Roses for Rachel

Chapter 15.

I turned my back to my room, facing the black stone wall in front of me, and cried. Why would someone want to kill Fern? She was only ever kind and welcoming to me. She had no reason to be nice to me, I know Greer told me her handmaiden was snooty and rude, Fern was just a good person.  

I don't know how much time passed while I stood there with my shoulders shaking from my sobs. Behind me I could hear Master Pedro's tears matching my own. I had never noticed anything between them, but they must have been closer than I knew. Guards shuffled around, but I stood my ground. Feet planted, eyes on the wall. I didn't want to see her body again.

I jumped slightly when a pair of cool arms wrapped around me. "Rachel..." He whispered into my hair.

I turned around to burry my face in his chest. He had obviously showered and changed. He smelled like fresh pine and his bloody white shirt had been replaced with a crisp and clean blue button down. "Oh, Calvin, it's Fern." I cried. "Someone killed Fern." He hugged my head to his chest with one hand and his other pressed against my lower back and I felt him rest his head on top of mine.

"I know." He said. "I came as soon as I heard. I'm so sorry, Rachel. I'm sure she was a nice person."

I tilted my head back to look at him. "You didn't know her?"

"No." He said with a shake of his head. "If I've ever had any interaction with her, I don't remember her. Not her name, anyway."

The thought that she had worked for this castle and been here for god knows how long, yet he didn't know who she was, was hard to swallow. I tried not to be too judgey, but I felt like I would know the people who devoted their lives to me if I were a ruler. "Oh." I said lying my head back on his chest and closing my eyes.

I could tell there were a lot of other people crowding around the area, but I tried to tune them all out. It was easy to do until I heard familiar voices. I opened my eyes to see guards up the hallway holding back the other girls, as well as hordes of onlookers. All five of the girls were staring at me, then I remembered that Calvin still had me wrapped up in his embrace, plus I must look like some kind of crazy person with a destroyed dress, crazy hair and swollen eyes.

Calvin must have noticed them too, because he sighed and turned us both so that his back was facing the crowd and I was blocked from their views. "Are you ok?" He whispered, tightening his embrace.

I nodded my head against him.

"Rachel!" I heard my name shouted. I leaned my head around Calvin's shoulder and saw Greer trying to fight passed a guard three times her size. "Rachel, please!" She called to me.

I nodded my head to Calvin. "Let her through." Cal demanded the guard.

Greer gave the guard a look as she stomped passed him and over to us. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and the way her hair was tied back made her look like the girl I used to know. Her full cheeks were flushed and in her eyes I could see her concern. Calvin let go of me and stepped back, then seconds later Greer had her arms around my neck. "I'm so sorry, Rachel." She cried into my neck. "I'm a horrible friend." I was stunned, but I slowly lifted my arms to hold her. Her crying made me start crying all over again. "They told us you were missing, and then the next thing we heard was that they'd found a body in your room. I was so scared that it was you. I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm so glad you're alright."

I rubbed the back of her plush pink robe, trying to comfort her. "It's ok." I told her. "I understand." I lied. I don't understand how she could have thrown our friendship away the way that she did, but I've also come to learn that if you expect every person to react to things in the manor which you know you would, you're going to be disappointed by people a lot. "I forgive you."