Seven - The Rarity Of Special

RPOV—Two Weeks Later

"What do you have there?" asked Mia, her light blue eyes curious as she sat beside me on a majestic fountain, clear water pouring behind us. Her scarlet-red gown sharply contrasted the paleness of her skin and lightness of her blond curls. She smiled sweetly while waiting for my response.

I tried to combat the blush rushing to my cheeks yet failed. Placing a dark strand behind my ear, I answered, "It's a gift from Prince Adrian." I held up the delicately wrapped box, the metallic ribbons falling away. Mia widened her eyes and squealed excitedly, bouncing like a little girl.

She grabbed my arm, staring at me intensely. "He gave you a present?"

"Multiple, as a matter of fact," I automatically corrected.

"Oh my goodness, Rosemarie. Do you know what this means? Prince Adrian likes you, and he wants to be with you!" Mia exclaimed with such emotion, you'd think she was talking about herself. Suddenly, my friend shot up and twirled like a ballerina. "Prince Adrian loves Rosemarie Mazur! Prince Adrian loves Rosemarie Mazur!" she screamed aloud.

It drew the attention of many students, who stopped walking to peer at us as if she was insane. Embarrassment flooded my body, so I yanked on Mia's floral sleeve, causing her to plop down on the edge of fountain. "Will you shut your mouth, already? I don't want you telling the whole goddamn school that Prince Adrian is in love with me," I hissed at her in a whisper.

Mia giggled hysterically, pulling away from me. She fixed her fanciful hair and pretty dress. "I'm sorry, but I just had to. Now, what did he give you? Show me, show me!" she demanded, reaching over to grab my present. I rolled my eyes and slowly took the gift out of the box, careful not to ruin it.

We both gasped once it was revealed.

Prince Adrian had given me an entire outfit. There was a satin, blood-red, flowing gown with elbow-length sleeves, and black lace bordered the sweetheart neckline. A black sash and gloves accompanied the dress, along with closed-toed heels, black sapphire earrings and a necklace. The ensemble was dark yet beautiful, and I couldn't believe he wanted me to have all this.

Mia's glossed lips separated in agape. "My…that's lovely…" she mesmerizingly muttered.

I rummaged around the open box until I found a small card that was probably a note. Holding my breath, I unfolded it and thoroughly read the words staring back at me.

Dear Rose,

I want you to look absolutely stunning for my party, so I sent you this beautiful outfit. I hope you love it just as much as I do.

I'm coming by Mazur Manor after you get home from Fairston Academy, and I'm going to take you out on an evening picnic by the ocean. Wear something light and pretty.

Love,

Prince Adrian Ivashkov

This was all happening so quickly. He had invited me to have dinner with his family; he had sent gifts of roses, perfume, accessories, clothes, and breathtaking notes over the past fourteen days; he only wanted to dance with me at his party; and now, he wanted us to court. I couldn't believe such blessings were coming my way after Mother's death.

I had thought that I was going to drown in sorrow and grief forever. Drown in unhappiness forever…

"I told you he loved you," chided Mia, victory clouding her light blue eyes.

Suddenly, a male voice surfaced, "Who loves who?"

We both looked up and found Edison standing before us. The radiant sunlight caught his sandy-blond hair, making him seem like an angelic warrior. His hazel eyes glanced between us in curiosity before he crossed his arms over his chest. I hastily folded the dress and crumpled the note, throwing everything inside the gift box. Mia and I then bombarded Edison with distracting smiles.

He wasn't fooled. "You haven't answered my question?" he pressed fiercely. We stayed silent for several moments, the sound of students conversing floating around our ears while the fountain water endlessly poured. After quite some time, I heaved out a breath and gestured for Edison to sit next to me.

Facing him, I locked my eyes with his and pleaded, "Promise me that you won't get upset?" He didn't respond for a few seconds, then he finally nodded and waited for me to continue. I clenched my hands in my lap. I could almost feel Mia's breath tumbling down my back. "Prince Adrian sent me a present this morning, and Mia noticed it when I sat here. She came over to me and kept teasing that he loves me and wants to be with me," I explained.

Edison's strong jaw clenched as his hazel eyes darkened. He gritted his teeth, trying to remain under control. "To be honest, Rosemarie, I don't think our wonderful prince loves you. I think he's just treating you as another conquest. He's giving you all these presents to make it seem as if he loves you," he confessed.

