Chapter 6: Tremble

The light of dawn slipped into Rosabella's room. She rubbed her tired eyes as she slid out of the warm covers. Tentatively, the girl drew back the curtain to see the pearly glow in the sky and the golden rays lighting up the scene.

A knock on her door caused her to look away from the sights. The door opened, and Alycia walked in.

"Good morning. I have breakfast for you, made by our chefs. If it's too much for you, that's okay," the caretaker greeted, holding out a tray.

The tray had a glass of orange juice, a muffin, scrambled eggs, and two slices of bacon.

"Thank you," Rosabella responded. Still full from last night, she started with the bacon. Its savory flavor danced on her tongue when she bit into it. After finishing off the last of it, the poppy seed muffin came next.

As she drank the orange juice, Alycia asked, "Are you excited to go to school?"

The young girl shook her head no and put the empty glass back on the silver tray. "I don't know if I'll like it."

"Well, let's see if I can give you some confidence. To the wardrobe." Alycia declared, ushering her toward the large double doors.

Once inside, Alycia started to skim through the clothes. "Let's see, should you be formal or casual?" she questioned to herself while holding up a green dress and overalls.

Rosabella stayed near the entrance as she absentmindedly brushed through the coat rack. She looked toward the woman approaching her, "Can't I just wear my old clothes?"

"Dear heavens no!" she cried, "You need to make a good impression; after all, you're representing the king too." Noticing the girl's disheartened appearance, she added, "But I understand what you mean. You want something that won't stand out too much. Something like this. What do you think?"

The outfit she presented was a simple black dress with a red overcoat. The coat had a black bow tied on the collar.

Rosabella took the dress and stood in front of the mirror, observing herself. "I guess it'll work," she decided.

Alycia nodded, "Why don't you go get dressed? I'll find some shoes to go with it and maybe something else."

Once Rosabella had put the dress on, she realized how much she liked it. It was soft and warm against the chilly temperature, and she loved how long the overcoat was.

Quickly, she hopped onto a chair by the vanity, wanting to escape the cold tile. The thin black stockings weren't enough to keep out the cold.

Alycia was on her heels, holding a pair of black boots, "Hurry, put these on! So you don't freeze your toes off!"

Rosabella laughed as she slipped the boots on, tightly strapping on the buckles.

"Now, let's do something about this bedhead," the caretaker scolded as she turned the chair toward the mirror. With a hairbrush, she began to tackle the tangles at the bottom, working her way up.

"Can you do half up, half down?" the child asked, her head jerking backward when the hairbrush got stuck.

"Of course, I can," she responded, "Why don't you pick something out in the top drawer?"

Rosabella opened up the said drawer and marveled at the assortment of items. There were bows of many colors, headbands, bobby pins with jewels, and a strange circular object made of mesh. After going through her options, she removed a red bow. "Here you go!"

Alycia took the bow from her with a smile, "An excellent choice," and continued to finish her hairdo.

~~~~~

Horses' tails flickered off the flies that bothered them as they hummed in the air. An autumn breeze carried off strands of hay and swirled around the awaiting king's boots.

A young boy was waiting next to the tall, dark man with his paler skin shining in the rising sunlight. The wind ruffled his head of blonde hair, which looked like a pile of hay. "When will they get here?" he asked, using his dusted boot to kick at a small pebble out of boredom.

"They'll be here soon," Marcus replied, checking his pocket watch. He slid it back into his coat pocket when he saw two figures walking down the dirt path. "And here they are. Now, do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes, sir," the boy responded, straightening his back with a wide smile. "I promise I'll be on my best behavior, sir,"

Marcus chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I know you will, good lad,"

Rosabella nervously walked next to Alycia when the stables came into view. She saw Marcus standing there, waving at them. Her stomach tightened at the sight of another person standing next to them. They seemed to be her height, if not taller, and maybe even her age. A tiny bit of her was hopeful that this was her supposed friend.

When they walked closer, Rosabella could accurately make the person out. It was a boy around her age with a set of piercing blue eyes, some of his golden hair dangling above them. His face would be perfectly square if his cheeks weren't so round, but it gave him a friendly appearance.

"Rosabella, this is Tomas. He'll escort you to school today and help you if you need it," Marcus introduced, gesturing with his hands to each person.

Tomas dusted his hands off on his clothing before sticking his hand out toward her, "Nice to meet you, Rosabella. I hope we can be friends!"

Rosabella struggled to contain her laughter. His hand was still dusty because of his clothing, which looked to be large robes draped over his small frame. "It's nice to meet you too, Tomas." She took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

The king smiled at their friendly interactions and nodded at Jimmy, who was approaching them. "Is the carriage ready?"

"Yes, sir! The horses are attached and ready to go." the driver announced. He grinned at the two children, "I see you've met my little brother."

"Your brother?" Rosabella asked, gazing at the two males. She could see how they would be brothers. They had the same bright blue eyes, messy golden hair, and smiles.

"Yeah, he's the oldest in my family," Tomas explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "The bossiest too,"

Jimmy didn't hear his comment, or he didn't care, as he took a knapsack from Alycia's hands. "Well, are you two ready? School should start in an hour, and it's a good distance from here."

"I'm ready!" Tomas responded before glancing at the girl, "Are you?"

Rosabella nodded and hummed in agreement.

"Alright then," the driver looked at the king and caretaker, "We'll be off. Time to say your goodbyes,"

The two children waved their hands at the adults before running after Jimmy.

"Can I ride up front with you?" the boy asked, swinging his pack over his shoulder.

"Of course, you can," his brother replied.

Tomas looked back at Rosabella, "Can she come too?"

The girl smiled at him, appreciative of his best in trying to include her.

"Only if she wants to. Remember, you can't force others into what they don't want." Jimmy informed him, "There's plenty of room for the both of you if you do want to join us."

"I'd love to!" Rosabella responded.

The older blonde smiled at her, "Glad to have you. I'll help you on the way up."

Rosabella approached the coach and stared up at the driver's seat. There weren't any stairs, she observed. Only little ledges where someone could hoist themselves up. Jimmy slipped his hands underneath her armpits and lifted her into the seat.

"Do you need any help?" Jimmy asked his younger brother.

"No, I got this!" Tomas insisted, beginning to climb his way up. Rosabella gasped when his foot slipped, but the boy quickly found his footing and sat beside her. "What, did you think I was going to fall?"

Rosabella nodded. "I was worried that you'd get hurt."

Tomas smiled at her, "I'm here to protect you, remember. So you don't have to worry about me."

The carriage quivered as Jimmy lifted himself on the bench and grabbed ahold of the reins. "Are you both seated?" The two children nodded their heads. "Alright, next stop, Silvermoor School!"