but think of all the good she could do with her experiences!"

"And she's a little girl. Six by the looks of it." Alycia pointed out, "She shouldn't have that weight at such a young age. She should be going to school, making friends her age, and living in a normal household." The caretaker stopped her rant when she realized the words she said, "But what I meant to say is that we're providing the livable standards."

Rosabella was at the far end of the hall, looking at the two adults. They seemed to be arguing about something. Could it be about her? To her relief, they started to walk toward her, still debating with each other.

"All right, I'll ask Mr. Hemmsworth about it," Marcus answered Alycia's question, and the conversation between them stopped.

The girl didn't have time to ask them about it because they suddenly stopped in front of a door.

"Here we are!" Alycia announced, throwing the door open.

Rosabella gasped in shock when she saw her room.

The floor was a rose-colored tile with light grey walls. Rosabella was thrilled that there was a mini chandelier hanging on the ceiling. A bed lay to the left of her, adorned with lots of pillows, a bedside table accompanying it. Two large windows were side by side with the bed giving the onlooker a clear view of the garden. Excitement rose through the girl at the thought of visiting the garden. By the right window was a table with two chairs. On top of the table was a mini dollhouse with actual figurines. She never had the real doll before, only figures made of hay, sticks, and thread. In front of the table was a large white ottoman with a porcelain tea set. On the other side of the room were two separate entranceways. One doubled doored while the other was singular.

The two adults could only grin as Alycia shed some tears. "Do you like it?" Marcus asked, already knowing the answer. What he didn't expect was when the girl rushed at him and embraced his leg. The king stumbled backward before steadying himself on the doorframe. "I'm going to take that as a yes," he chuckled, rubbing the child's back in a soothing motion, while Rosabella cried into his pant leg.

That was the final straw for Alycia because she wept as well.