Rosetta and Johwa
The sky now awoke itself from its dark blue slumber. Through that, the sun kissed the land and the playful clouds started its daily duty of playfulness. The sweet breeze danced with the trees and the flowers smiled brightly as they showed of their unique colors. Everything was simple and everything was grand in its own little way. Now the people of Vari have started to attend to their daily chores and the animals walked into the beautiful city that is Vari. The children play pretend, thinking as if they were in an adventure. Everything was simple and everything was grand.
“Hey it’s the King!” a child shouted.
The king walked toward the children. He wore a bright blue pheasant shirt, matched with a dark purple working pants and straw sandals. Despite the fact that the King of Vari was wearing such clothes to blend in with his people, he wore his golden circlet on his head and a golden bracelet on his wrist. His blue eyes sparkled when it hit the sun and his pale skin was the proof of his royal blood.
“Good morning little ones” He said happily. The children sat surrounded him as he sat down under a nearby tree. “Your Majesty,” started one of the children, “Will you tell us a story?” He laughed at the simple request “Of course.” The children rejoiced. He continued “What kind of story shall I tell you?”
“A love story!” a young girl shouted out. The girls agreed.
“What?!” the young boy who sat beside her rebuked. “Tell us an adventure!—And War!” Many of the boys agreed.
“No!” the girls argued “You always talk about that, you dimwits!”
“Now, now,” the king started “There is no need to argue about such futile things, besides I have a story that will please all of you.” He paused and thought for awhile, nodding his head. Finally, he asked “Have you heard the story of the ‘Eternal Butterflies’?”
“No” they all said “Is it a true story?”
The king smiled. “Of course” When the children settled down, he started the story:
In the kingdom Relica, which was a few miles away from Vari, stood a small city that protected the Relican borders. It was called Ansing. Within Ansing lived two blue blooded families. The Mariana Family and the Ciar Family. These two families have been fighting each other for many, many years. About what? No one knows. But one of the greatest mistakes of both these families was involving their children in their tainted war.
“What are we going to do now Love?” asked Rose. Johwa held her hand tightly as they walked into the central area. “I do not know” Johwa replied. The central area was bustling today, and it made Johwa uncomfortable. Rose clung to him tightly and said “Look! It’s the Marianas” At the center of the area, stood the Della Mariana and her followers. Della is known to be the strongest female in Ansing, despite of her thinness. She is also known to take no pity on Ciars, for which Johwa was. Johwa started to walk faster to avoid Della, but Della shouted “HO! What do we have here? Johwa Ciar and his soon-to-be-stupid-wife!”
Rose stopped at her tracks and dragged Johwa toward to where Della stood. “HOW DARE YOU CALL ME STUPID YOU BLUNDERING HAG!” Della laughed. “So the girl can talk?” Della laughed again “You may have milady’s name, but you are definitely not a lady.” Rose’s head blew and turned to Johwa. “Defend my honor!” As much as Johwa loved Rose, he does not wish to fight. Johwa looked at Della “Who ever your lady is, she is not as beautiful as my Rosetta Del Varla” Rose smiled at her name. Della and her followers laughed. “HA! Your Red-headed, tanned hag is much beautiful than our Mistress! HA!” One of them shouted “Your LOVE is a H-A-G!”
Rose suddenly took out a sword, which hung from Johwa’s side, and held it against the one who offended her. Della quickly drew out her dagger and rubbed it against Rose’s skin. Della’s followers took out their swords and pointed it at Johwa. What was once a thunderous area turned dead silent at the sight. Loyal supports of the Ciar ran toward Johwa to protect him.
Johwa looked at Rose, “Put down the sword or you’ll be slain”.
Rose grunted “You call yourself my fiancée! Stand up and fight them!”
Johwa sighed, “I would love to” he said sarcastically “but Love, you have my sword.”
Della laughed at the sarcasm. “You really think you can take me on Lover boy?”
“STOP!”
Behind the crowd, a finely carved, blue carriage stopped and opened up. A finely dressed girl and a young servant came down. The girl held her hand on the servant’s shoulder as she walked barefooted to Della.
“Stop it, please Della!” Her voice was sweet as a nightingale’s voice. Her long brown hair was silky, and her skin was pale. Her beauty struck Johwa. Della stashed away her dagger and ran toward the girl.
“Rosetta Ann Mariana” mumbled Rose. She shook her head and shouted out “Rosetta! How dare you present yourself here without proper shoes! You look ugly as ever!” and spat on the floor. Rosetta looked down.
“WHY YOU—”Della started, but Rosetta stopped her. “Enough, there is no need to start a commotion. The queen has already warned us that if we were to start a civil war, it’s our heads.” Rosetta said. “Yes Milady” Della answered. Rosetta released her hand from the servant’s shoulder gave her hand to Della. They started to walk out of the area.