I blinked back tears, shaking my head in doubt. "That's not true. You're acting just like my father—you don't like Prince Adrian, so you're acting as if he's some bad man. And he's not. He's sweet and gentlemanly and really cares about me," I countered, not wanting to hear this hurtful nonsense.

Mia stayed silent and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"The only thing he cares about is becoming king and making royal babies," Edison spat back, growing louder with each word, trying to force me to listen. Finished with hearing such ridiculousness, I stood up and gathered my things, leaving him and Mia without uttering a word. I could feel his hazel eyes glaring holes into my back while her light blue ones stared sympathetically after me.

I was so tired of everyone talking poorly of Prince Adrian. He wasn't what they thought. He wasn't consumed with wealth and power and having a girl to satisfy his needs. He wanted to know me better, and he wanted me to hopefully be his princess—a true princess. Not one who was only wedded for making appearances and pleasuring her husband at his leisure.

I was so enraptured with my thoughts that I hadn't realized I ran into Vasilisa. She didn't look like her normal self—she wore black again and had a tormented glimmer in her jade-green eyes. Her usually perfect, platinum-blond hair was in tangles.

She scratched her head, wondering, "Have you seen Christian?" Her eyes wildly searched all around us, going from crowds of people to the entire courtyard to the whole Gothic-styled school. My brows furrowed in absolute confusion then rose in suspicion. Was she finally about to apologize? I hoped so, for she had been strange the past two weeks.

"No, I haven't. The only people I was with were Edison and Mia," I replied with slight apology. Christian had decided to speak to us again, yet that was only on the way to classes. He was still isolating himself from everyone. Even with Prince Adrian dominating my thoughts, I still wondered if he was okay. Every time I saw him, Christian seemed guarded and a bit off. I just wanted my friend and stepsister back.

Vasilisa huffed impatiently, her body quaking. "All right, well thanks anyway. I'll continue looking for him until lunch is over," she said before speeding to the church, her hair and dress flying behind her like a cape. I watched her until she opened the heavy, black doors then disappeared inside.

Wait...that was strange... How did Vasilisa know that the church was one of Christian's favorite hiding places? From what he had said a while ago, he always hid in the attic to truly be away from others. No one had ever paid attention to him sneaking into the church attic, so I was stunned that Vasilisa even took notice.

Deciding to just let the matter go, I headed into the main building. The cool air and darkness felt welcoming as I walked to a bench and sat down. The mosaics glittered in all sorts of colors from the sunlight, and the chandeliers loomed from the high ceiling. I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my loose hair.

"Tired, aren't you?" Mason commented as he came over to me, his baby-blue eyes sparkling. I put on a slight smile as he sat down beside me and wrapped a jacketed arm around my shoulders. He rubbed my arm soothingly before noticing my gift. Mason narrowed his eyes and questioned, "What's that?"

I sighed and replied, "It's a present from Prince Adrian. He gave me an outfit to wear at his party and wrote a note." If I wasn't mistaken, jealously flashed in Mason's eyes, and I felt his lean body stiffen. Immediately, I grew annoyed. There was no chance in hell I was going to hear more rubbish about Prince Adrian being a no-good bastard.

"Why's he giving you presents?" he continued questioning, staring me down with his gaze. "I don't understand. Is he…fond of you or something?" Mason's scarlet-red hair suddenly appeared dark in the hallway light, and I sensed that he wasn't particularly happy. I threw his arm off me in angry irritation and stood up, getting ready to leave.

I spat, "Enough! I'm done hearing this stupid bullshit." When I began walking away, Mason's hand flew out and gripped my arm, pulling me back to him. I tried to fight him off, but I realized that the attempt was futile and surrendered, allowing him to place me back onto the bench.

He stared at me, wide-eyed. "Language, Rosemarie! One minute, I'm merely asking some questions, and the next, you're furious and cursing," Mason said exasperatedly. When I looked into his baby-blue eyes, I saw that there was no jealousy and he had indeed been simply curious. Guilt washed over me, and I ran a hand over my face.

"I'm sorry, Mase. I've been hearing nonstop dislike for Prince Adrian and assumed you were doing the same, so I lashed out. Can you please forgive me?" I responded in a soft voice, feeling horrible for the way I'd just treated him.

