Prologue
She appeared suddenly in town. A small reddish-gold haired girl in ragged clothing, with nothing to call her own except for a necklace and a small music box. But the most peculiar thing about the girl was her eyes. Deep sorrowful eyes that looked as though it had seen all the horrors and cruelty the world had to offer. And their colors, one green, the other blue, with gold flecks spread throughout.
The birds were softly singing their morning song. The sun was playing hide and seek with the earth and the sky. The large town, with houses dotting the horizon, was outlined by little rays of sun that escaped the clouds, dispersing a little of the shadows.
The little girl walked slowly up the dirt road to The Whistling Devil, a large tavern in the center of town, and knocked softly. The door opened and revealed a huge ox of a man.

White Hart, the owner of The Whistling Devil, had just been preparing the tavern for the day to come when he heard soft knocking. “Who the heck is out to go drinking at a tavern at this hour?” he wondered. He goes to the door and opens it. When he looks out he sees no one. “What…?” Something was insistently tugging his pant leg. He looks down and stares, silently, at the haggard little girl in front of him. Even though she was small, dirty, and dressed in rags, the little girl stood tall before him with dignity and pride. “She’s a fighter,” he thought, smiling a little. “Aye that she is.”

The little girl opens her mouth.

“May I come in?”

Her voice, the soft sound of faery music and tinkling bells, mesmerized.
He opens the door wider.


“Come on in.”
Chapter 1
(Jewels P.O.V)
9 years later

“Jewels, two drinks over here!”
“Hey sweetheart, where’s my beer?”
“Where’s my food?”

Ugh, these annoying people, they just keep talking and talking.
“Where the hell is Dolly? I need help, John! They won’t shut up!” I yell at John, breathing heavily in anger and frustration. I felt like kicking everyone out and beating them up. Don’t these people know that it’s only 10 in the morning? Nobody should even be awake at this time! Who do they think they are, being so loud at such an ungodly hour?
“Sorry hun. Dolly ain’t gonna be back til next week. She gotta take care of her sister’s babe remember?” John said, amused at my furious expression.
“Damn! You gotta be kidding me! That leaves only me and the weirdo, Clarice with those pigs!” I could not believe this. He actually expected me and crazy-weird Clarice to be able to handle all those people out there?!
“Nothing I can do. Just gotta bear with ‘em,” he chuckled to me, before continuing on with cooking. Don’t know why he bothers working so hard, most people that are here come for a drink or two dozen. They barely come for a meal.



“Sweetheart, where’s my drink?” Joe shouted, trying to get his short 5 foot 3 frame seen over the swarm of people. He was one of our regulars, always coming over for company and a drink. He’s exasperating with his constantly loud chatter and inability to ask politely, and he frustrates me immensely with his naturally irritating voice and demeanor.


“It’s comin’ Joe, keep your pants on!” I yelled back at him, trying to be heard over all the chatter.
I don’t understand why the place is so crowded when it’s early morning and only two waitresses. Why, of all days, does it have to fill up now? So many people yelling, cussing and beating each other up. So loud!


“Jewels, WHERE THE HELL IS MY DRINK!?” Joe yelled at me from across the room, looking at me with an annoyed stare.


“IT’S COMING!!!” I yell back, pushing a couple of my goldish reddish hair behind my ear in frustration.
I swear if he calls me again I’m going to throw the drink at him and punch him right in that annoying mouth of his.


I get a cup of beer, maneuver through the herd of people to him, and slam the drink as hard as I could on the table. “Here’s your drink,” I said, as sweet and deadly as I could. I was really getting pissed. “If you call me again Joe, I’m gonna toss you out like last week's trash, you get me?” I said, adding a glare. I try to convey that I am in the mood to kill. He just nods; glugging down his drink. I sigh.


One down, a couple of hundred more to go.
Oh boy. This is going to be a looong day.




Chapter 2
Prince Damien’s P.O.V

I was flipping through the pages of The Book of Territories. I am supposed to be studying the territories that surround our kingdom, but did they honestly just expect me to sit down and read this dusty old book? Of course not. I’m the prince; I will not be subjected to this inhumane torture of reading big boring books.


“I’m bored,” I said to my friend Ed, who was also in the room, studying.
“What do you suggest we do?” he said sounding as bored as I was.
“Let’s sneak out to town and let these dusty old books be. I haven’t been there in a while, let’s go.” I was already escaping the confines of the library without waiting for his answer. I knew he wanted to escape that torture chamber as much as I did.


