The Roses Curse

by Angelic Wing

The Dinner

I sat in my room, sobbing into the pillow of my bed. I had been crying for at least an hour, and I didn't want nor care to stop. I wanted to just sit there and cry, but I knew that I couldn't, because of a rather threatening and large creature. I wiped my face and looked at the clock. Firebird had told me dinner would be at six sharp, and he had been so kind that I didn't want to make things difficult. I got up and realized something... Cold and somewhat heavy lay on my neck. I looked down and tensed. My tears returned and I wailed in agony. I held my mothers necklace and pressed it against my chest.

"I never gave it back.... And I'll never get the chance now...."

I cried for about fifteen minutes before getting up and tracing my hoof over the treasured object. I looked out the window and made a silent vow.

"I will never take it off for as long as I live.... Unless to my dear mother, I return..."

I realized that crying wouldn't help or make me feel less dread of tomorrow that I already did. I got up and went to the dresser. When I looked inside, all I saw were frilly pompous dresses that made me cringe. I looked behind them to see an aqua blue dress, simple and elegant, that looked to be forgotten. I felt the fabric lovingly. Silk, one of my favorite fabrics. I slightly smiled at it and easily slipped it on. I twirled the train, that draped itself the floor a little. I then looked at the time, and walked out, and headed to the dining room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He paced around the room, waiting for the mare to show up. He was growing impatient rapidly. He sat down and looked across from him. He sighed and tried to calm his nerves. Luta came in, looking worriedly at her master. She came up to him and touched his shoulder gently. He turned to her and groaned.

"What is it?"

She looked skittishly at her master, and also concerned.

"Is it true, my lord? Are you honestly making the mare wed you tomorrow?"

He growled at the mention of the mare. He looked towards his maid and groaned at the look of fear on her face. Why did his staff look at him like that? He knew he was frightening to them, but he would never harm them, not even while angry. He took his claw and tipped her head to look at him.

"Yes, Luta, I am. Because if I don't, she'll only become more insufferable and angry by the day... So the sooner, the better"

She pushed his claw out from under her chin, and glared at him. He had never seen Luta get angry, especially at him.

"Do you realize what you've done to her?"

He looked at her, confusingly.

"And what exactly have I done other then the obvious, Luta?"

She turned from him, and seemed to scowl at the other end of the table. She turned back to him, disappointment and anger on her features.

"You've made her miserable! I can hear her sobs and wails from down the hall of her room! What possessed you to make such a sudden decision? She's just a mare, barely in her early 20's, and, in a single day, she's engaged and to be married in the day after the proposal!?!!??!"

He shrunk a little at the angry look on his servants face. He regained his composure, and glared at her.

"So what if she's miserable? The wedding date stays... Now if you would please get her to-"

He became stiff as he heard the door creak open...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I pushed the door open, looking inside to see another mare and the monster, staring at me in the doorway. I walked in, and I saw my fiancé staring at me, mouth agape. I slightly cringed at the thought of marrying him tomorrow. I looked at him, annoyance on my face.

"Is something wrong?"

He looked away, and gestured to the seat opposite him. I sat quietly, as the mare glared at the wolf and walked out. We were alone... and I was frightened. I looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"So... Are you pleased with your wardrobe?"

I looked up at him in astonishment. After the events of this afternoon, he's being casual, asking about my wardrobe? I sighed and crossed my hooves, looking at his fearsome face daringly.

"It's fine, although I'm not really a pink, frilly, fairytale gown type..."

He raised an eyebrow, then casually smiled, looking at me intently.

"I can see that, since you chose my mothers old dress..."

I gasped, looking down at the dress in worry. His mothers? I felt guilty and remorseful that I had put on something of his families.

"It looks quite good on you... Don't worry about putting on my mothers dress...it was her favourate... That's why I put it in there..."

I blushed slightly, then was reminded who I was with and glared.

"Would you please stop trying to make our situation normal when it isn't? I would just like to know when I should expect to be bound to you tomorrow, if that's alright, my lord?"

I said the last part with a mocking tone. His eyes shrunk a little in anger.

"Mind your tone with me, my dear fiancé..."

I grinded my teeth. My eyes transformed into orange instead of gold, as they had when I was angry with Discord. His own eyes showed a flicker of fear, before returning to their normal glare. I was ready to flip the table and beat him with it when he called me his fiancé! I was so angry, I yelled immediately, instead of being calm.

"YOU KNOW WHAT? IF IT WILL GET YOU TO STOP CALLING ME "YOUR FIANCÉ", THEN I WOULD PREFER YOU MOVE THE CEREMONY TO THIS EVENING! I CAN'T HAVE MY WORRY AND HEARTBREAK TORMENTING ME FOR ANOTHER SECOND!"

