Rosemarie's POV
I stood outside in a pale blue, plain, modest dress that fell to my knees, with white stockings and simple black shoes. My luscious, dark hair sat in a neat bun. No makeup was powdered onto my face. No adornment sparkled my ensemble.
After the death of my mother, Lady Janine Mazur, I had found no reason to be the center of attention. I hid behind plain clothes, despite being a nobleman's daughter, and only had a few friends. Even though I had always been a beautiful girl—a young woman with soft curves, flawless skin, dark chestnut eyes, and gorgeous hair—I didn't flaunt or exploit it. I believed that beauty came from within, and it should be viewed as an undiscovered, masked treasure.
Kindness, love, and a pure heart was all that mattered.
The sky was nearly black, and the utter grimness of the clouds threatened to depress me. A strong, earthy smell filled my senses—rain was approaching. Suddenly, the sound of wooden wheels bouncing along cobblestones surfaced. A fanciful carriage stopped in front of Mazur Manor, the sophisticated coachmen abandoning the reins to attend to the passengers. A black door opened to reveal three ladies clad in delicate, expensive clothing. Their dresses were colorful and wide as they walked to me, haughty looks etched onto their pale faces.
"Excuse me, housemaid, but do you know where Lord Mazur is?" asked the older woman in a snotty voice, her jade-green eyes staring with obvious disgust.
I gave a polite smile despite the hurt stabbing at my chest. "I'm sorry, madam, but I am not a housemaid. I am Rosemarie Mazur, your stepdaughter," I corrected as dignified as possible.
She blinked in surprise, her action mirrored by the two, younger ladies that seemed to be my age. The woman placed a hand to her throat. "Oh, you're my husband's daughter?" She gave a scrutinizing, judgmental look before pretending to be nice and sincere. "Please forgive me, dear, I had no idea. I am Lady Rhea Dragomir, your new stepmother. And these are your new stepsisters, Vasilisa and Jillian," she introduced, gesturing to them.
I hoped these girls were nice...Their mother already wasn't...
And the last thing I needed in my life was torment.
Putting my hand out, I said, "Pleased to meet you, Lady Dragomir." Even though I had implied that I was a lord's daughter, she pursed her thin lips and frowned at me like some peasant. When my stepmother refused to make contact, I dropped my hand and held my head down, silent as the dead. She gave a cruel laugh that sent shivers down my spine. I had a sudden urge to bolt into the manor and lock myself in my bedchamber.
Suddenly, Vasilisa came forward, followed by Jillian. They held out their hands. "It's great to—" Rhea stopped her daughters from finishing by sending them a sharp glare. The girls obeyed, much to my dismay, and folded their slender arms over their small chests, copying their mother's glare. It was getting so uncomfortable that I just decided to talk.
"So, do you have any luggage?" I wondered kindly.
Rhea gestured to the parked carriage with a gloved hand, the silk fabric seeming stark against the dark sky. "Yes. It's in the passenger area. The coachmen will help you," she answered haughtily, her pale green eyes filled with absolute disgust again. I kept my gaze down as I walked over to the carriage and began taking out leather suitcases. They had so many that it was borderline ridiculous.
I struggled getting them into the manor, my legs buckling as I moved. Rhea, Vasilisa, and Jillian just stood aside watching me in sickening amusement as I made a fool of myself. When I reached the steps, my foot missed one and I tumbled to the concrete, scraping my stockings and dropping all the suitcases. My stepmother and stepsisters cackled maliciously as they incredibly belittled me. Tears threatened to erupt, but I held them back and remained strong.
There was no way I would let them break me.
After recovering, I stood up and dusted off my dress. There were a few smudge marks from the fall, but it could be easily cleaned out. Right then, my father came out and rushed to me. His presence made the cackling cease. I was glad. "Rosemarie, are you all right?" he asked concernedly, gazing down at my dirty dress and ruined stockings. A horrified look crossed his tanned, handsome face. "Good heavens, what happened to you?"
I kept my eyes away from my wicked stepfamily. "I fell," was all I replied. Father looked me in the eye, searching for truth—it was as if I was staring at myself in a mirror, since we shared the same eye color. He arched an eyebrow in disbelief before nodding and leaving me alone. Father's gaze traveled to Rhea, who instantly put on a sultry smile. She ran into his arms, pressing her body into his. I shuddered.
