A Courtyard of Roses
Gifted a candle that was said to make wishes come true, Alice Clemente burned it to find herself awake in a different world. She had wished for a life of adventure away from the city and its routine. With her wish granted, she was no longer in the 21st century and was instead lost in the middle of the Kingdom of Gladiolum, a place reminiscent of the 1800s. With luck, she soon gained connections to the rich and powerful of this new world— the nobility. However, how much of it was good and how much of it would eventually be detrimental? After all, mingling with royals not only meant extravagance and daily parties. It also meant warfare and death. Caught in the middle of the two princes and other nobles, Alice would soon have to face the battle between those two royal brothers― a fight for the throne. She had wished for adventure, after all, and she received just as such. Kept in the center of all this, would Alice be able to emerge from the rabbit hole unscathed? Or will the overwhelming troubles of love and war be too much for her to bear? *** “And what if you, too, are unable to help?” Alice threw the question back. “What if helping would risk everything?” Spade didn’t miss a beat. “You are everything.” “Don’t say things that you don’t mean,” Alice chided. “You’ll leave a trail of broken hearts.” “And would you believe me if I say that I have no intention of breaking yours?” Spade countered. “However, mine is yours to play with. Shatter it, fix it, do anything you desire. As long as it feels the warmth of your hand, I am content.” *** Image used in cover not mine.
The Sacrifice for Love
ALICE STOOD AS still as a statue as she watched Lady Dahlia stripped of all her riches and her wealth.
Her father had tearfully bade his precious daughter goodbye. She was dressed in scratchy cotton that finally resembled that of commonfolk, her hair loosely plaited down her back. The bag she had in her hands held just a few pieces of garments that she was permitted to bring, nothing more, nothing less. The only piece of jewelry that still remained on Dahlia was a pair of rose quartz earrings.
"Her father fought hard for her to keep that," Spade whispered to her as they watched the heartbreaking exchange between father and daughter. "It was her mother's. Before she passed."
Alice's heart clenched tightly in her chest. No words came to her aid. Instead, she watched, still as ever as Dahlia and her father spoke in hushed whispers. Alice was just out of earshot but she knew that the words exchanged were sincere. Their expressions told her of that, at least.