He immediately smiled and pulled me into him for a hug. "Of course, Rosemarie. I'll always forgive you." It felt nice having a friend, aside from Mia, that was on my side and not criticizing me for allowing Prince Adrian to court me. It felt great hearing such positive words.

We stayed that way until the church bell chimed to signify the end of lunch. Mason and I went our separate paths, and I felt better as I carried my precious gifts and school supplies to Biology, which was up the winding staircase.

Now that I was in a good mood, I couldn't wait for my date with Prince Adrian. I couldn't wait to rid those treacherous thoughts and be alone with him for once.

Tonight was truly going to be amazing.

The white, volatile waves crashed against the jagged, dark rocks as the sun was setting. The horizon glimmered with streaks of orange, pink, and yellow, casting romantic glows on the rough, wet sand. I stood in an ivory gown that was light in weight and touched the ground. My dark hair was loose and fell down my back in soft waves. I was patiently waiting for Prince Adrian when suddenly, a pair of lean arms wrapped around my waist.

I squealed.

Prince Adrian twirled me around a few times before gently setting me down on the sand. I stayed still to regain my balance while he smiled down at me, his emerald-green eyes twinkling. He grabbed my hands and caressed them. "You look absolutely stunning," Prince Adrian complimented in his British-French accent.

I blushed, the ocean breeze whipping through my hair. "Thank you," was all I could say. Holding my gaze, he slowly leaned down and placed the softest kiss on my cheek. My heart thumped. He then wrapped his arms around me and led me over to a blanket that sat away from the water. A basket, glasses, plates, and decorations rested in organization, waiting to be used.

My breath caught in my throat as Prince Adrian got me situated then sat across from me. He watched my astounded expression in immense pleasure. "You like it?" he asked, taking out meat dishes, bread rolls, desserts, and a bottle of red wine. All I could do was nod.

I watched as he fixed our plates. He was very graceful with his movements, making sure we both had equal portions before serving mine. "Oh my, this looks delicious," I breathed, inhaling the wonderful aromas of the food. Prince Adrian laughed in amusement then took a bite of custard pie. I copied him and moaned in delight.

"Enjoying your meal?" he checked, his French accent thickening, nearly overshadowing the British accent he acquired at the same time. I nodded in silence, feeling unsure of how else to respond.

I wasn't experienced in intimate situations—I had never really been courted and I was still a virgin at nearly eighteen years of age, which was fairly rare. Some part of me wanted to hurry and accomplish it already, but I deeply hoped that Prince Adrian wouldn't push me into doing anything very passionate.

When it came to things like this, I wanted to give my body to someone I felt such an undeniable, deep connection to. Prince Adrian was an amazing man; however, I didn't feel that special spark around him. Yes, his notes were breathtaking. Yes, his gifts were lovely. Yet, there was nothing about him that had me in love.

I had no romantic interest.

"Rosemarie, care for some wine?" he asked, dragging me out of my thoughts. I blinked several times before nodding. He grinned that dazzling smile, grabbing the wine bottle and pouring the bitter, red liquid into two, identical glasses. He handed me one and raised his. "To a wonderful night and hopefully, a beautiful future," Prince Adrian toasted.

"To a wonderful night and beautiful future," I reiterated. We drank the wine in unison then conversed after finishing it. We were facing the glorious ocean, our bodies close as we watched the quickening sunset. The air smelled perfectly salty while a moderate breeze blew.

I felt Prince Adrian wrap his arm around me once the temperature grew a little cold, and I leaned into his chest for warmth. "How was your day?" he wondered, caressing my hair with his nimble fingers.

I tried my best to ignore his actions, focusing on our conversation. "It was nice. I received your gift this morning when I arrived at the academy, but I opened it at lunch. It was very lovely and I can't wait to wear it to the party," I said gratefully, a smile pulling at my lips.

"I'm glad you like it," he replied in his smooth voice, pulling me closer to his body, our forms now pressing against each other. Prince Adrian softly kissed my hair, causing me to stiffen and grow nervous. When he began stroking my face and lips and arms, Edison's words flooded my mind.

He's just treating you as another conquest. The only thing he cares about is becoming king and making royal babies. Was this seriously true? Was Prince Adrian using me for his benefit? I was becoming quite uncomfortable with him openly touching me, and I was afraid it was going to lead to more intense things. The thoughts were so unraveling...

