This is just a little short story I worked up. Hope you like it.

Rose Winged Knight By: Helena F. Lupin

“Father, you cannot be serious!” Golden eyes blazed in outrage. “I am too old for you to try and force such a thing upon me!” He gestured furiously to punctuate his harsh words that reverberated from the white marble walls of the great hall. Those who attended the court shrank back as the prince protested the news his father had just delivered to him. Those of the Alkinra Court knew when the prince was in a foul mood, for his great white wings would flutter in irritation not befitting one of the fairy kind.

The prince was as fair as any of them. His hair, thick and sateen in texture, was a gold that would make any treasure seem pale and tarnished, his eyes were that same shining color with solid dark onyx rings, one along the outside of the iris, and one bisecting it into two thick rings of liquid molten gold that shifted with the light. His skin was a perfect glimmering moon white, a golden tint settled over it.

The Alkinra Court was famous for their fairies baring butterfly and moth wings. The royal family usually had large white ones with silvers and golds bordering them, pure white wings was in fact a rare occurrence. Another rarity was the temper that the prince displayed.

“Asadel, do not tempt me on this!” His father bit out. For all the world the princes’ father was opposite from himself. Where he was light colored in hair, eyes, and skin, his father was dark. Where his body was lean, willowy with grace, his father was made to be a warrior, not a ruler, but fate had changed that when the King had married the widowed Queen who died two years later after giving birth to their son, Asadel, the soul heir to the throne of the Alkinra Court. Where Asadel’s wings were pure white and swallow tipped, his fathers were raven with patches of stained scarlet and silver along the edges. As much as the King would rail on his young son, he loved his child, which is why he had arranged for Asadel to marry the third eldest daughter of the King of a neighboring court.

“You will take the woman’s hand!” His father hissed, his onyx eyes flashing with a dangerous light that dared that the prince try to argue. The prince bit his tongue then, literally, to keep his silence. His wings fluttered in irritation, and his form was stiff with rage, but he said not a word. He turned on his heal then, marching out of the white marble grand hall, refusing to look at any of the occupants. The prince slammed the double golden doors before the guards there could shut them quietly, the sound reverberated through the hall beyond that Asadel now stood in. It was a smaller, narrow hall, but no less grand in white marble and golden images upon the walls of fairy and mortal alike, dancing together with bejeweled eyes.

The prince walked slowly down the hall, several doors lined the last few feet of the hall, each a rich, dark oak with more golden images upon them. He took the third on his left, walking into another hall. Several halls and doors later he walked out into the open sun. Asadel spread his arms and wings wide, feeling the warmth of the golden orb above crease his body, making him feel comforted. Carefully he kicked off his black riding boots, they matched the rest of his outfit, black riding pants, a dark burnt golden shirt, a black vest over that, and a circlet of gold about his head. He pulled the tie that held his hair away, letting the locks swirl about his body to his waist, shifting at its own will. He walked, his feet moving silently on the soft, thick, lust green grass of the lands that stretched out into the forests about his kingdom. He walked what felt like hours before he stopped and finally let his anger out.

“That old fool be sent to the mortals’ devil!” He shouted, the sound echoing through the ancient trees that towered over him.

“That is not a very polite thing to say, my prince.” Asadel jerked around, coming face to face with the only person who had been more family to him then his own father.

“Oh, Rose, it’s you.” The prince sighed as he turned to his personal guard. The one who had watched over him when he was no more then an infant. Rose had always been the best the Alkinra Court had ever turned out in the way of warriors, or so the court liked to boost. Rose was not really of this Court, he had been of another, one that had grown uneasy with the silent man around. Rose spoke only when his words were needed. They had also been uneasy for the guard’s unnaturally beauty, even among the fey. His name sake shown in his wings though.

His wings held the 3-D image of over-lapping rose petals with black outlines and shadows, but to the touch his wings were like any other’s, flat and smooth with that fine powder. One of a kind wings. His eyes were pure shadow, with scarlet irises, not a speck of white lay in those piercing eyes. His skin was white though, it was not that sickly white, but that pure marble color, unblemished. His hair fell raven, cut short, curling along the nape of his neck and into the fabric of the shirt he wore under his armor. The bangs that fell into those eyes of black and fire were lanced with crimson strands. Rose pressed his wings together tightly, holding them firmly behind his back.

