[CHAPTER SEVEN]

Previously on Avenging Angels

Rosaline gets hold up in the hallway by Christian. She finds out that Regina has a fear of darkness.

Rosaline leaves the Castle for her first break and on her way out, she meets a new face. Two guests come to meet her in her house. Who are these guests?

SEVEN

Once upon a time, there lived in a faraway land, a man with his three little princesses.

There were always satisfied despite the little they had. He was a farmer but practiced subsistence farming to provided his family the essentials.

The first girl, Iris, was a huge fan of books, she mostly loved romance novels where the Prince charming would rescue the damsel in distress and they would live happily ever after.

The second, Lily, was the brightest of them all, she loved fashion and always asked for flashy dresses and shoes from her father.

And the third and most peculiar of them all, she was a contrast as she was the only one that had raven black hair while the others had red hair.

Their mother died right after giving birth to her so she was named after her, Rosaline.

She had always been the weird one, unlike her sisters, she was different. She was quiet, preferred to be alone and she had a strange liking for rose. She had a sharp tongue that never hesitated to speak the truth when needed, witty remarks that always left her father in a pit of laughter.

Their father was a farmer but he sometimes went out of town for some unknown business and when he returned, he never failed to bring back their promised gifts. When the trips would take more than a night, he always made sure to sing a lullaby for his daughters through their neighbor's landline.

They were very happy. There were the happiest family on earth but all that ended one day.

They said happy times never last.

After the girls' lives were turned upside down. They struggled to survive in this harsh world.

From begging on the lonely and cold streets to eating leftovers at restaurants. They did everything to survive in order to avenge their father's wrongful death.

From that day, their one goal was to destroy the Bladderworts at any cost.

But the truth was?

Were they ready to find out the truth? Will they be able to overcome the pain and heartaches, the truth was going to bring?

They say some truth are better left unsaid but these girls were going to go through hell back and forth to acquire JUSTICE.

Three millennials navigating the struggles of life but at least they had one another.

But all that was about to change.

The moment they stepped foot into this dangerous game of lies, betrayals, mysteries, and corruption,

There was no going back.

I closed my eyes, feeling the warm breeze hit my face and blow my black locks.

I heard a set of footsteps coming up and I opened my eyes but remained in my position.

Once I heard them stop, I turned around and saw two figures smiling at me and I found myself grinning at them.

Janet Peters and Bianca Romano.

I took a step forward and we hugged each other.

"Rosy" Iris said.

"Iri," I said and she kissed my cheek making me cringe.

"Roro!" Lily jumped.

"Lil" I hugged her and she slapped my back.

"I told you not to call me that" she whined.

"I also told you not to call me that but I don't see you listening" I smirked.

"Why should I listen? I am the elder one" she crossed her arms.

I look at her from head to toe and patted her head.

"Whatever you say, Lil one" I shrugged.

"Iris!" She rushed to her side and hugged her while I chuckled.

I am the tallest of the three and Lily is the shortest. There was a time we went out to buy groceries and the cashier told me my little sister is so cute. That made Lily so angry that she was about to pounce on the poor lady until I intervened, not before laughing my ass off, of course.

"Rose, stop troubling your sister" Iris scolded me and I rolled my eyes at her motherly tone.

"Let's go inside. It's freezing" she said and Lily stuck her tongue out before going down the stairs.

Truly mature.

We were in the kitchen and Iris was making coffee for us.

"I have sent the mail to the castle," Iris said as she joined Lily and me on the counter.

"Avalor is working at home today, so she will get it immediately before anyone can" I nodded my head.

"Is there a camera in the office?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, I saw one the multiple times I was there," Iris answered.

"But it wasn't part of the rooms in the surveillance camera," I said.

"That means she has access to the camera there. Sly bitch!" Lily hissed.

"Language" Iris warned and Lily rolled her eyes.

"How do we get access to it? I am sure lots of secrets would in it" Iris frowned, apparently in deep thoughts.

