Briar

Ch. 15 Blooming

Jonas was knelling beside Rose before anyone else could make a move. But with the time it took him to get by her side, Jonas aged twenty years. The dark circles beneath his eyes encircled them. His little laugh lines deepened to cut his face apart.
“Rose.” Jonas’s shaking hand rose to her face. He found it cold to touch, “Rose.” On his knees he picked her up in his arms, bringing her into his chest, holding her like he was never going to let her go.
Esperella let out the laugh that she had been holding in since she began this game. “Now my vengeance is complete, Princess Amelia.” Everyone was shocked to hear the name on the end of that sentence.
“She’s my sister?” Jonas whispered.
With everyone so preoccupied, Esperella made her way to Beast. Gently she shredded his bubble. She walked confidently up to her Beast who obediently bowed his head and unfolded into a man. She lifted her arm again to leave, but when she brought it down she found she could not leave. Furious she motioned a few more times, speaking the word which wouldn’t work.
Jonas was still hunched over Rose when he began to speak, “Do you think I control so little on my land that I can’t stop something so simple?” She glared at him catching his narrowed eyes as they slanted in her direction, “Or that I cannot control my own roses?” His eyes returned to Rose’s frozen face. He moved closer so that the only thing his eyes could see were her closed ones. “These roses were made for you, Rose,” he whispered. “Because … because I love you. They could no more kill you than I could.” With his proclamation fast on his lips, Jonas stole another kiss. Jonas held her tighter, giving her his heat.
Slowly, so slowly that Jonas began to worry, she began to warm. First her arm twitched and then her leg. Her mind came awake, and her eyes opened before drifting shut again. Jonas, he was kissing her. Rose was never going to pass up a chance like this. She brought her arm around Jonas as she pressed back. And if it wasn’t really, well, might as well take full advantage of the dream. They continued in such a fashion for a few moments, before Perky became very angry.
She stomped over them. Spreading her feet apart she huffed a breath. “What do you two think you’re doing? This is not the time.” When this didn’t work, she placed two greedy hands on Jonas’s shirt and tugged him out of Rose’s grip, not an easy task. She dumped him a little ways away. Pointing an accusing finger at Rose, “You, what do you think you’re doing kissing my man?”
Jonas was just confused, but Rose was angry. However, Jonas got his voice back first. “What are you talking about? I told you before, Victoria, I’m in love with someone else.” He had started talking at the Princess, but by the time he finished he was looking directly at Rose. And she looked at him, disbelief and hoping shining in her eyes or were those more tears.
“Do you …?” Rose couldn’t bring herself to finish the question.
“I love you, Rose.” Jonas tried to keep his eyes wide and honest, hopeful, but his own doubts were crowding in.
Then Rose smiled. Her lips trembled and the shine in her eyes really became tears. “Good, ’cause I love you back.”
Jonas couldn’t keep the shock from his face. She loved him. Really? He didn’t have time to question her though because before he knew it she was on her feet and launching herself at him.
“I love you so much Jonas.” He couldn’t think of anything to say so he kissed her again which she fully supported.
This time it was Mrs. Happershap’s wild giggling, the masked coughs of the head guard, and the impatient foot of Esperella that broke them apart. They looked around them and saw the mixed faces of shock, pride and joy and laughed to each other.
Esperella needed to be dealt with, but he made sure to keep a grip on Rose. He didn’t want to let her go now that he had her.
“Well, you’ve completed your curse, dear,” the Beast was saying.
“But she woke up,” she pouted.
“Who doesn’t now days?” Beast cut in. She glared at him.
“Just once I’d like a curse to go the way it’s supposed to.”
“But then where would we be?” Esperella blushed and looked away still pouting.
“The way I see it we can do this two ways. You can be satisfied and leave or we could battle to the death.” Jonas smiled, promising that he would not loose.
Esperella leveled her chilly gaze at him.
