Free Black Rose by K.L. Bone Page A

hall in his
direction. “Hi, Garreth,” Nolan said with a slight wave.
    “Hi,”
he replied. “Sorry, but I am in a bit of a hurry.”
    “Oh,
where are you off to?”
    “Just…I
have to go.”
    Garreth
attempted to walk past the younger man when Nolan said, “Forgive me, my Lord. I
know that something is going on. I saw your face when the Prince’s fiancé
arrived. It…it was the same look that Edward had when he…”
    “What?
Edward has met her before?”
    “Yes.
Sandra was the one who threw herself over him while he was being whipped.”
    Garreth
stared at Nolan for several moments, attempting to put the pieces together when
Nolan suddenly said, “Let me go with you, my Lord. I can tell you about it on
the way.”
    “You
don’t even know where I am going.”
    “All
the same.”
    Garreth
parted his lips to say no, but instead found the words, “Let’s go,” falling
from his lips.
    It
was only after they had left the royal grounds that Nolan finally asked, “So,
where are we going?”

Chapter XVIII
    Nolan
read the title. “ The Final History of the Sea Court . The same one which
was destroyed by the Black Rose?”
    “Yes.
The Muir Court was also referred to as the Sea Court.”
    Nolan
shifted slightly, attempting to find a more comfortable position, grateful that
Garreth’s Sub-Captain status had upgraded them to the business section of this
exceptionally long flight. “Forgive me, but isn’t the story well-known? Mara is
famous for the victory, after all.”
    Garreth
regarded him for a moment as though in consideration and then said, “No. It is
not.”
    “What
do you mean?”
    Garreth
stared at the younger man for what seemed a long time before answering, leaning
forward to be better heard over the roar of the plane’s engine. “Tell me the
story you know.”
    “Sure.
The Muir Court was an ancient and powerful court lead by a cruel King. Their
tyranny may have known no end, if Mara had not taken a group of men against
them. She led an attack and dispatched the King, saving the realm and all those
under his evil reign. Mara gained eternal glory and the Black Rose became
peacekeepers between the remaining courts.”
    Garreth
nodded. “Yes, that is the story they would tell.”
    “But
not what actually happened, I assume?”
    Garreth
motioned to the book held gently in Nolan’s hand. “Do you read Latin?”
    “Yes,”
he replied. “I knew I would have to learn if I wanted to join the Black Rose.”
    “Open
the cover,” Garreth instructed, “carefully.”
    Nolan
did as instructed, cautiously opening the pages of the ancient book. On the
first yellowed page was a single line: Scripta a Navarcho Rosae Nigrae
Custodis Confessio . 
    “Written
by Mara’s own hand?” Nolan asked Garreth with wide eyes.
    “You
have heard the stories, Nolan. But there is only one truth.” He drew a deep
breath.  “Mara was born a Princess. Did you know that?”
    Nolan
shook his head and Garreth continued.
    “Her
mother was Queen Clarissa’s younger sister. Her father, the son of a powerful
Lord. It was a politically sound match, but at its core was the rarity of it
also being a match created in love. The kind of love Mara asked you if you had
ever experienced. A love that becomes your sole reason to draw breath.” Garreth
drew a deep breath. “But what was a great romance for Princess Mellissa,
brought only tragedy for her daughter, Princess Mara.”

Chapter XIX
    Mara
walked down the dirt path under a grey sky, pausing occasionally to glance at
the tall stones which rose around her in the shape of broken crosses and fallen
angels. Eventually, she reached the large cross which marked the entrance to
her parent’s tomb. It was a symbolic location of course. Her parents were no
more in this silent grave then they were within the mountain spring over which
the majority of their ashes had been spread. Yet, there was still something
about this place which made Mara feel closer to her long-lost parents