After a few minutes of silence. A bulb switched inside my head and I smirked.

Lily noticed and remarked.

"Gat a new plan, mastermind?" She smirked.

"Sure I do. We all need to be in the castle" I said and explained it all to them.

"Did you bring the gadgets?" I asked Lily after Iris went to buy cookies from a nearby store.

"Yeah, let's go get it set before she is back with our cookies," she said, we stood up and went to a room close to the terrace.

I opened the door and we walked in. There were boxes all over the floor.

We opened the boxes and started arranging the computers on the desks.

I took out my laptop and inserted the USB, I transferred the files to my laptop and connected them to the Bluetooth of the computers.

"You got it?" I asked her as she was operating the computers one after another.

"Yeah" she used the rolling chair to fly to the other computer and typed some letters on the keyboard.

"Show off!" I muttered under my breath but she managed to hear it and turned around to flip her blonde hair.

"Coffee time" Iris stepped into the room with a tray filled with cookies and coffee.

I joined Lily after taking my coffee as the surveillance cameras came up on the computers.

"I will say, you did a really good job. I can control everything from here" she smiled in excitement.

"Of course, you are talking about Rosaline Thorne here" I flipped my hair and sipped from my coffee.

Lily pressed a button and the camera flashed red light on Georgina, making her jump from surprise and fall on her butt.

Lily and I burst into laughter at her shocked face.

"Hey, stop playing," Iris said from behind.

"I was just making sure of something and besides I hate that rat. She is so annoying" Lily said.

"Exactly" I agreed.

"Zoom in there"

Lily scrolled the mouse and tapped on the camera in the front door.

It filled the screen, making us see the video clearly. A mailman dropped an envelope on the door, rang the bell, and left without getting any signature.

Chloe opened the door, looked around before spotting the envelope on the floor. She took it in after trying to figure out what was inside.

I then saw her figure handing it to Avalor in the living room. Avalor opened it and stopped dead in her tracks as she stared at the colorful paper in shock. It was written boldly 'you killed Brudy Thorne and you're going to pay'

She quickly stuffed the paper into the envelope and sprinted to her office.

A disturbing silence filled the room.

"The game has just begun" I took a sip from my coffee.

Lily shifted to the table and took her cup of coffee as she scratched her hair.

"Hey, there's food here" Iris blocked the cookies with her arms.

"I need to go to the salon but I am so lazy. The last dye was really awful for my hair" she said as she kept scratching her hair.

I am the only one that didn't have to disguise myself. I went with my real name and real appearance. But Iris had to dye her hair brown and Lily blonde and changed their name and everything.

"I miss my ginger hair" she pouted.

"Hey, give me your earpieces. Let me check if there are any problems" she said and took off her red and blue earrings as Iris and I took ours off.

In the squad, Lily is the technical whiz, she takes care of all our gadgets and technologies while Iris takes care of all the forging of documents and information while I am the mastermind of the plans.

After setting it all up, we were in the living room. Iris was typing away on her phone while Lily and I were watching a soap opera that was such a nice sleeping pill.

Lily nudged me and I glared at her as she woke me up from my slight daze, she pointed at something beside me.

I followed the finger and saw Iris smiling and blushing while typing.

I and her exchanged a look before we stealthily stood up from the couch.

I went behind the couch, crawling so she wouldn't notice me and Lily went in front of her.

We both nodded and at the same time, I grabbed Iris's hand as she grabbed the phone from her hand.

"Stop!" Iris tried to squirm away from me.

Lily ran across the room. When she was a safe distance away, she began to read the text out loud.

"I am already missing you so much; I am missing you more; I love you honey; I love you more; bye Williams?" she dropped her hand and stared at Iris with shock.

I let go of her hand, went to sit next to her, and waved Lily to come to sit.

There was total silence as we all went through what just happened.

"Was that part of the plan or was it truly from your heart?" Lily broke the silence with her stupid question.

I shot her a look and she just shrugged.

Sometimes, I wonder where she came from.

