The rose of life

A Scarlet Rose

Gives entry to your home

All people come

Allegiance bring

Two houses to join as one

Laughing, loving, joyfully sing

All come to understand

All is not black and white

Not everyone lives by the gun

But everyone may live in the Sun

Kelsie looked around the garden; the mist finally lifted. The Sun shone on her face, and she could breathe while feeling life ease into her limbs and air into starved lungs. Curious eyes saw colour for the first time. Looking around the garden, she noticed every shrub was a rose bush with flowering scarlet roses. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes as the heavy scent filled her senses. She felt herself smile as though for the first time.

"Kelsie," she heard that melodic voice call. She saw herself as a child running toward the house, holding a handful of scarlet roses on long stems with flowing loose long hair. Connie has always insisted it be tied or plaited. She looked carefree and happy. Turning to watch as the memory played out, she saw an older woman crouching at the front door.

"Remember, Kelsie Jezebel Conrad," the woman smiled gently, "this door handle has a memory. When you touch it to open it right now, remember to have your hand in the same condition when you open the door again."

"So if my hands are dirty now, they need to be dirty every time I open this door?" young Kelsie asked, scrunching up her face as she thought about the condition of her hands now.

"That is correct," the woman chuckled, "remember to say your full name when you open the door every time."

"I don't need to do that at home," young Kelsie said, "I open the door sometimes without talking."

"But those doors aren't magic doors," the woman said, "are you ready?"

"Yes," young Kelsie nodded, "here are roses, Aunt Jez."

"Thank you, my child," Aunt Jez kissed young Kelsie's cheek before taking the roses from her, "they are beautiful. Now look at your hands and remember how they are right now."

Kelsie slowly walked up the stairs looking over young Kelsie's shoulder at the small pair of hands, bare, dirty with slight nicks in the skin from the rose thorns where blood oozed. She watched as a tiny hand reached out; grasping the door handle, she whispered her name in unison with the child.

"Kelsie Jezebel Conrad," they said.

The door opened, and they walked into the house. Rugged wooden floors spread everywhere, rough stone walls, a round table in the centre of the room edged with easy chairs and a massive old fashioned fireplace. Off to the right, another closed doorway could be seen.

"Kelsie Jezebell Conrad," Aunt Jez said, "this is now your house."

"But I'm too small to have a house," young Kelsie said, "I'm only ten."

"Perhaps you are young in age, but you are ready in heart," Aunt Jez said, crouching again, "remember, you are a Conrad. A Royal Conrad, the last of the old order, the first of the new, and either side may give allegiance to you."

"What if they don't want to?" child Kelsie whispered.

"There will always be those who will bow to your authority. Man, woman and child," Aunt Jez said, "for you to take control of yourself, your life and your heritage, both Zander and you must return to this house together. Make this your base, your new home for yourself and the order."

"Zander," Kelsie frowned at the memory.

"Why Zander?" young Kelsie pouted, "he is mean to me ... often, and he says I'm too small for many things he does."

Aunt Jez chuckled, "Right now, you find him annoying, but he will be your guard and help you on your journey back to this place. Back to your family and heritage."

The room began to swirl, mist-like whirls closing in and scaring Kelsie. Was she going back to the dark place of mist? She didn't want to go there again. Breathing in, she watched it slowly settle again to a memory in the same room. People were milling around the room, talking, drinking, and eating. Walking among them, she took in the faces, listened to the voices, and reveled in the feel of the event using all her senses. Near the fireplace, she saw her parents talking with Aunt Jez, Connie, and Zander was there, pulling young Kelsie's hair while she sat on her father's lap.

Kelsie gasped. She had forgotten how it felt to sit on his lap, the feeling of safety, love and belonging. Hot, wet tears fell down her cheeks. Moving closer to the group, Kelsie looked at each one. Young, vibrant, but weighed down with care. She watched her mother kneeling beside her father's chair, whispering in young Kelsie's ear. Even now, the words floated through her mind.

"Darling child," her mother whispered, "tonight you will need to go with Connie and Aunt Jezebel. They will keep you safe until your father, and I can come and get you."

Little Kelsie looked at the two women, one smiling and the other severe and austere, one gentle and the other cold and hard. Reminding Kelsie of the soft sunlight and the cold hardness of dark.

"What if I don't want to go?" young Kelsie whispered, "I want to stay with you and dad."

"We would love that more than anything," her mother smiled, "but we need to know you're safe and learning everything you can be a powerful leader and woman."

