Free Black Rose by K.L. Bone

And
yet…it was. A young girl with eyes the color of the sea—eyes that should not
exist. “That bloodline is gone,” Garreth stated to no one.
    Before
its fall, the Muir Court had been the second-most powerful in the land. It was
a vast empire, the heart of which stood in the form of a silver castle by the
sea. The Court was ruled by a powerful King who, at the time of its demise, had
reigned since the rise of the Roman Empire. He had four sons and two daughters,
all of whom possessed the same shade of vibrant blue eyes.
    Garreth
closed his eyes and could almost see the glint of silver, could hear the clash
of swords and the screams of the dying. The cold eyes with which Mara watched
the men fall before her with a wrath which knew no end. He stepped closer to
the river, attempting to divine an explanation. Perhaps it had been a trick of
the light. Remnants of memories stirred from a long slumber by Mara’s recent
appearance or Edward’s injuries, so similar to those endured long ago. 
    He
gave a deep sigh, then turned to begin the walk back when something caught his
eye. On the far side of the garden was one of the small rosebushes which had
been transplanted from its ancestral home. Garreth walked forward slowly. When
he reached the rosebush, he fell to his knees before it. Once these ancient
roses had bloomed in an assortment of royal colors, but since the moment the
Black Rose was formed, they had bloomed only in black. Garreth struggled to
believe his vision as he reached out a hand and found himself caressing the
soft, fragile petal of a single crimson rose. Garreth stared at the rose for a
long time before his gaze traveled through the garden and he suddenly realized
that the roses surrounding him were no longer black, but purple—the color of
the royal rose.
    “By
the Gods,” Garreth whispered as the world began to spiral. He turned back to
the single red rose and sat there for a long time. When he finally stood, he
headed towards his chambers. It took a half hour, but when he reached the
familiar door, Garreth entered the room and walked directly to the small wooden
desk in the far corner of the room. He opened a small hidden panel in the desk
from which he withdrew both his passport and a special badge which would allow
him to take his sword on his journey. Sliding both into the pocket of his dark
jacket, he retrieved his long, silver sword from its place upon the wall and
secured it tightly around his waist.
    Garreth
walked silently down the long corridors from his room to the palace library.
Books and scrolls lined the walls from floor to ceiling. He walked quickly down
the rows until he finally reached the back wall where the books were encased in
a thick sheet of glass. This section was temperature controlled, accessed by a
small electronic panel, one of the only modern additions in the otherwise
ancient room. It had been installed only a few years ago when it had been
discovered that several of the old books were beginning to deteriorate. Luckily
the majority had been salvaged, or at minimum, repaired enough to still be
legible.
    Garreth
pressed his thumb against the electronic panel. After a series of loud beeps,
the glass slid sideways, opening for the Sub-Captain with a loud whoosh. It
took him several minutes to locate the book he sought, but he eventually found
it, withdrawing it carefully from the shelf before again pressing his hand to
the panel. The glass slid back into place as Garreth carefully raised the
large, leather-bound book to his lips and lightly blew a thick layer of dust
from its cover. It was very old, over five-hundred years, and had been
carefully transcribed with quill and ink. The pages were now yellowed and
fragile. Historia Vltima Aulae Marinae . “ The Final History of the Sea
Court ,” he translated aloud. He then moved the book to his side and
proceeded to walk towards the outer doors of the ancient keep.
    A
few turns from the outer doors, he found Nolan walking down the