Once Upon A Rose - Chapter 4
We have some exciting things planned for 2025, but today…enjoy the next part of the story. Have a very Happy New Year!
Chapter 4
Celsiana had given this idea of hers a great deal of thought and the next evening, she decided it was time to talk to her parents. However, it was also the evening her brothers returned home from their visit to a nearby kingdom.
As she walked into the main hall, she was very pleased to see Bryce and Trevor…but she was surprised they had two lovely young women with them. No one had told her anything about this. One of the women had long, light blonde hair, while the other had dark brown hair, which was done up in a mass of curls.
“Celsiana, little sister,” Bryce said, picking her up in a hug. “It’s very nice to see you!” He glanced back at the blonde and added, “I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Princess Arabella.”
“I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance,” Celsiana replied with a curtsy.
“And this is Princess Seraline,” Trevor said, walking up and hugging Celsiana. “She is my fiancé.”
Celsiana curtsied to the other princess, saying, “I am very happy to welcome you to our home.”
The women both smiled and glanced at each other, seeming to share a secret between them. They nodded slightly and walked over to the brothers, who escorted them into the dining room. Celsiana was very happy to see her bothers, so she did her best to make the other princesses comfortable.
When her parents joined them, the two women became quite animated, asking all about her mother’s interests and fawning over her father. Celsiana realized she was probably being too judgmental. She had gotten used to her friends and had forgotten what most royalty was like. She smiled to herself and did her best to keep track of the conversations around her. No one was really paying much attention to her, so she ate dinner and nodded at the appropriate times.
After they finished eating, Celsiana debated whether she should wait to talk to her parents about her idea. After a moment, she decided they would only get busier with two visiting princesses.
“I have something I’d like to discuss,” she said to her parents as they started to leave.
“Very well,” replied the king smiling. “Would you like to commission another bench?”
No, well…yes, that would be very nice,” Celsiana replied. “But I wanted to ask you about the gardens. I’d like to open them to the people of the village for tours. Then, they can find out more about our plants and maybe even get some seeds or small starts of their own. I’d like to do it with all the gardens, but especially the vegetable gardens.”
“Have peasants tromping through your royal gardens?” asked Arabella in shock. “They would destroy them.”
“And sharing plants with commoners?” Seraline winced. “I do not think my father would understand such an outlandish idea.”
“Nor would mine,” agreed Arabella.
The king glanced from one princess to the other, then returned his gaze to Celsiana. His own princess had such hope in her eyes, but he couldn’t see the point.
“Having your friends visit is quite enough for now,” he replied. As she started to object, he added, “I hope I will not come to regret that decision.”
Celsiana nodded and glanced at the two princesses, who both looked at her like she was out of her mind. She curtsied to her parents and walked past the others on her way out. When she got back to her room, she decided it was time to make a few changes.
Read another chapter next Friday!
We also want to share our friend (and the wonderful artist who painted the cover for our story) D.L. Gardner’s next Kickstarter campaign…which launches on New Year’s Eve!
Make 100 + Comedic novel An Unconventional Mr. Peadlebody
Inheriting a dilapidated mansion & a tattooed butler sends a dysfunctional vampire family into chaos|Limited Edition + chipmunk prints.