"Anne," Connie sighed, "would you stop coddling the child."

"Connie," her mother stood, "she is my daughter, and I will always have a say over what she does and doesn't do. Just because you and Jez are hiding her doesn't mean you have a right to what happens in her life."

"We'll see," Connie's cold smile made Kelsie shudder, "she may need to forget who she is to survive."

"She will not," Anne said, "we have a memory box for her," Anne handed Connie the wooden box, "please make sure she has it always."

Connie said nothing as she turned and walked away, leaving the box on the round table as she left the house. Jason watched her go. Shaking his head, he slid the wooden box into his coat pocket and joined her parents at the fireplace.

"George, it's time," he said, smiling at the two children, "Zander, could you find your father, please."

Zander ran off into the crowd calling for his father. Turning to the room, Kelsie watched her parents and herself move to positions in front of the fireplace while the room full of people knelt like Knights of old. Cal and Zander, Jezebel and her husband, Jason and Jackie, and many others she sensed she may never meet. Looking over the room, she could not find Connie anywhere as the pledge of allegiance was said. Walking through the murmuring crowd, Kelsie moved to the open doorway, finding Connie on the porch swing staring hard-eyed at the proceedings happening inside.

The ugly look on her face answered many asked and unasked questions Kelsie had bubbling from somewhere deep inside.

Turning to the room, she watched as Zander knelt before her, his right fist over his heart, "I pledge to guard you, protect you and find you when the time is right. My allegiance is with you and your line. Fides et veritas."

Little Kelsie laid her small hand on his head, "I accept your pledge and allegiance; may we find each other when the time comes. Fides et veritas Codex noster est."

People stood moving toward the trio acknowledging each with a right fist over the heart. The room emptied until it was only herself, Zander, his father, Aunt Jezebel and her parents.

"It's time to say farewell," her father said, gathering her to him, "you are now our Queen, be strong, be safe, and never forget who you are. No matter what happens in life or who tries to make you into something you are not. Shield your truth and essence until you can return and make us whole one day."

Tears flowed down her mother's cheeks as she hugged Kelsie, "Know we will always love you, Kelsie Anne Jezebel Conrad."

"Come, Anne," her father said, "We must leave."

"George, a few more moments," her mother begged, "please."

"We have lingered as long as we can permit," he said; they bent, kissing young Kelsie on each cheek before leaving the house.

"Come, my child," Aunt Jezebel said, "you need to lock the house now."

"What of Zander and Uncle Cal?" young Kelsie asked.

"They will come with us for a short part of the journey," Aunt Jezebel said, "Zander's pledge is for a lifetime. Remember that."

Kelsie walked with them as they left the house and watched your younger self close the door behind them placing her hand on the door and bowing her head.

"May you remain hidden from those who mean my heritage and my line harm," the child whispered. "I entered as Kelsie Jezebel Conrad, but I leave as Kelsie Anne Jezebel Conrad. It is she who will return to make our family whole."

Kelsie watched young Kelsie take Aunt Jezebel's hand, walk down the stairs and leave without looking back. Somewhere deep within, Kelsie knew she would be returning. Zander kept pace with young Kelsie taking her other hand in his and smiling sweetly down at her.

Cal was the last to turn from the house; his gaze had never left Connie's hard, calculating stare.

Kelsie watched Connie wait until they had vanished from view before moving to the balcony railing, leaning heavily on it. Kelsie listened hard to the murmuring, moving closer to catch what her Grandmother was saying.

"Oh heavens, that child will need more than they have planned for her," Connie groaned, "why can they not see? Why will they not listen? I will need to be devious; I will need to hide her in plain sight. To do that ... she cannot remember ... anything until the time is right. God forgive me ... may I find a way that will not strip her of everything she knows."

Connie lifted her head, showing red eyes, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. Angrily she swiped at them.

"I must be strong. Something unknown cannot be changed," Connie whispered; turning to the house, she knelt on the top stair. "With you, I leave my secrets, heart, soul and lineage. Protect and keep, shelter and provide ... I relinquish my hold, love and life to Kelsie Anne Jezebel Conrad. No one but she may return ... not until our family is whole."

Slowly Connie rose, looked at the house, nodded and turned away, blowing out a breath and striding into the darkness.

Stunned, Kelsie turned to the house. Her house. Suddenly she knew ... she knew .... gasping, she sat up.

"Jezebel's House," she gasped, looking at the glowing fire and two watchful men drinking from camping cups, "I know where Jezebel's House is, Uncle Jason."