The Unfinished Story by Char Marie Adles (the rosie project txt) 📖

He had said he loved me! I was still shy but I told him that I had
loved him as well. We stayed up way late and finally we had to go to bed. So he kissed me oh so sweetly and I wished that could have lasted only a little longer.

“Well, what are you reading?”
I slapped the book closed and jumped up to see Sen standing at the doorway.
“Nothing important. Why are you here?” I asked him.
“There was some things I wanted to ask you, is that okay?”
“Sure,” I said. I slipped the book into my robes and sat down. Sen sat down next to me.
“Ash, how old is you?” Sen asked.
“Sixteen,” I said puzzled. Why would he ask me this?
He looks surprised. “You’re only that old?”
I felt a prick of annoyance. “What does that mean?” I asked.
He waved his hands. “I didn’t mean it like that, but you look younger than that. And you’re beautiful so that added to that. Kail will love to hear of this. Of course we must come up with a plan for you two at the festival.” he said rubbing his hands together.
“Oh, no! No way. From what I’ve heard of you from the servants, I would rather not. I plan to serve Kail that day, like I do every day.”
“He really loves you. I have an idea to help you with him.”
He got up and came over to me. He came so close I started to back up. When my back hit the wall, he put his hands on either side of my head.
“W-what is y-you doing?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything, but simply started to lower his head to mine.
Is he going to kiss me?!
“No!” I yelled as I smacked him.
He fell backwards, holding a hand to his mouth. The corner of his mouth was bleeding.
I felt tears start in my eyes, but I looked down on frostily him from where I was standing.
“You shouldn’t make advances on other people who do not want them. You…you…you pervert! Just suddenly going up to me to kiss me! The nerve! Aren’t you a man? Why can’t you acted like a one?! I really hate men like you!” I yelled at him. Then I stopped, shutting my mouth closed with a snap.
I just looked at me in bemuse silence, and then his shoulders started to shake. Next thing I know he rolling around on the ground laughing.
“I don’t know what you said, but you sounded pissed. I guess I get with you meant. You really are the best choice for his odd love.”
I froze realizing what he said and what I said. He couldn’t understand me because I had been speaking Spanish.
I had slipped into it so easily! I just slipped in to Spanish so easily! What will I do…?
Then Sen stopped laughing suddenly. He looked at me pointedly. “Now I know why you seemed so…girlish and beautiful. So beautiful you could not be a man. That’s because you are a girl.” he smiled.
He gaze shifted from my face and stared going down my body and stopped on my chest. “No one would ever tell you were a girl under all that cloth, Ash,” he said.
I crossed my arms over my chest. Feeling as if he was looking through it.
“Now that you know what are you going to do about it?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
I stopped surprised. “Nothing?”
“That is of course you are willing to go along with my plan,” he said setting down with another cup of tea.
I shook my head I knew it had to be something like that. “Before I agree to anything I want to know you’re plan.” I said sitting again but as far away from him as I could be.
“It’s simple. There is a girl I am in love with, but as you see, she hates me. I want you to get her to like me instead of hating me.”
“If you haven’t noticed but love isn’t really my thing. I’ve fallen in love now and have had that loved returned. But even I believed love is evil and will end in nothing but hollowed despair. I have fallen in love and I know that it will end the same for me as my parents, but I am willing to let that happen for I would never trade this feeling. But as you can see even if I love I am in pain. And thought I am doing this to him I cannot stop.
But I can save you from this feeling.”
He looked out the door that led out to a small garden and smiled sadly. “I am already in love so I already have those feelings, but no matter what I want to keep them. So even if I am doomed to pain I want her, because I love her. Having her will mean I will have to have no pain any longer.”
He looked at me then. “I believe you know more of this then anyone but please help me.
Because you are a girl you can go without any problems. I need you to go to where she lives. Stay there for a while and convince her. I need her.
I smiled a wistful smile. “Then for you I will do this, but what will we do about Kail? How will I explain to him why I will not be here? And will you not tell him about me?” I asked.
“I thank you with all I have. And I will not tell him, but tell me why you will not?” he asked.
“It is easier to love him like this, because this way I can always be by his side. If I were the girl named Ash, I would be taken away from him and taken somewhere else, where I couldn’t see him anymore. I would be raised there and then married to someone I don’t know and hate. Or I could be worked to death in more ways than one.” I said with a shiver.
He was silent for a long time, and then he sighed. “I can see what you mean, but your plan has holes in it. He will have to find out sometime. Now as for my plan you will need to leave tonight. Go out and buy some girl stuff and pack it. Beware of who is around you at all times. I’ll meet you here later after I take care of Kail.” and with that he left.
I took the gold coins from my bag and hid them in the front of my kimono. I should have enough for everything. I went out the servant entrance in the mansion and found myself on the streets of the Imperial City. I walked around trying not to draw to much attention to myself. And to my luck no one noticed me.
I first made my way to a clothing shop and entered. They had so many fine clothes.
An older lady walked up to me. “May I help you young man?” she asked in a kind voice.
“Yes, please I may look for something that would fit my twin sister. She looks just like me and she is about the same size.” I said.
She nodded. “Such a nice older brother you must be…now let me see…” she said as she walked off to look at the colors of the clothes. “”Here we are!” she said with pride as she showed me two women’s kimonos.
One was a pale baby blue with roses and water lilies on it and the other was different colors of soft green and blue, with the pattern of dragon on it. They were both beautiful and the highest quality of silk.
“These are perfect,” I said.
She smiled with pleasure at the complement. “Thank you, “she said.
I paid for everything, tying it in to my pack and went to a beauty shop. I bought lip color, cheek color, eye paint, hairpins, and fans. When I was done I went to a jewelry shop. I bought a thin silver chain to replace the one the monks had broke and then I went back to the mansion thought the servants entrance.
I went to my room and sat out everything.
A knocking sounded at my door. “Who is it?” I asked.
“It’s Kail,” said the voice from the other side of the door.
I hurried to cover everything and then sat down with a cup of tea.
“You…can come in Kail.” I said.
He came in and closed the door behind him. He sat down in front of me.
“I heard from Sen that you were going somewhere for a while.”
“Yeah I am, but I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise. I want to stay here, but first there is something I have to do if I am going to stay.” I said.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
I’m not really sure of that…ha-ha…
“To visit an old friend I haven’t seen in a very long time,” I lied. Please forgive me.
“Okay. Be sure to come back safe.”
“I will,” I whispered just before his lips took mine. When he was done I sat on his lap hugging him for a while. Then I knew Sen would be coming soon.
“I have to leave soon…I’m sorry…even though this is the first time I saw you since that night.” I felt tears pool in my eyes. “I thought you were using your work as a way to avoid me…I thought maybe you had changed your heart.” the tears slipped from my eyes unchecked.
He hugged me to him chest and squeezed my tightly, making me wish I could stay there forever.
“Never,” he promised.
He let me cry my eyes out and then he left with one more kiss.
Soon Sen showed up and I was ready to go.
As we rode our horses I asked him where it was I was going.
“To the Imperial Palace. She’s the daughter of the head general. Her seventeenth
birthday will be on the day of the festival.” was all he said.
We stopped at the gates to the Imperial palace. “There will be one of my guards there to help you if you need it, but remember you can’t let anyone know who you are. This is where we part.”
I rode my horse to the stables and took my bag. I walked to the