Part 2

------- see my previous post for the beginning and explanation of this story-------------

"Rosie! Look who I found!" Her father smiled as he held up a fuzzy brown bundle.
"Sophie!" Rose bounded up to her father, hugging his legs.
"Next time you visit the new pups you must remember to close the gate," her father said solemnly.
"I will Papa! I'm sorry!"
"I know you are Flower," he said. "Now, this little pup looks a bit hungry, would you like to help her feel better?"
"Yes, please Papa!" Rose grinned and ran to get some food for the prodigal pup, Sophie chasing her heels.

"Here you go Soph," she said, placing the bowl on the ground for the puppy, who fell to devouring her dinner with gusto. "And take me with you the next time you decide to go exploring Silliness!" Rose ached for the adventures that took her away from the castle and her brothers.

Willfred, her second eldest sibling had been particularly merciless after he'd found out she'd left the pup's gate open. He'd even conspired with Percy, the eldest into taunting her by making puppy yelps around the castle grounds. She'd frantically ran around the palace for hours that morning, searching for the pup that sounded so close. It wasn't until her youngest brother Seymour found the others at it and whispered the news to her after the midday meal that she found out the truth.

Sophie finished her dining and Rose lead her back to the kennels and safely closed the gate to the puppy's pen. The older hounds were well trained hunters and didn't even bark as she and the pup pranced through their territory, but instead panted at her with alert and insidious looking smiles that turned her stomach. Sophie was the runt of the litter, but Rose had been adamant that she was not to be put down, despite her poor health as a newborn. Rose had tended to her with constant attentions and Sophie seemed to be quite healthy after all her diligence, though much smaller than her brothers and sisters. "I'll be back after dinner Soph! Don't annoy your siblings too much while I'm gone!" Sophie licked Rose's fingers through the slits in the gate in understanding and Rose dashed back to her rooms to prepare for dinner.

Her nursemaid, Adelaide, had prepared a washing basin and laid her dress out on the bed. "Oh child! Your hair is in a state!" She exclaimed as Rose burst into the room. "I'm sorry Adie! I was searching for Sophie all over the place and it took me and Papa ever so long!" Rose tried to stand still as Adie began to help her remove her day dress. "You spend so much time with that puppy instead of your lessons! Whatever a young Princess has to do with the dogs, I'll never understand. Now listen, your mother has a guest visiting from Gromaz, General Cento V'Sluz. I'm sure you'll be on your best behavior and not bring shame upon your family." Adelaide made the statement sound like a demanding question, which caused Rose to blush. "Yes, Adelaide. I shall try my best." Rose winced as Adie found a snag in her chaotic tresses. "My word girl!" the nurse exclaimed. "I guess we'll have to skip your braids for tonight. It's all I can do to collect your curls in these ribbons, but it'll have to do!"

Rose was quiet and thoughtful through dinner, as were her brothers, the elder brothers looking none the worse for leading her on a goose chase through the castle and generally being up to no good. General V'Sluz was an expressive man, and had interesting stories of the old war in the West. Her brothers seemed eager for more stories of the conflict, which, according to the General, was easilly and mercilessly quelled. Rose, and her father of course were far more interested in his stories of the exotic places he'd visited, but the Queen mother's eyes sparkled with interest and laughter while she seemed to hang on the General's every word. Rose judged him to be a man of precision and wit, though there was something about him that made her shoulders tingle. He was lithe and muscular, and when he smiled he showed perfectly straight pearly teeth, but she decided his eyes kept a cold distance from his seemingly warm smiles. Rose felt a moment of surprise realizing that while he talked of his adventures, those cold eyes were staring at her! Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt like she was back in the kennels with the hunting hounds. Sophie will never be like those dogs. I will love her and keep her from all that makes them ruthless like that. Like him. Rose smiled back at the General as he continued to regale the royal family of his adventures, and though the corners of her mouth were tilted up, her eyes didn't crinkle either.

--------------To Be Continued--------------