Jonas decided to address the Best instead. “You also seem to have a curse on you. I could help you out you know.”
Beast didn’t even pause to consider his offer, “I know, but I’m exactly where I want to be.” Esperella blushed to the roots of her hair at his words.
Beast laughed a little, swung an arm around her and pulled her to the exit. “Time to go then.”
“But I don’t want to walk.” Esperella’s complaints were heard even after she was into the dense brush.
The Beast seemed undeterred.
“We’ll zap out of here as soon as we’re in the wood dear;” his hisky laugh accompanied his words.
Everyone watched carefully as they left. Rose found that she couldn’t help but like the pair. It was because of them, after all, that she and Jonas had finally gotten together.
Mrs. Happershap was the first to move, rushing over to her daughter.
“Oh sweetie this is so exciting!” Rose was again ripped out of Jonas’s hold and into her mother’s. The other servants came over and gave their congratulations. Jilly caught her eye and smiled, holding onto her own love.
No one except the ladies noticed Perky pouting. They gathered in a circle around her while she complained that she had love too. How could he deny her love? The girls made sympatric noises, but all of them were glad. Now that she had given up on Jonas they could finally leave this rural area. Maybe even to find their own princes, like Jillian had obviously done.
The guards had taken to taking to themselves. Together they had decided that Rose might be the princess they were looking for, but that everyone needed to be brought back to Jubbellad to be deliberated by the King. The King would now what to do. He always did. They made their game plan. One man walked into the group of servants, pushing them aside where he took control of one of the possible Princess Amelias.
“Princess, I cannot allow you to be touched by these people. I demand that you return home immediately.”
“You demand …” Mrs. Happershap didn’t know what else to say.
“She is home.” Mr. Happershap step up to the man in green. As they sized each other up, both the guards and the servants brought up their arms.
Rose tried to ignore them, “I’m not going anywhere until Jonas and I have a few more words.” She pushed the guard’s hand off of her arms, and dragged a scared Jonas into a more private corner of the non-rose covered areas.
Was she going to break this off so soon?
“So are you married?” Rose whispered it, not wanting the others to hear her shame, but everyone was listening in so they heard anyway.
“Married? Who would I be married to?”
“Princess Perky.” Victoria bristled at the nickname. “She told me before I left that you two were getting hitched in the winter. It’s not true is it? Because if I going into someone else’s-”
Jonas couldn’t bear to hear it anymore so he cut her off, “No. None of that is true. I love you, Rose. I would never-- I don’t even remember when it started. One day I just woke up, and I knew I loved you.”
“Jonas,” Rose looked a little guilty and rocked on the balls of her feet, “one more question. Are you going to ask me to marry you?”
Jonas looked so hopeful, but couldn’t help but glance at John. “Sure you’re not holding out from some prince?”
Rose looked at him, “Ewwwww, Jonas, John. He’s like a brother, and if what that woman said was true, he is my brother.”
Jonas still didn’t look to sure.
“I wasn’t raised as a princess; I don’t act like a princess. I never even wanted to be one. All I wanted out of that was to get to know my parent. Besides I’ve loved you as long as I can remember. You are the only one I’ve ever wanted.”
“I was the only man you knew for years.”
“Jonas, stop being so logical. Now ask me to marry you.” Rose grabbed him by the ears, brought his face down to hers, and quickly kissed him. “Or there will be no more kisses.”
Their breath still mingled together, “Marry me?”
“Very brisk, but it will do.” She kissed him again and this time he didn’t let her go so quickly.
Jilly and John couldn’t have been happier. Mr. and Mrs. Happershap thought it was adorable. Mr. and Mrs. Fonderal were glad that the new mistress wouldn’t demand too much. Princess Perky was wailing even harder, and the ladies were attempting to consol her. The guards were very despondent at having not obtained the princess.
“Princess! This is not how Princesses behave!”
Rose pulled away for a moment, “It’s a good thing that I’m no princess then,” and went back to kissing her Jonas.