“Hey Damien. Don’t you think it’s gonna be hard to sneak out with you looking like that?” He smirked at me, his brown eyes flashing in amusement. His face was saying, “What an idiot.” Believe me, I’ve been around with him long enough to know.


I looked down at my six foot three frame covered with soft silk, and trousers with gold thread, and donned in jewels from head to toe. I looked like me, a prince.


“Hmm. You may be right. A little too flashy for the peasants. Need something a little less...”
“Eye-catching?” Ed said to me, chuckling at my musings. “Come with me, I’ll get you non-prince like clothes.”





I changed into rough brown trousers and a slightly dirty, ragged shirt, or as I like to call them, peasant clothes, and took off all my jewels. We snuck out of the castle with very little trouble. We only ran into the stable boy, whose clothes I was wearing. It was easy to make him think I was an errand boy, and that I had to go into town to get something. Stupid peasant.




When we finally reached the town, I was in a horrible mood. I was hungry, cranky, and craving a drink like never before.
“Hey, Ed. You know a good place to get a drink?” I asked him, my throat parched. I was squinting my green eyes, covering them with my hand. It felt as though the sun was trying to melt me, starting with my eyes. And it was succeeding too. “If I don’t get out of this sun soon, there isn’t going to be a prince left to rule the kingdom.” I say seriously. I was dying of dehydration.


Ed just chuckled, and motioned with his hands to hurry up and follow. Grumbling, I followed him to a tavern called The Whistling Devil.


I could smell the food and drink, making my stomach grumble. I rubbed it, saying, “Don’t worry baby. You’ll have the yummy smelling food soon.”


Ed rolled his eyes at me. “Crazy” he mumbled under his breath.
“What? My stomach needs attention too.” I said defensively, staring at his stomach in pity. Poor thing, being inside someone like Ed. Oh the horror.


Suddenly, there was a lot of yelling and cursing coming from inside the tavern. “What the...?” I said aloud, voicing my confusion. I thought Ed said this was a great tavern? What’s with all the shouting?

“Not again.” I hear someone moan next to me. I look to my right, and I see a man as tall as a house. He was rubbing his gray eyes, looking as though he didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry, pushing his brown hair back in frustration. I gave him a questioning glance. I wonder if this type of stuff happens often.
He saw me staring and said, “Might as well enjoy the show.”
The show? Well, it certainly seemed as though it would be one; people stopped whatever they were doing, looked in the direction of the tavern, and just stood and watched. Some people actually got themselves a seat, making themselves comfortable. I looked around for Ed, and saw his red hair in the crowd. He managed to get his short 5 foot 9 self-positioned so that he could see everything that was going on in the large yard in front of the tavern. I wrestled through the crown of people towards him. It was like trying to walk through thick mud after rain, and people were pushing one another trying to get to the front to see what was going to happen. I began to get a little eager to see what everyone was waiting to see.
When I finally managed to get to Ed, the shouting and screaming got louder, and there was the sound of things crashing and breaking.
“My tavern!” I heard the huge man groan. People laughed, and a man said, “Don’t worry, White Hart. Jewels won’t make that much of a mess. She learned from the last time.”
Another man shouted, “But of course, this is Jewels we’re talkn’ about.” A couple of people laughed. “God knows what she’s gonna do next,” the man continued.
A woman called out, “She’s a wild rose that one. Ain’t no tamin’ her and that fiery hair of hers.” People in the crown mumbled and nodded their heads in agreement.
I was lost. Who’s Jewels? Why do they call her a wild rose? Is she a cat or a dog or something? Maybe she’s certifiably dangerous?! What are these people waiting for?
I suddenly got my answer.




Chapter 3
(Jewels P.O.V)

Joe is yelling. Joe is laughing loudly. Joe drinks his 7th cup of beer.
My left eye twitches.
Joe punches a man in the face, and curses his ma. He then proceeds to break a plate.
My face is going red in anger. I straighten my 5 foot 8 frame, making a fist.
Joe is drunk, and drunk Joe is making my patience go bye-bye.


