This is a story that I wrote for one my classes in the SNHU’s Master Creative Writing Program. I thought that it would be neat to share a few of my works on my blog to get all of your comments/advices. Remember, no stealing 🙂

On Wintershire territory, the only sound that can be heard is the winds and dry branches falling to the ground. The streets where children once played and the market full of music and voices are now empty with remnants of burnt buildings. The only house remaining in the territory is the late duke’s empty mansion, where Isabella now lives. The only place full of life on the estate is the greenhouse, full of pink, yellow, and red carnations, and white and pink roses bloom beautifully year-round. The grass never dies, and the trees are always covered in green leaves. In the middle of the greenhouse is a water fountain fill with crystal-clear water, which she can see her reflection. Squatting down by the edge of the fountain, Isabella tries to remember what she used to look like with pink hair and amethyst eyes before she became the dark rose sorceress.

Isabella was from the Rosenberg family, one of the founding families of the Bel’daire empire. The Rosenberg was a family of powerful mages and knights that had been blessed by the last steel dragon which were once noble symbolizations of bravery and dignity. However, it is believed that Alexander Rosenberg, one of the founding fathers, sold his soul to the devil, Lucinda, after the imperial family murdered his family. Lucinda gave him black magic, and he went on a revenge spree. Wherever he went, there was always a trail of black rose petals left behind, representing his grief and vengeance, earning him the name the dark rose sorcerer. Until one day, he disappeared without a trace leaving his only surviving kin. It is believed that each Rosenberg at birth, is born with black magic, but it is lock and they cannot use it. If they wish to use it, they must summon and sign a contract with Lucinda. As centuries passed, people forgot about the Rosenberg and the dark rose sorcerer until Isabella showed up.

She never wanted to become the dark rose sorceress, a vengeful person who can never love again. Yearning for love causes her an immense amount of unbearable pain that drains away her mana that can leave her near death. She can only recover her mana through her vengeful killing spree. Each time she recovers her mana, she can feel the black magic growing more powerful. All she wanted was to live peacefully with her family, but everything was destroyed by the emperor ten years ago. She still remembers that horrid night that marked the beginning of her tragic fate.

            “If you become mine, I promise that I’ll let your husband and child go,” the emperor whispered in her ears, sending chills down her spine.

            “You’re disgusting. How can you call yourself the emperor of Bel’daire?! There is no way I would give myself up to you. I’d rather die than become your next special toy.”

            Isabella looked away as she silently prayed that her husband and child had safely escaped. The three of them attempted to escape together earlier, but the emperor’s knights caught up to them, and she got separated. As long as her husband and child are safe, she would not mind dying on the spot by this disgusting man’s hand. 

            “We’ll see how long that stubbornness of yours last,” he said. 

Isabella looked out the window as the emperor stormed out only after demanding his men to keep guard of the room. She sighed after realizing that the windows were bolted shut from the outside. As a few hours passed, Isabella grew weary and exhausted, but she could still hear what was happening. Outside her room, she heard the knights making more movements causing her anxiety to rise. Did they find her husband and son? Having that thought caused Isabella to become fully alert. The outside commotion caught her attention as she began to pace back and forth. All the men were dragged away, and the women and children were taken to the church against their will.

            “I have a surprise for you,” the emperor said as he barged in.

Isabella’s eyes widened as the heads of both her husband and child were tossed and rolled on the floor, leaving a trail of blood. Tears quickly flooded her eyes as she sank to the floor and covered her face. 

            “Why are you doing this?! What do you want?!”

            “This, my darling, is all your fault. If you had given me what I wanted earlier, their death wouldn’t happened,” the emperor points to the heads and then forcefully turn her attention outside where the village was being massacred. 

            “You’re crazy!”

            “Of course I am. You should already be well aware that I’ll do anything to get what I want.”