He looked at me, frustration and fear forming on his face. I glared at him weakly as I walked to the door.

"I've lost my appetite... Goodnight, my lord..." "

I walked out, letting my tears fall onto the floor. I heard the monsters chair scrape on the floor and I quickened my pace. I didn't want him to torment me anymore with his presence. His pace quickened along with me. What need did he have to follow me? I saw my bedroom door ahead and simply walked to it, so tired from the days events that I could not trot another step. I soon was pinned to the wall, with the wolf glaring at me.

"Don't you ever yell at me again... and you do not leave unless I give my consent, understood?"

I looked down and let a single tear drop from my eye. I looked up and glared at him, letting him see my tears stain my face.

"Yes, I understand... Although I would prefer you use my name when addressing me..."

His eyes seemed to soften when he saw my tears, but his glare remained.

"Unfortunately, I do not know it..."

We still glared at each other as I, with a no emotion in the words, spoke my name.

"Angelic Wing..."

He let go of me and stepped back. I got up and hesitantly raised my head.

"And since you've given me multiple requests and orders to follow, I'm going to give you just one..."

He gazed intriguingly at me.

"And that would be?"

I slightly glared deviously, making him look a tad nervous.

"You are not permitted to touch me or hold me again, especially as you just did!"

I walked away angrily and slammed the door behind me. As soon as the door closed, I collapsed where I stood, silently crying to myself. Why? Why did it have to be like this? Its not that I would wish this upon any pony else, its that it had happened to me. The only joy that I had, was that my parents were free, and not even that would keep me from crying at the wedding.

I stiffened at that thought. The wedding... I'd always dreamed of finding some pony who would love and cherish me, and I him. Now instead of a lover, I've been cursed with a cold-hearted husband, who doesn't want a wife, but a queen. I whimpered once again at the thought of him, at the alter, with a priest pony right under the arch... My stomach rolled, as a sickening feeling came to me. I struggled to get up and dragged myself to my bed. I sat atop the comforter and cried into my pillow, eventually falling into restless slumber.

------------------------------------------------------------------

He looked at the door and groaned in aggravation. He was not permitted to touch her?! He knew he had laid down quite a few demanding requests for her, but hers was... reasonable. He sighed and realized that it was quite reasonable for all he's done and his looks. His ears detected sobs coming from beyond the door and a tinge of guilt hit his cold heart. He shook his head in dismissal and started to walk away. She was his tomorrow; his wife, his queen, and she would obey! He would make sure of that.

Her name, spoken from her lips, rang through his head like a blissful whisper.

"Angelic Wing..."

It suited her, paradening her fiery temper with him and poisonous words. She was gentle and kind when she wasn't angry, and she was... more pure then any mare he's seen. She had the right to be angry yes, but she has a duty now, a duty to be his and his alone.

Luta was walking towards him with a rather peeved expression that he had seen on her twice today. She came up to him and slapped his arm spitefully. He yelped at being struck by gentle Luta before she glared.

"What was that for?"

She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Are you honestly going to remain this spoiled, demanding, and heartless brat that got you into this mess in the first place?"

He growled in warning and let go of his flaming arm that she struck.

"I am being perfectly reasonable with her! She's just being difficult!"

Luta shook her head in dissapointment and pointed at him accusingly.

"Actually, in truth, she's the one who's being perfectly reasonable, and your the one being difficult! She's merely a possession to you isn't she? Something that perhaps will remove this curse, but have you so easily forgotten what truly will make you free of it?"

He rolled his eyes and glared at her, annoyed that she was acting like his mother.

"Maybe I have, why don't you remind me, mother?"

Her eyes resembled flames erupting from a volcanoes rage. He shrunk slightly again before she spoke through gritted teeth.

""And until somepony loves you for who you are and you love them in turn, you will remain forever an animal of the night!" Does that ring any bells?"

He huffed and turned away. That cursed line... He hated it more then his very existence. He glanced behind him at Luta.

"That line has no importance right now. She will be my wife and she will learn to love me, whether she wants to or not!"

He hid in the shadows and retreated down his forgotten hall. His mind went over that one line with malice.

"-loves you for who you are... -love them in turn... -forever... -animal of the night..."

Worry surfaced to his mind as he opened his chamber doors. His golden eyes looked over to the balcony, his kingdom, his realm, his...

"Tomb..."

He mumbled this and looked down in despair. Looking down at his paws, his murderous claws, he clasped them tightly in a fist.

"It's hopeless... I'm hopeless..."