Rose & Serena(1)

Rose had a blank look on her face. She looked around the room as if she was searching for something, but she couldn't find anything. While looking around the room, she was stunned to notice Dev looking at her tensely in an unknown environment. After looking at him, something snapped in her mind. She held her head as if in excruciating pain.

"NO, NO, NO," she started hysterically shouting. Tears were pouring out.

Dev let her scream without disturbing her so that she could calm down.

She finally calmed down and started looking around the room.

Dev had an ominous feeling since Rose opened her eyes. His foreboding feeling was getting stronger every second. He tensely asked her, "Are you alright, Rose?"

Rose didn't answer, so he had to ask again, "ROSE, are you alright?"

"Where is this?" Rose hoarsely asked a question in response to him.

Dev responded, "You're in Kajiya."

Rose fell silent. A few moments later, Dev broke the silence by asking, "How did you come here?"

It was like he opened Pandora's box by asking the question. The tears which had stopped, started pouring out again and started telling him about what happened after he left.

***

A few months earlier,

Following Dev's departure, Rose started to prepare for Takshila academy. She was required to send her documents to Takshila academy within a year, as the classes were scheduled to begin next year. In Nehan, all academies had a course length of four years. There will only be one batch of students at the academy at any given time to ensure proper grooming. Following the passing of the previous batch, the next batch of classes will begin.

Rose was preparing for her future in Takshila academy, as it is known to be the best academy in Nehan, and only geniuses are selected. A batch at this academy is limited to 170 seats.

To be the best of the rest, Rose has to fight for her place at the academy.

The unexpected summons of the elf capital for her and her mother caused her preparations to a halt.

Neither Rose nor Serena knew why they were summoned? Anyone known to them doesn't live in the capital. They had no option but to accept the order, as only someone influential will order for them?

She finally found out who summoned them. She was astonished to know the identity of the summoner. It was her father's clan who summoned them.

Her father was related to one of the medium-grade Elf clans, Churchills. She saw a silver-haired man with silver eyes and silver hair who looked to be about twenty years old. He and a couple of other clan members waited for her and her mother together. She recognized her father by seeing her mother's change of expression when she looked at the man.

Churchills welcomed Rose and Serena with a big celebration. They both were confused to see such a celebration. They had no idea what was happening? Suddenly, Rose saw the Male Elf she recognized coming toward them with a smile on his face. Her father's name was John.

"Oh, my daughter. I finally got to see you. You've no idea, how much I wanted to see you?" John said to Rose with a pitiful expression.

"Then, why didn't you-"

Before Rose could finish her sentence, He interrupted her and spoke to Serena, "I'm so sorry for leaving you, Serena. I wish I could change the past. I acted like a jerk with you. Please forgive me."

He then proceeded to hold her hand, but Serena took her hands back. A glint passed through his eyes which Serena and Rose didn't notice.

He then made up some stories about how he tried to find them but couldn't. He only discovered them when Rose's result was declared.

As days passed, seeing so much on the Churchills side, they both lowered their cautiousness. Rose never had any relatives in her life, so she enjoyed her moments while living with the Churchills. She was also happy to see her mother reuniting with her father.

She has also somewhat forgiven her father, as she fell for John's made-up stories.

Everything was going fine until one day when the Churchills suddenly brought up the topic of her marriage. She refused. But, This wasn't the end of it, it was just the start. John started emotional blackmail with Serena about Rose's marriage but, She didn't fall for this ruse of John.

Churchills started talking with other big clans for the marriage, despite Rose's refusal. One of the clans accepted their proposal. That clan was one of the top clans of the Elf's, Olivers.

Olivers accepted the proposal of Churchills, and they also chose the grandson of one of the elders of their clan. Though, there was an issue with the boy Olivers had chosen. He was kind of a playboy and was always angry. He has raped many of his maids and then killed them. He was the worst kind of a degenerate. Churchills still accepted the proposal even without thinking twice.

Olivers even gave a Meditation Art, which could be used for reaching Level 2, as dowry. Rose and Serena protested the decision but clearly, no one took their protests seriously. They were just pawns for the clan.

Rose's life has taken a turn for the worse. She has regular contact with Dev, but neither she nor Serena told him about their situation.

One day, while she was looking up at the sky thinking about her grim future, John came to meet her.

He looked at her pitifully, and said, "I'm sorry for not being able to protect you, my daughter. It's all happening because your father is weak."

"It's not your fault, father," She calmed him down instead of him calming her down.

"I know, you wanted to join the academy, so you could give your mother a better life. But, now you don't have to worry about that. We may not be the richest, but we are prosperous enough to give your mother a better life, so why don't you accept the proposal of the Olivers," He coaxed her to accept the proposal.

She scoffed, "What better life will your clan provide to my mother? They aren't even letting me meet my mother."

"Please forgive me, Daughter. It's all happening because your father is weak," He started acting again.

Somewhere in her mind, she doubted her father but, suddenly having a father clouded her mind.

This act continued for several months. The deadline for submission of documents was approaching soon.

It has been many months since mother and daughter have seen each other.

What happens to Serena?

We'll find out next time...