            Isabella was forcefully picked up and tossed onto the middle of the bed. As she tried to kick him, he grabbed her left ankle and twisted it until she yelled out in pain. Then he proceeded to do the same with her right ankle. The last thing she remembered was the sound of her dress being ripped into pieces.

            Isabella clenches her fist as she recalls the memories of the flames burning her village down as he humiliated her in his bed. The sounds of the helpless mothers and children crying in for help, the angry men’s curses and shouts as they swore vengeance. At the crack of dawn, she got up and ran. She ran as fast as she could through Howling Wolves Forest. If a wolf should find her and tear her into pieces, then be it. She ran all day, but her body was weak, and the emperor had purposefully twisted her ankles so that she couldn’t run away, and the forest was so huge that she couldn’t make it out of the forest before nightfall. She would never forget that day, no matter how many years have passed.

 Still, most of all, she would never forget the beautiful glowing sapphire eyes and glistening golden hair of the man, Tristan, the young Duke of Wintershire, who saved her and trained her in magic and sword fighting. She faintly smiles as she recalls falling in love with Tristan. It was like a god-given second chance for her. For three years, she lived happily and peacefully with Tristan and she had forgotten about the emperor until one winter night, her worst fear became true. 

“Isabella. Wake up.”

            “Hmmm.”

            “Isabella. Isabella!”

            “Tristan?” 

            “Isabella put this on. We must hurry. There’s no time.”

            “What’s going on Tristan?”

            “The emperor.”

Isabella’s face turned pale. How? Why? After three years, she thought she was free and that the emperor had thought she was as good as dead. Why now? Just when she found a second chance at life. Why must he show up? Why can’t he just let her go?

            “Come, let’s go.”

            “Where’s everyone?”

            “They all left. Don’t worry. They are in a safe place, and the emperor will never find them. The knights are buying us some time to escape. No matter what happens, Isabella, I’ll do anything I can to protect you from him.” 

Rider, Tristan’s horse, carried Isabella and Tristan and ran as far as he could until he finally gave out and hisbody lay still on the ground. After burying Rider, Isabella and Tristan began their journey on foot. Tristan had told Isabella that he hoped they would arrive in Tu’o A’lan empire before the emperor caught up to them. With Rider gone, Isabella quietly prays that they reach the border without any trouble. 

            “Isabella!”

As she fell onto the thick sheet of snow, she glanced over to see an arrow piercing straight through Tristan’s leg. She saw the emperor and the imperial knights approaching them from a distance. Gritting her teeth, she casts a magic summoning two yetis to fight them while she pulls out the arrow from Tristan’s leg. Isabella quickly cast a healing spell, but it was no use. He was bleeding far too much, and she lost much stamina after walking for an extended period without rest. 

            “You. I finally found you after all this time.”

The emperor grabbed her wrist and pulled her body from the ground, bringing her face close to his. 

            “Let me go!”

She spits at the emperor, who forcefully took off the ring converting her hair and eye color to their original colors. Seeing the scowl on her face made him enjoy the heartbreaking scene in front of him. 

            “Did you miss me, Isabella? I missed you so much, especially those soft lips, slender waist, and perfect busts that fit in my hands perfectly. I knew that one day I would find you because there was no way you could escape me. You can try all you want, but I assure you I will always find you no matter where you go. You still remember about the night we became one, do you?” 

            “You’re disgusting.”

            “Hmmm. Looks like I’ll have to remind you about that blissful night when you squirmed like a poor rabbit under me, but first, I need to get rid of this nuisance.” 

He tosses her to the side as he approaches Tristan and grabs him by the throat. 

            “Let him go.”

            “Look at this, the mighty and undefeatable duke of Wintershire. Ha, look at you now. So weak and so vulnerable all because of a woman. You should have just handed her to me, but instead, you hid her. I should have known! You have always coveted what is mine! You deserve this for disobeying my command. However, thanks to the nobles who don’t dare to disobey me and covet wealth, I was able to find her.”