The black red tinted armor that was fitted to the fairies body shimmered as he walked toward his prince, face drawn into ever present serious lines. “You should not have such a tempter in front of the court, it makes them wonder if you have been about me too much.” The guard said as he nodded for the prince to walk with him further. Asadel sighed and did so, knowing wisdom was about to be bestowed upon him once again. The guards footsteps were heavier then Asadel’s due to his armoring, but Rose had little choice in that really. Rose’s hand absently gripped the hilt of the sword he was known for wielding like the devil would his fires. The hilt was silver with golden vines tracing up along it and ruby roses set into it, the blade, slender and powerful, was tinted in green. The sword had always fascinated Asadel. As much as it could bring death it could bring life as well. He had spent countless hours as a child watching the guard bring plants into life with the flat of the blade pressed to the earth.

“You should take her hand.” Rose said at last. Asadel glanced quickly up at Rose. “Do not give me that loathsome look, Del.” It was rare he used that nickname, and only in private with the prince. “It is a good match, and it would do well that you take it...you know we have need of the extra military. More and more humans have been wondering into our lands...slave traders looking to kidnap our own in the night. The woodland elves have lost dozens of people this month alone in mass raids. We need combined forces. This is a match of necessity, and I am sorry I cannot protect you from it.”

Asadel smiled softly as his body guard looked toward the ground stubbornly, refusing to let his prince see how it upset him that he could not help him. Rose had always been able to save Asadel from anything, he was used to literally being the knight in shining armor for the one who he had come to see as his own child. “Rose.” Asadel placed a hand upon the taller’s shoulder. “I trust your words, I always have. If you say this is a well made plan then I will follow through upon it, my friend.” Rose raised his own hand to grip the prince’s shoulder in return.

“Aw, ain’t that just the sweetest thin’ you e’er seen?” A deep voice drawled out, a heavy accent that could have been Irish dripping from each word. Laughs and chuckles answered the question that had been asked. Rose moved faster then lightening could strike the heavens, dragging Asadel around behind his larger form. There were an even half dozen of men standing where their backs had been facing. The one who had spoken made a show of bowing as he introduced himself. “I’m Bram.”

“I know that name.” Rose hissed, sounding like a demon as he spoke in that outraged tone as he spat out his words. “You have been taking many of our kinds, you have earned a very interesting reputation, they say you took a pixie as wife and that she betrays many to help you with your trade.”

“Aye,” Bram said thoughtfully, raising a work worn hand to stroke idly at his short auburn red beard. “That woman does do well by me. I really need give her more attention.” Something in his eyes, in his twisted smile made Asadel flinch as he peeked over Rose’s shoulder at the men before them.

“You sick son of a-” Rose was cut off from his curses then as the men rushed them. “Run!” The knight hissed at Asadel as he drew his own sword, sparks of light flying from it as he drew it almost to quickly, Hell’s Light many had called it when the knight was going to fight with true passion in his skills. Asadel began to back away but could not force his legs to run and abandon someone he cared about. The knight’s sword clashed with two at once and he twisted then, sending them flying. He dared to glance at the prince. “I SAID RUN!” He screamed, and it was then that the fairy found he had the will to move faster then he had been, bolting into the trees, moving with all the speed he could toward the castle.

Asadel could hear about two of them following him, they were clumsy, loud, snapping twigs and branches as they rushed after him, tripping and catching their balance just barely. The fairy on the other hand moved like fluid through the trees, making almost no sound except for light footfalls on soft grass, barely keeping his wings from being torn by branches. He could hear the cries of the men who had stayed to fight his guard, his knight, his friend. He could hear Rose’s voice rise in his own blood lusting shouts as he fought. Then he knew why the knight had sent him away, why he had truly bid him run, it was for his life yes, but it was more for that Rose was frightening when he fought, he did not wish for Asadel to see him as he slaughtered humans without mercy, but with a love for murder in those black and scarlet eyes.