"What? None of you were willing to talk..." she looked at Iris and sighed.

"When did it happen?" I asked Iris.

"I-i don't know. I just... began loving him for no reason, he was just so nice to me and everyone, I couldn't resist him. I know, I know I was supposed to seduce and act like I am in love with him but there was just a point where it wasn't just an act anymore. I mean he is so handsome, cute, and...." she sighed.

"OK, enough, or I might actually begin to throw up," Lily said in annoyance.

I shot her another look and she sighed.

"I was going to tell you guys eventually but... I didn't want to disappoint, especially you, Rose" she looked at me with her tear-stained face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't control my feelings" she cried out.

I pulled her towards me and hugged her.

"It's okay. It's all alright. You are acting like you committed a crime or something" I laughed and rubbed her back when I felt her giggle a little.

"Dad said if you cry and laugh immediately, you will grow hair in your butt," Lily said from across and we all burst into laughter.

Lily joined us in the hug and we stayed like that for sometime before we pulled away.

"But you know....." I trailed off.

"Yes, I know. Once the plan is done and we put his parents in jail, he is going to hate me. I know. That's why I am trying to make the best of every moment we have but I am just so scared of the thought of losing him" she rested her head on her hands and I rubbed her back.

I don't even know what to say.

I know the best thing would be to let him go but I just can't bring myself to tell Iris that when she looks so broken.

We don't choose to find love. It comes whenever it likes, like an uninvited guest that we have to tolerate and find a room for it and feed it.

And... when it comes in the most unexpected times, we have to endure a lot of hurt and heartbreaks. We lose a lot of tears during love, we get betrayed and humiliated but some still choose to go through it to find eternal happiness but is it truly worth it?

The only love I have ever felt was the one from my father and sisters.

Besides them, the world is harsh and cold. Maybe that's why I learned to hide my feelings because once they see a modicum of emotion in you. They use it to their advantage and eventually break you when they are finished with you.

And I don't want to be broken. I have already been through that more than I can count.

"Let's play a game. Loser makes dinner" Lily smiled and we all agreed.

*****

"Why is it always the one that suggests the game that loses?" She huffed and left to the kitchen.

After we were done with dinner. We went to the rooftop, arranged our sleeping bags, and drank hot chocolate, chatting and laughing at old memories.

We were lying down and looking up at the beautiful stars that lit up the sky.

As a young girl, I always wondered why the stars were necessary, the moon already shone so brightly and I am sure God didn't create them just for beauty.

When I asked my father this, he said.

'The stars were not created for beauty, my love. They were created to lead those who are lost and stranded in the sea. They tell them the way to follow or not to follow. They are the reason why so many sailors are able to find their way back home at night. It's also a symbol of hope because it's only when it's dark that the stars shine so bright'

What he said made me even more confused and I didn't get it back then. Until I felt so hopeless one day that I had to take a look the shy.

Despite the darkness, the stars shined so brightly that I was instantly filled with hope and assurance.

When you are lost and all alone, that may be when you will shine so bright.

"Roses are red" I sang.

"Irises are blue" Iris sang, beside me.

"Lily is white" Lily sang

"And just like you three,

Are beautiful too" we all sang together.

"I have three flowers,

Iris is blue,

Lily is white,

Rose is red

And a little weird too.

They are the reason,

I am still breathing,

And without them,

I'm just a weed.

I'm sure Mama is up,

Looking at us,

Smiling at us,

And maybe scolding us too.

You want to see Mama?

Close your eyes now,

And she will be there,

Waiting for you."

And like that, we fell asleep, with his voice in our mind.

Midway through my sleep, I cracked an eye open when I felt a raindrop on my cheek.

I quickly woke the girls up and we packed the things downstairs but we didn't get to escape the rain in time.

We were inside now, cleaning our damp hair and body with towels.

"I told you it was going to rain but you never listen to me" Lily huffed.

We looked at one another and soon we were on the floor, laughing our insides out.

This is what I call home.