I broke away.

He eyed me strangely, his emerald-green orbs filled with confusion. "Why'd you move away? Is something the matter?" he questioned, coming closer to me on the soft blanket. I didn't answer instantaneously—I was too occupied with calming myself down. My mind was spinning. My heart was thundering. Breaths erupted from my mouth.

It was now completely dark, and the sky was tainted with a midnight-blue hue. Thousands of stars twinkled above us while the moon gave a silver glow to the crashing ocean. It was colder than before, and I had no cloak or cardigan. I didn't feel comfortable having this date go any further, so I made an excuse. "It's very dark and cold out here. Maybe we should call it a night and go home," I suggested, wrapping my arms around myself to make it convincing.

Prince Adrian fell sad and reluctantly nodded, helping me up and packing everything away. He didn't move close to me or try to touch me—he kept his distance. Some sand got in my shoes, swishing around my feet as we walked to his parked carriage.

The coachmen woke up at hearing us and immediately sat upright. "Where to, sire?"

"Mazur Manor," Prince Adrian deadpanned. It was silent after that, and he and I loaded into the carriage, which took off right when we closed the doors. Prince Adrian and I sat across from each other on the velvet seats, keeping our gazes averted. The atmosphere became awkward and tense as the carriage wheels started bumping over cobblestones.

Quickly, we arrived at the manor. The coachmen opened the doors for us, and Prince Adrian led me to the front entrance, finally looking me in the eye. His emerald-green orbs seemed distant and sad. "I had a lovely time tonight," he managed to say in a sweet voice. "I hope you did as well, and I'll see you soon. Goodnight, Rosemarie." Prince Adrian bowed like a gentleman then retreated to his carriage, disappearing inside. I held my breath and watched it leave.

My heart knotted in my chest. I had no clue if I enjoyed myself during our date. The food had been delicious and the setting was beautiful; however, it had felt as if I was with the wrong person. Prince Adrian had made our time together special, but…he didn't feel that type of special to me.

The sound of a door opening brought me out of my reverie. Jillian was standing in the threshold, her light brown hair catching the light from our crystal chandeliers. "You're back," she noted. "How was the outing? Was it splendid? Was it all you could ever hope for and dream of?"

I put on an indecisive, conflicted look. "In some aspects, yes." My stepsister studied me for a few moments, then left it alone, stepping aside to let me enter the manor. I immediately headed up the wrought, iron staircase and went to my bedchamber. I began hanging up the dress Prince Adrian had given me and put all of the accessories away.

I was so occupied that I hadn't noticed Father's sudden appearance. When he started talking, I jumped and spun around, facing away from my closet. "Where've you been, Rosemarie? You were gone all evening," he demanded very sternly.

I frowned and placed my hands on my hips. "Prince Adrian took me out on a date," I reminded him. "I informed you of this when I came home from school. And you gave me permission." Father's chestnut-brown eyes darkened, and he didn't seem that happy. Yet, he grew distracted once he caught sight of the dress, which was hanging from my grip.

"Did he give you that?" he pressed, pointing at it as if it was a monster.

I clutched it to my chest and replied, "Yes, Father. And I'm keeping it." We stared at each other fiercely for several moments before he sighed in defeat, suddenly seeming very tired and weary. He rubbed his eyes and stroked his dark goatee. I moved closer to him, questioning, "Is something the matter?"

Father was silent for a while. When he spoke again, his voice was very quiet, almost a whisper. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Rosemarie. You deserve someone who will love you unconditionally and be by your side no matter what. Someone who will always put you first and treat you wonderfully. Someone who cares about you so much that they'll even die for you."

"Who will that be, Father?" I asked, my voice so small and full of trembles.

"I don't know, Kizim, but I do know that it is not Prince Adrian."

I inhaled a sharp breath. A tear leaked out of my eye and cascaded down my cheek. Father watched me as he stood like a statue, his face emotional and his voice silent. After what seemed like an eternity, he left.

I crawled into bed and tried to sleep, but my eyes never closed.

*****

Hmm...who is the real, special person for Rose? ;)

Adrian's party and Dimitri's ball will be soon, I promise. Just hang in there!

Thanks for the follows, favs, and reviews! Feel free to tell me your thoughts on this chapter.

Until next time...