“Rosetta! You think this is over?! You’re cousin—” Rose started, but was stopped by Johwa’s gentle hand. Everyone returned their sword to their sheath except Rose. Della’s followers watched carefully at Johwa, Rose and Johwa’s followers as they left the scene. Johwa touched Rose’s hand and returned his sword to its sheath. He turned to the frightened crowd and said “Return to your daily work!”
He and Rose started walking silently out of the central area. His supporters following him. Rose, refused to talk to Johwa. But Johwa kept thinking of the girl. Only repeating her name. Rosetta Ann Mariana.
That night Johwa could not sleep. Only thinking to the girl he saw during the daylight. Her brown hair was beautiful and so was her skin. It was pale. Why? But what really bothered him that she could not look at people as she was talking. He wanted to know more about her, so he deicide to follow her the next day.
Dawn came upon Asing. Johwa quickly ran out of the house in search of Rosetta. And he did. He saw Rosetta gently walking in an alleyway. She was using the wall as her support. He silently followed her. Rosetta went through all these obstacles like a hole in the hole, but finally Rosetta stopped at a garden. The birds were singing and the breeze was fine. A garden. A secret garden. And within that garden stood a statue of a girl who was almost nude.
Johwa, tried to get closer, but stepped on a twig. “Who’s there?” Rosetta turned around. Johwa and Rosetta stood face to face. Johwa turned all red. He looked into Rosetta’s eyes and mumbled “You’re blind…”
“Who are you?” She asked
“Johwa” He said
Rosetta laughed. “I never knew I had a stalker.”
“You’re not afraid?” Johwa asked.
“Why should I be?” she responded cheerfully.
“I’m a Ciar.” He said, “You’re family’s enemy.”
She laughed “And your point is?”
Johwa grew embarrassed, “Nothing” he said.
Rosetta walked toward the statue and patted its head. “Lady Venus, someone is here!” She said happily to the statue. “Lady Venus?” Johwa mumbled. “Don’t you know?” Rosetta turned around “she’s the person I’ve always wanted to be.” she smiled. Johwa became confused. Rosetta sat down beside the statue and patted the ground. Johwa sat beside her.
“So, you why were you stalking me Mr. Ciar?” She started. “Uhh…I saw you…uh” Johwa stumbled to say the right words. Rosetta laughed at his reply. “You know, no one knows that I come here” She started “I don’t even think anyone knows about this place, except Della…”
She smiled, “I always sneak out to go here”
“That’s impossible though! You’re—” Johwa stopped himself before he said anything offending
“Blind?” Rosetta finished, she smiled again “So you’ve noticed.”
“I’m sorry.”
Rosetta Laughed. “What are you saying sorry for? I don’t mind! I’ve accepted that fact already” She smiled “And I still live on.” Johwa listen to her, and as he listened to her his heart beated so heavily. “My eyes are my feet and so I can see!” she looked up and continued “I envy Lady Venus so much because she can see and do things that I can never accomplish.”
“But” Johwa said sadly “The sight is not beautiful, sometimes I wish I could see the everlasting darkness” Rosetta looked at Johwa and said “And because of that darkness, I have missed the world” An awkward silence settled between them. Johwa listen to the birds that chirped there in the garden. Suddenly Rosetta burst out in laughter. “What’s so funny?” Asked Johwa, Rosetta replied, “The birds, they are laughing at us!”
Johwa and Rosetta became friends very quickly. They told each other about themselves, reveling to each other private matters and secrets. They didn’t mind that they were enemies because in that garden they were just Rosetta and Johwa. They met everyday in the garden. Never telling anyone about where they are. They always talked about new things, never getting bored of each other’s company, like playful butterflies.
One day Rosetta Announced to Johwa, “I’m getting married.” He became shocked. “To whom?” he asked. “The prince of Vari. Father said that it will be good for me because he will help me see the world outside of Asing’s Walls” Johwa was disturbed by this, “Have you met him?” he asked.
“Yes I have.” Rosetta answered “but only once, he’s currently in the capital with the Queen.”
“Do you want to marry him?”
“Well,” Rosetta started, but Johwa interrupted “It’s a simple YES or NO question!”
Rosetta looked away. Johwa was shocked that he said that “I’m sorry, I, I didn’t mean to shout at you, I, I—”
“I don’t really know.” Rosetta answered.
“Would you marry me then?”
Johwa waited for a response. But she didn’t answer. Finally,
“If it was possible”
Johwa didn’t expect it. He hugged Rosetta and they stayed like that for hours. When the hour grew late, they began to leave. “There is one thing that I have not told you, Rosetta” Rosetta grasp his hand. “I’m leaving within a few days.”
“What?” Rosetta held his hand tightly, Johwa continued “I’ve been called to defend the kingdom from the oncoming army. I can not see you tomorrow or the day after that, but before I leave please meet me here, okay?” Rosetta nodded her head.
Two days have passed and Johwa finished preparing. “JOHWA!”
Rose came in Johwa’s room, dead mad. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!”
