Chapter Text
16 years old Rose was on a mission. It had been 15 minutes that she arrived in the house of her best friend and secret lover, James who was nowhere to be find. Normally he would be waiting for Rose in the library but when she arrived there, no one was there. She started to look around for James but the problem was that is home was enormous. Many rooms for many hiding places. She decided to start the exterior because that's the second most likely place where he could be. Rose went in the huge garden of his and finally she located him. She walked slowly towards him because now she has a plan to take revenge on him for making her finding him. When she reached her goal, without a noise she kneeled behind him and blindfolded him with her hands.
"Guess who?"
"Well... Since I know that voice since I'm 5 years old. Knowing also that the only people apart from me to be in this house are my servants and my lover. And I don't think that one of my maid would stop working to pull this joke on me, knowing my dad. I will say... No, I know it's you Rose."
"If you knew I was there... Why were you hiding from me ? I went to the library but you weren't there."
"I could never be hiding from you well unless it's for pulling a joke on you... I love you too much to do that. As for the garden, I wanted a more romantic place than the library."
"I love you too." Rose kissed James's cheek.
Rose and James knew each other ever since Rose could remember. Their parents were very close friends in the noble society and they were distantly related. They shared the same great great grand father or something like that. Rose never paid attention to her ancestry. The only thing that matters to her was the future... The one she could have with James. And to complete this, she had a plan.
"I told my father that I didn't want to enter into a courtship until I finished my education."
"Oh... And how uncle Pete react to this devastating revelation?"
"I would say pretty well but that is maybe because I also told him that I had already someone who showed interest in me."
"You did what?!? Should I be scared that he will come here once you leave to chop my head off because I corrupt his precious little girl?" said James panicked
"I didn't told him it's was you silly so don't worry. Your head will stay in place for now... I just said that a boy from a well-known family showed his intentions to make me his wife but that he wanted to wait that he finish with his school cursus."
James smirk to that. "And what make you think that I want to make you my wife ?"
"Well if you don't want to, I'm sure that most of the men of the high society would pleased to do so."
"Okay point taken but most importantly... What make you think that I want to wait? I would marry you right now if I could."
"I know that and I would to.... I only dream about marrying you James... Or should I call you Leonard?" Rose laugh
Yeah... James didn't like his first name. He oblige himself to used it when his mother was alive because it was the name of her father who died 2 days before James birth. After her death, he decided to go as James for his friends and family and only used Leonard when he go to officials meetings.
"No you can keep James. And you what? Make it official. Let's promise to ourselves that we will get married."
"What like a pinky promise?"
"Exactly.... I, Lord Leonard James Saxon of Enlandia, promise to take the Rosalie Marion Tyler of Kasterborous as my wife when my education will reach its end."
"I, Lady Rosalie Marion Tyler of Kasterborous, promise to take the Leonard James Saxon of Enlandia as my husband when I will get a degree in English poetry at University."
"When you what? A University? Rose you can't be serious."
"I'm very serious... If I want to be a excellent writer in the future, I need to lean more about the language. I could even learn another language, like French."
"Rose... I don't want to be all anti-feminist like you say but it's very unlikely that women will get the right to have a superior education in Universities. You don't even the right to vote."
"Time changes my dear James... Women voice's are getting more and more audible. I can assure you that I will be able to receive a degree of a University. I even have a feeling that I will not wait long after I finished my secondary cursus." said Rose then did her tongue-touched smile
James couldn't resist to smile. He was proud of Rose, of how fierce and courageous she was. She never give up the things that was the most important for her. And James knew how learning new things was fascinating for her. Rose wasn't really a feminist like most of people would say. She was a well-educated lady who knew exactly and totally accept what society expected from her but she had also a "feminist mind" as she said. Which means that she will never announces publicly that she is for the feminist cause but she is the first to salute someone who protest so that women receive more rights.
James took out his hand and put it gently on Rose's cheek then started to caress it. He could forget everything when he was with Rose.
"Did I tell you how much I love you recently?"
"Hmmm.... Not since I came to find you in this lovely garden."
"What a disgrace from my person ! Let me fix that..."
James leaned slowly on Rose and gave her gentle chaste kiss. It's was maybe short but full of the love they shared with each other. For James, this moment was moment was perfect. There he was, in the garden of his house, kissing the only women he will ever love. Yes, maybe he was just a teenager and didn't knew what love really was but deep down in his heart, he knew that Rose was his soulmate. And no one and nothing could separate soulmates.
Oh.... He was so wrong back then.