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In a world where red hair is a bad omen of death & misfortune a girl is raised in disguise |
Rose was a beautiful young woman, the kind everyone knew, loved and looked up to. She was intelligent, clever, creative and caring; a sensitive young girl that didn't pick and choose among the classes but accepted everyone, warts and all, and helped others when she could. Women adored her and she was their most trusted friend; men fell for her and followed her to the end. Little did they know she had a secret, a deep secret hidden so far from the light even she forgot about it, until her little secret showed it's roots from time to time. Literally. Rose was borne and raised in Strintom in a time long ago, a beautiful country between the coast and the mountains, where many lived and folk tales flourished. The masses were all superstitious and things like a fox in the road, starting a journey at twilight and killing a lady bug were known as bad luck. The worst of them all was something no one could control, although they may try; being borne with red hair. Like Rose. The young woman was birthed by an upperclass woman who swore for months to adore her child, boy or girl, but when her child came out with a full head of curly red locks she was aghast and threw her to the streets. There she was found by a gentle and compassionate old woman who named her for the bright, copper color her locks held and took her home to a life of a merchant's daughter. When she brought the girl to her sister's to woo over the child the lady screamed in horror and made a sign to ward evil before fleeing. That night the woman dyed her hair black as ink, black as night, and raised her with cautious eyes. Word soon reached her that the girl's mother had perished, but the woman did not falter in loving and raising Rose, she only held her tighter as if to sheild her from the cruelty of the world and blamed the mother's death on karma and failed promises. |