            “She’s not yours. She never was and never will be.”

            “We’ll see about that. Guards!”

The emperor threw Tristan to the ground and walked toward Isabella. Holding her jaw in his hand, he forcefully kissed her. Disgusted, Isabella bites his tongue, causing him to push her away. She punched him in the face, causing him to become angry, and violently tossed her into a giant boulder. Managing to gain every breath she had left, she picked up Tristan’s sword, a few feet away, and rushed to protect him from the knights. 

As more knights charged against Isabella, her body grew tired, but she continued to fight them off. Even when her mind began to wonder about what happened to everyone in Wintershire, it only strengthened her. Isabella, who was caught up fighting against the knights, forgot about the emperor who was watching until she heard Tristan shouting her name. Before she could blink, Tristan was already shielding her from the emperor’s sword, which had pierced through his heart. As the emperor pulled out his sword, Tristan fell to his knees, and Isabella caught him in her arms.  

            “Tristan! Tristan! No!”

The tears she had been holding back while fighting knight after knight finally let loose as Tristan barely whispered his last words to her. Holding his dead body in her arms, the emperor and his knights surrounded her, just like they did before. The disgusting smile on his face made her want to throw up. As the snow clouds grew darker, she remembered Alexander Rosenberg’s diary. She found it in Tristan’s library and secretly read it. She knew how to summon Lucinda, but that would mean she would have to sell her soul. She doesn’t want that, but how can she defeat the emperor and his knights if she doesn’t? Whatever, she needs to survive and get her revenge. 

Chanting the spell she recalled, the dark clouds began to grow, and a gust of wind appeared out of nowhere until a small girl dressed in black appeared in front of her, flying in the sky. 

“I see you call for me Isabella. I’m Lucinda. I supposed you already know the conditions for summoning me?”

Isabella remains quiet, but Lucinda knew the answer with one look. With satisfying smirk, Lucinda snapped her fingers, and black rose petals began to fall around Isabella as her vibrant pink hair turned black. The emperor squinted his eyes, carefully observing her while clenching his sword. He gasped in horror as he met her gray eyes. 

“Kill her!”   

He demanded nervously, but before his knights could make the slightest movement. Isabella quickly cast a spell on them, draining their blood out until dry corpses remain. Slowly she approaches the emperor, who has fallen to the ground and trembling in fear. 

“Please let me go. I’m sorry. I promise I will never hunt for you again.”

He gasps for air as Isabella picks him up from the ground by the throat and throws him against the boulder as he had done to her. She picks up his sword and lifts his chin until she sees his fearful and watering eyes. A sense of hesitation causes her hands to tremble, forcing her to bite her bottom lips until she tastes her blood. This is the emperor! The very man who destroyed her life and deserved death. So, why must she hesitate to kill him? Is it because death would be an easy punishment for the emperor as he would never understand the heartbreak and struggles she experienced? Or is it because killing him would not make her a better person than him? 

            “Forget it. I already took many lives today.”

With that final thought, she clenches her eyes as she pierces the sword straight through his throat before turning to the last knight standing. 

            “You.”

            “Y-yes.”

            “You were there on that day. Tell me what happened. I’ll spare your life and save your family as long as you pledge your loyalty to me.”

Since that day, all the remaining survivors left the territory, and Wintershire became a lifeless and forbidden area. The only people who remain with Isabella include the butler, the surviving maids and knights, who no longer have any living family members. After Isabella sent the emperor’s head to the imperial family, the crown prince declared war against her. She gladly accepted it, as she will not let anyone who ruined her life and murdered her beloved ones get away. 

            “Madam. The messenger has returned,” the butler says. 

            “Send him in.”

            “Madam, we found him,” the messenger says.

            “Tell Sir Isaac to prepare the knights. We’re leaving tomorrow at dawn,” Isabella says as she plucks a white rose, and it slowly changes to black.