1 The Lotus Among The Roses

'Men are beasts' –those words resonated in the mind of a young woman meditating in lotus position.

With his eyes closed, a faint smile was it drawn on his tender lips when his meditation was it interrupted by those words. Even in a deep state of meditation, there was no way for the young woman to forget those words. That was something that had been it taxed over more than ten years in his mind.

'Men are beasts ', from a very short age, those words were it continually repeated on the lips of the two people closest to her, her father and her mother.

The fine, delicate black eyebrows of the young girl trembled faintly upon perceiving a spiritual energy approaching. Her eyes slowly opened up, rebelling an almost magical blue color.

The expression on the face of the young girl be was relaxed and a lovely smile appeared on her fine pink lips. Immediately relaxed his posture and waited patiently for the arrival of his visitor.

It was already half a day, as usual, the only sounds around she were the singing of the birds and the wind. The place was a beautiful garden decorated with a large number of plants, among which were beautiful red and white roses. That garden that seemed to exist only for that young woman, it was in the center of a lonely and remote mansion that she only inhabited it.

The sound of some slow footsteps very soon echoed over the lustrous hardwood floors, the visitor had finally entered the halls of her little mansion.

There was no anxiety in the young girl, only a warm feeling of anticipation towards her visitor. That spiritual energy that had felt to come, it was completely familiar for her, and even without having even focused too much on that spiritual energy, she knew who it was. There was only one possible answer to the identity of his visitor, there was only one person in this world who would come to visiting her in this lonely mansion.

Very soon from the corridor covered with a slight shadow provoked by the dim light, a middle-aged man dressed in white clothes emerged to the garden. On the chest of that man's white robe, the embroidery of a blue line was it powerfully highlighted and then took the form of a small drop of water at the end.

"Oh, I seem to have interrupted your meditation again" – seeing the young woman sitting in lotus position at the center of the garden, the middle-aged man expressed those words with a slight smile on his lips. The young girl's slender figure was it lovingly reflected upon her black eyes.

"Isn't it always the same? The only thing I do most of the time is meditate, so it does not matter, father "– there was no reproach in the young girl´s answer, but the slight mockery of a little joke.

Even though he was aware that his daughter was only joking, the middle-aged man could not help but show some guilt over his face as he forced a smile. That charming fourteen-year-old girl had lived most of her life behind the walls of this mansion. Literally, she had never set foot out of the lonely mansion!

"Today I'm a little late and... I will not be able to spend much time with you today. I am sorry "– a feeling of guilt choked the man's heart.

"Clan affairs?" – The young girl showed no reproach to her father's words, and instead tried to spin a topic of conversation to lessen the guilt that might he be bothering.

"Precisely" – after responding, the man made a gesture with his right hand and a bluish ring shone lightly between his fingers.

In front of the young girl who was still in lotus position, a blue blanket and several food dishes appeared out of nowhere. That blue ring in his father's hand was a 'spiritual storage ring', a precious object containing a small dimension where some objects could be stored.

"Not are there still three days left for the Clan's ceremony of majority of age? – The young girl arranged the wrinkles of her clothes while settling in front of the food her father had brought.

"That is so, but, today have come from unforeseen important visitors" – the man settled in front of his daughter to share the food.

"Important visitors?"

"Yes, people from the Blue Star Clan."

"Why would people from the Blue Star Clan come to a land so far away to visit this little White Brook Clan?" –although at first he was just trying to distract his father's mind to avoid he feeling any guilt, the young girl was it curious about so unusual event.

The Blue Star Clan was one of the four most important clans of the kingdom, its power made him be on par with the royal family, but they were actually above them. As for the White Brook Clan, it was simply one of the three most important clans within the Cold Brook City, the disparity in influence and power, was similar to the comparison between mud and gold.

"Remember that the son of the clan leader is engaged to the granddaughter of one of the great elders of the Blue Star clan."

"It's true, there was something like that."

The young girl immediately recalled that the leader of the White Brook Clan, making a master move, had managed to engage her only son with the granddaughter of one of the great elders of the Blue Star Clan. Such an achievement that would arouse the envy of a number of clans throughout the kingdom, had a cost, the dowry of marriage that the leader of the White Brook Clan would give to the bride's family, was neither more nor less than the main treasure of the White Brook Clan , the 'root of the tree of spiritual dew'.

"It doesn't matter, it's not as if it had something to do with you" – with great care, the man poured some tea for his daughter.

The young girl simply nodded, such an event actually had nothing to do with her.

"Then father, with regard to the ceremony of majority of age...?" –after ruling out the foregoing, the young girl brought the subject of conversation to what she cared about it.

"* sigh * you will inevitably have to do it..." – the subject caused frustration and concern in man.

Like any other clan, in the White Brook Clan, once a year was it held the so-called ' ceremony of majority of age '. An event in which the young members of the clan of fifteen years or near to, were presented to the all members of the clan and perform an aptitude test that would directly affect their future situation within the clan.

"Don't worry, father, I won't fail"-unlike her father, the young girl looked forward to the aforementioned event, as she could finally take a step outside the mansion!

"These is not really what worries me..."-the man murmured between his teeth while observing the slight enthusiasm on the face of his daughter.

The young girl had spent most of her life alone, and with the exception of her father and mother, not even her two older siblings had met her. The man did not lament about the confinement of his daughter, what he regretted was that despite being one of the four great elders of the clan, he was unable to prevent his daughter from presenting to the ceremony of majority of age.

Despite the confinement of almost a lifetime of the young girl, the rest of the members of the White Brook Clan were aware of their existence. No one was too curious about his appearance or the real reason of his confinement, simply because, unlike men, women can only gain importance and notoriety after ceremony of majority of age, before that, they are simply that, women.