"What do you think about my hair?" Anna asked turning her head left and right making her hair swing along.
"It is beautiful," Rose immediately praised Anna's new hairstyle. The black hair was shoulder length with short bangs resting on Anna's forehead.
"Do you want your hair to be beautiful too?" Anna asked with a tempting look on her face as she played with her hair hoping to make Rose jealous.
"My hair is beautiful this way," Rose answered. She knew what the look on Anna's face was implying and she was not planning on reducing the length of her hair any time soon.
Anna pouted. "Really? Isn't it stressful to maintain?" Anna asked with a sad pitiful look on her face directed at Rose.
"No. It is very comfortable. I like it long," Rose answered trying to leave the room but Anna caught her wrist and pulled her back gently. "I mean it. I like it this way."
"I know. I only want you to let her style your hair a little," Anna suggested.
Rose glanced at the pretty young hairstylist and shook her head. She had never had anyone style her hair since her mother died. She always washed it herself, dried it herself, and combed it herself. "I don't want anyone to touch my hair for now. I will try my best to get prepared mentally next time," she explained to Anna. It was not a lie but not a complete truth either.
Anna sighed giving up. "I hope you prepare yourself mentally enough because we will go back to school soon and you have to have the right hairstyle in order to amplify your beauty."
"I don't care," Rose immediately told her to avoid any future misunderstanding.
"But I care. I care very much. I will just wait for dad to let us return to school. Consider yourself free till then," Anna warned her making Rose shiver with goose bumps visible on her arms.
"Anna, stop pestering Rose," Mrs. Whitfred walked into the room frowning in a doting manner.
"I am not pestering her. I only . . ." 'I don't want them to look down on her because she was adopted.' She could not speak out her real thought as she stared at her mother in order not to offend Rose. The moment her sister steps into the outside world as her sister, she wants her to be recognized as a very beautiful miss and she had to make some touches on her appearance to appear so.
"I am fine. When I need your help, I will come to you. I might consider reducing my hair length later but not now," Rose replied. She could easily see that Anna meant good and she did not want to hurt the girl's feelings although she was did not want to be controlled by anyone.
"Really?" Anna asked with a bright smile on her face.
"Yeah. I will go back to my room. I have to do my assignment," she told Anna before leaving the room.
"You scared her off," Mrs. Whitfred told her daughter.
"I did not mean to," Anna answered with her chin touching her chest.
"Hey, let me see your new hairstyle," Valerie tried to coax her daughter. She lifted her head gently and smiled at the new hairstyle. For some unknown reason, Anna had always considered long hair as stress since she was adopted.
At first, she refused to let her cut her hair but Anna took a pair of scissors and cut them in the bathroom when she was only five years old. From then, she knew it was best to let Anna keep her hair short. She tried using her therapist to find out why a little girl will want to keep her hair short but Anna's answer was simple she simply felt long hair was uncomfortable.
###
Rose fell on her soft bed which bounced and closed her eyes to think. Her hair was too much of an attention seeker. She will cut it and dye off the highlight. It will be bad if anyone suspects she is related to her real identity before she has enough influence to protect herself. If that happens, it will cause a déjà vu. She did not want to get killed in that same manner in this life.
She got up running her fingers through her hair as she slowly became frustrated. What amount of influence could bring the most powerful family in the country down? She had tried reading strategy books but none of them was helping her. If she tries to kill the queen, that plan won't work because the palace was the most guarded building in the whole country.
Even if she succeeds, her mother's name will still remain with the dirt on it and she was not going to let that happen. Her mother's family now hated her mother because they believe she ruined their family's reputation and none of them could be trusted. She could not consider her father or his family.
She had three things to do on her mind. First, she had to clear her mother's name. Second, she had to see the end of the queen's regime. And third, she had to take her rightful place as the princess. Her plans will simply increase if she finds out her father played a role in all that happened to her and her mother.
She will not hesitate to take away the kingdom from him. It rightfully belonged to her mother. It might lead to a war but she will definitely divide the kingdom if her father played a role and it will take her a longer time to complete her vengeance. She hoped her father was the really a kind and gentle man. That will lessen her burden.
***
"Happy birthday," Anna said hugging Rose tightly.
"Hmmm . . . hmmm . . . gosh I am suffocating," she complained pushing Anna away.
"Take," Anna said with a broad smile as she stretched a wrapped pink box towards Rose.
"Aww. Thank you," Rose appreciated, this time she pulled Anna and hugged her.
"You are welcome. Make sure prepare something nice for me. My birthday is only two months away," Anna reminded her. "Now, you are crushing me," Anna complained and pushed Rose away.
Valerie smiled at her to pretty daughters. "Don't eat too much cake or you will get fat," she had to warn when Anna began stuffing her mouth with Rose's birthday cake.
"I can never get fat. Can't you see my body shape? I think I should officially become your model," Anna answered with a playful tone as she cut a slice and served her mother.
"That was what you said last year. You did not get fat but ended up with stomach upset. Don't come crying to me when that happens," Rose warned her to as she also took a slice of cake.
"Anna, try to eat properly. The cake isn't going anywhere," Valerie tried to advise her daughter as she forced a large piece of cake into her mouth.
"I guess you want to choke or have indigestion. If so, go ahead," Rose added to Valerie's advice.
"Now, they are teaming up against me. Don't think I am going down without a fight," Anna complained as she wrapped her hand playfully around Rose's neck.
"Hey, please stop it. I am not going to join you to act unruly." Rose struggled to pull Anna's hand off her shoulder but Anna refused to let go.
Someone cleared his throat making the two girls stop struggling. They turned to see Mr. Whitfred who was not smiling at all. He hated it when any of them behaves without elegance. "Those are things boys will do. It is not right for a lady to behave in such manner. It seemed your etiquette teacher did not teacher you well. I will get a new teacher brought by tomorrow."
Anna removed her hand immediately with her head bowed and went to sit down. Rose rearranged her hair and also sat down. This was a punishment. Mr. Whitfred was hardly around but whenever he was, it was mandatory that they behave and act properly.
"Come and eat cake," Valerie called her husband knowing fully well that that was going to coax him.
"Sure," he agreed immediately and took a slice of cake on a plate. He sat beside his wife beaming.
The two girls sighed giving their mother mental thumbs up. Rose closed her eyes and sighed once again. It has been more than a year since she became a part of this family. She was sixteen now and she could not help but wonder what she had been doing all along. Mr. Whitfred insisted that her and Anna were home schooled and it was like she did not make a single progress in two years.
Two fruitless years although happy but she made no progress. She was still at the same spot where she started. Her rebirth felt useless and she was sorry about that.
'Mother, I am sorry,' she apologized. 'I am sorry that I could not do anything for you. I could not visit you. I am sorry. I have been so useless lately.'