There was an audible thump in a tree just ahead of Asadel and he glimpsed the shimmer of a blade in the thick trunk of the ancient tree. Asadel knew their luck would work out soon if he was not careful, if he did not move faster, his wings were large targets. It was times like this that he cursed the beautiful appendages. He heard a blade whistle by the upper tip of his left wing, felt the rush of the air and then he heard another whistling, but this sort was sharper, an arrow. He jerked around as he heard a dull thud and a grunt. All he saw as the back of a dark head and flashes of rose like wings before the green glint of a sword. His pursuers never had the chance to so much as blink before their heads were severed, a wave of crimson spraying the ground.

Asadel was breathing hard as he looked at the back of his body guard. “Rose.” He asked as he moved closer. Rose turned to him, his wings were tattered at the edges, his face sporting a cut along his cheek, those would heal, but what could not heal was the arrow through his heart. Asadel gave a startled cry as the knight dropped his sword and fell to his knees. Asadel rushed to his guard’s side, moving to cradle his upper body gently. “Rose.” He murmured. “Look at me, say something!” He pleaded.

The knight gulped before he coughed, a thin river of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. A moment later one side of his lips quirked upwards in a small smile, the first the prince had ever seen from him in all his young two hundred years. The knight seemed to read his mind. “I have not smile...” He coughed again, harder, harsher, more scarlet. “In almost three centuries...”

“You could have cut the arrow...” Asadel murmured as tears trailed down his face. “It never had to touch you.”

“Ah, but I was not thinking that clearly...” Rose murmured, his voice soft and rough now. “I was...w-was too worried...for you....” The knights eyes fluttered shut for a moment before opening again. “Pull this blasted thing out...” One of his hands raised to the arrow, but he hissed when he tried to touch it and jerked his hand away. The prince nodded as he raised a hand and pulled swiftly to remove it. The knight gritted his teeth around a cry.

“I-I can get someone.” Asadel said quickly. “Just...just wait here...the healers will-”

“Ah, calm yourself.” The knight murmured. “I’m old, I’m tired...I leave you to your life, you have learned and you will do well as a king.” Rose reached out then, gripping the hilt to his sword. “Wear this at your side, it will help you greatly. I will watch you...my brother...my son...my friend...” The prince folded his hand over the one that held the hilt to the sword and watched as the knight’s eyes dulled, as those lustrous orbs faded in death.

The prince closed his eyes when he found the tears would not stop. “Good bye my brother, my father, my friend...my love...” He broke into tears in that moment, tears that would never come to his eyes again for he had loved the knight dearly as anyone could love a friend and an ally.

Asadel did as Rose had asked of him, he took the hand of the woman his father had chosen, but as he took his vows and his wife his eyes were for his father during that time, they were defiant and cold. For years after he held the name of his guard high in his court, as did everyone else who had known little of the knight. It did not please him that they humored him, but at least he knew his knight.

He never did remove Rose’s sword from his side except for sleep, and even then the blade as kept in a sheath along the bedpost closest to his head for a quick reach. He wielded the blade into battles and wars like his knight had, like the devil and it was in a clash between fey and human that his life was stolen by an arrow to his heart between his shoulder blades. His son had stood over him, holding his hand as he spoke these final words upon his death bed.

“This arrow was always meant for me...it was merely delayed several years...” He had said softly past bloody lips, one hand holding his son’s, the other gripping the hilt of his sword. He lifted his son’s hand to the sword. “Take this, it was given to me by a man I would have gladly bowed to and have called my King...my Rose Winged Knight.”

The Sword of Earth was carried by every king and queen in that blood line from hence forth, and it was remembered for the two most powerful men that had wielded it with passion. And, if one holds the blade just so in the light, in the green tinted depths of the metal one can see two forms, hands joined forever in the bonds that hold the very heavens together. King Asadel, the man who made white marble kingdoms weep with his loose, and the one who had saved the great king who had brought glory to the fey when he had died that day in slaying the leader of the human armies and in sighting peace among them all, the Rose Winged Knight.