I just finished serving a couple their food when Joe and his little friends start laughing loudly. He yells across the room to me, “Hey, love. My bed needs a warm body tonight. Preferably yours.” Then he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and laughed with his friends. Stupid man.
My patience snapped; ran away with the speed of a horse, and flew out the window like a bird.

Oooh that is it! I’m dragging him out and beatin’ him up til he’s black and blue and begging for mercy. I see red.
He’s goin’ down.

(Prince Damien’s P.O.V)



“Beautiful.”
That’s the first thing I think of when I see her running out through the door dragging a fat old man behind her. I didn’t even notice the fat man until she started screaming and punching him.
She had long goldish reddish hair that reached below her waist, and seemed like dancing fire in the sun. She was taller than most girls, but I liked tall women. I could tell she was a dangerous one, because as soon as I was done looking her over, I could see that she was beating up a man as big as cow. And it looked like it hurt. A lot. All I could think about when she was beating him up was how can such a beauty be so... so... scary. I wouldn’t wanna get on her bad side. I wonder what he did to make her so mad.
People were laughing and pointing at the man that the crazy girl was beating up. Even the big man, White Hart, and Ed were laughing. And I gotta admit, seeing a man in his 30’s being beaten up by a young girl was pretty funny. And she’s cute when she’s mad. But I’m not telling her that. She’d probably kill me and dance on my grave.
A girl in the crowd called out, “Get ‘im Jewels. I’ve been wantin’ to do that to him for weeks!” Other people agreed with her, and laughed when the man on the ground yelled “Hey!”
Jewels. What a nice name for the crazy girl.


A couple of people yelled to the man getting his ass kicked. “What did you do to make her so angry Joe?”
The man, Joe, was trying to dodge her painful punches. “All I did was invite her to bed ‘cause I get cold.” That made Jewels start punching him even more vigorously.
“Are you stupid? Come on Joe, you should know better. Serves you right.”


Everyone cheered when Joe once again groaned in pain.
I must admit, I was thoroughly amused by this dangerous, mesmerizing beauty. But I wondered how much longer she was gonna keep this up. Doesn’t she get tired?
Suddenly, she stopped and looked up at White Hart, who had been slowly moving in front of her. He was looking at her with a stern expression, like a father would to a daughter.
“It’s not my fault! He’s the ass who started it!” she said defensively, letting go of Joe. She straightened, staring White Hart in the eye. “It’s not my fault.”

Her voice was... beautiful. It had a soft melodic sound to it, and I was almost positive that she was a fairy, capturing people with her enchanting voice.
I suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to talk to the hot-headed beauty with the alluring voice. I noticed her curious look in our direction, and I was tempted to wave, but stopped before I did something stupid.



Chapter 4
Jewels POV

I let my mind drift away as White Hart scolded me for my “disruptive behavior.” It wasn’t my fault Joe was a jackass and crude. He deserved everything that I gave him and more. And anyways, it’s not as though I made it so that he wouldn’t be able to walk. I just gave him colorful skin and an aching body. Who cares if his pride is down in the dumps? If I could, I would do it all over again, without hesitation. That’s just the way I am. Jewels Lilyrose, defender of justice and the hotheaded Wildrose. Everyone, especially White Hart, knew that.


I looked around, ignoring White Hart’s lecture. As I did, I noticed, 2 peculiar people hanging out in front of the tavern. I’d never seen them before, and I knew practically everyone here. So who were they? I was desperate to ditch White Hart and go and ask those strangers who they were, but White Hart kept yammering on and on about how a proper woman would never be this violent, and how I need to control my temper and my fists, yada yada. He really loves to talk, for a guy. He’s weird.


It had gotten quiet, and I noticed that White Hart had asked me a question.


“Okay...?” I had no idea what he asked, or even if my response answered his question, but he seem satisfied with my answer, and continued on with his lecture. I looked around for the 2 guys, but it looked like they disappeared. Awww, I really wanted to talk to them. Oh well. I guess no fun time.