"Ibrahim! I'm so glad to finally see you, sweetheart," Rhea squealed like a little girl. She pulled back but the proximity was still close. "We left our manor right after lunch, but the ride took ages and the road was painfully bumpy. It was dreadful! The girls and I are so happy to move in," she said sweetly, as if she meant it, as if she loved the idea of becoming one, big, happy family.
Father smiled at Vasilisa and Jillian. "Welcome to your new home, girls. I'm looking forward to you becoming my new daughters and you gaining a new sister," he said wholeheartedly, his chestnut-brown eyes sparkling. They beamed at hearing him accept them as his children, but they scowled at me once he mentioned me as their new sister. I tried to look friendly, yet their glossed lips puckered and their styled hair swung as they turned away.
Father didn't seem to notice—he was too happy.
Rhea, however, grinned evilly and sent me a tortuous stare. This new life was going to be very difficult.
A drop of rain suddenly splattered onto my hair. I cocked my head back and got splattered again on my cheek. Wiping the wetness away, I said, "Father, it is beginning to rain. We must all get inside." Immediately, Vasilisa and Jillian screamed like pansies and clutched Rhea, whining about how they couldn't get their precious dresses wet and ruined.
Father witnessed their behavior and quickly ushered all the ladies inside. I stood alone as the rain fell harder, my hair falling out of its bun, my clothes and shoes becoming soaked. The carriage drove away as the coachmen realized the weather wasn't going to get better. I was finally about to go inside the warm manor when I realized that the leather luggage was still on the concrete. Sighing, I bent down and gathered them in my arms, raindrops dampening the material.
I hoped my stepmother and stepsisters wouldn't be upset, but knowing them, they definitely would be.
Rosemarie's POVAfter delivering Rhea, Vasilisa, and Jillian's overwhelmingly heavy suitcases, I went upstairs to my bedchamber. My pale blue dress was dark from nearly being drenched, and the fabric irritated my skin, as if it was viciously glued to me. My poor stockings were ripped, my sturdy shoes were squishing with rainwater, and my beautiful hair was so wet and tangled that I just wanted to pull it out.Sad and frustrated, I yanked off all my clothes and laid them out on my ebony bedframe to dry. I pulled off my shoes and sat them in an empty corner near my polished bookcase. The only things left were my undergarments—a solid, white brassiere with lace-edged bloomers. I quickly got out of them and grabbed a satin robe, one I hadn't worn since Mother died. It was colored a rich purple, and it actually used to belong to her. Sometimes, it felt like I could smell her scent, as if she was still alive and here with me.Tears gathered in my eyes, but I forced them away and exited my b
Rosemarie's POVFairston Academy loomed in front of us in all its Gothic glory. The sharp angles of the pinnacles and towers gave it a formidable appearance, emphasizing the gray-black pallor of the stone. Vasilisa, Jillian, and I exited the carriage one at a time and walked towards the school in our painfully heeled shoes. I held all of our totes and was lagging behind because of the large amount of weight. Vasilisa strutted ahead, her platinum-blond hair flying around her like a veil."Hurry up, Rosemarie," she ordered. "I can't go inside and look like an idiot who showed up to school without her things." Muttering curses under my breath, I walked faster, strengthening my grip so everything wouldn't fall.Jillian was slightly behind Vasilisa, her stature not as arrogant as her sister, but still fairly haughty. She seemed more average with her light brown hair, which was in a style that sat atop her head. However, she had the Dragomir eyes, and Jillian couldn't help having the snotty
RPOVAfter pouring out my heart and soul with sorrowful tears, I got off my bed—which was now a little damp—and took my journal from its place under my large mattress and got the gold key from the bookcase. The velvet material felt soft as I opened it and went back to my earliest entries, specifically the one when I had found out that Mother died.My hand mindlessly stroked the dry ink on the off-white page. I could feel the tears gathering again; however, I blinked them away and forced myself to read.December 28th, 1682Father is depressingly solemn this evening. He won't leave his private study, and I brought him dinner, hoping that he would let me in, yet he merely cracked the door open and took the plate of food wordlessly before shutting me out.The reason for his behavior is because Mother died today. She left in a carriage to run errands; however, she got lost and ended up falling into a deep ravine, where she was killed from the impactful injuries, along with the horses and c