“At Home” was his reply. Rose slapped him. “You were suppose to meet me at that pathetic party! Yesterday night! How dare you call yourself my husband!”
They stood silent. “You’re right.” Johwa grabbed a hold of Rose “I’m not your husband!” He quickly took the engagement ring from her hand and threw her out of his room.
The next day, Rose went missing. It was also the day Johwa was going to fight in the war, but everyone was in such a hurry to protect the kingdom, that Johwa was rushed out from Ansing into the battlefield. The Relican army was outnumbered by the invading army, who was led by the one who was close to Johwa. Everyone was massacred, including Johwa. When the news came to Ansing, everyone started to leave to the safety of the capital. Rosetta was in dismay and ran to Lady Venus, and cried out, “Lady Venus! Please spare Johwa! I beg of you!” And she did. For she heard the painful agony of Rosetta.
In the depths of the bloody battlefield, Johwa awoke from his slumber. He could not understand what had happened, except that he heard Rosetta’s voice calling out to him. He stood up a looked around and then started to run to Ansing.
Suddenly the siren rang. The invading army has pasted the walls! All Soldiers, take up your weapons and fight! Asing was infested by the invading army. The buildings were being burned and the people have been slaughtered. Johwa only sought out to save one person, Rosetta. Johwa fought many soldiers, but was injured by the archers that were up on the roof tops. Suddenly a scream came in front of him. He saw Rosetta running away from the soldiers. Johwa became enraged. He ran toward the Church, which is where Rosetta ran toward. He fought the soldiers off, until finally he came to where Rosetta was. Rosetta was crouched, covering her ears and head. He touched her and she jumped.
“Rosetta! It’s me!” He tried calmed her down. “NO! Johwa’s dead!” She tried to fight him. He finally grab her hand and made her touch his face. “Johwa” she joyfully. Footsteps echoed. “Johwa, you must run!” Rosetta told him “Leave me! You have a better chance of escaping!”
“Are you crazy! I’m not leaving you behind!”
“Hey! Get them!”
They were surrounded by soldiers. Rosetta clung to the back of Johwa and Johwa was on a fighting position. They charged at him and Johwa fended them off. Finally the soldiers fell. Johwa and Rosetta hugged each other. “Wait here,” Johwa told Rosetta “I’ll check to see if we’re safe.” And he moved toward the entrance of the church.
“JOHWA!”
He turned around to see Rosetta, a spear pierced her body.
“ROSETTA!”
Johwa threw his sword at the Archer on the balcony who threw the spear at Rosetta. He ran toward Rosetta who was stretching out her hand for him. But Archers now surrounded the upper balcony of the church. They shot Johwa as he ran, but he did not fall. “Rose—Rosetta!” He shouted as he slowed to a limping walk. “Johwa…”
When Johwa was near Rosetta, an Archer made the final hit and pierced Johwa’s heart, and Johwa fell on Rosetta. When he did, the Church started to collapse, floor first. Under the church lay the secret garden. Lady Venus, saw Rosetta and Johwa laid on top of each other. A ring fell out of Johwa’s pocket. Lady Venus was greatly saddened by this. She told the clouds to create something terrible, something sad. Acid tears were the cries of the clouds. Asing, the people, and the soldiers died all together on that very day.
After the rain had stopped, Lady Venus looked at her beloved friend and visitor, who lay asleep before her eyes. She saw a smile from Rosetta and Johwa as they slept together. She wanted them both to live a happy, carefree life, so she transformed them into butterflies, the purest, happiest, and beautiful creatures of the world.
“And if you visit Asing, make sure to find that secret garden. For you will surely be blessed.” The King finished.
“So what happened to the Prince? Did he ever find out what happened?” Asked one of the children “Yea, and why was there a war?”
“Well,” the King explained “The Prince did find out and hurried towards Asing, but saw the ruined city and became deeply depressed. But he heard the story of Rosetta and Johwa and became happy, for Rosetta had found someone. The Prince returned to his kingdom and became King, and to this day he is not married because he wishes to have the same love that Rosetta and Johwa had. And know one knows why there was a war.”
‘That was a good story!” said the boys. The girls were crying “I want to find love like that!” The king laughed. “Come now children, it is Afternoon meal, go and eat” They agreed, and thanked the king for the story and left to be with their families.
The King stood up. “How long have you been staying there?” he asked. The king’s councilor relieved himself to the king “Awhile, my lord”
“What brings you here?”
The Councilor sighed “Your marriage duties, my lord” The king laughed “My lord, it has been twenty-five years since the great fall of Asing, you must chose a wife” The King replied “Rosetta was the only girl that I was interested in, I can not bring myself to like any other woman than her.” “But my lord, she’s—“The King interrupted, “Yes I know, but I want the love that she has felt.” The councilor sighed “Then you must look at other women” The King Laughed.
~Thus with the End gave life to a new Beginning ~