My brain was drifting off and I was dreaming of taming dragons and slaying monsters. I was a brave strong knight, feared and respected throughout the land. Nobody crossed me without a death sentence. I was the strongest woman in the world. While this was going on in my head, White Hart had stopped talking completely. When I noticed, I began to panic. Did he ask me a question? Oh s***, what did he say? I go through my memory, trying to find an answer to the question I didn’t hear..
“Excuse me.” I heard a deep voice say. I ignored it, more worried about the answer to White Hart’s mysterious question. What should I say? Okay? Yes? No? Argh, why does White Hart do this?! He must know by now that I rarely pay attention when he speaks. He said himself, “Jewels, you have the attention span of a squirrel.” I know that, he knows that, everyone knows that.
“Excuse me.” I hear the deep voice repeat. I don’t recognize the voice, so I continue to ignore it. But I was pulled out of my thoughts when suddenly; a tanned, large, warm hand grabbed my arm and pulled.
What the HELL WAS THAT?! Who dared to touch me without permission? They are gonna be colorful by the time I’m done with them. I turn my head looking for the owner of the offensive hand, elbowing them in the process. I hear a pain filled grunt, and then I see him.


Chapter 5
Jewels POV

My eyes widen of their own accord, as surprise and something else rise in me. The owner of the hand grabbing my elbow is tall. Like, so tall I crane my neck to look at his face.
Oh my.
I forgot how to breathe, and it’s all this strangers fault. He is, for a reason unknown to me, making me feel weird inside. I put on a calm, cool, collected facade, trying to look as though this good looking stranger isn’t making me forget how to breathe.
Oh God! I gotta breathe!
How do you do that again?

During my mental breakdown, the strange man with the twinkling green eyes and messy dirty-blonde hair was staring at me with amusement bursting from his gaze. I wondered what he found so funny.............................................!

Was it me he found amusing? I wondered, staring at him, a question in my eyes, when I notice that his shoulders are shaking, and he’s smirking. He’s laughing at me? He’s laughing at me! Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, is allowed to laugh at me.

I narrowed my eyes to slits, glaring at him with a hate-filled stare. I felt like kicking him now. Who cares if White Hart just gave me a speech telling me to stop being violent; I am a person that acts on her emotions and nobody can stop me.
“What’s so funny?” I ask the stranger, my eyes still narrowed. If he tells me I’m funny looking, I’m gonna kick him in the nuts. If he tells me I’m short, I’m gonna kick him in the nuts. If he tells me that I’m violent for a girl, I’m gonna kick him in the nuts. Basically, if he says something that I deem stupid and infuriating, I will kick him in the nuts.
Smirking, he said, “You know, for a funny lookin’ dwarf, you’re pretty violent. Are you sure you’re a girl?”

I mentally high five myself for nailing it, sneaking a glance at White Hart. He was staring; slack jawed, at the dead stranger. Time for me to do my stuff.
I widen my eyes, and soften my voice, going for the innocent look. The dead stranger widens his eyes in surprise, and I see him let down his guard. Big mistake.

I smirked; my leg making a WHOOSH sound as it made impact with his crown jewels. He falls to the muddy ground, groaning in pain. I smiled in satisfaction. Never insult my looks, my height, or my violent tendencies unless you want to be in a world of pain.
“You know, for an ugly pig, you’re pretty stupid... Don’t worry, I know you’re a guy.” I said, smiling at him. I was really enjoying myself with the weirdo on the floor. Insulting him helped lift my mood too.

As I take in my surroundings, I notice the stranger’s friend dying from laughter. “Oh God, Damien. You ... you should ... have... seen... your face!!!” he says between fits of laughter. “It was priceless!”
He walks over to Damien, and helps him up. After making sure Damien could stand on his own and not topple over, he walks over to me.
Sticking his hand out, he said, “Hey crazy lady. I’m Ed, and this fat pig here, as you say, is called Damien.” He smiled a toothy smile; his green eyes twinkling like a child with a new toy.
“The name’s Jewels. People around here either call me Jewels, or Wildrose. Nice to meet you. Can’t say so much for your friend there though.” I said to Ed, smiling back. He seemed nice, unlike his rude friend there looking constipated and angry.

Damien stalks over to us and grabs Ed’s shoulder. “Why are you talking to the crazy lady?! Are you insane? She’ll kill you!” he hisses, giving me the stink eye. At least, I think that was what he’s trying to do. It instead looks like he’s smelled something bad. Like his smell. I laugh mentally, shaking my head. I always crack myself up.

