[Discontinued*] The Darling Princess [A Twisted Wonderland Fanfic]

🥀 Chapter 24

Y/N watched silently as the boys headed back to the mirror. They had finished painting the roses, and after finding out that Ace had to make a tart before he could apologise, the boys left in a rather sour mood. But Y/N didn't go with them, nor did she follow Cater into the large castle-like dorm. Instead, she headed back into the maze. There was something curious about that row of trees, and Y/N wanted to try and figure out what it was.

When she arrived in the maze, she stared at the three trees, her head tilted to the side as her h/c curls fell over her shoulders in waves. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her trousers as she approached, staring at a single rose. Her blood had left a stain on the thorn and she stared at it silently, gently cupping the rose once she got close enough. Her thumb gently caressed the delicate petals.

"Dearest?"

Y/N turned and frowned when she saw an unfamiliar woman walking toward her, dressed in a beautiful red and black dress. Her hair was piled on top of her head in an elegant updo that reminded Y/N of some of the ancient paintings that she had seen in the library. 

Unsure if the woman was talking to her or not, Y/N looked around. Seeing no one, she turned back to the woman and pointed to herself.

"Are you talking to me?"

The woman laughed. "Of course. Who else would I be talking to? You are the only one who would venture this far away from the castle, even when your parents strictly said that you were not to leave the grounds until you had completed your meeting with Rosehearts."

Y/N nodded and went along with whatever this strange woman was saying. She had no idea what was going on, so when the woman took her arm and started to drag her away, Y/N mutely followed. 

'I thought NRC didn't allow any other female students,' Y/N thought to herself as the woman pulled her through the maze. 

"Um... pardon me for asking, but... who are you?"

The woman suddenly stopped and turned to Y/N. "Oh you silly girl. Did you drink some of that tea that was offered by the king?" Without giving Y/N a chance to answer, the woman continued. "I am your lady-in-waiting, Sophia. Your mother and father sent me along with you to ensure that your meeting with Rosehearts was successful. He so wished to meet you after being sent your portrait."

"Oh..." Y/N said nothing more on the matter and continued to follow behind Sophia. 

As they walked, Y/N noticed something rather odd about her surroundings. The more that Sophia led her around, the more that things started to seem out of place. The cards that were stationed at certain breaks in the hedges, the large castle off in the distance that seemed even larger than the dorm of the Heartslabyul students, and of course, the small village that Sophia had just pulled her into. It wasn't the fact that the village seemed odd in and of itself, it was actually quite a normal looking village, but the strange thing was that Y/N could remember ever having seen a village in the area. Cater, Ace, and Deuce hadn't said anything about a village. 

Sophia either didn't notice Y/N's hesitation, or didn't care, and pulled her down the beige cobblestone street, heading in the direction of a large pastry shop. It was a quaint sight to behold and Y/N noticed the line of people that was forming, winding all the way down the street.

"I thought I had to meet Rosehearts," Y/N said quietly. She still had no idea who this Rosehearts person was.

Sophia sighed. "Yes, you do. But Lady Rosehearts has requested that we pick up some tea from here before we go and meet with them." She paused just outside the door and turned back to Y/N. "Perhaps it is better if you wait out here for me. I sense that if the customers see you inside, they might all flood in, wanting to shake your hand or get you to kiss their babies."

"I beg your pardon!" 

Sophia did not respond to Y/N's outburst as she ducked inside, ignoring the protests from the patrons. Y/N shuffled nervously outside the door, fiddling with the gloves that had somehow appeared on her hands. The black cuffs around the edges were secured with an especially irritating elastic and Y/N suddenly wished that she could take the dratted things off, though she suspected that Sophia would not think that to be a wise decision. 

The rest of her outfit had also changed. Instead of wearing the traditional school uniform of the boys that she had put on that morning, she was now dressed in a scarlet satin dress. It was a rather simple dress, at least in the cut and sewing, but the small and intricate details on the dress made Y/N wonder just how much the dress had cost. There was a deep red trim around the edge of the dress, along with some white designs along the bottom, and some darker red ones near the waist. She was unable to see the chest designs, as a black cloak had been draped over her shoulders, along with her hair.

Sophia came out a moment later with a tea pot filled with freshly brewed tea. 

"Are you ready to go," she asked, and when Y/N nodded, she linked her arm through Y/N's and pulled her away from the bakery.

"Isn't it odd for a bakery to sell tea," Y/N muttered quietly.

Sophia shook her head. "Oh no. They sell anything and everything there. The boy behind the counter was so nice!" She continued to gush about him and Y/N found herself zoning out of the conversation. What was going on? Where was the dorm that she had been standing in thirty seconds before?

Suddenly Sophia froze where she stood and Y/N looked up to see a dark shadow standing in the path. Sophia's hand had grown cold, and when Y/N looked over at her companion, she was surprised to see that Sophia had turned to stone! 

"I was wondering if you would return to the grove," the man said, taking a step forward.

Y/N tugged at her hand, which was still clenched tightly in Sophia's. The stone grip of the woman seemed impossible to escape, and by the time that Y/N had managed to pull her hand free, the man had reached her, and was now stretching out a hand to capture her other hand in his. She struggled to get free of the man, and he pulled her into his chest.

"Please," he whispered into her ear. "Please. Don't be scared of me. I don't think my heart could take it if you were..."

Y/N didn't listen and continued to struggle, her hair tangling and her attire becoming disheveled. "Let me go!"

The grip on her was released and Y/N stumbled away from the man, her chest heaving. The neckline of her gown had slipped down a little beneath her cloak and she quickly readjusted it, along with the misalignment of everything else that she was wearing. The man still stood in front of her, his hands raised in defense.

"Please, Y/N. Just let me explain."

"No," Y/N yelled, backing up a little more. "You're the one who has been haunting me in my dreams! Leave me alone!"

The man stopped advancing and paused, slowly lowering his hands. "I'm not the one haunting your dreams." He reached up and pulled off his hood, allowing the sunlight to grace his features. 

Y/N felt her heart stop as she saw the man. Though she could not put a name to the face, she knew deep in her heart that she knew this man. She pulled off  her own hood and took a gentle step forward, testing the waters. There was something... strange about this man. As if he had been in one of her dreams, though she had not taken the time to pay attention to him.

"Do I know you from somewhere," she asked hesitantly.

The man nodded. "You might not remember me though."

"Are you from my past?"

"Yes."

Y/N reached the man, but just as she was about to reach out and feel his beautiful dark locks, she suddenly found herself back in the rose garden. 

A/N: I am sorry for the short chapter, but I had a little bit of writers block today. Hopefully tomorrow's chapter will be a little bit better and I promise that I will start explaining more about Y/N soon. The first major reveal will be during the battle against the first Overblot ;) Stay tuned, and I hope you enjoy.