RPOVPrince Adrian Ivashkov is here in England? From what I've heard, he was a scandalous scoundrel who did nothing but bed various women, smoke cigars, and drink. Finding out that he needed a royal girl to marry was a definite surprise—he didn't seem like the sort of man who'd maintain a long-term commitment to one lady.Vasilisa and Jillian squealed like blushing schoolgirls and jumped in excitement all around Rhea. Father moved away to give them space, wincing from their loud noise. I secretly rolled my eyes at my stepfamily and went to stand beside him. "They're immensely happy upon hearing his arrival," I noted unenthusiastically. "Did the notice say how Prince Adrian was planning on choosing a bride?"Father suddenly seemed tired. Slight wrinkles were engraved in his tanned face, standing out like cuts. "It said that his parents, King Nathan and Queen Daniella, will host a party for him. All maidens of at least noble blood are invited. He will get to know the girls and make his
RPOVThe sky was beautifully dark as I stepped out of the delicate carriage that had picked me up from Fairston Academy. Its blue-black hue seemed like the depths of the ocean at nightfall—frightening yet captivating. I struggled bringing my loaded, leather tote into the manor when a royal messenger suddenly appeared.I nearly jumped out of my dress as he walked up to me. The fellow appeared slight and awkward in his commoner clothes, his skin very pale and his eyes and nose too big for his face. He looked very goofy and young, however I put on a smile and ridded my judgments."May I help you, sir?" I wondered kindly.The royal messenger bowed, displaying a black satin hat. "Good evening, Miss Mazur," he greeted respectfully, his voice fairly high. He moved his small hands from behind his back and gave me something that resembled a package. "I've been sent by Prince Adrian to deliver this gift to you," he explained.My eyebrows rose in curious interest. The package felt fine and fragi
RPOV—Two Weeks Later"What do you have there?" asked Mia, her light blue eyes curious as she sat beside me on a majestic fountain, clear water pouring behind us. Her scarlet-red gown sharply contrasted the paleness of her skin and lightness of her blond curls. She smiled sweetly while waiting for my response.I tried to combat the blush rushing to my cheeks yet failed. Placing a dark strand behind my ear, I answered, "It's a gift from Prince Adrian." I held up the delicately wrapped box, the metallic ribbons falling away. Mia widened her eyes and squealed excitedly, bouncing like a little girl.She grabbed my arm, staring at me intensely. "He gave you a present?""Multiple, as a matter of fact," I automatically corrected."Oh my goodness, Rosemarie. Do you know what this means? Prince Adrian likes you, and he wants to be with you!" Mia exclaimed with such emotion, you'd think she was talking about herself. Suddenly, my friend shot up and twirled like a ballerina. "Prince Adrian loves
RPOVHer gloved hand lightly touched my shoulder, as if she suspected I was dead. I could almost feel her jade-green eyes boring into me—she was silent and lowly breathing for a long while. I was ready to turn over...until Jillian softly said, "Rosemarie, you need to get dressed. We have school, and we're going to be late if you don't hurry."Going to Fairston Academy was the last thing on my mind. Its Gothic architecture and art seemed to be a distant memory. I had been lying awake all night pondering my date with Prince Adrian—did it feel right or did it feel wrong; would I do it again; should I even go to his party? It was consuming me inside, and I knew I had to forget about it.However, not thinking about it would make me feel guilty. If I couldn't go through with our courtship, I'd have to tell Prince Adrian, and his feelings would be hurt. He wanted me to be with him so much…I couldn't just crush his heart.I rolled onto my side, staring at Jillian's chartreuse dress. "I'm not
RPOV—Two Weeks Later"Are you excited for this evening?" asked Lissa, running her nimble fingers through my dark, luscious tresses. I sat in front of my giant, full-length mirror, watching as she carefully and expertly styled my hair. Her jade-green eyes stared at my reflection expectantly, waiting for an answer. Silence hung around us as I was trying to think of what to say.Prince Adrian and I had still been courting over the past couple of weeks, yet I didn't think I was wholeheartedly into our relationship as much as he was. Prince Adrian had showered me with gifts, took me to multiple venues for romantic dates, and dropped me off at Fairston Academy and picked me up. Everyone now knew that I was his territory, and no one challenged him. He was making the message insanely clear.With Prince Adrian's party being tonight, I felt both reluctant and enthusiastic. My brain was demanding me to be energetic and absolutely interested in the entire event; however, my heart dreaded having t