A/N: I don’t really like writing author’s notes. I’d rather you just read on and find out what this is about ). I want all kinds of critique so I can learn on how to improve. This is the story that I’m putting full effort and pushing my writing skills upon so expect something bigger from this than from some of my other ones. Hope you enjoy this!

CHAPTER 1

Sloane Cece was a tragic Romeo gone missing.

Of course, she knew that this was probably going to happen eventually, where adolescence and its spirit of rebellion and carelessness, would overcome his reason and intellectual ability. However, a part of her had always wished that the young man would never resort to voicing his opinions of his confinement like this. His disappearance had now become one of many things that were causing the wrinkles on her face to become more prominent than they had the year before.

But don’t worry, the old, wise-looking woman sighed. There was nothing to worry about. According to her most reliable and trustworthy sources, only a few select members of his family clan and a few unrelated individuals knew about Sloane’s true identity. Then again, ‘reliable’ and ‘trustworthy’ have been quite subjective lately, only used to make her feel more assured about what she was doing.

At fifty-seven years of age, Lady Fanny Leda was tapping through source after source to find any whereabouts about Sloane’s location. She certainly hoped that the children of her family clan would find Sloane in time before someone discovers the truth of why the Cece have been so openly restless.

A simple town girl like Maida knew nothing about Sloane except that the Cece family household was super-rich, super-powerful, and full of super-gorgeous boys and girls. She heard a slight knock and answered the door rather carelessly to find a slightly distressed but dashingly charming young man standing at the bottom of her doorsteps looking like an angel that has fallen out of the sky.

“Hello...,” he paused, unsure of what to say. “My name is Sloane Cece...I don’t really have a place to stay. Would it be too much trouble if I stayed here for the evening? I have some money on me.”

Time must have frozen over. Maida’s mother’s words flickered in her mind as she looked into Sloane’s dreamy golden eyes and he stared back awaiting her answer. Yes, it was a bad idea to open her door to strangers especially when her mother was sleeping upstairs, but it probably was a worse idea to invite a man she didn’t even know. She couldn’t help it. Mother would understand, she thought. He was a Cece nobleman, and it was every middle class girl’s dream come true for a Cece nobleman to come knocking on their doors for any reason.

“O-of course you can stay here!” Maida grinned almost too strangely. Sloane thought nothing of it as she threw layers of blankets and pillows onto a large sofa that could pass for a small bed. “I’m pretty sure this is nothing compared to your bed. I mean, you know...oh my goodness, make yourself at home!” she flushed and excused herself from the room.

Sloane laughed and allowed himself to settle down for a bit and examined the furniture of the room. It was definitely a lot smaller than the estate he lived in and the furniture pieces weren’t as elaborate or delicate. The tables and chairs were dull and sturdy, and the couches were all one solid color. The setup was simple and neat, efficient for a working family, but not for someone of his status.

Before he could notice the flowers on the coffee table were actually fake, Maida skipped into the room with a large grayish tray filled with strange-looking pastries and large brown mugs of hot, steaming liquid.

“We don’t have anything you can eat as a meal, but we have these for snacks. Have you ever tried these before? I don’t know if you’d like them. And my name is Maida,” she smiled awkwardly. Sloane blinked at her and the two sat in an awkward silence.

“That’s a nice name,” he whispered and took a mug without thanking her.

Another awkward silence sifted in the room.

“Well, may I ask what you are doing here?” she asked as politely as she thought she sounded. She had never met this individual before and why he happened to stumble upon her house instead of the other houses in the neighborhood that all looked exactly the same baffled her. He certainly looked like a gift sent from the heavens but the arrogance he reeked of wasn’t as convincing.

“It’s not really any of you business,” he grinned. Regardless of his rude reply, his charming smile that would melt the hearts of noblewomen had sent Maida’s heart into a different world. “I’ll tell you if you’re single.”

Maida gasped and before she could reply, Sloane laughed softly. “I’m kidding. I’ve committed a really terrible crime under the Cece family name and now they are searching for me.”

“What crime is it?” the young girl sank in seat allowing her straight brown hair fall in front of her. He was slightly distracted by her unintentional appeal and he found it a pity that if she were a Cece, he probably would have been interested in her. Her body language became more defensive as she folded her arms and didn’t seem as curious as she previously had. The image of a prince charming began to crumble into an outraged ogre.

“Forbidden love,” the Cece nobleman sighed.

Suddenly, the image of the prince charming was revived with a hundred ringing church bells and scattering flower petals streaming across the sky. Maida blushed and continued to sink in her seat.

“What kind of forbidden love?”

“The kind that a nobleman of my status can never have...that is, true love.” He whispered wondering if his words had any meaning over her. He knew that noblewomen loved hearing pick-up lines like that, but he wondered if this would have any effect over her. Noblewomen were so much more educated than women of the middle class, which meant...

“I’m sorry, that’s so cheesy,” Maida giggled and began to choke on her tea. “I’m sorry, sir. I probably sound rude, but that’s something that those weird theater people would say,” she tried to cover her laughter with the mug but couldn’t hide it. Sloane wasn’t sure what to say or do so he smiled simply.

He found it incredibly difficult to bring himself to tell this stranger about his situation or why he somehow ended up here. All that the old fortuneteller told him was that the house with dark roses would keep him safe in the meantime. No matter how interesting and attractively simple this girl was, he wasn’t sure how to tell her all of the things that were told to him. How the two of them are connected, how her life was in danger along with his, and how they had to escape from this house within ten minutes without alerting anyone else.

“I need you to come with me,” Sloane asked. Maida blinked and the suspicion of him being an imposter began to churn her stomach. “You probably don’t believe me but we need to make it to the river.”

“What?” Maida asked. She looked around. “Do you expect me to just leave this place right now?” Sloane nodded. “My mother is sleeping and...I don’t really know you...” Sloane sighed and then looked at her with his eyes and smiled sadly in a way that he hoped it would change her heart’s decision.

“What would I do if I go by myself?”

“I don’t know. Go by yourself?” she patted him on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll be OK.” He bit his lip, thinking that spontaneity would be for the best. He grabbed her hand, shut the door, and pulled her along as he ran in a jogging pace. “Where are you taking me? I can yell for help, you know?”

“If you do, we’re both going to die.”