“You know, if you smiled, maybe you’d look a little less ugly,” I whisper-yelled, as though telling him a secret.
“You know, if you stopped hitting people, maybe you’d have friends,” he whisper-yelled back. I growl and narrow my eyes. He insulted me twice. Twice! I mean, I know he’s stupid, but I could never imagine he would be this stupid.
I walk towards him, ready to let hell break loose from it’s confines, when White Hart interrupts my hunt. He grabs me by the arms, says quickly, “Go to the tavern,” to the guys, and practically drags me to the back. I don’t fight, I know it’s no use. White Hart’s as strong as a horse, there’s no way I would be able to break out of his vise-like grip. Might as well stay and hear what he has to scold this time.



Chapter 6
Jewels POV

When we finally reached the back of the tavern, he turned to me and stared at me, his gaze filled with disappointment. Trust me, I’ve been with him long enough to figure that out. He stares into my eyes, so intensely as though he’s peering into my soul and finding every single dark deep secret I’ve hidden there. I look away. He can’t find those out. Nobody can. They’re my burden, and my burden alone.
“Why were you behaving like that? I know he said some rude things but you would usually go easy on strangers. What happened?” he asked me softly, as though he didn’t want to provoke a sleeping tiger. Makes sense, seeing as how people sometimes call me the Lethal Tiger. I smile a little at the irony.
“I don’t know what happened. He just came, and something happened inside of me. I just... I just felt... weird. ” I whispered this, because somewhere inside, I knew that saying this aloud would reveal what I was feeling, and I was afraid. I’ve never felt this way before. Damien just does something that... makes me feel all nervous inside, like I’ve got a bunch of angry bees inside of me waiting to fly out. And I suppose I acted a bit harshly, what with kicking him in his no man-zone and all, but that’s the only way I could think of to make those angry bees leave me alone.
White Hart is looking at me with a smile on his face. A smile that says he understands. But I’m confused. What does he understand? I don’t even get what’s going on inside me! I open my mouth to ask him what exactly he understands when he shushes me and says, “You’ll figure it out soon enough Jewels. But I just want to let you know, it’s alright to trust someone and let them in. You will find the person you want to share your past, present, and future and when that happens, you’ll be so drunk on love that you will forget all of your pain and remember all of you joy. And I will be right there every step of the way, hiding in the shadows, helping you. I love you Jewels, so much, as though you were my own daughter. And nothing, nothing will ever change that.” He wrapped me a tight hug that warmed me inside and out.
I start to sniffle, feeling like crying. What White Hart said was something I had been wanting my whole life. To be loved. After everything that happened to me, I just wanted to be loved. To be cherished and needed, and to be part of a family.
I feel so happy and grateful to White Hart, I hug him back tightly, trying to convey my thanks and love to him in ways that words cannot. After a couple of minutes, we let go and smile at each other. So this is what it feels like to be loved. I like feeling happy and wanted. It was nice. I enjoy it while it lasts, I know from experience that nothing lasts forever.
White Hart nods his head towards the door. “Let’s go in. You got people waiting.” He holds open the door. “Lady’s first.” He smiles his soft smile, motioning with his hands for me to enter.
I do a little curtsey. “Thank you good sir,” I say, humor filling my voice.
I walk in the tavern to find the boys already drunk and blithering with the rest of those idiots. I just stand in the doorway, observing what Damien does, what he says, how he moves. There is something a little weird about him, I just can’t put my finger on it. But I dismiss it, because for some reason, I don’t want to expose the other side of him just yet. I’m going to take it slow, exploring this new feeling bit by bit.
Damien notices me standing in the doorway, and yells, “Come on over here pretty Jewels. We’d be honored if you would grace us with your beautiful presence.” Normally, if it was anyone else, they would already be six feet under. But when Damien said it, I did something I’ve never done before. I blushed. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I look at the floor in embarrassment and something else. I think it’s... happiness? I’m happy! Because Damien said I’m pretty and beautiful? Why?
My investigations are interrupted when Damien suddenly appears in front of me and wraps his arms around my body. I stiffen in surprise, trying to stifle my gasp. How did he get here so quickly? And why is he hugging me?
My entire being is aflame as I try to escape his embrace, pushing away those feelings that erupted when he touched me. What’s going on? Why do the angry bees come back when I see him, touch him?
“What’s wrong, love? Come on, join us for a drink.” Damien pulls me towards the table, not noticing my burning face or running feet. He sits me on a chair and says, “A toast. To crazy people,” I get a nod, “and new beginnings.” We clink our cups and drink. To new beginnings.
To my new beginning.

And crazy people too.


The End (for now)